Friday, October 26, 2007
Friday, September 28, 2007
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
12 games into the CFL season
And you get even more CFL rankings!
A British Columbia Lions 4-1-1 (8-3-1)
The British Columbia Lions are just like old man river, they keep rolling along. I predicted doom and gloom for the Lions when they had to rely on Jarious Jackson to carry the load with the injuries to Pierce and Dickensen, but he has surprised everyone with his stellar play and the Lions have actually got a better record in the second third than the first! I see them as Grey Cup champions.
A- Winnipeg Blue Bombers 4-2 (7-4-1)
Winnipeg may have some struggles now, with Kevin Glenn shook up in the last couple of games. It will be interesting to see how the team adapts.
A- Calgary Stampeders 3-2-1 (6-5-1).
Their record in the last six is deceiving, Calgary lost the first game of the last 6 and the last game, in the middle they were 3-0-1. The turning point for them this third may well be the tie they had with BC, now a new turning point is the injury to Henry Burris, who is out for at least two weeks with a separated shoulder to his non throwing arm. Those two games are away to BC and home to the Riders, the two teams they are competing for the top spots in the West for. Akili Smith will be starting for Calgary in those two games and he needs to have a couple of good games to recover what so far is a poor first year.
B- Edmonton Eskimos 3-3 (5-6-1)
The Eskimos could pull off some sort of an upset by making the playoffs. They have been an up and down team this season and only got to 3-3 this third by beating Montreal twice in a row. Losses to Saskatchewan and two to Calgary did not help their playoff chances.
C+ Toronto Argonauts 3-3 (5-7)
Let's see, they have beaten Hamilton twice, and Winnipeg once for their three wins, and lost to the top team in the East and the top two in the West, beating Hamilton is not an achievement, not losing to them is. The team still looks weak but could make a run for 2nd place. They play Edmonton (twice), Montreal (twice) and Winnipeg and Saskatchewan once each, I can see another 3-3 or 2-4 third for them coming up.
C Montreal Alouettes 3-3 (6-6)
The Alouettes have beaten BC and Calgary, but lost twice to the Eskimos and were blown out by BC once. This is a team searching for their starting quarterback, Anthony Calvillo has been hurt and I am not sure that Marcus Brady is the man to lead them.
C- Saskatchewan Roughriders 3-3 (7-5)
I don't know what to say about the Heartbreakers of the CFL, 3 weeks ago they were 7-2 and looked like they were home and dried off for the playoffs, now they are 7-5 and only because of a missed call by refs in the Hamilton-Stampeders game did they not fall to third place. Their defence went to pot, their offence started to not show up, the team really looks like it is falling off the rails.
D Hamilton TigerCats 1-5 (2-10)
Hamilton won another game, this time with their new number one QB Casey Printers sidelined with an injury. This means they have lost both their best quarterback and best running back this year. They might win two more, depending on how Saskatchewan plays in the home and home series.
A British Columbia Lions 4-1-1 (8-3-1)
The British Columbia Lions are just like old man river, they keep rolling along. I predicted doom and gloom for the Lions when they had to rely on Jarious Jackson to carry the load with the injuries to Pierce and Dickensen, but he has surprised everyone with his stellar play and the Lions have actually got a better record in the second third than the first! I see them as Grey Cup champions.
A- Winnipeg Blue Bombers 4-2 (7-4-1)
Winnipeg may have some struggles now, with Kevin Glenn shook up in the last couple of games. It will be interesting to see how the team adapts.
A- Calgary Stampeders 3-2-1 (6-5-1).
Their record in the last six is deceiving, Calgary lost the first game of the last 6 and the last game, in the middle they were 3-0-1. The turning point for them this third may well be the tie they had with BC, now a new turning point is the injury to Henry Burris, who is out for at least two weeks with a separated shoulder to his non throwing arm. Those two games are away to BC and home to the Riders, the two teams they are competing for the top spots in the West for. Akili Smith will be starting for Calgary in those two games and he needs to have a couple of good games to recover what so far is a poor first year.
B- Edmonton Eskimos 3-3 (5-6-1)
The Eskimos could pull off some sort of an upset by making the playoffs. They have been an up and down team this season and only got to 3-3 this third by beating Montreal twice in a row. Losses to Saskatchewan and two to Calgary did not help their playoff chances.
