Week Fourteen (September 28-30)

As September comes to a close playoff positions seem far from settled.

September 28- Toronto 18 @ Edmonton 11
September 29- Montreal 22 @ Saskatchewan 33
September 29- Hamilton 19 @ Winnipeg 21
September 29- Calgary 9 @ B. C. 42

CFL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK, WEEK NUMBER THIRTEEN

The CFL announced it's Rogers players of the week for week number twelve of play in the 2007 season.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
GEROY SIMON--SB--BC LIONS
Runner Up: Richie Williams, Hamilton

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
CHARLTON KEITH--DE--HAMILTON TIGER CATS
Runner Up: Kenny Wheaton, Toronto Argonauts

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
DOMINIQUE DORSEY--RB--TORONTO ARGONAUTS
Runner Up: Nick Setta, Hamilton Tiger Cats

CANADIAN PLAYER OF THE WEEK
ANDREW FANTUZ--SB--SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS
Runner Up: Noel Prefontaine, Toronto

Bad vibes on the Bow

The once surging Stamps are suddenly contemplating a surge less future and some observers don’t like what they see the future bringing.

The shoulder injury Friday In Hamilton to Henry Burris, a cruel twist of fate in a remarkable season, now has talk of a Stampeder march to the Grey Cup drying up and instead just surviving until the playoffs seems to be the new mantra.

The Stamps were built around their star quarterback and now with his season in danger, Akili Smith has been tossed the ball for perhaps the rest of the season, a move that is showing that confidence is something that they could use a bit more of in Calgary these days.

Even the coaching staff, which has to try to put on the best face possible this weekend, while facing the prospect of life without Henry, has had a hard time in whole heartedly endorsing Smith as the one to take them to the playoffs. In a Calgary Sun article by Eric Francis, head coach Tom Higgins laid it out pretty honestly when it came to what he thinks may happen with Smith forced into the starter’s role, “I don't know if he'll ever be ready. There's not a game goes by we're not explaining another Canadian league rule to Akili.”

Smith himself, had precious few moments of sleep on Saturday as he contemplated life in the fishbowl of starting quarterback for the Calgary Stampeders. Having received limited actual game reps during the season, the hopes of the Stamps and their fans now rest on him, limited experience or not the Stamps will be his team most likely through the rest of this season.

While two weeks ago they were talking loud about a run for first in the West, the loss of Burris according to more than a few could see them free fall from playoff contenders to the roadmap for someone else to qualify for a Grey Cup berth.

Smith, the one time Cincinnati Bengal who was hoping to rejuvenate his career in Canada, now has his break, in the most unwanted method possible. His team mates, coaches and Stampeder fans are hoping he has picked up enough through thirteen weeks to carry them for the final five and beyond.

Though judging by the black clouds forming over the Bow, they’re hopes are particularly loud or confident these days.

Lions rally to steal away a win in Regina

For the benefit of the Rider Nation, by all rights they probably should have claimed two points on Saturday night. But as Rider head coach Kent Austin put it “We don't believe in 'we should have won the game”

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It’s a quote steeped in disappointment that tells you how a fantastic start, gave way to a nightmare finish sixty minutes later.

For the first thirty minutes of Saturday’s CFL match up between the Roughriders and the Lions, it appeared that a good old fashioned prairie pounding was on the way. Kerry Joseph seemed on his game completely as the first quarter morphed into the second, his passes were laser like, the Rider attack seemingly unstoppable as they gobbled up yardage and time, giving yet another sold out crowd at Mosaic Field cause to make some noise.

Saskatchewan controlled the play of the first half, provided for most of the offensive and defensive plays and if not for BC’s special teams would probably have shut out the Lions for thirty minutes of play.

Lions quarterback Jarious Jackson looked every bit the third string undisciplined learning quarterback that a third stringer should be, he completed but three passes in the first half, the teams much vaunted running game with Joe Smith likewise was shut down by a strong Rider defense that had made a few marks in the field that Lions should not cross.

A nasty end of the second half scrap between the Lions offence and the Riders defence seemed to highlight the frustration and anger that the Lions felt at having little to show for in the first thirty minutes. Not surprisingly the melee involved the Lions Rob Murphy who got into a bit of a scrap with Saskatchewan's Scott Schultz, for which both were flagged for unnecessary roughness. Also tabbed for a penalty and an expulsion was B.C. receiver Cory Rodgers, who seemed quite clearly to be an innocent man, sentenced unjustly by the overwhelmed officiating crew.

