Race for the Bottom

While many CFL observers ponder the week 7 schedule and highlight the BC at Calgary match up as possibly a pivotal game, one needs to look a little further east for the game that may define the season.

Hamilton travels to Winnipeg on Saturday night as the two struggling franchises meet to decide who possibly is the worst in the league this year. Neither Winnipeg nor Hamilton has been able to put together a strong performance so far this year, though there have been flashes of former Ti Cat glories for Greg Marshall, the Ti Cat coach has had to stand on the sidelines and watch his squad come up short time and time again.

Winnipeg hasn't been able to find very much so far this year to be positive about, though Saturday's performance by third string QB gives the Blue something to at least look forward to. Jim Daley's frustration level must be skyrocketing as his team finds new and inventive ways to let other teams take charge of the game and take the win.

Both teams pass the one third post of the season, with the very real possibility of being nowhere near the playoffs come November, which is why Saturday's game may be the most important of the year for both teams.

Saturday's game will also have the extra drama of the return of Khari Jones, possibly in the role of starting QB for Hamilton. Marcus Brady has struggled of late and the questionable status of Danny McManus has Jones on the speed reading program for the Ti Cat playbook.

So forget about the drama in Cowtown, the rejuvenated form of the Renegades,or the rivalry of Montreal and Toronto on Friday night. The real action is at CanadInn stadium. However, expect the unexpected with these two teams. The way the season has gone, a 0-0 tie, created by an OT missed kick could sum up the season for these two teams.

Roaring along

Unbeaten after six weeks, just the kind of statistic the BC Lions were hoping to have to show for themselves as the hot days of August arrive. Friday night's spectacular at BC Place had everything a football fan could ask for, loads of offence, stellar defensive plays and a surprise twist at starting QB.

The ongoing Quarterback situation in BC gained another chapter as Casey Printers took to the field for Dave Dickenson, Printers was forced into action as Dickenson's back began to suffer spasms early Friday morning. With barely any lead time, Printers took to the field and shook off the rust of inaction, finally getting into a groove about mid way through the second quarter.

The Lions rolled up a sizeable lead into the half time as the Eskimos seemed unable to change their game plane to account for a running QB as opposed to the drop back stylings of Dave Dickenson. Printers pushed his Leos to a 20 point lead at half time as the Eskimo squad neglected to show up for the first thirty minutes of football. Head coach Danny Maciocia was relieved at his teams re-appearance in the third quarter but cryptically referred observers to view some tape of the first half for answers to the Eskimo struggles, a not so subtle dig at CFL officiating one is to surmise.

But with a change of the defensive assignments in the third quarter the Eskimos began to climb back into the game, though a hole that size against an undefeated team is not going to be filled easily. By the end of the game it took a defensive play Dante Marsh in the last minute of play to salt away the victory as Ricky Ray launched a Hail Mary pass with time winding down, with Marsh taking the ball away the 25-19 victory was assured.

It was the most anticipated game of the young season as both the Lions and Esks had been playing fairly steady and winning ball prior to Friday. The largest crowd of the year in BC at over 35,000 were primed for the fireworks and despite the absence of Dickenson the game more than filled the bill, all be it broken up into two different games it seemed.

For Edmonton questions about composure will dog the bye week as the Esks ponder why their tempers get them into such penalty trouble. Over on the other side of the Rockies the Lions now once again have to talk about their QB situation as Wally Buono sits back to decide who should get the start on Friday against the Stamps at McMahon.

While the QB "controversy" is good for the Vancouver newspaper sports wars it's one of those problems many a coach wishes he had. Start the talented veteran or last years Player of the Year, you think Greg Marshall or Jim Daley wish they had that "problem" today?

The Final Snaps of August

A list of the Final snap items for the month of August.

Aug 31 "He's my best buddy. All the time. I'm like MacKenzie King"
Aug 29 "As It is, there's three teams right in a fight for that playoff spot"
Aug 27 "They've got a feel for each other"
Aug 25 "At the end of the day, it's really what the people of Ottawa want"
Aug 20 "What can I do better? Can I slow myself down"
Aug 13 "I was kind of a historian, so I had heard of Calgary"
Aug 12 " He's a very passionate person with a bad haircut"
Aug 10 "He's not even on my radar this week"
Aug 7 "I feel it's destiny that I'm here right now"
Aug 3 "I think we're in a pretty good position at 5-1"
Aug 2 "We were the ones who came out and looked lethargic"

Opening Kickoffs for August

We track our opening kickoff features for the month of August.

Aug 31 A line he can't get through
Aug 31 Pictures for Printers
Aug 31 An eye on the game, and eye on the storm recovery
Aug 29 Brock's Back in Green and Gold
Aug 29 Rison on the Rideau?
Aug 29 The Lion sleeps this week
Aug 27 Andre hopes to be rising in another city soon
Aug 27 Room for improvement at the CBC
Aug 27 An Eskimo connection
Aug 25 Lumsden explores his options
Aug 25 CBC to stay silent on Saturday
Aug 25 Bashir's Back
Aug 20 8-0 and looking for more!
Aug 20 Silent movie night at the CBC
Aug 20 Pay Pao Pao promtly please and thank you!
Aug 13 Stamps succeeding in 2005
Aug 13 CFL alumni enshrined in US College Hall of Fame
Aug 13 Renegades secondary is second to none
Aug 12 Curious times in Hamilton
Aug 12 Bottom feeding bowl?
Aug 12 Noisemaking on the Rideau
Aug 10 Changes in Steel town
Aug 10 Brazzell in Blue
Aug 10 Rison's star about to rise?
Aug 7 Break Up the Renegades!
Aug 7 Burris Takes Control
Aug 7 Cahoon lost to the Als for six weeks
Aug 3 Look at the Details
Aug 3 Jones to take over?
Aug 3 Rens Banks ready to shine
Aug 2 The Bishop Makes a Save
Aug 2 Rens find themselves in a Strange position
Aug 2 Westwood for the Record Books

Rens on a Roll

The Ottawa Renegades are starting to make believers among the CFL aficionado, the Rens who got off to a horrible start Friday night, turned things around in the second half and took two points out of Taylor Field, something that hasn't happened for an Ottawa football club for a number of years.

Korey Banks made a timely interception as time was winding down in the first half to deny the Roughriders a touchdown, setting the stage for the Ottawa comeback of the second half. A frustrated Rider team went into the dressing room at half time in complete control of the football game in every facet but the scoreboard. Ball control the Riders ruled, yards gained the Riders dominated, score on the board well seven points does not a steamroller make.

The Renegades came out in the second half and turned on their offence and got things in gear, helped along by a number of Saskatchewan miscues the Renegades began to put some points on the board. Kerry Joseph put the Rens first TD on the board with a 20 yard run to take an 11-9 lead, that was expanded to 18-9 with a remarkable interception return that featured a lateral from Anthony Collier to Kyries Hebert who took the ball into the endzone for the major.

Marcus Crandell replaced the frustrated Nealon Greene in the fourth quarter and took the Rider downfield for a touchdown as the clock was winding down, but in the end the Riders came up a tad short as the Renegades took the victory 21-16.

The game was very much lost by Saskatchewan who seemed to find different ways to give the ball away or blow key drives all night long. Last week an irate Danny Barrett cancelled the Riders day off and sent them back to the basics in practice. It would appear the lessons were lost and the Riders can expect more of the same as August gets under way. For the Rens a 3-3 record keeps them high in the hunt in the CFL East as they continue to find ways to win key games. The Rens sit tied for first place in the Eastern Division with the Toronto Argonauts, a situation not many would have pondered at the start of the season.

It will be interesting to see if the Renegades newfound success on the field will finally translate into some increased attendance at Frank Clair Stadium. The Renegades are showing that they play for the whole sixty minutes, it would be nice to see some more fans show up to go for the ride!

.500 not charted territory for Montreal

The Montreal Alouettes don't know what to make of this, for the first time since 1996 they sport only a .500 record five weeks into a CFL season. The Als who are used to dominating the competition in the regular season have sputtered so far this season, surprising (for Als fans anyways) losses to Ottawa and Winnipeg and a close call to the Ti Cats have the Als faithful wondering if the wonder years may be done.

