Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Endangered species act to get new addition


There may be more than one CFL General Manager who takes to lobbying the federal government this off season to add one more species to the endangered list.

After a season of terror for starting quarterbacks in the CFL, it would be quite appropriate for the Quarterbackus homosapious to be deemed at risk .
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This season has seen the role of starting QB for a CFL team becoming one of the more dangerous of activities in the CFL ecosystem.

From the early days of Damon Allen’s shattered season, the season has been one of horror for CFL teams as starter after starter made the pilgrimage from playing field to medical room. Toronto went from the frying pan into the fire, when Michael Bishop fell as fast off the depth chart as he rose to the starters position, he remained off the field for weeks while the Argos tried to tread water to stay in the playoff hunt.

Montreal suffered from the absence of Anthony Calvillo, while the BC Lions have been hit not once, but twice with Dave Dickenson’s concussion and Buck Pierce’s various ailments causing no shortage of worry for the Lions and their fans, though Jarious Jackson has more than picked up the slack for the battered Lions.

Hamilton’s much hailed hiring of Casey Printers quickly became a tale of bad timing as Printer’s re-injured a hamstring problem that developed in the Kansas City Chiefs camp this past August.
Kevin Glenn scared the Bomber faithful a few weeks back and even though he has returned to the field, the Bombers coincidentally began to struggle in recent weeks.

During the summer months, Saskatchewan’s Kerry Joseph sometimes seemed only one play away from joining the rest of the brotherhood of the starting quarterback in the ER room.

The poster boys this past month for untimely injuries were both found in Alberta, Calgary’s Henry Burris, who was on his way to a highlight season was knocked out of play for the season two weeks ago in Hamilton, substitute Akili Smith didn’t fare much better suffering a groin injury before last weeks Lions game had even crossed the half time mark.

Up the highway in Edmonton, the Eskimos watched in disbelief as Ricky Ray tumbled to the ground in a heap, most likely finished for the season, leaving the chase for a playoff spot to a relatively untested Stefan LeFors.

At one time or another, every CFL team has faced the injury woes, some more severe than others.

Only the Lions it seems have been able to roll with the challenges, as Jackson continues to reward Wally Buono with workmanlike play and leadership. The problem for Buono and it’s one that some seven other teams might like to share is that all three of his Quarterbacks may soon be ready for action, providing him with an abundance of riches that the rest of the league’s coaches and GM’s can only dream about.

The sudden depletion of the depth charts provides a strong incentive to follow through on a recent trial balloon launched by Damon Allen, to provide a CFL boot camp of sorts. A project designed to give the younger and untested rookies on their way into the league a bit of background into the game.

It would surely have come in handy for a few teams these last few weeks, which suddenly have third string quarterbacks thrust into the heat of a playoff race with nary a snap to their names.

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