CFL Mid-Season Report

The beauty of professional sports is as soon as you think you know something, you realize you know nothing.

This point was hammered home the last two weeks as two of the CFL's doormats (BC and Edmonton) beat the two 2009 Grey Cup finalists (Montreal and Saskatchewan).

Those two games show just how unpredictable the CFL can be. Yet despite that unpredictability, we still make predictions. We analyze, scrutinize, then analyze some more, only to have as good a chance of getting predictions right as if we flipped a coin.

I made some predictions back in June, some bad (Calgary to finish last in the West Division and miss the playoffs), some not so bad (Jamall Johnson having a better year in 2010), some just downright stupid (seriously, Mike Labinjo an MODP nominee? What was I on?).

With the season reaching the midway point following the Labour Day weekend, I'm going to make some bold proclamations for the second half of the 2010 season.

1. Montreal Will NOT Host the East Final
Yes, I believe that Anthony Calvillo's injury is worse than Marc Trestman is letting on and he will miss significant time, in the process costing Montreal top spot in the East along with the precious bye that goes along with it. It will be the Tiger-Cats who leap up and take top spot.

2. One of Winnipeg, BC or Edmonton Will Win a Playoff Game
I don't know which team it will be, but I have the feeling that whichever one of these teams makes the playoffs, they will pull an upset, probably against the Roughriders in the West Division Semi-Final. I'm taking the Bombers.

3. Steven Jyles Will Get Winnipeg into the Playoffs
I don't know if it will come at the expense of the Eskimos or Lions, but the Winnipeg Blue Bombers will find a way to sneak into the playoffs and it will all be thanks to Steven Jyles. With Buck Pierce out indefinitely, Jyles is now handed the reins in Winnipeg and will pilot the Blue Bombers to a playoff game. I say they cross over into the West and take out the Riders before falling in the West Final.

4. Jesse Lumsden Will Get Hurt... Again
With the rumour being that Jesse Lumsden is likely headed to Winnipeg, let the hypefest begin again. You would think that the Bombers would have learned from the Buck Pierce fiasco, but it seems as if they haven't. We've seen this story play out every year since Lumsden decided to grace the CFL with his presence after failed tryouts in the NFL. He'll have one or two monster games, only to succumb to some injury and be useless. Winnipeg will learn what Hamilton and Edmonton already know: Jesse Lumsden cannot stay healthy.

5. Jared Zabransky Will Replace Ricky Ray as the Starter in Edmonton
Ricky Ray has been getting killed behind a porous Edmonton Offensive Line, and there is no way he makes it through the entire season without missing time. When that happens Jared Zabransky will take over as the starter and Ray will not play the rest of the season.

6. Arland Bruce Will Lead the League in Receiving
Arland Bruce is, right now, the best Receiver in the CFL. The only reason he won't be the East nominee for Most Outstanding Player is because his teammate, Kevin Glenn, will be. But Bruce will have the consolation of being the league's leading Receiver for the first time in his career. He will also flirt with Allen Pitts' single-season record of 2,036 yards. He will end up finishing about 100 yards short.

7. Wes Cates Will Break the CFL Record for Rushing TDs in a Season
Wes Cates is currently on pace to score 20 rushing TDs, which would break the single-season record of 19 set by Mike Pringle in 2000 with the Alouettes. The Saskatchewan Roughrider Running Back will break Pringle's record by scoring 22 rushing TDs before the season ends.

8. Cory Boyd Will Win the Rushing Title
Even though he has been bottled up as of late, once the Argos re-realize they need Boyd to win, they will start feeding him the ball. Boyd will rack up the carries and the yards. Boyd will win the rushing title by over 200 yards.

9. The Award Winners Will Be...

• Most Outstanding Player: Henry Burris (beats out Kevin Glenn)
• Most Outstanding Canadian: Dave Stala (beats out Andy Fantuz)
• Most Outstanding Defensive Player: Jamall Johnson (beats out James Patrick)
• Most Outstanding Lineman: Gene Makowsky (beats out Marwan Hage)*
• Most Outstanding Rookie: Rob Maver (beats out Terrence Jeffers-Harris)**
• Most Outstanding Special Teams Player: Marcus Thigpen (beats out Paul McCallum)
• Coach of the Year: Jim Barker (beats out Marcel Bellefeuille and John Hufnagel)

*We all know that awards for Linemen are not always merit-based, but usually reputation-based. Don't get me wrong, both Makowsky and Hage are great players, but with no really standout Linemen this season, I could see both being up for the award based on their stellar reputations.

**This one would be a no-brainer if Cory Boyd was eligible, but much like DeAndra' Cobb last year (who also would have been a near shoe-in, no disrespect to Martell Mallett), Boyd spent time on an NFL practice roster and is therefore ineligible for Most Outstanding Rookie. Instead I went with two guys I know, as no rookies have really shown me anything to warrant consideration other than Maver and Jeffers-Harris.

10. The Grey Cup Champion Will Be...
Do I really have to say it? It will be Hamilton, of course. The Tiger-Cats will meet and beat the Calgary Stampeders to win the Grey Cup. Kevin Glenn will be named the game's MVP, and Dave Stala will be named the top Canadian.