COVID-19 pandemic leads to unknowns for Riders in 2020

There’s a lot of uncertainty for the Saskatchewan Roughriders about the 2020 CFL season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The league has cancelled scouting combines and training camps have been postponed indefinitely as the world tries to reduce the spread of the virus.

“Any season is going to be great. I’m hopeful that we can start knocking the curve down a little bit and we can start seeing some games,” Roughriders general manager Jeremy O’Day told media during a video conference. “We’ll adapt and I think we’ll be prepared.”

O’Day said he has taken everything he needed from his office to his home as he self-isolates.

“I’m getting a lot of good family time with the wife and kids, which has been really enjoyable,” O’Day said. “I’ve had more meals at the dinner table than I’m used to, which is nice.”

O’Day said all staff and players have remained healthy as of now, with no concerns being raised.

“Everyone has been doing real well from within the organization and we’ve been communicating with the players as much as possible,” he said. “Right now it has been pretty positive and everyone’s healthy and well.”

O’Day said he doesn’t have any idea as to when the CFL could possibly start returning to business as usual.

“I know that the league is going through contingency planning and preparing for basically every scenario that can happen,” O’Day said. “It’s such a fluid thing that’s happening and I’m really just hoping we can get (the virus) under control and start to see some wins and start to see some progress that we’re gaining some ground on the virus.”

O’Day noted every team in the league is looking at plans with regards to how the organization is run during the pandemic, with teams possibly laying off workers or asking them to take pay cuts.

“We’re certainly not immune to that where we would be doing the same as the rest of the teams looking at contingency plans and being prepared. With us not knowing the total impacts that (the pandemic) is having, I think it’s only appropriate that you have those plans that are happening,” O’Day said.

O’Day said as far as scouting for the CFL draft goes, it has been vastly different and players’ agents have got creative to try and showcase their players.

“I can tell you that we’ve got plenty of videos of players that are actually shooting the measurables right in their house — some outside on their deck and some in their bathrooms — and they’re doing basically all the measurables that we would do at the combine,” O’Day said.

He also said the team has been in contact with its veteran players to help them stay in shape during what could be a lengthened off-season — especially with the fact many gyms have been closed down.

“(Our strength and conditioning coach was tasked with) kind of getting creative with his workout regimen knowing that the players aren’t able to go in and do the same thing they’re normally able to do,” O’Day said.

“It reminds me of the old Rocky movies where Rocky’s kind of going into the barn and trying to find things that will make him stronger and faster.”

O’Day said the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic is the biggest one he has faced in his career because of all the unknowns.

“It’s such a fluid and changing environment and I think that all you can do is kind of put everything in place and have everything prepared as you would for a normal training camp but you just can’t follow through on a lot of it right now,” O’Day said.

“From a challenge standpoint, it’s nothing I’ve ever experienced before and I don’t think that anyone has ever experienced it before, at least not in my lifetime.”

Overall, O’Day said the team feels prepared for whatever might occur in the future because it’s a veteran crew.

“We do feel for the younger players if it is a shortened training camp because they’re going to have less time to impress the coaches and not a lot of time to play football,” O’Day said.

O’Day said the Roughriders will be ready to go once the CFL gives them the green light, with only having to contact the players to let them know once things get underway.