DAYTONA HOMES (TUESDAY) MORNING GOALIE
A photo blog today, plus some Tuesday morning notes. Pack your bags because you’re coming to Hamilton for a behind-the-scenes look at Tim Hortons Field! And this photo isn’t an artist’s rendition (those are my bags and coffee in the bottom right corner of the photo). This camera just takes great pictures.
It’s a beautiful facility which is only 80% open-for-business right now. It’ll be amazing when it’s done, although Rider players couldn’t get over the lack of noise once the game kicked off…
A look at our broadcast booth. We were warned that we’d be in a tent, but honestly it wasn’t that bad. Once we got into the game, we didn’t even notice our environs.
Really buddy? I thought those days were behind us..
The Rider Nation showed up early and in full force…
Concourse shot…
Get your Ticats merchandise…
Don’t know what happened here…
The extra-sized Ticats video scoreboard…
Ticats cheer team…
The late Leif Pettersen’s daughter Kate joined us on the halftime show…
We were right amongst the fans for the broadcast which was uncomfortable at times!
The Riders’ Hamilton hotel…
On Saturday the Toronto newspapers were packed with CFL coverage. It wasn’t all positive, but I’ll take negative publicity over none at all…
Spent some time at the Ticats office the day before the game at 1 Jarvis Street…
Hamilton coach and GM Kent Austin meets with the media. I mentioned to Kent that it looks like he’s down in weight. He smiled and said “25 pounds! Thanks for noticing!” He did it the old-fashioned way – with diet and exercise…
—-
7 TUESDAY MORNING NOTES
1 – Sorry for the delay in this weekly column. Sunday games make it real difficult to get the MMG out on time considering I’ve got to write two game recaps (one for Riderville.com and CFL.ca) plus a newspaper column for 23 Saskatchewan weekly newspapers and the daily radio reports for CKRM and CJWW (Saskatoon). Plus travel. It was a scramble to get to the Toronto airport on time for a postgame commercial flight Sunday evening and by the time we got home, it was tough to keep the eyes open and I wanted to spend some family time. This Sunday’s game versus Ottawa marks the fifth consecutive Sunday game for Canada’s Team. At least there’s no travel involved.
2 – The Hamilton game was a major letdown. We were so excited – and encouraged you to be – about Tino Sunseri’s first pro start at quarterback. He wasn’t as good as expected and the whole team certainly wasn’t either. They lacked a major spark and their sideline was dead. Does Darian Durant truly mean this much to this team? Possibly. He’s their leader and the Face of the Franchise as everyone pointed out after last week’s Banjo Bowl victory.
Still, offensive coordinator and QB coach George Cortez has some more game film to work with with Tino and he’ll have him coached up for the Ottawa game. The offensive coaches were tremendously confident in Tino’s abilities going into the Hamilton game and I can’t think one bad outing will make them give up on him.
However I also don’t expect this team to wait long on Sunseri. If he falters in the next couple of weeks, they’ve got Seth Doege ready to go and he looks good. He’s a gamer. But so too is Tino. The management and coaching staff here knows what they’re doing and they’ll figure this out.
And regarding Sunday’s loss, it’s their first in two months! Frankly I’m a little surprised at the furor in the Rider Nation over the team’s third loss of the season.
3 – Tino Sunseri – or whomever quarterbacks this team for the next five or so games – really is a bridge until Darian Durant is back healthy and guiding this team. I mentioned on the air last week that I feel Durant will be back in time for the playoffs (if not before) and Rider GM Brendan Taman agreed on Sunday’s pregame show.
“That’s an interesting question,” Taman said. “You know me – I’ll tell you this straight; I think we’ll see him before the end of the year. After seeing him after the surgery, he was pretty upbeat after talking to Ivan and the docs. I think that’s more optimism than anything but I have a gut feeling we’re going to see him near the end of the year.”
A playoff spot is not locked up but the team has eight wins in the bank thanks in no small part to Durant’s heroic play. Who knows how many of their remaining games they need to win to finish second (but likely both against Edmonton) but failing that, I’d be happy with a fourth-place finish. No one agrees with me but it would be far less gruelling to go through the East than on the road through the West to get to the 2014 Grey Cup in Vancouver.
The only trouble is there has never been a crossover team advance to the Grey Cup. Maybe it’s this year because there’s never been an East Division be this bad.
4 – In the above photos you saw the expansive coverage of the CFL in the Toronto Sun and the Globe & Mail. One of the stories deeply examined the plight of the Argos and although Argo President Chris Rudge said the team will be in major trouble if they don’t find a place to play in the next six months, CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon told the Globe, “the table is set to get a deal done” to move the team to BMO Field. I told you this a couple of weeks ago. Don’t know what the hold-up is.
5 – Mitchell Blair pointed out Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator Dick Lebeau is in the final year of his contract and last week there was some heat on him for giving up too many yards and points to the Cleveland Browns in Week 1. It’s brought up the notion that Rider head coach Corey Chamblin could be Pittsburgh-bound if given the opportunity. Where would this franchise be without him? I shudder to think about it.
