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1 – BACK TO EARTH: That thud you heard was the Saskatchewan Roughriders crashing back down to earth. In the capper to Week 15 of the CFL, the Green & White were thrashed 48-31 at home by the Montreal Alouettes in rainy conditions at Mosaic Stadium on Saturday. The howling from the fanbase is loud as the team fell to 10-3 (yes, 10 and 3), yet they managed to become the first team to clinch a playoff berth this Fall thanks to losses by Winnipeg and Edmonton. There some seems to be considerable panic in the Rider Nation after the showing, but it wouldn’t be the Rider Nation without at least some looniness.

I watched the game in its entirety. The Riders missing their two starting cornerbacks was a big factor, but that doesn’t explain their woeful offensive display and whopping 530 yards given up on defense. HEY! You can’t win em all and there were many teachable moments in this one, from a Saskatchewan perspective. It’s all about fine-tuning now, and staying healthy, as the home stretch has begun.

2 – OTHER CFL: Tough one for the Elkimos who lost 31-30 on a last-second field goal at Toronto on John Candy Day. My saying of “Death, Taxes & Cody Fajardo winning” didn’t hold true in this one, as Cody fumbled at a critical time in the fourth quarter which proved to be very costly. Hey, spit happens! As for the Argos, many of their fans had written them off but they’ve won three in a row to improve 5-8 and get back into the playoff picture. I LOVE going back and forth with CFL fans, particularly Argo supporters (just don’t DM me outside RP Show hours). The final third of the regular season is going to be EPIC. … In a Friday doubleheader, Hamilton beat Winnipeg 32-21 and BC knocked off Ottawa 38-27. The home teams won in both games. … The Bombers are in danger of missing the playoffs now and someone will have to answer for the fact Winnipeg can’t win games without Zach Collaros. IMHO, right now that falls on backup Chris Streveler. He showed enough to bounce around in the NFL for a few years – even started games and mounted comeback wins in the preseason – but now he doesn’t appear capable to start in the CFL. Bomber brass Mike O’Shea and Kyle Walters thought he was capable. Who’s to blame? … TSN’s Jim Barker had a BC-Hamilton Grey Cup. Could still happen. I had a Winnipeg-Toronto Grey Cup. That could also still happen, but appears unlikely.

3 – TEAM TED: Speaking of Barker, he said on Friday’s RP Show, “The entire CFL is hurting” with the news of the passing of Hamilton Tiger-Cats General Manager Ted Goveia at age 55 after a cancer battle. If you have a chance, go back and watch Jim’s interview because he recounted everything you need to know about Ted. I’d actually never met Goveia, but he was a huge supporter of me and our coverage by always “Liking” and “Sharing” our content and passing along the odd encouraging word. Between he and Craig Smith passing away this season, football in Canada has lost some serious titans and pillars. Go win a Grey Cup for Ted, Hamilton!

4 – FAJARDO – Shortly before I left Saskatchewan at the end of summer, I was having a discussion with a longtime Rider fan as we stood on Windsor Park Road having a chat. He wasn’t a Cody Fajardo fan and the reason was, “He just isn’t a team guy. He shouldn’t have said what he said about his receivers after that one game.” I asked the gentleman if he himself had ever said anything he’d like to take back. He just stared at me blankly. The point is, some people just never get over things, especially in the 306. It’s up to you if you want to hang around and keep getting kicked in the nuts, or get on with your life elsewhere.

5 – COLLEGE FOOTBALL SATURDAY: QB Arch Manning was booed at home in Texas’s 27-10 victory over UTEP. Longhorns coaches Steve Sarkisian and Kerry Joseph have their hands full in making him a passer. I bet there’s a lot of voices in that kid’s ear! … Barker said the Game of the Week was Georgia-Tennessee. It was, with the Bulldogs winning 44-41 in OT. … Here in Miami, Carson Beck threw three touchdowns as the Hurricanes went to 3-0 with 49-12 win over South Florida. … Billy Napier is on the hotseat in Gainesville at 1-2 with his Gators. … In the Shula Bowl, Florida International beat Florida Atlantic 38-28 in West Miami. … Coach Prime said he was “dumbfounded” by Colorado’s 36-20 loss to Houston on Friday. … Bill Belichick’s Tar Heels are 2-1 after UNC bounced Richmond 41-6 and Jeff Reinebold’s University of Hawaii is 3-1 after a 23-3 victory over Portland State on Sunday. … The question came up Friday whether college players will be willing to come to the CFL after making millions in NIL money in the NCAA. My take on that is there’s only 1% making millions. Most guys I know are making $1,000/month or less. Shouldn’t be a problem.

