From the Lark's Nest

Well, if we have to lose a game, that is exactly the way I'd like to lose. I do not like seeing my team get blown out; I do not like seeing my team put in a weak effort; I do not like officials ruining a game; I do not like seeing bonehead plays and bonehead coaching decisions. None of the above apply to last night's match.

Both teams played hard, played well, and on balance the better team won.  That's the way to lose; we have nothing really to hang our heads over.

It is a common reaction, I suppose, when your team loses, to try to find fault with some aspect of your team's game.  I won't go there.  Let's just give credit where credit is due.  Calgary is a solid football team, they came to play, they never let up and they are full value for their win.  My hat's off to them.

My analogy is the response of far too many American historians, who try to find some way to blame Roosevelt for Pearl Harbor.  Revisionist historians and conspiracy theorists go through some rather ridiculous intellectual gymnastics to try to "prove" that Roosevelt knew it was coming and let it happen because he wanted to get in the war.  Nonsense, but that's another debate.  The point here is that the Americans are too egocentric; when they win, be it in sports or in war, they win because they are the greatest; but when they lose, be it in sports or in war, they have to find someone on their side to blame....what they can't seem to do is what they should do....simply give credit to the other side (in the example, instead of trying to find conspiracies and blame on their side, simply admit that the Japanese planned a brilliant operation and pulled it off brilliantly). 

So, on that theme, instead of throwing darts at one Edwards brother for jumping offside and canceling a touchdown, and the other Edwards brother for fumbling, I merely salute the Calgary Stampeders and congratulate them on a well-earned victory.

Despite losing, there was much to like about this game.  First off, it was the most entertaining game I have seen so far this year.  The officials called a good (not perfect, certainly, but good nevertheless) game, and both teams played flat out.  On our side, in the first quarter, Thyron Anderson and Kerry Watkins both showed that they had come to play and play hard.  They both made excellent efforts on passes that were out of bounds, and that sent the message that these two, who have been criticized for lack of effort at times this year, would not be guilty of that this day. Calvillo played, I think, his best game of the season, O’Neill Wilson did not look out of place, Edwards ran hard, the line blocked well.

On defence, I thought we wilted a bit in the late going, but again rather than criticizing our defence I give full credit to Calgary's offence, from their receiving corps to their QB (and I think Burris played his best game of the season last night as well) to their offensive coordinator for the play calling.

Football is a game of chances; sometimes the bounces go your way and sometimes they don't.  Probably one of the key aspects of the game was that the Stampeders recovered their fumbles and we lost ours.  Reverse just one of those results (as in they lose one of their fumbles or we recover one of ours) and the end result may very well have been different.

The turning point to me in this match (and I switched the game off right after the final whistle, so if TSN selected a turning point I have no way of knowing if I'm plagiarising here) was when Terrence Edwards apparently jumped early and nullified a great pass and catch from Cavlillo to Robert Edwards for a TD; how Edwards was that open I'll never know.  Had that TD stood, I think we win the game.  The reason I said that Terrence Edwards was "apparently" offside is because TSN didn't show a good replay to see it clearly, but since he was certainly not protesting the call, I guess that speaks volumes; he must have been offside.

But all in all a great game to watch, two teams playing football the way it should be played.  I enjoyed every minute of it, and let's face it, that's what it's all about....entertainment.  Sure I'd be happier had we hung on for the win, but I think no Als fan, no Als player, and no Als coach should be hanging his head today.  We came to play; we played well, and just came up a bit short.  We have nothing to be embarrassed about. 

So now we go to Toronto and then meet the Stampeders again, this time at home.  Here's hoping that both teams put in the same kind of effort again in the rematch, so we can have another entertaining game...and this time, here's to a different result!!