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Tests show no injuries
to Ricky Williams's Achilles
The Globe &
Mail
Tue 03 Oct 2006
Section: Sports
Source: Canadian Press Toronto — The
on-again, off-again prospect of Ricky Williams and John Avery lining up in the
same backfield with the Toronto Argonauts is definitely on again. Williams limped off
the field in the fourth quarter of Toronto's 23-16 home win over Calgary on
Saturday, prompting suggestions he had re-aggravated the injury he sustained
earlier this season to the Achilles tendon on his left heel. Williams left the
game shortly after his nine-yard touchdown run had put the Argos ahead 23-9. But a club official
said Monday that tests conducted on Williams' left foot showed no damage and no
signs of tears in his Achilles tendon. The Argos were off Monday but Williams
is expected to be on the practice field Tuesday when the club begins preparing
for its game Oct. 9 at Rogers Centre versus the Edmonton Eskimos. "He came out of
Saturday's game for precautionary reasons but he didn't want to," said
Argos spokesperson Beth Waldman. "He believes he will play next
game." However, the Argos
will monitor Williams' progress this week in practice before making an official
decision regarding his status for their upcoming contest. Williams sustained a
broken forearm in July during a road game in Saskatchewan. Shortly afterwards,
he suffered a nasty gash to his left heel when a door slammed shut on his foot,
causing a cut that required 16 stitches to close. The two injuries
forced Williams to miss seven games, with Saturday's contest being just his
second since he returned to Toronto's lineup. The Argos have talked
openly about wanting to experiment with having Williams and Avery, both former
NFL first-round draft picks, in the same backfield. But that idea has been on
hold these past few weeks as an ankle injury has forced Avery to miss Toronto's
last four games. The Argos had
originally hoped to finally be able to use both Williams and Avery for their
game versus Edmonton, but those plans were effectively put on hold Saturday
when Williams reluctantly left the field against Calgary. Williams has rushed
for 91 yards on 17 carries since his return, boosting his season totals to 322
yards on 74 carries (4.4-yard average per attempt). Injuries have plagued
Avery since he joined Toronto prior to the 2004 season. He signed with the
Argos following the 2003 campaign with the NFL's Minnesota Vikings, one that
ended with Avery suffering a major knee injury. It took him almost two years to
get over that ailment, then this year, with a clean bill of health, Avery was
shunted to the sidelines after Toronto signed Williams. But when Williams
went down with his forearm injury, Avery stepped in and was effective, rushing
for 258 yards on 48 carries (5.4-yard average) before sustaining the injury to
his right ankle last month versus Winnipeg. Williams confident he
will play on Thanksgiving
The Toronto Sun
Tue 03 Oct 2006
Page: S10
Section: Sports
Byline: BY FRANK
ZICARELLI, TORONTO SUN Ricky Williams plans
on putting his best foot forward, even if it results in a little discomfort. The Argos' marquee --
and by extension the most scrutinized -- player is expected to practise today
when the team takes to the field for the first time since Saturday's 23-16 home
win over the Calgary Stampeders. It was during the
Argos' win that Williams aggravated a tendon injury to his left Achilles, a
setback he first suffered when he accidentally bumped into the team's locker
room door two months ago. At the time,
Williams, who likes to walk around bare foot, was recovering from a broken arm. Against the Stamps,
Williams scored his first home touchdown, and second of the season, on a
nine-yard run that gave the Argos a 23-9 lead 2:46 seconds into the fourth
quarter. He had one more carry then left for precautionary reasons. The TD run
highlighted both Williams' strength and athleticism as he took on three
would-be tacklers. The play is also believed to be the moment when he
aggravated his tendon. Tests were taken and
no tear nor any damage was revealed. Williams is confident
he will play this Thanksgiving Day Monday when the Argos play host to the
Edmonton Eskimos, a game in which the Argos can guarantee themselves a playoff
berth with a win. The game also
represents the first half of a home-and-home set with Edmonton. The Argos will
monitor Williams' progress this week. Before his injury on
