By Tim Switzer,
Regina Leader-Post
What a difference a week makes.
This time last week, the Saskatchewan Roughriders were just coming out of a two-day media lockout and still facing questions about the firing of general manager Roy Shivers and the hiring of his replacement, Eric Tillman.
Most of the talk around the team was how it would rebound from the front-office shuffle and what the future of head coach Danny Barrett might be.
These days, the black cloud is less detectable when the topic of conversation switches to the Roughriders.
Instead, most fans are focused on the team’s back-to-back lopsided victories over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the impending Labour Day Classic against the visiting Winnipeg Blue Bombers this Sunday.
While the aura surrounding the team may have changed outside the organization, players and coaches insist it has been business as usual all along.
“It’s the same (come practice time),” said slotback Corey Grant. “We’re focused. Coaches are pushing us to keep going. We want to stay on this little roll we have going. We’re coming out and working hard. Guys are just a little more relaxed (this week).
“(Last week) didn’t bother me one bit. I come out here to play football. That’s what they pay me to do.”
Players were sheltered from the media on Tuesday and Wednesday last week and only Barrett addressed reporters, who were also kept from watching workouts inside the practice field fence. Players didn’t speak to reporters until Thursday, a day after Tillman’s appointment was announced.
Since then, the Shivers controversy has faded and Barrett helped secure his future for the time being with a 51-8 win in Hamilton on Saturday.
But linebacker Reggie Hunt said even during the week of turmoil, he and other players were focused solely on the game when they came to work.
“Danny did a good job of taking all that off-the-field stuff away from us, anyway,” Hunt said. “They leave practice up to us and we leave the front-office stuff up to them. We just try not to think about it.”
Barrett said the team atmosphere really changed after a 24-18 loss to the Edmonton Eskimos on Aug. 11.
“We realized we wanted our ping-pong table back out, our music back on and the guys got back into it,” Barrett said. “I’m seeing the difference across the board.”
And, he confirmed, that continued when many thought a team implosion was imminent.
“Once you get over the shock of everything, you realize it’s business as usual,” Barrett continued. “On the practice field, anytime the guys step between the stripes, they’re ready to go.”
NOTES: Barrett is still tight-lipped about which quarterback will get the nod against Winnipeg on Sunday. Rocky Butler led the team to two straight wins over the Ti-Cats while starter Kerry Joseph rested a knee injury. The two split time under centre Thursday … While some players sat out practice with a mild flu bug Thursday, Barrett doesn’t expect any major changes to the lineup Sunday … A day after being named the CFL lineman-of-the-week, Roughriders defensive end Fred Perry got the league’s monthly award Thursday. In four games in August, Perry registered 11 tackles, six sacks, an interception and a fumble return for a touchdown. Other players-of-the-month included Calgary teammates quarterback Henry Burris (offence) and defensive back Coby Rhinehart (defence) and Montreal Alouettes kicker Damon Duval (special teams). Roughriders running back Kenton Keith was a runner-up to Burris.
