Calgary Stampeders’ head coach and general manager Dave Dickenson has no time for questions about him potentially being on the hot seat.
“I mean honestly, what do you want me to say to that? Really? I’m f*cking here to work, so I don’t really give a damn. I’m here to work. Speculate all you want, but I’m here to work,” Dickenson said when asked by PostMedia reporter Todd Saelhof, captured by Sportsnet 960.
The Stamps have the worst record in the CFL at 4-9-1 and are trending towards missing the playoffs for the first time since 2004. Calgary has made the postseason for 18 straight seasons, the longest active streak in the CFL.
“We’ve been competing hard all year, not getting the results. We’re trying to find the right answers. I’m not questioning our compete level at all. Guys have been competing, working — just haven’t been able to find answers to win,” Dickenson said.
The 51-year-old Great Falls, Mont. native has never failed to qualify for the playoffs during his tenure with the organization as a player, assistant coach, head coach, or general manager. He’s gone 82-50-3 during the regular season since becoming Calgary’s head coach in 2016 with a 4-6 mark in the postseason.
Calgary hasn’t won a playoff game since beating the Ottawa Redblacks in the 106th Grey Cup on November 25, 2018. The Stampeders went 6-12 last year, sneaking into the third and final playoff spot in the West Division. The team is currently on pace to finish last in the West Division, ranking ninth in points per game (23.6), interceptions thrown (17), and turnover ratio (minus-16).
“We’ve been working hard, we haven’t got the results we want. Effort’s not enough in pro sports — we’re going to play hard, though. I think our guys are ready to play,” Dickenson said. “We’re off a bye, I feel we should be a fresh team. We’ll get some new bodies in there as well. Let’s see what the results are. We got a lot of questions surrounding our team and we need to answer them on Friday.”
The Stampeders travel to B.C. Place for a matchup with the Lions in Vancouver. The Stampeders season and perhaps Dickenson’s job could be riding on the result.