Saturday, Williams rushed six times for 34 yards. When he returned on Sept. 23
for an away game against the Stamps, Williams saw his first game action
following a seven-week absence to mend his broken forearm. The Argos' backfield
has been a revolving door all season with Williams, John Avery and Jeff Johnson
each unavailable because of various ailments. In a perfect world,
the Argos would like to use both Williams and Avery, who bring different
attributes to the offensive table. Williams is more of a down-hill runner,
while Avery is lethal in space and more of a receiving threat. At 8-6, the Argos are
tied for first in the East with Montreal. The two teams meet
for the third and final time in the season finale, Oct. 28 at Rogers Centre. A season gone south;
Tiger-Cats vowed to be better in '06 but never jelled as a team
Hamilton Spectator
Tue 03 Oct 2006
Page: SP04
Section: Sports
Byline: Ken Peters
Source:
The Hamilton Spectator No one, absolutely no
one, could have seen this one coming. The Hamilton
Tiger-Cats were the busiest Canadian Football League club in the off-season,
vowing a disappointing 5-13 campaign in 2005 would not be repeated. The Ticats, after
missing the playoffs for the third time in the past four seasons, vowed to be
better this season. And they still might. If they win their remaining two
contests, the Cats could finish 6-12. But again, with the off-season changes,
no one could have predicted such a modest improvement as that. And no one dared
suggest the club would finish once again out of a playoff berth. Consider the Cats
moves: * Acquiring former
5,000-yard passer Jason Maas. * Acquiring two
former 1,000-yard receivers in Terry Vaughn and Kwame Cavil. * Re-signing
blue-chip Canadian receiver Brock Ralph. * Re-signing their
best pass defender Jason Goss. * Re-signing Canadian
fullback Julian Radlein. * Re-signing veteran
rush ends Tim Cheatwood and James Cotton. * Re-signing veteran
leader Rob Hitchcock. * Re-signing
blue-chip offensive linemen Marwan Hage and Wayne Smith. * Inking three-time
1,000-yard rusher Josh Ranek. * Acquiring the 2005
Western Conference outstanding player award nominee Corey Holmes. * Addressing a
perceived punting problem with the addition of veteran punter Pat Fleming. * Beefing up the
linebacking core with the addition of former B.C. Lions' linebacker JoJuan
Armour and former Toronto Argonaut special teams stud Ray Mariuz. * Adding depth to the
secondary with the addition of former Saskatchewan Roughriders' starting free
safety Scott Gordon. * Adding former B.C.
Lions' defensive halfback Sam Young. * Signing veteran
free agent offensive linemen Pascal Cheron and George Hudson. Adding veteran
CFL offensive tackle Jamal Powell. * Bolstering the
coaching ranks with the addition of CFL veterans Joe Paopao, offensive line
coach Kani Kauahi, former Argo offensive assistant Perry Marchese, along with
former Mac assistants Joe Sardo and Frank Gesztesi. * Adding former CFL
general manager Mike McCarthy as a senior football adviser. * Adding Canadian
running back Jesse Lumsden, offensive tackle Jon'ta Woodard and former receiver
Kahlil (the Thrill) Hill following their unsuccessful National Football League
camps. Hill was released by the club yesterday. Anyway you look at
it, the Tiger-Cats have assembled the most expensive 4-12 outfit in CFL
history. But the club has
never jelled. The offence has been repugnant, scoring just eight touchdowns at
home. Maas has struggled, Ranek and Holmes have been hurt as have Cheatwood,
Cotton, DeVonte Peterson, Cheron, Smith and Hudson, the club traded Gordon and
Cavil and Canadian defensive tackle Adriano Belli, cut Powell, former
1,000-yard receiver Craig Yeast, newcomer Willie Quinnie, and former defensive
halfback starter Chris Martin, lost Goss to a personal situation and fired
Paopao and Kauahi. And, of course, former Ticat head coach Greg Marshall was
canned after an 0-4 start. Since Marshall was axed, the club has responded by
going 4-8. Ticat veteran receiver
Mike Morreale has seen a lot in his 12 seasons in the league. But Morreale said
a playoff berth has to be an obtainable target. "This league is
all about getting to the playoffs. You just win enough games to get to the
playoffs. When you're not winning enough games to get to the playoffs in an
eight-team league, then obviously things aren't going so well," he points
out. Armour said had
someone suggested the 2006 Ticats would be as bad as they have been, he would
have considered it a joke. "If you had told
