The Hamilton Ticats touched down for Grey Cup Week, amidst a bit of a howling wind and a persistent snow storm, their winged ride taxiing along the tarmac just a wee bit more sluggishly than a plane normally would, the pilot undoubtedly wary of the slippery surface beneath.
Finally, then. Something that could slow the Hamilton Ticats’ roll, even if only for a brief period of time.
After a convincing win over the Edmonton Eskimos in Sunday’s Eastern Final, the division champions have arrived in Calgary and despite the reduced visibility of the day, they do so with a clear, clear vision.
The snow might have obscured views all over the city on Tuesday, but the weather played no tricks on the eyesight of the Ticats, who have a sharp picture in mind of the mission that lays just ahead.
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Confidence was, of course, in evidence. Overconfidence? Not at all.
As Eastern champions, and possessors of the best record in the Canadian Football League in 2019, the Ticats could be forgiven if they entered the scene with a little swagger, considering they are the favourites to win the 107th Grey Cup presented by Shaw.
The trio of ‘Cats who were brought to the podium in a hangar at the Canadian North Terminal weren’t what you’d consider the most swaggerish of the bunch. No fiercely and demonstratively confident Brandon Banks.
No smiling, dishing, Simoni Lawrence.
Head Coach Orlondo Steinauer, not prone to flights of boasting fancy – not when he was an all-star player and not now that he is a head coach – did inject a little levity into his appearance before the banks of cameras and microphones.
“It beats not arriving here,” he said smiling, when asked about his initial thoughts on arriving in Calgary. Then, with the crease from his smile vacated, he added: “Just ready to get to work.”
And that is what this Grey Cup Week will be all about for Hamilton.
Because as amiable and wisecracking as Steinauer can be at times, his personality trait of being serious as you can be about the job is one that has trickled down through the entirety of the Tiger-Cats roster throughout the season.
“I want ‘em to enjoy it,” Steinauer began, addressing the carnival atmosphere of the week ahead. “But,” he added, “do what got us here. And that’s focus. I want ‘em to focus in. I want ‘em to get locked in. And that’ll start tomorrow morning.”
Defensive back Frankie Williams – a nominee for most the Most Outstanding Special Teams Player Award – stood in front of the microphones and deflected talk of how big a favourite he thought the Ticats would be with a shrug. “We just focus on the next day,” he said.
Focus on the next task. Focus on the next objective and go hard about it.”
“Stick with our routine,” said Williams when asked about keys to success.
“We just come to work everyday, and work hard. Listen to our coaches, be coachable. Don’t take nothin’ personal.”
Quarterback Dane Evans, wowed but not cowed by the enormity of the moment when he and the Ticats burst from the tunnel for the Eastern Final, displayed the same cool, calm demeanor that has allowed him to quickly climb the ranks as a bona fide star starter.
It’s clear that Evans has already proven that he ain’t no deer in the headlights, and you’d suspect Grey Cup Sunday will be no different.
Still, he knows this is a special situation and one he wouldn’t have thought likely at the beginning of the season. That the ‘Cats would be in this game, he had no doubt, he said. But that he’d be the starting quarterback?
“I’d be lying if I said I knew I’d be standing here in front of all of you in this airplane hangar doing this interview,” he said. “But I’m just taking it the best way I can.”
“I can visualize it,” he said of what Grey Cup Sunday might look and feel like.” I’m a big visualizer. But, honestly, I’ve never been in anything like it so anything I visualize it’s probably just gonna be a little bit more.”
“It’s gonna be fun though,” he added.
But just enough fun, you suspect. Because if there is one thing we know about the 2019 Hamilton Ticats, it’s that they are deadly serious about ensuring the fun is kept in its appropriate place.
Like the pilot that brought them to Calgary, it seems the Ticats know how to adjust for the conditions, including the mental ones. They aren’t likely to be caught, unaware, on the slippery surfaces of overconfidence.
“I respect Winnipeg and the path that they’ve had to get here,” said Steinauer before heading out of the hangar to board the team bus.
“They’ve earned their way here.”
The coach knows. Sometimes you’ve gotta slow your roll, just to be sure you stay in control.
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November 20, 2019 at 07:56AM
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