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As the skirmishes settled down, up in the Broadcast booth colour commentator Chris Walby was beside himself as the refs somehow chose Rodgers out of the pile to be exorcised from further play. Walby pointed out that it was the Lions offensive tackle Sherko Haji-Masouli that provided the most flagrant fouls in the scrum and it was he who should have been banished not Rodgers.

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Why the officials could not have called a time out and consulted the video replay, is one of those unanswered questions. Perhaps there is no applicable rule to use for consultation, but a quick scan of the replays would have at least sent the right parties to the showers for the night.

However, Lions head coach Wally Buono, was quick to realize that it’s easier to replace a receiver than a lineman and advised Rodgers to take one for the team and head for the showers with little complaint.

As the two teams headed for their dressing rooms to mull over the next thirty minutes and attend to their bruises and cuts, the Riders faithful were enjoying a 24-15 lead, confident to paraphrase Conn Smythe , they were ready to beat them in the alleys as well as the playing surface. Even if their GM was having fits as he would outline after the game.

The hostilities seemed to light a fuse under the Lions as they waited for the second half to begin. As play resumed in quarter three, it was a different Lions team that took the field, no longer content to let the riders dictate the play, Jackson suddenly got into a comfort zone. Pass after pass found its mark, Joe Smith bounced through and around Rider tacklers moving the Lions down field quickly and effectively.

Jackson delivered his passes crisply to Paris Jackson, Jason Clermont and an underused Geroy Simon. The Lions chipped away at the Riders lead, Jackson showing more and more confidence and leadership with each passing possession.

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As late as the third quarter though it appeared that the Riders were destined for a win, a third down gamble deep in the Lions end turned badly on them, as the Riders stopped a Jackson sneak and took over on the Leos fifteen yard line.

The Lions still trailed heading into the fourth quarter, but battled on shutting down the Riders late in the fourth and taking control of the ball for a last gasp drive, trailing 34-30 with less than two minutes to play, Jackson led the Lions downfield, connecting with Geroy Simon in the last minute of play to propel the Lions to a 37-34 lead, the Lions defence put the final nail in the coffin with an interception on the Riders last minute desperate drive downfield.

It was an ending that left the noisy and energetic Mosaic Field crowd stunned, unsure as to what to think of the remarkable final thirty minutes of what seemed like two separate games played in one match.

Jackson who appeared to be destined to have perhaps his worst pro game, instead came back from adversity and provided the leadership style more befitting a ten year veteran who has seen it all and done it all before. It was a solid reward for his head coach, who refused to panic and pull his quarterback from the game as the Lions struggled to find their footing.

By sticking with Jackson and watching his team bounce back with him, the confidence of the Lions understudy must have grown immensely on Saturday. With Buck Pierce in the wings and Dave Dickenson once again beginning light duties, Jackson made a serious statement that he is prepared to fight for his new found status as starter. The realities of depth chart football may soon return the Lions to a more familiar orbit, but Jackson has more than proved that when the pressure is on he is ready to deliver his team to a victory.

It was a confidence type win for the Lions and one that could further demoralize the Riders. Once again, they have let a victory get away from them; a dominant performance in the first thirty minutes couldn’t be sustained for the all important final thirty. It’s a troublesome trend that Kent Austin must solve quickly, otherwise those wild dreams of a few weeks ago of a march to the Grey Cup may not quite turn out as once was hoped.

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For the Lions, the victory provides space, the win puts the Lions alone in first place in the west, now three points ahead of the Riders and with the all important season series firmly in the BC side of the ledger.

CFL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK, WEEK NUMBER TWELVE

The CFL announced it's Rogers players of the week for week number twelve of play in the 2007 season.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
HENRY BURRIS--QB--CALGARY STAMPEDERS
Runner Up: Joffrey Reynolds, Calgary

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
JASON GOSS--CB--EDMONTON ESKIMOS
Runner Up: Tom Canada, Winnipeg, Scott Coe, Calgary

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
IAN SMART--RB--BC LIONS
Runner Up: Paul McCallum, BC Lions, Marc Calixte, Calgary

CANADIAN PLAYER OF THE WEEK
SCOTT COE--LB--CALGARY STAMPEDERS
Runner Up: Unanimous selection

Week Thirteen (September 21-23)

Every game seems vital as the teams jockey for playoff position or just the hope of making the playoffs.

September 21- Calgary 20 at Hamilton 24
September 22- BC 37 at Saskatchewan 34
September 23- Edmonton 16 at Montreal 10
September 23- Winnipeg 23 at Toronto 31

Feeling Green for a reason

They’re feeling a little green in Saskatchewan these days and it has nothing to do with the uniforms of the provincial heroes.

