There was no doubt about it. Jim Hopson didn't even have to leave the office to find it. It was right under his nose.
There were about 20 applications received for the general manager's job with the Saskatchewan Roughriders after Eric Tillman resigned a week into the New Year. But, the guy the Riders ended up selecting was a Saskatchewan product who had once worked for the Riders, who had been a general manager with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Enter Brendan Taman, once of the Bombers, once of the B.C. Lions, but lately a member of the Loyal Disorder of Rider Priders.
That Taman got the job wasn't a bit surprising. Because people suspected he would be up there from the day during last season he was hired on by the Riders to help Tillman and coach Ken Miller, while Tillman was on a virtual house arrest awaiting his trial on a charge of sexual assault.
But the twist in the January 21st announcement came right off the top of the press conference when President and CEO Jim Hopson announced that Miller would still be coaching the Riders but would also wear the mantle of Vice-President of Football Operations and that Taman would report to Miller, not the other way around.
Both Taman and Miller say they can live with this arrangement, as unusual as it is. Normally, the coach would report to the GM, but not here, not in Riderville. Taman's role will be restricted to signing players and finding new ones. Miller will report directly to Hopson, who now has all the power in the Rider organizational structure.
When Hopson took over as President and CEO, he and general manager Roy Shivers shared equal powers, both reporting to the board, a difficult setup that was rectified when Shivers left.
Since Hopson has been running the show, it's hard to argue with the results. Two Grey Cup appearances, one win, home playoff games, a first-place finish, a huge bank account, and one sellout after another. All of this was accomplished under trying circumstances. Kent Austin lasted only one year as head coach, winning a Grey Cup before leaving for Mississippi. Ken Miller didn't miss a step, taking the Riders to a first-place finish and the Grey Cup game. There was an ever-changing pattern with quarterbacks before Miller steadfastly stuck with Darian Durant as his starter. It was move that paid off in big ways.
The one constant in all of this has been Jim Hopson.
Nobody will ever discount the job that Tillman did for the Roughriders. He found players, and handled contract dealings well. But to think he is the only guy in North America who can find and sign players is to enter some sort of dream world. Brendan Taman has credentials for doing the same thing. So does scout Joe Womack. So do a whole lot of people out there.
The Riders remain in good hands.
If there is one thing that has changed in Riderville, it is the quality of people the Riders have brought into the organization, Tillman's hiccup the lone exception. Where there once was a time when police interviews were challenging media interviews in volumn, the Riders now seem fixated on bringing in not only good players, but also good people.
Who better to underline that than defensive end John Chick, the outstanding defensive player in the CFL last season? Chick has signed with the Indianapolis Colts of the NFL, and he's gone. But in his time in Saskatchewan, he was not only known for his play but for all the wonderful community work he did. That is a throwback to the days when the Riders were not only the winningest team in the league, but also one in which their players (Ron Lancaster and George Reed among them) lived here and were so involved.
Quality people do quality things. And, they involve themselves in quality endeavors.
You can see it happening now. Exit Realty Fusion, Regina's fastest growing real estate company, has three people with ties to the Riders. Marc Parenteau is an outstanding guard with the Riders, and works at Exit Realty Fusion as an agent. Matt Dominguez, one of the greatest receivers in Rider history, is an Exit Realty Fusion agent. And, Mona Crandell, the wife of former Rider quarterback Marcus Crandell, has recently become an Exit Realty Fusion agent. The two things they have in common are they have ties to the Riders and they care about our community. So does everyone else who works for Exit Realty Fusion.
Exit Realty Fusion is a perfect fit for them. This growing Regina real estate company is involving itself more and more in community initiatives. The latest, to raise funds and awareness for the Saskatchewan Alzheimer's society. To contribute to the valiant efforts of the organization, next weekend a joint effort by all the agents will help spread their message in Saskatchewan. At each open house in and around the city, Exit agents will be raising funds and handing out "forget me not seeds." This on the eve of the Forget-Me-Not-Walk at the Regina Field House. Exit Realty Fusion folks will be present on Sunday, January 31 when everyone gathers at Field House from 1 to 3 p.m. for the always successful annual event.
They all hope you will support this great initiative. You might be surprised who you run into.
