The Saskatchewan Roughriders look to build off of last week's victory in BC place heading into this weekend's showdown with the Edmonton Eskimos. The game will mark the debut of Alex Hall who was acquired this week in a trade with Winnipeg.
How much did the acquisition of Hall potentially improve the pass rush. While it has yet to be seen on the field but the insertion of Hall into the line - up leads to what looks like a seat onthe bench for Jermaine McElveen, who is no slouch himself having recorded seven sacks thus far.
The Riders can't seem to kick the injury bug. Cornerback Rod Williams who was signed last week, started in BC and provided some stability on the edge will be out for four weeks after fracturing his arm in practice today. What I see this doing is marking the return of Prince Miller who sat out last week. That is a move that doesn't hurt us too much given that Miller has started most of the season and has graded out fairly well in my opinion.
It is no secret that the Eskimos aren't the most loved team in this province. In fact, beating the Evil Empire is trumped only be defeating the Stamps. That being said, this season for me it hasn't so much been beating Fred Stamps, Mike Reilly, etc. Rather it has been beating Ed Hervey, the Eskimos GM who has done nothing good for his reputation and public image this season. In my opinion, he has been a first class jerk from the opening of free agency to today, and that is putting it nicely. He exumes cockiness, coming across as he is bigger than the team and league for that matter. He may have been a good reciever; he has a lot of work to do if he hopes to become a staple in Edmonton. That being said, I look for a boisterous atmosphere Saturday afternoon at Mosaic. Here's to hoping for a second consecutive 'up' week.
The talk of the NHL as of late has been two things I would like to address: fighting and Thomas Hertl.
Yes, George Parros fell and smashed his face on the ice. Yes, he was concussed. Does that mean we need to take fighting out of hockey? Absolutely not. Fighting is a part of the game and it always has been. While I don't at all agree with some of these staged fights, I do believe in the role these guys play when necessary. It is these guys who keep others accountable for their actions on the ice. It is these guys who can provide a lift when necessary. They have a meaningful role on their respective teams. If you were to ask them, along with many others directly associated with the NHL if hockey should be removed, most would without hesitation say no. So why then, does the media feel the need to seemingly beat this thought to death over and over everytime someone takes a shot. For the record, Colton Orr had nothing to do with Parros being hurt. George Parros stumbling and falling is why those events transpired.
Let's just calm down. Yes, Thomas Hertl had four goals the other night, and I know he is a teenager. Let's not hand him the Calder Trophy and annoint him the next great in this league. A couple of things need to be considered here. The Sharks clobbered the Rangers that night. In fact, the Rangers looked uninspired. While it is a credit to anybody to score four goals in a game, it has happened before and will happen again. While the kid could turn out to be a stud, he is three games into a career, and all be it a very promising start, I am not giving him anything...yet.
This tendency to place unbelievable expectations on young players in any sport is not good. Look at Jadaveon Clowney, the coveted DE in South Carolina of the NCAA. Clowney is a very good football player. Last season he had a remarkable play in his team's Citrus Bowl victory over Michigan. Well rather than take it for what it's worth, the media, almost onvernight turned him into the number one pick in this year's NFL draft, annointed him one of the greatest to play College football and so on. What has he done this year; not much? And now they (the same media who once loved him) are questioning his work ethic and true abilities. I am sure Clowney loved the attention at the time but inhindsight probably wished they would have shut up.
Sad night in baseball as the Pittsburgh Pirates got smacked around in Game Five of the NLDS against St. Louis. If Oakland is to lose tonight to Detroit, all is lost for those hoping to see a small market team win the World Series. I mean, in all honesty, unless you are a diehard fan of the Dodgers, Cardinals, Red Sox or Tigers, the playoffs will becoming mundane and like a bad re - run for me.
Should be all for today.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Monday, October 7, 2013
A Busy Few Days
As the title says, it was a busy weekend in the wonderful world of sports. So much went on that I am afraid I will leave you having forgotten something important. Nonetheless, here we go...
The Saskatchewan Roughriders looked like a whole new football team on Friday night. Coming off of a short week which say them practice only once, Darian Durant played as well as he has in a long time, the defense smothered the Lion's at every opportunity and the Riders walked out of BC Place with a 31 - 17 victory. Not only does the win break the funk the team had been in, it also moved them back into 2nd place in the West and basically leaves their fate in their own hands in terms of a home play - off date. Worth mentioning from Friday night:
* Craig Butler was awesome
* The Defensive Line was as good as it has been all year
* Kory Sheets is terribly important to this offense
* Chris Milo had an off - game; no concern is necessary until this becomes a habit. One has to think he has those 'posts' in the back of his mind given the past month
* It is crazy how quiet message boards get following a Rider victory. Suddenly not everyone in the province is calling for changes everywhere, most notably at the QB position.
The Riders were not done making news on Friday however. Sunday afternoon brought news of the acquistion of CFL sack leader Alex Hall from Winnipeg for Patrick Neufeld. Draft picks changed hands as well. Some will scoff at this move as being a poor decision given a potential 'rental' was acquired in exchange for a Canadian O - Linemen. Let me say this, Patrick Neufeld has not played great this year. Did anyone else notice that Darian had much more time in the pocket on Friday night? Part of this was due to the fact the Devin Tyler played on the edge in place of Neufeld. There was a good chance Neufeld would have been gone in the expansion draft anyways so being able to get Hall as well as a 2nd round pick is fine in my books. What makes this deal even better in my eyes is not only does it allow Chick and Foley to take a breather while not hurting the pass rush, but I heard that Calgary was heavy after Hall themselves. Keeping this guy out of Calgary is certainly a benefit to us moving forward.