C+ Toronto Argonauts 3-3 (5-7)
Let's see, they have beaten Hamilton twice, and Winnipeg once for their three wins, and lost to the top team in the East and the top two in the West, beating Hamilton is not an achievement, not losing to them is. The team still looks weak but could make a run for 2nd place. They play Edmonton (twice), Montreal (twice) and Winnipeg and Saskatchewan once each, I can see another 3-3 or 2-4 third for them coming up.
C Montreal Alouettes 3-3 (6-6)
The Alouettes have beaten BC and Calgary, but lost twice to the Eskimos and were blown out by BC once. This is a team searching for their starting quarterback, Anthony Calvillo has been hurt and I am not sure that Marcus Brady is the man to lead them.
C- Saskatchewan Roughriders 3-3 (7-5)
I don't know what to say about the Heartbreakers of the CFL, 3 weeks ago they were 7-2 and looked like they were home and dried off for the playoffs, now they are 7-5 and only because of a missed call by refs in the Hamilton-Stampeders game did they not fall to third place. Their defence went to pot, their offence started to not show up, the team really looks like it is falling off the rails.
D Hamilton TigerCats 1-5 (2-10)
Hamilton won another game, this time with their new number one QB Casey Printers sidelined with an injury. This means they have lost both their best quarterback and best running back this year. They might win two more, depending on how Saskatchewan plays in the home and home series.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Friday, August 17, 2007
One third of the season in
It is about time I talked some CFL is it not? I thought I would give some report cards for the 8 teams in the CFL
A British Columbia Lions
4-2-0
The could easily be 6-0 except for a couple of ifs. If Dave Dickenson had not been hurt against Saskatchewan and if Buck Pierce had not been hurt in the same game, I think they would be rolling to the Grey Cup. Instead, they lost both and are in a dogfight for first place. BCs defence seems strong, they are stingy against the run and are a team of ballhawks. They are still the best team in the CFL. My biggest concern is the health of Dickenson, if he gets hurt again, he could wind up permanently damaged, how many concussions are enough?
A- Winnipeg Blue Bombers
3-2-1
Winnipeg has built a team that went 5-13 two years ago to a team with 3 wins in their first 6 games this year. They lead the CFL East with 7 points and should be the favourite to come out of the East. Kevin Glenn has gone from being the backup in Saskatchewan to being the best starter in the CFL this year. Their defence is solid. Only the team's failure to show up against Hamilton stops them from being an A or better. Their early season shakiness against Edmonton has not helped either.
B Saskatchewan Roughriders
4-2-0
I would love to give them an A+ after they beat BC, but their poor showing against Edmonton in Week 4 (no points in the second half?) and getting blown out by BC in Week 3 show that Saskatchewan still has some room to grow. The strength of the Riders is their defence, leading or second in the league in 20 of 25 categories. The offence seems to be suspect once in awhile with Kerry Joseph not really convincing me yet he can take the Riders all the way. Wes Cates has proven an unexpected surprise for a run happy team.
C- Edmonton Eskimos
2-3-1
Edmonton is a bit of an anomaly, they have beaten or tied teams better teams than they are, but the next week they fail to show up. I still don't know if their 21-20 win over Saskatchewan was due to amazing defence or a complete collapse by the Green Riders. The Edmonton defence has done nothing, last or near the bottom in every category (except yards allowed). You never know which team is going to show up the bad one, or the really bad one.
D+ Hamilton Tiger-Cats
1-5-0
The Ti-Cats are a tough team to judge, Jesse Lumsden is going to be a superstar in this league, he has rushed for 600 yards on 67 carries, too bad the rest of the team looks so bad. The constant misuse of Corey Holmes makes me wonder about the sanity of the teams offensive coordinator. Hamilton has to make some adjustments to their defence to win some games.
D Montreal Alouettes
3-3-0
Now you might be wondering why I placed a 3-3 team beneath the 1-5 Ticats, there is only one reason why the teams below Hamilton are scored worse, they have better teams than Hamilton, they are just underperforming. Montreal may be .500 but the teams they have beaten have a combined record of 3-9! Montreal has looked awful, they seem to be too old and slow to compete against the top teams in the league anymore. Jarret Payton may change all that, another great rusher in the East may help take the pressure off this team, otherwise they will be a mediocre team in the weaker division.
