Something To Mitch About

(picture courtesy JC-Fotos)

I'm just going to start this by saying I had the utmost respect for Ken Miller when he was here. The man coached the Saskatchewan Roughriders to back to back Grey Cups and we all know if it wasn't for the 13th man, that he would have won one of them. I didn't have any problems with the old guy when he was the coach. There was one thing I didn't like and that was the way he handled the QB's in 2008 thus leading to the Michael Bishop debacle against BC. However, months after he left the organization, there is a second thing.

HOW THE HELL COULD HE HAVE CHOSEN GREG MARSHALL OVER COREY CHAMBLIN????

We will never know what the 2011 Riders would have done had Chamblin been the head coach, but I think with all due respect to Marshall, it is safe to say they wouldn't have been 5-13. I just continue to like this guy more and more with the way he handles this football team. It was suggested Sunday night that he has some of the same attributes that another head coach of this football team had in 2007. I think its a little too early to go there, but he certainly has the team playing the type of football that we in Saskatchewan expect of our green-clad men.

Sunday's 17-1 win over Edmonton certainly won't go down as a classic, but it was a dominating performance by the Saskatchewan defence as they made life miserable for Steven Jyles and Kerry Joseph. That unit was on the top of their game as they had six sacks, two picks and held the Edmonton offence to just 137 yards. They didn't give Edmonton anything. The Eskimos had a long field all afternoon and while Edmonton put forth a good defensive effort also, the Riders just methodically made their way down the field to get points they needed until breaking it open late.

Here are some random thoughts from Mosaic

--The Eskimo road jerseys are horrid. Who approved those?
--Why did the two teams agree to play with both wearing green helmets. That had to be tough for the players---especially the quarterbacks. I actually meant to ask Darian about that after the game and forgot
--Darian Durant is playing more confident and more composed than I have ever seen him play. He certainly wasn't perfect on Sunday, but he seems to be more in control with what he is doing.
--There were fears that the Riders were vulnerable with Woodny Turenne and Terrell Maze on the corners. Turenne made some big plays and Maze didn't hurt himself.
--Abraham Kromah has only played two games in the CFL and he looks like he has been there for years. His intellect to stay at home on a quarterback draw by Kerry Joseph late in the first half was a thing of beauty.
--Shomari Williams might have had his best game as a Rider. Perhaps our fears about having him in the middle were overblown
--How many Rider fans are buying Kory Sheets jerseys this week
--The next time I hear someone say the NFL is a boring game with no big plays and no excitement, I will tell them to watch the tape of this game. It may have been one of the worst CFL games I have ever seen. Yes, the defences were outstanding, but was there a 20 yard play in the game until Sheets scored his touchdown. As one person tweeted during the 3rd quarter, Sam Gagner had more points in one Oilers game this year than what the two teams had combined for at that time. As I tweeted, it was so boring that Rod Pedersen may have called for Leeann to phone in on Line 1. (Sorry LeeAnn)(Sorry Rod)

--It would not hurt me if someone just crushed Worksafe Bob when he comes out onto the field at the end of the 3rd quarter.

--My good friend Rob Vanstone notes that the Riders had not held an opponent to one or fewer points since August 1976 when they beat Edmonton 40-0. I will have to check it out with my dad, but I am sure that is the first Rider game I ever went to. If it isn't, its the first one I remember because Bill Baker knocked out Tom Wilkinson and Bruce Lemmerman in the same drive just plays apart.

--The Riders are 2-0 this season without that idiot that CKRM had on the visitors sidelines wearing that yellow shirt. Oh wait..... I really think that I should give that shirt to Phil Andrews who can wear it proudly in WHL pressboxes across Western Canada when doing the Pats games. He'd look good in yellow I think.

--Speaking of Phil, we walked out of the stadium and saw Eric Tillman having a conversation with Kavis Reed. Ohhhhhhh, how I would love to know what was said in that little chat.

Other thoughts from the weekend

--Was the image of the weekend one of a steaming Henry Burris on the sidelines after he was yanked for Quinton Porter at the end of the first half in Vancouver. He was some kind of choked! Fortunately for Burris, he came out in the 2nd half and played well.

--Larry Taylor's performance in Toronto was just sick. If he isn't the special teams player of the week, there should be an investigation.

--Many believe the Stamps are better off with Kevin Glenn at quarterback instead of Drew Tate. What do you think?

--Perhaps he is still learning the offence, but Andy Fantuz has been a non-factor in Hamilton's first two games.

--If Fake Arash Madani isn't the best CFL tweeter out there, it may be Fake Marc Cohon.

--Is there a Fake Farhan Lalji twitter account? How about a fake Rod Black account?

--For a great story on how the Minnesota Wild landed both Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, read this from Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. What a great read!

--I don't often watch tennis, but Roger Federer is great to watch when he is at the top of his game and he certainly was at Wimbledon.

--Congrats to Graham DeLaet for getting the money needed to continue playing on on the PGA Tour. DeLaet took home almost 120-grand at the Greenbrier. He needs to finish in the top 125 to keep his card for next year. I like his chances. DeLaet will be home in Weyburn on Tuesday. It would be great to see a huge crowd turn out. I still think he needs to make a deal with the Riders and wear some clothing with the /=S=/ on it. Yeah, just what the Riders need----more exposure!

--Why is this not on TSN, Sportsnet or the Score. I know many who could compete. Hell, I can add myself to that sentence.

--Anderson Silva's win over Chael Sonnen left me wanting more. After hearing how much he wanted to kill Sonnen, the fight came to a rather tame end.

--When Sonnen's days in the UFC are over, he needs to go to the land of Vince and join the WWE. He would be the best heel ever--especially when you give him a belt!

--If you saw the UFC, you saw the guy that won the World Series of Poker wearing what might have been the worst shirt-tie combo I have ever seen. It was my thought that the outfit might have come from the closet from the self-professed "Saskatchewan's Sexiest Blogger", but I was told it didn't. Where is "SSB" anyhow. He needs to get back to blogging!

--Speaking of shirts, this is just wrong

--Canadians won the junior mens and womens title at Wimbledon? With Milos Raonic doing what he is, is Canada ready to become a power in the world of tennis?

--Have a good Monday!