Something to "Mitch" About

--Under Chris Jones, the Saskatchewan Roughriders have won 12 games.  No Rider team has more wins than 14.  What has been accomplished by this team considering all it has gone through has been simply amazing.

--A star receiver plays defensive back and then is released.  Touchdown after touchdown after touchdown was scored by the defence and special teams, an outside receiver only scored one touchdown this season (Carter in Edmonton).  It was a regular season unlike any other and it is not over yet. In fact, this rag-tag bunch could be hosting the Western Final November 18 after a solid win over BC on Saturday.   The question to the BC Lions is now "Do you want to play your regulars and try to make Wally's last regular-season game a winning one or do you dress your backups knowing where your playoff fate lies?".  Rider fans are hoping the first option is the way BC goes, but could you blame them if they play backups thus making it easier for Calgary.  In fact, it's rather odd to see the only team with something to play for in the final week of the season being the team right now that has the best record in the CFL.  It's another only in the CFL moment.

--With the Riders having the bye week, I wouldn't expect a lot of information to come from Mosaic Stadium for a week, especially when it comes to the health of Zach Collaros.   The CFL made themselves look very bad and if the truth be told, so did the Riders by allowing their marquee player to stay in the football game after taking a hellacious hit from Odell Willis.  What was the concussion spotter doing when all this was going on? Was he watching the World Series or had he gone to see if the halftime pizza had arrived?  There is no excuse for not having Collaros pulled to go under the concussion protocol.  There is also no excuse for the call not being made forcing Chris Jones to throw his challenge flag.

While Collaros was not yanked immediately, the Riders should have done so for safety's sake.  It isn't like this is Zach's first go-round with a concussion.   At the end of the game, Jones said Collaros was taken out for precautionary measures and that he appeared to be fine.  Whether or not that was coachspeak will be determined when we get an update on his health.

--If there was any debate as to who the Riders MOP nominee should be this year, it ended on Saturday.  Willie Jefferson created two huge turnovers that led to Rider scores.  Charleston Hughes may have had his 15 sacks, but Jefferson keeps making play after play after play after play to put the Riders where they are.  I don't know if Willie is the West nominee as it will be tough to vote against Andrew Harris or Bo Levi Mitchell, but his efforts can't be ignored.

--If the Riders host the Western final, it will happen November 18  Agribition starts the next day at Evraz Place.  What a nightmare that will be.  Its a nightmare the Riders are more than willing to live with I'm guess.

--I asked the question last week and I'll ask it again this week.  Did anyone watch the Toronto-Montreal game and if so, why?

--The CFL's best quarterback is Mike Reilly and his team won't be in the playoffs.  There is something wrong with that statement.

--Do you think Jason Maas was as calm as could be as he watched Winnipeg beat Calgary Friday night.  I am guessing things were thrown at the Maas household.

--The Leafs appear to have hit their first major bout of adversity with Auston Matthews getting hurt.  If he is out for a while, does it stop what they have been doing?  One would think no, but we will see.

--Even the most optimistic Habs fan must be giddy over the team's 6-2-2 start.  How many Habs fans saw that 10 game stretch to start the season coming?

--I said we would find out if the Oilers were improved or not after playing six straight games against teams that had 100 plus points last season.  I think they did rather well taking 9 of 12 from teams like the Jets, Predators, Penguns and Capitals.  Make it 11 of 14 after an overtime win in Chicago.  The roughest part of their schedule is over.  Can Connor take the Oilers back to the playoffs?

--The Philadelphia Flyers have no goaltending.  They have a very good goaltender in Carter Hart playing in the American Hockey League.  Give the kid a shot! What could it hurt?

--The LA Kings have scored 22 goals in 11 games.  How is that Ilya Kovalchuk signing working out?

--The Canada West football regular season is over.  In the end, the team gets screwed the most by the stupidity of USports with the Rams having to forfeit three games are the team that clobbered Regina to finish the season.   The U of S Huskies should be preparing for a rematch this week at home against the Rams in a conference semi-final.  Instead, the Huskies will make their way to Vancouver to take on a UBC team that should be playing Calgary at McMahon.   The decision by USports to punish the Rams for something they didn't do is being widely criticized and it is for reasons like this.  UBC doesn't deserve a home game.  The Huskies do.  You don't decide football games in the boardroom with people that don't know what's going on. You decide it on the field!  If Calgary doesn't win the conference title, the year will be tainted.

--If you are a baseball fan, how far did you get Saturday morning?  The Red Sox and Dodgers went 18 innings.  I eventually tapped out after 15. Had it been the Cubs playing, there would have been a few trips outside to get some fresh air and keep the blood pumping! I love the fact they don't change the rules in extra innings much like I love the fact they keep playing in the Stanley Cup playoffs until a goal is scored even if it takes all night. That is the way to do it!  None of this start the inning with a runner on second crap.   Congrats to Boston.  They were the best team without a doubt in the regular season and they just showed everyone why that was in the playoffs.  There wasn't one major weakness on that squad.

--Joe Carter's homerun to give the Jays a World Series title over Philadelphia happened 25 years ago. They held a reunion this past weekend.  Did anyone know about it?  The Jays didn't even acknowledge it on their website.  Why?  That would be like the Riders ignoring the 2007 Grey Cup win.  Dumb!

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