Well somehow we defied the odds and the entire Rider Prophet crew returned safely from Las Vegas… and weren’t even forced to file for bankruptcy. All in all it was a fantastic trip with the exception of the illness I picked up in Vegas that did not adhere to the “stays in Vegas” rule… Now I know what you’re thinking and no, it’s not an STD… the call girl gave me her word on this.
Here are some random musings from sin city:
- For some strange reason I felt at home in a city where stumbling the streets with an oversized drink is encouraged.
- Despite our best efforts we were unable to locate any Las Vegas Posse merchandise, or any evidence of their existence.
- The 4am shift of cocktail waitresses could easily get walk-on parts in horror movies… Yikes!
- Once while rolling the dice at the craps table, the guy next to me tapped me on the shoulder and said “My nigga!”… I should mention that the guy who said this was almost as white as me… the whole situation was just wrong on so many levels.
- FYI – Panda Express doesn’t actually serve any Panda… needless to say I was thoroughly disappointed.
The Riders were nice enough not to do anything noteworthy in my absence. As for the rest of the league, here’s some random musings on what went down…
- Kevin Glenn signed with the Ti-Cats. With Glenn and Kenton Keith now at his disposal Marcel Bellefeuille must be elated. This will save many days in training camp since they’re already quite familiar with the shotgun draw.
- Jesse Lumsden became a prolific bobsledder. This is just such a weird story. Apparently there’s talk of him even being in the running to compete with Pierre Luders (who is of course the only good bobsledder in the country) in the Olympics. Personally I hope people don’t get their hopes to high… if history has taught us anything, it’s that Lumsden will likely start out dominating the bobsledding world only to somehow injure his shoulder in his 3rd competition and have season ending surgery. The sling is as much a fixture in Lumsden’s look as his overly greasy mullet.
- Burke Dales re-signed with Calgary. I, along with many others, thought that Dales had already signed with Winnipeg… evidently that deal was never finalized. Talk about a lucky turn of events for Dales, instead of being stuck in Winnipeg he gets to go back to the defending champs.
- Winnipeg didn’t come up empty handed in the kicking department though as they signed kicker Kenneth Byrd… who’s most recent accomplishment was getting cut by the Detroit Lions. Byrd vs. Serna… wow the kicking competition at Bomber training camp will be atrocious this year!
- BC traded Jason Pottinger to the Argos for a 1st round pick and a conditional pick in 2010. Pottinger is a solid special teams player but this still strikes me as a steep price to pay for the Argos… then again, nobody ever accused the Argos of being the sharpest knives in the drawer.
And here are some other Ins and Outs that I’m too lazy to write anything about.
Winnipeg
In: RB Lavarus Giles (free agent signing)
Out: DL Matt Kudu, WR Kerry Johnson (released)
Montreal
In: OL Gurminder Thind (free agent signing)
BC
In: Javier Glatt, Aaron Hunt (contract extensions)
Edmonton
In: WR Eric Ware (free agent signing)
Out: Shannon Garrett (retired)
Toronto
In: OL Patrick Atiff, LB Matt Hewitt, DB David Lofton (free agent signing)
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Monday, March 30, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Rider Prophet Salutes Bad Team Names: League Award
*The following post was pre-written to accommodate the fact the Rider Prophet is currently in Las Vegas and likely in no condition to operate a computing device. Barring any legal complications the Rider Prophet will be back from his vacation and resume regular posting on Monday.
As you’ve seen throughout our ongoing salute, there are bad team names in virtually every sport, at every level and in every league. But when I came across the subject of today’s salute, I knew that they were in a league of their own when it came to bad team names.
Bare in mind while reading the flowing that the league I’m talking about is the 2nd oldest basketball league in the world (second only to the NBA)…
Worst Collective Effort – Philippine Basketball Association
We start out with a few teams that aren’t that bad (nothing to brag about but still respectable)
- Alaska Aces
- Barangay Ginebra Kings
Then things start getting slightly worse when corporate influences start to take over:
- Coca Cola Tigers
- Barako Bull Energy Boosters
- Burger King Batang BK
- Sam Miguel Beermen
- Sta. Lucia Realtors
Then we get to the teams that take corporate sponsorship to hilarious new lows:
- Rain or Shine Elpaso Painters – was the Rain or Shine part really necessary? And besides who the hell paints in the rain?!
- Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants – As terrible a name as Tender Juicy Giants is, it’s actually a remarkable improvement over their previous team name… the Corned Beef Cowboys.
And finally, we get one of the worst team names I’ve come across yet…
the mighty Talk N’ Text Tropang Texters who are the reigning Philippine Cup Champions. When the best team in your league is called the Texters you deserve to be the laughingstock of the professional sporting world.
And of course a salute to the PBA wouldn’t be complete without acknowledging the historical contributions of the now defunct Crispa Redmanizers and Toyota Super Corollas
So congratulations PBA for giving the sporting world so many bad team names that you warranted your own post.
As you’ve seen throughout our ongoing salute, there are bad team names in virtually every sport, at every level and in every league. But when I came across the subject of today’s salute, I knew that they were in a league of their own when it came to bad team names.
Bare in mind while reading the flowing that the league I’m talking about is the 2nd oldest basketball league in the world (second only to the NBA)…
Worst Collective Effort – Philippine Basketball Association
We start out with a few teams that aren’t that bad (nothing to brag about but still respectable)
- Alaska Aces
- Barangay Ginebra Kings
Then things start getting slightly worse when corporate influences start to take over:
- Coca Cola Tigers
- Barako Bull Energy Boosters
- Burger King Batang BK
- Sam Miguel Beermen
- Sta. Lucia Realtors
Then we get to the teams that take corporate sponsorship to hilarious new lows:
- Rain or Shine Elpaso Painters – was the Rain or Shine part really necessary? And besides who the hell paints in the rain?!
- Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants – As terrible a name as Tender Juicy Giants is, it’s actually a remarkable improvement over their previous team name… the Corned Beef Cowboys.
And finally, we get one of the worst team names I’ve come across yet…
the mighty Talk N’ Text Tropang Texters who are the reigning Philippine Cup Champions. When the best team in your league is called the Texters you deserve to be the laughingstock of the professional sporting world.
And of course a salute to the PBA wouldn’t be complete without acknowledging the historical contributions of the now defunct Crispa Redmanizers and Toyota Super Corollas
So congratulations PBA for giving the sporting world so many bad team names that you warranted your own post.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Sin City Here We Come!
As you have hopefully deduced from the poster, the Rider Prophet is going to Las Vegas! Media Consultant and Man in the Bush will be joining me along with a few others, and tomfoolery and chicanery are sure to ensue.
Next week will be a nonstop whirlwind of debauchery, excessive gambling and adult-themed entertainment all shrouded in a veil of intoxication… Unless of course my girlfriend or members of my family are reading this… in which case next week my time will be split between sight seeing bus tours for seniors, attending church, volunteering at local soup kitchens and not marrying cocktail waitresses named Candi, all between the hours of 7:00am and 9:30pm.
Anywho, given the arduous schedule listed above, I will not be doing any blogging. Though through the wonder of technology I have set things up so that there will be a pre-written post mid-week (I can’t risk my readers finding out they live without the blog for a week).
Now if you’ll excuse me I’ve got a wallet full of money that’s just itching to turn into some spare change and a hangover.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Rider Prophet Salutes Bad Team Names: Colour Me Unimpressed
This week’s edition of my salute to bad team names will hopefully debunk the myth that colours are inherently cool and their coolness can transfer to otherwise lame objects via osmosis.
Top 5 – Adding A Colour To A Bad Team Name Doesn’t Make It Any Better
5. University of Evansville Purple Aces (NCAA) – Aces come in red and black (and occasionally naked girl) but not purple. Regardless it’s a pretty bad mascot.
4. Saint Francis University Red Flash (NCAA) – To me a red flash seems more like a symptom of a serious medical condition than something I associate with sports. They should probably have that checked out.
3. University of North Texas Mean Green (NCAA) – My understanding is that the University of North Texas originally competed in the NCAA under one of the organization's staple names, the Eagles. That all changed when a standout defensive tackle came along in the late 1960's, "Mean" Joe Greene. Greene was so good that the school changed the name of not just the football team, but every varsity team on campus - while they would retain the Eagle as the mascot, the teams would forever more be known as Mean Green. Fortunately this method of team naming didn't catch on across the sporting world, or we could be eagerly anticipating games between the Edmonton Swamp Dogs and the Saskatchewan Undertakers... or worse, the Big Nates.
