DAYTONA HOMES MONDAY MORNING GOALIE

TEN MONDAY MORNING NOTES

1 – STILL CAN’T FIGURE THEM OUT:  It’s been three days since Friday’s 31-24 Roughrider loss to Calgary at Mosaic Stadium and I’m still hearing the same thing all over town.  “What an exciting game!” fans continue to gush.  I counter with, “But we lost?“, but the reaction remains the same.  “Sure was an exciting game though!”  Clearly I’d prefer a 9-7 win over a last-minute high-scoring loss but maybe I’m in the minority.  You hear this all the time.

For the most part of three quarters Friday’s game really wasn’t exciting, when the Riders were trailing 24-0.  I was seriously starting to wonder in the broadcast booth if this team’s back was broken without Darian Durant.  However the light came on at some point, as the Riders raced back to tie the game 24-24 and almost pulled it off before shooting themselves in the foot at the end

No matter.  Perhaps I’m the only one but I came away from that game very encouraged for what’s ahead.  It appears they actually can score points without Durant, and against any other team but Calgary, they probably win that game the other night.  And the Stampeders should consider themselves fortunate to take two points out of here.  I actually think they do, judging by their postgame comments.

2 – MORE ON THE GAME:  It was easily the most dejected I’ve ever heard Rider coach Corey Chamblin after the game.  He couldn’t wait to get off the air with us and his postgame news conference with the Regina media lastly roughly a minute.  Chamblin kept blaming himself for not going for it on 3rd-and-2 from the Calgary 50-yard line with 4:00 to play, and the Riders having all the momentum at the time.

Hey, hindsight is 20/20. Had they gone for it and turned it over (like last week in Edmonton), they still likely would have lost.  The bigger gaffe was the illegal substitution penalty on the Calgary field goal in the final minute which Chamblin wasn’t interested in discussing either.  These are mistakes they won’t make come crunch time in November.

Offensive coordinator George Cortez has been taking plenty of heat too but it subsided when Rider quarterback Tino Sunseri started connecting with receivers downfield.  Sure, the first down runs were getting a little monotonous but it opened things up for later in the game.  Cortez has universal support within the coaching staff and from the upper reaches of the franchise.  As someone told me last week, “Players win and coaches lose”.  Think about that one.

The Calgary Stampeders have six Grey Cup titles but four have come within the last 20 years and Cortez was their offensive coordinator for all of them.  It’s not a coincidence.  He knows what he’s doing and it’s important not to lose your head even when everyone around you is losing theirs.

3 – STILL MORE ON THE HOMESTRETCH:  So there are four games left and the Riders continue to sit in a second-place tie with Edmonton at 9-5.  It’s their exact same record as last year at this point.  With B.C. and Winnipeg both losing on the weekend, the Riders are teetering on a playoff berth for a third-straight season and may even clinch without having to win another game!  My suggestion is they treat these next four games like training camp or preseason to get ready for the playoffs.

Tomorrow marks a month since Darian Durant tore that tendon in his throwing elbow and the Riders maintain we’ll see him before playoff time!  This could all be setting up very nicely … Meanwhile, is anyone calling for the elimination of divisional playoffs anymore since the CFL’s East Division has gotten its act together?  Ottawa, Toronto and Hamilton all beat western opponents in Week 15 and have made things very interesting down the stretch.  One of Winnipeg and B.C. will miss the playoffs – perhaps even both – and that would be catastrophic for both franchises.  The Bombers were 6-1 and the best team in the league in the summer but now they haven’t won since August and they can thank the Roughriders were sending them into the tailspin.  Meanwhile the Lions haven’t missed the playoffs in 20 years and are hosting the Grey Cup this year.  If they miss out on the postseason, there will be hell to pay.  Interesting times ahead!

Incidentally I predicted a 9-9 season for the Roughriders.  When they were 8-2 that seemed pretty off but now it could very well happen.  Hopefully not.

4 – NOT MUCH LOVE FOR THE RIDERS:  Meant to mention this in a column last week but it slipped my mind: on TSN’s CFL panel discussion wrapping up Week 15, not one of them thought the Roughriders could win the Grey Cup without Darian Durant.  I’m wondering if that opinion has changed after this past weekend?  It’s doubtful.  But perhaps they won’t have to win it without Durant.