Thursday night Damon Allen brought his injury riddled Argonaut squad into Molson stadium and took the first regular season win for a Toronto team in Montreal in five years. Allen threw for four touchdown passes on the way to the Argos 36-24 victory over the Als. Tony Miles, John Avery, Robert Baker and Byron Parker stepped over the goal line after an Allen pass as the Argos took sole possession of the CFL's east with the win.

The Als attempted a rally of sorts in the fourth quarter as running back Eric Lapointe took the ball into the endzone for the Als first TD of the game, shortly after that Lapointe would leave the game with a suspected hamstring injury. Injuries continued to take their toll on the Als through the game, defensively Darren Crutchfield left the field injured as did Reggie Durden giving Don Matthews cause to scramble to fill positions late in the game.

While no one is panicking yet in Montreal, the locals are not used to their team having to struggle early on in a season, normally the Als have a playoff spot sewn up by the Labour Day weekend and spend the last half of the season re-tooling, the way things seem to be going this year they'll be scratching and clawing their way for a playoff spot all season long.

Khari joins the Cats

Five weeks into the new CFL season and Khari Jones finally has a place to rest his helmet. The one time CFL star who had his most memorable years as a Blue Bomber signed on with the Hamilton Tiger Cats on Tuesday, as the struggling 0-4 Cats try to spark a fire under their under performing squad.

Jones became the odd man out in Edmonton this year when Ricky Ray returned to the CFL and Edmonton chose to keep the Ray/Maas tandem that led them to a Grey Cup a few years ago. So Khari packed his bags and headed back home to Calgary, to regroup, watch some football on TV and wait for a phone call.

It really was only a matter of time before he landed another job on a CFL roster, his knowledge of the Canadian game, rifle of an arm and intelligent approach to each game was bound to place him on a roster sooner or later. Rumours of a return to Winnipeg or a trip to Montreal to back up Anthony Calvillo were early favoured possibilities, especially with the horrendous Blue Bomber start and memories of last years playoff disaster in Montreal. But in the end it was the Tiger Cats who made the call, bringing Jones into camp on Tuesday.

It's expected that with the Jones signing, Marcus Brady will find himself looking for a new job shortly. For the time being it's understood that Jones will be backing up incumbent Danny McManus who has been bedeviled by receivers with the dropsies all season long. A situation many observers point out won't change with a new QB. However, as the Cats have struggle so far this season the fans at Ivor Wynne have grown impatient, a few more negative returns in the standings may find Jones starting a game sooner than everyone expects.

He'll stay Wright where he is!

The guessing game is over for another year as CFL Commissioner Tom Wright, signed on for a one year extension to his contract. Having presided over a rather unusual bout of stability for the normally stormy league, Wright chose to accept the terms offered and stay on the job for a little while longer. With his contract set to expire with this years Grey Cup game in Vancouver, Wright decided that he'd like to continue his work on through the 2006 season.

The terms were not particularly as Wright may have wished for, he basically has taken on his job for another year without an increase in pay. But at a reported 400,000 dollars a year it's not like he's going to be selling off old autographed footballs to get by.

Three teams are reported to have been against a longer term deal (originally Wright wanted a two year deal and a pay raise) and that will give him cause for thought. As it stands at the moment 1/3 of his owners group aren't showing complete support for his efforts. Rumored to be Montreal, BC and Hamilton it will be interesting to watch how Wright handles the three malcontents over the next two years. He has big plans he'd like to put in place and enforceable salary cap and expansion eastward with a fifth franchise for the East division. The nine CFL owners rarely can agree on what to have for lunch, so it will take all of his diplomacy to get everyone on the same page on these issues and more.

Since Wright took over the television ratings have rebounded nicely, the marketing of the league seems to have finally found some success and of course troubled franchises have all been placed into the hands of those with a more progressive way of thinking.

But this being the CFL, old habits die hard and Wright can look forward to a few more battles along the way as he carries on with his duties. If nothing else it may be shrewd move by Wright to collect one more year of salary and prepare a soft landing for himself should the band of three grow to a majority of five!

Turnovers take their toll on the Ti-Cats

An inopportune Interception and some sloppy play seemed to spell doom once again for the Hamilton Tiger Cats as they dropped a 32-13 decision to the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Taylor Field Sunday.

The Riders took advantage of their chances including an amazing two man inteception return for 105 yards to seal the Ti-Cats fate. The exciting return took place late in the fourth quarter and pretty well put the exclamation point on the game as Omarr Morgan and David Bush combined to bring the ball in for a touchdown with five minutes to go. More importantly the turnover snuffed out an impressive Tiger Cat drive that had the Tabbies on the verge of cutting down the Rider lead and making a charge for the final minutes.

With the tandem touchdown the air went out of the Tiger Cats and the remaining part of the game went through the motions on the way to the Rider win. Hamilton has struggled through the early portions of the season, with Danny McManus finding himself frequently at the end of the what's wrong with..... sentences. The Cats remain winless thus far and hold down last place in the CFL East.

Saskatchewan finally rewarded coach Danny Barret with some solid play in a third quarter, which has become a period of each game that seems to cause them trouble. Third quarter collapses have caused much distress on the sidelines this year as the Riders try their best to let their opponent back into a game that should be well in hand. Sunday there never seemed to be much doubt that the Riders were going to win, but the fourth quarter stand by the Cats made things interesting until the turning point touchdown interception.

Greg Marshall must be wondering what it is he has to do get his players on the same page. The Ti-Cats return home with hopes for a win on Saturday but that won't be an easy task with the BC Lions coming to town, the Lions are firing on all cylinders this year while the Cats seem to have some serious fuel injection and transmission problems.

Saskatchewan puts their 3-1 record up for scrutiny in Calgary against the Stamps. Should the Riders keep their momentum going from Sunday's effort, their hold on first place in the West should remain strong for another seven days.

The skies parted and the lightning flashed!

Perhaps divine intervention or perhaps just a sense of a football team coming together, but under stormy skies the Ottawa Renegades convincingly dispatched the Calgary Stampeders from Frank Clair Stadium on Saturday night.

The game was delayed by about half an hour as a violent thunderstorm rumbled its way across the Ottawa Valley bringing bursts of lightning, torrents or rain and resonating thunder to Lansdowne Park. Once the players took to the field the energy from the skies seemed to be transferred to the Renegade part of the south side sidelines.

The Renegades led by Kerry Joseph controlled the bulk of the play through the game, Yo Murphy caught two touchdown passes while Josh Ranek ran the Stamps defence up and down the field for 164 yards, as the Renegades stormed their way to a 33-18 victory.

Calgary seemed to come out cold after the delay and could not control Ranek's running, nor Murphy's pass patterns. The Stamps never seemed to be capable of pulling close and continued to stumble at key points in the game. Stamps fans still wait for Henry Burris to get untracked and show some of the magic they thought was on its way before training camp. Tom Higgins was not impressed with his teams performance, stating that there was really only one good football team on the field Saturday and that team was not the Stamps. Ouch, two a days for everyone?

The win gives the Rens a .500 record and puts them into a tie for first place in the Eastern Division. But more importantly the solid play of all components gives the team some added confidence early in the season. Confidence that will gain a major test on Thursday night when the Edmonton Eskimos come into town to play the Rens.

The announced crowd on Saturday was a paltry 16,303 a signal that the team has yet to win back many of the dis-satisfied fans of the last few years. However, another solid effort like Saturdays and the solid work ethic that these Rens are showing should begin to turn those turnstiles a little quicker and a little more often as the season progresses.

This is a team that doesn't seem to have any quit, a trait that should be rewarded by football fans. The Rens are starting to hold up their end of the bargain on the field, the time has come for the Ottawa sports fan to do their part in the stands!

Squeaker for the Green and Gold

It's not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game. That seems to be the approach i Winnipeg, but its much better to win one assumes is the credo in the Eskimo dressing room. The Eskimos handed Winnipeg its fourth loss of the season, but it really shouldn't have been. As it took a last second field goal by Sean Fleming to secure an ugly 14-12 victory for the Eskimos.

