Good Day Rider Fans. Rider Prophet here still basking in the glory of a Grey Cup win. It was just such a great moment in the province's history that I decided that a semi-serious poem was in order to start the week. However, now it's time to get back to what this blog is all about... smart-ass remarks and politically incorrect humour!
To start out here's one of the better comments I heard all week: The Bombers have introduced a new piece of merchandise following the Grey Cup game. The Bomber bra.. it's got weak support and no cups.
I guess the first order of business would be to talk about the Grey Cup MVP... James Johnson. Now, as you know, over the course of the season I have been very vocal in my dislike of Johnson. Everything from comparing his tackling abilities to Def Leppard's drummer to saying I would rather see Patrick Kabongo line up at DB. I'd like to take those hurtful statements back... I'd like to, but I can't bring myself to do it. Everything I said was accurate at the time, he sucked. Sunday, however, was a different story. Johnson finally showed he was deserving of his title of all-star and was one of the main reasons we won the game. So kudos to you Mr. Johnson. But remember, now that I've seen how well you can play, should you decide to go back to sucking next season rest assured my insults will increase in frequency and severity to a level previously only attained by the football mastermind Marcel Bellefeuille.
A lot of people were very critical of Milt Stegall for not talking to the media following the loss. I for one think this was blown way out of proportion. It was likely Milt's last game and he was probably very emotional and crying like a baby. I don't blame him for not wanting to appear like that on camera. Hey Milt, don't worry! I'm sure it was very awkward to be owned by James when you are clearly more accustomed to single-handedly beating Johnson.
Three days after being named the League's Outstanding Player for 2007, Kerry Joseph evidently succumbed to a combination of nerves and a talented Blue Bomber defense and put up one of his ugliest passing games of the season. Fortunately for Rider fans everywhere, Joseph overcame his inaccuracy and occasionally questionable decision making by running like Forrest Gump on speed. The Winnipeg linebacker that was assigned to Joseph played the role of "spy" to perfection, in that he kept a close eye on Kerry without ever being seen himself, and had a classified report on Doug Berry's desk first thing the next morning outlining in excruciating detail all of the target's movements. Perhaps Coach Berry should have known that when dealing with someone who has spent that much time breathing the Winnipeg air, he would have been better off asking his special agent to be "the guy that follows #4 and doesn't let him run".
Make no mistake Rider fans - it may not have been a pretty win, but years from now no one will care about that. All that will matter was that at the end of the day, the Saskatchewan Roughriders were hoisting the Grey Cup. Meanwhile back in Regina, the world's greatest fans were taking to the streets in droves. The intersection of Albert and Vic was packed with a green mob, and traffic was backed up for blocks in all directions. Fans from all over the city - and even some that drove in from out of town just for the occasion - were celebrating the win well into the night. The joy was overwhelming, and spirits were higher than the guy I saw streaking down Albert St. I wish I could say I have film of the scene, but apparently cameras don't appreciate cold temperatures or drunk operators. Who knew?
We did however manage to get some footage of this week’s Grey Cup celebrations.
Celebration at the Lazy Owl
The obligatory Grey Cup dance party
Rider Prophet being mauled by his fans
Grey Cup celebration on Albert St.
Grey Cup Rally at Mosaic Stadium:
Grey Cup Champions take the stage
Mayor Fiacco
Eric Tillman
Coach Austin
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Thursday, November 29, 2007
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Grey Cup Champions
If you can bring in a rookie coach without any doubt
That you’ll have success in the first year
If you can win games week in and week out
In front of 28,000 fans who cheer
If you can overcome an injury list
That seems to have no end
If through a thunderstorm you can persist
And your winning streak extend
If you can cut off your fingers and barely miss any time
Or run with broken bones in your feet
If you can replace most of your offensive line
And lose your top receiver but not miss a beat
If you can take someone who took a decrease in pay
And make him the league’s MVP
If you can get benched for your poor play
And later recover to score the Grey Cup winning TD
If you can surpass expectations
And rewrite history
If you can overcome all complications
And rise above mediocrity
If you can clinch a home playoff game
For the first time since ‘88
If the favored Lions you can tame
And earn a Grey Cup date
If you can restore pride in a once great team
And can capture hearts across the prairies
If you can wave a flag of green
And know the honour that it carries
If you can fight until that last minute
And look back and say you won
Yours is the Grey Cup and all the glory in it
And - which is more – you’ll be a Rider my son!
