Argonauts general manager Mike (Pinball) Clemons is known, among other things, for his unfailing positive attitude. With the Canadian Football League season on hold during the pandemic, delaying the debut of 39-year-old rookie head coach Ryan Dinwiddie, the Argos need those good vibes. In a Tuesday question and answer session by phone, Clemons reflected on the “new normal” and how COVID-19 has affected him personally. Answers have been edited for length:

How are you dealing with the uncertainty of the CFL season?

For me, the uncertainty is not the priority. The priority is making sure we are doing all that we need to do to take care of the health and welfare of all Canadians — people in our city, in our country and all around the world … It’s like being a good team member and teammate: We all benefit the whole. If we have to sacrifice (with isolation and social distancing) then we do so to the benefit of the greater good. How well we do at this will determine the (CFL) season, so let’s control what we can control and do our part in general, in making sure we abide by the guidelines that help us protect others.

How are your players, and how are they dealing with these different times?

We’ve done some broader messaging with our players. But more impressively, the guys are communicating about this to each other. There’s solid leadership there, and when you succeed in leadership, it’s not when rules and commands start at the top and are delivered down low. It’s a bottom up thing. When guys talk to each other and police themselves (about social guidelines during the pandemic) they’re setting a tone. They communicate back and forth when there’s an issue larger than one person can handle. This is the time for leadership in all aspects of life, and I’m so impressed at what we’re seeing within our group. They are a group who care about each other and want to help each other. It’s important to have the discipline to stay out of the way.

It’s a tough time for coach Dinwiddie. He’s in a holding pattern as a rookie coach. How have you reached out to him, and how is he dealing with this new normal?

We were on a phone call this morning for a couple of hours, and then he’s on to more time with his offensive and defensive coaches. When I was a coach, I had a saying that if you take an off-season, you will have an off season. What I like about Ryan is his diligence. He is one of the most disciplined guys I’ve met. When we signed him on, I asked him: What are your teams? Are you a baseball guy? A basketball guy? … He’s like, “I just watch football.” As a GM, that’s the best thing you can hear. To show that leadership as a young guy, it makes me remember Calgary with John Hufnagel (GM) and Dave Dickenson (head coach) and the leadership they showed there. I feel stronger about that today than the day we signed Ryan, and I feel strong now about his ability to lead us to a better place.

How has the pandemic affected you as a GM?

I talk more now with my staff … There’s a group of four of us (also director of player personnel John Murphy and defensive co-ordinator Glen Young) and we communicate a lot. There are opportunities for a lot of requests that you can give your time to. Before this, you’d hear people saying “If only I had the time to do this or that,” so now we have an opportunity to accomplish some of those things.

How has the pandemic impacted you personally?

Jeff Boyd. He was a receiver and my roommate when I played. We were on Springhill Avenue, the first street north of the Dufferin Gate (at Exhibition Place), and he was the guy who taught me a lot about reading defences. He also ran a group home and we shared a lot of the same energy. He got the virus when he was in Las Vegas, and he lives in Los Angeles. I’m happy to say he’s at home now, but he was on a ventilator for two weeks. He’s working on building up his strength. Also, an old teammate at college at William and Mary, he thought he had the virus. He went into the hospital and he didn’t have the virus, but he had leukemia … He didn’t make it. And my mom (Ann Bryant), she’s 73 and she had cancer surgery in March. She got a clean bill of health … so we’ve had a few scares, that’s for sure.

What’s your message to fans, and people in general, during the pandemic?

For me, it’s very simple. One, stay safe … Then I’d say use this time efficiently, to do some of the things we always wanted to get to. If we invest in self, that usually produces a good return. And finally … communicate with community and make sure you are doing everything you can to help everyone else. That’s my simple message.

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