Heavily favored going into the game, the Esks came up flat and faced a rather spirited defence from the Blue as Jim Daley's team tried to turn around what so far has been a dreadful season. But once again offensive production was not there and the Bombers could not put sufficient numbers on the board to take away a win at Commonwealth Stadium

Tee Martin continued to struggle at the Bomber controls and the inability to convert a first down late in the game gave the Eskimos enough of a life to steal one away from the frustrated Blue Bomber squad. The panic button apparently hasn't been pushed yet in Winnipeg, but one wonders if Bomber GM, Lyle Bauer has one hand hovering over the control panel while the other one speed dials available quarterbacks. Would the Bombers have the courage to give Khari Jones a call and bring him back to the Peg? Would Khari want to go back? Just how long is it til those NFL camps make their first cuts? So many questions, so few answers, so few wins.

Winnipeg regroups and prepares for next weeks contest a Friday night football feature showcasing the Montreal Alouettes at CanadInn stadium. It's going to be a long week for Coach Daley, who is must be running out of ways to keep his team motivated and optimistic for game day. 0-4 is a huge hole to try and dig yourself out of in the West, a few more weeks of winless football and the entire season may be lost.

Back to the fundamentals for the bye week`

Pinball Clemons knows exactly what needs to be done over the next seven days, Football 101 for his Double Blue. The Argos made too many mistakes and did not take advantage of opportunities when they presented themselves Friday night, as they dropped a 30-22 loss to the BC Lions.

Argo QB Damon Allen put it best when he stated that the Argos simply made too many mistakes in Friday's game, a trend that has unfortunately occurred in each game so far this season. Friday night saw the Argos have a horrendous first half spotting the Lions 21 points, but then turning it around and outplaying the Lions in the second half. But the Argos would come up short in their comeback, that despite the fact the Lions tried to hand them the ball late in the fourth quarter. An Argo interception with 50 seconds to go put them on the Lions 49 yard line, however on the very next play the Argos turned the ball back over to the Leos putting a wrap on the loss.

The Leos improved their record to 3-0 on the season, impressing the 29,000 fans with their domination of the Argos. Though there are some warning signs of complacency for Leo fans, the fact that Toronto was able to battle their way back through the second half shows a bit of a concentration problem for the defence. Coming to within 8 points after trailing by 21 should not happen, especially to a team as strong as Vancouver. Wally Buono and Dave Ritchie will no doubt be focusing on that breakdown as they get ready to head for Hamilton on the 23rd.

For the Double Blue its back to the basics, controlling the ball and playing a full 60 minutes will be the focus for practice over the next week or so, the next test won't be an easy one. Toronto had best have all the bugs worked out by July 28th, they travel to Montreal, who won't show them any mercy should they continue to only play half a game.

Don't set the VCR.

For Ontario and points east football fans, there will be no need to set the VCR or PVR to record those Argo moments you may nod off on. For some unexplained reason the a check of the CFL schedule shows that a Grey Cup rematch between Toronto and BC will not be televised this Friday night. The much anticipated game between the Argos and the Leos will be strictly a radio affair, as TSN will only cover the Winnipeg - Edmonton match up with a 6:00 start in Central Canada.

No offense to the eskies and the Bombers, but somehow one thinks that the Argo-Lion rematch might provide some entertaining Friday night Football action for the CFL fan, especially considering the Blue's struggle out of the gate this year so far.

It's unknown if this was a miscue by the CFL Schedule maker, a warped CFL league office decision, a TSN decision or a BC Lions monetary decision (the Leos probably won't be saddened with the idea of the game not being available on cable or satellite systems in the Lower mainland). But for sheer marketing potential, this is a miss for both the CFL and TSN.

The two largest markets in the league take to the field and the result will be limited to the days of Fessenden. We at the Twelve don't often criticize the CFL of late, finding that most times they have been making the right calls on most issues. But in this instance a subtle shift of the broadcast choices might have been the better option.

Your best game of the weekend, should not be the one that has little to no exposure, that seems like a strange way to promote your product!

Is the CFL in danger of not getting it Wright?

CFL Commissioner Tom Wright has been given the terms of his one year extension and he should know them very well, they're the exact terms of the contract he's been serving under since taking on the job. Wright is apparently to decide this week whether he will accept the offer from the CFL's Board of Governors, but apparently there are a few who are hoping he tells the CFL to take a hike. From day one Wright has been under a microscope and in fact was almost not hired in a Grey Cup week mess that detracted from the leagues showpiece game.

Wright who has overseen a rebirth of sorts of the CFL has come under pressure from a number of sides for his desire to have an enforceable salary cap in place on all nine franchises. It seems that BC Lions owner David Braley and Montreal Alouettes owner David Wettenhall are both firmly on the side of those wishing to see the Commish vamoose.

Despite solid television numbers, increasing attendance figures and some intriguing sponsorship deals the always fractious CFL owners club continue to find ways to shoot themselves in the foot. Many of the CFL's current sponsors are suggesting they may review their investment plans with the CFL should the execution squad get ready to stand in line.

So far the only group to come out in favour of Wright retaining his job and growing with it are the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who seemed to find some time while wondering what's wrong with their club to offer up support to the embattled commish.

The rest of the six are somewhere in the middle neither overly enamored of Wright, nor really willing to put the league through another search for a Commissioner, seeing as Wright replaced Michael Lysko as Commissioner in one of the bloodier of CFL coups.

The sage editor of this Twelve Men blog, suggests that the owners group take a good hard look at their present situation and find a way to make peace with Wright and lock him up for a couple of years more. He's done a pretty impressive job of returning the league to a semblance of respectability and most of his mis-steps seem to stem from conflicting messages from the gang of nine that think they have the right to dictate their own terms of operation.

The CFL which has returned to the sports fan radar after a number of rudderless years should not do anything to mess up it's current rebirth. Dismissing Wright with the smell of interference and duplicity wafting through the air, will only highlight for fans that it may be a new wrapping, but inside maybe that old CFL mindset still exists. The gang of nine should do all they can to show that forward momentum includes Wright as commissioner, to do otherwise tempts the fickle fates that may lead them back down the same side of the mountain they just climbed!

Football's alive and well in Alberta!

With week three in the books, a quick look at the CFL attendance lists shows that if you're a true CFL fan you must live in Alberta.

Both Alberta franchises had healthy crowds for their home dates in the last three weeks.
While each have only played one game thus far, a crowd of 36,912 leads the league so far. Not too far behind are the suddenly hot Calgary Stampeders, who with new management in place are bringing the fans back to McMahon, the home opener last week attracted 34,102 of the Stamp faithful.

The former wasteland of Southern Ontario is now a solid home of CFL fans, The Ti Cats home opener pulled in 29,032 to Ivor Wynn Stadium, down the 401 the two Argo games thus far have averaged 28,465.

The contender status of the BC Lions has the fans lining up again for tickets to BC Place, with Vancouver hosting the 2005 Grey Cup the smart Leos fan is getting his season ticket packages set up for the Grey Cup tickets to come. First game in the Dome at BC Place found 27,506 fans in their seats to watch the Leos take on the Renegades, with Toronto coming in on Friday many are anticipating the upper sections to be opened to the public pushing the crowd totals towards 40,000 or more.

The prairies continue to be fertile soil for the Canadian game, both Saskatchewan and Winnipeg had decent crowds for the opening weeks of the season. Two home dates for the Bombers gave them an average crowd of 22,661, while over in Regina, Rider Pride brought 23.067 to Taylor field for the season opener.

Montreal continues to play before sell out crowds at Percival Molson stadium, the usual 20,202 suspects taking to their seats at the McGill campus to cheer on their Als. If Larry Smith could wish his upper deck dream he'd have those seats in place yesterday. The always competitive Alouettes continue to be the hot ticket in Montreal, if Smith had the room he probably could sell another 10,000 seats per game.

And then there's the Renegades, mired in an off season of controversy and absentee ownership the Rens did nothing to sell season tickets, nothing to promote the team and nothing to create a sense of event a Frank Clair stadium. With the Gliebermen boys now in charge that should change, but it may take a bit of time to woo back the already snake bitten Rens fan. Fortunately for Lonnie and Bernie the Rens appear to be far more competitive than many had suspected at the start of the season. A few more efforts like that against Montreal and BC and a few more souls than the opening night crowd of 18,889 may wander down to the best little stadium in the CFL

Three weeks in and the football has been exciting and with attendance trending upwards in most cities, it may be a rewarding year for Tom Wright and the league office. With the major rivalries of Labour Day and Thanksgiving yet to come, not to mention the final weeks of the season and the divisional semis and finals, this may be a stellar year for attendance in the CFL!

