Why is there reason to 'believe' the Ottawa Redblacks can turn things around?

Ottawa Redblacks quarterback Jake Maier runs the football against the Saskatchewan Roughriders earlier this month. Photo by Heywood Yu /POSTMEDIA NETWORK

Article content

Jim Popp had nothing to lose when accepting an offer to become the senior advisor of the Ottawa Redblacks last week.

Article content

Article content

Article content

But Popp, whose reputation as a successful builder and manager was built on five Grey Cup championships, also believes the current state of the Redblacks is not as ugly as it looks.

Article content

Article content

And he believes GM/head coach Ryan Dinwiddie is the man who will turn things around.

Article content

Article content

“I think in most cases teams aren’t as bad as their record when they’re having down times, but I also say when teams are really good at winning, they’re not quite as good as everybody thinks they are either,” Popp said after overseeing his first practice on Wednesday. “I’ve watched games where the team’s been in the game and little things have turned (it around). The ball bounced a different way, (they) might have missed a field goal that changed some momentum, but it’s not that the team hasn’t been in it.

Article content

“At some point, maybe the game got away. But if the ball bounces the opposite way, how quickly momentum can change, and belief, and it just takes maybe one win, and the next thing it’s going the opposite direction. So, it can be changed. How quickly and when it will … I have a belief it will change. It will start going the other way, and there’ll be success here under (Dinwiddie).”

Article content

What does Popp say to Redblacks fans?

Article content

That message is one Popp wanted to share with the Ottawa fans.

Article content

“Believe, just believe,” said Popp, whose primary responsibilities for the remainder of the season are to advise CEO Mark Goudie on moves to point the Redblacks in the right direction and identify American talent that will help on the field. “You’ve been in times where you weren’t winning, and you even had teams fold, and then you came back, and you’ve won Grey Cups after that.

Article content

Article content

“Things kind of go in waves sometimes. It might be within a season, it might be within a couple of years, and sometimes through your ups and downs, you may win games. It may not be that you haven’t won a game. But just believe because the tide will turn, and you’ll be very proud of this team.”

Article content

Is there still hope for this season?

Article content

The focus, of course, is on getting that first win of the season and it seems unlikely that it will happen this week, despite the fact they are mere 5.5-point underdogs for Sunday’s home game against the B.C. Lions (5-5), who are back on track with a four-game winning streak.

Article content

But if and when the Redblacks can get over that mountain, they’ve already endured the toughest part of their schedule.

Article content

They finish with a visit to B.C., two games against the Toronto Argos (5-5), two against the Calgary Stampeders (4-6) and two against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (4-7), who sit third in the East and the Redblacks have a game in hand on.

Article content

“I told the players, we’re not out of it,” Dinwiddie said. “I know people think I’m a crazy man for believing in that, but that’s just that’s the truth. We’re not. I mean, we haven’t won a football game. We’re trying to win a football game, and we’re focused on B.C.