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“What it really comes down to is the we is bigger than the me,” said Redblacks GM Marcel Desjardins. “When there are people that are more about the me than the we, that becomes a distraction. That’s not really something we want in our environment. There are different degrees of that so you need to manage it effectively. When it crosses that line, that’s when you need to make those difficult decisions.”

It’s not easy keeping everybody happy. Defensive ends Danny Mason and A.C. Leonard, who have both been very good at times in 2018, weren’t in the lineup against Hamilton. There’s also a timeshare going on at two linebacker spots — with Kyries Hebert, Avery Williams, Chris Ackie and Kevin Brown shuffling in and out.

“We’ve always made a commitment around here to hired talented people, but also people with character that can ride through the tough times,” said Redblacks coach Rick Campbell.

That locker-room closeness is inclusive — the younger players are welcomed into the fraternity.

“It was nice to see the guys on the sideline so happy for each other (Sunday against the Ticats),” said veteran defensive back Antoine Pruneau. “When (rookie receiver) Marco (Dubois) scored a touchdown, I’ve never seen a reaction like that on the bench.”

On the field, there’s a talent level that many believe is better than the team this city had in either 2015 — when the Redblacks finished 12-6 in the regular season, beat Hamilton in the East final then lost to Edmonton in the Grey Cup — or 2016, when they finished just 8-9-1, but took care of business in the playoffs by beating Edmonton in the East final before winning the Grey Cup 39-33 over Calgary in overtime.