Special Deliveries rule in week three

How can Canada Post be missing out on this marketing opportunity, with special teams figuring heavily in CFL action this past weekend, there surely must be a place for Canada's Postal Service. Maybe a Special Teams player of the week award, or a year end award for Special Deliveries (Returns) might be a worthwhile adventure.

In Winnipeg special teams play resulted in the only touchdown of the game as the Calgary Stampeders topped the Blue Bombers 21-15. Nik Lewis knocked down a Jon Ryan punt taking it ten yards into the endzone, opening up the scoring at CanadInn stadium on Thursday night. Sandro DeAngelis accounted for all the remaining Stampeder points with four consecutive field goals giving him a perfect 7 for 7 record thus far in the season. Troy Westwood kicked three field goals and a single and Ryan connected for singles of his own to wrap up the Bomber scoring. For Calgary it was the first win of the new season and a sign that last years Stamps are definitely gone, of course in Winnipeg the fanbase may be wondering if the bumbling Stamps of last year somehow morphed into Blue and Gold, such is the state of Blue Bomber football early in the season.

The Special teams domination of the games continued on Friday night when TSN's Friday Night football became the Ezra Landry show, the diminutive kick return specialist in Red White and blue left the Eskies green with envy and anger at what got away from their camp. Landry who used to be an Eskimo before that evil genius Don Matthews lassoed him for his Als put on the display of the week, returning not one but two kicks for touchdowns. The first one a wide field goal attempt by Sean Fleming that was taken all the way back to the Edmonton endzone after a 125 yard return, a quick recharge during halftime and Landry was ready to roll again in the third quarter and Fleming accommodated him with a punt that Landry took back 74 yards for another touchdown. Landry's first return was a Montreal record and the fourth longest return in CFL history as he carves out a hunk of the record books for his own.

Not to be outdone, the Eskimos return specialist Tony Tompkins took his own punt return to the Montreal endzone after a 93 yard of his own, but the high stepping excitement was overshadowed as the Als eked out a 32-29 victory in the last play of the game.

We moved on to Vancouver as the BC Lions prepared to take on the Ottawa Renegades and Special teams factored into this match up as well. A rather enthusiastic Renegade squad held their own against the defending Grey Cup finalists but in the end could not match the power and drive of the Lions. Aaron Lockett took a punt 75 yards for a touchdown to add to the Lions scoring and making the third quarter a miserable experience for the Rens. In the end the Leos took control and dismissed the Renegades with a 37-29 victory, but the signs for the Renegades are all good. Kerry Joseph had another excellent outing and if his front line can ever give him just a few more seconds in the pocket on each play the Rens may not be on the short end of many more games.

Saturday night the Riders and Argos got together at Rogers Centre and special teams would not be as dominant in this one but did factor in at times, all be it in a negative facet. A breakdown on the Argos special teams led to them losing the ball on downs after taking a time out that they did not have. A blunder that led to a Saskatchewan touchdown, however with Damon Allen in control the Argos overcame the miscues and went on to defeat the Riders 27-26 in a muddled but thrilling affair.

Four games all of which somehow turned on special plays. It should make practices a lot more intense over the next few weeks. In the CFL every play can make a difference, none more so that those of the Special Teams.

The final snaps of July

The quotes that made us take notice through July, we'll track them here and keep you informed on the colourful moments of the CFL.

July 29 "Moral victories only count for so much"
July 28 "That's how it's always going to be between us"
July 26 "Dave Yule has never been a fan of the Riders when he's calling our games"
July 19 "It means I have work to do"
July 18 "a step backwards"
July 17 "I think the score was flattering for the Calgary Stampeders"
July 14 "If you're down on your money, bet on us"
July 12 "It wasn't so much what they did to us, it's what we did to ourselves"
July 10 "We just stuck together as a family"
July 8 "It's an attitude"
July 4 "My irrational actions do not reflect my love and my passion for the game."

The opening kick offs of July

We bring you the highlights of our Opening kick off feature for the month of July.

July 29 Esks face another desperate team
July 29 Winnipeg's Odd Couple
July 29 42 and still not through
July 28 Swaggering Stamps
July 28 Tough time ahead for Rens at Taylor Field
July 28 Talking momentum on Maroons Road
July 26 Khari Kat
July 26 Day to Day Bruce
July 26 Cowardly Kickers or Prescient Punters?
July 19 Wright stays his course
July 19 Joseph is ready to cash in large
July 19 Glenn good to go
July 18 Wright to decide by this week
July 18 Rens find a bird dog for the south
July 18 Stickin' with Tee
July 17 Ti-Cats get rough ride in Regina
July 17 And the Rain came down
July 17 Daley on the defensive
July 14 Avery gets an unwanted week off
July 14 Ricky Ray's comfort factor
July 14 Stamps kicker remembers his lessons
July 12 A taste for the back up!
July 12 It's the Crazy Football League
July 12 A profit for the Stampeder prophets
July 10 Commander Daley stays the course at Bomber command!
July 10 Determined, not Discouraged
July 10 Als shake off slow start
July 8 Lonely Days, Lonley Nights how can I stand up in the huddle?
July 8 Running back to South of Saskatoon
July 8 Too much time on their hands
July 4 Troublesome times for the Tabbies
July 4 The walk no player wants to make
July 4 Getting his kicks in Ottawa

An architect passes on

This doesn't have anything to do with Canadian Football really, though in a way perhaps the football stylings of Hank Stram certainly had a resemblance to some of the finer points of the Canadian game. Stram the coach best known for his days on the sidelines with the Kansas City Chiefs, passed away today at the age of 82.

Stram joined the fledgling AFL in the sixties and crafted a football team that provided many a thrilling moment as football came into its own in America. His Chiefs changed some of the dynamics of the game providing for much more offence and some stellar defensive schemes.

In 1966 Stram took his Chiefs into battle in Super Bowl I taking on the legendary Green Bay Packers, the Chiefs lost that one but gained some grudging respect from the more established NFL His 1970 Chiefs brought the AFL brand to a higher plain. by winning the Super Bowl with a convincing 23-7 victory over Minnesota in the fourth inter league championship match up, giving the upstart AFL the credibility it needed. In fact Strams teams of the late sixties were awesome machines to watch, mixing traditional football ideas with some revolutionary plans that thrilled crowds across North America.

Len Dawson the Hall of fame QB who found success with the Chiefs credited Stram with many of the innovations that we enjoy in football today. While many rightfully point to Lombardi and Landry as pillars of the NFL, one should never forget the name of Stram, a guy that brought much to the table. His foundation of skills in the sixties has carried through over forty years and the success of the NFL owes a lot to the love of the game that Stram gave game in and game out!

Just one more reason why I like Pinball Clemons!

Does this guy ever make a mistake? Faced with the vision of his receiver and place kicker going toe to toe on the Calgary sidelines from Canada Day, Michael Clemons today laid down the law and laid it down just right. During Friday's Argo-Stampeder match Argo receiver Robert Baker got into a puchup with Argo kicker Noel Prefonatine. Prefontaine and a number of other Argos had tried to corral Baker who had been in an on field altercation with Stampeder Rahim Abdullah, Baker feeling that he had been spat upon during the fracus. Prefontaine and Baker came to blows as Prefontaine spoke to Baker as he came off the field.

Clemons addressed the issue quickly and correctly when he suspended the Argo wide receiver for one game and insisted that he phone the Calgary president and apologize for his actions. Baker will also have to sit down and apologize to his fellow teammates and offer up and explanation as to the whys and wherefores to his meltdown. And in true Pinball fashion, Baker will give back to the fans, assisting minor football in Toronto this year as a volunteer.

By far it is more than most teams would ask of their players and will serve to remind Baker and all the other Argos that no player is larger than the team he plays on. It also is an example as to how important Michael Clemons is to the Argonauts and to Canadian Football. We can only hope that the Gliebermans in Ottawa start to pay attention to football the Clemons way, a lot less topless and a lot more top down, might go a long way to saving football in Ottawa. In Toronto the game is in the very capable hands of Michael Clemons.

Long Night for the Big Blue, will the season be even longer?

If Saturday nights match up with Saskatchewan was any indication, the 2005 season may be one to test the faithful at CanadInn stadium. The Bombers opened up the season by renewing acquaintances with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Riders weren't particularly hospitable.