To golf and the President's Cup where Weyburn's Graham Delaet was on full display this week at Muirfield Village in Columbus, Ohio. The young man did not disappoint, going 3 - 1 - 1 in his debut on this stage. He along with Aussie Jason Day were the best the International team had to offer this weekend. Two hole outs on the 18th hole yesterday were awesome to watch. If the world hadn't taken notice before this weekend, they have now. Graham Delaet is a force to be reckoned with on the world golf stage. That first win is coming; hopefully soon.
The Edmonton Oilers were a disgrace to watch on Saturday night. They were terrible in their own end, turning over far too many pucks. To make matters worse, Devan Dubnyk stuggled mightily for the second game in a row. If Jason Labarbera is not between the pipes tonight when the New Jersey Devils invade Rexall, something is wrong. Thankfully the Taylor Hall down the middle experiment ends tonight with the return of RNH. I get that learning a new position is difficult but Hall is - 5 on the young season and has not played well at all. Desite the 0 - 2 start, it is refreshing to me to hear Dallas Eakins talk of the disappointment of the first two games. Ralph Kruegger had a tendency to sugar coat everything while Eakins doesn't. I like a guy who can call a spade a spade. Here's to hoping for a different result tonight.
The Philadelphia Flyers fired Head Coach Peter Laviolette this morning and replaced him with Craig Berube. Really, you gave the guy three games? Clearly this was something that management has been thinking off prior to the start of the season. I am left to wonder why they would allow him to run camp, introduce systems and begin the season only to make a change that was apparently inevitable. Make this change in the off - season and start fresh rather than do this to Laviolette and the organization as a whole. Furthermore, making this move in the off - season would have given them greater leverage in terms of hiring a coach they see fitting with them long term.
Is it just me or are the Cincinnati Bengals a little schizophrenic. How do you lose to Cleveland and then dominate Tom Brady and the New England offense only seven days later?
The Jacksonville Jaguars are still terrible.
I love the fact that the New York Giants are 0 - 5.
On to baseball and the play - offs are in full swing. With the Blue Jays being eliminated since early June (seems like that anyways), how can you not root for the small market teams such as Pittsburgh and Oakland. Could you imagine a Pittsburgh / Oakland World Series. MLB would hate it, FOX would hate but many fans of the game would love it. It would completely disspell they myth that money buys championships. As I write this, both the A's and Pirates are a win away from advancing to their respective League Championship Series.
That's it....
HM
The Saskatchewan Roughriders looked like a whole new football team on Friday night. Coming off of a short week which say them practice only once, Darian Durant played as well as he has in a long time, the defense smothered the Lion's at every opportunity and the Riders walked out of BC Place with a 31 - 17 victory. Not only does the win break the funk the team had been in, it also moved them back into 2nd place in the West and basically leaves their fate in their own hands in terms of a home play - off date. Worth mentioning from Friday night:
* Craig Butler was awesome
* The Defensive Line was as good as it has been all year
* Kory Sheets is terribly important to this offense
* Chris Milo had an off - game; no concern is necessary until this becomes a habit. One has to think he has those 'posts' in the back of his mind given the past month
* It is crazy how quiet message boards get following a Rider victory. Suddenly not everyone in the province is calling for changes everywhere, most notably at the QB position.
The Riders were not done making news on Friday however. Sunday afternoon brought news of the acquistion of CFL sack leader Alex Hall from Winnipeg for Patrick Neufeld. Draft picks changed hands as well. Some will scoff at this move as being a poor decision given a potential 'rental' was acquired in exchange for a Canadian O - Linemen. Let me say this, Patrick Neufeld has not played great this year. Did anyone else notice that Darian had much more time in the pocket on Friday night? Part of this was due to the fact the Devin Tyler played on the edge in place of Neufeld. There was a good chance Neufeld would have been gone in the expansion draft anyways so being able to get Hall as well as a 2nd round pick is fine in my books. What makes this deal even better in my eyes is not only does it allow Chick and Foley to take a breather while not hurting the pass rush, but I heard that Calgary was heavy after Hall themselves. Keeping this guy out of Calgary is certainly a benefit to us moving forward.
To golf and the President's Cup where Weyburn's Graham Delaet was on full display this week at Muirfield Village in Columbus, Ohio. The young man did not disappoint, going 3 - 1 - 1 in his debut on this stage. He along with Aussie Jason Day were the best the International team had to offer this weekend. Two hole outs on the 18th hole yesterday were awesome to watch. If the world hadn't taken notice before this weekend, they have now. Graham Delaet is a force to be reckoned with on the world golf stage. That first win is coming; hopefully soon.
The Edmonton Oilers were a disgrace to watch on Saturday night. They were terrible in their own end, turning over far too many pucks. To make matters worse, Devan Dubnyk stuggled mightily for the second game in a row. If Jason Labarbera is not between the pipes tonight when the New Jersey Devils invade Rexall, something is wrong. Thankfully the Taylor Hall down the middle experiment ends tonight with the return of RNH. I get that learning a new position is difficult but Hall is - 5 on the young season and has not played well at all. Desite the 0 - 2 start, it is refreshing to me to hear Dallas Eakins talk of the disappointment of the first two games. Ralph Kruegger had a tendency to sugar coat everything while Eakins doesn't. I like a guy who can call a spade a spade. Here's to hoping for a different result tonight.
The Philadelphia Flyers fired Head Coach Peter Laviolette this morning and replaced him with Craig Berube. Really, you gave the guy three games? Clearly this was something that management has been thinking off prior to the start of the season. I am left to wonder why they would allow him to run camp, introduce systems and begin the season only to make a change that was apparently inevitable. Make this change in the off - season and start fresh rather than do this to Laviolette and the organization as a whole. Furthermore, making this move in the off - season would have given them greater leverage in terms of hiring a coach they see fitting with them long term.
Is it just me or are the Cincinnati Bengals a little schizophrenic. How do you lose to Cleveland and then dominate Tom Brady and the New England offense only seven days later?
