Something To "Mitch" About

The Riders should have beaten the Stampeders Saturday night. They should still have a shot at finishing first in the West. However, that won't happen because they let one get away. Where do you start?

1. Darian Durant didn't have a good game, but he still did enough to get the winning points on the board with 5 minutes to go. The defense that had played so well the whole game then decided to take the next series off and Drew Tate drove them right back down the field for the winning touchdown. How many times has this scenario played itself out?

2. Kory Sheets did not have to do what he did, but his frustration was obvious. The offensive play-calling was a little offensive especially inside the 10 yard line. You AREN"T giving one of the CFL's top two running backs the football? Is it just me or does this Rider offense try to get a little too cute inside the 10. I don't care how you punch it in, just punch it in because too many opportunities at touchdowns are turning into field goals and you can't win that way.  When it comes to Kory's outburst, while it shouldn't have been done in public fashion, I would much rather have him show his emotion than just sit there and do nothing as so many others have been known to do.

3. I have said it before and I will say it again. Tom Higgins should be absolutely embarrassed at the work of his officials and Marc Cohon should be sending Higgins WTF was that e-mails every Monday morning. It was bad enough that Winnipeg got called for a penalty in the BC-Edmonton game on Friday, but the work of the stripes Saturday in Calgary was abysmal and that is being kind. What did Dwight Anderson do to get a 15 yard penalty in the first quarter when he was not near the tackle and video showed him doing absolutely nothing. Was that a reputation call? No wonder the fiery-tempered Anderson gets mad at the refs. What did Terrell Maze do to garner a pass interference call in the game-winning drive for Calgary. He did what Tom Higgins apparently said you can do. Why wasn't Eric Fraser hammered with a 15 yard penalty on the play that knocked Chris Getzlaf out of the game for a hit on a defenceless receiver? Why did Tearrius George get a 15 yard roughing the passer call when Kevin Glenn ducked seeing what was about to happen and ends up getting hit helmet-to-helmet? I have said it once and I will say it a thousand times. This league MUST do something about the quality of officiating because its not getting better. Its getting worse! I don't know how you fix it, but Higgins had better find some way because more and more people are getting hot under the collar over the work of his officials. I would love to get Corey Chamblin's thoughts and the thoughts of other coaches about CFL officiating  in a room where there is no microphone and an agreement that what is said in the room stays in the room.

Enough of that game. Lets go to something more pleasant and Congrats to the Regina Thunder!!

The Thunder went into Saskatoon and beat the Hilltops not once this year, but twice with that second one being for the PFC Championship. The Thunder will now meet Victoria Island at Mosaic on November 9 in the Canadian Bowl. Its great to see this team that has been around for just a decade finally taste some championship success that the Rams used to have in their junior days. This won't be the only one! 

There is talk UBC's football program might be in jeopardy. This would be a HUGE mistake if the powers that be at UBC decide to scrap the program especially if its at the need of intramural sports as has been suggested. That's insane! 

 

I wonder how TSN feels about none of the games in the last weekend of the CFL season meaning anything. That won't mean great #'s, but it won't stop the amount of Pathfinder ads from being played.

 

The Rams season ended on an ugly note. Cayman Shutter threw 5 INT's before finally being pulled as the U of R lost to the U of S. I can only imagine what life would be like for Shutter if he threw 5 INT's in just under three quarters playing for another team that works at Mosaic. He may not have had any tires left on his car. It was a great deal of fun doing the game with the one and only Marco Ricci on 620CKRM.com Saturday afternoon. I had a great time doing the games on Access as well with Gary 'Chop" Bresch. When I walked into the RM booth on Saturday, there were three mikes there. If I could have, I would have made it a three man booth. Ricci, Bresch and Blair might have brought the internet to its knees.

I could care less who wins the World Series, but let it be known I think the call to end Game 3 was a terrible one and one that shouldn't be made. Allen Craig could have avoided Will Middlebrooks but he tried stepping over him and failed. Is Middlebrooks supposed to lay there or get back into the play as quickly as possible. They say the call was right by the book, but to call that in the 9th inning of a World Series that is tied at one really reeks as far as I'm concerned. 

I did not know Savy Turcotte, but as the father of one girl who is a teenage and a 2nd who will be in a couple of years, I can not imagine what she was going through nor do I want to. All I do know is there are some young people out there who can feel "satisfied" knowing their efforts helped take a young girl's life. I hope they are real proud of themselves this morning seeing what they have done and think about what they did every day  as they get older.  This story is a terrible one and my thoughts and prayers go out to everyone who knew this young girl who sounded like she was a very delightful person to be around.

 

My condolences to friends of former Leader Post photographer Roy Antal. It shocked me to learn of his passing on Saturday due to cancer. Roy was always a very friendly individual and he was kind enough to be the photographer at my wedding. R.I.P Roy. I will miss seeing you around.

Two weeks in a row that my NFL Sunday has not involved the Seahawks. They are in St. Louis in the Monday nighter which begs the question why the NFL would put a Monday night game in a place where a team could conceivably be playing a World Series game as is the case tonight. That's a major scheduling snafu and it may look real bad for the Rams if a national TV audience sees no real crowd because they are a few blocks away at Busch Stadium. 

What has happened to Tom Brady? He just seems so ordinary now.

Why didn't FOX cameras give us an opportunity to see the look on Jerry Jones' face after the Lions marched down the field with no timeouts to beat the Cowboys in the waning seconds. That would have been priceless!

In this month where the NFL and CFL are going pink for breast cancer awareness, why haven't we seen a pink football or at least a football with pink stripes?

 

CKRM program director Grant Biebrick is a Calgary sports fan through and through as he makes no bones about rooting for the Stamps or Flames. It could be a long day. At least he cheers for the Seahawks.

 

The Seahawks have the Monday niter and I've got another early shift on Tuesday. It could be a short night!