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!

 

Okay, enough of this

I was hoping that the way the Riders lost in Calgary was a one-off....something that wouldn't repeat itself. Well its obvious that they learned nothing from that defeat after their loss to Hamilton. Blows me away that they can't hold a 19 point lead, and two weeks in a row snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

It seems that they experience one little bit of adversity and they can't recover. The Durant fumble was the turning point as the Riders just couldn't do anything after that. Bad play calls, no desire for second effort to get the necessary yardage for a first down and poorly thrown passes when they are needed the most. 

Inconsistent field goal kicking doesn't help things either, but its tough to put this one solely on the shoulders of Milo. The pass rush was non-existent as Burris had lots of time to throw; not just in the fourth quarter but the entire game.It seemed that Hamilton was able to march down the field at will. The Riders prevent defense did everything to prevent themselves from winning!

It is going to be a tough two weeks in Riderville. I couldn't spend the time listening to CKRM's call in show afterward as I knew it was going to be ugly. Didn't need fans heaping more scorn on the team than I already did; I did my own share of venting.

So what has to change before the Riders go to Edmonton after the bye-week? Consistency is number one. Regaining the killer instinct (like they had in the first three games) is essential. The defensive schemes have to change as well as there is no way a team that holds Edmonton to 1 point should be giving up 35+ to Hamilton and Calgary.

I have a sense that there is going to be some soul searching and deep reflection by the coaches over of the bye week. And then I expect more roster changes. Yes, the team is still tied for first in the west, and has a winning record, but the last two games have been nothing but momentum and moral killers.

The Riders should be 5-0. Now they are only two points out of a playoff spot. 

Use the bye week to turn this around now.

One down, 17 to go!

So the first thing I have to say is good thing I wore my lucky Rider's shirt, Second thing...I liked the white helmets. There was something about them and they looked better and better as the game went on. Of course, so did the Riders' play so maybe it didn't matter what they wore....

SaskPower finally restored my power an hour before game time. Needless to say I wasn't a happy camper. as the clock was ticking closer to kickoff. What a sense of relief when it came on (for more reasons than the game!). But with the Rider win, perhaps all was forgotten. But I better be able to see the game on Sunday.

So, who saw that coming? Damn they played good. The offense, defense and special teams played like a high caliber team in mid-season form. Durant and Dressler? Enough said with the offensive player of the week award that went to Durant but Dressler could have easily won.

Jeez, I like a blowout.... I have seen way to few of them by the Riders over the years, so I can never get enough of them. The lean years of "eleven years is enough" and the 90's are still in my memory and I can recall way to many times when the Riders were on the wrong side of a blowout. I want the Riders to win big every game.

It was hard to find fault with such a big win, but because this is Saskatchewan, some have found something to complain about. Comes with the territory I guess. Nevertheless, nice to see coach Chamblin not get complacent at practice by working on tackling drills and sharing that there are other areas to improve on.

Next up, the Evil Empire. Can't wait for Sunday. Also can't wait for the Riders to go 2-0 with another blowout win.

Labour Day

"Green is the colour, football is the game...."

Never more than today do I want to hear that song. Today is the Riders' Labour Day game against the hated Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Without question this is the most hyped game of the year and one everyone expects the Riders to win... no matter what the record.

As a teenager I remember finding ways to get to this game. It didn't matter that we would be in the middle of harvest, or my Dad's business would be busy.... This was "the" game to attend. There are all these anecdotes of "people would get off their combines and go this game"....and I can attest that there is a lot of truth to that statement. I was one of them.

Back in the 80's and 90's, when the team was out of the playoff race by the middle of August, it didn't matter. We had to go to the Labour Day game, and sometimes that the crappy record would be forgotten if we won that game. Perhaps the same will happen this year. Crappy record; but lots of anticipation and an expectation of a Rider win. Even against the best team in the league right now.

The same is true today. The old coach is the new coach -- highly respected Ken Miller's return is bringing high expectations. This is the first game after the bye week -- a time for the team to retool and get things in order to have a strong finish to make a playoff run. And although he won't play today, Andy Fantuz is expected to be back with the team next week....in fact, already one reporter has indicated that Fantuz in already in Regina, just waiting to clear waivers from the NFL. Fans (myself included) want to believe that the second half of the year will be significantly better than the first. Then again it probably couldn't get much worse than last in the league.

So today is the day that the Riders turn the season around. I am predicting a Rider win. My guess - 33-27.... and that Darian Durant will have a great game and will "will" the team to victory.

Miller time returns

When the Riders announced that Head Coach Greg Marshall and Offensive Coordinator Doug Berry were fired after the loss to Toronto, I have to admit that I wasn't surprised. In fact, after watching the game I was already envisioning what changes they were going to make. Going into the bye-week, it seemed to me that would be the perfect time to pull the string. And it happened and happened quickly...as soon as team returned back to Regina.

Something had to be done as 1-7 is just not acceptable in the new Riderville. The fans wanted blood. The team's leadership (and many fans) believed that the players there were better than their record indicated. So a coaching change had to be made. But my surprise was that it was Berry and Marshall

Coaching changes, no doubt, are hard on the people involved and this one is no different. Fans have never warmed to Doug Berry and he seemed like the easy fall guy. Marshall, who had an impressive resume as an assistant coach for the past 19 years, finally got his shot and perhaps he would live to fight another day. He didn't.

What really struck me about Marshall was how quick he was to throw players under the bus after a loss. Additionally, comments made about players lack of motivation not being his job and team discipline didn't help him at all. It was clear that he lost the dressing room....and when I saw his bitterness at his press conference the following day, immediately my thoughts were that the Rider's made the right decision.

So today was the first day of practice with Ken Miller back in charge. The comments from players such as Darian Durant, Sean Lucas and Lance Frazier indicate that these guys love Ken Miller's coaching style. Frazier even said that the players are willing to go through a wall for Miller. There also was a new sense of optimism in the room as well.

So it seems the change is being well received by the players (and most fans!) so far. That's great, but the players have run out of excuses now and they need to perform on the field. The season is not over yet, but they still have a long road ahead of them and it won't be easy.

Riders are back in it

I haven't been able to take in the Grey Cup festivities as it has been a busy week with work. I was in Edmonton for one day this week, but I had to get back to the office as I was needed there. That's what usually happens to me this time of year and maybe I should learn. Well, there is always next year.

I did get to the Grey Cup game last year in Calgary, and it was an emotional rollercoaster. The too many men penalty did bug for a few days, but I did get over it. I think the players have as well, even though the media has reminded everybody about it every 5 minutes!

I am looking forward to great game and I know the Riders will give the Alouettes a run for their money. Last year I was just hoping they would keep it close. This year, I want them to take it.... and I believe they will.