Nealon Greene took control of the Green riders offence and gave fans of the Green and white cause to forget about that guy named Henry. Greene launched a number of drives down the field during the course of the 42-15 victory finding receiver Matt Diminguez as a favourite target, Corey Holmes found success with both his running game and his special teams play and the Riders defence made life as miserable as the weather for the Blue in front of over 23,000 Rider fans (at least we assume they were Rider fans, the Bomber fans were quite quiet on the night).

The game started horribly for the Bombers and never really got any better, 12 seconds into the play Corey Holmes was in the endzone celebrating his first touchdown of the contest. Three minutes later Holmes collected 63 yards in a punt return setting up another Rider scoring play as Green carried the ball in for a touchdown himself from the four.

By the time the first quarter was over the Riders were up 16-0 and seemingly on cruise control. One of the few bright spots for Winnipeg was Keith Stokes 69 yard punt return for a touchdown for the Blue. That would account for almost half of the Bomber points on the night.

Saskatchewan look dominating on Saturday, which should give the "experts" cause to possibly reconsider the order of finish in the West. Most prognosticators have picked the Riders to finish in third, Saturday they gave notice that they just might not be willing to settle for that.

The take their undefeated record on to Hamilton on July 2nd, while the Bombers find life doesn't get any better as on Thursday night, they take on the Eskimos at their home opener in the Peg .

While it's probably not time to panic with just one game under their belts a poor performance at home against the Esks will certainly provide plenty of conversation material for the football talkshows in Winnipeg.

Lions begin their quest with a win over Grey Cup champs

The reunion of 2004 Grey Cup finalists went nicely for the boys in White and Orange. Having to sit through a banner unveiling, a Grey Cup Ring presentation and a smoke and laser show just gave BC time to focus on the pictures of Argo greats in the upper decks and on job at hand on the field. That of sending a message to the Argonauts, that the road to a Grey Cup repeat will be through their house at BC Place.

Dave Dickenson guided his offense successfully down the field to finish the game with a 27-20 victory over the defending champions. But this was no easy romp down the field. Dickenson was sacked and pressured all night long as the Lions offensive line seemed to take advice from that of Ottawa's and let the Argos roam the Lions backfield at will. If Jacques Chapdelaine doesn't get his O line on the same page as his receivers and running backs then Casey Printers may get his wish to be a starting QB. Dickenson is not mobile enough to face the onslaught of defenders night after night, he had a decent night of avoidance on Saturday but eventually those odds get shorter and shorter.

The game was an entertaining affair and delivered as promised as a rematch between division champs should provide. The Lions seemed to be in control at the half as they took an 18-6 lead, but the Argos did not back down and fought their way back into the contest, taking the lead half way through the fourth quarter at 20-19. However, Dickenson went to work marching the Lions downfield 89 yards before handing the ball off to Antonio Warren to score a major with just over a minute to go. A two point conversion added to the score and handed the game over to the Leo's defence to keep the Argos in check.

Damon Allen almost pulled one off again as time dwindled in the fourth taking the Argos down to the Lions 17, a toss to Arland Bruce III just slipped through is fingers in the deep endzone and that in the end would be the closest the Argos came to sending the game into OT. On the very next play Allen fumbled the ball after a hit by Chris Wilson, recovered by the Lions the offence took to the field and closed the game off on two plays.

The largest opening day crowd since 1992 went home disappointed no doubt, but a lack of entertainment is not something they could complain about. BC gets the bye for Canada Day weekend while the Argos head west and celebrate the nation's birthday with the folks at McMahon stadium. Their mood won't be very celebratory however, having let a home opener slip away they may wish to ruin Calgary's Canada celebration!

Rens burned by Ray

Ricky Ray returned to regular season duty in the CFL on Friday night and put in a pretty good night's work on behalf of his Edmonton Eskimos. Taking fifteen minutes to get untracked Ray finally began moving the ball for the Esks in the second quarter and didn't look back until the final gun.

Edmonton kicked off the 2005 season in fine style with a 41-16 win over a game but outmatched Ottawa Renegades team. Joe Paopao's boys kept their heads up for the first half of the game, but by the third quarter it was apparent that on this night the Esks were far and away the better team.

Things started horribly for the Renegades who fumbled a punt deep in their own end of Commonwealth stadium giving the Eskimos a chance they really didn't need to put seven points on the board. But new Defensive coach Greg Smith would watch with pride as his D held up their end of the bargain by making a goal line stand, sending the Eskimos to the field goal unit, a bullet dodged for the moment, but as the game progressed there would be many more shots directed Ottawa's way.

Ray who has returned to the CFL from his NFL experiment, picked right up where he left off, throwing for 354 yards on 34 completions, throwing for two TD's and running for two on his own, he was a dominant player Friday, much like he was before he left for the US.

The problem for Ottawa was that of protection, Renegades QB Kerry Joseph was sacked seven times by Edmonton defenders, rushed for many more times resulting in incompletions, interceptions and sideline interviews explaining the breakdowns.

The Renegades won't have much time to figure out what to fix, the face Montreal at Frank Clair Stadium next Friday night and then travel to Vancouver to take on the Lions. A trifecta of hell for Joe Paopao who if nothing else will see how his team stacks up against the top echelon squads of the CFL. However the cost of these three games could be heavy, if game one is any indication points for and against may start to run wild by the time they play an improved Calgary squad in week four. By then they may very well be 0-3, something that Paopao and Marshall will be working hard to avoid.

For the Eskimos week one has been a good experience, Ricky Ray seems to be ready to roll, the defence is solid and the crowds are once again large, over 36 thousand taking in the season opener. The Esks have Winnipeg twice, Montreal and Ottawa again on their dance card for the next four weeks, many more chances for Ricky Ray to roll up the yardage and put some points on the board.

Stability

Damien Cox of the Toronto Star put together an interesting look at the 2005 CFL season finding that the current lineup of teams promises some long sought after balance.

The column in the Star is a good sign for the CFL which has made great strides in rebuilding the brand in the Big Smoke.

The attention the season kickoff has received shows that progress continues, a few years ago the CFL season was greeted with a collective yawn by Toronto sports fan and media observer alike. But with a number of stars aligning properly this year the CFL has found itself back in the media spotlight. A good omen for a league that has struggled over the years in reclaiming a portion of the Toronto sports market for itself.

Alouettes hit the record books in season opener

Montreal sure knows how to kick off a season. Even before the season opener between the Als and Ticats took place the night had a special feeling to it. The Alouettes brought back Mike Pringle to the scene of some of his greatest successes, as in a sign of class and history they signed the former Alouette back to a one day contract so he could retire from the Canadian game in a Montreal Uniform. Pringle took to the field during the opening introductions took his bows, had his sweater number retired and made a prescient comment about everyone sitting back and watching an Alouette victory.

From there it was an Anthony Calvillo show and what a show he put on. Calvillo went into the Alouette record books by passing Sam Etcheverry in the pass completion category, registering his 1,989th completion by games end, passing the Rifles' tally of 1,969. Ben Cahoon joined in on the rewrite, catching his 500th pass as an Al, one more than 50's legend Red O'Quinn. The Ti-Cats Danny McManus even got into the record books (all be it in a losing effort) as he surpassed his own GM, the lengendary Ronnie Lancaster in total yards passing, McManus moves into second place overall with 50,632 all time passing yards.

With all this destiny in the air on Wednesday, it's not surprising that for the most part the Als were in control of the game, though it wasn't until the third quarter that they got fully untracked. And once again a change of possession would prove to be a costly error for the Cats.

While you have to admire Greg Marshall's gutsy calls on third and short, perhaps taking the gamble early in the third quarter when you're still only 7 points behind may not have been the wisest choice. Marshall's gambit didn't pay off, as a Danny McManus handoff didn't get the required yardage to move the chains past the Montreal 44. The Als took over on downs and Anthony Calvillo went to work with a laser like focus. A touchdown pass to Kenny Watkins into broken Ti Cat coverage resulted in the Als taking a 14 point lead. By the end of the third quarter it appeared that the Als were home and clear with their first victory of a brand new year.

But these Ti Cats aren't the team we remember of days gone by, this crew doesn't seem to have any quit in them. Despite Calvillo hooking up with local favourite Sylvain Girard for a touchdown and a 28-7 lead these Cats came back. A remarkable punt return by Craig Yeast as time ran down in the third cut the Als lead to 14 points and put the brakes on the Als offensive momentum.

