WHY??? WHY??? WHY???

As I told you yesterday, common sense seemed to have reappeared with Ken Miller and Saskatchewan Roughriders over the weekend as the decision to shut down Darian Durant seemed to have finally come. Granted, two weeks late, but better late than never. Today, that became official, Durant WILL be shut down for the last two weeks. We can only assume he will hold a clipboard as the third QB and see the field only in the event of an emergency. Great news....and now this.

What the hell is wrong with this organization? Ryan Dinwiddie will get the start for the Riders on Saturday when they host the Hamilton Tiger Cats. The same Ryan Dinwiddie who started in Edmonton three weeks ago and proceeded to launch three interception in the first half. The same Ryan Dinwiddie who sucked so bad in that first half that he was benched for a guy with a broken foot. So now, as we are officially out of the hunt for a post season berth why is this decision made?

I mean seriously, myself and most other sensible football fans know what Ryan Dinwiddie brings to the table. He is not that good, never has been that good and to me is not even a quality back up. I would even go so far as to say the Riders would be better off parting ways with him in the off season. So why, why, why do they refuse to give Cole Berquist the ball?

Sure they say he might see game action over the next two weeks, but to me, he has earned the right to not 'maybe see some garbage time' but rather take the ball and see what he can do with it. He has been from all accounts a great team player the last three years he has been here. Shows up for practice, does as he's asked, goes to meetings, watches video, everything a good football player should do. So how do the Riders reward him??? Put Ryan Dinwiddie in..come on! If ever there has been the right opportunity to show his value to this team both now and in the future, this is it. The team has NOTHING to lose, and to be honest, a lot of Rider fans want to see what he can do. Those naysayers who say why start the third string QB? Well because the starter has a broken foot and the back up should be the fourth string. May I also ask a question...who was the Riders third string QB in the 2007 Grey Cup? Who was the Riders third string QB for much of 2008? Yup, Darian Durant, the same QB many refer to as our franchise player, the future of this organization. At the same time if you remember back to the pre - season opener against Edmonton, argubaly the only time most of us have seen Berquist play, the kid showed he has a big league arm. In fact, I would go out on a limb and see he has the best arm of all three QB's on the roster at this time.

Look I am not saying Cole Berquist is going to supplant Darian Durant as the starter, or that he is the next greatest thing to come into the CFL. All I am saying is given what he has done the last couple years, coupled with the current situation the football team is in, this is the time to give him a good, honest look. Hasn't he earned that right?

One more football note, from south of the border. I get so sick of reading, what seems like weekly, a story of an NFL player in trouble with the law. In the words of my esteemed old man, "a million dollar talent with a ten cent brain'. What brings this up? Minnesota Vikins CB Chris Cook missed this weeks game against the Green Bay Packers at the Metrodome because he was a couple of blocks away in jail. The 24 year old, who the Vikes took with the 34th pick overall in 2010 has been arrested and charged with assault on his girlfriend. It is alleged that he choked her and punched her in the nose. Why?......apparently because he found out she talked to an ex - boyfriend. Uh....PSYCHO!!! Roger Goodell, you need to tell low class scumbags like this that jobs in the NFL are entitled only to those with some semblance of class and integrity. Just my thoughts though. I highly doubt Roger Goodell is one of the four followers of this blog.

And finally, a shout out to my good friend Jon Keen, the voice of the Kamloops Blazers. Last season was Keener's first in the 'Loops and lets just say the team didn't exactly 'blaze' their way through the regular season. Anyways, a 9 - 3 start to this season and a likely berth in the CHL Top 10 later this week couldn't happen to a better guy.

Later....