5 – YEAR-END AWARDS:  Very soon – perhaps even this week – we will be asked to vote on the Roughriders’ year-end Most Outstanding Player Awards.  They will be for MVP, Offensive Line, Defensive Player, Special Teams and Rookie of the Year.  I’ve got some thoughts on who I’ll vote for, but it could still change.  It would be nice if there was an Unsung Hero Award like the Regina Pats have.  If they did have one, I’d vote for linebacker Brian Peters.

6 – SO MUCH FOR THAT:  CFL radio broadcasters were informed last week that under the new broadcast deal with TSN, there will be no more local broadcasts of the Grey Cup (i.e. Carm and me getting to do the 2013 Grey Cup and the Ticats broadcasters calling the game for their station).  Now there will be one national radio broadcast (with Rod Black and Duane Forde) and if our team makes it to the Grey Cup, we’ll be sitting in the stands.  That is most unfortunate but at the very least, I got to be at the microphone for the biggest Roughrider game in franchise history, last year’s Grey Cup in Regina.

7 – LOCAL SPORTS:  In case you didn’t notice – and judging by the attendance, you haven’t – the Regina Pats collected three out of four points on the weekend and played entertaining hockey throughout.  They whalloped P.A. 5-2 on Saturday before dropping a 4-3 home decision to Red Deer on Sunday.  The club is exciting to watch and they’re in the middle of a homestand as the Kootenay Ice come to town on Wednesday.  Rookie forward Sam Steel continues to be worth the price of admission.  Perhaps the Pats’ fortunes are on an upswing?  The only suggestion I have is for them to place lineups, game notes and/or programs in the luxury suites for the games.  These sponsors are paying a premium for these boxes, yet don’t get lineups.  Can’t remember when they did, but it’s about time … Meanwhile the Regina Rams were bombed 59-7 by the Calgary Dinos in Canada West football action on Saturday while the Regina Thunder tied the Huskies in Edmonton 27-27 on Sunday.

8 – ROCK YOU LIKE A HURRICANE:  Is anyone watching what’s currently going on with the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes?  Their Board of Governors will vote next year on selling the community-owned team which has lost $1.65-million over the past five seasons (all of which they’ve missed the playoffs) and is currently $400,000 in debt.  This will a landmark decision if the club is sold, and it’ll likely be to former Hurricane and current NHL’er Kris Versteeg.  Where will the money go?  It will likely go into a trust and be used as a legacy fund for Lethbridge Minor Hockey.

9 – AT THE MOVIES:  If a movie is in Rainbow Theatres shortly after it’s released, then it bombed.  So it’s hard to believe When The Game Stands Tall bombed at all because we saw it for $5 last Thursday at Rainbow and it’s fantastic.  If you haven’t heard, it’s about a high school football team in California which won 151 games with a coach (Jim Caviezel) who didn’t put an emphasis on winning.  It’s a truly inspiring and remarkable movie and it’s a true story!  If you’ve got time this week, I’d suggest you take it in.  I went on the recommendation of In The Huddle co-host Marshall Hamilton and he was right!

10 – AND THE WINNER IS….:  Thanks to whomever nominated RODPEDERSEN.COM for Prairie Dog Magazine’s Best of Regina contest for Best Local Website, and also for the SportsCage being nominated as Best Radio Show!  These are both firsts.  In the case of the local website category, we’re up against CBC.ca and Global.  Think about that!  PLEASE take a few minutes and vote here: http://prairedogmag.secondstreetapp.com/l/Best-Of-Regina-2014/Welcome

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FROM ROUGHRIDERS ALUMNI: /=S=/

Saskatchewan Roughriders Alumni Association – Whiskey & Wine Festival

A Special Invitation to Rider Nation

You are invited to attend the 2nd Annual Rider Alumni Charity Whiskey and Wine Festival in Moose Jaw, at the Grant Hall Hotel this Friday, October 10. This black tie affair will be an evening of grand style, elegance, and magical splendor. Magical touch points will await guests as they are presented with a myriad of mythical moments and multi-sensory experiences. A culinary feast will ensue, along with samplings of premium Whiskeys and Wine.