In the fourth quarter an early interception by Jason Goss moved the Cats even closer to the Alouettes as Goss took the ball all the way to the Als endzone and within ten points of a typical CFL comeback. But on this night the 55th consecutive sell out at McGill would not be denied their celebration, as the Als held off a late Ti Cat charge to win the season opener 31-21.

While the game took a bit of time to develop in the first half, the second thirty minutes was full value for the money. Montreal showing signs that they may once again be the dominant team in the East, while the Cats proved once again that with their defence the game isn't necessarily over while they're still on the field.

All in all a pretty good season opener for 2005, a rather nice preview of what is ahead for us all summer and fall!

Welcome back boys!

For the sport deprived Canadian, the opening theme to the CFL on TSN was the sweetest sound in a long time. It was like an old friend coming back from a lengthy vacation ready to entertain you with some great tales. Man if we had a Wendy's in this burg, I'd have run out and bought a burger and a Frosty in celebration. The CFL returned to our TV's on Wednesday night, kicking off the 2005 Regular season and what a welcome guest it was.

After a winter of discontent courtesy of our absent hockey obsession, the green field of McGill University was a most welcome sight. Finally something to invest our time in with a rewarding payback. A sport where money doesn't carry as much weight, where the game is still a game and the players seem to give 110% for the sheer joy of the competition. Indeed after listening to the dinosaurs in the NHL and the NHLPA try to take their league to extinction, the return of the CFL is a signal that all is well again above the 49th.

Perhaps now this league will never be taken for granted again, for it means much more to us than we may have realized. The CFL represents community and continuity of tradition, a place where Canadian homegrown college grads can line up and make the big play, just as easily as a highly touted American import. It's a league for those just beginning a professional journey, or a place for those looking for a second chance. A spot where yes, you can come up and star for awhile and take your chance on a dream in the NFL, but also a place where you know you can return and find the fun in the game again.

Yes the CFL has made some blunders over the years, they stumble, shoot themselves in the foot and give one cause for headshaking at how good a game it must be to survive those that have run it in the past. But it's also a league that rises to the occasion time and time again, with bitter rivalries that have lasted through the decades, memories of Grey Cups and Labour Days, Thanksgiving Classics and Divisional nail biters, through the years the CFL has offered up the memories for the taking.

And now more than ever perhaps we'll give it a bit more of the respect it deserves. Hockey lost a year of it's life and most likely more than a few fans with their little turf war this past winter.

For now Canadians want only to watch the wars on the Turf. As Hank Jr. might put it, "we're ready for some football"

Welcome back guys, glad you're back in the house!

Fearless Twelve Man Forecast

With the start of the CFL Regular season less than 24 hours away, it's time for the Twelve Men on the Field fearless forecast. A bit of sooth saying that will be handy to throw in my face come Grey Cup Sunday in November.

From the West we suggest the following.

First Place-BC Lions, with Dave Dickenson sercurely in at number one now the Leos will be ready to roar all season long. As the Lions host the Grey Cup this year at BC Place this is THE year for them to get this done. Close last year but just a little too short a healthy Dickenson will go a long way to pacing them all the way to a first place finish. A strong defence, balanced offence and superior coaching should help this team along the way through the West standings. Only possible cloud on the horizon is a dis-satisfied Casey Printers who having had some success this year is making a fair amount of noise about wanting a better deal and a chance to hold down a number one QB spot. Pointing to Ricky Ray, Printers has been quite vociferous in the Leos camp the last week or so, it could prove to be a distraction if it continues on into the summer.

2nd Place--Edmonton Eskimos, two top pivots and a new coach with a new direction the Eskies have reloaded and are ready to challenge once again. Never far from the top even in their lean years this Eskimo team will keep the pace with the Lions all season long. Danny Maciocia begins his career as a CFL head coach by taking on the challenge of one of the CFL's most revered franchises. Every night there will more than 30,000 other coaches watching each and every play, Edmonton is a pressure city for CFL coaches it won't be long for us to see how he handles the magnifying glass.

3rd Place--Saskatchewan Roughriders, they had their shot at glory last year and came up a little short, since then they've lost the QB that they waited patiently for after an NFL experiment. With Henry Burris' s departure for the Stamps, Nealon Greene is thrust into the pressure cooker that is a Rider QB, with memories of Ron Lancaster still seared upon the prairie mindset, being a QB in Saskatchewan is a bit like following the pope to deliver a mass. It's been over three decades since Ronnie L strapped on the pads but he's still the gold standard in Regina. How Green fares will go along way to determine the success of the Riders. The running game will again be strong and the Green Defence will prove to be a stingy bunch, Edmonton could be within sight if things go right early in the season.

4th Place--Calgary Stampeders, a laughingstock no more the rescue from the Feterik clan is complete and finally football fans can concentrate on the game and not the circus. The first thing the new owners did was shore up the football angle of the team, Jim Barker is back in the Corrall as a player development guy the perfect spot for him, Tim Higgins brings his many years of Eskie knowledge down the Queen Elizabeth Highway as he takes over the coaching and GM reins. Two high profile acquisitions in the off season showed right away the new crew means business as Henry Burris was lured across the Saskatchewan/Alberta border and Jermaine Copeland was brought in to play catch with him. Already the offensive output in Calgary should jump. It won't be a banner year in Calgary but it's a sure bet to be a more enjoyable one than the last one was.

5th Place-Winnipeg Blue Bombers, for the Big Blue and their fans 2005 may be a very long year. The Blue stumbled badly through the year last season and while they've tried to improve their core group of players and look to revamp both offence and defence it will be a long season at CanadInn stadium. Kevin Glenn gets the ball to start the season, with Tee Martin and Spurgeon Wynn the designated followers, yet the name Khari Jones popped into conversation today when Jim Daley gave his state of the Blue talk. Suggesting that should injuries arise or a problem develop requiring immediate assistance he would have no hesitation in bringing Khari back to the scene of his greatest CFL success. If the Blue go 0-5 or so one wonders how long it takes the Jones' to pack and come home, we also wonder if they sold their home in the Peg. Regardless things seem to be rather tentative in Winnipeg a slow start there will be a death knell for the season.

OVER TO THE EAST

1st Place- Toronto Argonauts, Damon Allen's swan song (then again the ageless one seems to be like the Energizer bunny, he keeps going and going and going). As defending Grey Cup champs the Argos will be a year older, bolder and ready to defend. Solid in the receiving corps, a dangerous running game and one of the best Defences in the league defense of the Grey Cup begins with pretty much the same crew that won the thing. Pinball Clemons seems to have a way with his players and shows no ego by delegating offensive and defensive duties to his respective coaches. Kent Austin and Rich Stubler. As long as Allen stays healthy the Argos are in a great position to repeat as East Champs.

2nd Place-Montreal Alouettes, Anthony Calvillo gets another year older and his Alouettes age with him. The dominant team in the East the last ten years shows signs of slowing down from time to time and then ramp things up to dominate again. Never count out a Don Matthews team as he badgers, bullies and motivates his teams to take on challenges they haven't thought of yet. The loss of Jermaine Copeland and Bruno Hemmill may be a worry, though the running game seems secure with former Argo Michael Jenkins picking up the slack. The big question mark for the Als will be Calvillo's back up, Ted White saw little to no action last year and it cost the Als in the playoffs. An injured Calvillo could send the Als tumbling fast, for the sake of the football fan at Molson stadium the O line had better be up to the task.

3rd Place-Hamilton Tiger Cats, everything seems positive for the Black and Gold in Hamilton, the fans are back and football is once again a vital part of the entertainment scene along the Horseshoe. Ivor Wynne Stadium is no longer a graveyard for the CFL but indeed a celebration of it's success and importance to a community. With Greg Marshall's amazing run last year under his belt this is a wiser more stable Ti Cat squad which is showing some confidence as the season begins anew. Danny McManus is back to prove the nay sayers wrong as the long reigning CFL QB takes charge of his Ti Cats offense for what may be his farewell tour. The Cats caught a lot of teams by surprise last year and that won't happen this year and McManus' age is of concern. Not to mention the sour feelings that developed when the Cats were courting a Flutie family reunion. Whether that has any long term effect on the teams make up will show through early on.

