Esks vow to wear microphones Saturday against Argos

No longer defiant, but not exactly thrilled,Edmonton Eskimos head coach Jason Maas and quarterback Mike Reilly will wear live microphones Saturday when the Eskimos take on the Toronto Argonauts at Commonwealth Stadium.

"In our conversation yesterday we all agreed that we would wear the mic if asked," Esks general manager Ed Hervey told reporters Tuesday.

"We are not going to make a mockery of the live mic. We are going to proceed because we want it out of the way. We want to eliminate the distraction."

Last month, the Canadian Football League levied heavy fines against the Eskimos and Maas for refusing to wear live microphones during an Oct. 10 victory over the Montreal Alouettes.

• 'A unilateral and planned act of defiance': CFL drops hammer on Eskimos, Maas

The team was fined $20,000 and Maas was hit with a $15,000 penalty in what the league termed "totally unacceptable" conduct. The Eskimos later issued an apology for failing to honour a commitment it had made to the league.

The live mic game had been promoted as a way for fans to hear interactions between coaches and quarterbacks. The arrangement had been dictated by the league's board of governors and agreed to by all teams.

Alouettes coach Jacques Chapdelaine and quarterback Rakeem Cato wore their microphones as directed by the league, but Maas and Reilly decided shortly before the game they wouldn't take part.

Hervey said Saturday's game the finale to the Esks' regular season won't see a repeat of what happened Oct. 10.

"Leading into the game, yes there's an agreement in place, and we're going to get it done and get it over with, " he said. "There's no conspiracy against the live mic. Jason's anxieties about it and apprehensions are real, and that's that."

The CFL issued a news release Tuesday promoting Saturday's contest between the 9-8 Eskimos and the 5-12 Argonauts.

The league said live mic broadcasts this year have "proven to be a hit for CFL fans," resulting in a 17-per-cent increase in TSN television audiences compared to average audiences for games without live microphones.

Maas isn't happy

Maas said Tuesday he pulled off his mic because he felt his team would be at a disadvantage if he wore it.

Unlike all other teams in the league, the Eskimos use a no-huddle offence. Maas gives direction to his quarterback from more than 130 plays in his playbook.

To have him wearing the mic against the Alouettes would have given away the playbook, something he wasn't prepared to do, he said. Since the Oct. 10 game, the plays have been renamed.

How about we come up with something else on the sidelines, like riding a unicycle, or juggling, orbeing a mime?- Jason Maas

But Maas is still no fan of having players and coaches wear microphones solely for the entertainment of fans watching the game on TV.

"If I have to do something on the sidelines that's so entertaining to people at home to watch, how about we come up with something else on the sidelines, like riding a unicycle, or juggling, or being a mime?

"They want someone that's going to entertain our fans and entertain everybody else. Now, if that sounds ridiculous to you that's probably what it sounds like to me when somebody tells me I have to be live mic'd."

Reilly steps up to mic

Reilly said he'll be wearing the mic for Saturday's game, but there's no guarantee he'll be playing the entire game. Maas can sit his starter after a couple of plays. Reilly also said he's protected by the league's collective bargaining agreement.

"It specifically states that [players] have a choice," Reilly said. "And maybe that was not known by some people earlier, but that's the reality of it."