The Jacksonville Jaguars are still terrible.
I love the fact that the New York Giants are 0 - 5.
On to baseball and the play - offs are in full swing. With the Blue Jays being eliminated since early June (seems like that anyways), how can you not root for the small market teams such as Pittsburgh and Oakland. Could you imagine a Pittsburgh / Oakland World Series. MLB would hate it, FOX would hate but many fans of the game would love it. It would completely disspell they myth that money buys championships. As I write this, both the A's and Pirates are a win away from advancing to their respective League Championship Series.
That's it....
HM
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Pointless...
Believe it or not, there will be NO Rider news/discussion in this post. Rather I just wanted to take a few minutes to share my thoughts on the NHL's decision making over the last couple of days.
First off, yesterday I spoke of how, even though it was against the team I cheer for, the Edmonton Oilers, I didn't feel Zack Kassian deserved a suspension for the incident involving Sam Gagner and his broken jaw. That being said, he got the remainder of the regular season and the first five games of the regular season. Tell me how Brendan Shanahan deems this intentional and worhty of much more than a game or two? If Sam Gagner doesn't break his jaw on the play, is there any supplemental discipline? Does this mean that if Milan Lucic hits a guy into the boards and tears the guy's knee up that he needs to sit? Call it what you will, but it is essentially the same principle. I get that you should be in control of your stick but the broken jaw was a freak incident to go with the freak play. If Gagner skates away unharmed, am I wrong to think that Kassian gets a double minor and we move on?
What compounds this and makes it more aggravating for me is that Dale Wiese, who deliberately sticks out his elbow and pastes Taylor Hall on the chin gets only the remainder of the pre - season. Dale Wiese has presumably made this team so this is essentially a holiday for him. Truly the fact that Taylor Hall was fine probably played into this, and should it have? Absolutely not. Give Dale Wiese the five game regular season ban if anyone.
And then there was the showdown at the ACC on Sunday between the Leafs and Sabres. Granted John Scott acted like a moron, and granted Phil Kessel was probably scared spitless but the way he swung his stick at Scott TWICE followed by a spear was complete abuse of the stick in your hand. While he was protecting himself from a bit of a pummelling, how does he NOT get a single game for those actions? I mean really NHL, when are you going to wake up and move in the right direction when it comes to these rulings? I don't care who you are or the scenario that is playing out, you can NOT use your stick as a weapon the way Kessel did and walk away scott free.
All this adds up to for me is presumably several more blog posts over the next eight months bemoaning the NHL discipline and trying to make sense of it, something I, along with several other NHL fans will probably never accomplish.
On that note, how can you not be cheering for the Pittsburgh Pirates. If you are Canadian and like the sport of baseball, they have two great Canadian kids on the team in Catcher Russell Martin and 1B Justin Morneau. Add that to the fact this is their first winning season and post - season berth since 1992 and you have to be a fan. Can you imagine an Oakland / Pittsburgh World Series?
Off to bike ride with the kids...
HM
First off, yesterday I spoke of how, even though it was against the team I cheer for, the Edmonton Oilers, I didn't feel Zack Kassian deserved a suspension for the incident involving Sam Gagner and his broken jaw. That being said, he got the remainder of the regular season and the first five games of the regular season. Tell me how Brendan Shanahan deems this intentional and worhty of much more than a game or two? If Sam Gagner doesn't break his jaw on the play, is there any supplemental discipline? Does this mean that if Milan Lucic hits a guy into the boards and tears the guy's knee up that he needs to sit? Call it what you will, but it is essentially the same principle. I get that you should be in control of your stick but the broken jaw was a freak incident to go with the freak play. If Gagner skates away unharmed, am I wrong to think that Kassian gets a double minor and we move on?
What compounds this and makes it more aggravating for me is that Dale Wiese, who deliberately sticks out his elbow and pastes Taylor Hall on the chin gets only the remainder of the pre - season. Dale Wiese has presumably made this team so this is essentially a holiday for him. Truly the fact that Taylor Hall was fine probably played into this, and should it have? Absolutely not. Give Dale Wiese the five game regular season ban if anyone.
And then there was the showdown at the ACC on Sunday between the Leafs and Sabres. Granted John Scott acted like a moron, and granted Phil Kessel was probably scared spitless but the way he swung his stick at Scott TWICE followed by a spear was complete abuse of the stick in your hand. While he was protecting himself from a bit of a pummelling, how does he NOT get a single game for those actions? I mean really NHL, when are you going to wake up and move in the right direction when it comes to these rulings? I don't care who you are or the scenario that is playing out, you can NOT use your stick as a weapon the way Kessel did and walk away scott free.
All this adds up to for me is presumably several more blog posts over the next eight months bemoaning the NHL discipline and trying to make sense of it, something I, along with several other NHL fans will probably never accomplish.
On that note, how can you not be cheering for the Pittsburgh Pirates. If you are Canadian and like the sport of baseball, they have two great Canadian kids on the team in Catcher Russell Martin and 1B Justin Morneau. Add that to the fact this is their first winning season and post - season berth since 1992 and you have to be a fan. Can you imagine an Oakland / Pittsburgh World Series?
Off to bike ride with the kids...
HM
Monday, September 23, 2013
Another One Slips Away
More than 39, 000 left disappointed yesterday afternoon as the Saskatchewan Roughriders let another victory elude them. Paul McCallum's 42 yard field goal as time expired was the difference as the B.C. Lions improved to 8 - 4 and took over second place in the CFL's West Division while the Riders fall to third after their third consecutive set back. The result is more unfortunate given what Zach Collaros and the Toronto Argonauts did the night before in Calgary.
