Winnipeg Blue Bombers issue statement regarding Zach Collaros ruling

[dd]

This is embarassing, you couldn't get a hold of Collaros using his phone number, so call his emergency contact number and see if they can track him down. To do nothing but leave repeated messages on a phone he isn't answering isn't a very good plan. And what are they doing to ensure this doesn't happen again?? Bush league doesn't begin to describe this situation.

[TecnoGenius]

If he left 10 messages on his phone maybe something would have clicked that he should tune back in and respond.

Maybe WFC should get every player one of the old-skool pagers the size of a matchbox you wear on your belt.  One that works in USA + Canada.  Only for official WFC business.  No one advertises the service/product anymore but last I checked a few years ago you could still get/have one.

Boom, problem solved.  It's like the bat-signal: you get the beep, you respond.

There is also some neat push-notification alarm-beeping even-if-quiet-mode apps you can get for phones.  That can break through anything except plane mode.  And if you only use it once in a blue moon the players can be taught to not ignore it.  (I use "pushover".)  WFC could invest in this for a couple bucks per phone.  Give me a call if you want to implement it, I do stuff like this for a living!

[TecnoGenius]

This is embarassing, you couldn't get a hold of Collaros using his phone number, so call his emergency contact number and see if they can track him down.

Agreed.  Rider's forum isn't having as much fun with this as I would have guessed.  But they did say, that Kelce said, that Zach would zone out sometimes, miss bills, etc.  I can totally relate to the zoning out part (I don't miss bills though!).  Take the above with massive boulders of salt since it's hearsay of hearsay, via the Greenie forum no less!

[TecnoGenius]

Modadmin put this on the rookie camp thread, and it also has relevance here.

The first half it mostly Zach/QB questions.  Sounds like the team wasn't really notified (or maybe not in any useful amount of time), even though it's been reported (here?) Cameron knew/tried.

Also, not sure it's been said here yet (for those who don't read/watch the media): this test screwup seems to have taken place in February or earlier.  Zach definitely mentions Feb, but that may be when he found out about the calls.  Anyhow it's sometime around then.

My point is, and this may be important, this all took place deep in the off-season when nothing is happening football-wise for players, and Zach wouldn't have even been in town (probably), but back home in Ohio(?).  It's like if I was on vacay on a boat for a week or something.  I ain't answering squat, so I wouldn't even know if something important came up.

P.S. Love the Farmer Mike motif.  I want one of those hats.  Great for yard work.

[BomberFan73]

So if a player is on holiday in Jamacia, and they partake in Jamaican things...and they get a call that night, do they have to pee the next day?

[Jesse]

So if a player is on holiday in Jamacia, and they partake in Jamaican things...and they get a call that night, do they have to pee the next day?

These tests are only for PEDs, not recreational drugs.

[The Fresh Prince Of Belair, MB]

"Within the Bombers organization, there's a long-standing joke that if someone wants Collaros to see an email, you must call him first.

As proof, he pulled out his phone during the Free Press interview, revealing 89 unread text messages and more than 55,000 unread emails."


Legend. I only have 645 unread emails.

[blue_or_die]

It's pretty wild that you can give an opposing player CTE and get like a $100 fine but you can be suspended multiple games if you miss a phone call.

Man, I don't even answer my phone anymore. Most calls I get are from India telling me I owe the CRA $10,000. I wonder what info I'm missing out on...

[Blue In BC]

Ok a somewhat rhetorical question. A suspended player doesn't get paid. Collaros earns about $34K per game. Does that reduce his SMS cost for week 1 in the same way being on a 6 game IR would?

[Blueforlife]

Ok a somewhat rhetorical question. A suspended player doesn't get paid. Collaros earns about $34K per game. Does that reduce his SMS cost for week 1 in the same way being on a 6 game IR would?

I was curious about the financial side as well!  A costly missed call LOL.

pick up the phone

[Jesse]

Ok a somewhat rhetorical question. A suspended player doesn't get paid. Collaros earns about $34K per game. Does that reduce his SMS cost for week 1 in the same way being on a 6 game IR would?

In the NHL, you would not get cap relief for on-ice violations, but you do for off ice infractions (such as a failed drug test). If it's similar in the CFL, then we would get SMS relief.

[TecnoGenius]

Ok a somewhat rhetorical question. A suspended player doesn't get paid. Collaros earns about $34K per game. Does that reduce his SMS cost for week 1 in the same way being on a 6 game IR would?

If the money doesn't leave the club, then I'm pretty sure it's off-SMS.  I was thinking the exact same thing as you, but I didn't do the math.  Don't forget to back out the signing bonus and MM, if any.

$34k is a nice bump to entice anyone we may find ourselves needing to entice to sign in the next few months.

[TecnoGenius]

"Within the Bombers organization, there's a long-standing joke that if someone wants Collaros to see an email, you must call him first.

As proof, he pulled out his phone during the Free Press interview, revealing 89 unread text messages and more than 55,000 unread emails."

I can totally relate.  That is me.  (But only 18k emails.)  If you're the fastidious type who thinks this is impossible and Zach is lying -- he's not.

Should have called the wife.  My wife lines up the work, I do the work.  Easy peasy.

[J5V]

I can totally relate.  That is me.  (But only 18k emails.)  If you're the fastidious type who thinks this is impossible and Zach is lying -- he's not.

I'm with most of you on this one. If I was Zach, I would see this off-season time as my time. Zach is a family man and is wholly dedicated to being with his family 24/7 when he's not playing football. Anyone that knows him and has interacted with him knows this. I feel certain that the last thing he wants during his free off-season time is to be tethered to his phone and I don't blame him one bit for that. The real issue to me is the poor attempt that was made to contact Zach outside of leaving messages on his phone. I also agree with the other poster who pointed out that if getting in touch with Zach was so important they should have implemented methods other than strictly phone contact. There are lots of other ways they could have reached out to Zach if this was so important. To now suspend him looks extremely petty to me. They should test him and when he comes back clean they should apologise and all should be forgiven with no suspension. There is no way he should be getting suspended for any reason other than testing dirty.

[TBURGESS]

1. The rules are the rules and Zach knew what the rules are because he knows other players who missed a call.
2. It's 3 ways of contact Phone call, Text, & email not one. 
3. It's 24 hours to get back, not 1 hour. 
4. Testing him now wouldn't mean that he was clean when they tried to get in contact with him.
5. There shouldn't be any SMS relief for a suspension. 
6. Knowing that he has to get back to the league within 24 hours means he should check his voice mails once a day.