Alouettes veteran unloads on CFL over silence during ‘difficult time
MONTREAL It’s taken seven years, but Alouettes veteran Spencer Moore finally is gaining the notoriety that escaped him as a Canadian fullback still seeking his first professional touchdown.
And all it took was a series of articulate and thoughtful tweets last week. “The thoughts came pouring out,” the 29-year-old Hamilton native told the Montreal Gazette on Tuesday. “I didn’t anticipate it being quite the rant it was, one after another. But I needed to get some things off my chest.
“I wasn’t trying to attack anyone or shine a negative light on the situation. I just wanted my thoughts known and I felt better after. I think my point was heard.”
Like others in the Canadian Football League, Moore’s growing restless while awaiting word on whether the season will begin in September after being delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. He’s growing frustrated with the lack of transparency from CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie, combined with a dearth of dialogue between Ambrosie and players’ association executive director Brian Ramsay.
So, following a long day in the hot sun working in landscape construction in Dundas, Ont., Moore’s feelings and emotions came pouring out on Twitter. He spoke about the uncertain times for everyone during this health crisis; the lack of communication and openness at the CFL’S executive level; the future of his career and the lack of value a guy primarily known for playing on special teams holds in professional football.
The well-spoken Moore has done several interviews since then, his comments receiving favourable reviews on Twitter. The six-footfour, 230-pounder has never been one who desired to be defined exclusively by what he does on the field.
“I wasn’t voicing my feelings to get a response,” he said. “I’m not in the business of getting a kneejerk response from people. I’m glad people are hearing what I had to say.”
Married in April 2019, Moore and his wife recently purchased their first home in Caledonia, Ont., and now face potential financial stress. Moore’s wife is a teacher who has continued working online, but CFL players only get paid following games. The Als would have been in Saskatchewan on Friday night for their second regular-season game.
“I’m frustrated for everyone, from the coaching staff to the athletic therapists and equipment guys,” Moore said. “For the people who work in the stadium. It’s a situation, obviously, no one has ever encountered. I do understand the complexities and seriousness of this issue. I’m not at all making light of it. This is a difficult time for everyone.”
As much as Moore would relish a return to football, there are bills to be paid. And following months of sitting at home — especially once it became apparent training camp wasn’t going to begin in mid May — he sought out job opportunities.
Moore won’t disclose his CFL salary, but admitted he’s earning $20 an hour working landscape construction and is putting in 50-hour weeks. He’s getting his hands dirty, he quipped, but he’s also earning every penny. And at the end of the day, when he returns home, he knows the job’s over. In football, there’s film to watch or more training to endure after his 4 1/2-hour schedule, between meetings and practice.
“We are pawns in the grand scheme of things, but it’s a choice we make,” he said. “Here I am, seven years later, willing to do it. But it’s a sad reality. I’ve seen many instances where guys are quick to be replaced. There’s always someone younger, a little hungrier, coming out of school and cheaper. That’s the risk we take, the nature of the game and business.”
While Moore still should have some good years remaining on the field, this delay has forced him to contemplate his future. He has dreams of becoming a firefighter and recently saw a job posting for the Hamilton Fire Department. At the same time, he has 97 career games on his resumé and wants to get to the century mark.
But will there be a season this year?
Moore, who came to the Als in a December 2018 trade from Saskatchewan, is far from certain.
“I want to be optimistic and see the value in maintaining optimism,” he said. “Right now, it’s hard to say. I’m not as optimistic as I was, even a few days ago. Things can change in a day or two.
“Hopefully we get some answers soon. We need some answers, sooner than later.”