2. Cornell University Big Red/ Dartmouth College Big Green (NCAA) – I feel like Principal Skinner… “And the award for the children who obviously had no help from their parents...” Honestly, way to put zero effort into a team name. My only guess is that the schools are not artistically inclined and were looking for a logo that would be easy to draw. The odd thing though is that Cornell’s logo feature’s a brown bear. Mind boggling!
Winner: Presbyterian College Blue Hose (NCAA) –
Of all the potential mascots out there the Presbyterians went with the mighty hose. But not just any hose, a blue one. Straight from the garden shed to the athletic field. I’m not sure what exactly it was about the hose that made the Presbyterians go “Now that would make a great mascot”. I mean sure being beaten with a hose is no fun but on its own a hose is not very intimidating.
Dishonourable Mentions: Tulane University Green Wave (NCAA), Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (NCAA), Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL)
Top 5 – Adding A Colour To A Bad Team Name Doesn’t Make It Any Better
5. University of Evansville Purple Aces (NCAA) – Aces come in red and black (and occasionally naked girl) but not purple. Regardless it’s a pretty bad mascot.
4. Saint Francis University Red Flash (NCAA) – To me a red flash seems more like a symptom of a serious medical condition than something I associate with sports. They should probably have that checked out.
3. University of North Texas Mean Green (NCAA) – My understanding is that the University of North Texas originally competed in the NCAA under one of the organization's staple names, the Eagles. That all changed when a standout defensive tackle came along in the late 1960's, "Mean" Joe Greene. Greene was so good that the school changed the name of not just the football team, but every varsity team on campus - while they would retain the Eagle as the mascot, the teams would forever more be known as Mean Green. Fortunately this method of team naming didn't catch on across the sporting world, or we could be eagerly anticipating games between the Edmonton Swamp Dogs and the Saskatchewan Undertakers... or worse, the Big Nates.
2. Cornell University Big Red/ Dartmouth College Big Green (NCAA) – I feel like Principal Skinner… “And the award for the children who obviously had no help from their parents...” Honestly, way to put zero effort into a team name. My only guess is that the schools are not artistically inclined and were looking for a logo that would be easy to draw. The odd thing though is that Cornell’s logo feature’s a brown bear. Mind boggling!
Winner: Presbyterian College Blue Hose (NCAA) –
Of all the potential mascots out there the Presbyterians went with the mighty hose. But not just any hose, a blue one. Straight from the garden shed to the athletic field. I’m not sure what exactly it was about the hose that made the Presbyterians go “Now that would make a great mascot”. I mean sure being beaten with a hose is no fun but on its own a hose is not very intimidating.
Dishonourable Mentions: Tulane University Green Wave (NCAA), Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (NCAA), Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL)
Monday, March 16, 2009
Monday Morning Sentimonies: Defensive Additions
While you’re busy filling out your March Madness brackets, here’s an update on what’s been happening with the Roughriders.
The Riders have signed 6 defensive players:
- AJ Raebel (DE)
- David Patterson (DT)
- Chris McKenzie (DB)
- Jerell Freeman (LB)
- Brady Brownie (DB)
- Michael Stadnyk (DE)
A few things to note about this group. McKenzie recorded the 6th fastest 40 yard dash in NFL Combine history at 4.32 and has been clocked as low as 4.26. That’s some serious speed. Brownie was a 5th round pick by BC in last year’s Canadian draft. We drafted Stadnyk last year in the 2nd round after trading our 1st rounder this year to BC. He’s very similar in build and style as Jon Chick, he also happens to be a Regina native.
I don’t really expect more than 2 of these names to be around long enough to become noteworthy but it’s reassuring that we are at least bringing some solid competition to camp. I’m especially happy about brining in some new guys to compete on the D-line because last year our D-line was about as intimidating as basket full of bunnies and as effective as a March Madness system of picking teams based on who has the coolest name (which is incidentally the system I’ve used unsuccessfully for a number of years now).
Also, Bob Wylie was officially introduced as our new O-line coach. I’ve actually been expecting this announcement for 3 months now, as it was reported back in January that Wylie would join the Riders. Not sure why it took so long for this to become official… either way this is a great signing. Wylie will be a valuable addition to our staff.
