Incredible Amazing Season

The Saskatchewan Roughriders hosted the 101st Grey Cup.  As good fortune would have it they also played in the game verses the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.  One of the story lines through the week was the number of players/coaches on each team that had at one time been a part of the other.  The Riders established the tone of the game by early in the second quarter.  The Tiger-Cats did manage to pull within two scores late in the third quarter but the final outcome was never in doubt.  Final score:  Saskatchewan Roughriders 45, Hamilton Tiger-Cats 23.

The aerial view of the game showed a sea of green.  Tom Hanks and Martin Short were two of an almost non-existent fan base.

There are many teams that are known for their fans and for having a unique fan experience at their games, but nothing compares to the Rider Nation.  The Riders are the largest draw as a visiting team and games involving the Riders get the highest television ratings.  There have been away games where Rider fans have outnumbered the home team fans.  I have attended games where 25,000 (yes pre-stadium expansion days) were louder than some NFL games I attended.  There are no words that completely describe the emotion for Rider fans witnessing such a great win at home against a team filled with so many "turn-coats."  The effects of the win will resound throughout the province until next seasons Grey Cup game.  The Roughriders are a part of the fabric that makes the province.  The Riders are a way of life.  I have met former CFL players and when I mention Saskatchewan the immediate response is that the fans are dedicated, knowledgeable, and crazy.  Either you are a Rider fan, or you wish you were.

Congratulations Roughriders and congratulations to the province of Saskatchewan!  Enjoy the spoils of victory and soak in the rewards of being champions.

Roughriders Going to the Grey Cup

The Saskatchewan Roughriders will be hosting the 101st Grey Cup.  After defeating the Calgary Stampeders in the Western Finals the Riders will be attending this dance along with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.  The two teams had similar records and stats.  To add to the drama  Henry Burris, Andy Fantuz, and Luca Congi all played for the Riders in the past.  Hamilton coach Kent Austin was the Roughrider quarterback in their 1989 champion season (against Hamilton) and was their head coach in the 2007 championship run.  Over the past two seasons the host team played in and won the Grey Cup.  Let's hope that trend continues.

Riders, Texans, and Longhorns

The Roughriders won another game this past Saturday.  While the offense sputtered the defense was fantastic.  The goal line stand with less than two minutes left keeping the Eskimos from tying the score was incredible.

It was a terrific weekend for the Houston Texans if you are of the "Get Rid of Kubiak" camp.  The greater the losses and the greater the number of losses the greater the chance for Gary to get fired.  The season is not a total loss at this time and a coaching change could salvage the season.  The team is solid player wise, they just need to be put in better positions to win.  I do not think Matt Schaub is a super quarterback but he is not as bad as some would have you think (look at his numbers over the past years).  It would be tough for any quarterback to win if not put in a good postion.  At this juncture of the season it would be nearly impossible to get another quarterback that is a "higher calibre" than Schaub.  To save the season the team needs to make the decisions that will allow the team to be in the best position to win.

Other than a blown kcik-off coverage the University of Texas Longhorns had a fantatic win over the University of Oklahoma this past weekend.  Simply put the Longhorns looked more motivated, better prepared, and better coached than the Sooners.  It may be time for Coach Brown to move on (coaches do get stale after a while) but continued play from last week will help the team move back into the upper crust of the college football world.

Big Win in BC

This past weekend the Roughriders got a big win in BC.  Not only did they end a four game losing streak but they beat a West opponent on the road.  The key to victory was the return of Kory Sheets.  Having the threat of a strong running game helped open up other options but the team also had a very strong defensive performance, won the turn-over battle, limited their penalties, and had a fair special teams game.  Similar performances for the rest of the season should result in more wins.

Come From Behind

The last two weeks the Houston Texans have come from behind to win their games.  Every team gets behind in a game at some time and to come back and win shows strength, focus, character, etc.  Hopefully the Texans will not make a habit of this as they have some tough teams ahead and come-backs may be harder to come by.

What gets me are the players/teams that are known for their come from behind wins.  You have to wonder why it is that these players/teams get behind and come back to win on a regular basis.  If they are so so "good" why don't they play like that all game long?  To me it seems that it would make life that much easier if you started out ahead and strived to stay there until the end of the game; wins would be less stressful.

Good Gum

Some of my fondest memories as a youngster was collecting hockey cards. After saving your allowance you headed off to the convenience store to buy a pack of eight cards for 15 cents (yes I am that old).  The added joy of each package was the included piece of bubble gum.  The gum tended to be "dusty" (hopefully leaving the top card of your pack unscathed) and hard.  If the card/gum had been sitting around for a while there was a good chance you could cut up your cheek and/or chip a tooth.  It's a shame they no longer include gum in sports cards; today's youth is missing out on one of life's pleasures.