The Globe and Mail - 06.11.2019

(WallPaper) #1

B16 | REPORTONBUSINESS O THEGLOBEANDMAIL| WEDNESDAY,NOVEMBER6,2019


C


ody Fajardo, Dane Evans
and Vernon Adams Jr. have
made 2019 the year of the
backup CFL quarterback.
All three began the season as
backups, but when opportunity
knocked, they answered the call
and have become emerging CFL
stars heading into the 2019 play-
offs.
“That’s the beauty of sports,
you don’t really know what you
have until these guys get an op-
portunity to show what they can
do,” said Khari Jones, the Mon-
treal Alouettes’ rookie head
coach and a former CFL quarter-
back. “I know how hard it is, how
much you have to do to even be
halfway successful.
“I root for quarterbacks even
when they’re on other teams,
which is weird. But I know how
tough it is, so I appreciate it when
guys play at a high level.”
Fajardo, Evans and Adams all
got their chance to play because
of injury. They’ve led their teams



  • Saskatchewan, Hamilton and
    Montreal, respectively – to a com-
    bined 38-16 record with the Tiger-
    Cats (CFL-best 15-3 mark) and
    Roughriders (13-5) finishing first
    in the East and West. Montreal
    (10-8) is in the postseason for the
    first time in five years and will
    play host to Edmonton in the East
    semi-final on Sunday.
    Quarterback injuries were a
    dominant CFL storyline as all
    nine opening-day starters went


down. That forced every club to
play backups, with some going
three or four deep under centre.
“You’d like to keep the league’s
best players healthiest because
they’re the most exciting,” Winni-
peg offensive co-ordinator Paul
LaPolice said. “But I think it’s
good to see people play, because
when an older guy retires or
moves on, people wonder, ‘Who’s
the next guy?’
“This is actually good, to see
guys get opportunities to play so
you can evaluate them.”
Sophomore Nick Arbuckle was
thrust into the spotlight June 29
when he rallied Calgary past B.C.
36-32 after starter Bo Levi Mitchell
(pectoral muscle), the CFL’s top
most outstanding player last year,
was injured.
Arbuckle went 3-3 under cen-
tre, and when Mitchell returned,
the Stampeders (12-6) were still
contenders in the West before fin-
ishing behind Saskatchewan.
Winnipeg wasn’t as lucky. The
Bombers were 7-2 and atop the
West Division when veteran Matt
Nichols suffered a season-ending
shoulder injury.
Winnipeg went 3-6 with back-
up Chris Streveler. But veteran
Zach Collaros rallied the Bombers
past Calgary 29-28 at IG Field in
their regular-season finale Oct. 25
and is expected to start in the
West Division semi-final at McMa-
hon Stadium on Sunday.
Collaros contributed to Fajardo
becoming the CFL’s feel-good sto-
ry this year. Collaros was Sas-
katchewan’s starter but suffered a
concussion early in its season-
opening 23-17 road loss in Hamil-
ton.
Fajardo came in and was 12-4 as
the starter, resulting in Saskatche-
wan trading Collaros to Toronto
in July before the Argos dis-

patched him to Winnipeg last
month. With Fajardo ailing
(oblique), rookie Isaac Harker led
the Riders (13-5) past Edmonton
23-13 on Saturday to clinch first in
the West for the first time since
2009.
Fajardo, 27, who’d been a back-
up previously with Toronto (2016-
17) and B.C. (2018), threw for a
CFL-high 4,302 yards with a stellar
71.5-per-cent completion average.
The Riders rewarded him in Octo-
ber with a two-year contract ex-
tension, and last week Fajardo
was named the team’s outstand-
ing player nominee.
“He’s a pretty humble guy, but
he’s got some swagger to him and
some confidence,” Riders rookie
head coach Craig Dickenson said
of Fajardo. “You just don’t see it
displayed on the outside so much.
“He comes from blue-collar
roots and I think that shows
through when he talks to people.”
Fajardo admits this season has
been a whirlwind. But he’s intent
on finishing it the right way –
hoisting the Grey Cup.
“I don’t think I’ll realize what
kind of happened until after the
season,” he said. “But honestly, I’ll
trade all of those things for a Grey
Cup.
“There’s nothing better than
hoisting a cup over your head,
which I’ve had the privilege to do
[2017 with Toronto]. The bond
you build in that locker room
when you win a Grey Cup with
guys, it’s different, it’s special.”
Hamilton’s historic season –
the 15 wins are a single-season
club record – appeared in jeopar-
dy July 26. Starter Jeremiah Maso-
li, the East Division’s top player
last year, suffered a season-end-
ing knee injury in a 23-15 home
win over Winnipeg.
That forced Hamilton to look