That you’ll have success in the first year
If you can win games week in and week out
In front of 28,000 fans who cheer
If you can overcome an injury list
That seems to have no end
If through a thunderstorm you can persist
And your winning streak extend
If you can cut off your fingers and barely miss any time
Or run with broken bones in your feet
If you can replace most of your offensive line
And lose your top receiver but not miss a beat
If you can take someone who took a decrease in pay
And make him the league’s MVP
If you can get benched for your poor play
And later recover to score the Grey Cup winning TD
If you can surpass expectations
And rewrite history
If you can overcome all complications
And rise above mediocrity
If you can clinch a home playoff game
For the first time since ‘88
If the favored Lions you can tame
And earn a Grey Cup date
If you can restore pride in a once great team
And can capture hearts across the prairies
If you can wave a flag of green
And know the honour that it carries
If you can fight until that last minute
And look back and say you won
Yours is the Grey Cup and all the glory in it
And - which is more – you’ll be a Rider my son!
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Grey Cup: Riders vs. Bombers
The year was 1997. The world was mourning the loss of Notorious BIG, Princess Di and Mother Teresa; listening to Hanson sing MMMBop and having illicit thoughts about Kate Winslet in Titanic. At least I know I was. But even more important than naked sketches on a sinking ship was the fact that 1997 was the last time that the Saskatchewan Roughriders played for the Grey Cup. The game, much like the movie, was not an easy one for any self-respecting Rider fan to endure, but at least the game was Celine Dion-free.
Yes, the game a decade in the making is now but days away. This Sunday our Saskatchewan Roughriders will face the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 95th Grey Cup - the first time these two teams will square off for Canadian football's top prize. Both teams are currently enduring the longest Grey Cup droughts in the CFL (Rider since '89 and Bombers since '90). One of these mathematically unlikely streaks is about to come to an end. Like most Rider fans, I have been bouncing off the walls with excitement since the end of the West Final (which has angered my landlord so if you know of a good drywaller please let me know).
The game features 2 very good teams; a quick look at the stats will tell you that. Their offense was 2nd in the league in yards, fueled by 3 1000 yd receivers and a RB that ran for 1300. Our offense was 2nd only to BC in the league in scoring, led by a QB that threw 24 TDs and rushed for 13 more. Their defense was #3 in the league against the pass. Our defense was #1 in the league against the rush. But stats at this point are about as useful as Michael Vick in my football draft. It doesn't matter what has happened over the last 20 weeks. This is one game to decide it all.
That said, there is one more stat I would like to mention, since Winnipeg leads the league in this category... singles off missed field goals. Yes, no one shanks kicks more consistently than Troy Westwood. Nothing like having the least reliable kicker in the league heading into the most important game. Apparently Westwood tripped and fell in the locker room and hit his head the other day. There were concerns over his mental alertness headed into the big game. To be sure, the trainer asked him what 4 plus 4 was. Troy replied 8. The other Bomber players all yelled out is dismay, "Aww, he got it wrong!" But in fairness to Westwood, this is his big chance at a haircut 6 years in the making, so we'll see how he responds.
