After one pre-season game, Riders coach Greg Marshall has difficult decisions to make. Yes, that's a good thing because it means he has to tell some talented football players that they don't have what it takes to make the 2011 edition of the team. It also means another Marcus Thigpen situation could develop.
Going into the last pre-season game, Marshall still has to decide
A) who will his backup quarterback be. It would appear that barring a great performance in BC that Chris Leak will be the odd man out so does that leave Ryan Dinwiddie or Cole Bergquist as the backup to Darian Durant. I would tend to lean Dinwiddie because of his experience.
B)Can Brandon West and Hugh Charles stay on the active roster. West showed flashes of what he can do in limited reps against the Eskimos while Charles reinforced that he should be on the roster with his play on special teams. I can't see all three making it so has Charles won the backup running back spot thanks to his return skills.
C) Who are your receivers. We know Weston Dressler and Chris Getzlaf are starters, but then where do you go. Where does Jordan Sisco fit in? Where does Jason Clermont fit in? Even though he didn't do anything spectacular on Friday, has Terrence Nunn got a starting spot? What about Cary Koch? Where does Ernie Wheelwright fit in after a good game.
D) What will the d-line look like. Brent Hawkins (if healthy) and Keith Shologan appear to be shoo-ins as does Dario Romero. Who takes the other end spot. What happens to guys like Montez Murphy and Tearrius George.
E)Chris Graham established himself as someone that needs another solid look. Could he fit in as the other end? Jerrell Freeman, Sean Lucas and Barrin Simpson look to be the starters so where do Byron Bullock and Kye Stewart fit in the equation. You know Mike McCullough isn't going anywhere.
Marshall needs to see his starters perform, but there are many more players that need some more time on the field. How he juggles things around on Wednesday in Vancouver will be interesting.
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Rory McIlroy made the final round of the US Open boring--at least for me. Take nothing away from his game because he was fabulous, but there was no drama and no excitement to speak of. When you are up by as much as what McIlroy was going into the final round, you have to almost hope for a blow-up so that its interesting coming down the stretch. That didn't happen Sunday. Its like when Tiger had a big lead--you knew he wasn't going to relinquish it. I loved it when a guy would at least make a charge at Tiger. He didn't win, but he made you watch. That didn't happen on Sunday.
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If you watched the golf yesterday, you saw McIlroy's dad quite a bit. If you are a WWE fan, you also saw Vince MacMahon's son Shane in his entourage. Why? Apparently Shane is part of McIlroy's management team. That's an intriguing marriage.
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Thousands of young people were on the street in Toronto for the Muchmusic Video Awards Sunday night. Those young people didn't riot in the streets when everything was over.
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The NHL draft is Friday in Minneapolis. Will Winnipeg's team have a name by then? How about a coach?
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I still don't understand how Pats GM Chad Lang can praise his 1995 and 1996 kids ---kids that Todd Ripplinger brought into the system, yet turnaround and gas Ripplinger. Chad has a plan and only time will tell if that plan works or not, but I'm shaking my head over that part of it. We'll see.
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Curtis Hunt will find another job. Despite what many say, he is a good coach. You don't become an assistant on two World Junior teams and an assistant in the NHL if you are garbage.
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Marc Mueller was released by the Eskimos Sunday night. That is a crock if you ask me. The kid deserved a couple of series against Calgary. Hopefully his performance Friday at Mosaic wasn't the last CFL game he is in.
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There is talk the Edmonton Oilers are dangling their 2nd first round pick--19th overall and their first round pick next year in order to land a 2nd pick in the top 5 this year. That's a risky gamble by a team that I hope makes the playoffs next year. If they don't, they could be giving up wayyyyyyyy too much. Florida is said to be the team they want to dance with. How about offering up Andrew Cogliano, number 19 and a 3rd next year for Florida's first pick this year. I could stomach that.
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How is it Canada can have the Oprah network on, yet the CRTC will not allow ESPN. This is crimony!!
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If Rider holdout Matt O'Donnell makes the NBA (and word is he will now work out for the Raptors), will he become the next Oliver Miller. How about Big Country Bryant Reeves. I think its about time that you admit to making a mistake and cut bait.
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If laughter is the best medicine, who's the idiot who died laughing.
4 comments:
At one time Cogliano scored 3 consecutive overtime goals. He had 'er all until Craig MacTavish got in his head trying to make him play the same way MacT did. I think it's still there but he is damaged goods. I'd rather keep him and give him a little longer leash.
While I liked MacT as a player I really do hope he never coaches another game and it's because of what he did to Cogs.
The NHL team in Winnipeg is rumoured to announce their name at the BoG meetings tomorrow. They are not expected to have the logo or colours ready though.
Does this mean from what you're saying that Obed Cetoute is out? Seriously though, Marshall has many tough decisions to make and you are right, some talent that he cuts will end up going elsewhere and succeeding like Thighpen.
As for Mueller, I think it was just another PR stunt by Tillman. He knew the first game the kid could play would be in Regina so he allows him to get 10 plays in and then kicks him to the curb. He did that with Orban too. I hope he does go back to Edmonton next year, but I doubt it.
Allan
If the CFL really is all about the Canadian part of the game -maybe the BOG can grow some big ones and change the rules to reward teams that have starting Canadian QB's. As it is now, just PR and window dressing.
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