2024 @CFL season

[GA Russell]

After being away from the game for over a year, Matt Sheridan came into camp weighing 383 (!). So he has decided to go onto the Stamps' retired list to see if he can work his way back into game shape.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Calgary/2010/06/21/14468246.html

[GA Russell]

Adrian McPherson tore his MCL in his left knee and will go onto the nine-game injured list. The next QB for the Als is Chris Leak, whom I feel has never been given a chance in the CFL. Of course, as long as Calvillo stays healthy, it doesn't matter.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/football/injuries-strike-als-back-up-qbs/article1615318/

*****

Roughriders great Ron Atchison has died at 80. I had his bubble gum card in 1964.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Saskatchewan/2010/06/23/14487196.html

[GA Russell]

Yesterday was the cut-down day in preparation for the regular season. Here's a good article on the teams' roster moves.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/football/cfl-rosters-cut-down-to-size/article1616987/

[GA Russell]

Here's a look at all the head coaches.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/football/trestman-turns-down-nfl-to-stay-with-als/article1622029/

[GA Russell]

Frank Rigney has died at age 74. I had his bubble gum card in '64, and met him at the '78 Grey Cup. In fact, as I recall the following year he and I shared a flight from Montreal to Toronto. No mention in this short obituary of his broadcasting work.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Winnipeg/2010/06/30/14567411.html

*****

Here's the 2010 CFL schedule, courtesy of the Hamilton Spectator.

http://www.thespec.com/Sports/article/799001

2010 CFL Schedule <div id="articleTools" style="clear: right;"> Email story Print Choose text size Report typo or correction Email the author <div class="articleToolsWhite" style="font-size: 11px;"> June 30, 2010 The Hamilton Spectator

(Jun 30, 2010) WEEK 1

Thursday, July 1

Montreal at Saskatchewan, 7 p.m.

Toronto at Calgary, 10 p.m.

Friday, July 2

Hamilton at Winnipeg, 8 p.m.

Sunday, July 4

B.C. at Edmonton, 7 p.m.

WEEK 2

Friday, July 9

Toronto at Winnipeg, 8 p.m.

Saturday, July 10

Calgary at Hamilton, 1 p.m.

Saskatchewan at B.C., 10 p.m.

Sunday, July 11

Montreal at Edmonton, 7 p.m.

WEEK 3

Wednesday, July 14

Calgary at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, July 16

Winnipeg at Hamilton, 7 p.m.

Montreal at B.C., 10 p.m.

Saturday, July 17

Edmonton at Saskatchewan, 4 p.m.

WEEK 4

Thursday, July 22

Hamilton at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, July 23

B.C. at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, July 24

Edmonton at Winnipeg, 6:30 p.m.

Saskatchewan at Calgary, 9:30 p.m.

WEEK 5

Thursday, July 29

Toronto at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, July 30

B.C. at Edmonton, 9 p.m.

Saturday, July 31

Hamilton at Sask., 6:30 p.m.

Winnipeg at Calgary, 9:30 p.m.

WEEK 6

Friday, Aug. 6

Saskatchewan at Montreal, 7 p.m.

Toronto at Edmonton, 10 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 7

Winnipeg at Hamilton, 7 p.m.

Calgary at B.C., 10 p.m.

WEEK 7

Thursday, Aug. 12

B.C. at Saskatchewan, 9 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 13

Hamilton at Winnipeg, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 14

Montreal at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 15

Edmonton at Calgary, 8 p.m.

WEEK 8

Byes: B.C., Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatchewan

Thursday, Aug. 19

Winnipeg at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 20

Hamilton at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.

WEEK 9

Byes: Hamilton, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg

Friday, Aug. 27

Calgary at B.C., 10:30 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 28

Saskatchewan at Edmonton, 7 p.m.

WEEK 10

Friday, Sept. 3

B.C. at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 5

Winnipeg at Saskatchewan, 4 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 6

Toronto at Hamilton, 2:30 p.m.

Edmonton at Calgary, 6 p.m.

WEEK 11

Friday, Sept. 10

Calgary at Edmonton, 9 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 11

Montreal at Hamilton, 1 p.m.