For three consecutive weeks some bad signs have been developing in the Riders camp, a come from behind squeaker on Labour Day has given way to two consecutive solid thrashings in the following weeks. Derailing a promising charge to the top of the CFL west and leaving the Riders and their fans to suddenly start watching the rear view mirror as the Calgary Stampeders gallop their way.

Saturday afternoon in Calgary was another long sixty minutes for Kent Austin and his team as the Stamps completely took control of the game, with Henry Burris confidently tossing for five touchdowns on the way to the Stamps convincing 44-22 victory over the Riders. Burris threw TD passes twice to Jermaine Copeland as well as single TD tosses to Ken-Yon Rambo, Nik Lewis and Randy Chevrier.

It was an impressive display of ball control and movement that the Stamps put on for the sold out McMahon stadium crowd, a number of whom made the trip to Calgary dressed in their greenest finery, they started the game out in loud fashion but were significantly quieter by the time the third quarter had rolled around.

The normally solid Saskatchewan defensive corps suffered some lapses during the game, usually a stingy group that can control the running game; they allowed Joffrey Reynolds to scramble 23 times for 154 yards, the first time this season that the Green defence has allowed a running game to break the 100 yard mark.

On offence untimely turnovers would prove to be a crushing blow to the Riders attack, as they were just getting their momentum back in the second quarter and heading downfield, a Kerry Joseph pass was picked off by Stampeder lineman Brian Clark, on the first Calgary possession after that pick, Burris found Nik Lewis with a short slant pass, Lewis rambled the 85 yards for a Stamps TD, a 21-1 lead and the rout appeared to be on.

The Stamps quickly built that lead up to 28-1 and seemed to be on cruise control for the remainder of the first half.

The Riders began a comeback of sorts with a late quarter touchdown to bring the score to 28-9 at the half.

A quick TD by the Riders would eat into the Stamps lead, but a cool and collected Henry Burris simply strapped on his helmet and took the Stamps downfield one more time with Copeland’s second TD of the game and a more than commanding 35-9 lead.

The Riders would add to their score by the games end, but never seemed in any position to put a scare into the Stamps let alone wrest the lead away from the home side.

The victory was one more step for Calgary on their way back into the Western Division race and after a horrendous start to the CFL season, since Labour Day the Stamps have cobbled together three impressive wins in a row, having sent their provincial rivals off to seek out a crossover berth in the East while convincingly sending the message to the cousins next door in both BC and Saskatchewan that before this season is over, the Stamps very well may be the team to be reckoned with.

For Kent Austin and Eric Tillman, it’s back to the tape and back to the practice field. The once sure looking Riders are suffering a bit of a confidence problem at the worst possible time, if they are to recapture some of the spirit and sense of momentum that they had through August they’ll have to solve their breakdowns in short order.

The season doesn’t get any easier for them in the short term; the Lions arrive in Regina next week to try to put even more distance between the two teams, followed by a visit by the increasingly anxious Montreal Alouettes.

The need to get untracked and capture those four points will be accentuated all week we’re sure in practice, a simple look at the CFL West Standings shows that the much desired home playoff date could slip through their fingers unless the Riders can get back on the winning track and fast.

From the Lions den into a Lions den, Bobby Ackles fifty five years of football

He has an encyclopedic knowledge of football both Canadian and American and has come by it as honestly as anyone ever could.

Bob Ackles, the current President of the BC Lions has been involved in football in North America in some shape or form for fifty five years. From his earliest days as a water boy for the hometown Leos through his days in the front office of that same team and on through his travels in the NFL and XFL, Ackles seems to have a story for every conceivable situation.

He has just released a book, The Water Boy: From The Sidelines To The Owner's Box: Inside The Cfl, The Xfl, And The Nfl. Co-written with Ian Mulgrew a features writer with the Vancouver Sun, it promises to be an entertaining read about some of the great characters of professional football. Together Ackles and Mulgrew have produced what could be one of the most promising football books to come down the line in a very long time.

Ackles shared some of the stories on CKNW radio Thursday morning, guesting on the Bill Good program from 10 to 11 am. He recounted some of the many memories that he has stored away on bits of paper in his offices or just pulled from his memory banks as thought hey happened just yesterday.

From his relationship with some of the many names in CFL history to his time spent in the NFL with such legendary names as Jimmy Johnson, Al Davis, Wayne Huizenga and Tex Schramm, not to mention the wild adventure of the XFL with Vince McMahon, Ackles will recount some of the great stories of the days gone by.

