Despite winning the 108th Grey Cup in Hamilton, according to sources members of the Blue Bombers felt it wasn’t fair their entire team had to be vaccinated and the Tiger-Cats did not.
Every person who was part of the travelling party from the Manitoba capital had to be inoculated against the coronavirus to be able to board the plane for the flight to Ontario. The Ticats were fortunate because the East Semi-Final was in Steeltown and team bus travel was permitted to Toronto for the East Final at BMO Field.
According to a CFL spokesperson: The league did not have a rule or policy prohibiting unvaccinated players from playing in games. We did have a policy as it relates to team travel as of December 1, 2021. That policy required that:
- Teams had to abide by federal laws when travelling. If they chose to travel by plane, train or sea vessel, the entire travelling party had to be vaccinated as federal law prohibited unvaccinated individuals from travelling on federal transportation as of December 1, 2021.
- Teams had to travel together to and from games (ex: players could not drive themselves or fly private.)
To emphasize, the league did NOT have a policy regarding vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. We simply implemented a policy to clarify how the change to federal regulations impacted club travel.
Multiple Bombers were frustrated because they felt vaccine shots were required to play in the post-season and CFL championship. It’s well known that the man who led Hamilton’s comeback, quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, was unvaccinated during the Grey Cup.
“I was really proud for those that were unvaccinated the support that was shown throughout the organization and by their teammates. I was very proud of our organization and our high percentage of vaccination rate,” head coach Orlondo Steinauer said.
Blue Bombers’ Canadian offensive lineman Asotui Eli was suspended for the Grey Cup due to the federal government regulations barring individuals who are unvaccinated from air travel. Winnipeg head coach Mike O’Shea had indicated that the team’s tier-one personnel was 99 percent vaccinated.
“Anytime that there’s a mandate of something to get 100 percent participation that’s pretty lofty,” Steinauer said.
As for Masoli, who is a pending free agent in February, and any other players that remain unvaccinated prior to next season, it could impact their ability to return to Canada and play. Starting January 15, 2022 professional athletes will only be allowed to enter the country if they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with one of the approved vaccines.
“It’ll definitely impact signings, all of us have to answer to somebody. If that’s the direction we go as an organization, then that’s the direction that we go,” Steinauer said.
“I can’t speak for any other football team, we will have a plan going into free agency and whatever that looks like we’re going to execute it.”
