THE CANADIAN PRESS
Fraser Caldwell
Ticats.ca
Cortez: preseason a different beast
On Tuesday morning, the Ticats’ underwent a preparatory walk through in anticipation of their second preseason contest slated for Wednesday night in Winnipeg.
Head Coach and Director of Football Operations George Cortez addressed members of the local media afterwards, and argued that the exhibition schedule could not be compared with its more meaningful counterpart. The coach indicated that with the roster movement involved in the preseason, establishing team momentum was next to impossible.
“Probably not,” said Cortez when asked whether a Ticat success on Wednesday could be built upon moving forward. “You want to win every time you play, and winning is important. You always feel better about yourself when you win. But there may be guys who will score three touchdowns and won’t even be around for the practice two days later. It’s that kind of game.
“Yes, good things happen when you like how you executed or the style that you played with. But a lot of times, the game is influenced by people who won’t even be on the teams in the end.”
Rather than an accurate forecast of coming performances, Cortez emphasized that Wednesday’s contest served first and foremost as an audition. Being the last opportunity for prospective members of the team to impress the Black and Gold’s brass, Wednesday should elicit the greatest possible preparation from the players.
“We told the guys that the game is important to us as a team and it’s important to them individually as players, and that they should prepare that way,” said Cortez.
Actions speak louder than words in camp
With Tuesday marking the Ticats’ last outing at McMaster’s Ron Joyce Stadium, Cortez was asked about the message that he had attempted to instil in his prospective players throughout training camp.
The coach responded by emphasizing the importance of speed in his players’ on-field activities, and accountability in all facets of their conduct with the team.
“It’s important that you play fast,” said Cortez. “It’s important in football as a whole and it’s important to you. We judge you on everything that you do, not just what you do on the field but how you are in the meeting room, how you study and what your actions are about. We hear what you do and not what you say. Show us what you can do and don’t tell us.”