4th Place, Ottawa Renegades, the good news is the franchise survived it's neglect of the off season as the CFL desperately tried to find someone to take over the financial mess that developed in Ottawa. The jury will be out for a while as to whether the return of the Gliebermen will have been the best move, but to their credit, they did step up with their cheque book ready and plan to polish up their image from the last stay in the Capital. As for the football, Joe Paopao has done an amazing job of keeping this team focused on football as training camp started. From virtually no work in the off season Paopao has at least brought in a strong group to challenge for positions. Kerry Joseph will once again be the QB for the Rens and Rens fans hope he can return to form and pick up some early wins. It will probably be a long year for the Renegades but at least they're still in business. The ball shifts to the Gliebermen, to prove their dedication to Ottawa they will have to head to the bank a few times as the season progresses to bring in some help. Ottawa fans who have for far too long had to live with substandard teams are watching intently, a show of good faith on the part of ownership may help sway some of the negativity that seems to permeate the CFL in Ottawa.


WEST

BC
EDMONTON
SASKATCHEWAN
CALGARY
WINNIPEG

SASKATCHEWAN BEATS EDMONTON
BC BEATS SASKATCHEWAN in West Final


EAST

TORONTO
MONTREAL
HAMILTON
OTTAWA

MONTREAL DEFEATS HAMILTON in Semi
TORONTO DEFEATS MONTREAL in Final


BC WINS GREY CUP, DEFEATING TORONTO IN Grey Cup 2005 at BC Place Stadium!

Controversy? What Controversy?

Three hundred yards in passing, done in less than 45 minutes of play pretty well solidified the starting QB job in BC tonight. Dave Dickenson took to the field ( a new player friendly field by the way) at BC Place Stadium and directed an awesome display of Lion offence on the way to 32-16 pre season victory over the Calgary Stampeders.

Dickenson had listened patiently during the off season and through training camp as the Vancouver media worked the QB controversy angle at the Lions den. But on Thursday night he did some talking of his own, all of it on the field and most of it at the expense of a shell shocked Calgary secondary. Dickenson completed 22 of 27 passes for his 311 yards, including a TD toss to Geroy Simon on the third play of the game. Calgary got one pass back with an interception as the first half was winding down. In addition to the aerial assault on the Stamps the Leos used the run to full advantage sending Antonio Warren into the endzone twice on short runs for fourteen points. Duncan O'Mahony tallied the rest of the Lion points of his foots with three field goals and singles off of impressive punts. With his domination over the Stamps complete, back up Buck Pierce took the ball in the third, sitting in for the ailing Casey Printers.

Henry Burris continued to work on his game plan for the Stamps, once again finding Jermaine Copeland's hands to his liking as he launched a fifty yard rocket to Copeland for a TD. Sandro DeAngelis kicked three field goals to wrap up the Stamps scoring, all of it in the first half as they were shut down by the Leos in the second half.

The tune up for both teams completes the pre season, the Stamps can kick back relax (and practice) until the Canada Day holiday when they open their season at home to the Argos. The Leos now put the finishing touches on the roster lineup, with the QB situation taken care of quite nicely at the moment. With Printers nursing a sore shoulder and an occasional toe problem, the ball is going to be Dickenson's to take charge of for the next little while, with a display like the one tonight, one suspects that he won't be relinquishing the job upon Printer's return to full health.

Eskimos beat up on Big Blue

Jason Maas returned to the Green and Gold lineup on Thursday night and concerns over his off season shoulder surgery recovery were put to a quick rest. Maas took charge of the Eskimo offence as he passed 9 of 11 times successfully for 120 yards including a 22 yard TD pass to Trevor Gaylord, for a final exhibition of readiness Maas ran the ball himself four times for fourteen yards giving his reconstructed shoulder a solid workout. Maas began the scoring for the Eskies but it was Khari Jones who received the bulk of the work Thursday at his old stomping grounds of CanadInn stadium.

Jones took over with seven minutes to go in the second quarter and went 11 for 15, tossing for 151 yards giving up one interception and feeling the heat from a Bomber defence that put him on the turf five times, including a safety.

The former Bomber pivot played through until late in the fourth quarter when he turned the ball over to Jason Johnson, leaving the game with a 20-9 lead. Johnson took the Esks down to the four yard line before coach Maccocia settled for a Sean Fleming field goal to finish off the scoring for the night and securing the 23-9 victory for the Eskies.

Troy Westwood accounted for the bulk of the Bomber scoring, nailing two field goals while the safety and a single wrapped up the scoring for the Blue in their final pre season game.

Kevin Glenn started the night at QB for the Blue, tossing 12 passes, 6 of them successfully for 90 yards. One of his unsuccessful passes ended up as an interception for Donny Brady who took advantage of a stumble by receiver Wane McGarrity, Brady's pick turned into a turnover quickly capitalized on by Jason Maas.

Tee Martin and Spurgeon Wynn took turns to finish off the night at QB for the Blue, as they battle it out for the back up spot behind Glenn in Winnipeg.

The Bombers now prepare for the regular season opener on Saturday night June 25th at Taylor Field in Regina, a game featured on TSN. The Eskimos will await the arrival of the Ottawa Renegades who kick off the 2005 season at Commonwealth Stadium on June 24th, the debut of Friday Night Football on TSN for another year.

Als to Rens: Curb your enthusiasm

With the Renegades riding a one win streak heading into Thursday nights CFL exhibition contest at Frank Clair Stadium, the Montreal Alouettes felt it proper to remind them of the pecking order in the East.

With Anthony Calvillo taking the helm at QB for three quarters the Alouettes launched an air assault on the Rens on the way to a 37-16 victory. The tune up for Calvillo provided him with ample opportunity to test his arm as he passed for 280 yards, completing 20 of 36 passes, one of which went for a TD and Calvillo kept the interceptions at zero. Free agent acquisition Michael Jenkins tallied up fourteen points one on the TD pass from Calvillo the other on a run, field goals and a fumble recovery in the Ottawa endzone accounted for the other Alouette points. Back up Ted White was handed the ball for mop up duty in the fourth quarter.

Kerry Joseph played one half of football for the Renegades as Joe Paopao continued to experiment with his lineup against a pretty set Montreal roster. Joseph's numbers on the night were 10 passes for 82 yards and no interceptions, Joseph hooked up with Jason Armstead on the second play of the game to pick up the first seven points of the night for the Renegades. Darnell Kennedy fresh from his return from Calgary saw action; as did rookie Paul Peterson as they spelled Joseph in the second half.

For the Rens it was an important barometer for how they shape up against a perennial powerhouse in the CFL east, for Montreal it was vindication after last weeks surprise loss to the Rens at Molson stadium.

Montreal now prepares for the season opener on Wednesday when the Ti-cats make the trek to the McGill campus, Ottawa will travel west to Edmonton to take on the always daunting Eskimos.

The final snaps of June

Like my entries in the opening kick off, we'll also recap all our final snap features for the month right here. Some of the quotables that make the CFL interesting will be offered up for your perusal.


June 28 "I don't know why you can't have fun"
June 26 "We've got to find a way to protcet our Quarterback better"
June 24 "He understands my situation and has no problems with me"
June 22 "I know I can't jump in a game this week. But I want to start preparing"
June 21 "I hope people pick us to be dead last all the way up until the playoffs"
June 20 "We're rewarding him"
June 17 "We had our highs and lows tonight"
June 16 "This is the most I've ever played in pre-season, ever!"
June 15 "They've treated me like a first class citizen"
June 14 "Sometimes you get wear and tear!"
June 11 "Between myself and the Board of Governors we''ll do what's right"

Hey Halifax! Moncton begs to differ.

With all the post mortems of last weekends Exhibition game at Halifax's Husky stadium apparently very positive, one would think that a tenth franchise for the CFL is not far away for Halifax.

But hold on a minute say the folks in New Brunswick, (to read more you have to pay, so get the gist and save your cash) as the group looking to bring a franchise to Moncton says they're on the ground running and running hard. And while Halifax may have won the first skirmish, could it be that Moncton will win the war.

Moncton is about to put in a bid to place a ten thousand seat stadium for the 2008 IAAF track and field championships, once up and established it won't be a stretch to expand that structure to the 25,000 seats required to make a go of a pro franchise. Add to the mix that Moncton while less populated, is actually more central to the entire Atlantic region and well dream the dream folks. Moncton by its location can bring more people to the game in a shorter traveling distance than Halifax can from it's far southern locale.