All that aside, I have said this before and I will say it again; it sickens me to read/listen to supposed Rider fans jump down the throat of Darian Durant whenever adversity shows up in Riderville. Was Darian perfect yesterday? No. Did he turn the ball over a couple of times? Yes. Could he have been better? Yes. But most importantly, at least to me, did he put us in a position to win with less than a minute remaining? ABSOLUTELY. A 352 yard performance with a couple of scores is a not bad afternoon of football.
I am not in any way pinning this on Chris Milo, but he has had the unfortunate luck of hitting three up - rights in two weeks, including two yesterday. Make one of those, and we win. Go back a week, and if he misses the upright either way, we either win or take the game to OT. Adversity has appeared and it is time for this group to overcome it. Here are my general thoughts in no particular order, take them for what they're worth:
* Darian Durant is a good QB. While we couldn't move the ball at times yesterday, I see two explanations, neither of which are Darian himself. (1) George Cortez seems to be running a play book similar to the eight play book used by the Alexandrai Titans in the film "Remember the Titans". How many times have we seen Taj Smith run that crossing route? A lot have, including opposing coaches as it isn't working anymore. (2) We are a much different team with Kory Sheets in the line - up. Nothing against Chris Garret who played all right when given the ball but Sheets make our offence much more two - dimensional. The last two games have seen Darian thrown the ball 101 times. An effective run game not only brings that number down, it also gives the opposition a second element to look out for.
* That being said, why is Darian not using his legs. We all know he is a much better QB when on the move; he himself knows that. I am almost convinced they have told him not to run out of fear that he will get hurt. If you are playing with fear, or coaching for that matter with fear, you are not nearly as effective as you could and should be.
* Our secondary needs to be better in clutch moments. We all knew that Thomas Demarco was looking sidelines yesterday on 3rd and 10, but still the corner; not sure which one it was gave him a pile of space to make that catch and get out of bounds. That is on Richie Hall and the D. I get it that injuries and last minute scratches weren't on our side but that is simple Football 101.
* We will get better, and we will get over this. That is what I believe, and that is because I am a true fan. I despise the fickle who speak only during down times and even then couldn't find an ounce of positive in a pound of gold. Ask anyone, I am as loyal as they come.
* Montreal on Sunday afternoon; look out Alouettes as you are going to meet a composed, hungry football team.
* On to the NHL, and as much of an Oiler fan as I am, Vancouver's Zack Kassian should not be suspended for the stick incident which broke the jaw of Sam Gagner on Saturday night. That is as freak an incident as you will see. He had no intention of hitting Gagner; none. Dale Wiese on the other hand, he will get a few for the elbow he planted on the chin of Taylor Hall.
* John Scott is the laughing stock of the NHL today as the Sabres 6'8 hooligan went after mighty Phil Kessel last night. The Leafs will lose David Clarkson for the first ten games of the season as per league rules which is right. I found humour in the story reported this morning that Joffrey Lupul had to hold back Nazem Kadri from jumping the boards. I get team unity and sticking up for teammates but Kadri coming to the rescue of Kessel would be like trying to extinguish a fire with gasoline; good luck.
* I LOVE the fact that the Giants and Steelers are both 0 - 3.
* If they leave the horses to run, the Broncos may put up 60 on the Raiders tonight.
* The Jaguars are still terrible.
* Can't help but feel good for Marc Trestman as his Chicago Bears are now 3 - 0 and atop the NFC North. Also shines a positive light on the CFL.
* Congratulations to Weyburn's Graham Delaet on a great season which wrapped up yesterday at the Tour Championship. All told the young man won nearly $3 million, moved up to 32nd in World Rankings and opened a pile of doors for next year. The Majors, WGC events will all see the kid who grew up playing golf in Weyburn teeing it up with the world's best; something he has earned through hard work and determination.
* I am outta here.
All that aside, I have said this before and I will say it again; it sickens me to read/listen to supposed Rider fans jump down the throat of Darian Durant whenever adversity shows up in Riderville. Was Darian perfect yesterday? No. Did he turn the ball over a couple of times? Yes. Could he have been better? Yes. But most importantly, at least to me, did he put us in a position to win with less than a minute remaining? ABSOLUTELY. A 352 yard performance with a couple of scores is a not bad afternoon of football.
I am not in any way pinning this on Chris Milo, but he has had the unfortunate luck of hitting three up - rights in two weeks, including two yesterday. Make one of those, and we win. Go back a week, and if he misses the upright either way, we either win or take the game to OT. Adversity has appeared and it is time for this group to overcome it. Here are my general thoughts in no particular order, take them for what they're worth:
* Darian Durant is a good QB. While we couldn't move the ball at times yesterday, I see two explanations, neither of which are Darian himself. (1) George Cortez seems to be running a play book similar to the eight play book used by the Alexandrai Titans in the film "Remember the Titans". How many times have we seen Taj Smith run that crossing route? A lot have, including opposing coaches as it isn't working anymore. (2) We are a much different team with Kory Sheets in the line - up. Nothing against Chris Garret who played all right when given the ball but Sheets make our offence much more two - dimensional. The last two games have seen Darian thrown the ball 101 times. An effective run game not only brings that number down, it also gives the opposition a second element to look out for.
* That being said, why is Darian not using his legs. We all know he is a much better QB when on the move; he himself knows that. I am almost convinced they have told him not to run out of fear that he will get hurt. If you are playing with fear, or coaching for that matter with fear, you are not nearly as effective as you could and should be.
* Our secondary needs to be better in clutch moments. We all knew that Thomas Demarco was looking sidelines yesterday on 3rd and 10, but still the corner; not sure which one it was gave him a pile of space to make that catch and get out of bounds. That is on Richie Hall and the D. I get it that injuries and last minute scratches weren't on our side but that is simple Football 101.
* We will get better, and we will get over this. That is what I believe, and that is because I am a true fan. I despise the fickle who speak only during down times and even then couldn't find an ounce of positive in a pound of gold. Ask anyone, I am as loyal as they come.
