Sunderland slips easily into new role as Eskimos’ GM
You certainly wouldn’t be able to tell by watching the on-field sessions at Commonwealth Stadium over the past three weeks that the organization went through a major shakeup when Ed Hervey was fired as general manager.
From all appearances, the transition to his replacement, Brock Sunderland, whose first day on the job was April 23, has been a smooth one as the Eskimos wrapped up their pre-season schedule Thursday.
“To be quite honest with you, there probably would have been more of a transition or a difference if I hadn’t known Brock prior to this, because then you’re trying to understand somebody’s personality and how you speak to them, trust and all that stuff that comes into it,” said Eskimos head coach Jason Maas, who was offensive coordinator in 2015 with the same Ottawa Redblacks that Sunderland spent the past four years with as assistant GM.
“I trust Brock, I had a good relationship with him in Ottawa, we see things very much alike. Obviously, relationships grow. They’re an everyday thing that you have to work on.”
POLICING PENALTIES
With 17 penalties for 135 yards more than doubling the Calgary Stampeders’ eight for 59 yards Sunday, Maas looked for improvement in Winnipeg and is counting on his team getting its flag-flying problems out of its system.
“It’s focus and it’s discipline. What more can you do?” he said. “We’ve addressed it every single day. At some point, it comes down to the veterans on our team not tolerating it, but it’s not something that we have not discussed.
We talk about it every single day, we call everybody out. We watch it on film. They’ve been told they need to improve in that area. But ultimately, it still comes down to: you’re a human being, you’re out there, you have decisions to make.”
Every wrong one gets noted on a board prominently placed in a busy hallway of Commonwealth Stadium.
“And the main culprits more than likely aren’t going to be here. That’s where you really set the tone. But the players, when they start policing themselves or buying into the fact that they control it is when you have the right guys.”