kick off to 08

And yet these other teams seem to choose to have such ceremonies during the regular season, not a meaningless exhibition game. The point is, it is a scary thought that a team is so fragile that changing their routine by a few minutes apparently is the difference between us repeating or not. It is simply BS. If changing routine is such a big issue, I guess we won’t win any road games this year. Better start all the games at 7:00 or no way we will win. Who cares if you don’t care about a banner being raised. Why do it at all? Who did they do it for? If you are right, and it isn’t important. And then how can such a unimportant thing be so disruptive to the team?
Silly!

I have talked about the game, thanks. I do not see what one issue has to do with the other. but just for you, Austin, I’ll feed you some negativity. I hope we have a new DT in camp as none of the new guys Friday looked like world beaters…
Bowman looked good. I thought Durant was the best QB, Jyles looked like a high school player his first few series, but got it together after that. A couple of the young DBs looked good. McKenzie looked good. Never Heard of the other guy!! Lots of potential out there. But beating BC 33-13 is a “who cares”. They left half their starters at home, so our starters looked better than their back-ups, and our second stringers kicked their 3rd stringers. Why bother with the rest of the season…
All I look for in an exhibition match is potential–I watch a few players/positions–the score is irrelevant, and I liked what I saw.

Neil Hughes may be an undersized fullback, but this guy has major potential, hopefully LaPolice gives him a larger role in 2008.....GO GREEN

The guy you never Heard of had 2 interceptions. Maybe you were to busy watching the d-lineman. The ones who didnt look like world beaters you say. Even though the Rider defense playing against Jackson and Pierce did this. Gave up zero tds. That never heard of db and not world beaters d line must have done something right Arius.

And only BC didnt play there starters? How about Eddie Davis? Maurice Lloyd? ODay? Mike Abou Mehkrek? James Johnson? And some others I cant think of? Do they count Arius? So no the Rider starters didnt beat the BC backups. But glad Arius returns the same way he left.

I still think our biggest problem is going to be at quarterback this season, especially if Crandell starts. He looked less then spectacular, the same way he did when he was competing with Greene for starter a few years ago. I don't think Perry has been replaced, although Hicks may have alot of potential. I was dissapointed with Flemmons, thought he would have been better, but was very impressed with our linebackers. They all played very well, playing sideline to sideling. Our defence will not be the problem this year. It will continue to be strong as it has in the past simply because Richie Hall is one of the best in the business. Bowman looked good. Impressed with our kick returners, Dressler, they weren't afraid to take a hit once they recieved the ball which is something Armstead lacked, and Cory Holmes had lost last year. Again, my prediction is still a 10 and 8 season just because I don't know about how our quarterback situation will play out this year. Durant looked great, it is just a matter of whether or not he can carry that over.

OMG!!! Crandell threw on INT!! We are going to lose every game this year!!!! Crandell looked fine. He was 5/7 I think.
Don't worry Crandell will be fine. In fact I think we will be better this year then we were last year.

Go Riders!

If that were Crandel’s first game ever, you might not worry about a pick. As he has played pro ball for some 11 or 12 years now, and in that time has thrown more picks than TDs in that time…
Anyway, he looked okay. I just thought Durant looked pretty good. There is very little upside to playing Crandell, but there is plenty of upside if they play either Durant or Jyles…

It isn’t my problem if you have no sense of humour…
Anyway, yes we sat a few guys, but not as many as BC did, therefore…
The returning d-linemen looked pretty good, for the most part–remember them? Chick, Chunky, Schultzy?
Chick looks like he is ready to pick up right where he left off in the play-offs. A couple of the new guys looked okay. I was kind in not specifically mentioning Flemmons…
But, as usual, you are so busy being negative, you didn’t notice I actually gave far more positive comments than negative. The fact is, we will be cutting 20-30 players very soon. Pretty sure that is because some of them actually did not play very well…

Meanwhile, Jimmy Verdun is the new d-lineman. 260, 6’3" according to the Leader Post. I assume they have brought 3 DL in since TC began because overall, they were thrilled with the guys already here…

It was yesterday I didnt know who big DT was. Yes it is Verdun. He sure looks a lot bigger than 260. But maybe that is all he weighs.

This is what Tillman told us at practice Monday. He said Verdun thought he was going to sign with another NFL team. Think he said Jacksonville. I may be wrong about what team it was. But that is why they signed him late. Tillman said Verdun was going to be good. Damn good is what he said. Also said Chatelaine had been on there neg list. Said Kansas City cut him a week or 2 ago. I know he said it was the Chiefs. He said the Eskimos tried to force the Riders to do something on Verdun. Riders had to sign him or lose him. Some neg list rule.

I didnt see Flemmons do anything in the game Friday night. Maybe you are right about him. Or maybe I missed seeing him do good things. Coach Miller said a lot of good things about Flemmons. So maybe he is right. Will be listening to see what Rod and Cateri say Thursday night about everything.

Is humour what you have Arius. Or sarcasim?

