Fraser Caldwell
Ticats.ca
A step up in competition entering regular play
Three days removed from his team’s much anticipated home opener against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Ticats Head Coach and Director of Football Operations George Cortez acknowledged that the beginning of the proper campaign brought with it new demands for his players.
“There’s no doubt that there’s a big difference between playing a real game and a preseason game, and there’s a big difference between playing a playoff game and a regular season game,” said Cortez. “Yes, there’s a different level of anticipation from the players, a different level in practice. That’s what everybody gets excited about.”
“I told them today, we pay them to come to meetings and practice. They play for free.”
Not a proving ground for Burris
The beginning of the Ticats’ 2012 season brings with it a return to the offensive helm for Henry Burris, after the veteran pivot lost his starting job in Calgary last season. The temptation among many has been to suggest that the seasoned quarterback has something to prove at 37 years of age.
But while media members may accept it, Cortez indicated on Tuesday that he is not a subscriber to the narrative of personal redemption. Instead, he simply wishes for Burris to competently occupy the starter’s role in his new offence and play to the expectations of the team.
“I don’t look at it that way,” said Cortez of the notion that his starting pivot faces a vendetta this year. “I just look at this as an opportunity for Henry to prove that he’s a starting quarterback in this league. I don’t look at it that way, although he probably does. He’s our quarterback and we expect him to perform well. He’s practiced well and had some good preseason games, and now we’ll do the real stuff.”
Fueling the defensive fire
Tuesday’s workout saw several Ticats emulate Roughrider opponents as the team looked to counter the expected practices of the Saskatchwan outfit. Coach Cortez himself was heard upping the ante for his defenders as he greeted completions with the names of well-known members of Rider Nation such as Weston Dressler and Chris Getzlaf.
Asked about the emulation in the wake of the morning practice, Cortez indicated that it was designed to focus defenders on the weapons they will soon face, while providing the coach himself a little entertainment in badgering his cover team.
“Well those are two of their better players,” said Cortez of the mid-practice name dropping. “We had a number on for one of them because he’s one of their important players, and I know that Getzlaf for example has played well over the past couple of years. And of course it makes it a little more fun out there for me.”
