Eskimos Pull Another One Out Of The Fire

I will say one thing about the Edmonton Eskimos this year. They may be the most exciting team in the CFL as you have to watch all 60 minutes with them most times to see if they win or lose. It came right down to the end at Commonwealth on Saturday night with the Eskimos winning 31-30 as Noel Prefontaine kicked the game-winning field goal in the final minute and then had to hold defensively as Hamilton threatened. How many games has Edmonton had this year where its come right down to the end....if you answered 5 go to double jeopardy. The Eskimos have had 5 games in which the game has been decided by a touchdown or less. 4 of them I think have come right down to the final minute.
The end result leaves Edmonton at 5-3 meaning they are one game up on both the Riders and Stampeders. Of course Calgary and Edmonton will play one another in their annual Labour Day back-to-backs with the Riders taking on Winnipeg and B-C playing Montreal. You have to like Montreals chances of beating the Lions twice, Calgary and Edmonton will likely split and I would have to say the Riders can beat the Bombers twice. Then again with the way the CFL has gone this year, one never knows what will happen on game day.
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Break up the Seahawks. They're 3-0 in the pre-season. Yeah, I know pre-season means squat. Detroit won all four of their tune-up games and look where they ended last year. Its just nice to see a Seattle team playing with their regulars and not backups and 3rd stringers like they had to do for most of last year due to injury. Perhaps its my Seahawks bias, but I see them sitting atop the NFC West at the end of the season if the injury bug stays away. I think a 10-6 season is possible. Only time will tell. Just two weeks away from the start of the NFL season...actually just a week and a half with the first game being on a Thursday as usual.
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A friend of mine asked me why the CFL and networks like TSN and Sportsnet don't embrace Fantasy Football the way the NFL does with Fox, CBS, ESPN.etc. etc. The answer is simple. You have eight teams in the CFL and 32 in the NFL. How can one have a 12 round draft in the CFL. That being said, it would be nice to see something done to generate some more excitement amongst Canadians. Fantasy football is one of the reasons why the NFL has really taken off. ESPN's Colin Cowherd said this week that a survey came out saying the average American that plays fantasy football spends eight hours a week on their teams. I am in a few NFL pools, but I don't think I spend that long managing my teams. Speaking of which, I am involved in a draft tomorrow with some of Regina's finer citizens. I'm sure good times will be had with lots of smack getting tossed back and forth. The way my team has performed in this league for the past couple of years, I can expect a lot of smack to be sent my way.
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The Canada Games have come to an end in Prince Edward Island. Saskatchewan athletes are bringing home 48 medals---13 gold, 15 silver and 2o bronze. Congrats to all medal-winners and congrats to all Saskatchewan athletes who whether they finished with a medal or not likely had a week they will never forget. Just getting to an event like this is an accomplishment in itself and for some it won't be the first time they represent their province.