The business of professional sport can be cruel.
And Paul LaPolice found that out in no uncertain terms on Saturday.
Less than 24 hours after his Winnipeg Blue Bombers turned in one of their finest performances of the year, albeit a losing one, LaPolice was fired as head coach and replaced on an interim basis by defensive coordinator Tim Burke.
The move sent shockwaves through the Winnipeg football community and across the entire CFL. There had been mild speculation that LaPolice might be on thin ice, but the team seemed to be getting healthy and improving, and after a gutsy performance against the Lions, there was reason to believe they were headed in the right direction.
Blue Bombers General Manager and VP of Football Operations Joe Mack told a Winnipeg news conference that it was with “regret” and “sadness” that he made the decision to terminate LaPolice.
Mack said he had the utmost respect for LaPolice’s work ethic and his integrity but he added “this is a results driven business, and I have had the feeling for some time that we are not going in the right direction. In fact I think we are going backwards.”
Mack conceded that the players were playing hard, and had certainly turned in a tremendous effort in Friday’s last-second 20-17 loss to the BC Lions.
However, it wasn’t enough said Mack, who claimed his concerns had been developing as far back as last season. Mack said he was frustrated by the lack of discipline the team was still displaying with bad penalties, and in particular, he pointed to the Bombers struggles on offence.
Mack said LaPolice was hired largely because of his offensive expertise, and he hadn’t delivered the kind of creative, productive offensive attack the Bombers needed. Mack also alluded to that elusive quality called chemistry, claiming the Bombers “didn’t have the right chemical mix.”
LaPolice was not available to defend himself, choosing to wait a couple of days before expressing his feelings. It’s a safe bet that he will take the high road while at the same time offering a rebuttal to the accusations against him.
Anyone in CFL football circles who knows Paul LaPolice likes him.
I have done a daily and weekly radio show with him since he was hired in 2010 and he is a thoroughly decent human being, the kind of humble, caring, unassuming individual that you rarely meet in professional sport.
As a matter of fact, I have heard it said more than once that LaPolice is “too nice” to be a head coach. That’s a theory I don’t necessarily subscribe to; I don’t think you have to be a jerk to be a successful leader of men.
You do have to be able to command respect, though, and maybe even strike a little fear into the players every now and then. There has been debate over whether or not LaPolice was able to do that effectively enough.
LaPolice took over a 2010 Blue Bomber team that had staggered through a 7-11 2009 season under Mike Kelly.
With a host of new players and coaches, the Bombers struggled to a 4-14 record, but showed great signs of promise by suffering nine of those 14 losses by four points or less. In 2011, The Bombers rocketed out to a 7-1 start and were the talk of the CFL. They cooled off in the second half, going 3-7 the rest of the way, but still managed a first place 10-8 finish, winning the East Division before coming up short in the Grey Cup game against BC. LaPolice was named a finalist for CFL coach of the year, and received a contract extension in the off-season.
But, retirements, defections, a new offensive coordinator, a raft of crippling injuries, AND a season opening four-game road trip put the Bombers in a tough spot, ultimately costing LaPolice his job.
Mack raised some very solid points on why he felt a coaching change was necessary. An equally strong argument could likely be made on LaPolice’s behalf.
Was it fair that LaPolice was fired? Probably not. And LaPolice took to Twitter on Saturday evening to make that very claim.
But “fair” isn’t a sentiment that carries a lot of weight in the world of pro sport. There is always a bottom line for head coaches – it’s called wins and losses.
LaPolice was 16-28 as Blue bomber head coach, and whether it’s his fault or not, whether it’s “fair” or not doesn’t factor in.
It’s always been that way in the hard world of pro sports.