CFL Ins and Outs
Montreal
In: LB Walter Spencer (re-signed), LB Jon Abbate (free agent signing)
Usually the term “career special teamer” is a negative label for a player to have but not for Spencer. He’s a guy who legitimately excels on special teams… and appears to have no discernable skills in any other facet of the game.
Winnipeg
In: Doug Brown, Brandon Labatte (contract extensions), Jon Oosterhuis (re-signed), DB Marlon Fair, DB Aric Williams (free agent signing)
Out: Kevin Glenn (cut)
Losing out on the bidding war for Jon Oosterhuis (alleged to be in the tens of dollars) is a tough pill to swallow and significantly hinders our Grey Cup aspirations. Truth be told, I would be willing to overlook Oosterhuis’ marginal playing abilities to see him in Green and White if for no other reason that to get to say his name regularly.
As for Glenn, Mike Kelly sure looks like an idiot now. After going on record as saying he intended to pay Glenn’s bonus, everyone laughed at him (especially Bob Obillovich) because they were sure he was full of crap. Turns out we were all right and Kelly did cut Glenn rather than pay the bonus he would have been due. Shocking I know. About the only good thing here for Kelly is that he’s working in Winnipeg… he’ll fit in perfectly with the other idiots (also known as Manitobans). Only thing is Kelly can’t blame inbreeding.
BC
In: Nautyn McKay-Loescher, DB Calvin Bannister (free agent signing), O’Neil Wilson (contract extension)
Just a few shorts years ago, BC boasted one of the best groups of Canadian receivers in recent memory with Clermont, Jackson and Thelwell. Today Jackson is still around but instead of Clermont and Thelwell, their next best option is O’Neil Wilson… I guess even the BC Lions aren’t immune to the recession.
Edmonton
In: Jason Maas (contract extension), QB Juan Joseph (free agent signing)
Don’t expect to hear much more about Juan Joseph. Edmonton is a tough place for a QB prospect. Not only will he have to live in the shadows of Ricky Ray’s immense talent, he will also have to dwell in the shadows created by Maas’ giant ears.
Toronto
In: WR Abraham Morlu, WR Jeron Harvey, WR Cleannord Saintil, DL Clifford Dukes, DL Ronald Jones, DB Matt Black (free agent signing)
For those of you who don’t remember the name Abraham Morlu, he was a receiver brought into camp by Winnipeg last year. But not just any receiver… Morlu is a Liberian sprinter who once competed in the Olympics. Seriously, how many teams can boast that an Olympian is on their roster? An Olympian who’s football experience amounts to a brief high school career and a few weeks at Blue Bomber training camp prior to being cut… but an Olympian nonetheless. I highly doubt Morlu will amount to anything. If being a talented in one area of life automatically translated into success in another, OJ Simpson would be tearing up the NASCAR circuit as we speak.
PS – what kind of name is Cleannord anyway?
The Riders have signed 6 defensive players:
- AJ Raebel (DE)
- David Patterson (DT)
- Chris McKenzie (DB)
- Jerell Freeman (LB)
- Brady Brownie (DB)
- Michael Stadnyk (DE)
A few things to note about this group. McKenzie recorded the 6th fastest 40 yard dash in NFL Combine history at 4.32 and has been clocked as low as 4.26. That’s some serious speed. Brownie was a 5th round pick by BC in last year’s Canadian draft. We drafted Stadnyk last year in the 2nd round after trading our 1st rounder this year to BC. He’s very similar in build and style as Jon Chick, he also happens to be a Regina native.
I don’t really expect more than 2 of these names to be around long enough to become noteworthy but it’s reassuring that we are at least bringing some solid competition to camp. I’m especially happy about brining in some new guys to compete on the D-line because last year our D-line was about as intimidating as basket full of bunnies and as effective as a March Madness system of picking teams based on who has the coolest name (which is incidentally the system I’ve used unsuccessfully for a number of years now).
Also, Bob Wylie was officially introduced as our new O-line coach. I’ve actually been expecting this announcement for 3 months now, as it was reported back in January that Wylie would join the Riders. Not sure why it took so long for this to become official… either way this is a great signing. Wylie will be a valuable addition to our staff.