You can't talk about the game without talking about Winnipeg's QB situation. Sadly, Winnipeg will be playing for the championship without East MVP Kevin Glenn who broke his arm last week against the Alouettes. I personally would have preferred to see Glenn and Joseph duke it out for Cup but unfortunately thems the breaks (oooh... maybe a poor choice of words). Regardless, Winnipeg's fate now rests in the hands of Ryan Dinwiddie, a guy who has not thrown a TD in the CFL or even started a game for that matter. However, the Riders cannot be overconfident or Dinwiddie may burn us. There's no denying that Dinwiddie was a great QB in college… but then again so was Akili Smith and look how well that turned out.
The keys to wining will be the same as last week: Stop the run and blitz like mad. Good receivers mean jack when you're QB is brutal (just ask Clermont, Simon, Lewis, Copeland and Bruce).
The game will be closer than many are predicting, but when time expires on Sunday the Riders will be the ones to hoist the Grey Cup. And when they do, people across Saskatchewan will pour into the streets and the biggest party in the province this millennium will ensue.
I'll end with a few jokes to get you in the Grey Cup mood...
Apparently Doug Berry will only be dressing 20 players for the game. He's confident the others can figure it out on their own.
Q: What do you call 46 guys in a room watching the Grey Cup?
A: The BC Lions
Sit back and enjoy the weekend Rider fans, we've waited a long time for this.
Yes, the game a decade in the making is now but days away. This Sunday our Saskatchewan Roughriders will face the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 95th Grey Cup - the first time these two teams will square off for Canadian football's top prize. Both teams are currently enduring the longest Grey Cup droughts in the CFL (Rider since '89 and Bombers since '90). One of these mathematically unlikely streaks is about to come to an end. Like most Rider fans, I have been bouncing off the walls with excitement since the end of the West Final (which has angered my landlord so if you know of a good drywaller please let me know).
The game features 2 very good teams; a quick look at the stats will tell you that. Their offense was 2nd in the league in yards, fueled by 3 1000 yd receivers and a RB that ran for 1300. Our offense was 2nd only to BC in the league in scoring, led by a QB that threw 24 TDs and rushed for 13 more. Their defense was #3 in the league against the pass. Our defense was #1 in the league against the rush. But stats at this point are about as useful as Michael Vick in my football draft. It doesn't matter what has happened over the last 20 weeks. This is one game to decide it all.
That said, there is one more stat I would like to mention, since Winnipeg leads the league in this category... singles off missed field goals. Yes, no one shanks kicks more consistently than Troy Westwood. Nothing like having the least reliable kicker in the league heading into the most important game. Apparently Westwood tripped and fell in the locker room and hit his head the other day. There were concerns over his mental alertness headed into the big game. To be sure, the trainer asked him what 4 plus 4 was. Troy replied 8. The other Bomber players all yelled out is dismay, "Aww, he got it wrong!" But in fairness to Westwood, this is his big chance at a haircut 6 years in the making, so we'll see how he responds.
You can't talk about the game without talking about Winnipeg's QB situation. Sadly, Winnipeg will be playing for the championship without East MVP Kevin Glenn who broke his arm last week against the Alouettes. I personally would have preferred to see Glenn and Joseph duke it out for Cup but unfortunately thems the breaks (oooh... maybe a poor choice of words). Regardless, Winnipeg's fate now rests in the hands of Ryan Dinwiddie, a guy who has not thrown a TD in the CFL or even started a game for that matter. However, the Riders cannot be overconfident or Dinwiddie may burn us. There's no denying that Dinwiddie was a great QB in college… but then again so was Akili Smith and look how well that turned out.
The keys to wining will be the same as last week: Stop the run and blitz like mad. Good receivers mean jack when you're QB is brutal (just ask Clermont, Simon, Lewis, Copeland and Bruce).
The game will be closer than many are predicting, but when time expires on Sunday the Riders will be the ones to hoist the Grey Cup. And when they do, people across Saskatchewan will pour into the streets and the biggest party in the province this millennium will ensue.
I'll end with a few jokes to get you in the Grey Cup mood...
Apparently Doug Berry will only be dressing 20 players for the game. He's confident the others can figure it out on their own.