From his easy going style of story telling on the air and Mulgrews well heralded writing style with the Sun, this book should be a must have for any CFL fan for sure or any football fan looking for an unvarnished look at the world of professional football.

The book is available on the Amazon and Chapters websites as well as at book stores everywhere.

For a sample of what you'll find between those pages, check out the CKNW audio vault and select the 10-11 am block for Thursday.

CFL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK, WEEK NUMBER ELEVEN

The CFL announced it's Rogers players of the week for week number eleven of play in the 2007 season.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
JARRETT PAYTON--RB --MONTREAL ALOUETTES
Runner Up: Unanimous selection

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
KAHLIL CARTER--DB-TORONTO ARGONAUTS
Runner Up: Michael Fletcher, Toronto

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
NATE CURRY--WR--HAMILTON TIGER CATS
Runner Up: Damon Duval, Montreal

CANADIAN PLAYER OF THE WEEK
KAMAU PETERSON--WR--EDMONTON ESKIMOS
Runner Up: Scott Coe, Calgary, Kevin Eiben, Toronto

Week Twelve (September 14-17)

Labour Day's well back in the rear view mirror, with the Thanksgiving Day turn looming large...

September 14-- Montreal 28 @ Edmonton 47
September 15-- Saskatchewan 22 @ Calgary44
September 15-- Winnipeg 34, Hamilton 4
September 15-- Toronto 7 @ BC 40

Maas-tering the possibilities?

The wheels are apparently turning in Edmonton these days, calculating the prospects of re-uniting a fairly successful one two punch for the Green and Gold.
With Jason Maas spending his time now on the sidelines of Montreal instead of Hamilton, the word out of Edmonton is that there may be some interest in a reunion for Maas and Ricky Ray for next season.

With Maas due back in Edmonton this weekend as part of the Als roster, the Edmonton Sun’s Jonathon Huntington decided to try and squeeze some information out of the Eskimos front office regarding their interest in the former Eskimo back up. The Esks have been a struggling team when the third quarter kick off takes place, a spot back in the day when Maas would jump into the play and bring back the Esks from near despair.

As can be found in your local standings table, the Eskimos have not rebounded in the second half as well as in those years of success with Ricky and Jason’s great adventures. As the Esks continue to stumble their way through the regular season, thoughts of Maas coming off the bench seem to be an option that many an Eskimo fan would like to see in 2008.

In the Huntington article, the underlying tale of the recent Casey Printers signing in Hamilton is that Maas wanted to head back to Edmonton, where his wife and daughter still reside and some of his better days in the CFL were found. As things turned out, Maas went east instead of west, but it seems to be only a temporary residence according to the tales making their way through the CFL grapevine.

In a season where Esks fans are looking for any signs of hope, the prospect of a favourite son returning to Commonwealth may help take the sting out of what so far has been a very disappointing season.

CFL survives onslaught of NFL telecasts just fine

TSN's double header of Sunday football didn't suffer from the plethora of NFL games available on the debut weekend of the American game.

Rogers Sportsnet and CTV have both picked up NFL broadcasts this season, but in the late game of the day, the CFL seems to have handled the competition quite nicely.

William Houston did the number crunching for the Globe and Mail and the ratings results showed that the CFL can more than hold their own and their audience.

Some of the ratings for Sunday:

CTV pulled in 255,000 national viewers for the Denver Broncos-Buffalo Bills.

While Sportsnet had a 75,000 for a split telecast of Chicago Bears-San Diego Chargers in the West and Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Seattle Seahawks in the East.

The CFL's Winnipeg/Saskatchewan showdown attracted 419,000 viewers for TSN, topping even the prime time Sunday night game later on TSN which drew 307,000 back to the tube for the New York Giants-Dallas Cowboys game.

The roadmap to the Printers signing

Elliotte Friedman with the CBC has cobbled together a sketch of how the Casey Printers sweepstakes finally played out last week. A couple of days of phone calls, changing travel arrangements and in the end a bit of Texas Hold em style bluffing by Printers agent, Jason Medlock.

A saga that highlights any number of conspiracy theories, from the possible thumb prints of the league office to some interesting thoughts on a season end deal that would have seen the Argos of all teams send the newly acquired Printers off to their hated rivals down the QEW.

Most telling in the quest for Casey are the comments of the BC Lions Wally Buono, “When you marry the daughter, you marry the mother-in-law. I’m not into marrying the mother-in-law.” No doubt Buono felt those old anxiety pains from a few years back crowding his chest and figured that while he might have needed the services of Casey Printers, Mr. Medlock's intrusion into the affairs of the Lions was worth taking a pass in the derby.