CFL Ins and Outs
Montreal
In: LB Walter Spencer (re-signed), LB Jon Abbate (free agent signing)
Usually the term “career special teamer” is a negative label for a player to have but not for Spencer. He’s a guy who legitimately excels on special teams… and appears to have no discernable skills in any other facet of the game.
Winnipeg
In: Doug Brown, Brandon Labatte (contract extensions), Jon Oosterhuis (re-signed), DB Marlon Fair, DB Aric Williams (free agent signing)
Out: Kevin Glenn (cut)
Losing out on the bidding war for Jon Oosterhuis (alleged to be in the tens of dollars) is a tough pill to swallow and significantly hinders our Grey Cup aspirations. Truth be told, I would be willing to overlook Oosterhuis’ marginal playing abilities to see him in Green and White if for no other reason that to get to say his name regularly.
As for Glenn, Mike Kelly sure looks like an idiot now. After going on record as saying he intended to pay Glenn’s bonus, everyone laughed at him (especially Bob Obillovich) because they were sure he was full of crap. Turns out we were all right and Kelly did cut Glenn rather than pay the bonus he would have been due. Shocking I know. About the only good thing here for Kelly is that he’s working in Winnipeg… he’ll fit in perfectly with the other idiots (also known as Manitobans). Only thing is Kelly can’t blame inbreeding.
BC
In: Nautyn McKay-Loescher, DB Calvin Bannister (free agent signing), O’Neil Wilson (contract extension)
Just a few shorts years ago, BC boasted one of the best groups of Canadian receivers in recent memory with Clermont, Jackson and Thelwell. Today Jackson is still around but instead of Clermont and Thelwell, their next best option is O’Neil Wilson… I guess even the BC Lions aren’t immune to the recession.
Edmonton
In: Jason Maas (contract extension), QB Juan Joseph (free agent signing)
Don’t expect to hear much more about Juan Joseph. Edmonton is a tough place for a QB prospect. Not only will he have to live in the shadows of Ricky Ray’s immense talent, he will also have to dwell in the shadows created by Maas’ giant ears.
Toronto
In: WR Abraham Morlu, WR Jeron Harvey, WR Cleannord Saintil, DL Clifford Dukes, DL Ronald Jones, DB Matt Black (free agent signing)
For those of you who don’t remember the name Abraham Morlu, he was a receiver brought into camp by Winnipeg last year. But not just any receiver… Morlu is a Liberian sprinter who once competed in the Olympics. Seriously, how many teams can boast that an Olympian is on their roster? An Olympian who’s football experience amounts to a brief high school career and a few weeks at Blue Bomber training camp prior to being cut… but an Olympian nonetheless. I highly doubt Morlu will amount to anything. If being a talented in one area of life automatically translated into success in another, OJ Simpson would be tearing up the NASCAR circuit as we speak.
PS – what kind of name is Cleannord anyway?
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Rider Prophet Salutes Bad Team Names: Grammatical Inaccuracies
Part 4 in my salute to bad team names from across the sporting world… Today we look at the effects of poor education system in the US.
Top 5 - Spelling Errors Are Fun
5. Cincinnati Jungle Kats (AF2) – When did we collectively decide that the letter K is cooler than the letter C? What did C ever do to be labeled uncool? I would have thought the unfortunate affiliation with the KKK would have sunk K for good but it appears to have emerged unharmed.
4. Utah Starzz (defunct WNBA Team) – Admittedly I am somewhat ashamed that I have knowledge of a WNBA team (let alone a defunct one), my life has indeed become quite pathetic.
3. Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz (AF2) – The Junkyard Dog made one hell of a career for himself and he didn’t have to resort to creative spelling of his name… so shame on you Oklahoma City.
2. West Tenn Diamond Jaxx (AA Baseball) – Even if they had spelled Jacks correctly, odds are I would still be making fun of this team. Jacks is a game that had been classified as lame long before I started school (not that that stopped me from setting a school yard record with tensies, booyeah!).
Winner: Georgia Gwizzlies (ABA) –
I wish I was making this one up. At first I thought this was just a typo but then I saw the logo… and proceeded to laugh hysterically. This is by far one of the worst team names I’ve come across so far. I’m not sure who in Georgia thought a team name that celebrates speech impediments would be a good idea. What better way to rally the fans together in support of your team than by making them sound like retards every time they say the team’s name.
