The Edmonton Elks are expected to leave their imposed 10-day COVID-19 isolation on September 1 and some around the CFL are worried that such an extended period of inactivity is likely to hinder the team’s competitiveness going into their Labour Day matchup with the Calgary Stampeders.
One observer unconcerned with that possibility is TSN colour commentator Glen Suitor, who didn’t mince words about the Elks’ situation during an appearance on The Dave Jamieson Show on Thursday.
“The team that had the issue with COVID, we shouldn’t feel sorry if there’s a bit of a competitive disadvantage for that team,” Suitor told listeners. “Right now, the Elks are very fortunate that they didn’t get a loss and that the players didn’t get paid with the Argos winning 1-0.”
That still remains a possibility after the league had to postpone Thursday’s game in Toronto when the Elks had five members of the team test positive for the virus on Sunday. The total case count is now at 14, with no new positive tests announced on Thursday for the first time since the outbreak began.
The team’s Week 4 game will be cancelled if the league is unable to reschedule it, while the Labour Day matchup is still in jeopardy if the team doesn’t experience multiple days of negative testing.
While the team will not release the names of players who have tested positive or how the outbreak started, Suitor believes the blame falls squarely on the Elks and the individuals involved.
“The protocols are quite clear. The rules and restrictions for players and coaches and Tier 1 staff are quite clear. I’m not sure where or how the players for Edmonton contracted the virus, whether it was in B.C. or not … but if it comes down to personal decisions made by players that were the wrong decisions, then there is something that can be done for that,” he said.
“I hope that if that is the case — and I don’t know that to be fact — then I hope that starting with the team, the Players’ Association, which would be next in line, and then finally the league office does come down on players who make decisions with regards to breaking protocols.”
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have already been the first to act in that manner, opting to sit star pass rusher Ja’Gared Davis for Friday’s game against Montreal after he violated an undisclosed COVID protocol. No similar disciplinary actions have been announced by the Elks or the CFL.
“If it was a selfish decision by players, then there’s got to be something done about that because it can’t happen again,” Suitor stressed.
“If it wasn’t and this was just really bad luck and timing and all of that, then we learn from it and maybe even become tougher on protocols and restrictions. But because the game comes first and the teammates of these players should be first and foremost in their mind, if they made personal decisions that were the reason for this issue, then I hope it’s dealt with because it can’t happen. It just can’t happen.”
With a fourth wave of the pandemic rising across Canada, the CFL now finds itself in a precarious position. Seven teams have put in place vaccine mandates for fans in recent weeks, with the rest expected to follow, but the league cannot force immunization for players due to the CBA.
That means that the league is relying on the personal responsibility of both vaccinated and unvaccinated players to prevent outbreaks. When individuals fall short of that mark, Suitor did not hesitate to say what he believes should happen.
“This is about safety in a time where there’s a pandemic still on, but we are trying to get business back up and running and our game back up and running. Again, I’m not suggesting this happened with the Elks or Ja’Gared Davis, but I’m just saying if the contract tracing and the evidence shows that these were just bad personal decisions by players, then that’s a major red flag to me,” Suitor emphasized.
“Those players should get an apple and a roadmap and back in the day, that meant get cut.”