me before the season that we wouldn't make the playoffs, I wouldn't have
believed it. We have outstanding talent in this locker room. We have
play-makers in this locker room, we just haven't come together. The
cohesiveness, as a team, we just don't have that. We have some of the best
players from some of the best teams in this league on this team. Terry Vaughn,
Corey Holmes, Maas, etc. We just have to use our weapons and we're not doing
that," Armour explained. But why hasn't it
come together? "I don't know. I
don't know. I don't know," Armour repeats three times. He isn't the only one
without the answer. The Thrill is gone;
Ticats send Kahlil Hill packing after another no- show
Hamilton Spectator
Tue 03 Oct 2006
Page: SP03
Section: Sports Byline: John Kernaghan
Source:
The Hamilton Spectator Don't call him The
Thrill, just call him gone. Kahlil Hill ran a
kickoff back 78 yards Saturday night. On Sunday he apparently kept running. Hill, one of the high
hopes the Tiger-Cats had in their revival plan, missed the team's rundown
Sunday and was released by the team yesterday. "He missed our
flight to Edmonton last weekend and then didn't show for the rundown,"
said general manager Marcel Desjardins. "We haven't heard from him, not
even a phone call. I don't know what he's thinking." Hill, a 6-2,
200-pound receiver and kick returner, rejoined the Tiger-Cats in August after
another in a half-dozen attempts to make an NFL team. But he suffered a
groin injury and received little playing time. "He had his
priorities wrong," said Desjardins. "Not long after I arrived here he
came in and asked how I was going to take care of him (regarding a contract). "I told him to
get on the field and play but he was hurt. It was the kind of injury a lot of
players will play with." The general manager
said Hill, who last season had 16 receptions for 208 yards and one touchdown as
well as returning 13 punts for 204 yards and a TD, seemed to think he was a
superstar. "I don't think
he is a bad person, I just don't think he had his priorities straight. The way
you conduct yourself goes a long way in this business and one of the things is
being on time." Hill was fined and
said he apologized to his teammates for his lack of professionalism after
missing the flight to Edmonton. Desjardins said he
doesn't know how tardiness or absence by players was handled in the past but it
should now be understood it won't be tolerated. Hill came back to the
Ticats with some swagger, even acting like a spokesperson for the team in
asking patience of fans while the club turned around. But all the promise
he showed in 2005 never became reality as he saw limited duty in two games. He had an eight-yard
punt return in Edmonton and the only thrill was that 78-yard kick return
Saturday against the Eskimos. He had two more for another 45 yards and one
reception for 11 yards. At season's end last
year Hill was one of several players who said they hoped to start afresh in
training camp. "I'd love to
come back. If they would have me, I would love to come back. I've loved how
they treated me and I love to play hard for people who treat me good,"
Hill said at the time. But by January the
love affair was over and he decided to take another shot at the NFL, this time
with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Simon says he'll try
quarterback
The Winnipeg Sun
Tue
03 Oct 2006
Page: 42
Section: Sports
Byline: BY KIRK
PENTON, STAFF REPORTER
Column: Inside the CFL Now starting at
quarterback for your B.C. Lions, No. 81, Geroy Simon! Actually, he'd
probably have to wear a different number, but the Lions aren't too far away
from having to use the league's top slotback as their quarterback. No. 1 pivot Dave Dickenson is out with post-concussion syndrome, and No. 2 Buck Pierce left
Saturday's game in Hamilton with an elbow contusion. That left No. 3
Jarious Jackson to finish off the Ticats, and he tossed the first two touchdown
passes of his CFL career. If Jackson had gone
down, however, Simon would have been the man. He has thrown two passes in his
life, and both have gone for touchdowns. "I have a pretty
good record," Simon told the Vancouver Sun, "but sitting back there
taking snaps and reading coverages, that's different. If I've gotta do it,
though, I'll try." The Lions, who are
two points up on the Stampeders for first in the West and have a game in hand,
can ill afford to have Simon tossing the rock. Pierce is expected to
