Saturday night was the biggest game of the season for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Riding a three game win streak, the green and white invaded McMahon Stadium in Calgary looking to knock off the hometown Stampeders and cling to their hopes of first place in the CFL's Western Division. In the end a 29 - 25 loss was the result and one that has brought with it much controversy and an abundance of different reactions. From it being a small bump in the road to pack it in, the season is over; Rider fans have lashed out and reacted in a number of different ways. In a nutshell, here are my thoughts:
* Once again everyone wants to blame this on Darian Durant. Let's stop and think for a moment. He didn't play great, but did he lose us this game. He did march us down the field to take the lead with under five minutes remaining. He got sacked seven times and hit a bunch. He didn't turn the ball over until the bitter end but even then the game had in my opinion been lost. Could he have been better? Sure. Did he put us in a position to win? Yes. Is this on him? No. According to my calculations this is the third time he has marched us down field and gave us a chance to win a game only to see the defence unable to hang on to the lead. Those of you who pin everything on him and say we will never win a Grey Cup with him at the helm, I would like to remind you of the Nealon Greene days. Aah, good times.
* That being said, I do not want to appear critical of the defense as I thought they were pretty good for most of the game on Saturday. A pile of pressure in the first half leading to four turnovers which could have been turned into more points. That being said, this team seems to have a bad reputation for being unable to make that key stop when needed.
* That takes me to my next point. With the Stamps down three they faced a 2nd and long. Terrell Maze plays it perfectly, knocking the ball down which forces a 3rd down gamble but more likely a punt with that much time remaining. A couple of first downs and the game is won, but wait!! There is a flag on the play; pass interference for playing it exactly as the rule book says is acceptable. Whoa, another flag?! Here's another 15 yards for objectionable conduct on the bench. The extra fifteen yards was unnecessary because it came on the heels of a terrible call in the first place. Turn the clock back to the first half and Dwight Anderson gets a 15 yarder for what? From what I can tell for being flagged in the past. Reputation and not action was the reason for that flag. The officiating in this league has become atrocious. Sadly, the ineptitude of these men to get it right, or at least less wrong than they have been is going to cost somebody a title at some point. What is the answer to increasing the consistency and quality of officiating at this CFL level? If someone has it, Tom Higgins could sure use it.
* Kory Sheets had a meltdown on Saturday night. A meltdown rivalled by my two year old son when told I refuse to watch the 'Cat in the Hat' for the eighth time in three days. That being said, I am unsure how to react to this. On one side it looks selfish and self - centred. He did after all spend the week talking about how he is better than Calgary's Jon Cornish, something he was unable to prove on Saturday; something that clearly upset him. On the other hand, the guy was given three carries in the first half. Twice we were inside the ten with first and goal and he never touched it on either occasion. Is it just me or do you want the ball in the hands of your play - makers? Perhaps they abandoned the run far too quickly. I mean Cornish fumbled twice in the first half but they kept feeding him the ball. I can see the argument that Cortez slighted Sheets and his abilities. At the end of the day, he maybe had a reason to be upset but didn't have to act the way he did. In my books, water under the bridge, move forward, have it make you hungrier, prove your worth in the post - season. Fair enough?
* All that aside, as I said on this blog last week, Saturday night was NOT the game I wanted to beat Calgary in. Rather, I want to beat them on November 17th. Provided we take care of BC at home on November 10th, let's go in there and prove as Dwight Anderson so eloquently stated that the Riders are better than Calgary. I, unlike many of the loyal fans refuse to turn my back on the team, any players, management, etc. I remain a loyal supporter of this football team. After all, that is what 'real fans' do.
The Edmonton Oilers continue to struggle.
The New York Islanders got robbed yesterday. Right before their very eyes the Buffalo Sabres walked in and fleeced them. Headed to the Island is Thomas Vanek. On the way back to Buffalo, Matt Moulson, the Isles 1st this year and 2nd next. All that for a guy who is a UFA at the end of the season and could very well leave. That is a hefty price to pay for a glorified 'rental'. Moulson is a guy I have liked more and more every year. A guy who quietly puts up good numbers and never complains. A guy who was there through some very thin times in New York and right when it appears they are turning the page and becoming a legitimate force in the East he get's a one way ticket to Buffalo, arguably the only team in the league worse than Edmonton. The 'unfairness' of sport at its best.
Willie Middlebrooks tripped Allen Craig on Saturday night giving the Cardinals a 5 - 4 victory in Game Three of the World Series, a series that has now been evened up by the Red Sox. Jake Peavey called it a joke, John Farrell wanted a rule that has been in place for more than 150 years taken from the books. Really? The guy cheated, got called on it and his team lost because of it. I give Jim Joyce credit for having the 'balls' to call it. I don't care if it is the World Series or game 34 of the season, the rules are the rules. Middlebrooks says he was trying to get 'up'; lie down on your belly right now and try to get up....what do your legs do? I know what mine do and they look nothing like Willie Middlebrooks on Saturday night.
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