Baptism by fire for new Esks’ general manager
Sunderland’s first week on the job includes Vegas trip to mini-camp
Brock Sunderland couldn’t hear the crowd at Rogers Place singing the American national anthem on Sunday, considering he was 2,400km away attending the Edmonton Eskimos mini-camp in Las Vegas.
But the team’s new general manager would be hard-pressed to find a better example of the type of sports-involved city he officially became a part of one week ago.
Musician Brett Kissel had to improvise throughout a microphone failure during his rendition of the Star Spangled Banner at an Edmonton Oilers playoff game with the help of 18,000 voices in the building.
While it wouldn’t be a problem in the CFL — pending another U.S. expansion bid, that is — the native of Great Falls, Mont., can certainly appreciate the sentiment.
“Wow, I would have paid money to see that. That’s pretty incredible,” Sunderland said over the phone from the Bill Wildcat Morris Rebel Park on campus at the University of Nevada. Las Vegas where the Eskimos will wrap up a three-day evaluation camp on Tuesday. “I’m well aware of it. I grew up in Montana, so I’m certainly versed in the history of the Eskimos and Edmonton itself.”
But it’s something he’s only become part of it since his plane landed the day before he was introduced to the media in the home locker-room of Commonwealth Stadium on April 25.
His one-week anniversary comes at a time when he’s been away from Edmonton nearly as long as he’s been here and he’s still trying to remember where the nearest washrooms are in the building.
“The most difficult aspect of the job so far has been using my swipe card to get onto the different floors of the organization,” he joked. “I will say this, it’s the happiest I’ve ever been professionally in my life.”
If it’s been a bit of a baptism by fire for the former Ottawa Redblacks assistant GM, it’s had more to do with catching up with everything that’s been going on in the Eskimos offices over the off-season than anything else.
“I will say this, it’s the happiest I’ve ever been professionally in my life.
“One-hundred per cent. The biggest role I have right now is to fit in and keep things afloat because we’re so far gone into this off-season and it’s not a broken organization,” Sunderland said. “I’m technically on Week 1, officially, today. So the wheels were in motion for this mini-camp and I just kind of came in mid-stream.”
Unlike some other teams, Sunderland didn’t have to rock the boat by announcing a long list of players that had to be released to get down to the league-mandated 75-player roster size as of 11:59 p.m. ET Sunday night.
“We’re well under, by a long shot,” said Sunderland, whose website lists 54 players. “Our plan going into (mini-camp) was to have enough space for this evaluation and then we’ll add accordingly.”
Of course, he won’t always find himself in the enviable position of looking to add players to the already established core of veterans under contract. And while cuts are an inevitable part of the job, at least he didn’t have to make them in his first week.
“Exactly, and when that time comes — it’s unfortunately part of this role — most players at this level get it and understand it’s a business.”
And for Sunderland, business is good. “I haven’t stopped smiling since Len (Rhodes, club president) offered me the position,” he said. “And once I got down here, it’s just been that much more exciting seeing the players, meeting with Jason (Maas, head coach) and getting his staff together.”
POINTS AFTER: Former Eskimos quarterback and offensive co-ordinator Marcus Crandell has joined the University of Saskatchewan Huskies as offensive co-ordinator ... 3downnation’s Justin Dunk reports defensive back Arjen Colquhoun has been invited to mini-camp with the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks on May 20-21. Selected 17th overall in the second round of the 2016 CFL draft, the 24-yearold Michigan State product out of Windsor, Ont., was waived by the Dallas Cowboys on Aug. 30.