be able to practice today, and the team plans to bring in former U.S. college
quarterback Todd Mortensen ASAP as insurance. Knowing the Lions and
their tremendous knack for finding quarterback talent, expect Mortensen to be
next year's Most Outstanding Player. HE'S GONNA PUKE! Was
there a more funny moment this CFL season than the look on Danny Maciocia's
face on Saturday night at Mosaic Stadium? The Roughriders did
their best rugby routine on the final play of the game in an effort to score
the winning touchdown, and Maciocia, already burned badly this season by Milt Stegall's 100-yard touchdown catch, could only watch. His look was a
combination of horror, nausea and twitchiness. "I'm saying to
myself, 'This can't be happening to me,' " Maciocia told the Edmonton Sun. Saskatchewan's Kenton Keith was finally brought down on the four-yard line, where he fumbled, and the
Eskimos escaped with the win. Maciocia was even
complimentary towards the Roughies. "They
distributed (the ball across) the field -- it was awesome," he said. LATE HITS: The Lions
need to beat the Stampeders only once in their upcoming home-and-home and have
the Roughriders lose one of their last four matches to clinch first place in
the West ... Doctors found no damage to Ricky Williams' Achilles tendon yesterday,
which means the running back will likely team up with John Avery in the Argos
backfield Monday against the Eskimos ... The Lions released kick returner Aaron
Lockett last week ... Male Bomber fans
don't like the Alouettes, but they'll definitely like Montreal's cheerleader
calendar. It's available for $10 at montrealalouettes.com. No time for vacation;
Bombers hate to say 'bye'
The Winnipeg Sun
Tue 03 Oct 2006
Page: 44
Section: Sports
Byline: BY JIM BENDER,
STAFF REPORTER The Winnipeg Blue
Bombers will have a another week to contemplate their navels and set their
minds for the task at hand. And, as they either
left for different parts of the continent or just planned to stick around town,
they know they have yet to clinch a CFL playoff berth. And they head into the
break with the 23-20 loss to Montreal still fresh on their minds. "I don't think
anyone on this team should be going on any siesta or vacation," said
veteran Winnipeg defensive tackle Doug Brown. "We all need to focus in on
our conditioning and our strength because we got pushed around a little bit
last (Friday), and we really need to get our physical selves back to where we
were at the beginning of the year when we were really playing strong." Tailback Charles Roberts would actually prefer to get right back on the field. "I don't like
bye weeks," said Roberts, who was planning to remain in Winnipeg.
"I'd rather keep pushing through. It's always better if you can go out to
redeem yourselves quickly. Now we've got to sit a week and a half. This is a
tough loss. This is not the type of loss you want to sit on for a week. If we
had gotten blown out, it probably would have been a little bit better to
handle. But we know we can play with these guys (Alouettes) and we just let a
golden opportunity slip away." Although defensive
end Tom Canada returned to his California home the last bye week, he was also
planning to stay put this time. "The last week
screwed me up so I'm just going to stick around," he said. "You get
home and see the ocean and all that stuff. And it's bittersweet because, just
when you get comfortable feeling the West-Coast vibe, the next thing you know,
you're back on a plane. So, I'm just going to stick around. "I'm going to do
some paint-balling, do some go-karting, maybe some bowling. There's a motocross
thing on Friday that I want to go to. And get a couple of workouts in -- if I
make it." Safety Kyries Hebert
has headed back to his Houston home to see his daughter, Kaitlyn, 5, and son,
Kylie, 3. "I'm going to go
home and watch my daughter's soccer game, watch my little brother's football
game and just spend time with my family," he said. "My brother's
(Demetrius) a freshman in high school so, I'm going to go and check him out and
see what he's doing and maybe coach him up a little bit." When the Bombers
return, they will have three games left, with the first one being against the
Tiger-Cats in Hamilton. "It's a great
time for the bye," said wide receiver Derick Armstrong, who has only
played two games for Winnipeg since arriving from the NFL. "It gives
everyone a chance to look at themselves and see if they really want to win,
especially with the playoffs coming. If we come back and everyone has the same
