蜜桃视频appCFLer Joe Eppele can now add reality TV star to his resum茅.
The sophomore offensive lineman, along with the rest of his Toronto Argonauts teammates, are hitting the small screen on TSN with The Extra Yard, a series designed to give viewers a deeper look into the team.
Unfortunately for Eppele and the Argos, the reality on the field is that the Boatmen are struggling to put together wins. The team has a record of two wins and seven losses and will be trying to find a way to claw back into the playoff hunt when they travel to Vancouver to take on the B.C. Lions on Saturday (Sept. 10).
"It's been a tough season so far," Eppele told The Chief. "We've had a lot of unexpected injuries which obviously come with every season but that's no excuse. We haven't been performing like we know we can and should."
But he's not about to blame the cameras for the poor start to the season.
"For the first few days during camp, it was a little odd having cameras in our face," he said. "But the camera crew is a really great crew and now when we go into practice we don't even notice them there. I wouldn't say it's had any effect on our season in any way but it's definitely a different experience."
Eppele said the show is popular with the team and added that it's a nice way to show people a peek into what life is like as a CFL player.
"I think it's neat to be able to show other people a quick glimpse into what it's like from our eyes," he said. "Obviously you're only getting bits and pieces but it gives people a look into the seriousness of our game and that we're not just a bunch of dumb guys running into each other with shoulder pads."
The clash with the Lions will be the second of a back-to-back series between the teams that saw B.C. win in Toronto on Sept. 2 by a score of 29-16. It was a frustrating game offensively for the Argos, who yanked starting quarterback Cleo Lemon in favour of back-up Dalton Bell, who then proceeded to throw four interceptions.
"Both of the quarterbacks last game were put into tough situations," Eppele said. "We felt coming into the game that we were really prepared but we made small mistakes here and there and it cost us."
In addition to the loss on the scoreboard, the Argos also suffered a loss in personnel when veteran offensive lineman Rob Murphy suffered a knee injury in the first quarter. Reports indicate that he could be out for the rest of the season and Eppele said it would be a big blow to the team.
"Rob is one of our leaders and a captain on the team," he said. "When a guy like him goes down it has a huge impact on the team because he's such an important player for us on and off the field."
There is a small silver lining in the injury, in that it could possibly allow Eppele more time to slot in but he admitted, "that's not the way I want to get into a game."
As of press time, it was uncertain whether Eppele would replace Murphy but he said that he would be playing a limited role at the game in B.C. at the least, drawing on to the field for field goals, extra point attempts and short yardage situations.
The game will also mark the final game at Empire Field, which was also the site for Eppele's CFL debut last September.
"I really like the Empire Stadium," he said. "It's one of my favourite places to play and it will be nice to get back out there and see my brother and mother."
Eppele and the Argos will take on the B.C. Lions on Saturday, with kick off set for 1 p.m.
