Morning-After Thoughts (Week 11)

The dog days of summer are behind us, and it's starting to get a little chillier outside. It's football weather. I can't think of anything better than an autumn day watching football. From now until the Grey Cup is my favourite time of the year.

1. Congratulations to Joffrey Reynolds for becoming the all-time rushing-yards leader in Calgary Stampeder history this past week. A very deserving honour for Joffrey Reynolds.
2. I have been trying to figure it out, but I really do not understand why Glen Suitor says,"See ya, wouldn't wanna be ya" after an interception. I mean, I get it, but it doesn't make all that much sense. Who does the defensive player not want to be? The Quarterback? The guy chasing him? Suitor? I think he needs to find a new catchphrase.
3. I can't think of a better way for a player to start his CFL career than Marco Mitchell hauling in a 69-yard TD for the Eskimos. It was his only catch of the game, but it was a nice one.
4. One of two things has happened to Calgary rookie Kicker Rob Maver: (a) he's lost his confidence, or (b) he's hit the proverbial Rookie Wall. Either way, Calgary is lucky they haven't needed him to win games in the past couple of weeks because Maver has been shaky.
5. As always I attended the game at Ivor Wynne Stadium. As is the case with most visiting teams, the home team will play a silly song to introduce them. For the second year in a row, the Als have felt they are too good to trot out during this time. They then proceed to come out during the Tiger-Cats' introduction. This, to me, is a classless act. Just get on the damn field.
6. I have defended him for over a year, but now it's time to admit I was wrong. Quinton Porter just does not seem to have it. He has all the tools, but he lacks the smarts, and football is more about what you can do with your head than what you can do with your arm and feet.
7. After having staved off injury for most of the season, the Cats have been bit by the bug in the last two games. No less than five players have been injured in some capacity since Labour Day. Staying healthy is a key to winning football games, and up to this point, the Cats have been winning and staying healthy. Let's see what happens now that some injuries have occurred.
8. I understand why Adrian McPherson wanted to be traded or released. He can start for any number of teams in the CFL. Before too long he'll either be replacing Anthony Calvillo or starting for another team.
9. Interesting story about how if not for 9/11, Geroy Simon would probably have been a Hamilton Tiger-Cat. I wonder how things would have worked out had Geroy donned the Black & Gold.
10. The Leon Lett Memorial Bonehead Play of the Year award goes to Ronald Flemons of the Toronto Argonauts. If you saw it, you know what I'm talking about. If you haven't, words cannot describe how stupid it was.
11. It must have been a sweet weekend for BC Lion, and former Toronto Argo, Jonathan Brown. He had a very good game against his former mates.
12. We're ten games into the season and Cleo Lemon still looks lost on many plays. I'm wondering if the Argos wished they had moved Heaven and Earth to get Adrian McPherson. I know I would.
13. That was a scary, scary hit on Cory Boyd. He said he was knocked out, so hopefully it's nothing too serious (amateur medical diagnosis: concussion) and he'll be back on the field before too long.
14. After such a promising start, the Argos are mired in a three-game losing streak. Where once there was talk about surpassing the Als, there is now talk of whether Winnipeg will catch Toronto. It's been a very bad four weeks for the Double Blue.
15. While the Argos founder, the Lions are starting to roar. They've won two straight and face a battered and beaten Tiger-Cat team at Empire Field in Week 12. The Leos could have their first three-game winning streak and put all ugliness of their 1-7 start behind them.
16. If football is king, then the NFL is the King of Kings. Why, then, would the CFL put nine games on Sunday following Labour Day when they had three Sunday games during the summer months? The CFL is a great game, but it's going to get rolled over by the NFL machine. Leave Sundays to the NFL; take Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
17. My vote for worst free-agent signing has got to go to the Saskatchewan Roughriders for picking up Dominque Dorsey. Not only has Dorsey done nothing in the return game, the Riders released Marcus Thigpen because they signed Dorsey. I bet they would like to have that decision back right about now.
18. Great game by Fred Reid. Maybe all that talk of Jesse Lumsden coming in lit a spark under ol' Fred Ex's feet.
19. All credit to Winnipeg for their dominant Banjo Bowl performance, but three turnovers were negated by Saskatchewan penalties. How different would the game have played out had those plays gone the Riders' way?
20. I went out on a limb this week and... it paid off. I was questioned by someone about taking the Lions and Bombers, but when the smoke cleared both of those teams won. The only blemish this week was the Tiger-Cats, but another 3-1 week puts my overall record at 22-18. I hope to keep that momentum going in Week 12.