Evil Empire lays egg

There is nothing finer than the Riders beating the "Evil Empire" AKA the Edmonton Eskimos. I have many memories of the Riders losing in Edmonton; in fact way too many memories of big losses. Seeing the Riders totally dominate in their house is as satisfying as its going to get.

With the exception of the mop up time with the "B" team of both squads late in the 4th quarter, this was as a complete victory for the Riders as its gets. This one wasn't even close - all facets of the game - offense, defense and special teams dominated the Eskimos. Dominated so much that one would think the respective records (7-1 vs 3-4) were reversed.

By the time the 4th quarter started the Riders lead 40-7. Fresh off of throwing two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns in the 3rd quarter, Mike Reilly; arguably the best QB in the league this year, looked like a rookie. That he was pulled for James Franklin was no surprise. Jason Maas and the Esks coaching staff finally showed him some mercy.

The Riders are for real and are back in the playoff race in the West.

The Catch

As I was listening to the pregame show on CKRM and TSN's panel prior to the Riders vs Argos game on Saturday, both media outlets spent a lot of time talking about Duron Carter. The theme was the same - when is he going to part of the Rider's offense and start utilizing his immense talent?

Well if this wasn't a breakout game for him nothing will be. He was dominating and perhaps spurred on by the trash talking that he is known for. Or perhaps, it was "the catch."

In a "did I really see what I thought I saw" moment, the one handed catch (after leaping into the air to get it) will go down for me as the best catch I have ever seem a Rider player make. Every time I watch the reply, I wonder how he did it. What incredible concentration (and timing on the jump!!) to be able to pull that down - let alone the significance of that catch being the turning point in the game.

It tied the score at halftime and gave the Riders the momentum going into the 3rd Quarter.

Even better was what happened afterwards. He gave the football to Paige Hansen - whose battle with leukemia as a kid received a high profile in SK media due to the delays in her receiving treatment in 2006. This after keeping a pregame promise to give her a touchdown football. That Carter didn't know Paige's health history/situation also adds another cool dimension to the story.

A catch for the ages, but an even better release!

Mosaic Stadium 2.0

With great anticipation I await the opening of the new Mosaic Stadium in Regina. As I can't be at the game I will be watching on TSN. The opening ceremonies are said to not disappoint and I am sure all will be proud of what has been accomplished.

This stadium got done because of solid leadership from the province, the City of Regina and the board of directors of the Riders. It was finished on time and on budget, which shows that large scale projects can be managed through the P3 concept and taxpayers are getting full value for their money. At the same time, the user facility fee that will be paid by the fans who attend Rider games and concerts makes sense - user pay has merit and in this case necessary to bridge the gap on a $100M shortfall.

I have seen the stadium from the outside on numerous trips to Regina over the past two years and followed progress on the webcams. It is an impressive facility and for those that I have spoken to who have been given tours (or been to a test event), the inside is even more impressive. No more long lineups for bathrooms, more choices for concessions, wider concourses and individual seats - and a great view from every seat at that.

The design of the roof is innovative and futuristic looking. It's designed to keep the wind out and the noise in. I can just imagine the crowd noise when the team takes to the field for the first at the home opener. It's gonna be loud!

The team will come around and I believe they will be better in 2017 than last year. Making the playoffs is achievable with their opening day roster, so once again it will come down to injuries and depth. The last the the team wants is to lose all of their goodwill and excitement as a result of the new stadium.

The Riders have become Canada's team whether you like it or not. It is only fitting that they play in the country's best stadium.  And in my mind the stadium is an indication of the new Saskatchewan - a football team that can achieve sustained success and a province that now believes in itself now in more "what can be" as opposed to "that would be nice."

Perhaps their most complete win of the season....

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.

My choices for the Rider's most valuable players - to date

I never was a fan of the term Banjo Bowl for this rematch between the Riders and Bombers. I know it helps with the hype and in marketing the game. Winnipeg needs to do everything possible to keep their fans interested after the way their season has played out so far.

The Rider's 52-0 win in Sunday has really invigorated Saskatchewan fans once again. Folks are back on the bandwagon and I know I am in the same frame of mind as when the Riders started the season 3-0. I am hoping that one win would get the team back on track, instill some more confidence in them and give them some momentum for the rest of the season.