to Evans, a second-year player
with one CFL start under his belt.
The Ticats were 5-1 with Masoli,
their undisputed offensive leader
who’d thrown for 1,576 yards and
nine TDs while scoring four him-
self.
Evans, 25, lost his first start of
2019, a 24-19 road decision to Fa-
jardo and Saskatchewan on Aug.


  1. But he led Hamilton to five
    straight wins and nine of 10 over
    all before backups Hayden Moore
    and David Watford guided the Ti-
    cats past Toronto 21-18 on Satur-
    day night to finish the regular sea-
    son 9-0 at Tim Hortons Field.
    The 6-foot-1, 218-pound Evans
    threw for 3,754 yards with 21
    touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
    He added 161 yards rushing (4.7-
    yard average) with three TDs.
    Hamilton’s Orlondo Steinauer,
    who tied the CFL record for most
    regular-season wins by a first-year
    head coach, said the Ticats were
    quick to support Evans when he
    became the starter.
    “Quarterback is by far the har-
    dest position to play,” Steinauer
    said. “You have to please everybo-
    dy, and we have some guys who
    want the ball, which is great.
    “But they’ve supported him,
    they’ve given him grace. Tommy
    [offensive co-ordinator Tommy
    Condell] has given him grace.
    He’s not going to play perfect
    [but] I haven’t seen repeated mis-
    takes. I’m proud of him, but not
    surprised.”
    Adams’s path to success is
    much more compelling. Twice he
    contemplated retirement after
    stints with Montreal (2016), Sas-
    katchewan (2017) and Hamilton
    (2018), which tried converting the
    5-foot-11, 200-pound quarterback
    to receiver.
    “I’m a Vernon Adams Jr. fan,”
    Steinauer said. “I was fortunate to


watch him in training camp last
year ... what I saw was just a posi-
tive teammate who’d do any-
thing.
“I remember him running
routes, punting the ball. Just a fun
person to be around. He’s an easy
person to follow and I see that in
Montreal.”
Adams Jr. re-signed with Mon-
treal in 2018 after leaving Hamil-
ton. He began the year as the
Alouettes’ backup but replaced
injured starter Antonio Pipkin in
the club’s season-opening 32-25
road loss to Edmonton, complet-
ing seven-of-10 passes for 134
yards with a TD and interception.
Adams was 10-5 as the starter,
guiding Montreal to second in the
East Division and double-digit
victories for the first time since


  1. He was named the
    Alouettes’ outstanding player
    nominee (3,942 yards passing, 24
    TDs, 394 rushing yards, 12 touch-
    downs).
    “He’s just a winner,” Jones said.
    “That’s one thing you want to be
    known as a quarterback, a guy
    who finds ways to win games.
    “He never gives up, he fights,
    he makes plays with his feet and
    throwing the ball.”
    Jones isn’t surprised to see Fa-
    jardo, Evans and Adams all
    emerge as bona fide CFL stars.
    “You almost have to see it be-
    cause guys get older and guys
    change,” he said. “Once you get
    that opportunity and show you
    can play, then the league kind of
    changes over.
    “It’s a fun time to see a new
    crop of guys develop, but it takes
    time. They were backups for a
    while, and now they’re getting
    their opportunity and making the
    most of it.”


