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Pick ‘em apart Vol. 17October 20, 2011.
FRIDAY
Edmonton at Toronto, 3:30 p.m.
Free speech was a winner this week when the league declared that a comment by Eskimos GM Eric Tillman stating he tried to acquire Andy Fantuz didn’t amount to tampering. All it amounted to was good thinking. Believing a rival was trying to stir the pot, the Riders asked the league if Tillman was allowed to talk. The game is better off because the CFL saw the obvious.
The quarterbacking carousel in Toronto was spun another time by Jim Barker this week when he signed Theo Scott, late of the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes of the German League; but remember, the Argos are just fine with Steven Jyles.
Can the Argos do the Lions a favour two weeks in a row by knocking off a West Division opponent? Doubtful. Rich Stubler’s defence is looking ferocious again. Province pick: Eskimos
Saskatchewan at Calgary, 6:30 p.m.
Saskatchewan enters next-year mode with Ken Miller still taking heat for going with Darian Durant against a team which has dumped Henry Burris, possibly for good. Drew Tate starts in place of Burris, and with that a torrent of Burris—to-Toronto rumours have flourished.
Tate was impressive in rallying Calgary and would have posted the win had it not been for another series of baffling penalties that have made the Stamps look like the all-talk Lions of 2007. Will the Riders make it five games without a touchdown? Frankly, watching how the Stamps operate with Tate and a returning Joffrey Reynolds is a more interesting question. Province pick: Stampeders
SATURDAY
Montreal at Winnipeg, 12 noon
Feeling bored watching East Division games again? It might be because a Montreal win would lock up first place once more time after the 9-6 Bombers flirted with the title after their 7-1 start.
Winnipeg players are talking about a lack of emotion at games, which wouldn’t figure to be an issue in the prolonged absence of a Grey Cup victory. Though they don’t dominate games as in the past, the Als with Brandon Whitaker, Jamel Richardson and Anthony Calvillo are still proficient most nights. Province pick: Als
B.C. at Hamilton, 4 p.m.
This one really should go to the home team, because no club in the league has been so consistent at being inconsistent. A win by Hamilton would move the Ticats to 8-8 on the year and mark the 17th time in the last three seasons they have been at the .500 mark.
Ticats coach Marcel Bellefeuille has joined the two-quarterback craze and will use both Quinton Porter and Kevin Glenn. What should trouble the Lions, however, is Avon Cobourne now gets the majority of the carries now that rookie Terry Grant was injured last week. Cobourne against the Lions’ run defence of last week would be a scary thing. Nonetheless, B.C. is 6-1 at Hamilton in its last seven visits, making it an easier guess. Province pick: Lions
Last week: 2-2 Season record: 34-26
Yah, I have had a tough year picking CFL games. Doing much better in my NFL picks. I was hoping the Argos were recovering but it looks like they are who thought they were, just a little bit better than this years version of the Riders......Wakesbetterthanyou wrote:0-1 lol. Well I guess it ain't over, but I don't see the Argos coming back from 31-3 lol. And yes, they are going to a restaurant, no BBQ.notahomer wrote:I'm gonna take the Argos over the Esks
Stamps beat the spread and the Riders
Montreal sneaks by the Bombers
And Lions beat Ticats.....
Isn't this suppossed to be the 'dinner at Boss Braley's game'. They usually have a BBQ but its not exactly that kind of weather. Maybe they'll go out to a Hamilton steakhouse instead.....
Correction: The Argos were a bad, bad team for three quarters. The Esks were a bad, bad team to come within one play of blowing a 28-point lead in the fourth quarter.B.C.FAN wrote:The Argos are a bad, bad team. Every time they get a chance to do something, they take a penalty, drop the ball or miss an assignment.
B.C.FAN wrote:Correction: The Argos were a bad, bad team for three quarters. The Esks were a bad, bad team to come within one play of blowing a 28-point lead in the fourth quarter.B.C.FAN wrote:The Argos are a bad, bad team. Every time they get a chance to do something, they take a penalty, drop the ball or miss an assignment.
Not to pile on Toronto or the Argos but I have to vent. I'm not sure if it's the sparse crowds week after week or the lighting (or both), but there's something so soul-sucking about that stadium that it seems to just lull teams to sleep. Seriously, I never see as many "two and outs" and dumb penalties as when I watch a game from Rogers Centre. Good teams seem to play badly there, and bad teams play worse. Moreover, the TV viewing experience is just a horrible ad for the CFL. I almost feel the CFL should impose national black-outs from there; it almost screams to the viewer, "no one cares!" The crowds are bad, the games are bad - albeit an exciting finish tonight (great finish but a bad game). Combine that with pink spat and pink taped ankles made it almost unwatchable for me.B.C.FAN wrote:Correction: The Argos were a bad, bad team for three quarters. The Esks were a bad, bad team to come within one play of blowing a 28-point lead in the fourth quarter.B.C.FAN wrote:The Argos are a bad, bad team. Every time they get a chance to do something, they take a penalty, drop the ball or miss an assignment.
So that's why it was such an early start - they wanted to get it overwith before anyone had a chance to tune in.David wrote:Not to pile on Toronto or the Argos but I have to vent. I'm not sure if it's the sparse crowds week after week or the lighting (or both), but there's something so soul-sucking about that stadium that it seems to just lull teams to sleep. Seriously, I never see as many "two and outs" and dumb penalties as when I watch a game from Rogers Centre. Good teams seem to play badly there, and bad teams play worse. Moreover, the TV viewing experience is just a horrible ad for the CFL. I almost feel the CFL should impose national black-outs from there; it almost screams to the viewer, "no one cares!" The crowds are bad, the games are bad - albeit an exciting finish tonight (great finish but a bad game). Combine that with pink spat and pink taped ankles made it almost unwatchable for me.
DH
There's not much you can do to hide empty blue seats. They stood out at the old B.C. Place and they stand out at the Rogers Centre, whether the Argos or Blue Jays are playing. I think the Argos have done what they can with tarps and signage and a field-level bar area to make the place look less barren and TSN has done what it can to focus its cameras on the field of play and on the passionate fans in their jerseys and face paint in the lower levels of the stands. As for bad football, there's not much that can be done without bringing in an established CFL quarterback. That should be a goal for next year.David wrote:Not to pile on Toronto or the Argos but I have to vent. I'm not sure if it's the sparse crowds week after week or the lighting (or both), but there's something so soul-sucking about that stadium that it seems to just lull teams to sleep. Seriously, I never see as many "two and outs" and dumb penalties as when I watch a game from Rogers Centre. Good teams seem to play badly there, and bad teams play worse. Moreover, the TV viewing experience is just a horrible ad for the CFL. I almost feel the CFL should impose national black-outs from there; it almost screams to the viewer, "no one cares!" The crowds are bad, the games are bad - albeit an exciting finish tonight (great finish but a bad game). Combine that with pink spat and pink taped ankles made it almost unwatchable for me.
DH