Q: What do you call 46 guys in a room watching the Grey Cup?
A: The BC Lions
Sit back and enjoy the weekend Rider fans, we've waited a long time for this.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Wednesday Videos
Here is the video footage from the airport after the West Final win.
Airport Intro
Airport Part I
Airport Part II
Airport Part III
Airport Part IV
Airport Outro
Also we have this exclusive footage which may shock you
Rider Prophet Exclusive Story
Finally here's some footage of my appearance on the Morning Edition last Friday
Rider Prophet and Sheila Coles
Airport Intro
Airport Part I
Airport Part II
Airport Part III
Airport Part IV
Airport Outro
Also we have this exclusive footage which may shock you
Rider Prophet Exclusive Story
Finally here's some footage of my appearance on the Morning Edition last Friday
Rider Prophet and Sheila Coles
Monday, November 19, 2007
West Division Champions!!!
Where were you as time expired in the West Final yesterday? Were you in a sports bar? Were you in the comfort of your own home? Were you hugging grown men like there was no tomorrow? Wherever you were I'm sure it's a moment you will always remember.
On Sunday the Riders defeated the BC Lions 26-17 in front of a sell-out crowd at BC Place, earning them a berth in the 95th Grey Cup. That's right, the Riders re but one win away from putting the perfect finish on the most unlikely of seasons.
With the intensity and focus the Riders showed, nothing was going to deny us the win. The home crowd noise couldn't stop us (4 procedure calls, 0 time counts), BC's highly touted O-line couldn't stop us (7 sacks), their all-star secondary couldn't stop us (0 INTs, 2 passing TDs), their dangerous D-line couldn't stop us (5 sacks, 112 yds rushing), the CFL's top RB couldn't stop us (35 yds rushing, 1 TD); last year's Grey Cup MVP couldn't stop us. Not even the referees could stop us (1 botched challenge). This team will not be denied.
While the Rider offense did enough to win, full credit for this one goes to the defense. I haven't seen such brutal hits since Ricky Martin was popular. While the receivers, particularly Jason Clermont and Geroy Simon, took more than their fair share of abuse, one of the most recurring victims of the Riders' punishing defense was Dave Dickenson. The amount of protection he was getting from his offensive line made me wonder if Dave had spent all of his post-concussion recuperation time sleeping with their wives and stealing from their elderly mothers, because I've seen drunk college freshmen that were better able to resist the advances of a Chick. I mean, maybe you can understand an occasional blitzing linebacker coming free off the edge, but when a guy they call "Chunky" can come through the middle of the line untouched, you have to wonder if there's some unresolved issues!
Another bonus of the Rider win is that it means the Lions will finally shave their ridiculous mustaches. Although I can't help but think back to the days after the 2001 Grey Cup, where Troy Westwood vowed that he wouldn't cut his hair until the Bombers won the Grey Cup - I'm hoping that a bold Lions player steps up and makes a similar claim with regards to their mustache, since I think it's high time that someone gave Lanny McDonald some competition.
The Riders flew back into Regina around 1:30 this morning and they were greeted by hundreds and hundreds of Rider fans. The Rider Prophet and his Media Consultant were right in the heart of the celebration, and the atmosphere was truly incredible. We shot some video footage which I will post tomorrow.
Finally, I'd like to point out the heart shown by this team all season long, further demonstrated again last night by the numerous players that toughed out injuries to help the team. Wes Cates, DJ Flick, Chris Szarka, Corey Holmes, Marcus Adams, Kitwana Jones, Maurice Lloyd, Reggie Hunt, James Johnson and I'm sure many others all worked through the pain yesterday to contribute to the win. That type of commitment to the overall team objective is why the BC Lions season ended yesterday, and it's why the Saskatchewan Roughriders will hoist Lord Earl Grey's mug in just under a week.
