Much has been made of Odell Willis’ benching and is causing quite the buzz around the Eskimo Empire, especially with fans and media.
He was flagged for taking a major penalty that helped Ottawa extend a drive that was all but finished, so nothing less than an impeachment of “Mayor” Odell Willis will do.
The combination of momentum and a push from a Redblacks player prevented Willis from defying the laws of physics. Apparently stopping on a dime and doing a complete 360 to return to his own bench is asking a bit too much from the self-proclaimed Mayor of Commonwealth.
And because Odell is just being Odell, he used the momentum as an excuse and an opportunity to wander deep into the Redblacks bench jawing at players and coaches. Players chirp at each other. It’s part of the game. They do it in the field of play and when given the chance and opportunity at the enemy’s bench; you unleash everything and expect it back tenfold.
Yes the Eskimos Willis did take the opportunity too far. Much too far for Chris Jones’s liking. Willis was given a 10 yard major foul penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct which extended an already long Redblacks offensive series. Willis was benched for the remainder of the drive and the game for his actions.
The Redblacks went on to score their first major to put them in the lead 12-11for the first time in the game.
Was the penalty was costly? Absolutely. It made a close game a little too snug. When it happened, the Eskimos were leading 12-6. They squandered three opportunities to score majors while deep in enemy territory. The Gods always have a way of reminding teams that that’s a bad thing, especially in the CFL.
Did the punishment fit the crime? Willis is a repeat offender in the CFL, so this may have been a reputation call. But being benched by your coach for an entire quarter of football when the game is on the line is pure torture for both a player and his team, especially with an impact player like Willis.
But Willis has been reasonably well behaved as an Eskimo. His only league scolding was a fine issued by the league on a hit to the head of Hamilton Ticats QB Zach Collaros last season. He wasn’t issued a penalty on the play, but the league stated in announcing the fine that Willis and the Eskimos should have been penalized. Hindsight isn’t always 20/20 and it’s clearly blurred right now in Edmonton as the Eskimo Empire reflects on Willis and his pre-Eskimo actions.
One local journalist wrote a scathing piece saying Willis isn’t a team player. One fan said, “Bench him again,” while another fan remarked, “I’d be trading him later in the year if I were Hervey.” But I say that Willis won’t be benched again and he won’t be traded after having a career year last season as an Eskimo.
Willis got the message Coach Jones sent; no one player is going to be bigger than the team when the task at hand is winning a Grey Cup.
There won’t be any impeachment of Eskimo Mayor Willis any time soon. The play in question can be summed up to excessive gamesmanship. Bad teams react. Great teams move on. If the Eskimos and Willis want to get better, as they prepare for Winnipeg, they’ll move on.
The fans and media should too.
