Kyle Myers
Ticats.ca
You won’t get any guarantees from Tiger-Cats Head Coach and GM Kent Austin.
Speaking on his team’s progress throughout training camp and into the final days before the regular season opener, Austin wasn’t about to make any promises about Friday’s game at the Rogers Centre against the Toronto Argonauts.
“I hope so,” Austin replied when asked if his team was prepared for Friday’s game. “I believe (the coaches) are doing a good job of preparing the guys, but we’ll see when the lights go on. We’ve got to still get some things cleaned up, but that’s expected in a pretty short camp.”
But the deeper you go into Austin’s words, or those of his assistants, the more you get the feeling that they are very excited about this year’s football team, and their potential for the season.
“I really think the defence is understanding what (defensive coordinator Orlondo Steinauer) is asking them to do, and we’re not missing a lot of assignments right now,” he continued. “We’ve got a great group of guys in there.”
Even in Austin’s less calculated reactions – like the way he laughed off a mid-conference interruption by the booming bass coming from the players’ locker room – he seems happy, relaxed, and confident in his team.
And Austin has every right to feel this way, as they’ve certainly impressed so far. A perfect 2–0 in the preseason, the Tiger-Cats have made some noise already this season. With a squad featuring some marquee names at positions on both sides of the ball, there are plenty of reasons for fans to believe that the team’s success can be carried into the regular season.
But Austin is quick to shoo the notion that superstars or individual efforts will be the strength of this team.
“We’re not real big on anointing guys as leaders, because we think everyone can lead,” he said. “The qualities that we believe you should embody as a leader, everybody can do that in that locker room. We believe leadership is plural.”
Described by countless guys as a “player’s coach,” Austin still needs to name team captains before Friday – a process that will be done by vote, by the players.
Though he has been rather mum thus far with regards to his confidence in the team’s progress since training camp, it is quite clear that Austin feels good about the group of players he has selected to be Ticats this season.
“We’ll see when it counts,” he said, asked if the practices and games are indicative of the direction that this team is headed, and if they really are as good as their 2–0 record in the preseason suggests.
I guess we’ll find out on Friday.
