Edmonton Journal from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada • 40

D2 EDMONTON JOURNAL SPORTS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2001 Tillman brings success, sawy to new GM post in Ottawa Barefooted Baker not afraid of cold Esk relief placekicker ready to put his foot where his mouth is NAME, PLEASE journal Newt Services EricTillman won't ever help the Rough Riders win again but he's hoping to be a capital addition to Ottawa's new CFL franchise. The former B.C. Lions and Toronto Argos executive was introduced Tuesday as vice-president and genera manager of Ottawa's new team which won't be named the Riders. "I think we've got a great foundation here," he said with obvious pride. "You've got quality ownership, we've got a great city to sell, a fabulous stadium.

I'm VICKI I1AI.I. journal Football riter I OMOVION It's that blustery time of year again in Edmonton. But kick er Jon Baker insists snow, ice, biting winds and freezing temperatures can't get him off his game. The barefooted kicker plans to leave his home in sunny California on Friday to join his former teammates on the frozen prairie in Regina for sap just delighted with the stadium 'V a game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The rnlri Hnpcn'f hnfhpr It LJJ and the condition that it in.

Tillman is expected to leave his position as a television football analyst following this season to take over the expansion team Baker.whocan'twaitfortheop-portunity to finish out the season with the Eskimos. His eight years as directorof the Senior Bowl in Mobile, has also helped him to plug into sources for new talent something the fledgling franchise will need early to make Ottawa football fans forget the wasteland of seasons ruined by rickety ownership in the late '80s and early '90s. Argo sale hits snag An American couple with a residence in Calgary has approached Toronto Argonauts owner Sherwood Schwarz about buying the team at the end of the season, a report out of Toronto said. Richard St Marche and wife Christina have begun negotiating the price with Schwarz and have imposed several conditions that may hinder the sale. It's believed Schwarz is seeking $10 million.

The St. Marches have offered an amount "slightly north" of $5 million. The St. Marches are opposed to movingthe Argos to LamportSta-dium, which is where Schwarz wants to relocate the team for the 2003 season. Richard St Marche said his wife talked to Schwarz late last week and told him they wanted to wait until the end of the season to see what has transpired with the team on and off the field before trying to reach a deal.

"It isn't clear if he's going to Lamport," said Richard St. Marche. "We're saying we won't go to Lamport. If they're going to Lamport, there's no interest." One of the following will become Ottawa's new nickname: The Rage, Rafters, Renegades, Bytowners, Rivermen, River Kings, Power and Beavers. The most popular nickname will be unveiled at halftime of the Ottawa Rebel lacrosse club's season opener Nov.

18 at the Corel Centre. Until then, CFL fans can vote beginning today at www.ottawacfl.com. tunity to help mold the new team. Team majority owner Brad Wat-ters said Tillman was the one football man he wanted from the start, four months ago, when CFL talks to revisit Ottawa entered the red zone. Watters also announced fan polls made it clear the name Rough Riders was dead in the water so the team will keep its classic red, white and black colour scheme but will toss the double-R moniker for a new one.

Tillman guided the Lions to a GreyCup victory in 1994 and the Argos to the league silverware in 1997. He was also director of player personnel for the Montreal Concordes in the 1980s and has worked in the head office of the defunct World League of American Football. "It shouldn't affect me more than any one else," said Baker, who coaches kickers at a ju which begins play next year the league's first venture into the nation's capital since the old Rough Riders folded following nior college in Bakersfield, Calif. "When it's cold, the ball doesn't travel too far for anyone. I may wear a jacket or a shoe on the sidelines to keep warm.

But if you kick a cold ball with a warm foot, it can be extremely painful. As long as your foot is cold, you're OK." It is yet to be finnli'H flint I A Baker will join the Eski- mos. Kicker Sean the 1996 schedule. The 44-year-old minister's son said when he watched a televised news conference trumpeting the city's return to the league last week it "really reinforced that this is just a special opportunity. "Just the enthusiasm, the passion about football coming back to Ottawa, I was more sure than ever that this is what I wanted to do." Tillman, who has spent the last three years as a commentator on TSN, said he could easily have continued coaching from the couch but jumped at the oppor- Fleming still wants a chance to prove he can handle field goals and kickoffs in spite of torn ligaments in his left knee.

i Former Eskimo Hank Ilesic is expected to handle punts. General manager and coach Tom Higgins said he expects Baker will kick for Edmonton on Sat if urday in Regina. "We have verbally agreed, but he is not going to be here until we leave to go to Saskatchewan," Higgins said. "He knows the Edmonton Eskimos. We hope that this experiment will work out in our favour." Baker made 20 of 28 field-goal attempts with the Eskimos in 1999 before Fleming came back from an NFL tryout with the Kansas City Chiefs.

The two kickers traded places. Baker moved south to Kansas City for the final two regular-season games in 1999. Baker handled kickoffs and performed admirably in his first game. But the second game was a disaster. He simply couldn't manage to kick the ball off with any accuracy.

Many fans sudoral blamed his errant kicks for losing the game and knocking the Chiefs out of playoff contention. Baker said he is over that disappointing chapter in his life. He went on to kick relief of B.C. Lions legend Lui Passagka in 2000 before mov fr- ing back home to his young family in California. He kicks regularly on his coachingjob.

And he believes he is ready to help the Eskimos in their bid to host the Western final and beyond. "I'm not Hank Ilesic or anything, but I'm not new to kicking," said Baker, who also works as a manager for a beer supply com THE HERALD, FILE f- '-ty 'A' I No sock, no shoe. Jon Baker likes to kick with a barefoot. pany. Tm 29 and Fve been doing this for a long, long time.

II a. Truck Guide "I loved my time in Edmonton. It's a terrific situation for me to join the team with two games left going into the playoffs. It's not often in your life that an opportunity like this falls into your lap." SHORT YARDAGE: Ilesic is expected to wear No. 88 upon arriving in Edmonton today.

He wore No. 8 almost 20 years ago when he won five Grey Cups with the Esks. No. 8 now belongs to fellow Edmonton native Chris Hardy. Drummond caught in drug bust i vv I I I iUlll lllll 1 1 nnio viJkuiJuiui; The Associated Press I.OS ANCKl.l porting a controlled substance, a felony offence, said Deputy Roberta Granek of the county Sheriffs Department.

He was held in lieu of $20,000 bail pending an arraignment Thursday morning, Granek said. Drug task force members were monitoring departing flights at an airport terminal before dawn Tuesday when they arrested Ray-nard Beckham as he tried to leave the terminal with two audio speaker boxes containing marijuana, Granek said. Beckham was jailed in lieu of $100,000 bail, pending arraignment on Thursday. Granek said subsequent surveillance led the taskforce members to Drummond. A search warrant was served and he was arrested, Granek said, adding no further details were available.

Olympic gold medallist Jon Drummond was arrested Tuesday during a marijuana drug bust at Los Angeles International Airport. Drummond, a member of the United States' 400-metre relay team in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, was booked for trans (MM wwm am wo Concerts dance festivals movies rwy5 ff wm visual That's ijitiitf j'i'u If TOfft entertainment I iibi mm Cmi "i 11E I i on Global" POrVTlAC BUICK.