D Toronto Argonauts
2-4-0
Toronto does have an excuse, they tried to go back to the Damon Allen well one too many times, now he is too old and hurt to play, Michael Bishop is hurt, Mike McMahon doesn't have the confidence of the coaches, which leaves Rocky Butler, the 3rd string QB from Saskatchewan 2 years ago (see Kevin Glenn). Toronto prides itself on it's defence, which it better, because until Butler gets comfortable steering, or Bishop gets back, they are going to be fighting Hamilton for the basement.
D- Calgary Stampeders
3-3-0
I don't understand this team at all. They have arguably the CFL's most exciting quarterback (and probably the 2nd best) in Henry Burris, a recieving corps most teams would kill for, one of the top three RBs in Joffrey Reynolds and a defence that couldn't stop a granny with a walker. Calgary used to have a great defence, did a year make that much difference? They have beaten nobody of note, blowing out Toronto and Hamilton is meaningless and the only important game they won was against Edmonton. I was tempted to mark them an F, because they are a grossly underperforming team. Calgary should be 4-2 or 5-1, instead they are .500.
Now a first third Grey Cup prediction, Saskatchewan vs Winnipeg in the Banjo Bowl, with Saskatchewan winning with a Luca Congi field goal, unless Dickenson gets healthy, then it is a Lions cup.
A British Columbia Lions
4-2-0
The could easily be 6-0 except for a couple of ifs. If Dave Dickenson had not been hurt against Saskatchewan and if Buck Pierce had not been hurt in the same game, I think they would be rolling to the Grey Cup. Instead, they lost both and are in a dogfight for first place. BCs defence seems strong, they are stingy against the run and are a team of ballhawks. They are still the best team in the CFL. My biggest concern is the health of Dickenson, if he gets hurt again, he could wind up permanently damaged, how many concussions are enough?
A- Winnipeg Blue Bombers
3-2-1
Winnipeg has built a team that went 5-13 two years ago to a team with 3 wins in their first 6 games this year. They lead the CFL East with 7 points and should be the favourite to come out of the East. Kevin Glenn has gone from being the backup in Saskatchewan to being the best starter in the CFL this year. Their defence is solid. Only the team's failure to show up against Hamilton stops them from being an A or better. Their early season shakiness against Edmonton has not helped either.
B Saskatchewan Roughriders
4-2-0
I would love to give them an A+ after they beat BC, but their poor showing against Edmonton in Week 4 (no points in the second half?) and getting blown out by BC in Week 3 show that Saskatchewan still has some room to grow. The strength of the Riders is their defence, leading or second in the league in 20 of 25 categories. The offence seems to be suspect once in awhile with Kerry Joseph not really convincing me yet he can take the Riders all the way. Wes Cates has proven an unexpected surprise for a run happy team.
C- Edmonton Eskimos
2-3-1
Edmonton is a bit of an anomaly, they have beaten or tied teams better teams than they are, but the next week they fail to show up. I still don't know if their 21-20 win over Saskatchewan was due to amazing defence or a complete collapse by the Green Riders. The Edmonton defence has done nothing, last or near the bottom in every category (except yards allowed). You never know which team is going to show up the bad one, or the really bad one.
D+ Hamilton Tiger-Cats
1-5-0
The Ti-Cats are a tough team to judge, Jesse Lumsden is going to be a superstar in this league, he has rushed for 600 yards on 67 carries, too bad the rest of the team looks so bad. The constant misuse of Corey Holmes makes me wonder about the sanity of the teams offensive coordinator. Hamilton has to make some adjustments to their defence to win some games.
D Montreal Alouettes
3-3-0
Now you might be wondering why I placed a 3-3 team beneath the 1-5 Ticats, there is only one reason why the teams below Hamilton are scored worse, they have better teams than Hamilton, they are just underperforming. Montreal may be .500 but the teams they have beaten have a combined record of 3-9! Montreal has looked awful, they seem to be too old and slow to compete against the top teams in the league anymore. Jarret Payton may change all that, another great rusher in the East may help take the pressure off this team, otherwise they will be a mediocre team in the weaker division.
D Toronto Argonauts
2-4-0
Toronto does have an excuse, they tried to go back to the Damon Allen well one too many times, now he is too old and hurt to play, Michael Bishop is hurt, Mike McMahon doesn't have the confidence of the coaches, which leaves Rocky Butler, the 3rd string QB from Saskatchewan 2 years ago (see Kevin Glenn). Toronto prides itself on it's defence, which it better, because until Butler gets comfortable steering, or Bishop gets back, they are going to be fighting Hamilton for the basement.