It's an interesting review of the Printers process and gives a bit of light to the behind the scenes machinations that these high profile signings can bring with them.

Troubles in the Igloo

If CFL games were only thirty minutes long, this might be a very different season for the Edmonton Eskimos.

For the second game in a row the Eskimos watched a fairly successful first half of football give way to a Stampeder comeback, with the Eskimos once again coming up on the losing end by the time that full time was called.

Edmonton saw drives come up short, having to settle for field goals and saw field goal tries go wide on two occasions, a margin that would come back to haunt them as the final minutes played out at Commonwealth stadium.

The first possession of the second half for Calgary brought back immediate memories of the Labour Day comeback, as Henry Burris lead the Stamps 78 yards down the field for a touch down and a tie before the crowd had even made the trek back from the half time concession stand run.

The Stamps would go ahead for good by three quarter time and then hold on as the Eskimos closed the gap but couldn’t catch Calgary. With a 20-17 lead through the latter stages of the fourth quarter the Stamps knuckled down and held off the Eskimo attack, sending Danny Maciocia and his charges off the field to a chorus of boos from the frustrated and very vocal Edmonton fans.

The Edmonton coach has had a rather rough time of it lately, as the passionate Edmonton fan base vent their anger through the open line sports shows. It would be wise for all Eskimos to make sure that they have an iPod attachment for the car radios, they don’t want to be listening in for the next little while as the locals are more than a little anxious about their green and gold.

While injuries have certainly played their part, there seems to be some trouble with the offence. With the season now past the half way mark, the Esks still seem to be having problems getting on the same page as their new offensive co-ordiantor Jacques Chapdelaine, stalled drives, poor route choices and a negligible running game have cause no shortage of stumbles for the Esks. Combine that with the defensive miscues that allowed the Stamps to battle back and take control of the game and there seems to be much work to be done and not much time left to do it in.

The Calgary victory marked the first time since 1998 that the Stamps have won both ends of the traditional Labour Day week back to back games, a year that they won a Grey Cup in. The back to back wins will be an achievement that will make them wild in the Stampede city and even more ornery than usual in the capital.

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The fans while not probably thrilled with losing football games no doubt expect to come up short from time to time, but losing to their bitterest rivals not once but twice in less than seven days, that’s the kind of stuff that can get people fired!

The other cleat drops in Hamilton

With the ink barely dry on the Casey Printers contract, the Hamilton Tiger Cats were quick to move their former number one on down the highway.

The Cats made a trade with Montreal on Thursday, hoping to send Jason Maas on to Montreal in exchange for Canadian running back Jeff Piercy.

However, as Thursday evening turned into night word began to leak out that the deal was on hold as Maas apparently balked at the idea of heading east to Montreal.

Sportsnet posted a story on their website, that the proposed trade has not officially gone through and that it temporarily has been suspended, which is something that could face Maas should he continue to refuse to report to Montreal.

Maas it was hoped would take over for Anthony Calvillo who is nursing a sore back and has not practiced all week for the Als, with Sportsnet reporting that sources in Montreal suggest that Calvillo may be out for a number of games.

No reason was given for Maas' refusal to report, and it poses some interesting questions such as why he would not want to suit up with a team that has a much better chance of heading to the Grey Cup than his former employers do.

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On the other side of the trade, what in the world are the Cats going to do with Piercy? With Jesse Lumsden looking like the premiere back in yellow and black, picking up another body for the backfield seems like a strange acquisition if it ever comes to pass.

The interesting thing to watch as Friday dawns besides whether Maas overcomes his reservations about Montreal, will be how much further the CFL Quarterback landscape may change before the Grey Cup is handed out in late November.

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Update: The Canadian Press is reporting that Maas has now decided to report to Montreal, having caught an early morning flight Friday morning to join his new team.

Printers ink

Not since young Doug Flutie first ventured north to explore football opportunities has the arrival of a quarterback been greeted with such excitement.

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The return of Casey Printers to the True North Strong, Free and financed has been the kind of jolt that the CFL must love. The signing on Thursday with the Tiger Cats has been the lead story on most of the nation's sportscasts and has filled more than one column in newspapers across the land.

While Casey gets fitted for that yellow and black uniform and studies his playbook, we'll look back at some of the coverage that today's arrival has brought.

