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!

 

Never criticize a win

The Riders go to 2-0 with an impressive performance over the Evil Empire. Jyles and Joseph could not get anything going against the Rider's defense....the Rider "D" was phenomenal as much as the Edmonton quarterbacks were aweful. A defensive battle isn't such a bad thing now and then. The Rider offense did have me worried at times, but I still had these sense that they'd pull out the win. Of course I didn't know that and it was just a gut feel until "Holy Sheets" had that impressive run for a 34 yd TD late in the fourth quarter. Nice to see a strong play be the game breaker to seal the deal. Bottom line is its a win and that's all that matters. I had a look at the Edmonton papers today and they are all over Tillman for trading Ricky Ray for Jyles. At this point it may go down as one of the most lopsided trades in history. But I have no sympathy for Tillman or the Esks. Everybody has to make tough trades or say goodbye to free agents to be under the salary cap. And I know that Eskimo fans took great joy in seeing the Riders falter last year after they went to three of previous four Grey Cups. My only regret is not betting on the game with my brother-in-law, who is a big Eskimo fan. He's still a little annoyed with me when I gave his son Austin a Riders jersey (with #5 on the back of course!) He's taken his share of bets from me and I still want revenge...but missed out in setting a bet for this game. That will come as so will many more Eskimos losses this season if they don't get a quarterback. Now bring on the Lions in the showdown for first place in the west. My sense is there will be more offense when the Lions make their way to Mosaic this Saturday.

We're off to the Grey Cup

It was the perfect setting for the western final. Two teams that don't like each other, a rematch of last year's blow out and the two best teams in the league playing in a meaningful game. I live and die on the fortunes of the Riders so was I going to miss this one?

Not on your life.

I flew into Vancouver this morning and got to B.C. Place just in time as the doors opened. I was dressed in my rider gear from head to toe (including my brand new "retro-logo" hat). I had a great seat; on the 50 yard line behind the Lions' bench. The sight lines in B.C. Place are outstanding, so I had a superb view on every play.

I had a personal win streak of three going into this game. Over the last 7 seven years I have seen three Rider games at B.C. Place, and they were all Rider victories. But well aware of what happened in the past western finals, I hoped the Riders would at least made a good game of it, and hopefully pull it off. I was on edge of my seat the whole time, and with every play I had a range of emotions going though me...Stop him! Sack him! Go! Why can't Joseph hit that open receiver?!

At the end of the day the Riders prevailed in a really good game. Their defense was outstanding as they had only a few let-downs, but that can be expected against the top team in the league. The offense, though not spectacular, did enough to get the job done. After last week's game against Calgary, I know they were concerned about their inability to get the ball in the end zone. They were a little better today, and with the sure fire place kicking of Luci Congi they converted every scoring opportunity.

Although it was very loud in B.C. Place, I listened to the broadcast from The Team 1040. At the start of the 4th Quarter, the sideline reporter stated that the Lions had a confidence problem. With two key injuries on their offensive line, they were demoralized; more so with every sack.

The Rider defense was so strong the Lions couldn't get anything going with either Jarius Jackson or Dave Dickenson. Dickenson was sacked 6 times in the second half alone. Gotta wonder if his career is over. Kerry Joseph did a great job in moving the offense when he needed to. Was it his best game? No. But don't criticize a win is a good rule of thumb. He did what he had to do to get the Riders to the big game.

Next up is Winnipeg in the Grey Cup. Yes...the Riders are going to the Grey Cup! I'll be there with my buddy Sparky who is coming up from Philadelphia. I had the chance to go to the game in 1989, and didn't, and there is no way I am going to miss this one. If I can come out to Vancouver for the western final, I may as well go to Toronto for the big one.

My ears are still ringing, and my heart is still pounding, but being there makes it oh so special.