THROWIN’ ELBOWS WITH BRENDAN MCGUIRE
1. RIDERS SIGN DUKE WILLIAMS: On the surface, this looks like a direct response from Roughrider management to address Cody Fajardo’s frustration over the Riders lack of a deep threat. This is all about general manager Jeremy O’Day going out and finding Cody a toy. The presence of “Duke” combined with Kyran Moore and the emergence of Kian Schaffer-Baker should give Cody plenty of deep pass options to work with, especially when Shaq Evans returns. It’s all bad news for one Ricardo Louis who, aside from the win at BC, has had minimal impact in the five games that he has started in green and white.
2. FAJARDO POSTGAME RANT SHOWS LEADERSHIP: Cody wasn’t happy with his receivers and he made no bones about it after the Calgary loss. It would be easy to chalk it up as nothing more than an episode of a whiney quarterback pointing the finger at his teammates. However, it could also be interpreted as the on-field leader taking the bull by the horns by showing us all how much he hates losing and won’t accept it. To me, it looked like the latter. It was very Kent Austin-esque.
3. EXPECT RIDERS TO HUNT STAMPS IN REMATCH: The Riders lost at Calgary, in large part, due to the fact they were facing a wounded animal. This week, the cleat will be on the other foot. At home in Saturday’s rematch, expect the green and white to play like a pack of hungry dogs. I like Saskatchewan’s chances.
4. LAUTHER IS CFL’S BEST KICKER: Not because of his field goal kicking accuracy which we know is consistently among the league’s best. But rather, it’s what Brett Lauther did in lining up for not one, not two, not three but FOUR plays in a row. I realize one of the onside kicks wasn’t technically a play because the Stamps called timeout before it happened but since he had to line it up to make Calgary burn its timeout, I still count it. And it all had to be so, so exhausting. Brett Lauther and Jon Ryan are as reliable of a kicking duo as exists anywhere in professional football right now. And much of it has to do with intangibles that don’t show up on a data sheet.
5. CHRIS JONES BACK TO EDMONTON SPECULATION: Edmonton has really been the Evil Empire only from its time under Chris Jones in the past 15 years. Some Elks fans and management are still sore about Jones leaving them so suddenly (sound familiar Rider fans?) after winning Grey Cup 2015. At the time, then-GM Ed Hervey told the fanbase to not get mad because Jones had done his job. And Ed was right. If Edmonton wants Jones but is worried about him bolting, then they can sign him to a three-year contract with no escape clauses. I still don’t expect this to happen as judging by the leadership, or lack-thereof from their general manager, Brock Sutherland, I expect Brock to be far too insecure to allow the always-power-hungry Jones to invade his space. But Chris Jones returning to Edmonton makes a tonne of sense for Elk fans right now. That’s not a shot at their current head coach, Jaime Elizondo. It’s just that everywhere Chris Jones goes, he’s a difference maker. Something the Elks could use these days.
6. THIS WEEK I’M JEALOUS OF: Kian Schaeffer-Baker. Guy is quickly turning into Cody Fajardo’s favorite target. Sky’s the limit for this kid. The watch is on for number 89 jerseys with the name “SHAKE & BAKE” to start turning up around Mosaic Stadium.
7. MEETING JOHN LYNCH: Big thrill for this guy to finally meet John Frenzy. Still sharp as a knife, has that kid-like enthusiasm and was just as excited to tell me about the Rams win he attended earlier that day as he was to see the Riders play. Watched the Calgary game with Lynch and a few others, including Rider past-presidents Tom Shepherd and John Lipp. It was quite touching to see the amount of cursing from them all each time the Riders made a bad play or took a dumb penalty. It’s easy to forget that the people running the team for all these years have been mainly volunteers who love the Roughriders and are fans like the rest of us, even though their official connection has lessened over the years. Frankly, I was more interested in their stories than I was the game. The Riders and their fans owe them a lot.
8. PRINCE ALBERT RAIDERS THIRD JERSEY KIBOSH: I’ve long ridiculed the resistance to change the name of Washington’s football team, Edmonton’s football team and Cleveland’s baseball team. This, however, wasn’t so clear-cut. I’ve never found the RAIDER MAN logo offensive in any way. But at the same time, I’m a straight white-guy who’s never had to live with the realities of a visible minority. I don’t blame the WHL for saying ‘no’ to this. Just like I can’t understand why the Raider organization cannot simply alter the logo into a more cartoonish figure to preserve the beauty of RAIDER MAN without riling up the critics. It’s okay to come up with something new, too.
