Grey Cup coaches cut from same cloth
Similarities between Dickenson, Campbell extend to time together on Calgary’s sideline
TORONTO — The annual Jim “Shaky” Hunt Memorial Grey Cup sex question to conclude the coaches’ news conference has had more sensational and entertaining answers.
But never have the responses better tied into the circumstances of the two teams going into the game.
The question, which has been my duty to ask for some years now in honour of the late Toronto Sun columnist who used to ask it every year for decades, is to inquire of each coach their philosophy with regard to their players having sex during Grey Cup week.
“I just don’t want to get in trouble with my mom again. Talking about sex on national media, she said, ‘Hey, what are you doing there, buddy?’ ” said Ottawa Redblacks head coach Rick Campbell, son of Louise and Hugh — who won five straight Grey Cups with Edmonton.
Campbell is making his second straight appearance at the event.
“If you don’t succeed, try, try again,” he said, drawing laughter from the assembled media.
“I guess that’s our motto this year for the Grey Cup,” said Campbell, whose team ended last season with a 26-20 loss to the Edmonton club he grew up around.
Dave Dickenson, Calgary’s rookie head coach, had a different answer: Keep it consistent.
“If you’ve been doing it all year, keep doing it ... So watch out, Toronto.”
Replies aside, seldom have there been a couple of head coaches with so many similarities at the Grey Cup.
Not only have these two young coaches with receding hairlines been successful out of the gate, but they have similar low-key, relaxed and even personalities and coaching styles. There’s hardly a contrast between the two, who coached on the same Calgary staff at the 100th Grey Cup.
“I have a lot of respect for Dave,” Campbell said. “I get Dave and where he’s coming from. I guess I’m a pretty simple guy like him. Like Dave, I try to take things as they come.”
Dickenson said he enjoyed working with Campbell.
“I learned a lot from Rick. I actually worked with him on the offensive side,” he said. “Then Rick went over to be defensive coordinator. He’s basically done it all. Special teams. Offence and defensive coordinator. Head coach. He put in his time. Obviously we know the story about his dad and his family. There were high expectations and he’s living up to them.
“Like he says, I think we are similar. We basically like smaller towns and good people. We like to surround ourselves with that type of environment.” Not that they agreed on everything. “I’m not in love with his music choices,” Dickenson said, “but overall it was always good conversation.”