Where to Start?

First off, two days late but the Riders stunk out the joint in Vancouver on Wednesday. Let's not panic as you need to remember this is a meaningless game aside from the fact that a majority of the guys on both sides were fighting for a job. Secondly, many important cogs in the Rider wheel were not in the line up..Dressler, Hawkins, Romero, Patrick, et al. These guys will be in the line - up on July 3rd.

After the final decisions are made no later than tomorrow, this team will have seven full days to work together to knock off the rust, improve on timing and positioning, and just to generally prepare for the home opener on July 3rd against Edmonton.

As for the game on Wednesday night, Darian got better as the game went on, and if not for some dropped passes, well too many dropped passes, this team would have scored much more than the six measly points they mustered.

The kicking was awful...either Johnson or Milo need to start delivering with consistency or a new body needs to be brought in for some stability until Luca returns, hopefully sometime around Labour Day.

It looks like Wes Cates not only hangs around for the year; he is still our starter. Based on the fact Hugh Charles didn't get a carry and minimal opportunities in the return game, I am led to believe he has lost the battle to Brandon West who has earned the back up position which means Charles is moreless done as a Rider. He gets scooped if we put him on the PR, so let's work out a deal I guess. If you ask me, Wes Cates needs to be the odd man out. Both Charles and West are in my opinion just as good as he is, presumably better by virtue of their speed plus both are more valuable in the sense that they are capable return men. Wes Cates will not rush for 1, 0000 yards this year. He may lead the league in TD's again but lots of guys can plunge in from a yard out. Just my thoughts.

Others who impressed me....
Gavin Newman, AKA Sunshine.....if we can find a spot for this kid, I think he has demonstrated that he belongs on a CFL field...he will not supplant James Patrick anytime soon but he provides us with a proven non - import backup, as well as somebody I think can be useful on the teams as a gunner on the cover teams.

Terrence Nunn and Ernie Wheelwright in my opinion have earned spots as recievers. I expect to see Nunn start on the wide side with Wheelwright coming in to spell Nunn and Getzlaf as well as provide a capable set of hands when we spread the field with six recievers.

D - Line is anybody's guess. Man I would love to see what Brent Hawkins could do for an entire year if he were healthy.

No matter what happens, I am glad I am not the one making the decisions. However, I am glad that our scouting and front offence has done such a good job of bringing in talent that they are faced with these difficult decisions. This all adds up to another great season of Rider football in 2011....we WILL be there in the end.


The NHL draft goes tonight in Minnesota, but already the Philadelphia Flyers are making the most noise. Yesterday they shipped out Mike Richards (to LA for Wayne Simmonds, Brayden Schenn and a 2012 2nd rounder) and Jeff Carter (to Columbus for Jakub Voracek, the eight pick tonight and a 3rd rounder. I had heard rumors of Carter going to Columbus but the Richards deal shocks me. How do you trade the heart and soul of your team who is at the prime of his career. And then to turn around and give Ilya Bryzgalov nine years and more than $50 million? Bryzgalov is as sure a thing as ice in the summer. He hasn't won anything...EVER and brings a shitty attitude to boot. I realize goaltending has long been an issue in Philly...why not give him a two year deal, allow him to prove who he really is, and then either give him an extension or let him walk. I guess that's why I am not an NHL GM...but if this doesn't work out...neither will Paul Holmgren be an NHL GM.

Draft tonight and the Oilers have the top pick for the second year in a row. The sexy pick if Ryan Nugent Hopkins but I am not sold on this kid. I don't think the Oil need another stud up front...the back end is in need of improvement and I really like Adam Larsson out of Sweden. Is he a number one pick? Maybe they trade down to take him where he is most likely to go...like #3 and the team that owns that pick, Florida....is apparently hot on Steve Tambellini's trail in their efforts to attain the top pick to get their hands on Ryan NH. Only time will tell.

I really think the team who walks away with Gabriel Landeskog tonight will be the winner of the draft. I see him as being the gem of the draft; the forward most likely to have a long, productive career. He has the skill of a Swede coupled with the toughness and heart of a Canadian....does it get much better?

On the flip side, I don't think Jonathan Huberdeau will amount to what people are saying. I heard very little of him prior to the Memorial Cup; was he even invited to the World Junior Camp...? I see him as being a little too frail to be able to bank with men for eighty two games, and lets face it, the space and time he had in the QMJHL is going to disappear quickly. Here's hoping the Oil don't take him.

Out....