DAYTONA HOMES MONDAY MORNING GOALIE
10 MONDAY MORNING MUSINGS
1 – You’re all wanting a Darian Durant update first thing this morning. Of course you are. Who doesn’t? Well the Riders’ star quarterback is being evaluated again this morning after being knocked out of Sunday’s 30-24 Banjo Bowl victory in the third quarter with an injured right elbow. Head coach Corey Chamblin will address the media at 11:00 am for an update. While some (outside the team) are speculating he could be done for the season, I have my doubts. He was in great spirits on the flight home, at times joking with his teammates. However he was in a sling and heavily bandaged up. The Rider Nation holds its breath.
2 – The photo above is from the Riderville Tour Party outside Investors Group Field on Sunday in Winnipeg. If you look closely, you’ll see Carm and a lot of Rider brass amongst the dozens – if not hundreds – of Rider fans. Luc Mullinder did a bang-up job hosting the event as well. I’m told initially there was some hesitancy by the Bombers to allow the event to go on but eventually they did everything they could to allow it to go off without a hitch. The Riders will hold similar pregame parties in Edmonton and Calgary and they’ve already done it in Ottawa and BC.
It’s a real interesting thing. Some host teams aren’t big on the Riders doing events like this. Frankly, if the shoe was on the other foot, I probably wouldn’t like it either. I’d probably detest it. In fact I’d probably go out of my head. But that’s just the way it is and the Saskatchewan Roughriders continue to be the heartbeat of the CFL. Rider fans are dropping lots of dough in these cities so the teams can take some solace in that.
What are your Banjo Bowl stories if you went? How were you treated? Please let us know.
3 – Commissioner Mark Cohon was in Winnipeg for the game and was honoured with a Bomber jersey with COHON stitched across the back. Carm even worked out beside Cohon Sunday morning in our hotel. As Cohon puts the finishing touches on his eight year tenure, one of the things he’s getting credit for is the “stadium renaissance” in the CFL. This league is really getting a new feel to it as we travel to new, plush stadiums across the country. Winnipeg’s facility is simply jaw-breaking. It has a real NFL feel. Ottawa’s is amazing. This week we’re going to Hamilton’s brand new Tim Hortons Field. See what I mean? Pretty soon the oldest stadium in the league will be Calgary. And it’s not a bad facility. It’s just old.
4 – About the game! Sunday’s Banjo Bowl XI was one for the ages. The Riders raced out to a 27-8 halftime lead and held on for a 30-24 triumph to sweep the three game season series against the Blue Bombers. Darian Durant was in the game when the winning points were scored meaning he’ll get the victory. It’s his 11th against Winnipeg and they’re team Darian has beaten the most in the CFL. Ronnie Lancaster has the Rider record with 25 against the Bombers so Durant will have to hang around for awhile. Having the Bombers in the West will help that stat.
5 – More on the game: 16 seasons of calling Roughrider games and I still had tingles on Sunday when the teams were being introduced. That’s why we do it! The place was rocking at the beginning but the Riders accomplished their goal of taking the crowd out of it. However in the fourth quarter when Drew Willy had them rallying, the place was going bonkers. It was loud, but not as loud as last year’s Banjo Bowl when the noise was literally painful. Drew Willy has the fourth quarter magic but for some reason, not against the Roughriders. Perhaps the Riders know his tendencies or perhaps he psyches himself out like Henry Burris does when he plays Saskatchewan. Either way Rider defenders feel like they have the edge over Willy, not the other way around.
6 – Quote of the Week: This one comes from Roughrider cornerback Rod Williams, who snuffed out the Bombers’ second last drive with a pick at the Rider 5-yard line. “I’m not surprised he threw deep. I’m surprised he threw it at me. Drew Willy why you throwin’ to me man?” A runner-up quote comes from the Leader Post’s Murray McCormick who on Saturday, “The only people cheaper than CFL players are teachers”.