In keeping with the “politically incorrect humour” I’m known for, I’m sure there’s a Special Olympics joke to be had here. However, I’ve opted not to go down that route since the intellectual capacity shown by the Gwizzlies is so miniscule that I don't want to shame the good folks at the Special Olympics through the comparison. Damn those kids try hard.
Dishonourable Mentions: Portland Lumberjax (NLL), Sam Houston State Bearkats (NCAA)
Top 5 - Spelling Errors Are Fun
5. Cincinnati Jungle Kats (AF2) – When did we collectively decide that the letter K is cooler than the letter C? What did C ever do to be labeled uncool? I would have thought the unfortunate affiliation with the KKK would have sunk K for good but it appears to have emerged unharmed.
4. Utah Starzz (defunct WNBA Team) – Admittedly I am somewhat ashamed that I have knowledge of a WNBA team (let alone a defunct one), my life has indeed become quite pathetic.
3. Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz (AF2) – The Junkyard Dog made one hell of a career for himself and he didn’t have to resort to creative spelling of his name… so shame on you Oklahoma City.
2. West Tenn Diamond Jaxx (AA Baseball) – Even if they had spelled Jacks correctly, odds are I would still be making fun of this team. Jacks is a game that had been classified as lame long before I started school (not that that stopped me from setting a school yard record with tensies, booyeah!).
Winner: Georgia Gwizzlies (ABA) –
I wish I was making this one up. At first I thought this was just a typo but then I saw the logo… and proceeded to laugh hysterically. This is by far one of the worst team names I’ve come across so far. I’m not sure who in Georgia thought a team name that celebrates speech impediments would be a good idea. What better way to rally the fans together in support of your team than by making them sound like retards every time they say the team’s name.
In keeping with the “politically incorrect humour” I’m known for, I’m sure there’s a Special Olympics joke to be had here. However, I’ve opted not to go down that route since the intellectual capacity shown by the Gwizzlies is so miniscule that I don't want to shame the good folks at the Special Olympics through the comparison. Damn those kids try hard.
Dishonourable Mentions: Portland Lumberjax (NLL), Sam Houston State Bearkats (NCAA)
Monday, March 9, 2009
Monday Morning Sentimonies: Where’s My Ostriches?
I’ll warn you… news is pretty thin this week and not likely to get better in the near future. Hopefully you’re enjoying my Salute To Bad Team Names…
The CFL rule committee has proposed 5 potential rule changes for the 2009 season. They include:
- Teams must kick off after a field goal, no taking it at the 35-yard-line.
- After a safety, the kick will be from the 25 yard line instead of the 35.
- Granting a 3rd challenge if a team is successful in their first 2
- Allowing the wildcat offense
- Creating a central "command centre" similar to that of the NHL to review on-field calls that have been challenged by a coach.
While I’m disappointed that my “officials must ride trained ostriches” suggestion didn’t make the cut, I'm happy with the suggestions being put forward and think all 5 will be good for the game. As for the ostriches that I prematurely started stockpiling... I will shortly have a large supply of ostrich meat if anyone is interested.
CFL Evaluation Camp ran this weekend and was highlighted by RB Jamall Lee setting an E-Camp record in the 40 yard dash (4.39) and vertical jump (44 inches). I’d go into more depth about the weekend results but given that anyone good enough to be invited to E-Camp will likely be drafted before the Riders lone pick comes up, there’s really no point.
Given that there’s nothing major happening in the football world, I’ve been watching a lot of curling. This weekend's Brier action has made it painfully obvious that we should not have a provincial playdown, we should just always send Stefanie Lawton to the Scotties and Pat Simmons to the Brier. Actually I even think we should have sent Lawton to the Brier this year, she couldn't be any worse than our current representatives. And she's better to look at than this "Johnny Depp plays Dracula" thing that Joel Jordison has going on. Unless CFL news starts to pick up, expect a lot more curling commentary in the coming posts.
CFL Ins and Outs
BC
In: Buck Pierce (contract extension)
The first report I heard on this stated it was a 2 year deal worth $930,000, at which point I almost choked on my ostrich burger. It led me to believe Buono should lay off the drugs (and that Ricky Ray should get a better agent because he’s easily worth twice as much as Buck). Further research into the matter clarified that it is a 2 year plus an option deal that (including incentives) totals $930K, putting his base salary in the high $200K range. This is much less outlandish than I first thought but still strikes me as a lot of money for a 27 year old blessed with the body of a 67 year old.
