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Moving on from a 20-13 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the CFL’s West Division final hasn’t been easy for Jeremy O’Day.

“It’s not something that goes away quickly,” the Riders’ vice-president of football operations and general manager said Wednesday while meeting with the media for the first time since losing to the Blue Bombers on Nov. 17. “The sting is still there when you’re so close to it.”

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The Blue Bombers advanced to Sunday’s Grey Cup game in Calgary, where they beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 33-12.

However, the focus now shifts from the regular season and playoffs to the league’s busy business season.

With that in mind, here’s an edited version of O’Day’s session with the media.

Q On Jan. 18, you were named the Riders’vice-president of football operations and general manager, replacing Chris Jones. How important will these extra months be for you this off-season?

A It will be a good thing for us to have a little bit more time, but it’s not as if we weren’t working when Chris was here for those months. It was business as usual looking through our free agents and preparing for the next season. It won’t be much different than that.