* Montreal on Sunday afternoon; look out Alouettes as you are going to meet a composed, hungry football team.
* On to the NHL, and as much of an Oiler fan as I am, Vancouver's Zack Kassian should not be suspended for the stick incident which broke the jaw of Sam Gagner on Saturday night. That is as freak an incident as you will see. He had no intention of hitting Gagner; none. Dale Wiese on the other hand, he will get a few for the elbow he planted on the chin of Taylor Hall.
* John Scott is the laughing stock of the NHL today as the Sabres 6'8 hooligan went after mighty Phil Kessel last night. The Leafs will lose David Clarkson for the first ten games of the season as per league rules which is right. I found humour in the story reported this morning that Joffrey Lupul had to hold back Nazem Kadri from jumping the boards. I get team unity and sticking up for teammates but Kadri coming to the rescue of Kessel would be like trying to extinguish a fire with gasoline; good luck.
* I LOVE the fact that the Giants and Steelers are both 0 - 3.
* If they leave the horses to run, the Broncos may put up 60 on the Raiders tonight.
* The Jaguars are still terrible.
* Can't help but feel good for Marc Trestman as his Chicago Bears are now 3 - 0 and atop the NFC North. Also shines a positive light on the CFL.
* Congratulations to Weyburn's Graham Delaet on a great season which wrapped up yesterday at the Tour Championship. All told the young man won nearly $3 million, moved up to 32nd in World Rankings and opened a pile of doors for next year. The Majors, WGC events will all see the kid who grew up playing golf in Weyburn teeing it up with the world's best; something he has earned through hard work and determination.
* I am outta here.
Monday, September 16, 2013
General Football Commentary
The sky is not falling. Regardless of what many Roughrider fans might say, there is no need to panic in Riderville yet. Sure we lost on Saturday for the second week in a row, and the third time in our last six outings but still we hold our fate in our own hands. We are one game behind Calgary for first, and one ahead of BC for second. Three games with BC and one with Calgary will determine where we line up come play - off time.
In no particular order, here are my thoughts on Saturday's 31 - 29 loss to Toronto:
*Once again the offensive line struggled to give Darian time. Patrick Neufeld has not looked good in his two starts and we sure missed Ben Heenan on Saturday. We needed the two - point conversion to force OT and Darian had absolutely no time to make anything happen.
*George Cortez appears to be getting stagnant in his play calling.
*If/when Jock Sanders gets healthy and back into the line - up, we must find ways to utilize him the way he was used last year. Coming out of the backfield or lined up in the slot made Jock very dangerous.
*Our DB's were not good on Saturday. There were too many occasions where they were simply running to catch up to their man, having no clue as to where the ball was. This led to some penalties and big plays against. Carlos Thomas sticks out as having had an off game. What happened to the coverage being played in the early weeks of the season?
*Hopefully Eljiro Kuale, brought in recently can help be the run stopper we lost when Rey Williams went down. Jerious Norwood ran roughshot up the middle in the waning moments of Saturday night.
*Kierre Johnson has to make some catches on Saturday. He dropped some balls at inopportune times. Here's to hoping Weston Dressler will be back on Sunday.
*Given the week he had, I was not surprised at the body language of Taj Smith. He looked lost and generally uninterested.
*Too bad injuries cost Chris Milo a shot at Rider history. With Huculack and Dressler out, Peters and Schmitt made a mess of the snap and hold resulting in a missed FG which would have been 29 in a row and a record that has stood for a long time. It also cost us the game if you think more about it. If he makes it, the Getzlaf TD wins it. If he misses but avoids the upright, all we need is the single to tie.
*A lot of people are writing the Riders off; season is all for not, Durant's a bum, blah, blah, blah. I buy none of it. This team has as much talent as we have seen in a long time. They also have leadership which needs to come front and centre this week. With the likes of Simon, Durant, Labatte, etc. leading the charge this week and for the remainder of the season for that matter, I have no worries with the direction of the team. This is a bump in the road, not the dead end sign many have taken it for.
*Good teams find ways to overcome adversity; the Riders simply need to prove what we all know, they are indeed a good team.
And in regards to the NFL:
*Jacksonville is awful. They won't win a game all year.
*New England may have the record for the most unimpressive 2 - 0 start in NFL history.
*Peyton Manning and the Broncos are ridiculously good.
*If I am an NFC team, I am scared of the Seattle Seahawks, particularly on their home turf. What a beating they laid on the 49ers last night.
*The NFC East has proven to be a huge disappointment with a collective 2 - 6 record after Week Two.
In no particular order, here are my thoughts on Saturday's 31 - 29 loss to Toronto:
*Once again the offensive line struggled to give Darian time. Patrick Neufeld has not looked good in his two starts and we sure missed Ben Heenan on Saturday. We needed the two - point conversion to force OT and Darian had absolutely no time to make anything happen.
*George Cortez appears to be getting stagnant in his play calling.
*If/when Jock Sanders gets healthy and back into the line - up, we must find ways to utilize him the way he was used last year. Coming out of the backfield or lined up in the slot made Jock very dangerous.
*Our DB's were not good on Saturday. There were too many occasions where they were simply running to catch up to their man, having no clue as to where the ball was. This led to some penalties and big plays against. Carlos Thomas sticks out as having had an off game. What happened to the coverage being played in the early weeks of the season?
*Hopefully Eljiro Kuale, brought in recently can help be the run stopper we lost when Rey Williams went down. Jerious Norwood ran roughshot up the middle in the waning moments of Saturday night.
*Kierre Johnson has to make some catches on Saturday. He dropped some balls at inopportune times. Here's to hoping Weston Dressler will be back on Sunday.
*Given the week he had, I was not surprised at the body language of Taj Smith. He looked lost and generally uninterested.