Hamilton Spectator- Quarterback Casey Printers set to be a Ticat

National Post- TiCats make Printers smile

Globe and Mail-Ti Cats lock up Printers

Globe and Mail-A good day for the CFL

Toronto Star- QB Printers excited to play for the TiCats

CanWest News- Printers signs deal with Ticats

CBC Sports- Tiger-Cats sign Casey Printers

Canoe- Tiger-Cats land Printers

Winnipeg Sun- Money on Printers

CFL.ca- Casey at the bat

TSN- Printers agrees to deal with Tiger-Cats

Sportsnet- Signing bonus tips Printers deal

Sportsnet- Printers return is good for CFL

Week Eleven (September 7-9)

Rematches, rematches just to keep all that bad blood boiling.

September 7- Calgary 20 @ Edmonton 17
September 8- Hamilton 22 @ Toronto 35
September 9- BC 14 @ Montreal 32
September 9- Saskatchewan 15 @ Winnipeg 34

Casey takes the cash and goes to the Cats

“His preference is to commit to an organization and a winner” Jason Medlock, agent for Casey Printers yesterday on what he and Printers were looking for in an employer.

Well we guess in the end, winning isn’t quite as important as cash...

The sweepstakes for the services of Casey Printers have come to an end and the Hamilton Tiger Cats provided the most attractive package for the QB and his agent.

Using Mr. Medlock’s parameters above, it would seem that winning became a secondary issue when it came to the numbers on the contract. Because if any one team this year is a poster child for winless, it would be the Cats. However, we won’t begrudge Mr. Printers that chance to make some money, and money he will make, a veritable fortune by CFL standards as reports from Hamilton have it that Casey cashes in at 400,000 a year for a three year deal.

Ticat GM Marcel Desjardins already has Printers penciled in as the starting quarterback on the Cats, moving Jason Maas and the still shell shocked Timmy Chang down the depth charts. One would suspect that Maas will soon be shopped around, as the Cats look to reduce their salary load, Chang who didn’t look very good in his CFL debut on Labour Day will most likely be allowed to get back to learning the ropes in the CFL as an understudy to Printers.

Team Printers had entertained offers from apparently a number of teams with Montreal, Winnipeg, Toronto and Calgary the most often mentioned teams that were on the Printers watch. A situation which should do wonders for team morale in those locations, as they all head into the stretch drive of the CFL season.

Only BC’s Wally Buono seemed to handle the hysteria over the return of Printers well, having vivid memories of the last time that Casey was in the Lions camp and how that divided the team on the eve of a Grey Cup appearance. It’s interesting to note that despite BC’s QB situation, (the starter gone for perhaps the season and the number two still out for a few more weeks) Buono decided to stick with Jarious Jackson and wait for Buck Pierce to return, rather than entertain the Printers option.

In the end though, it seems like the best move for the Ti Cats, a team that has just been woeful this year so far. For whatever reason, Jason Maas just hasn’t panned out in Hamilton, it’s not all his fault mind you, over the last three years the Cats have been a most dysfunctional operation in the front office with frequent changes of direction and personnel. It’s hard to blame a QB when there hasn’t been much in the way of continuity over the years as far as the football side of the team goes. Every step forward seemed to be followed by two or three back as the Cats tried to find their way in the CFL east.

However, in the CFL the Quarterback is the key to any team’s success and in that regard the Maas years haven’t worked out all that well. Dropped passes by receivers, too many fumbles, too many penalties and for too long an under utilization of the marquee running back Jesse Lumsden, left the Ti Cats attack as a mess. The calls for Timmy Chang, were more a case of desperation from the fans weary of watching a much loved team fall apart time and time again.

Last week they threw Mr. Chang to the Labour Day wolves from Toronto and they chewed him up. He looked tentative, nervous and probably had the worst two quarters of football since he picked up a ball back in the minor football days. By the end of his thirty minutes he looked completely bewildered and in way over his head. It was a merciful substitution of Jason Mass that probably had more to do with saving the psyche of Chang than to win a football game.

Maas had moderate success on Labour Day, until those now familiar problems popped up again, dropped TD passes and untimely fumbles sealed the Cats fate and perhaps that of Maas last week.

They opened the vault (by CFL standards) for Printers today and no doubt they will have a crash course on the Ti Cat offense thus far (give the ball to Jesse if he’s healthy) sending him off to Toronto for the rematch this weekend with the Argos. The former CFL Player of the year will bring a new dimension to the Ti Cat attack, a strong arm and a past knowledge of the CFL game combined with his NFL tutorials of the last few years should help make the Cats more competitive.

But if you’re a Cats fan, don’t make plans for the Grey Cup just yet. It takes baby steps to turn around a franchise in a downward spiral; beating the Argos this weekend however is not beyond reach and would surely make Printers an instant hero should the Cats and he get it together in time for kick off!