So now that we are half way through the season, its time to pick out the top performers to date. I know there is a lot of football to play yet, but if the best performance awards were handed out today, these would be my choices:

Most Outstanding Player - Kory Sheets

Although one could consider both Darian Durant and Weston Dressler, at this point Kory Sheets is my choice. Sheets has shown that his pre-season performance was not a flash in the plan. His play has been outstanding and he gives the Rider's the potential of a big play every time he touches the ball. His rushing stats have always been at the top (or close to) the league leaders, and he should easily break 1000 rushing yards for the season. He can be equally as dangerous as a received and his yards after catch numbers must be pretty good. Maybe one can argue that his blocking skills needed improvement, but I think that he has improved in this area since the start of the year. The only thing that I would like see is the play calling give him more touches. Nevertheless, because of the consistent, all round performances game after game, he has been the Riders most outstanding player player so far.

Most Outstanding Defensive Player - Brent Hawkins

This selection was a little tougher as injuries have affected the defense. Abraham Kromah would have been my choice if he hadn't been injured. With the revolving door in the defensive backfield and at linebacker, one has to look at the defensive line for consistency. Hawkins has been the most consistent of all of the d-line, and it seems he has put his injuries behind him. He may benefit from the extra attention that Odell Willis receives, but at the same time you have to take advantage of what the other teams gives you and I think that Hawkins has done that.

Most Outstanding Canadian - Chris Getzlaff

Getzlaff continues to be a dominate force on the receiving team and has become the go to guy on second down. Second in the league in 2nd down conversations says a lot about the confidence that Durant has in him when the Riders are second and long. He still drops the odd pass, but he is on pace for another 1000 yard season. Brendon LaBatte is also having a solid season as a first year Rider and is proving that his free agent signing was a good move by Brendan Tamon. But Getzlaff's importance to the team as a trusted, go-to guy cannot be understated and his performance so far is worthy of the MOC recognition.

Most Outstanding Rookie - Sam Hurl

When Ben Heenan started in place of Chris Best at the start of the year, he clearly proved that he could play, and play well in this league. But his recent injury drops him from consideration for the time being. It appears that Sheets will not be eligible for this award, and with Kromah's recent injury he loses out here as well. Rarely does a special teams expert receive such recognition but one cannot understate the impact Sam Hurl has had when on the field. Second in special teams tackles is a pretty good accomplishment for the true rookie. I am not sure much was expected from him when he was drafted this year, but his impact on special teams has been noted and he should be a valuable contributor for many years. 

So that's my mid term choices for the valuable contributors to the team Much will change between now and the end of the season, but if each of these individuals continue their strong performances this will only bode well for the Riders as they continue their quest to return to the Grey Cup.

Top ten things heard from the fans behind the Winnipeg bench yesterday....

10. Better start the bus; gonna be a long ride home.

9. La Po's wife sends better tweets

8. No... The Labour Day Classic is being played today; not tomorrow ....

7. The Bombers won't win the Grey Cup as long as Manitoba has an NDP government

6. Hey, now Buzz and Boomer are wearing bags over their heads!

5. Are you always this bad or are you making a special effort today?

4. Willy's going deep! That's what she said!

3. Golden Boy bleeds green.

2. How's that coaching change working out for ya?

1. What was all that "swaggerville" stuff about again?

Riders kick Bombers in their athletic supporters

Who doesn't like a blowout? By your favorite team....against one of their biggest rivals...on the biggest day and game of the year? I for one am ecstatic as to what I saw today as the Rider's shut out the Bombers 52-0  in the 2012 Labour Day Classic.

I say this because I have a long memory. I remember way too many times the Riders being on the wrong end of a blowout. Maybe I am greedy, but I would like to see the Riders blow out the opposition even more! That is something that will never get old to me. But 52-0? Go figure. Can't say that I saw that coming (I'm sure no one did) and it was impressive, to say the least.

The team played today like they did in the first three games of the season. In complete control and without costly errors or mistakes. Maybe they had some good karma going for them too with Sandro DeAngelis' first  field goal attempt hitting the upright but still going through. Maybe that was an early sign that today was the Riders' day and things were going to go their way.