*Too bad injuries cost Chris Milo a shot at Rider history. With Huculack and Dressler out, Peters and Schmitt made a mess of the snap and hold resulting in a missed FG which would have been 29 in a row and a record that has stood for a long time. It also cost us the game if you think more about it. If he makes it, the Getzlaf TD wins it. If he misses but avoids the upright, all we need is the single to tie.
*A lot of people are writing the Riders off; season is all for not, Durant's a bum, blah, blah, blah. I buy none of it. This team has as much talent as we have seen in a long time. They also have leadership which needs to come front and centre this week. With the likes of Simon, Durant, Labatte, etc. leading the charge this week and for the remainder of the season for that matter, I have no worries with the direction of the team. This is a bump in the road, not the dead end sign many have taken it for.
*Good teams find ways to overcome adversity; the Riders simply need to prove what we all know, they are indeed a good team.
And in regards to the NFL:
*Jacksonville is awful. They won't win a game all year.
*New England may have the record for the most unimpressive 2 - 0 start in NFL history.
*Peyton Manning and the Broncos are ridiculously good.
*If I am an NFC team, I am scared of the Seattle Seahawks, particularly on their home turf. What a beating they laid on the 49ers last night.
*The NFC East has proven to be a huge disappointment with a collective 2 - 6 record after Week Two.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Labour Day Thoughts
Nearly 45, 000 people packed into Mosaic Stadium on a beatiful afternoon for football on Sunday to watch the Riders and Bombers clash in what I believe was the 46th Annual Labour Day Classic. In the end the Riders came out with a rather convincing 48 - 25 victory. While the Bombers hung around in the first half and actually took a four point lead into the break, the Riders showed their mettle in the second half outscoring the Bombers 34 - 7. In fact the only Bombers score came on a busted play brought on by a poor snap. In no particular order, here are my thoughts from the weekend:
* Darian Durant was on full display Sunday utilizing his legs when required. We all know when DD is able to scramble he is simply a more effective QB. While he threw his first pick of the season (to be discussed later), he countered that with four scoring passes bringing his season total to 22.
* John Chick had what I saw as his best game of the season. There were times he was unblockable.
* I have complete confidence in Christopher Mile moving forward. He is 23 / 23 this year and had plenty of leg to spare in making a 48 yarder.
* Geroy Simon may not have had huge numbers but Sunday was the type of game we all hoped we would get from Geroy when the trade was made earlier this year. While he only had five grabs for 44 yards, three were for first downs and two were for scores.
* Say what you will about Dwight Anderson losing his cool on Sunday. Given what had transpired in the quarter and a half prior I can't say I wouldn't have had choice words for the official as well. Anderson plays with his heart on his sleeve and I can honestly say I love having him on this team. He brings in on every play and while he might talk a lot, he generally backs it up with his on field performance. Speaking of talking, did anyone else see Chad Simpson right in the face of the Riders prior to kick off. I had a chuckle then made sweeter by the Riders ability to keep Simpson almost competely in check.
* The Officials were BRUTAL. The only points the Bombers seemed to score in the first half came about on drives sustained by rubbish calls against the Riders. Dwight Anderson was called for PI simply because the reciever fell back - pedalling. Meanwhile, it what led to Darian Durant's first interception of the season, Weston Dressler was being mauled by one of the Muamba brothers well before the ball arrived. It is so hard to tell what is and is not pass interference anymore. It seems to vary from week to week. Let's add to that the fact that not only do the calls they make leave something to be desired they are not calling a lot of stuff that needs to be. At one point on Sunday, DD gets facemasked while scrambling in the backfield but no flag. On the QB dive by the Bombers late in the 1st half, one of the Bomber linemen came up swining but no flag is thrown. I would seriously hope that Tom Higgins and the CFL is doing something to improve the officiating; if not the quality, at least the consistency.
* The Riders have never been 8 - 1 in their history. Let's still be cautious that the last nine games will be sligthly more difficult as we have BC three times, Calgary one more time in Cowtown as well as an ever improving Eskimo squad twice. (More on them shortly as well).
* Regardless of the schedule we have had and have in front of us, this is a great Rider team that I love watching. Here's to hoping the wonder of the first half of the season carries through to Nov. 24th.
* And things just got a little crazy in Edmonton. One day after nearly pulling off a tremendous comeback against the rival Stamps, Eskimo GM Ed Hervey went OFF. He basically shamed his football team and its coaching staff while singling out Linemen Simeon Rottier saying that he hopes the team never sees him play another down this season. Really Ed Hervey, you want to point the finger. Sure Eric Tillman made some questionable moves but who is responsible for the team on the field now? You! This is no way to motivate a team that is so close to getting a win. Mike Reilly is as tough as nails and this team is getting better each week. Sure they played like hell for three quarters yesterday but I thought showed a lot of composure and maturity by never giving up and fighting right until the final horn. Personally I would think you acknowledge the tremendous finish from yesterday and use that to build on heading into next week's rematch. Blasting the team publicly like that can only cause more problems short and long term. The only coach he seemed to still care for was Kavis Reed who I personally think is part of the problem there. A team that came out the way they did yesterday was clearly lacking motivation and a lot of that needs to fall on the coaches shoulders. In closing, I am very glad to not be an Eskimos fan at this point in time.
* Graham Delaet, you are a beauty. I love the beard, I love his game and I think his results are a true testament to working hard to get to where you want to be. Well done! Can you imagine if he wins the Fed Ex Cup? Weyburn might never be the same.
* Darian Durant was on full display Sunday utilizing his legs when required. We all know when DD is able to scramble he is simply a more effective QB. While he threw his first pick of the season (to be discussed later), he countered that with four scoring passes bringing his season total to 22.
* John Chick had what I saw as his best game of the season. There were times he was unblockable.
* I have complete confidence in Christopher Mile moving forward. He is 23 / 23 this year and had plenty of leg to spare in making a 48 yarder.
