THE (TUESDAY) MORNING GOALIE

RANDOM NOTES BEFORE SOME INVESTIGATIVE STUFF:

* Thanks for waiting until Tuesday for the MMG.  This blogger took Monday morning off to savour the Riders’ 29-25 win over BC in the CFL Western Semifinal before heading in to do the radio show.  It was a nice feeling.  And also a sense of vindication for those of us who defend Darian Durant to the end of the eart.  Darian won the game.  Ask his teammates.

* Speaking of the outcome on Sunday, oddsmakers had the Riders as 4.5-point favourites.  The Riders won by four, meaning BC covered.

* The odds have not yet been set for this weekend’s CFL West Division Final between the Roughriders and Stampeders at McMahon Stadium.  My guess?  The Stamps will wind up being favoured by 4- to 5-points.

* You did not, and will not, here us criticize anybody for staying away from the Western Semifinal two days ago.  Those were the most unpleasant conditions I’ve ever felt in the broadcast booth for any game.  My binoculars froze (making it quite difficult to call the game), Carm’s coffee froze, EVERYTHING FROZE!  In the end it was great to be there, but it was miserable all at the same time.  There was a very small trickle of heat coming out of the vent under our desk and in commercial breaks, Carm Carteri laid below the desk to try to warm up a smidgeon:

* WE NEED A DOME!  At the very least, we need a new stadium.  Which we’re getting.  But the chatter on the streets is so predictable in this town; in the summer people don’t want a dome and in the fall/winter they do.  For me, I’m willing to sacrifice seven nice-weather games in order to be under a roof for the three in bad weather.  That’s right, dome it.  I believe that’s what will happen in the end.

* I’m amazed how many people haven’t actually seen the design for our new stadium yet.  I showed a lot of the Lions staff and Vancouver media this photo over the weekend.  With the seats enclosed, this would have been ideal for Sunday, keeping out the 25 km/h north wind which made things almost unbearable.  That’s the Brandt Centre at the 11:00 position of the image.

* I’m a Never Say Never guy but I firmly believe the CFL will never move the season up to start June 1 despite the fact that’s what we all want.  They maintain ticket sales and TV ratings suck in the summer months and that’s the number-one road block.  Also, I’m sure, the Stanley Cup playoffs factor into this but I’m not sure how much.

* The early forecast for Sundays’ West Division Final in Calgary is somewhere around -3 degrees and I’m told the long-range projection for Grey Cup Week in Regina is around -2.!

* The Stamps and Riders have met nine times in the West Division Final with Calgary holding a 5-4 edge.

* It didn’t take long after the Riders’ win over BC for fans to turn their attention to the Stampeders.  As I was walking down the ramps after the game one guy yelled, “You tell the coaches that if they can’t stop Cornish, we’re dead next week!”  Man, the Riders should hire this guy.

* I’ve never had so many people say to me, “Hey can you get this message to the coaches??” and then offer some sort of tactical advice.  It’s like that seen in Slapshot where the fan tells coach Reggie Dunlop in the Aces nightclub, “Hey coach you gotta get your powerplay workin’!”  Paul Newman just winks and says, “Yah we’re workin’ on it”.

* You’re not going to hear much trash-talking in the media between these teams leading up to the game.  On the SportsCage on Monday, Rider GM Brendan Taman said “We’re honoured to share the field with them”.  Although these two franchises loathe each other from top to bottom, you won’t read or hear about it until after the game.

* The football gods have a clever bunch.  They can be cruel.  They can be kind.  They definitely have a sense of humour.  But they always get it right in the end and that’s why the 2013 Final Four in the CFL features not only the four best teams, but also the two best rivalries in the league (Hamilton at Toronto and Saskatchewan at Calgary).  Now, do the football gods agree that the best story line is having Kent Austin, Henry Burris and the Ticats take on the Roughriders in the Grey Cup in Regina?  We’ll know in a matter of days.  I’m on pins and needles with the suspense.

* The Stampeders were the hottest team in the CFL in the second half, going 7-2.  The Riders were one of the worst at 3-6 but now they have momentum on their side.

* Bridesmaids: No team in the CFL has finished second more times since 1936 than the Saskatchewan Roughriders.  They’ve done it 20 times.

* Sunday’s overtime game in the Eastern Semifinal is only the 10th OT game in CFL playoff history but it was the fourth in the past five years!

* Rider quarterback Darian Durant had personal bests this season in passer rating, interception percentage and touchdown passes.  He’s the first Rider to lead the league in TD passes (31) since Kent Austin in 1992.

* Watched the TSN telecast of Sunday’s WSF again and commentator Rod Black noted the Riders are notorious slow starters but are strong finishers.  I guess I’d rather have that than the other way around.  The Roughriders averaged three points in the first quarter and were -30 against their opponents in that regard, however +118 over the final 45 minutes.  They also outscored the opposition 203-85 in the second quarter.

* This is Geroy Simon’s 14th consecutive season in the playoffs.  He just had to get out of Winnipeg.  But you know it felt extra sweet for him to knock the Lions, and GM Wally Buono who deemed him expendable, out of the playoffs.

***

Speaking of Geroy, I had a great chance to discuss him with former Rider and Lion Jason Clermont over the weekend at the CJFL press conference and luncheon in advance of Saturday’s Canadian Bowl.  Clermont knows a thing or two about coming to Saskatchewan late in your career and not getting the ball as much as you’d like.  I asked him if he sees a parallel between himself and Geroy.