On Sunday the Riders defeated the BC Lions 26-17 in front of a sell-out crowd at BC Place, earning them a berth in the 95th Grey Cup. That's right, the Riders re but one win away from putting the perfect finish on the most unlikely of seasons.
With the intensity and focus the Riders showed, nothing was going to deny us the win. The home crowd noise couldn't stop us (4 procedure calls, 0 time counts), BC's highly touted O-line couldn't stop us (7 sacks), their all-star secondary couldn't stop us (0 INTs, 2 passing TDs), their dangerous D-line couldn't stop us (5 sacks, 112 yds rushing), the CFL's top RB couldn't stop us (35 yds rushing, 1 TD); last year's Grey Cup MVP couldn't stop us. Not even the referees could stop us (1 botched challenge). This team will not be denied.
While the Rider offense did enough to win, full credit for this one goes to the defense. I haven't seen such brutal hits since Ricky Martin was popular. While the receivers, particularly Jason Clermont and Geroy Simon, took more than their fair share of abuse, one of the most recurring victims of the Riders' punishing defense was Dave Dickenson. The amount of protection he was getting from his offensive line made me wonder if Dave had spent all of his post-concussion recuperation time sleeping with their wives and stealing from their elderly mothers, because I've seen drunk college freshmen that were better able to resist the advances of a Chick. I mean, maybe you can understand an occasional blitzing linebacker coming free off the edge, but when a guy they call "Chunky" can come through the middle of the line untouched, you have to wonder if there's some unresolved issues!
Another bonus of the Rider win is that it means the Lions will finally shave their ridiculous mustaches. Although I can't help but think back to the days after the 2001 Grey Cup, where Troy Westwood vowed that he wouldn't cut his hair until the Bombers won the Grey Cup - I'm hoping that a bold Lions player steps up and makes a similar claim with regards to their mustache, since I think it's high time that someone gave Lanny McDonald some competition.
The Riders flew back into Regina around 1:30 this morning and they were greeted by hundreds and hundreds of Rider fans. The Rider Prophet and his Media Consultant were right in the heart of the celebration, and the atmosphere was truly incredible. We shot some video footage which I will post tomorrow.
Finally, I'd like to point out the heart shown by this team all season long, further demonstrated again last night by the numerous players that toughed out injuries to help the team. Wes Cates, DJ Flick, Chris Szarka, Corey Holmes, Marcus Adams, Kitwana Jones, Maurice Lloyd, Reggie Hunt, James Johnson and I'm sure many others all worked through the pain yesterday to contribute to the win. That type of commitment to the overall team objective is why the BC Lions season ended yesterday, and it's why the Saskatchewan Roughriders will hoist Lord Earl Grey's mug in just under a week.
Friday, November 16, 2007
West Division Showdown: Riders vs. Lions
Happy Friday Rider fans. Prophet here gearing up for Sunday's big game in BC. On the line is a trip to Toronto to play for Earl Grey's cup (and I'm not talking about the tea).
I got the weekend started off on a good note this morning. I was a guest on CBC Radio's Morning Edition and squared off in a debate against a rabid BC Lions fan. He should really get that checked out. Anyway, big thanks to those of you who tuned in and listened. Try as they may to trash talk the Riders and land a knock-out punch, they were no match for the wit and intelligence of the Prophet. If you missed the debate, or would just like to listen again you can click here. I also took some video footage which I will post soon.
This game is big. How big you ask? Well on a scale of 1 to 10; 1 being Jason Jimenez' upcoming legal bill and 10 being Wally Buono's ego, this is a 9. Normally I would rate it higher, but nothing is bigger than Wally Buono's ego. In all seriousness though, I shouldn't say too much bad about Buono. I know how hard he's worked to get his cholesterol under control. Plus he is a master strategist - not just anyone could come up with the idea to punt on first down.