D- Calgary Stampeders
3-3-0
I don't understand this team at all. They have arguably the CFL's most exciting quarterback (and probably the 2nd best) in Henry Burris, a recieving corps most teams would kill for, one of the top three RBs in Joffrey Reynolds and a defence that couldn't stop a granny with a walker. Calgary used to have a great defence, did a year make that much difference? They have beaten nobody of note, blowing out Toronto and Hamilton is meaningless and the only important game they won was against Edmonton. I was tempted to mark them an F, because they are a grossly underperforming team. Calgary should be 4-2 or 5-1, instead they are .500.
Now a first third Grey Cup prediction, Saskatchewan vs Winnipeg in the Banjo Bowl, with Saskatchewan winning with a Luca Congi field goal, unless Dickenson gets healthy, then it is a Lions cup.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Strange Double think
1. The left equates Bush with Hitler and attacks his support of Israel.
2. It bridles at the charge that it is antisemitic and singles out the world's only Jewish state for universal condemnation.
3. It says that the president has shredded the Constitution and that it is is a living document.
4. It accuses the president of going into Iraq for oil, and it also accuses him of destroying the infrastructure of Iraq.
5. It says that corporations are evil, and it relies on their inventions and products like everyone else.
6. It calls America a racist, genocidal state, and it attacks the administration for squandering our international reputation.
7. It says that the debate about global warming is over and refuses to debate challengers.
8. The left is for women's rights and for cultures that see things differently.
9. It says that the term "colored people" is racist and that we should say "people of color" instead.
10. It says that globalization is bad and that international cooperation is good.
11. Whenever President Bush invokes the memory of 9/11, the left calls him a fear monger, and it also insists that a catastrophic climate change is coming soon.
12. It says that the president is out of touch with reality and that he conspires with evil masterminds to grab as much imperial power as he can.
13. The left sees portents of a Christian theocracy behind every Christmas creche, and it will call you a bigot twice over if you say that jihadists are Islamic kamikaze killers.
14. It says that we cannot win in Iraq but that we can destroy the planet.
15. The left wants to stop us from promoting abstinence as the ideal means of birth and STD control, but mandates forcing tobacco companies to advertise non-smoking among teens because it is sure to result in fewer smokers.
16. The left wants us to surrender in the war against terror in Iraq because it is a long and costly venture, but also wants us to keep on fighting the war on poverty which has so far cost trillions ($12 trillion, according to some estimates) and is now in its 5 th decade.
17. The left wants us to believe the same government that does such a good job running veterans' healthcare, public education, social security, and immigration is going to really do a great job running a nationalized healthcare system.
18. It hates religion -- except for Islam, which can do no wrong.
From Wicked Thoughts
2. It bridles at the charge that it is antisemitic and singles out the world's only Jewish state for universal condemnation.
3. It says that the president has shredded the Constitution and that it is is a living document.
4. It accuses the president of going into Iraq for oil, and it also accuses him of destroying the infrastructure of Iraq.
5. It says that corporations are evil, and it relies on their inventions and products like everyone else.
6. It calls America a racist, genocidal state, and it attacks the administration for squandering our international reputation.
7. It says that the debate about global warming is over and refuses to debate challengers.
8. The left is for women's rights and for cultures that see things differently.
9. It says that the term "colored people" is racist and that we should say "people of color" instead.
10. It says that globalization is bad and that international cooperation is good.
11. Whenever President Bush invokes the memory of 9/11, the left calls him a fear monger, and it also insists that a catastrophic climate change is coming soon.
12. It says that the president is out of touch with reality and that he conspires with evil masterminds to grab as much imperial power as he can.
13. The left sees portents of a Christian theocracy behind every Christmas creche, and it will call you a bigot twice over if you say that jihadists are Islamic kamikaze killers.
14. It says that we cannot win in Iraq but that we can destroy the planet.
15. The left wants to stop us from promoting abstinence as the ideal means of birth and STD control, but mandates forcing tobacco companies to advertise non-smoking among teens because it is sure to result in fewer smokers.
16. The left wants us to surrender in the war against terror in Iraq because it is a long and costly venture, but also wants us to keep on fighting the war on poverty which has so far cost trillions ($12 trillion, according to some estimates) and is now in its 5 th decade.
17. The left wants us to believe the same government that does such a good job running veterans' healthcare, public education, social security, and immigration is going to really do a great job running a nationalized healthcare system.
18. It hates religion -- except for Islam, which can do no wrong.
From Wicked Thoughts
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