Slip, sliding away
Visiting Redblacks wary of end zone ‘safety hazard’ and playing at BMO Field
The Ottawa Redblacks are doing everything possible not to get tripped up by looking past the 1-5 Toronto Argonauts on Thursday night.
As for being tripped up by the spotty field conditions at BMO Field, well, that’s another matter altogether.
“That turf is a safety liability for everybody,” Redblacks defensive back Rico Murray said. “For both teams, the referees, everybody who steps into that end zone. It’s a safety hazard, honestly.”
Murray knows of what he speaks.
A year ago, he was part of the Argonauts squad that rallied from a slow start to finish the regular season 9-9 on the way to an upset win over the Calgary Stampeders in the Grey Cup game.
While he has changed uniforms and now wears Redblacks colours, what hasn’t changed is the sub-par nature of one end zone in Toronto. While the majority of the field is natural grass, one end zone is artificial turf, creating nightmares for receivers and defensive backs attempting to change directions quickly.
In an early July game, Edmonton Eskimos receiver Derel Walker slipped and fell while attempting to jump for a touchdown pass from quarterback Mike Reilly. With Walker on the ground, Argonauts defender Ronnie Yell made an easy interception to end the drive. The Argonauts went on to win the game by three points.
CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie has attempted to resolve the issue with BMO Field officials, but the problems continue.
What can players do to deal with the issue?
“Pray that we never get down there and have to defend that goal line,” Murray said.
“It’s easier for Toronto to take advantage of it, because it’s their home field and home stadium. Just being there last year, I remember that we even game-planned in that if we were ever going to get defences down there, there were special plays that they had in order to get defenders to change direction and stop ... because you can’t change directions in that end zone.”
Murray says it even makes life hellish for the defensive line in straight-forward, short-yardage situations along the goal line.
“It’s harder for anybody who has to put their feet in that end zone,” he said. “If they get the ball to the oneyard line and you have to put your hand on that white line and your feet in that end zone, you are at the offence’s (mercy) because they can just blow you into the end zone. There is no traction at all. It’s like having cleats on concrete out there.”
Redblacks receiver Greg Ellingson has also been an outspoken critic of BMO Field.
“Nobody has been injured yet, that I know of, but it has the potential to create an injury when you see guys slipping all the time,” Ellingson said. “Honestly, they don’t need to use real grass. They could just use other turf that has rubber in it, but that’s like the Astroturf I played on when I was in arena football, where you need outdoor turf there.”
Given the conditions of the field, receivers tend to make their moves before the goal line.
“I guess you need to know the situation, like any other element in football,” Ellingson said. “But it’s one that you shouldn’t have to deal with, in my opinion.”