“I think that every football player has a life cycle,” Clermont noted.  “For Geroy to still be able to do what he does, he could have very easily been done with the Lions and never played football again, but there were still some records that he had to perform, come in and break, and help the football team win football games.  A lot guys on the back-end of their careers aren’t able to perform like that so my hat’s off to Geroy for being such an ironman and a pro.”

What about Clermont’s own frustration in Regina?  He toiled for three years here (2009, 2010 and 2011) and was never a big part of the offense.  Did his overtime touchdown catch in 2010 against BC in the Western Semifinal in Regina vindicate everything?

“The Grey Cup appearances in 2009 and 2010 did,” Clermont said.  “It’s very convenient for me to say I should have played more and should’ve got the ball more but in 09 and 2010 that wasn’t necessary because we won games.  People sometimes lose sight of the fact it’s a team game and guys want to contribute but when you’re winning, you’re obviously doing enough.  I was happy with those two years but would’ve liked to have been more involved in 2011.”

Well said.

***

And, speaking of Clermont, Calgary Stampeders centre Brett Jones is figuring to be the reincarnation of JC.  Rider fans are upset the Roughriders passed on the Weyburn product in the first round of the 2013 CFL Draft, which allowed him to go to the rival Stamps.  It’s a little like 2003 when Rider fans vilified GM Roy Shivers for allowing Ottawa to take Clermont #3 overall in the Draft.  I’m no Shivers fan, but I’m still trying to figure out what Rider fans wanted him to do?

Anyways I got Rider GM Brendan Taman to explain how/why they passed on Jones in the first round of this year’s Draft.

“It was a long process getting ready for the draft but to specifically answer your question, we thought highly of Brett.  We really did,” Taman reflected.  “And he was going to be our pick.  What was a little nerve-wracking was the medical school situation that got brought to a head near the end of the draft situation.

“I think it was the weekend before the draft that it was sort of ‘I want to play football but I’m trying to get into medical school’ situation.  We just felt with the fourth pick overall, if we pick him, and he ends up going to medical school, we’re going to be in a no-win situation.”

The rumour is the night before the Draft, Jones declared his intentions to pursue a degree in Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan.  That scared the Riders off.

“His ability was never questioned, Taman continued.  “He was our pick for the longest part of the off-season but once the decision had to be made, we backed off because of the med school uncertainty.  When we have the fourth pick, if you don’t go kid’s going to play football, which we didn’t know, I don’t think you can make that pick.  Hypothetically if he wound up going to medical school, I think there would have been a lot of people upset that we just blew a pick.  In hindsight, it wasn’t a blown pick but you can’t be Kreskin and try to read all this because you don’t know.”

So the Riders would do the exact same thing all over again?

“No question,” Taman confirmed.  “With the 10th, 11th, 18th pick, you can make that risk.  We didn’t feel with the 4th pick we could.  Everybody’s going to see that Corey Watman didn’t play so what’s the big deal but Watman will have a future here just like Brett will have a future in Calgary.  That’s the way the draft goes.”

***

Finally, please consider entering a team in Football Saskatchewan’s Corporate Challenge Flag Football event during Grey Cup Week!  I’m passing along this info from Mike Thomas for your consideration.  To register visit their website at www.footballsaskatchewan.ca:

Victoria Park, Downtown Regina
Wed – Fri 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Sat 9:00am – 1pm (Playoffs & Finals)

The Football Saskatchewan Corporate Challenge Cup in support of amateur football in the province

• Teams of 12 (minimum 3 men and 3 women), compete in a minimum of 3 flag football games (max of 6 games) that challenge the mind, body and sense of humour.
• Teams are required to pay $2,000 for the team registration fee.
• Event participants must be 19 years of age or older.  Each participant receives an event long sleeve shirt, a tailgate lunch on Saturday, water and a gift package.
• The event will attract over 175 participants and volunteers in its inaugural year
• Various prizes will be awarded for the tournament winners, the top fundraising team and individual and teams with the best office cheer team and spirit
• There will be statisticians, officials, a dedicated Corporate Challenge Cup Website (updated after each game), a championship trophy and photographer on hand.
• An excellent way for corporate/ association team building and to create team camaraderie in the workplace.
• This is a great opportunity to have some fun with friends or co-workers while supporting a very worthy children’s charity

Tournament Rules
1. Team Rosters will consist of a maximum 12 players.
2. Games will be 5 v 5 with a minimum of 2 of the opposite sex on the field at all times.
3. Games will be 30 minutes Straight Time.
4. Playing surface is a Fieldturf courtesy of CN Rail.
5. Teams will be given 3 downs to score.
6. No cleats may be worn.
7. Rusher may rush as soon as ball is snapped from the 7 yard bean bag.
8. Touchdowns will count for 7 points and No Converts will be attempted.
9. In the event of a tie each team will select a player to throw a ball into a target. The player that takes the fewest attempts to hit the target wins the game for their team. If the players tie they will try from a further distance.
10. Team 1 will be the dark colored team and Team 2 will be the light colored team.
11. Canadian Amateur Flag Football Rules will be followed. No Flag Guarding, No Jumping or Diving, No Laterals Downfield.
12. The QB cannot run with the ball, a player that receives a handoff may throw or run if behind the line of scrimmage.
12. HAVE FUN!!

THAT’S A LOT.  Thanks for stopping by and we’ll see you in the SportsCage at 4:00 pm.  Enjoy West Division Final week!
RP
@sportscage