By Jack Bedell,
MontrealAlouettes.com
Hammond, LA – With TSN broadcasting the entire CFL schedule and a successful law career going full time in Ottawa, you can bet TSN analyst and former Alouette standout Jock Climie has all the work he can handle these days.
But even with the CFL season in full bloom, he was gracious enough to spend some time discussing the state of the league and the Als with me this past weekend…
So49: The 2009 CFL season has put more than a few prognosticators on their ears. What’s caught you by surprise so far this season?
Climie: There have been two big surprises. First, there is the Ticats. While every year there is reason for optimism in Steeltown, it usually takes a mere two to three weeks before reality takes hold. The Tiger-Cats look like an entirely different football team this year as compared to the last eight years. Their new talent (such as DeAndra’ Cobb, Jamall Johnson, Garrett McIntyre, etc) has been sensational. Even more importantly, their lack of experience has not resulted in the usual slew of boneheaded plays and bad penalties that we’ve seen in the past.
The other big surprise has been the Alouettes’ dominance. While everyone expected them to run away with the East, I’m not sure anyone thought they’d be 3-1 against Western opponents and the class of the league.
So49: A third of the way into the season now, have you noticed any emerging trends around the league?
Climie: The most noticeable trend for me has to do with parity. At times, the Esks, Argos, Bombers and Lions have all looked as though they wouldn’t win another game all year. And yet each of these teams has found a way to rebound and look very competitive within a short period of time.
The other trend for me relates to the passing game. In the past couple of years, a lot of quarterbacks were going almost exclusively to a controlled passing game. There was very little willingness to throw the ball deep due to it being relatively low-percentage. However, this year all the quarterbacks are more willing to push the ball down the field.
Jarious Jackson is the most obvious example and even Ricky Ray has improved this aspect of his game over recent years. No quarterback was more dedicated to the “dink-and-dunk” philosophy then Ray, and yet his success this year can be attributed to his return to the deep ball.
So49: How would you assess the season so far for the Alouettes coming off their Grey Cup loss last November?
Climie: The Als have been simply spectacular. I know they’ve had some games they feel they haven’t been as productive offensively as they would like to be. They started at such a torrid pace by averaging over 40 points over the first couple of weeks that it was noticeable when then tailed off. But the other team has guys getting paid, too, and as a result they’ve had some challenges they’ve had to overcome.
But Marc Trestman always seems to find some area of his team to step up to make the difference. Special teams, offence and defence have all played a big role in getting wins for Montreal thus far this season.
So49: What are some of the assets that make the Als consistently able to put a successful team on the field?
Climie: All successful franchises can trace their success from the top-down. The Als have been fortunate to have great ownership. Bob Wetenhall is a very savvy business man and knows how to hire the right people and keep them. A lot of the credit obviously goes to Jim Popp for consistently finding great talent.
Wetenhall and Larry Smith hired Mark Trestman, which took courage given his lack of CFL experience, but he’s been the best coaching hire the CFL has seen in decades.
Then last but not least you have to credit Anthony Calvillo. You can’t be a successful team without an elite quarterback and Calvillo has been as good as they come for the last 10 years. Without Calvillo (or a similarly-talented QB to take his place), the Als would just be another football team over the last decade – winning some and losing some – as opposed to winning most.
So49: As we get a little closer to Labour Day, is there anything you’re keeping an eye on around the CFL to see how the season’s going to evolve?
Climie: Mainly, I’m looking to see if the league can (continue to) generate parity. It’s what I look for every year. You never want to see the same “haves” and “have nots.” Teams have to find ways to win games even though they might not have a Ricky Ray or an Anthony Calvillo.
As a result, my eye is on Toronto and Winnipeg. They are by far the weakest teams in the league, but at times they have shown sparks of promise. We will see what the second half of the year brings.