Hamilton
In: Brandon Guillory (free agent signing)
Good signing by the Ti-cats but some people are wondering why the Riders didn’t go after him given that he’s a young D-linemen who has showed some promise. Like most things, it boiled down to money. I’m guessing the Ti-cats offered him some pretty good coin. The Riders by comparison have been unwilling to offer money to a reigning MOP and standout linebacker… do you really think we're going to throw big money at an inconsistent import linemen?
Montreal
In: LB John Mohring (free agent signing)
Mohring played last season in the AFL… and that’s about as much effort I’m putting in to writing something about him.
Toronto
Out: OL Jude St. John, OL Jerome Davis (released)
Oddly enough some people are questioning this move by the Argos. I guess they don’t agree that getting rid of 2 members of the 2nd worst O-line in the CFL to make room for 2 all-star linemen is a good idea.
Winnipeg
In: DB Keyuo Craver, DB Derrick Straight (free agent signings)
So would the bizzaro Derrick Straight be Derrick Gay?
The CFL rule committee has proposed 5 potential rule changes for the 2009 season. They include:
- Teams must kick off after a field goal, no taking it at the 35-yard-line.
- After a safety, the kick will be from the 25 yard line instead of the 35.
- Granting a 3rd challenge if a team is successful in their first 2
- Allowing the wildcat offense
- Creating a central "command centre" similar to that of the NHL to review on-field calls that have been challenged by a coach.
While I’m disappointed that my “officials must ride trained ostriches” suggestion didn’t make the cut, I'm happy with the suggestions being put forward and think all 5 will be good for the game. As for the ostriches that I prematurely started stockpiling... I will shortly have a large supply of ostrich meat if anyone is interested.
CFL Evaluation Camp ran this weekend and was highlighted by RB Jamall Lee setting an E-Camp record in the 40 yard dash (4.39) and vertical jump (44 inches). I’d go into more depth about the weekend results but given that anyone good enough to be invited to E-Camp will likely be drafted before the Riders lone pick comes up, there’s really no point.
Given that there’s nothing major happening in the football world, I’ve been watching a lot of curling. This weekend's Brier action has made it painfully obvious that we should not have a provincial playdown, we should just always send Stefanie Lawton to the Scotties and Pat Simmons to the Brier. Actually I even think we should have sent Lawton to the Brier this year, she couldn't be any worse than our current representatives. And she's better to look at than this "Johnny Depp plays Dracula" thing that Joel Jordison has going on. Unless CFL news starts to pick up, expect a lot more curling commentary in the coming posts.
CFL Ins and Outs
BC
In: Buck Pierce (contract extension)
The first report I heard on this stated it was a 2 year deal worth $930,000, at which point I almost choked on my ostrich burger. It led me to believe Buono should lay off the drugs (and that Ricky Ray should get a better agent because he’s easily worth twice as much as Buck). Further research into the matter clarified that it is a 2 year plus an option deal that (including incentives) totals $930K, putting his base salary in the high $200K range. This is much less outlandish than I first thought but still strikes me as a lot of money for a 27 year old blessed with the body of a 67 year old.
Hamilton
In: Brandon Guillory (free agent signing)
Good signing by the Ti-cats but some people are wondering why the Riders didn’t go after him given that he’s a young D-linemen who has showed some promise. Like most things, it boiled down to money. I’m guessing the Ti-cats offered him some pretty good coin. The Riders by comparison have been unwilling to offer money to a reigning MOP and standout linebacker… do you really think we're going to throw big money at an inconsistent import linemen?
Montreal
In: LB John Mohring (free agent signing)
Mohring played last season in the AFL… and that’s about as much effort I’m putting in to writing something about him.
Toronto
Out: OL Jude St. John, OL Jerome Davis (released)
Oddly enough some people are questioning this move by the Argos. I guess they don’t agree that getting rid of 2 members of the 2nd worst O-line in the CFL to make room for 2 all-star linemen is a good idea.
Winnipeg
In: DB Keyuo Craver, DB Derrick Straight (free agent signings)
So would the bizzaro Derrick Straight be Derrick Gay?
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