The key to winning in the playoffs is having someone step up and be a leader for the team. For the Riders, there's no question that Mr. MVP Kerry Joseph is our leader and he has shown the ability to lead the team to victory. For the Lions... I guess you've got Jarious Jackson with his wealth of playoff experience to draw on (most of which involves holding clipboards and running the 1 yard plunge). Or maybe Joe Smith... but then again he is facing the top run defense in the league which he never put up 100 yards against all season. Simon and Clermont are pretty good... but if you want to see how useful good receivers are when your QB struggles just watch last week's West-Semi. I guess that means it's up to the O-line to step up.
I can picture Wally's pre-game speech to Murphy, Haji-Rasouli and Jimenez going something like this: "Rob, don't choke ... unless it's someone in a green jersey. Sherko, we need you to help punch one in ... to Shultz's stomach. And Jason, well you just go out there and break a leg."
Some people don't like our chances given the fact that we have a rookie head coach. That may be true, but let's not forget that we've got the same coaches on the offensive side of the ball that led the Argos to a win in the East final in the Big O a few years back, so there's no question our guys will be ready for the noise. Also, Austin has Grey Cup rings both as a player and a coach, and he knows what it takes to succeed at the highest level.
I predict that it will be a very close game with the Riders winning by 5 on a Kerry Joseph rushing TD. This will be a change of pace for BC people: Usually they smoke the green, but this Sunday the green will be smoking them.
I got the weekend started off on a good note this morning. I was a guest on CBC Radio's Morning Edition and squared off in a debate against a rabid BC Lions fan. He should really get that checked out. Anyway, big thanks to those of you who tuned in and listened. Try as they may to trash talk the Riders and land a knock-out punch, they were no match for the wit and intelligence of the Prophet. If you missed the debate, or would just like to listen again you can click here. I also took some video footage which I will post soon.
This game is big. How big you ask? Well on a scale of 1 to 10; 1 being Jason Jimenez' upcoming legal bill and 10 being Wally Buono's ego, this is a 9. Normally I would rate it higher, but nothing is bigger than Wally Buono's ego. In all seriousness though, I shouldn't say too much bad about Buono. I know how hard he's worked to get his cholesterol under control. Plus he is a master strategist - not just anyone could come up with the idea to punt on first down.
The key to winning in the playoffs is having someone step up and be a leader for the team. For the Riders, there's no question that Mr. MVP Kerry Joseph is our leader and he has shown the ability to lead the team to victory. For the Lions... I guess you've got Jarious Jackson with his wealth of playoff experience to draw on (most of which involves holding clipboards and running the 1 yard plunge). Or maybe Joe Smith... but then again he is facing the top run defense in the league which he never put up 100 yards against all season. Simon and Clermont are pretty good... but if you want to see how useful good receivers are when your QB struggles just watch last week's West-Semi. I guess that means it's up to the O-line to step up.
I can picture Wally's pre-game speech to Murphy, Haji-Rasouli and Jimenez going something like this: "Rob, don't choke ... unless it's someone in a green jersey. Sherko, we need you to help punch one in ... to Shultz's stomach. And Jason, well you just go out there and break a leg."
Some people don't like our chances given the fact that we have a rookie head coach. That may be true, but let's not forget that we've got the same coaches on the offensive side of the ball that led the Argos to a win in the East final in the Big O a few years back, so there's no question our guys will be ready for the noise. Also, Austin has Grey Cup rings both as a player and a coach, and he knows what it takes to succeed at the highest level.
I predict that it will be a very close game with the Riders winning by 5 on a Kerry Joseph rushing TD. This will be a change of pace for BC people: Usually they smoke the green, but this Sunday the green will be smoking them.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Rider Prophet will be on CBC Radio
The Rider Prophet has been chosen by CBC Radio as the Ultimate Rider Fan and has been invited to appear on The Morning Edition with Sheila Coles to square off in a debate against a BC Lions fan.
Be sure to listen Friday morning at 8 on CBC Radio (540 on your AM dial)
Be sure to listen Friday morning at 8 on CBC Radio (540 on your AM dial)
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