6 – Ticket sales are slow for this Friday’s Roughrider Plaza of Honor induction featuring the induction of Chris Szarka and Reggie Hunt. Why is that? To get your tickets call 1-888-474-3377 (4RIDERS) and hit Option 3. I’ll be the MC for the event and it will be great to induct two real good friends.
7 – The Regina Pats open the 2014-15 WHL season Friday in Brandon and these are exciting times for the Queen City Kids. The home-opener goes Saturday against the Wheat Kings at the Brandt Centre and there will be a tailgate party sponsored by 620 CKRM and Sherwood Coop beginning at 4:30 pm. It will be just west of the Brandt Centre. Can’t wait to see the Pats for real! Faceoff Saturday night is 7:00. It’s going to be a great year of Regina Pats hockeyl.
THAT’S ALL! ENJOY DOWN WEEK
RP
@sportscage
Thanks Rod, this page is my first stop every time I turn on my computer.
Old Cuss
Rod, due to the construction, I heard that someone could not buy a coffee at Tim Horton's field! You would think that a stadium with that name would have coffee on its menu! Other than that, the stadium looks nice. I will look forward to going to it in 2016 for the Grey Cup.
Imagirl
I think most people arent upset that we lost, but how we lost with no offensive output, and weak special teams. Another preformance like that and we lose to Ottawa,then amount of people coming to your site could cause it to crash if that scenario takes place.
"Ticket sales are slow for this Friday's Roughrider Plaza of Honor induction featuring the induction of Chris Szarka and Reggie Hunt. Why is that? "
Tickets are $350.00 a seat. For $150 a seat recently in Warman, SK you got supper and got to see Drew Doughty, Jarret Stoll, Tim Raines, Glen Suitor, Geroy Simon, Mike McCullough, Rey Williams and Anthony Calvillo. $350 is a tough sell IMHO
Fully agree. Plus the plaza has gone from only the 'elite' to anyone can get in. Plus ignoring the Shivers/Barrett era is a slap in the face to those who were involved.
A few things: This is a legal begal thing so all my posts will now be prefaced with a statement: WITHOUT PREJUDICE 1) Did you know that most Folk Heroes started out as criminals? 2) Tino Sunseri is not nor will he be the answer. It's a double edged sword in the CFL. Small rosters and a salary cap do not allow teams to have bonafide backup QBs that can step in. Kevin Glenn….has won nothing and it is 50/50 as to whether he will win a game. His .500 career record shows this. Guys like him enjoy the baseball… Read more »
Dont take the bait folks!
The only good part of this game was the ending… thank god it ended. It's only one game and it's important that everyone just moves on and forgets about it. It's a meaningless game now. The only game that matters now is this Sunday against Ottawa.
The only good part of this game was the ending… thank god it ended. It's only one game and it's important that everyone just moves on and forgets about it. It's a meaningless game now. The only game that matters now is this Sunday against Ottawa.
I attended Plaza dinners in the past. HOWEVER, like everything else, the dollar can only go so far. Seems like I just fished out for last year's Grey Cup and this year season tickets. Now, need to buy those lottery tickets. Us fans can only afford so much and choices have to be made. Therefore, $350.00 for a supper is not a priority.
Matthew
Hey,
What do you mean a dollar can only go so far? Brad Wall has created boom times for you. When he's not spending your $3M on USA Lobbyists the expectation is you should all be flush to buy tickets to these events. That is when you are paying for higher gas and utility rates.
Y'er Welcome
Obama
I've never been richer. Life is good. Thanks Mr. Wall.
Obama you are one fu$$ed up person. A Political nightmare!
I still dont understand why Rod allows your bull s7it on here.
Knowing you; Im sure your defence for Adrian Pederson will be a poster stating something like… If you love your kids. You should beat them.
Reginald of Regina
The Plaza is expensive and guys going in are 'favourable" players not "all-time greats".
Sadly, due to lack of foresight the Plaza is dying a slow death.
Obama, LOL..but, can't pin this on Brad Wall, but I would like to. Pinning this on the Riders. Seems like Riders feel that our "well" will never run out and we have money for everything that they put out.
My well is low…so no Plaza tickets or those hideous new jerseys.
Matthew
Great pictures! I really did think that first picture of TH Field was an artist rendering until you pointed out it wasn't
The colours are vivid and images are sharp. Do you mind if I ask what camera you are using?
Thanks! I'm not really sure. I think it's a Canon Powershot 20x Zoom something. I got it at Bird Films for about $399.
Roy Shivers is going to be our version of Jimmy Johnson. Personal grudges will get in the way of what would otherwise be an awesome event.
WITHOUT PREJUDICE @Reginald of Regina, 1) Regarding Adrian Peterson, "Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them." and that's from a higher authority than the people condemning him. You can look it up. 2) The Plaza of Honour and the Lottery are revenue streams. Scott Schultz is NOT in the Plaza so tell me it has any merit? The sole intention of the Plaza back then and now is simply a revenue stream. Labour Day, Plaza weekend, and the Lottery were the biggest revenue streams to which the entire… Read more »
Don't respond to Obama. He is here to stir up hits and more publicity for the blog. He wants you to react and argue. Just ignore and move along.
If Dick Lebeau is finished in Pittsburgh, they have Keith Butler in waiting. Chamblin's not going anywhere
I heard Greg Marshall was offered the job in pit.