THE CANADIAN PRESS

RoughridersquarterbackCodyFajardo,right,wasnamedSaskatchewan’soutstandingplayernomineelastweek.DARRYL DYCK/THE CANADIAN PRESS


Backupquarterbacksfindtheirfooting


Fajardo,Evansand


AdamsJr.stepped


upafterarashof


QBinjurydrama


DANRALPH


“It’s not like he’s being put in dif-
ficult situations. A lot of them
are 30 feet from the basket and
he’s just got his hands on him.
He’s got to adjust.”
Siakam owned up to it on
Tuesday, and said he needs to be
better.
“Obviously there’s some fouls
that I can avoid and not take be-
cause it’s definitely important for
me to be in the game,” said the
25-year-old from Cameroon. “It’s
a part of growing and if you guys
know me – I’m always about im-
proving and evolving. And I’m
excited about it. I’m excited
about the opportunity to learn
and by the end of the season I
can look at these games and say
they prepared me for something
bigger.”
Nurse said the coaching staff
has been doing some extensive
film study with Siakam on this
trend, stressing that he needs to
be very aware of what he’s doing
with his hands.
Siakam said he needs to im-
prove his defensive readiness. He
must move his feet more effi-


ciently so he’s not caught off
guard when an offensive player
nears him, then he will be less
likely to put his hands on the
guy he’s guarding.
Siakam also acknowledged
that he is not yet seasoned – like
many veteran players are – in
how to effectively talk to officials
on the court.

“I’m learning, just knowing
how to talk to the refs. Even if
you want to say something find a
good way to say it,” Siakam said.
“Know their names, or little
things I’m learning now that I
didn’t have to worry about be-
fore.
“Like I said, all part of the
game and part of growing as a

player. And I think it’s important
that I take that seriously.”
To make up for the lost min-
utes he has sacrificed in some in-
stances of foul trouble, Siakam
has found ways to go on late-
game scoring bursts at times this
season. But that’s not a sustain-
able way forward.
Studying game film, and gain-
ing a better understanding of
what the refs are and are not
calling – then making adjust-
ments – is a top priority right
now. He must limit his fouls and
be able to stay on the floor. His
first chance to show his improve-
ment in that area for the Raptors
(4-2) will be Wednesday night
against the visiting Sacramento
Kings (2-5).
“It’s something that’s going on
right now and I have to find a
way to be better at it. It’s on me,”
Siakam said.
“It doesn’t matter what the ref
does or what happens. It’s gotta
be on me to make sure that I
adjust properly to what’s being
called out there and that I’m
ready to help my team win, and
that’s by being on the floor and
not fouling out.”

Raptors:Siakamsaysheis‘learning’howtoeffectivelytalktoofficials


FROMB13

It’s something that’s
going on right now and
I have to find a way to
be better at it. It’s on
me.

PASCALSIAKAM
RAPTORS FORWARD

ATLANTAAtlanta Hawks forward
John Collins was suspended for
25 games without pay on Tues-
day for a violation of the NBA’s
anti-drug program after testing
positive for a growth hormone.
The NBA announced that
Collins, 22, tested positive for
peptide-2. He is Atlanta’s leading
rebounder and second-leading
scorer.
Collins apologized in a state-
ment, saying he was “incredibly
frustrated and disappointed in
myself for putting all of us in this
position,” but that he planned to
appeal the suspension.
“I have always been incredibly
careful about what I put in my
body, but I took a supplement
which, unbeknownst to me, had
been contaminated with an
illegal component,” he said. “I
plan to fight my suspension in
arbitration so I can get back on
the court as soon as possible and

continue to contribute to our
2019-20 campaign.”
Collins is the third player to be
handed 25-game suspensions for
drug violations this season. The
NBA announced on Oct. 24 that
Phoenix Suns centre Deandre
Ayton was suspended after
testing positive for a diuretic. On
Aug. 29, the league suspended
Brooklyn Nets forward Wilson
Chandler for testing positive for
Ipamorelin, a drug that increases
the release of growth hormone.
The suspensions of Ayton and
Chandler also are without pay.
Collins’s suspension begins with
Tuesday night’s game against
San Antonio.
Hawks general manager Travis
Schlenk said the team was
“disappointed to learn that John
put himself in an unfortunate
situation and violated the
league’s anti-drug policy.”
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ATLANTAHAWKS’COLLINSSUSPENDED
FOR25GAMESAFTERPOSITIVEDRUGTEST
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