A line like, “Never Heard of the other guy!!” is fairly obviously a pun…Heard was actually one of the guys who did catch my attention. Both picks were good plays, not just accidents. I don’t have the advantage the coaches have of game film, knowing what coverages were called, etc., but I suspect he caught their attention as well. Chatelaine was the only new DL that garnered any praise from the people near where I sit. He didn’t look real quick, but he seemed to have a good motor and was getting the job done. Of course I am surely wrong about him, because as I think Flemmons was terrible, I am likely just wrong about both of them…Flemmons has been a pro player for 7 years, third in the CFL, and a few weeks ago, you were telling us he was possibly the best DL in the league…yikes!!
Unfortunately, I sit too far back to really watch the o-line play. Nobody seemed out of place though. Protection seemed good, running game was only okay, but Cates was only in for a quarter(4 carries I believe). Griffin was less than good. That one fumble seemed pretty casual…he and Dressler both looked fearless on the punt team.
Regarding Verdun, I just reported what the Post said. Often they get a players stats wrong, so maybe he is bigger…don’t know what neg list rule that might be. I think a player can sit there indefinately, but I will concede some uncertainty on that point.
But I hope he is good. I’ll put it this way–no new DL has looked as good to this point as John Chick did last year…personally, at this moment, I won’t be unhappy or surprised if Kitwana gets the job…Devon Hicks made a few plays in the middle…but not enough I thought to unseat Chunky…but he is only 23…Anton McKenzie all but locked up the job, I thought. 7 tackles in a half? anyone else you want to talk about?

Just wondering, Austin. When I say it, I am being negative. What about when Richie Hall says almost exactly the same thing:

The Roughriders didn't surrender an offensive touchdown in their preseason victory. B.C.'s only major was scored on a 23-yard interception return by Lions defensive back Tad Crawford.

"You have to keep it in perspective,‘’ said Richie Hall, Saskatchewan’s defensive co-ordinator. "Any time you hold a team without a touchdown, at any level, no matter who’s playing, you should be commended for that. At the same time you have to understand they had a limited package, we had a limited package. We also understand they didn’t play (slotback) Geroy (Simon) or (tailback Joe) Smith or some of their other offensive starters. So you don’t make too much of it. You evaluate the guys and you see how they played within what was asked of them to do.

I wonder if the issue with Verdun, was so much a negotiation list issue, but one of a trade issue. Didn't Sask trade away a negotiation list player to be named later to Edmonton (if I am not mistaken it was for the Tate trade). Well Edmonton could have been calling in that marker from Sask.

I thought Riders gave up a draft pick for Tate. Not a high 1 if I remember. Maybe you are right Mike. I didnt go to practice today. So I cant ask Tony. Talked with Tillman yesterday. But most of time its Tony who tells us what is going on.

Arius what would you have said if Riders lost 33-13 to BC? Its only pre season. Sure.

There ya go, Austin. In today's Post, Verdun has grown in stature to 6'4" and 300 pounds...by next week he'll be 6'7" and 350...
Anyway, ET was quoted as saying the 3 new players have been brought in as much due to injuries to other guys as anything else. No mention of any neg list issues. Still, injuries or not, it would be fair to suggest, you don't bring in that many players at one position if you are overwhelmingly pleased with the guys you already have...

They also had a spot for another DL as they gave Mitchell his walking papers last week.

Cutting Mitchell suprised me. He played great game against Eskimos last year. Remember that game? Blocked a punt. Scored a td on a fumble or something. Maybe the young guys are ok. But I liked Mitchell.

Arius Tillman told us Edmonton wanted Verdun. Said they either had to bring him in or lose him to Edmonton. That came straight from the man. He said they were happy with Adams but Verdon was like Williams in BC. Big and strong. Would give them a big man at DT.

I know this. Verdun was killing guys in practice. Maybe it wont be like that in the game. But in practice he looked good. Now the paper says he weighs 300. He looks that big. Or bigger.

I was surprised they cut Mitchell as well. Especially as they cut him pretty early on. Perhaps there was some politics involved there. As for Verdun, it really doesn’t matter what ET tells you–because he will never ever tell you that he brought in a player because the guys already here are no good. I don’t know what pressure Edmonton could put on us about a player on our neg list. Ask ET for specifics.
But bottom line is, I like Chunky and think he will likely be the starter. But we are small on the line and Chunky was not a lock either. But no one else impressed enough last week to take his job. If Verdun does, so be it. I am partial to the big monster in the middle anyway…another thing is, Chunky might be able to play outside as well…

Well, Austin, what would you like me to say now?
How about, it’s only an exhibition game and we left 14 starters at home? it is pretty hard to assess any players from a radio broadcast, especially as you need to overcome the “homerism” of Rod and Carm. But it seems likely Durant established himself as the back-up, not so much because he played great, but Jyles keeps turning the ball over. Berman made a case to play, I thought. Did Dressler do anything? Again, Flemmons seemed to be missing in action. I noticed in the pre-game, Carm wasn’t very kind to him. A couple of the other guys made some plays, and Chunky seemed to be in on a lot of plays. Anton McKenzie has to have settled in as the starter. It is going to be tough to send Foorde to the Thunder/Rams…10 yard average this game. Overall, I am sure the game seved its purpose–separating the wheat from the chaff.