Durant was in control of the game and I have believed that the team is better when he takes off and runs. His scrambling for a few crucial first downs in the 1st quarter were critical to sustaining drives and putting points on the scoreboard. Yes, he did take a shot to the head in the 3rd quarter, but it looks like he had some stiffness in his neck and shoulder and will be back for the rematch. The two touchdown throws to Weston Dressler were pretty to watch. Nice smooth spirals that were perfectly thrown. Of course, having good pass protection helps. Kudo's to the o-line as they had a solid game. 

Brackenridge stepped up and was simply outstanding. Not bad for a guy who was almost scratched. He came up big not only in the two notable plays, but he appeared to be in the right position pretty much all day.  It would be criminal if he doesn't earn defensive player of the week honours.

Lobendahn had a nice first game and led the team in tackles. Hope he stays healthy so they can have some stability at the linebacker positions for a few games. The other defensive stars were Jay Alford and Tearrius George. Even though there were not a lot of sacks (I think they only had two), there were lots of hurries. The defensive line is very good and they are keeping Willis and Hawkins fresh. It also appeared the defensive backs had much tighter coverage today. Have we ever seen more knockdowns in a game like we did today? 

I am really impressed with Korey Sheets' toughness. He seems to take a lot of punishment, but he bounces up after every touch and just keeps making plays. What a great find. He is on track to get over 1000 rushing yards on the season and perhaps even greater single game performances are in store. 

Drew Willy got some decent playing time and impressed like he did in the pre-season. The Riders didn't miss a beat when he came into the game and he looked pretty confident for 1st year quarterback. At this point of the season both Sheets and Willy are looking like great finds for GM Brendan Taman. Same thing with Brooks Foster. Those were two great catches and they may now have their receivers set. 

And big congratulations to Coach Corey Chamblin. His composure and positive attitude have finally paid off and in every game it looks like his players want to play for him. Chamblin is vastly different than Greg Marshall (who?) and Tim Burke (sucks to be you) and that's a good thing. 

Just as I write this I am watching the highlights on CTV Winnipeg. They are using words such as embarrassing, humiliating, humbling, historic for all the wrong reasons, long drive back.... As I said, I know what they are talking about. I remember times when this is what happened to the Riders. Nice to see someone else have some of that misery and the Riders the ones dishing it out. 

Good thing I set the PVR as I will be watching this one again. 

Labour Day Classic....time to turn the season around

Later today the Riders will take the field in the annual Labour Day Classic. Once again, versus the hated Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Mosaic Stadium will be rocking for what some will say is the Riders' most important game of the year.

Its an important game for more than just being the Labour Day game. This game has to be the start of the turnaround. The Riders have to do something to stop the negative momentum of the last five games where their season has been going the wrong way. Not many would have predicted that the team would get off to a 3-0 start, but now that they have lost 5 straight, all of the early excitement that the team generated is on the verge of turning this year into another last year.

In 2007, when the Riders last won the Grey Cup, the Labour Day game seemed to be the turning point. A last minute TD run by Kerry Joseph instilled some new belief in the players (and the fans!). I am hoping for lightning to strike once again and I am hopeful that someone will step up to make it happen.

I expect that person to be Darian Durant. I think that he still is a good quarterback and has all the tools to lead the team to a win. Running the ball like they did last week against Calgary was a good sign, and although they are forecasting some strong winds, hopefully they don't have to face a 70kph wind ....so they can get the passing game back on track. And Durant gets it; he knows the importance of the Labour Day Classic, to both the team and the fans. There should not be any need for motivation speeches today.

A wrinkle in this game is the changes that the Bombers made with their coaching staff. Last year the Rider's fired Greg Marshall and replaced him with Ken Miller in advance of the the Labour Day game. A similar situation takes place this year with the Bombers as Paul La Police was replaced by Tim Burke last week. Will it result in a win for the visitors? I am betting against it, as mid season coaching changes have not been too successful in the history of the league.

I think today's game goes a long way to determine to what is going to happen for the rest of the season. A Rider's win puts them back in the playoff hunt at 4-5 with half of the season to play. A loss, for six in a row, may be too much for this fragile team to overcome.

So "Go Riders!" Make this game a win. It doesn't have to be another Labour Day Classic, just another Labour Day win!