6 – NFL: Some notes from Week 2 … Dallas kicker Brandon Aubrey is the first kicker in NFL history to kick a field goal to tie a game with no time left in regulation (64 yards) and also with no time left in overtime (46 yards) to win a game. … There were six lead changes in the Cowboys-Giants game (40-37 Dallas), tied or the most in an NFL game in history. … The Indianapolis Colts are the first team in the Super Bowl era to not punt in their first two games, and also the first team to score on their first 10 possessions of the season. … Detroit QB Jared Goff has five career starts with 50+ points scored, tying him with Peyton Manning for fourth all-time. Tom Brady is #1 with eight 50+ point games. … Year Of The Return? In the Patriots-Dolphins game, Miami’s Malik Washington returned a punt 74 yards for a touchdown and on the very next play New England’s Antonio Gibson ran back a kickoff 90 yards for a TD. That’s just the second time in NFL history that’s happened!

7 – ON THE ICE: It feels like only the diehards are following what’s going on in the early-workings of the hockey season. The junior teams are well into their preseason and the tough cuts are about to be made. The NHL teams are holding their prospect tourneys this weekend and you’d have to be a super nerd to be following what’s going on there. (I am). The Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Florida Panthers 3-2 at an Academy north of Tampa on Saturday, in a game which was streamed live and called by Dave Randorf and Brian Engblom. … I’ve spent the weekend in the Keys and a lady casually questioned Saturday evening, “Who are the new faces on the Panthers this year?” I had to pause for a second and give it some thought. Time to get back to work! The Cats N Bolts Podcast returns for Season III on October 1. … Why has Washington Capitals assistant coach Mitch Love been placed on leave and is subject to an NHL investigation? Don’t know and didn’t ask.

8 – 97 & 87: This week on the RP Show I opined that the speculation and hubbub over hockey in Canada is more over-the-top than any league, anywhere. Scruffy disagreed, saying the NFL is worse and used the Aaron Rodgers drama over the past three off-seasons as an example. He’s not wrong. Either way, my two cents are that McDavid will eventually sign with the Oilers (likely short-term) and that Sidney Crosby will finish his career as a Penguin. I mean, just because Canadiens fans want Sidney doesn’t mean they’ll get him. They’re starting to sound like Leaf fans! My guess is he’ll discuss it with Mario, and the decision will eventually be Sidney’s.

9 – CHARLIE KIRK: Maybe I need to start watching the political commentary shows. I had really no idea who Charlie Kirk was before the right wing political activist was assassinated this week in Utah. It’s impossible to miss who he was now and it’s just as impossible to find a silver lining in such a tragic event. Things like this make us all pause and reflect and for me, it made me think about a lot of things. I don’t align with Kirk’s views. Maybe at one time in my life I did – I don’t really remember anymore – but I sure don’t now. I’m not the same person I once was. However there’s a lot of people who didn’t like the guy. My takeaways are that you have a right to your opinions but you’re not immune to the consequences of them either. And, if we don’t agree with others, we’re better to agree to disagree and part ways rather than shoot someone. Just my two cents.

10 – RANDOM THOUGHTS: This weekend in Canada West it was Calgary 23-Edmonton 19, Regina 37-UBC 20, Manitoba 21-Saskatchewan 20. This Friday the Rams visit the Huskies in a Hardy Cup Preview??? Moose Dupont will have the call on TV. … Are waterbeds still a thing? … Picture it: A key lime pie Blizzard! … There was a time when an episode of Cops and a Rider game were pretty much the same thing. … If it’s not working, it’s not working. … NHL Goalie Week came in like a lion, and left like a lamb. The NHL barely mentioned anything about it after Monday. … I’m excited to broadcast Georgia Tech/Florida Atlantic University mens college hockey this upcoming weekend! … Humpty Dumpty took a big fall this week in Cape May, New Jersey, and now police are hoping to crack the case. A playful, colorful statue of the nursery rhyme icon was forcibly removed from a structure at a miniature golf course and dumped down the street. Local police say they’re looking for two men who are caught on video stopping at Ocean Putt Golf at around 4 am. Video shows one of them entering the course by climbing over a fence, grabbing and rocking the statue back and forth and pulling it off its foundation before walking off with it. The statue, showing a smiling Humpty Dumpty with big, white head, red cheeks, a yellow bow tie, a blue jacket and gray pants, was found several properties away. … AND HOW WAS YOUR WEEK?

Y’er welcome,