A NOTEBOOK, AND THE CFL ON TV DEBATE
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| Rookie Jenson Stoshak hauls in a TD pass on Tuesday |
THINGS I’VE NOTICED
1 – SASKATOON: Saskatchewan Roughriders 2017 Training Camp presented by Coors Light heads into Day 11 on Wednesday at Griffiths Stadium. It’ll be one of the hottest days of camp so far, with the forecast calling for more sunshine and 27 degrees Celsius. For the most part, the conditions up here have been fantastic for camp.
2 – THE TERRENCE NUNN AWARD: It’s still way too early to name this year’s Training Camp MVP, an award named after former Roughrider receiver Terrence Nunn in 2011 who lit up Saskatoon before flaming out in his regular season debut. While the name of the trophy is tongue-in-cheek, the award itself is very real.
Two years ago we named linebacker Jeff Knox Jr. the Terrence Nunn Award winner and he went on to be named the team’s MVP, Most Outstanding Defensive Player and Most Outstanding Rookie that season. He’s now in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
3 – BUT….: Some players have stood out this year indeed. Rookie receiver Jenson Stoshak has been a walk-on every place he’s gone – from Florida Atlantic University to the NFL’s Carolina Panthers – and he continues to get regular reps with the 1’s.
As CKRM analyst Luc Mullinder put it on Tuesday’s SportsCage, “He’s the receiver who’s consistently been able to get open the most”.
Luc also said linebacker Kevin Francis has consistently been the first one downfield to “bust the wedge” and get after the kick returner, but he’s not a rookie.
Other candidates for the TNA are these rookies: DB Mark Roberts, OL Dariusz Bladek, WR Mitch Picton, DB Zavian Bingham and a few others.
Preseason game performances will dictate the winner.
4 – LITTLE D.A.: We mentioned during the Florida minicamp that rookie DB Regis Ball out of Memphis was a Dwight Anderson clone, running his mouth from the start of warmups until the final play of the workout. He never stopped. However in Saskatoon, he’s been silent.
“That’s because he’d get his block knocked off (by the vets),” huffed Mullinder.
5 – MVP’S: Twitter sensation @FakeGainer asked us during Tuesday’s SportsCage who would be our MVP and Defensive MVP for the season if we had to predict those outcomes right now. I guessed Kevin Glenn and Henoc Muamba while Mullinder went with Duron Carter and Willie Jefferson.
6 – VINCE’S INJURY: Everybody wants to know what it means. The former NFL star left Tuesday’s workout with a hamstring injury but we won’t know until Wednesday how severe it is. Obviously if he’s on the field Wednesday morning, there’s a good chance we’ll see him in Saturday’s home preseason game against Winnipeg. TSN’s Farhan Lalji reported that Young is scheduled to see a full half of work on Saturday, if he’s healthy.
However if he’s not on the the field on Wednesday, then speculation will grow. I don’t know how I missed the play where Young got injured on Tuesday, but I did.
Most camp observers figure Young is firmly at #4 on the quarterback depth chart behind Kevin Glenn, Bryan Bennett and Brandon Bridge as it stands now. Will Young stick around on the practice roster if his position doesn’t change? It’s still way too early to ask that question.
7 – THE SIXTH MAN: Offensive coordinator Stephen McAdoo generally dresses six offensive linemen for any given game. So that was a fun scenario to toss around with Luc on Tuesday: Who will be the Riders’ sixth man on the offensive line to start the season?
With Brendon Labatte missing days due to a lower body injury (both he and Chris Jones aren’t concerned about it), Peter Dyakowski has slipped into his Left Guard spot. So the offensive line, without Labatte, looks like this:
DENNIS-DYAKOWSKI-CLARK-ST. JOHN-COLEMAN
However with the solid play of rookie Dariusz Bladek – he continues to be noticeable in jersey #66 – do the Riders stick with the trusted vet in Dyakowski or put Bladek on the opening day 44-man roster?
Or do they dress seven? At the very least, the club is comfortable knowing they’ll be able to go with three Canadians in the G-C-G combo.
8 – Either Cameron Marshall or Anthony Allen looks to be the opening day tailback. They seem to have split reps and time with the 1’s, however Canadian Greg Morris might’ve been the top running back on Tuesday. The lingering injury to Canadian Kienan LaFrance has thrown things into flux somewhat, or perhaps they’re just moving on without him until he’s available.
9 – TUESDAY BLACKOUT: It was very unfortunate that TSN elected not to televise Tuesday’s CFL preseason game in Calgary, a 23-18 Stampeders victory over the B.C. Lions. Alouettes’ receiver Nik Lewis Tweeted that he “hated” the decision by TSN while Hall of Fame Blue Bombers announcer Bob Irving Tweeted “Bet the CFL isn’t thrilled with its TV broadcast partner”.
Obviously TSN must have its own reasons for not showing the game, but we don’t know what they are. SportsCage listeners offered the opinions that “nobody watches CFL preseason games” or “it’ll hurt ticket sales” but those are flimsy and archaic viewpoints.
Tuesday’s decision by TSN certainly didn’t help grow the game at a time when fans are starved for CFL football after a long off-season.
I think most of us would’ve searched out and enjoyed an online broadcast of it somewhere but even that was shutdown. It’s 2017. We watch the NLL, WHL, U-Sports, WMBL etc. regularly on webcasts. But we can’t get the CFL?
In the absence of a CFL broadcast, I opted to attend the movie Baywatch Tuesday evening at the Centre at Circle & 8th Cineplex Odeon. (Two thumbs up from the MMG by the way).
10 – SATURDAY’S GAME: We’re now just days away from the first-ever Saskatchewan Roughriders football game at New Mosaic Stadium and it’s a moment we’ve been waiting on for years. Fans are encouraged to get down to the park early.
The early forecast for Saturday calls for rain and 24 degrees but I wouldn’t be surprised if it changes before then.
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THAT’S IT! SEE YOU AT CAMP
RP
@rodpedersen