7 – The mini-brawl after the Williams interception was fun. The Riders’ Weldon Brown and the Bombers’ Stephen Morley were ejected from the game and they’ll both tell you deservedly so. Saskatchewan’s John Chick was being fed uppercuts in the pile so hopefully someone checks the video. Riders Assistant GM Jeremy O’Day had to restrain Winnipeg’s Glenn January because Jeremy thought he was the one punching Chick, but he wasn’t. Rider Special Teams Coordinator Bob Dyce entered the fray as well. We ran the video back several times on the trip home and the players were howling. Stuff like that brings a team together.
8 – Rider running back Jerome Messam will be hearing from the league this week. He tweeted after the game that the ruling of his fumble in the fourth quarter was a “bulls–t call”. Don’t know if he deleted it or not, but the CFL will find it. “Mess” works so hard for his money — I don’t know why he’d give it away!
9 – Now that had to be the game of the year so far in the CFL. Unfortunately there’s been very little competition but Sunday’s was a great game to have on the main ESPN network in the USA. However Friday night’s B.C. 7-5 victory at Ottawa would have been a disaster. It was the lowest-scoring CFL game since 1979 and it was a disgusting display. TSN’s Chris Cuthbert called it a “field position game” on the broadcast which is code for “a crappy game”. Hopefully things turn around soon or people won’t be turning their TVs on at all. Or buying tickets.
10 – Weekend Recap: The U of R Rams beat UBC Friday night 33-23 in a wildly entertaining game at Mosaic Stadium … The Pats split a preseason home-and-home with Brandon, winning 4-1 Saturday night in Regina. PA is in town on Wednesday … The Regina Thunder came back to win 26-25 in Saskatoon Saturday afternoon which is fantastic … Ken Miller’s Southern Utah Thunderbirds are 0-2 in NCAA play after falling 41-14 at Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday.
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THAT’S ALL! SEE YOU IN THE CAGE AT 4 PM
RP
@sportscage
Whoever made up the plans for the stadium in Winnipeg must have forgotten about the Sun. Worst stadium I have ever seen for shadows during the game. Very hard to watch, and cameras will have to be focused better to improve it on TV. Hope the Riders don't have that problem with our new stadium. Great win Riders.
I watched CFL over NFL yesterday. I especally enjoyed the Banjo Bowl coverage. I watched the game on ESPN while listening to the CKRM broadcast. It was a great way to enjoy the game. Go Riders!
Winnipeg's stadium is nice, but felt the production was somewhat poor. For having such nice, big screens, they sure didn't show replays very often, not nearly as often as myself and the Rider fans I was with were accustomed to seeing at Mosaic. And I was really disappointed to see the hit on Durant and the QB writing in pain on the ground as part of the end game highlight package. When Willy got hurt last weekend, we applauded. When Darian gets hurt, he's showered with boos, then the production team almost gloats about taking him out with a late… Read more »
The booing was toward the referees, not Durant. Rider fans would have booed too had a fumble been taken away by a whistle.
Hey Rod,
Your gasp after one of the interceptions made me laugh.
McMahon stadium is ok until you have to go to the bathroom, only one set for each full side of the stadium makes for a long break. I know guys at the 09 grey cup who left after blue rodeo played and missed the entire 3rd quarter.
Have a good week.
Russ from saskatoon
I was at the game and have a couple of comments. The stadium is awesome to look at but as someone else pointed out the shadows on the field made it difficult to see details and since most of the action was at the other end of the field and replays were rare, it wasn't a great game experience. The replays thing should be easy to fix, the shadows across the field not so much. My wife and I sat in the hot sun for the entire game. The prices for concessions were prohibitive….$10 beers?!! The concourse was crowded/packed at… Read more »
Mark Cohon was in Winnipeg for the game and was honoured with a Bomber jersey with COHON stitched across the back
I think Craig Butler was looking for one of these earlier this year, now he knows where to get one…
I for one from watching the game was surprised after the Dressler run back.
On TV you could hear them chanting "Dressler Sucks".
I could see if it was a Dwight Anderson player that maybe taunts the crowd but Dressler.. C'mon man. Have some class.