In addition to those basic points, the New Brunswick government seems more inclined to offer assistance to the fledgling group, which is always a positive moves in the eyes of the cost wary CFL.

While the competing groups make their noise and set up their ducks, the prospect of one city or the other landing the franchise has Atlantic Football fans talking, talking and talking.


So while Halifax put on a terrific show and has been patiently waiting for the CFL to arrive for over fifteen years, there is still a lot of work to be done. The stadium issue is the Achilles heel in any bid, indeed this is one situation where if they build the CFL will come, all that remains to be seen is if they keep on traveling down the road to the port city, or hang the CFL shingle in the middle of New Brunswick.

The Opening Kickoffs of June

We begin the 2005 season with a return to our Opening kickoff format for those stories that give us a snapshot of the CFL that day. This will link you up to the stories as the season progresses, each story archived here for the month listed.

So as we head to opening day, here are the Opening Kickoffs of June.

June 28 Khari from afar
June 28 Perhaps add this to the skills competition
June 28 Talkin' tough if not looking it in Winnipeg
June 26 Rens begin job of putting bums in the seats
June 26 Icons in the upper decks
June 26 No Maas for the media
June 24 The flight home will be a dry one!
June 24 Ready to put a bad memory to rest
June 24 Argos want to show Leos who's the boss
June 22 The Lions Cup to lose?
June 22 In praise of Pringle!
June 22 The weakest link?
June 21 Wallys' door is always open
June 21 Pringle to retire as an Alouette
June 21 Peek a boo time in the Peg
June 20 Stamps look forward to work these days
June 20 Casey takes his bat
June 20 If they build it, who will pay?
June 17 A flag before the play
June 17 The long, long road
June 17 A roast, a toast and a Ring!
June 16 Boys on the Bubble
June 16 This guy is no dog!
June 16 Est ce que tu prepare pour le football?
June 15 Stegall in Blue and Gold for Life
June 15 A well done (and well done) Leo the Lip
June 15 Addition by suspension
June 14 Who gets all the reps?
June 14 In BC it's what have you done for us lately!
June 14 Count Kerry as a believer
June 11 Argos and Ti-Cats kiss their sisters in Halifax
June 11 Ricky X-ray
June 11 Stamps add to the air attack in their arsenal

Ray's returned marred by injury

The return of Edmonton Eskimo Ricky Ray to the Green and Gold provided for a brief show Friday night, as Ray left the game in the first quarter with a leg injury. A huge pre-season crowd of over 37,000 watched on at the Eskimo pre season debut, as Ray was helped off the field, surrendering the QB duties to Khari Jones who has quickly returned to number one status with Jason Maas still on the sidelines due to injury.

After further review it was determined that Ray has suffered a hyper-extnded knee and will most likely miss the rest of training camp and perhaps the season opener. For Jones the game presented an opportunity to remind football fans that he's still starting material and certainly should not be pegged as the number three guy as he was prior to the game.

Facing his old team the Bombers the Esks pivot quickly got into the groove of the game leading the Esks down the field to take a 13-10 lead into the half. Kevin Glenn and Spurgeon Wynn split the duties for the blue and Gold while Jason Johnson finished the game for the Esks, leading Edmonton down the field to set up the tying field goal by Sean Fleming with not time left in the fourth.

With the 20 - 20 tie both teams picked up a few ideas on what needs to be addressed in training camp before the two sqauds renew acquaintances on Thursday night in Winnipeg. With Ricky Ray out for the camp and Jason Maas still on the Injured list it will Khari Jones taking the snaps as he returns to the city he once owned.

For both teams Thursday will provide one final test before rosters are set for the regular season, suddenly Edmonton's depth at Quarterback has proven to be a bonus. Something rookie head coach Danny Macocia didn't think he'd need this early in the season, but must be thankful for as the Esks continue to work off the off season rust.

One win does not a season make, but……………….

For Joe Paopao, Father’s Day has arrived early. Papa Joe’s boyos from Ottawa tossed aside the disorganized start of a training camp and gave the coach cause for hope for the 2005 CFL season.

The Renegades went into Montreal and took advantage of some uncharacteristic giveaways and penalties to take the first win of the 2005 campaign, albeit a pre-season and thus meaningless game but a win is a win is a win. And for a team that finished 2004 in a flameout of epic proportions, the win on Thursday at Molson Stadium is certainly a sign of better days to come.

Granted Anthony Cavillo the Al’s perennial all star and accomplished starter didn’t get much work, but neither did Rens QB Kerry Joseph for the first half so on this night it would seem that the Renegade auditions outperformed their Montreal counterparts. Joseph however, would enter the game in the third quarter and be the determining factor on this night.

Paopao must be particularly pleased with the effort of his players for it has been he and he alone that have held this Renegade squad together through the training camp and the swirling mess that was the ownership transfer. With new bosses only in place by a couple of weeks, Paopao managed to keep his players focused on the football a task that surely must have tested him often.

For the new (then again are they the old?) owners the Glieberman’s the victory of game number one must surely give them cause for celebration. It may be that their investment may not be a rusty old car after all but just something that needs a bit of attention in the garage, a tune up, a couple of coats of paint, some new tires and brakes and hey this baby is ready for the road.

Ottawa fans that have been burned a few times by the numerous teams that called the capital home have been hesitant to jump on the team’s wagon this time. But perhaps this team will win them over. The work ethic seemed to be in place Thursday, the defence in particular taking the play to the Al’s offence time and time again. Listening to the game on the Team 1200 you got the impression that talk of the Rens being pushed around this year may not be quite on track.

Cut down day comes up on Monday at midnight, 18 players will be issued their walking papers at that time as the team pares down to a 50 man interim roster. Part of the hard fought battles on Thursday were with that deadline in mind, players trying to make that lasting impression on the coaches to perhaps tide them over from the initial cuts. It no doubt will be a gut wrenching time for Paopao as he shakes hands and wishes the eighteen his best, it’s the nature of the game. But with the effort of his team Thursday the job just got a little bit harder, a situation that Papa Joe will no doubt be glad for.

The players in camp battle for positions while the team battles for a little respect from its CFL peers, for one game anyways they earned some respect. One game does not a season make, but it’s a hell of a start….

Waiting for Noah to lead the animals two by two

The Calgary Stampeders kicked off their 2005 season with a splash, possibly a tidal wave. Torrential rains played havoc with the Stamps and Saskatchewan Roughrider plans for Tuesday night as the nasty weather made playbooks seem irrelevant for the debut of the two teams this year.

Henry Burris returned to Calgary and faces high expectations as the Stamps retool for the New Year, his first play from scrimmage a surprise play that saw him flip the ball off to newcomer Jermaine Copeland who tossed the ball downfield to Nik Lewis catching the Rider secondary sleeping. Considering the state of the conditions it was possibly the perfect call, rather than feeling out the Riders defence the Stamps went right at them. Perhaps it serves as an announcement to the Stamp faithful that last years miscues won’t be repeated, the Stamps are going to go for it from the opening whistle and they did. With a TD reception before the folks could wipe off their seats, the Stamps were 7 up on the Green Riders.

From then on it was like a prize fight as each team slogged through the rain to put points on the board and showcase their talents for the coaches. With CFL training camps limited to two pre season games, the amount of time to impress your coach and secure employment for the year is limited.

Rocky Butler gave comfort to the Rider faithful engineering a 60 yard drive capped by a one yard dive into the end zone to take the lead in the third quarter, but in the end the Stamps would take the lead for good.

The horrid conditions resulted in the kicking game making a difference and Calgary’s Sandro DeAngelis had a heck of a baptism by fire as he nailed four field goals to ensure the Stamps would prevail 18-14 at McMahon Stadium.

The Stamps who are trying to erase the misery of last years debacle are off to a good start, with Burris back in Cowtown and Copeland joining the offence the Stamps have some threats for downfield success. The Riders who just missed heading for a Grey Cup berth last year will once again compete in the West, but the question now may be did they miss their chance at the prize last year. With a rejuvenated Stamps squad and some powerhouses in Edmonton and BC the Riders may be in tough this season.

One game into a preseason and every play seems to count. Not a bad way to kick off the 2005 season!