Roughriders will close one practice a week ‘from now on’

He doesn’t know exactly how it’s happening, but Roughriders head coach and general manager Chris Jones said sensitive information is getting out to their opponents.

Jones made the comments Tuesday after being asked about how Stampeders coach Dave Dickenson decided to close his team’s practice over “green spies.”

“It’s interesting you say that because we’re doing the same thing,” Jones said, pointing to a couple of past incidents where plays and information got out.

In one case, Jones said that Ottawa knew some of their special teams plays and that Hamilton was able to identify one of their blocks in seconds.

“It’s almost impossible to identify it (that) quickly unless they’ve been working on it,” Jones said.

“That information is coming from somewhere.”

Jones said he doesn’t know exactly how the teams are getting the information, however, because it can be exchanged so quickly and easily over the internet.

“Whether it’s somebody they send or whether it’s just a fan that’s putting it out on the internet, it’s impossible (to know).”

“I could have seen (the Tiger-Cats) seeing (the play) late but as soon as we walked out on the field they’re identifying it in five seconds, so you know that somebody had to be here watching practice and told them.”

Jones said from now on their trick plays and anything else they don’t want other teams to know will be done on the day practice has been closed – either the second or third day of the week – but when asked if all practices should be closed to the public, like in the NFL, Jones firmly rebuked it.

“This is a fan-based league,” he said. “I think it is important. You saw today, we had more fans in our stands today than Toronto has at their games sometimes. For (the fans) not to be able to come out during the summertime, it wouldn’t be the right thing to do.”

“Unfortunately, you have to close it sometimes because people don’t know when to not write something.”

The CFL allows every team to close one practice per week to the public.