THROWIN’ ELBOWS WITH BRENDAN MCGUIRE
1. IN 2020, RIDERS NEED TO IMPROVE MOST AT: Damn near nothing. But the red zone offence was always a bit finicky. Wasn’t a big deal on most nights as they got just enough for what they needed in the end. But it really cost them in the west final. Maybe solidifying that running back position with a 2nd strong import to back up William Powell and some screen passes in new Offensive Coordinator Jason Maas’s game-plan would go a long way to opening up options near the goal-line.
2. MONTREAL HITS ANOTHER HOMERUN: Danny Maciocia is the Alouettes new General Manager and he knows the league inside and out. Good person. Good talent evaluator and understands the need to develop Canadian quarterbacks. Hopefully his presence around the league will translate into more political will in mandating better opportunities for home-grown QB’s. And he’s bilingual, too. Montrealers are nice people and appreciate it when their home team makes an effort to communicate with its fanbase.
3. THE YEAR OF DO-OR-DIE FOR ATLANTIC SCHOONERS: You can only the keep the flame burning for so long. There are deep-pocketed owners ready, willing and able. The city and the province need to decide if this something they want or not. I hear a lot of grumbling about the maritime economy being so poor. Nothing can uplift and unite a region in hard economic times more than a CFL team. We’ve learned that here in Saskatchewan over the past 50 years or so. The door is wide open and the iron is hot. But it won’t be that way for much longer.
4. IF/WHEN HALIFAX EXPANSION FAILS: The CFL really needs a 10th franchise for scheduling reasons but also to penetrate TV markets that currently aren’t all that engaged. There’s a pocket of about 1 million people in Southern Ontario who would get more into it if a franchise were to pop up in London, Ontario. But the big payoff would come by way of a team plunked in Quebec City. Not much smaller than Winnipeg and it would give a city starved for pro sports something to get excited about. Just imagine what it could do for the Montreal Alouettes to have a rivalry like that! Not to mention the fact the NHL has made it painfully clear they won’t be going to Quebec City any time soon.
5. GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE XFL’S TIMING: Former NFL players Terry Donohue and Jeff Richards have chosen the CFL over the XFL. What that tells me is the XFL 2.0 isn’t nearly as appetizing as XFL 1.0 was some 19 years ago. Two reasons for this: A) Everyone can see through the hype and remember how this all ended the first time. B) The memory of last year’s Alliance of American Football failure during the season is fresh in everyone’s mind. The CFL needn’t worry about any talent drain this time around. And coaches like Jaime Elizondo will be back in Canada before long. This too shall pass.
6. COLLEGE FOOTBALL HYPE: In watching the U.S. College Football Championship game between LSU and Clemson as I wrote this column, I couldn’t help but cringe at the halftime ovation for football legend Jim Brown. This guy has a long history of abusing women and is not a saint worthy of such admiration. He’s a loser.
7. REDBLACKS FUMBLED QUARTERBACK MESS: So General Manager Marcel Desjardins wouldn’t get off his wallet to pay the proven Trevor Harris but now WILL get off his wallet to pay the unproven Nick Arbuckle? And the Redblacks will cough up a 1st round draft pick, too? Lucky for Desjardins, he has genius Paul LaPolice in there to clean up the ugly quarterback mess that he (Desjardins) created.
8. TERRY FOX ON $5 BILL: Of course, he should be on there! How is this even a debate?
9. ASTROS CHEATING SCANDAL: General Manager Jeff Luhnow was all-too-happy to see his former colleagues in the St. Louis Cardinal front-office punished for stealing his information. He was warned and should’ve known better. He got what he deserved and so did everyone else who’s being punished.
10. TIM HORTONS NEW COMMERCIAL: Does anyone on this planet really think that Wayne Gretzky actually got an autograph from Tim Horton? Pllleeeaaase!
(Follow Brendan on Twitter at @brendanhowardmc)
1. They’re 1-3 in playoff games the past 3 years. 1st place didn’t change anything. So – improvement necessary. With new (better) coaches in BC & Edmonton, some insiders are already saying BC is improved, Calgary & Edmonton look like teams to beat. Why? Riders are old. They better improve because the other teams aren’t standing still. IMO they need to upgrade OL, could use a better backup QB, need more weapons at receiver – Arcenaux, maybe Roosevelt, need to be replaced. DL with 32 year old Henry, an ineffective Evans & ancient Hughes who the past 2 years was… Read more »
Randall says: “the new $5 bill”. I was thinking maybe Bobby Orr or Paul Henderson, but I like your suggestion of Terry Fox. I would definitely support Terry Fox. That’s a keeper for sure.
Thanks Brendan, 1) The Roughriders always strive for improvement so when the final game happens I have no doubt barring a catastrophe they will be fine. We never know who or what is coming to camp but what gets lost in the shuffle is Paul Jones addition to the organization. He kept Edmonton’s cupboards stocked for decades, he’ll do the same here. O’Day grinded and has contacts so there is no worry about not finding players. Not on my end anyway. 2) Montreal finally is back! – those hires were incredible because they give the Alouettes that much needed bilingual… Read more »
Sorry Jerry, but being bilingual doesn’t win anyone games on the field of play. Montreal finally is back. Sorry again Jerry, but that’s to be determined moving forward, could be a disaster or can be a success, we’ll find out soon cant wait. It’s going to a good season in the CFL 2020 it seems.
I should clarify – how I view CFL success is it will always come down to QB, Canadians, Kicking game – when you put Danny Maciocia in that job it essentially creates a pipeline of Canadian/Quebec talent heading to that team. All things being equal, but you could get situations where those french guys tell CFL teams don’t bother drafting them as they’re only going to Montreal. There’s more to it than that, but it appears to be a real coupe. The other thing I like about that hire is Danny Maciocia’s assistant was Anthony Calvillo and he has close… Read more »
Maybe on Paul Jones. Paul Jones with the Eskimos worked out of his home in the Southern US. He scouts pretty much exclusively in that area. The Eskimos “cupboard” was pretty bare between 2005 – 2013. Hunter, the Western scout for them then was responsible for Ray, Nichols, Sherritt etc. The QB Paul Jones brought on board was Lefors. So there are mixed results there. A lot of talent came out of the Northwest pipeline, same area BC got Reilly. His influence is a little overrated though he is an excellent scout in his region but, as far as I… Read more »
I got my NHL hero’s autograph too, just like Wayne Gretzky with Tim Horton [RIP] at Tim Hortons coffee shop. My NHL hero at that time was Danny’s Donuts, good player, great player, skate like the wind, on par with Bobby Orr. Still have that autograph in my cherished scrapbook my papa kept just for me.
Head down amateur player Zack Kassian should shut the hell up, hes not NHL caliber. He cost the Oilers a game and that’s unacceptable in the professional hockey ranks. What the hell is he doing in the NHL anyway? Oh yeah, Zack Kassian a charity case, a charity case who has to exit the game through team release or by indefinite league suspension.
Good column, good takes, Brendan.
Totally correct about #10 Brendan. I always thought Wayne’s hero was Gordie Howe anyway. Trouble is, we have no way of proving or disproving it.