CFL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK, WEEK NUMBER TEN

The CFL announced it's Rogers players of the week for week number ten of play in the 2007 season.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
KERRY JOSEPH--QB --SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS
Runner Up: Derick Armstrong, Winnipeg, Joe Smith, BC

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
RYAN PHILLPS--DB--BC LIONS
Runner Up: Cornelius Anthony, Calgary

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
NOEL PREFONTAINE--K--TORONTO ARGONAUTS
Runner Up: JR Larose, Edmonton, Patrick Dorvelus, Montreal, Paul McCallum, BC

CANADIAN PLAYER OF THE WEEK
RYAN THELWELL--WR--CALGARY STAMPEDERS
Runner Up: Unanimous selection

The final snaps of September 2007

September 30- "It was probably more shocking to us than anything else"
September 29- "It was ugly, but we got the victory and that's our only concern"
September 28- "I think this is obviously the perfect time to get our run in"
September 27- "Local, committed owners with deep pockets"
September 26- "I can't sing . . . and no, I haven't started practising yet"
September 25- "The play in question was reviewed by the league office"
September 24- "It was like a half-baked souffle"
September 23- "To say that I don’t appreciate Canada, that’s not true"
September 22- "I expect to be on the field"
September 21- "Hey, I'm happy. I'm living the dream right now"
September 20 "It's always a good plus to have your starting quarterback"
September19 "And you just don't see those smaller backs any more. I think it goes all the way down to the U.S. colleges. Charles Roberts is an anomaly"
September 18 "He hates being called Reginald"
September 17 "The frustration continues to build"
September 16- "I expect to see that on the highlight reels all week long"
September 15- "We're friends. I'm honoured to be considered in his presence"
September 14- "We're happy we decided to make the move"
September 13- "I do everything possible to make it impossible to steal my signals"
September 12- "This scenario would have never happened, of course, if some redheaded idiot in Ottawa had taken him with the first overall pick back in 2002."
September 11- "It would've had to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and this is just that"
September 10- "Don’t be surprised if this guy doesn’t show up"
September 9- "Finally, we have to have a good product on the field that will attract football fans, young and old"
September 8- "Actually, it's tougher. I got used to just coming off the bench. It's about refocusing yourself"
September 7- "There's a better chance of me playing than Casey Printers"
September 6- "As we all know one player isn’t a saviour, but I think Casey is going to be a significant part of what we do moving forward"
September 5- "His preference is to commit to an organization and a winner"
September 4- "And the answers seem to keep getting thrown back in our face"
September 3- "It was a rocky start"
September 2- "It's just sad that we came up short and it hurts because we had the game won"
Sepember 1- "It's the nature of the game"

