New Eskimos GM scores with team’s shareholders
Sunderland presents annual meeting with his overview of upcoming season
For all the anger directed toward Edmonton Eskimos brass on social media and in the fan forums following the general manager’s firing a month ago, there wasn’t a trace that surfaced at the club’s annual general meeting Tuesday.
In fact, Ed Hervey’s name didn’t even come up during the public session held in a home locker-room at Commonwealth Stadium that was jam-packed with shareholders.
Of course, it didn’t hurt that when the time came to open the meeting to questions from the floor, Brock Sunderland — all of 15 days into his new job as GM and vice-president of football operations — had already won over the room in what can only go down as the closest thing to an official passing of the torch.
In all of nine minutes, the likable Sunderland, who spent the past four years as assistant GM of the Ottawa Redblacks, put his personality on display, beginning with a joke while lowering the microphone that he’s never the first to know when it’s raining. But he was all business when systematically dissecting Sunday’s draft, the entire Eskimos starting roster — position by position — and presenting his overview of the upcoming season that left everyone looking ahead at what’s to come.
Sunderland was asked whether he would ever consider revealing any players on his negotiation list, like they’re doing in Hamilton to try to drum up excitement.
“When you do that, it alerts the agents and the players that are on that list and it hinders us because they can invoke the 10-day rule, where if they send that into the league office, it gives us 10 days to negotiate,” Sunderland said. “And right now, we have a lot of players we like on our roster, so we don’t want to have to lose a guy and also someone in our pipeline.”
Head coach Jason Maas was asked his thoughts on TSN’s livemic broadcast, which landed him and the Eskimos in hot water with the league and primary broadcast partner last year when he initially refused to participate.
“I never want our organization to look bad at anything,” Maas said. “I can assure everyone in this room right now, if I’m asked to be mic’d again this year, I will absolutely be mic’d.
“I am no longer calling plays so I don’t give a crap.”
BOTTOM LINE: The Eskimos were once again in the black, financially, announcing a consolidated net profit totalling $1,417,795 in 2016.
“The financial side is actually very strong,” said president and CEO Len Rhodes. “We were in a tough economy last year, but our net profit from operations was $2.1 million and we’re very pleased with that.
“It allows us to continue to be sustainable and always putting things right back into the operation’s capital projects and supporting things like amateur football.”
Which they did to the tune of $695,000, adding to the total of $2,856,000 since 2012. As well, the club invested $3.2 million in stadium upgrades, mainly in the form of tech and digital signage.
At the same time, attendance continues to trend downward. But less so in Edmonton than throughout much of the CFL.
Edmonton finished second in attendance in 2016, averaging 30,684 fans at home games. While that crucial figure is down 2.7 per cent from 2015, the league average last season was 24,490, which is down 3.7 per cent.
NEW BOARD: Brad Sparrow has replaced outgoing board chairman John Moquin, while Janice Agrios takes over as treasurer from Christopher Bruce. Murray Scambler was named secretary.
Joining them on the ninemember board are Doug Cox, Rob Heron, Ian Murray, Marshall Sadd, Lindsay Dodd and Tom Richards, who played with the Eskimos from 1986-90 and was wearing his 1987 Grey Cup ring on Tuesday.
IN AND OUT: Expect a host of signing announcements from the Eskimos between now and when training camp opens on May 28.
While 52 players are listed as on the roster on their website, the club confirmed that, of the 75 available spots, the actual number currently sits at 71, plus two others that have been filed with the league and are in the process of being announced.
Earlier that morning, the Eskimos released linebackers Alex Hoffman-Ellis and Donnie Baggs, defensive back Mike Dubuisson and defensive lineman Jabari Hunt, while confirming they have signed former Redblacks right tackle Colin Kelly, who will vie with starters Tony Washington and Joel Figueroa for one of two tackle positions.
Coincidentally, on Tuesday, 3downnation reported the Redblacks have signed former Eskimos running back Shakir Bell.