Something To "Mitch" About

Does this basically sum up the first three weeks of the Saskatchewan Roughriders season?

Yes, the Riders imploded again and let another victory slip through their fingers losing in B.C Friday night.

The drums are beating on the mighty Wascana louder than ever and the temper of the Rider Nation was as hot as the Saskatchewan prairie this weekend after a second straight loss in overtime in a game that should have never gone to overtime.

It is obvious the Toronto Blue Jays are not the only one who have a tough time closing out a game as the Riders have now botched it two weeks in a row and as a result, they are 0-3.

Head coach Corey Chamblin is getting a lions share of the blame, and on this one, I really can't argue what is being said.

Like many of you, I don't understand the rationale on not giving the ball to Jerome Messam on 3rd and short and I don't understand the rationale of gambling on 3rd and 1 in overtime and I certainly don't understand not trying to run some plays at the end of regulation.  Coach C tried to rationalize it when the team returned home, but even though I have a tremendous amount of respect for Chamblin, I can't buy what he is selling on this one. Mistakes were made by Chamblin in this game, but it happens to all coaches. Isn't that right Pete Carroll?

I still think this football team is much better than the record indicates and while some in the Rider Nation are puzzled and angry, there are many others in the CFL wondering and knowing this team will turn the corner and when it does, what will happen then as the offence is certainly not having any major problems in gaining yards.

Seasons don't end three games into a season and many have been able to right the ship. All you have to do is look at what Hamilton did last year. There is a sense Friday's return encounter at Mosaic is a must-win and I can't argue that philosophy.

Thoughts negative and positive on the game

 --Kevin Glenn was outstanding again in throwing for 271 yards.  Weston Dressler and Jamel Richardson were the beneficiaries on this night as both had big games with the North Dakota product being the main focus of the passing game catching 9 for 122 and a pair of TD's to go along with a two point convert.

--Credit the Riders o-line for keeping Glenn clean, but credit B-C's as well for keeping Travis Lulay untouched which brings me to this. Has the new rules also created a lack of pass rush. It seems to me QB's are just dropping back and easily throwing the football without anyone coming at them because teams are only rushing three.  YAWWWWNNNNNN!!! Many wondered where John Chick and Alex Hall were on Friday and where have they been all year. I think they like others are being affected negatively by the new rules and will continue to do so until someone decides to change their thought process and start throwing some heat at the opposition QB.

--While the o-line kept Glenn in good shape, they did take some bad penalties including one which erased Dressler's 3rd TD of the night. That has to be cleaned up, but I would think a group led by Brendon Labatte would know that and will.

--The Riders secondary were ferocious with hits on Lions receivers. Tyron Brackenridge and Tristan Jackson had a couple of monster hits.

--I love the 1-2 punch in the running game with Messam and Anthony Allen, That takes me back to why Messam or Allen wouldn't get the ball on 3rd and 1 in regulation or on 3rd and 1 in overtime.

--The game is still being ruined by the amount of flags being thrown. The stripes are not the stars of the show. It makes me wonder if this is the training video for the refs because they are having "Fun with Flags"

I think there was at one point 8 consecutive plays that didn't see a flag. 8!!! The league is losing viewers and most of the talk about the league is being centred on the amount of penalties we are seeing. This has to change and it has to change in a big hurry or else the CFL will have a major problem on its hands.  Glen Johnson needs to perhaps come out and make some kind of statement very soon on what is happening. It is unacceptable!  Then again, after what we have seen over the years, should we as CFL fans really be surprised at this. 

TSN's Glen Suitor let his counterparts back at the studio have it after Milt Stegall and Jock Climie both got on his case for applauding the objectionable conduct call given to BC's Austin Collie who wanted pass interference on an incomplete pass.  It is embarassing when a ball falls incomplete and a receiver jumps up and starts making a motion for interference to be called and to throw the flag.  Refs have to start penalizing these players for this act and they did in the Riders game and the Ottawa-Edmonton game. GOOD!!!  Climie and Stegall (both receivers) feel Suitor was way out of line and the former Rider safety came out and called the two onto the carpet while pulling out a tissue for them to cry on. I don't agree with everything Suits says, but I'm with him 100 percent on this one. Receivers need to go back to the huddle and keep it zipped.  The only thing I will say is if a receiver is flagged for a penalty for calling for a penalty and it gets reversed like what happened with Collie then the flag is picked up and there is no call.  That's my two cents on that.  Hold on, lets add another cent to this discussion. The pass in question appeared to be way over the head of the intended receiver. The pass was uncatchable. Is that not factored into the equation anymore? If it is, its not!

One other CFL thought and I put this up on Twitter on the weekend after debating the issue with the Leader-Post's Rob Vanstone. Taking the record of your favourite team in green and throwing it out the window, do you like the game the way it is played now or the way it was played last year when scoring was down which led to some of these inane changes. I am of the opinion the CFL is basically a bigger version of Arena Football right now as they have taken basically everything away from the defence while Rob loves it because the games he believes are better. What's your take? Several on Twitter agree on my stance and some agree with Rob. Where do you stand on the issue?

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 Other odds and ends

--We are at the all-star break in baseball and the leaders of the American League East are the New York Yankees? Huh? I didn't think the Yankees were supposed to be anything close to their past glory years without guys like Jeter and Rivera.  They just keep getting it done. Don't be surprised if they buy themselves the arm they need to get back into the playoffs. After all, that is the Yankee way isn't it?

--The wildfires continue to burn in northern Saskatchewan with there being a thought process some of the blazes may keep burning until the first snowfall. The efforts being done to fight the fires and look after those who have been displaced is simply amazing as people and organizations from across the province are doing what they can. Has anyone noticed though that in an election year, Prime Minister Harper, Justin Trudeau and Tom Mulcair have not bothered to show up in Prince Albert to check things out or come to Regina or Saskatoon to visit evacuees. That does not reflect well on all three if you ask me.

--With Jordan Eberle being on the Oilers, there is that conception Regina is an Oilers town. I am starting to wonder if we should be a Capitals town though. You have Ross Mahoney in the front office, and you have Garrett Mitchell, Chandler Stephenson. Connor Hobbs and Colby Williams in the system. All four of those guys could one day be wearing Capitals uniforms and they could all be wearing the uniform of the Hershey Bears which is their AHL affiliate.

--I am guessing the Kelowna Rockets are having no shortage of applications crossing their desk for who will be their new head coach. Talk about walking into a great situation.

--UFC 189 was perhaps the best pay per view I have seen. It did not lack excitement or tremendous fights.

Conor McGregor, who rocked a purple suit, did what many thought he would do and beat Chad Mendes, but it was tougher for the cocky little Irishman than what he thought it would be.  That fight paled in comparison though to the Rory MacDonald-Robbie Lawler fight which left both men a mess when it was over with Lawler suffering a gruesome cut to his lip making him look like Ike from South Park. The Jeremy Stephens-Dennis Bermudez fight was a pure slugfest.  It will be hard for the UFC to top what they gave us in Vegas.  It just makes me more excited for the Saskatoon Fight Night in August.

If you've been watching TSN, you have seen the ads for the Coors Light games featuring Cabbie and a young lady named Beatrice Bouchard

I didn't know who this was when the commercials first came on, but I kept thinking she looks a lot like Canadian tennis star Genie Bouchard. Yeah, its her twin sister and it would seem as if she is a good old fashioned Canadian party girl.  I'm OK with that. 

That's all I got.  Have a great week!!!