Toronto at B.C., p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 12

Saskatchewan at Winnipeg, 1 p.m.

WEEK 12

Friday, Sept. 17

Calgary at Saskatchewan, 9 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 18

Hamilton at B.C., 10 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 19

Winnipeg at Toronto, 1 p.m.

Edmonton at Montreal, 4 p.m.

WEEK 13

Friday, Sept. 24

Montreal at Winnipeg, 8 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 25

Sask. at Hamilton, 6:30 p.m.

B.C. at Calgary, 9:30 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 26

Edmonton vs. Toronto (at Moncton, N.B.), 12 p.m.

WEEK 14

Friday, Oct. 1

Montreal at Calgary, 9 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 2

Saskatchewan at Toronto, 3 p.m.

Winnipeg at B.C., 10 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 3

Hamilton at Edmonton, 4:30 p.m.

WEEK 15

Friday, Oct. 8

Edmonton at Hamilton, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 9

Toronto at Saskatchewan, 5 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 11

Calgary at Montreal, 1 p.m.

B.C. at Winnipeg, 4:30 p.m.

WEEK 16

Friday, Oct. 15

Hamilton at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 16

Edmonton at B.C., 10 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 17

Winnipeg at Montreal, 1 p.m.

Calgary at Saskatchewan, 4 p.m.

WEEK 17

Friday, Oct. 22

Montreal at Hamilton, 7 p.m.

B.C. at Calgary, 10 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 23

Toronto at Winnipeg, 4 p.m.

Saskatchewan at Edmonton, 7 p.m.

WEEK 18

Friday, Oct. 29

Montreal at Toronto, 7 p.m.

Hamilton at Calgary, 10 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 30

Winnipeg at Edmonton, 7 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 31

Saskatchewan at B.C., 10:05 p.m.

WEEK 19

Friday, Nov. 5

Calgary at Winnipeg, 8 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 6

B.C. at Hamilton, 2 p.m.

Edmonton at Saskatchewan, 7 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 7

Toronto at Montreal, 4 p.m.

PLAYOFFS

Sunday, Nov. 14

Division Semifinals

Second vs. Third Places

Sunday, Nov. 21

Division Finals

Semifinal Winners at First Place Sunday, Nov. 28

98th Grey Cup at Edmonton

East vs. West Champions, 6:30 p.m.

*****

The Friday night games will be streamed live at tsn.ca. All games will be available for streaming at tsn.ca immediately upon their conclusion. I don't see any mention of a fee, so I assume that the streaming will be for free.

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/feature/?id=508

*****

Here's a great 2010 season preview!

http://www.calgaryherald.com/sports/Contenders+pretenders+West+East/3214069/story.html

[GA Russell]

The season starts tonight!

Every year I love to read the Season Previews. Before the internet, I used to order Canadian papers' issues with them.

Here's the Globe & Mail's David Naylor:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/football/alouettes-remain-class-of-east/article1625185/

David Naylor's Week 1 picks:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/football/cfl-week-1/article1625186/

Here's TSN's preview of tonight's two games:

http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=326222

[GA Russell]

Saskatchewan Roughriders 54....Montreal Alouettes 51

http://scoreboards.canoe.ca/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=canoe&page=CFL/scores/final/W832.htm

What a way to start the season! The Als took a 33-12 lead, and appeared to have the game well in hand. But the Riders scored three straight TDs in the second half to tie the score. They then traded TDs to go into OT tied at 40.

Now here's the remarkable thing. In the first OT, Sask had the game won when the Als failed to score on third down. But the play was called back because the Riders had too many men on the field!!!!! The whole point of scheduling this game was for it to be a rematch of the Grey Cup, and here we see the same penalty to give the Als a second chance again!

*****

Calgary Stampeders 30.....Toronto Argonauts 16

http://scoreboards.canoe.ca/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=canoe&page=CFL/scores/final/W833.htm

[GA Russell]

Winnipeg Blue Bombers 49....Hamilton Tiger-Cats 29

http://scoreboards.canoe.ca/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=canoe&page=CFL/scores/final/W834.htm

Both teams played a lot of guys I am not familiar with.