Opening Kick offs September 2007

September 30- What's wrong now?
September 30- Smith no ordinary Joe
September 30- Former CFL Commissioner takes Chicago marketing job
September 29- Jackson throws three TD passes as Lions pound Stampeders
September 29- Argos duped in fraud: Cops
September 29- Saskatchewan beat Montreal
September 28- Dickenson well knows the consequences
September 28- Tiger Cats to get new stadium?
September 28- Bombers try to get back on track
September 27- New group looks to bring CFL back to Ottawa
September 27- CFL making "significant increase" in money for officials programs
September 27- Lions aren't cry babies
September 26- Deteriorating stands dog Frank Clair Stadium's future
September 26- Calvillo ready for Riders
September 26- MVP season sacked
September 25- Suspension Day
September 25- Protect and Serve
September 25- Blue's big step backward
September 24- CFL's playoff picture a muddled one
September 24- Eskimos have a pulse
September 24- Lions back in form
September 23- Fleming lifts Eskimos to sweep of Alouettes
September 23- Sluggish Bombers no match for Argos
September 23- Stamps hopes bur-ied
September 22- Simon's last-minute TD helps Lions rally past Roughriders
September 22- Stamp it a 'nightmare'
September 22- Cats make huge strides
September 21- Ti Cats surprise Stamps
September 21- Joseph focuses on Lions
September 21- Argos in tough against Bombers
September 20- Allen insulted by GM
September 20- Crazy loonie fine by Esks
September 20- Hope for the future
September 19- Glenn cleared to play
September 19- Stretch important for Argos, Eskimos
September 19- 'Very sad' at release
September 18- Argonauts sign former NFL quarterback
September 18- Laval Rouge et Or remains in top spot
September 18- Ticats finally get some good news as Lumsden, Armstead set to return
September 17- On a kneed to know basis
September 17- Mobley can't bear to watch
September 17- No piling on their own praise
September 16- Ti-Cats back to the drawing board
September 16- Roughriders coach one too pleased
September 16- A good place to start
September 15- Lions take down Argos
September 15- Bombers' spoil Printers' debut in Hamilton
September 15- Burris leads surging Stamps over Riders
September 14- Eskimos solve Alouettes
September 14- Action from Jackson to Jackson
September 14- Bishop can forgive Bill
September 13- Situation critical for Esks
September 13- Pumped for Printers
September 13- A dearth of QB options
September 12- Jason's waiting game
September 12- Awesome Air Attack
September 12- Clermont loyal to the pride
September 11- CFL disciplines officials, apologizes for blown call
September 11- Roughriders lose Dominguez
September 11- Argos eyeing BMO field
September 10- Cahoon uncertain to face Esks
September 10- Casey likes Cats
September 10- Blue Bombers turn rematch into rout
September 9- Roberts runs for three touchdowns, Bombers beat Riders
September 9- Rookie Jarrett Payton's three touchdowns leads Alouettes to 32-14 over Lions
September 9- Eskies living in the East after blowing another lead
September 8- Bishop, Carter help Argos over TiCats
September 8- Glenn deals with new praise in his Blue Bombers career
September 8- Printer's presence inspiring
September 7- Bishop not concerned about pursuit of Printers
September 7- Mass-terful trade
September 7- Stamps win Double Dip
September 6- TiCats make Printers smile
September 6- Maas balks at move to Montreal
September 6- Als, Lions in war of words
September 5- Printers tests salary cap
September 5- Someone light a fire
September 5- Juran Bolden returning to Bombers
September 4- Other teams interested in Printers
September 4- New Argo ready to roll
September 4- Bad Nudes in Calgary
September 3- Hamilton Tiger-Cats quarterback Chang lasts one half in CFL debut
September 3- Stampeders rally to beat Eskimos
September 3- First-time Battlers
September 2- Classic Victory
September 2- Bishop to start at Quarterback for Argos
September 2- Stamps, Esks a "pivotal" showdown
September 1- Battle of the Titans
September 1- Argos target Boerigter
September 1- Tale of two pities

Chiefs and Printers part ways

The word during the BC Lions/Montreal Alouettes game was that former Leos QB, and 2004's most valuable player in the CFL, Casey Printers is on the search for a new employer.

Printers has reportedly been cut by the Kansas City Chiefs having once again come up short in the pre-season and falling on the Chiefs depth chart, it is said that he will be placed on the NFL waiver wire on Saturday. Printers apparently turned down the opportunity to remain on the Chiefs practice roster as he has in the past couple of years and has hopes of landing with another NFL team through the wire process.

Should that not come to pass, he is said to be interested in returning to the CFL to pick up perhaps where he left off as one of the leagues most promising Quarterbacks.

It will be interesting to see how the BC Lions handle this situation, should Printers become available to the CFL again. The Lions relinquished Printer's Canadian rights and would have to engage in what would no doubt be a rather vigorous bidding war should they wish to make a run at him.

Radio Station CKNW contacted Printers agent and canada.com provided some of the details on the conversation from Friday;

Rather than accept an another assignment to the practice roster, however, Printers told Chiefs' coach Herman Edwards he wanted out. Printers was moved to the 24-hour waiver wire and is available to any other NFL team. Medlock told CKNW sports director Rick Dhaliwal, who went to air with the story Friday, that Printers likely would explore his NFL options first before considering a return to the CFL.

The Lions have relinquished their CFL rights to Printers and he would be available to the highest bidder.

The current state of the Quarterbacking situation in BC is such that Printers could conceivably step into the number one spot with little difficulty or practice, having spent a few years on the Lions roster. Though there may still be some lingering bad feelings over the way that the Leos and Printers parted company a few years ago.

Making the case for taking a pass on Printers' rights on Friday night, was Jarious Jackson, who led the Lions to a convincing 46-14 victory over the Alouettes, thanks to the twin threats of Joe Smith and Ian Smart.

Jackson, while not spectacular filled in quite well for the injured Dave Dickenson and Buck Pierce, both of whom are working their way back to full health, leaving the Lions with a fair amount of depth at the QB spot.

Considering the much documented Quarter back problems of Hamilton and Toronto this season, Printers would no doubt find a welcome home in Eastern Canada, should the Lions feel that making a bid for him isn't worth spending the weekend number cruching over.

It all makes for an interesting number of choices for Wally Buono, should Casey come crossing the border in the next few weeks.