9. THE HUMBOLDT DRIVER: Jaskirat Sidhu told his story to W5 from prison last week. He’s done nothing but take responsibility and show remorse for the awful accident that happened when he missed a stop sign. Nobody cares about what I think and nor should they. But I would be very disappointed if Sidhu gets deported over this. There is zero evidence of malicious intent and there is no evidence that deporting Mr. Sidhu will help anyone or anything. The families of the victims appear to be divided on this and that’s understandable. I really hope the court doesn’t base its decision on emotions from the families or victims one way or the other. That would make them responsible for our justice system and that would be just plain wrong.
10. TV PICKS THIS WEEK: Still guest-hosting IN THE HUDDLE filling in for Rod with Marshall Hamilton and the ‘POLECAT’ Bob Poley joins us this week, too. I’m just meeting Roughrider legends left, right and centre these days. We’re on ACCESS NOW TV Tuesday night and replays throughout the week. You can catch us on the ACCESS NOW app, too. Watch us!
(Follow Brendan on Twitter at @brendanhowardmc)
Brendan, I will state this. When you write your article I can tell and I believe most people can that you write from a good place in your heart and use your life experience. It’s appreciated if we don’t agree on some topics. To write articles and assign your name is one thing. To write what you’ve put out there today is courage not seen in these parts in some time and it goes away from the group think mentality. Mob and Crowd mentality is a very dangerous thing. Going all the way back to Pontius Pilot and finding no… Read more »
Good on Fajardo to challenge his receivers. Should challenge Maas a bit too. The overall play calling and receivers talent is a bit low I would say. Need Evans back and need to get The Duke goings asap. Then that will open up the other guys quite a bit. Looks good down the stretch for the Riders to mount a end of season string of wins. Maas needs to pick up his game a bit too, so does Fajardo.
with The Duke coming on board and will be a starter, that likely means Picton out (for Evans to start) and Louis out for The Duke to start. That leaves the two good canadians left as starters Shaffer Baker & Lenius and Kyran Moore still in the mix. Three good imports and two good Canadians as the 5 recievers should change the landscape of the riders offense dramatically. Sorry about Picton, he is just really a back up.
Have you driven a Canadian highway lately? Dangerous guys with no regards for the law of the land in command of behemoth rigs. They might wantonly do things any old way back in their old country but Canada has law and order. Break the law, pay the consequences even if it means deportation.
See above. There but for the grace of God go any of us. I truly hope the day you “break the law”, you get a Judge that is black/white and apply the policy just like that as in your world it’s all so simple. It’s where society is going though and you seen in during this pandemic. Compassion, kindness, forgiveness, listening, empathy, extending grace, all that’s out the window in your world. I’ll also let you in on a little secret. First I would never wish this nightmare on anybody and that goes without saying. Having said that one of… Read more »
I know what I speak! I broke the law (convicted of criminal negligence) as a teenager that cost a friend. Judge was black/white to Canadian law. Im grateful to that to this very day, judgment excepted. Bottom line, you break the rule and law of the land, you pay the consequences whatever the end result may be. Judicial laws are written in black and white not subject to alteration, no exceptions.
Spoken like a person without Clue 1. First of all you speak without being able to listen which is a problem. Once you conquer listening then you’ll be able to actually hear something. This my friend is why courts take into account such things as mitigating circumstances, Gladue commissions, arbitration, mediation, inmate reports, psychiatric assessments, parole probabilities, etc and all those fun things come into play when deciding outcomes. This is balance with not only how you balance victim rights, offender reintegration, and societal balance. I listened and observed in 2011 a big mouth Dad of one of those victims… Read more »
Believe me I ran the gauntlet of the Canadian Judicial system as a very young man including the Gladue decision, my sentence, my lockup, my parole-denied). I heard it all loud and clear as a teenager and I accepted. I wasn’t entitled to anything beyond that, didn’t cry about it, I broke the law of the land and paid the consequences. I live with that most everyday. So please don’t try to know till you’ve walked the walk.
So what are you getting at? I literally have not a clue at what you’re arriving at for this. You seem like a snitch or a prison bitch so my guess is time on the ‘ol P.A range wasn’t spent passing the time carving chess pieces and laundering money for a Warden all while dispensing wisdom in a Shawshank-esque manner.
Point is the kid made a mistake – 1. He gets a pass and it’s time served. Get on with life.
Hey, and c’mon let’s just cut to the chase and be honest. We’re in Saskatchewan, it’s Mississippi North as I’ve stated on this blog since 2007.
You want this guy out of the country due to well….ya know so let’s just cut to the chase about and be honest.
Cody is correct, needs plays to he made. But when you miss two wide open sure TD throws (Lafrance and Moore) better hush up! He’s missed a few of those this year…..