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EDMONTON -- Saying the Edmonton Eskimos are at a critical stage for their future, general manager Ed Hervey fired head coach Kavis Reed on Monday and said he will bring in a new man who is more like himself. "It is my feeling the club is at a stage that is critical to our on-field expectations and this move was necessary," Hervey told a news gathering hours after he informed Reed he was gone after three years as head coach. "I have confidence this decision will give our club its best opportunity to compete at a high level heading into the 2014 season." Hervey said his plan is to appoint a head coach who will bring a structured environment, a unified coaching staff and have the ability to develop players. The first-year GM said hes looking for a coach who could bring the best staff with him, but added he has not spoken to the current Eskimo assistants about their future. "Its going to be a very thorough and methodical process and Im going to choose the right coach," he said of the search. "Not the right fit, but the right coach. Im going to get someone who is a little bit more like myself, a little more detailed and structured and not really looking to spend a lot of time with you guys, more time developing the football team." Reed took over the Eskimo coaching job in 2011, leading them to an 11-7 record, second in the CFL West and was a finalist for coach of the year. In 2012 their record fell to 7-11 and this year they were 4-14, one of the worst records in franchise history. Hervey, who didnt speak to the media for much of the season, said hes "not certain" there was much Reed could have done this year to save his job. "The record aside, there were other factors in my decision and moving forward I believe when I appoint the next head coach he will have all the qualifications that I want for this team. I believe that this team in some ways unachieved at times. The record did not reflect the changes we made in the off-season." He was especially critical of the teams season-long rash of penalties that cost them valuable yards, first downs and points. He said Reed, his staff and the players never resolved that issue "and that was a concern of mine." He did, say, however that he was impressed with Reeds ability to motivate the players, especially in the latter stages of the season when their playoff hopes were gone and they were unable to halt losing streaks. "Even when we were eliminated from the playoffs and many suggested there was nothing to play for, he was the only man downstairs who was capable of keeping those men together and playing as hard as they did. Even in the games they lost you could see the efforts they played with a I marvel at his ability to motive those men not only all season but during those times." Hervey said Reed did a good job of holding players accountable and that despite the dismal record he "saw growth to this roster and Im excited about 2014 and what it brings." A day earlier, in his post-season talk with the media, Reed said he gave the Eskimos everything he could and the won-loss record "doesnt reflect the character in the locker-room and the growth in that room moving forward. "This is a microwave society," he added. "People feel the more changes you make the closer you get to something. Actually, the more changes you make the farther away you get." Reed came to Edmonton as a defensive back in 1995 and played five seasons with the Eskimos. He spent 10 years as an assistant coach with five different CFL teams before being named Edmontons head coach in 2011. "This community has been tremendous to me for 20 years and Ive enjoyed every waking moment Ive spent in this community," he said. Several players who attended Herveys news conference said the team feels bad for Reeds firing, something they as players contributed to. But, said quarterback Mike Reilly, a 4-14 record will result in changes. "Its a tough part of the business. Kavis is a good coach, a great man and I really enjoyed playing for him . . . he helped me a lot. His desire and his abilities will land him somewhere and he will get another opportunity." . The Philadelphia left fielder clubbed a tiebreaking, solo home run in the seventh inning, and the Phillies edged the Red Sox, 2-1, in the middle test of a three-game interleague series at Citizens Bank Park. . -- The way Ted Ligety carved into turns looked so easy. . Ashley Wagner will skate in the womens short program for a U.S. team thats in seventh place. Davis and White won the silver medal at the Vancouver Games and are two-time world champions. . -- Lindsey Vonn squeezed in a little freeskiing on Thanksgiving morning, a step in the right direction for a return to racing after reinjuring her right knee in a recent training crash. .com) - The Hatch Attack is back in the Southern Conference.Andrew Luck was always going to be compared to Peyton Manning; young phenoms are likened to established stars in sports all the time. The comparisons then, naturally, increased tenfold when Luck was drafted first overall by Manning’s Indianapolis Colts, trading away their best player ever to make room for the stud rookie. Three years into Luck’s career with the Colts –and Manning’s time with the Denver Broncos – the question now becomes when will Luck pass Manning on the list of top NFL quarterbacks? An argument could be made that Luck has already done so – he passed for 34 more yards and one more touchdown in the regular season – but until he does it in the postseason, Manning will still pull rank. Luck of course, has just that opportunity Sunday, and the timing may be right. Luck is entering his prime just as Manning’s window appears to be closing. Luck enters the game with a receiving corps that could rival any of Manning’s pass-catching groups from his Colts days. The group is led by Reggie Wayne, who has transcended the Manning and Luck eras. The 36-year-old finished second on the team with 779 receiving yards, behind only TY Hilton who finished with 1,345 receiving yards – sixth in the league – and seven touchdowns. Other players that contributed to the team’s league-leading pass offence included tight ends Coby Fleener (774 receiving yards) and Dwayne Allen (395 receiving yards) who each had a team-high eight receiving touchdowns, and backup receivers Hakeem Nicks (405 receiving yards) and Donte Moncrief (444 receiving yards). Luck and the receivers will have to step up because not much can be expected from the run game. Indy finished ranked 22nd in the run game at just more than 100 yards per game on average. Ahmad Bradshaw’s season-ending leg injury was a big blow to the Colts’ rushing attack, but taking a look back at Bradshaw’s injury history, Indy probably should have known this was going to happen at some point. Trent Richardson simply isn’t a good running back, and proved that once again this season, which is partly why Dan Herron and Zurlon Tipton split carries in the team’s Wild Card win over Cincinnati. Richardson was battling an illness but was declared active before not getting any touches.dddddddddddd Regardless who leads the rushing attack against Denver Sunday, the Broncos’ second-ranked rush defence (79.8) likely won’t be too worried they’ll be getting beaten on the ground. Of course the Broncos pass defence is pretty good too, ninth in the league averaging 225.4 yards against per game, but they’re up against a much stiffer test. Indy’s defence is a little closer to the middle of the pack. They finished 11th against the pass, giving up just 229.3 yards per game on average, but their run defence finished just 18th in the league at 113.4 yards per game on average. The team’s current stars are on offence and the old household names on the Colts’ defence are now retired or elsewhere, but there are solid players that will need to have big games against Manning and the Broncos’ offence for Indy to have a chance Sunday. It’s a poorly kept secret the best strategy against Manning is to pressure him. Linebackers Jonathan Newsome, Erik Walden, Bjoern Werner, and D’Qwell Jackson – and more importantly their 20 combined sacks – must be busy chasing Manning around this weekend because if the 38-year-old Hall of Famer is given time in the pocket, he’ll make it a long day for the entire Colts’ defensive unit. One other Indy defender to keep an eye on is corner Vontae Davis. Manning has nothing but weapons at his disposal but if Davis can eliminate one of them, or even better add to his four interceptions on the season, the rest of the Colts’ secondary will have an easier time keeping the Broncos in check. Former Bronco Mike Adams would surely love to have a big game against his former teammates. The storyline is easy and while many think Manning still has at least one trump card to play over Luck left in his hand – the Broncos are currently seven-point favourites in Las Vegas – if Luck is really one of the great ones, he may be able to orchestrate a big-game upset even before he’s fully ripe. And a win would score one for Luck in the comparisons in another way too; Manning has a reputation for fading when the spotlight is brightest. ' ' '
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