* Geroy Simon may not have had huge numbers but Sunday was the type of game we all hoped we would get from Geroy when the trade was made earlier this year. While he only had five grabs for 44 yards, three were for first downs and two were for scores.
* Say what you will about Dwight Anderson losing his cool on Sunday. Given what had transpired in the quarter and a half prior I can't say I wouldn't have had choice words for the official as well. Anderson plays with his heart on his sleeve and I can honestly say I love having him on this team. He brings in on every play and while he might talk a lot, he generally backs it up with his on field performance. Speaking of talking, did anyone else see Chad Simpson right in the face of the Riders prior to kick off. I had a chuckle then made sweeter by the Riders ability to keep Simpson almost competely in check.
* The Officials were BRUTAL. The only points the Bombers seemed to score in the first half came about on drives sustained by rubbish calls against the Riders. Dwight Anderson was called for PI simply because the reciever fell back - pedalling. Meanwhile, it what led to Darian Durant's first interception of the season, Weston Dressler was being mauled by one of the Muamba brothers well before the ball arrived. It is so hard to tell what is and is not pass interference anymore. It seems to vary from week to week. Let's add to that the fact that not only do the calls they make leave something to be desired they are not calling a lot of stuff that needs to be. At one point on Sunday, DD gets facemasked while scrambling in the backfield but no flag. On the QB dive by the Bombers late in the 1st half, one of the Bomber linemen came up swining but no flag is thrown. I would seriously hope that Tom Higgins and the CFL is doing something to improve the officiating; if not the quality, at least the consistency.
* The Riders have never been 8 - 1 in their history. Let's still be cautious that the last nine games will be sligthly more difficult as we have BC three times, Calgary one more time in Cowtown as well as an ever improving Eskimo squad twice. (More on them shortly as well).
* Regardless of the schedule we have had and have in front of us, this is a great Rider team that I love watching. Here's to hoping the wonder of the first half of the season carries through to Nov. 24th.
* And things just got a little crazy in Edmonton. One day after nearly pulling off a tremendous comeback against the rival Stamps, Eskimo GM Ed Hervey went OFF. He basically shamed his football team and its coaching staff while singling out Linemen Simeon Rottier saying that he hopes the team never sees him play another down this season. Really Ed Hervey, you want to point the finger. Sure Eric Tillman made some questionable moves but who is responsible for the team on the field now? You! This is no way to motivate a team that is so close to getting a win. Mike Reilly is as tough as nails and this team is getting better each week. Sure they played like hell for three quarters yesterday but I thought showed a lot of composure and maturity by never giving up and fighting right until the final horn. Personally I would think you acknowledge the tremendous finish from yesterday and use that to build on heading into next week's rematch. Blasting the team publicly like that can only cause more problems short and long term. The only coach he seemed to still care for was Kavis Reed who I personally think is part of the problem there. A team that came out the way they did yesterday was clearly lacking motivation and a lot of that needs to fall on the coaches shoulders. In closing, I am very glad to not be an Eskimos fan at this point in time.
* Graham Delaet, you are a beauty. I love the beard, I love his game and I think his results are a true testament to working hard to get to where you want to be. Well done! Can you imagine if he wins the Fed Ex Cup? Weyburn might never be the same.
Monday, August 26, 2013
As August Draws to a Close....
As the heat of August continues, the days left in my summer vacation are now down to one. While the summer was great for spending time with family and friends fishing, golfing and watching the Riders, it did nothing for the blog. In saying that, since I am back in 'the office' today I think it's time to provide my insights into the summer that was, and the fall that is in front of us.
First off, today is August 26th. The Winter Olympics kick off in Sochi in approximately six months time. This morning, in a rink in Calgary, a group of men hoping to represent Canada in Men's hockey are playing ball hockey, and from what I read on twitter are practicing line changes amongst other things. Are you kidding me? Look, I love hockey as much as the next and nothing gives me more national pride than watching our hockey teams perform at a high level in international competitions, but really, ball hockey in August? In all reality, these next three days are in my opinion, a colossal waste of both time and effort. Why? There are probably ten players who have already made the team. Guys like Crosby, Stamkos and Doughty are already on the team, don't kid yourself. In saying that, do you honestly think that Bob Nicholson, Kevin Lowe and others on the managment team are going to look back at how well Player A performed playing road hockey in Calgary in August to determine whether or not he goes to Russia or stays home? Not a chance, it will be all based on what they have done in the first few months of the NHL season. I don't usually poke fun at Hockey Canada but this is laughable. TSN has their entire hockey crew there reporting on every bounce of the ball which just adds to the comedic value of this event.
The NFL season is only two weeks away. Not going to say much other than I am excited.
For a stretch in June and July the Toronto Blue Jays gave us reasons to be optimistic. They won eleven in a row and were crawling back into contention. It look like the dogs days of summer were going to provide us with meaningful baseball games to watch. That evaporated quickly. While, injuries have to be taken into account, this group has set the bar in terms of underachievement. As such, the absolute first thing that Alex Anthopoulos needs to do at the end of the season is terminate the contract of John Gibbons. He was fired for a reason three years ago, and his hiring in the off - season raised a lot of eyebrows. The concerns of Blue Jays fans at the time have proven to be warranted over and over.
