Courtesy Edmonton Journal:

Jacques Chapdelaine did not have tire tracks on his back Monday, which only means the team bus is late.

Because all signs point to him being thrown under it. Any day now, in fact.

Edmonton Eskimos president Rick LeLacheur and head coach/director of football operations Danny Maciocia, the men who should be held responsible for an embarrassing 5-12-1 record, have apparently been set free to sacrifice their offensive co-ordinator and pilot this franchise even further into the ground.

Their reckless driving has already gone unchecked for two years because the team’s board of directors has missed the bus all together. Directors were always loath to criticize the legendary Hugh Campbell and LeLacheur enjoys and employs the same carte blanche as his predecessor, despite a dearth of football credentials.

For reasons that boggle, LeLacheur has sought his football savvy from Maciocia, who has demonstrated precious little acumen. Despite a mountain of statistics that suggest immediate change at the top is necessary, LeLacheur is determined to force-feed fans another year of Maciocia football and all it entails. Like back-to-back non-playoff finishes for the first time in four decades. Worst special teams, ever. Worst losing streak in 36 years. No all-stars for the first time in 44 years. Tied last year’s tally of 399 points, fewest since 1998. Allowed 509 points against, the most since 2000.

In three seasons, Maciocia’s teams have suffered 30 losses. In four seasons, Tom Higgins’ teams lost 28 times. Higgins was fired, Maciocia promoted. If Maciocia goes 4-14 next year, will they make him chief executive officer, too?

We may get to find out. Their starting quarterback is coming off a major injury to his throwing shoulder. Their best Canadian defensive lineman is also on the mend and their go-to slotback has a bum knee. The rest of their receiving corps, but for the resurgent Kamau Peterson, is eminently forgettable.

They need a punter, O and D linemen and linebackers. Their Canadian depth is a rumour. Their recent draft record is incriminating.

Add it up and I’m all in favour of change at the top right now, but it apparently isn’t going to happen. LeLacheur calls the shots and word is he has decided Maciocia is safe. So let’s make this coming season a referendum on both men, shall we.

If they don’t serve up actual results to accompany all the franchise Kool-Aid some media types have swallowed for two years, can we all agree the directors should wake up and toss the both of them?

For now, Chapdelaine appears to be their prime scapegoat, though perhaps not the only one. As the Eskimos cleaned out their lockers Monday, he said wants to come back, but you may have noticed a stunning lack of corporate support for him in recent weeks.

LeLacheur has gone to bat for Maciocia and director of player personnel Paul Jones. Maciocia has defended Jones. Starting quarterback Ricky Ray has spoken up for Maciocia. Nobody of any import has come to Chapdelaine’s defence in anything but a lacklustre way. On Monday, for instance, Maciocia reiterated his opinion of Chapdelaine’s work as “pretty good.”

Chapdelaine is always demanding and occasionally crude, which has apparently rubbed LeLacheur the wrong way and that’s not good for job security. His intricate offensive system leaves no room for error, so he does not suffer fools gladly, and goodness knows there were enough of those passing through here.

Maciocia hired Chapdelaine last year with the intent of making him the head coach sooner than later, and will have to admit his first major hire was a mistake. Either that, or take the fall himself. So you know how that’s going to go.

Though he is wildly unpopular with fans, Maciocia has allies in the room. He’s a players’ coach, a nice guy. Despite finishing last as nice guys do, he will be free to repeat his mistakes next year, perhaps with Rick Worman as offensive co-ordinator. That would mean more Maciocia input on the offence, which can’t be a good thing.

He already has two titles too many and that is apparently his salvation here, since there is a notion popularized by a legion of fence-sitters in this city that you can’t blow the organization up and immediately move forward. The 12-6 Saskatchewan Rough-riders prove you can.

The sycophants who accept every Eskimos personnel decision as if it has been rendered by the infallible will also suggest the team’s spiral into the toilet is cyclical. Good one. It’s actually tied directly to the coaching brainfarts and personnel mistakes made by the franchise leadership in the last two years. This is not a 34 years in, two years out, 34 years in cycle of playoff berths. For 34 consecutive years they made the playoffs. Enter Maciocia. One year later, exit the Eskimos. That is cause and effect. Maciocia’s record speaks for itself and the fans hear it loud and clear, but LeLacheur isn’t listening.

“I think we’re a better team than the number of points we have,” the president said Monday.

You are a team that should concern itself with the number of fans you have today and the fact you are slapping them in the face. You should be aware that sort of arrogance will have an effect at the ticket wicket.

“I know there’s a lot of heat out there from the fan base,” said retiring kicker Sean Fleming. “They’re looking for blood.”

And they will not be the least bit happy to see all of it on Chapdelaine.