Both teams had competitions for starting QB in the pre-season. Buck Pierce beat out Stephen Jyles for the Bombers, and Kevin Glenn beat out Quinton Porter for the Ticats.

The Ticat secondary is pretty suspect.

[GA Russell]

British Columbia Lions 25....Edmonton Eskimos 10

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Edmonton/2010/07/04/14609016.html

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/football/lions-get-their-kicks-against-eskimos/article1628181/

[GA Russell]

Hooray! I got new inernet service today. I have been without my own internet since May 30, before I moved. What I have now is much faster.

I have found some more items:

Gregg Xenakes Week 1 Preview:

http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=/cfl/news/AJN4322765.htm

*****

The NFL Network will carry one CFL game per week, 14 in total, but I haven't found a schedule yet.

http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=/cfl/news/AJN4322812.htm

*****

Matt Flowers Western overview:

http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=/cfl/news/AJN4324305.htm

Dan Toman Eastern overview:

http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=/cfl/news/AJN4324640.htm

*****

Gregg Xenakes Week 2 Preview:

http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=/cfl/news/AJN4324333.htm

[GA Russell]

David Naylor Week 2 picks:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/football/week-2-picks/article1633662/

[GA Russell]

I've found the URL for the NFL Network's schedule:

http://www.nfl.com/n...=07%2F10%2F2010

As you can see, it says that this week's game is Calgary-Hamilton, shown live at 1:00 pm tomorrow.

*****

Don't forget that tonight's Winnipeg-Toronto game will be streamed live at tsn.ca at no charge, now scheduled for 7:30 pm.

Yesterday I checked out the TSN website's streaming of last week's Montreal-Saskatchewan game, and it works well.

Edited July 9, 2010 by GA Russell

[GA Russell]

Bad news. TSN's live streaming is not available outside of Canada:

TSN says: "For anyone just joining us, the video streaming only works inside Canada."

[GA Russell]

Toronto Argonauts 36....Winnipeg Blue Bombers 34

http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=/cfl/news/AJN4325138.htm

Great game! The Argos took a 16-0 lead, but with three seconds left in the half, the Bombers took the lead 17-16. On the ensuing kickoff (the last play of the half), Alexis Serna squib kicked the ball, and the Argos punted the ball back, scoring a single and tying the game!

It was a see-saw battle throughout the second half, highlighted by the Argos' Chad Owens returning a missed FG 117 yards for a TD.

Edited July 10, 2010 by GA Russell

[GA Russell]

Calgary Stampeders 23....Hamilton Tiger-Cats 22

http://64.246.64.33/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfl/news/news.aspx?id=4325276

Real good game, with a particularly good last minute and a half. See-saw battle from start to finish.

On the last play of the game, Sandro DeAngelis attempted a 59-yard FG to win it, but it was blocked.

[GA Russell]

I forgot to mention Hamilton's Marcus Thigpen. He was on Sask's scout team last year, but I don't think that he ever played. When the Riders signed Dominique Dorsey in the offseason, they let him go and the Ticats picked him up.

Last week he ran back the opening kickoff for a TD, and later ran back a missed FG attempt for another TD. Yesterday he ran back a punt for a TD, and also scored a TD on a 25+ yard pass and run play.

*****

Saskatchewan Roughriders 37....British Columbia Lions 18

http://scoreboards.canoe.ca/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=canoe&page=CFL/scores/final/W838.htm

The news about this game is the new BC ballpark, Empire Field. It was constructed in 111 days for a little over $14 million, and seats 25,000. The Lions plan to play in it only this year while the domed BC Place is being renovated. The announcers for both teams talked about how impressed they are by it. If this can be duplicated elsewhere, there should be no hang-up in putting new teams in Halifax, Moncton and Quebec City.

[GA Russell]

I don't think that I knew that Barrin Miles retired, and has joined the BC coaching staff.

*****

Montreal Alouettes 33....Edmonton Eskimos 23

http://scoreboards.c.../final/W839.htm

The Eskimos offense dominated the first forty minutes and took a 23-11 lead, but could do nothing right after that.

