CFFL Q & A WITH THE COACHES - 01/26/2007

Ok, so guys just can't wait to sound off now...Here we have Jason Collins-Baker of the Bearcats with his opinions on the past and future of his team, and the league. Let's get right to it...


What went wrong in your first two games in week one?

First and foremost, we had to get used to playing indoor flag. Whatever football you play in various leagues is different. Plus we only had nine players. But we've corrected that problem, so therefore fatigue won't be an issue. 

The weather hasn't been too kind here lately, have you guys practiced?

Yeah, we've had some opportunities to get some practices under our belt and really found some things that will work in this indoor game. 

Once you got out on the practice field, what specifically did you work on?

Well, one area was solidifying how we put pressure on the quarterback. Make no mistake about it, the quarterback will not have time to throw the ball these upcoming weeks. 

Looking back at the first week, what was your biggest weakness?

Our biggest weakness was knowledge and fatigue as well. Because I don't believe there is another team in the league with the number of quality players we have. So now that we have knowledge, I don't believe we have any more weaknesses now. 

You have a double header again this week. In week one your team was exhausted in its second game against DTW. Do you think fatigue will play a factor this week?

No, fatigue won't play a factor anymore. Ya'll will see an excited bunch of guys. Fatigue won't be a factor in the slightest. 

What have you done to strengthen your squad?

We've added nine more quality ball players that don't necessarily need to be the star, but just wants to come out and make our team as good as it can possibly be. 

Week #3 is the last week to add free agents to your roster. With your recent acquisitions how much better have you made your team?

We added a lot of depth, which we creates a lot more athleticism. We also added some experienced players that has won in the flag system. 

What key players have you recruited to be a part of the Bearcats family?

I'm going to name only two players, but they'll be another five that will be a complete shock to everyone...Shawn Kirby and Cary Daniels. But the real surprise will be the other five we bring to the table. 

I said after week one in the game recap that your team was a couple of players away from knocking the door down. On paper its sounds like you guys are ready to take the next step to knock the door down.

We are going to do a whole lot more door knocking because when DTW ran the score up on us we took that personal. And when some recent comments were made week took those personally. We were basically using the league to gain some experience but now we've changed our whole mode of attack and we're basically going to shut down the rest of the league. 

Did your team need motivation going into week three?

Umm, I'm going to say yes. Because we didn't look at the league as something that we needed to dominate. We were looking at it as some rec. It was a way to fellowship with former teammates as we got older. But see a lot of these guys think because they beat us in flag that they could've played at UC. But even though we're older and got injuries, we still have to show them that they are not better than us. 

The CFFL All-Star game will showcase the league's talent on February 26th, how many All-Stars does your team possess?

Clearly, its based on the standings. So when we win these games we'll have the maximum amount of guys playing. 

If you can win out and make a playoff run, what would it mean to you to win the championship after starting 0-2?

It would mean that we came together as a team but it really wouldn't validate us a ball players. Us winning the championship would be validation to the other players that think they're better than us. We need to win the championship not for us but to really put everybody else in their place. 

What mistakes do you have to avoid against your next two opponents to come out on top?

Can't give up long passes...can't give up the deep ball. We have to eliminate turnovers. If we can do those two things we'll win both games easily. 

Jason Collins-Baker added at the conclusion of our discussion that...

My guys are pumped. Monday is going to be a show, so be there.