Graham Delaet has gone from making a name for himself on the PGA to officially having made a name. With yesterday's T2 finish at the Barclay's a bunch of firsts have arisen for the Weyburn product. He cracked the top 50 in the Offical World Rankings as he jumped to #48. He eclipsed the $2 million dollar mark in earnings this season, not to mention jumping him up to #7 in the FedEx Cup stadings which gives him a very legitimate, if not almost, guaranteed spot in the Tour Championship. As if that wasn't enough, he has also jumped into the Top 10 in President's Cup standings which means there is a very strong likelihood that he will be part of Nick Faldo's International squad in Ohio in early October. And to think, he hasn't even won an event yet. While we all talk about how he is close to his first victory, I think we now need to think of how many times will he win once he get's over that proverbial hump.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are somewhere they have not been since 1970. They are 7 - 1 and alone atop the CFL standings. With back to back games against the greatest circus show in Canada presently, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers a 9 - 1 record in two weeks is very much a possibility. Here are my random observations about their season thus far:
* Kory Sheets is a monster. He set a goal of 2,000 yards along the ground this year. He is more than half way home with 10 games to go.
* Darian Durant is having his finest season as a Rider. To date he has thrown 17 TD's without an interception. Sure, he may have had a poor showing at home against Montreal but he was a warrior to the end and made the play he needed to make to give us an opportunity to win. While many in this province have a serious 'hate on' for DD, if you are a true football fan, you can appreciate his abilities. Be thankful he is on our team as there aren't anymore I would rather have running my team at this point in time.
* Dwight Anderson may be obnoxious but he makes plays when they need to be made.
* So much for that concern with the kicking game. Chris Milo is the only kicker in the leaague to make every kick this season. The stats would tell you that Calagary's Rene Paredes is also perfect but he has had a kick blocked and if not for ridiculous CFL rules, that perfection would be erased.
* The officiating throughout the CFL is at times horrific. There is absolutely no consistency from one week to the next. What is pass interference this week may not be next week and I don't think anybody, officials included, truly know what roughing the passer entails. What is called one week won't be the next. As a fan, all I can ask for is consistentcy. If the officiating is going to be poor, be poor every week. How some of these guys can even accept a pay cheque is beyonhd me.
* I could go on and on with who has impressed me from the green and white all day but at some point I have to get some work done.
Later,
HM
First off, today is August 26th. The Winter Olympics kick off in Sochi in approximately six months time. This morning, in a rink in Calgary, a group of men hoping to represent Canada in Men's hockey are playing ball hockey, and from what I read on twitter are practicing line changes amongst other things. Are you kidding me? Look, I love hockey as much as the next and nothing gives me more national pride than watching our hockey teams perform at a high level in international competitions, but really, ball hockey in August? In all reality, these next three days are in my opinion, a colossal waste of both time and effort. Why? There are probably ten players who have already made the team. Guys like Crosby, Stamkos and Doughty are already on the team, don't kid yourself. In saying that, do you honestly think that Bob Nicholson, Kevin Lowe and others on the managment team are going to look back at how well Player A performed playing road hockey in Calgary in August to determine whether or not he goes to Russia or stays home? Not a chance, it will be all based on what they have done in the first few months of the NHL season. I don't usually poke fun at Hockey Canada but this is laughable. TSN has their entire hockey crew there reporting on every bounce of the ball which just adds to the comedic value of this event.
The NFL season is only two weeks away. Not going to say much other than I am excited.
For a stretch in June and July the Toronto Blue Jays gave us reasons to be optimistic. They won eleven in a row and were crawling back into contention. It look like the dogs days of summer were going to provide us with meaningful baseball games to watch. That evaporated quickly. While, injuries have to be taken into account, this group has set the bar in terms of underachievement. As such, the absolute first thing that Alex Anthopoulos needs to do at the end of the season is terminate the contract of John Gibbons. He was fired for a reason three years ago, and his hiring in the off - season raised a lot of eyebrows. The concerns of Blue Jays fans at the time have proven to be warranted over and over.
Graham Delaet has gone from making a name for himself on the PGA to officially having made a name. With yesterday's T2 finish at the Barclay's a bunch of firsts have arisen for the Weyburn product. He cracked the top 50 in the Offical World Rankings as he jumped to #48. He eclipsed the $2 million dollar mark in earnings this season, not to mention jumping him up to #7 in the FedEx Cup stadings which gives him a very legitimate, if not almost, guaranteed spot in the Tour Championship. As if that wasn't enough, he has also jumped into the Top 10 in President's Cup standings which means there is a very strong likelihood that he will be part of Nick Faldo's International squad in Ohio in early October. And to think, he hasn't even won an event yet. While we all talk about how he is close to his first victory, I think we now need to think of how many times will he win once he get's over that proverbial hump.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are somewhere they have not been since 1970. They are 7 - 1 and alone atop the CFL standings. With back to back games against the greatest circus show in Canada presently, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers a 9 - 1 record in two weeks is very much a possibility. Here are my random observations about their season thus far:
* Kory Sheets is a monster. He set a goal of 2,000 yards along the ground this year. He is more than half way home with 10 games to go.
* Darian Durant is having his finest season as a Rider. To date he has thrown 17 TD's without an interception. Sure, he may have had a poor showing at home against Montreal but he was a warrior to the end and made the play he needed to make to give us an opportunity to win. While many in this province have a serious 'hate on' for DD, if you are a true football fan, you can appreciate his abilities. Be thankful he is on our team as there aren't anymore I would rather have running my team at this point in time.
* Dwight Anderson may be obnoxious but he makes plays when they need to be made.
* So much for that concern with the kicking game. Chris Milo is the only kicker in the leaague to make every kick this season. The stats would tell you that Calagary's Rene Paredes is also perfect but he has had a kick blocked and if not for ridiculous CFL rules, that perfection would be erased.
* The officiating throughout the CFL is at times horrific. There is absolutely no consistency from one week to the next. What is pass interference this week may not be next week and I don't think anybody, officials included, truly know what roughing the passer entails. What is called one week won't be the next. As a fan, all I can ask for is consistentcy. If the officiating is going to be poor, be poor every week. How some of these guys can even accept a pay cheque is beyonhd me.
* I could go on and on with who has impressed me from the green and white all day but at some point I have to get some work done.
Later,
HM
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