I wasn't able to watch the Riders - Toronto game live as I was driving back from Saskatchewan on Monday. I set the PVR and fortunately nobody ruined it for me; I was able to watch the game in its entirety without knowing the final outcome. And what I saw was perhaps the most complete Rider win of the season.
Yes I know that the Riders shut out Winnipeg on Labour Day, but in this one is seems the team dominated the Argos the entire game, with the exception of one drive. Although coach Chamblin was pointing out areas that team could improve on (i.e. defense), I think he is doing that more to keep the team sharp and avoid complacency. If I was him I would probably do the same thing; who wants to see the team fall back into a losing streak of five in a row like they did earlier this season.
I like the streak that they are on now. Beating Calgary, B.C. and Toronto and all were impressive wins against top teams. I think the team's confidence is at an all time high. They are playing with passion and lots of energy. They have become a good, exciting team to watch.
Next up, the evil empire. Travel again takes me away from viewing the game live. And this time I don't think that I'll be able to sequester myself from the final score before I get to see the game. But there is nothing finer than a Riders win in Edmonton. If the Riders continue to play like they have in the past three weeks, the Edmonton game will be no contest.
Having said that, there is something about Commonwealth Stadium that makes it tough for any visiting team. Home field advantage there is similar to the benefit the Riders get when they play at Mosaic. So because they are the evil empire, and Commonwealth is a tough place to play, a Rider victory there is always extra special.