Bryan Hall retired last year, so now the Eskimos have a new play-by-play announcer for the first time in about forty years. Morley Scott was formerly the Edmonton Oilers announcer, and I was skeptical. He did a great job, but I missed Hallsy's passion for the league. Of course, it's very hard to replace a legend - I was reminded of Chuck Israel having to fill Scott LaFaro's shoes.

Commissioner Marc Cohon was interviewed during the halftime of the game, and he said that being on the NFL Network is great for recruiting. The league thinks that there are many good American players who don't consider playing in the CFL because they are unfamiliar with it.

Edited July 12, 2010 by GA Russell

[GA Russell]

In the BC game, Casey Printers pulled a leg muscle late in the first half, and was replaced for the rest of the game by Travis Lulay. I thought that Lulay was the third string QB. No word on why Jarious Jackson wasn't put in.

[GA Russell]

This week's games start tonight, with the Stampeders playing the Argos.

*****

David Naylor Week 3 picks

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/football/cfl-week-3-picks/article1639512/

*****

Gregg Xenakes Week 3 picks:

http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=/cfl/news/AJN4326119.htm

*****

Matt Flowers West Report:

http://64.246.64.33/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfl/news/news.aspx?id=4326202

[GA Russell]

Toronto Argonauts 27....Calgary Stampeders 24

http://scoreboards.canoe.ca/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=canoe&page=CFL/scores/final/W840.htm

Both teams suffered greatly from the short week. The Argos in the first half and the Stamps in the third quarter had the chance to put the game away and failed to do so.

Still, it was exciting to see the Argos come back in the fourth after being down 24-13.

[GA Russell]

Dan Toman East Report

http://64.246.64.33/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfl/news/news.aspx?id=4326830

[GA Russell]

I forgot to mention Hamilton's Marcus Thigpen. He was on Sask's scout team last year, but I don't think that he ever played. When the Riders signed Dominique Dorsey in the offseason, they let him go and the Ticats picked him up.

Last week he ran back the opening kickoff for a TD, and later ran back a missed FG attempt for another TD. Yesterday he ran back a punt for a TD, and also scored a TD on a 25+ yard pass and run play.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats 28....Winnipeg Blue Bombers 7

http://scoreboards.canoe.ca/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=canoe&page=CFL/scores/final/W841.htm

The Ticats dominated from start to finish, for their first win of the season.

Buck Pierce limped off the field late in the third quarter, and was replaced by Stephen Jyles for the rest of the game. I think everyone has been waiting for Pierce to be lost with another concussion, so we'll see if he recovers quickly from this leg injury.

What's the matter with Sandro DeAngelis? He missed two FGs tonight. I think he missed two last week, and I don't remember how many the first game. He's got to be the biggest disappointment in the league so far.

As noted, Marcus Thigpen has scored a TD four different ways. In the history of the league (they started keeping records in the East in 1954), nobody has scored a TD five ways in a season. He didn't score tonight, but you can bet that the Ticats will plan to give him the ball close to the end zone so that he can score by rushing and set the record.

[GA Russell]

Hungry, boys and girls? Announcing for your consumption....Fantuz Flakes!

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/football/riding-to-the-top/article1643305/

Didn't the Green Bay Packers announce a profit of $5 million when they released their figures the other day? And the Riders made $3 million?

[GA Russell]

Montreal Alouettes 16....British Columbia Lions 12

Defensive struggle. The Als came from behind in the fourth to win it.

The Als had lost nine straight in Vancouver, not winning since 2000. Much was made last year of the fact that the Lions never lose at home to the eastern teams, and the view was that since the Lions play their games at night, the eastern guys' body clocks feel like it is one in the morning during the fourth quarter.

So the Als played last week in Edmonton, and spent the entire week there with only one practice, presumably so that their body clocks would adjust to western time.

Edited July 17, 2010 by GA Russell

[GA Russell]

Saskatchewan Roughriders 24....Edmonton Eskimos 20

http://scoreboards.canoe.ca/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=canoe&page=CFL/scores/final/W843.htm

The Eskimos led for most of the game, and led 20-13 after three in what was a defense-dominated game. But Edmonton has yet to score a point in the fourth quarter this year.

This was the NFL Network's game of the week. Next week's game will be the Eskimos against the Bombers.

Saskatchewan remains undefeated, while Edmonton remains winless.