FAWNING FAN MAIL JUST KEEPS POURING IN
Robservations ...
The other day, one adoring
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reader cooed: “Get a grip you idiot.” He might have had a point. I picked the Saskatchewan Roughriders to defeat the Toronto Argonauts 31-28 in Sunday’s CFL East Division final. In fact, a Roughriders victory was guaranteed in this cherished space. Broadway Joe Namath, I’m not. My predictions aren’t even suitable for Broadway Avenue.
Favourite email of all-time:
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Someone called me an “idito.”
Second-favourite email of all
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time: “Your an idiot.”
Another classic: “Vanstone is a
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terriable writer.”
The Roughriders’ defence
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crumbled like the Georgia Dome in the waning minutes of the
East final, won 25-21 by Toronto. Nonetheless, the Roughriders have incontestably made significant strides under head coach, defensive co-ordinator, general manager and vice-president of football operations Chris Jones. Entering the final season of a three-year pact, he deserves a contract extension. It should be automatic.
The Argonauts and Roughriders
■ shared the CFL’s cellar in 2016, when both teams had 5-13 records. Toronto’s rebuilding process was complicated by the fact that head coach Marc Trestman and GM Jim Popp were not hired until Feb. 28. Yet, the Argonauts advanced to the Grey Cup in Year 1 of the Popp/Trestman regime. That is the logical next step for Jones and associates in Year 3.
We’ll never know, but ... who
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would Jones have started at quarterback in the Grey Cup if the Roughriders had defeated Toronto? Jones maintained throughout the season that Kevin Glenn was the No. 1 quarterback, but he was twice removed from Sunday’s game. Brandon Bridge finally enlivened the Saskatchewan offence in the fourth quarter.
Saskatchewan’s starting
■ quarterback has thrown eight interceptions over the team’s last two playoff losses. Kerry Joseph served up five picks to the Edmonton Eskimos in the 2014 West Division semifinal. Glenn was intercepted three times on Sunday.
Reminder: Saskatchewan
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would not have made it to the East final without Glenn, who was in fine form Nov. 12 in a 31-20 semifinal victory over the host Ottawa Redblacks. Moreover, it is doubtful that Saskatchewan would have reached the playoffs if not for Glenn, who threw 25 touchdown passes and boasted a quarterback-efficiency rating of 100.0.
What might Christion Jones
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accomplish in a full season with Saskatchewan? He had three punt-return touchdowns in only 12 regular-season and playoff games with the 2017 Roughriders. The third scoring sprint, Sunday’s 79-yarder, nearly propelled Saskatchewan into the Grey Cup. Willis Jacox (1991) is the only other Roughrider to score on three punt returns in a season.
Something is wrong with this
■ picture: Saskatchewan had more regular-season victories than both of its playoff opponents, but was the visiting team each time.
Second-round steal: Dariusz
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Bladek. Drafted 11th overall in 2017, Bladek received significant playing time on the Roughriders’ offensive line and leapfrogged Josiah St. John — the first overall selection in the 2016 draft — on the depth chart. St. John was consistently one of the Roughriders’ two game-day scratches.
Five picks after the Roughriders
■ drafted St. John, the Calgary Stampeders claimed linebacker Alex Singleton. He was named Calgary’s most outstanding player, top lineman and top Canadian in 2017.
When you think of movies
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and Roughriders receivers, two names come to mind — Duron Carter and D.J. Flick.
Luc Mullinder did an outstanding
■ job in his debut season as the analyst on CKRM’s Roughriders broadcasts.
Tacky nickname for a possible
■ Atlantic Canada-based
CFL expansion team: Halifax Machine.
An Arizona Coyotes game has
■ more cycling than the Tour de France.
Henry Burris should be a
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full-time member of TSN’s CFL panel.
Can someone mercifully pull
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the plug on the interminable Major League Soccer season? Enough about Toronto FC, please! Tuesday’s dreary 0-0 draw with the Columbus Crew provided less entertainment than TV bingo.
Nice people who deserve a
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plug: Duron Carter, Henry Burris, Dick Langen, Rob Brodie,
Rob Trumbley, Rob Pyne, anyone else named Rob, Taran Prefontaine, Larry Dumelie, Hallee Mandryk, Mat Hehr, Meagan Lane, Kacy Rodgers II, Dan Clark, Dariusz Bladek, Jorgen Hus, Don McGowan, Wayne Chamberlain, Catherine Metcalfe, Dave Ritchie, Kevin Wood, Julie Langpeter-Intepe, Denzel Radford, Ed Gainey, Terry Vargo, Mona Leippi and jazz pianist extraordinaire Thompson EgboEgbo.
Grey Cup prediction: Calgary
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35, Toronto 17. Guaranteed.