Elks' Presson switches to offence
The boss urges media to stop portraying COVID-ravaged team as `the bad guys'
After spending the past week defending themselves against a COVID-19 outbreak that has seen 14 players test positive for the virus in a span of five days, the Edmonton Elks organization took to the offensive Friday.
But instead of the gridiron, the field of battle is in the realm of public opinion, which has not looked favourably on them, to say the least.
With no new cases to report for the first time since their facilities were shut down with players, coaches and staff isolating since Sunday, president and CEO Chris Presson began a video conference with media by reminding everyone exactly who the victims are in this situation.
“I think, oftentimes when you get into crisis moments, you forget about the health of the individuals we're talking about and I would appreciate going forward if we wouldn't lose that element,” Presson said. “We have a lot of young players who had never been to Canada, who are here for the first time.
“By themselves. With COVID. Isolating in an apartment or a condo or house with no family or friends.
“And I just don't want us to lose the human element of how people feel about themselves when they're in that spot and when they read things. It's not good for the mental capacity of our team and I think we've been portrayed a bit as the bad guys.”
Multiple positive tests appeared after returning home from last week's 21-16 win over the B.C. Lions in Vancouver, forcing the Canadian Football League to postpone its first game of the 2021 season, which would have seen the Elks play this past Thursday on the road against the Toronto Argonauts.
It's led to no shortage of what Presson called “negative rhetoric” in media reports that followed. And the Canada-wide coverage didn't slow down as the positive tests increased with each passing day, either.
“I think there's assumptions being made that our guys are out all over the place doing certain things,” he said. “You tend to forget there is more than one way you can get this and you don't have to get it by going out.”
On Friday, Presson tried putting his football team's situation into perspective.
“This virus has killed 4.4 million people across the globe and although we're in the midst of an outbreak, I think we need to be brought back to the context of what's gone on,” Presson said. “There's not a league that I'm aware of that has not had a player test positive. There's not a league that I'm aware of that hasn't had multiple players test positive.
“Some leagues have been shut down, others have had starts and stops. So, unfortunately, I think this is part of where things stand today and I just don't want you to lose sight of the human element. These people are humans, just like you, and I would ask you to consider what it would be like if your family members were in this position and maybe report the story accordingly, because it's been a little bit hard on the organization to hear what we've heard.”
Part of the issue working against the club's image is that up until Wednesday, the Elks had been the only team in the regular season to list any players as being under the league's COVID protocols.
Prior to Sunday's outbreak, a trio of Elks had already tested positive, including offensive lineman SirVincent Rogers and coverage linebacker Brian Walker ahead of the season-opener, and defensive end Kwaku Boateng, who didn't travel with the team to Vancouver last week.
While their names appeared on the team's daily injury reports, no such lists have been released this week, considering the team isn't currently practising.
And the Elks won't be able to return to the practice field before Sept. 1, at the earliest, since their seven-day isolation period has been extended to 10 days, the club announced Friday afternoon.
And then, Presson said, only if they have had three consecutive days without another positive test.
The collective-bargaining agreement between the league and its players association precludes the Elks from identifying any players who have tested positive.
However, any players who remain on COVID protocols by the time the team resumes on-field activities will be listed in their next injury report.
And as far as that goes, Presson said every coach and player is currently on the protocols.
“(Football) is secondary. This is the focus of our business from top to bottom,” Presson said of managing the outbreak. “This has become our primary focus because it is a crisis moment. And we've proven now that we've come out the other side with one day of negative tests, and we need to continue to build on that.”
All 14 players are doing well, with only one requiring any further medical attention. And that player, Presson said, has a pre-existing condition that played a contributing factor.
“Our guys are a bit worn down, as we all are,” Presson said. “But most importantly, they are doing all they can to get through it. I think the stress of being locked in your home, we've all experienced, and that's what they're going through again.