 Friday October 10, 2014 at the Grant Hall Hotel | Main Street Moose Jaw

 Doors Open at 7:00 pm | Champagne Reception

 Festival from 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm

 Tickets are $125 and are available through the Rider Ticket office 1-888-474-3377, option 3. To book your tickets or a ride on our complimentary STC bus from Regina, you can also visit riderville.com/alumni

 Discount hotel reservations available at Grant Hall – visit granthall.ca/ for details

All proceeds benefitting the Saskatchewan Roughriders Alumni Association from this event will be shared with Moose Jaw Minor Football / Practice Field Fund.

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NFL WEEK 5: IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Believe it or not, the NFC East might really matter again.

It’s certainly been a while.

That division is the only one in the NFL with two 4-1 clubs, the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles. Plus, it also includes the New York Giants, who have won three consecutive games to get to 3-2.

Two of the marquee games on next Sunday’s schedule involve teams from a group recently known as the “NFC Least” – the Cowboys are at the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, and the Eagles host the Giants at night.

This Sunday, Tony Romo and Dez Bryant connected for the play of the day, a 37-yard jump-ball completion, to set up the winning field goal as Dallas beat Houston 20-17 in overtime. Philadelphia ran its total to five TDs on defence or special teams in the past two games while holding off St. Louis 34-28. And New York’s Eli Manning threw for two touchdowns while avoiding an interception in a 30-20 comeback victory over Atlanta.

The fourth member of the division, the Washington Redskins, fall into the category of “one of these is not like the others”: just 1-3 under rookie head coach Jay Gruden – with an injured Robert Griffin III and a turnover-prone Kirk Cousins at quarterback – heading into Monday night’s game against visiting Seattle.

In case you missed it, here are the other top topics after the NFL season’s fifth Sunday:

NO UNBEATENS: The Cardinals and Bengals both went from 3-0 to 3-1, and neither defeat was close, meaning each of the league’s 32 teams has at least one loss. You’d have to go all the way back to 1970 to find a season in which everyone had been beaten earlier _ it happened by the end of Week 4 in 1970, according to STATS. On Sunday, Arizona lost to Peyton Manning and Denver 41-20, while Cincinnati lost to Tom Brady and New England 43-17.

CHOP BLOCK: Cardinals coach Bruce Arians was outraged by what he called “a blatant chop block” by Broncos Pro Bowl tight end Julius Thomas that left Arizona defensive end Calais Campbell sidelined with a strained MCL in his right knee. “I’ve been coaching for 37 years; it’s the dirtiest play I’ve seen,” Arians said. “It was a flat chop block and put him out of the game. I know John Fox, great coach and great guy. Somebody has got to answer to that. A fine isn’t going to do it, when he’s going to miss three or four weeks.”

MORE INJURIES: In addition to Campbell, the Cardinals lost quarterback Drew Stanton – as it is, the replacement for Carson Palmer – to a concussion after a hit from Von Miller. As usual, the list of significant injuries is long, and among those to keep tabs on in the coming days: Two dynamic members of Detroit’s offence each hurt an ankle, receiver Calvin Johnson and running back Reggie Bush; a trio of Jaguars running backs also each had an ankle problem, Toby Gerhart, Storm Johnson, and Jordan Todman; Giants running back Rashad Jennings sprained his knee; Bills cornerback Ron Brooks spent the night at the hospital after landing on his head in a scary collision during a punt return.

NO LEAD IS SAFE: More than half of Sunday’s nine early games – five – involved a team blowing a lead of 10 or more points and losing, highlighted by Tennessee wasting the largest home edge ever, 25 points, in what would become a 29-28 loss to the Browns. The Bears led the Panthers 21-7 before losing 31-24; the Falcons led the Giants 20-10 before losing 30-20; the Lions led the Bills 14-0 before losing 17-14; and the Buccaneers led the Saints 31-20 before losing 37-31.

QUESTIONABLE COACHING: Lowlights among coaching decisions included Atlanta’s Mike Smith going for it on fourth-and-1 at his own 29 with about 4 1/2 minutes left and down by seven points to the Giants (quarterback Matt Ryan got sacked); and Tennessee’s Ken Whisenhunt going for it and fourth-and-inches at his own 42 with 3:03 left (Charlie Whitehurst was stopped on a QB sneak).

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THAT’S ALL.  HAVE A GREAT WEEK!
RP
@sportscage