Hope Durant is ok. I feel bad for Clark. For me its clear he had stopped because he heard the whistle then the bomber took an open hit on Durant. I for one was disgusted. Now a guy can just hit the QB and say oh sorry I didn't hear the whistle.
A few things: 1) The Winnipeg and Hamilton stadiums have made me do a 180 and I was wrong to say Regina doesn't need a new stadium. The facility is part of the fan experience, and Mosaic Stadium is just obsolete. Sadly though I think we'll be behind construction, worse that Hamilton was. The problem was giving the bid out. We're dealing with Unionized construction, and in Sasktchewan this means delay, delay, and delay. This is a strategy. The construction unions will drag their feet, and then when it's behind it's gravy time. Unlimited Overtime at triple the rates. What… Read more »
The stuff about the construction unions Obama you have nailed it. Worst group of employees you will ever find. If they are not dragging they are usually getting high. We build our bids to account for the delays.
Overall a great game to be at and I was impressed with their new stadium. As for shadows….you're gonna have that on sunny afternoon in any stadium without a roof. The fans were overall pretty good and respectful to Rider fans. Fun part is reading local Winnipeg papers this morning. The stuff they say in print here is nuts. Blaming the refs, player interviews where they are calling the Riders dirty. Take some blame Bombers….you couldn't stop the run and that was a huge factor. Experiencing a brand new stadium got me pretty excited for a new one in a… Read more »
What I like is CLAC's approach to labour relations develops workers’ sense of responsibility, participation, stewardship, and dignity. A Saskatchewan trade union will careless if the company goes broke the day after the project ends. They are adversarial as long as they get paid that's the main deal. The NDP long ago passed some b.s legislation that all projects with govenment dollars must have 30% of union employment. This held the Province back about 40 years. The new employment legislation that Brad Wall brought in brings Saskatchewan in line with 20th century reality. He needs to push it harder to… Read more »
In defense of the Bomber fans, they wernt yelling DRESSLER SUCKS it was REF YOU SUCK on what they thought was a hold.
This is a sports blog. Not an opportunity to switch it up to discuss Union's or politics. There are many places to go to to try your written skills and thought process.
Obama, since you can predict what will happen on a project not expected to deliver until 2017 can you let me know what stocks to buy next week?
Anon 4…. There was no fumble taken away by the Whistle. What was taken away by the Whistle was the players that did hear it stopped playing. As Best did and he allowed the D-end to blast by him and smoke Darian who also seemed to have heard the Whistle. Had the Whistle not blown there would not have been a clear path to injure the QB. The whole fricken play stinks and should never have happened.
Wow. Best got burned, he didn't "stop playing". Try watching the replay without Rider glasses on. Nobody (including Durant) stopped playing, nobody on the field heard the whistle. Give it up, it wasn't a "dirty play", it was a mistake by the officials.
REP I love the MMQB and I expected discussion around the Durant injury. I have to say though what Obama wrote about the time delay I am agreeing with. There is no way that project will be on time. The firm who was given it to oversee is very reputable. It's only when they have to bring in the trades that screws it up. It doesn't matter what deadline they give it will not be on time. Having had experience with those unions here is what will happen. The deadline will approach they will pound a nail, take a smoke… Read more »
1. surprised at all the folks in uproar over Winnipeg fan reaction to DD injury. The cheering was for the sack/fumble, the booing was for the call. I'd say only a small spattering of people were cheering/booing directed at doubles injury…. and that happens everywhere, SK included 2. the PA announcer a homer? Um, well they kinda should be, that is their job. Only part I take issue with is purposely getting SK names wrong. No way someone hasn't corrected him on Milo's name yet. 3. nothing like take a sporting event to get on a union/nonunion soap box. blah… Read more »
Obama you are on the correct track but like always you generalize to much. You make these generalizations that all oil field workers are dipsh#ts and now you make the assumption that all trades that are unionized are lazy. I work a trade and had no choice but to join the union (Electrician). We work hard but like all places you have deadwood.
Sparky
It is pretty clear Obama with his elitest country club leanings just has no use for any type of profession that requires physical effort.