goal, we can be a pretty good team." Armstrong has
returned to see his wife and three kids "and ride my (seven) horses,"
he said. "It just takes
me away from football, gives me a little peace of mind. I get to think about a
lot of things. When I got a lot of stresses on me, I just go riding." Although kicker Troy Westwood has also returned to Toronto to see his family, he said he hates bye
weeks. And centre Obby Khan is staying put, too. "I'm just going
to hang out here in Winnipeg, relax, take it easy, heal up and get ready for
the next three weeks and the playoffs," said Khan, who suffered an elbow
injury in the last game. The Bombers are
hoping to get other injured players back when they return. Inside the CFL Notes
Column
The Winnipeg Sun
Tue 03 Oct 2006
Page: 42
Section: Sports
Byline: BY KIRK
PENTON
Column: Inside the CFL Notes IN CASE YOU WERE
WONDERING ... George Black, the
CFL's director of officiating, has backed referee Jake Ireland's final decision
on Ron Johnson's drop at the end of Saturday's Argos-Stampeders game. Calgary was marching
on the potential game-tying drive when Johnson hauled in a pass over the middle
but lost control of it as he landed on his back. The officials ruled it an
incomplete pass. Since it was in the last three minutes of the second half, the
replay officials in the booth requested another look. Ireland reviewed it and
ruled that the play stood. That, of course, upset the Stampeders, who are
claiming the CFL's image has been tarnished. "Most of our
problems are not with the game. It's with the brand," Stampeders president
Ted Hellard told the Calgary Sun. "We're perusing online and apparently
the brand is taking a hit. We wish that wasn't the case." Black is standing by
his men, and he has the rule book to back up that support. Section E of Article
6 states an incomplete forward pass occurs when: "While in
mid-air a receiver of either team who has firm control of the ball, but loses
possession of the ball when that player's feet or other part of the body hits
the ground, with or without contact by any opponent." In other words,
landing on your back or landing on your feet is no different. If you lose the
ball before you stop or your knee hits the ground, it's incomplete. --- 4 Seasons, out of the
last five, that the Tiger-Cats have missed the playoffs. 6 Laterals by the
Roughriders on the last play of their game against the Eskimos on Saturday. 32,410 Spectators at Rogers
Centre on Saturday, the Argos' biggest crowd of the season. --- QUOTES ... "I'd like to see
another team in this league, like Calgary, do what we just did with our
third-string quarterback." Lions defensive-line
coach Mike Roach, after Jarious Jackson threw two touchdowns in a 28-8 win over
the Tiger-Cats "It's a great,
great feeling. I can walk around town proud now. The last six weeks I was
embarrassed." Alouettes quarterback
Anthony Calvillo, after ending a six-game losing streak against the Bombers "Sometimes
people think because you're a kicker, you have to take their crap. I'm not
going to take anybody's crap. I live a simple life. You treat me like crap, I
treat you like crap." 5-foot-8 Stamps
kicker Sandro DeAngelis, who got into a minor brouhaha with 6-foot-4 Argos
defensive end Jonathan Brown two hours before Saturday's game "We don't know
how to win yet." Ticats coach Ron
Lancaster "We should just
hang on to the ball." Stamps coach Tom
Higgins, making a good point in the aftermath of the controversial instant
replay call on Ron Johnson's catch/drop late in Saturday's game against the
Argos Chatting With ...
Alouettes QB Anthony Calvillo
The Winnipeg Sun
Tue 03 Oct 2006
Page: 42
Section: Sports
Byline: BY KIRK PENTON
Column:
Inside the CFL Age: 34 Height: 6-foot-2 Weight: 195 pounds Birthplace: Los
Angeles Years in CFL: 13 Years with Alouettes:
9 College: Utah State Favourite TV show?
Right now it'd probably be 24. Favourite movie?
Braveheart. Favourite holiday
destination? Hawaii. Steak or seafood?
Steak. Leno or Letterman?
It'd probably be Letterman. With which three
people, living or dead, would you want to have dinner? I'm a faithful guy, so
I'd have to say Jesus, and also maybe Martin Luther King Jr., because he did a
lot of stuff for the movement, and maybe Julius Caesar back in Roman times. If you weren't
playing pro football, what would you be doing? Probably be teaching. Any subject in
particular? Mathematics, but also probably coaching. Teaching and coaching. Read a book or watch
a movie? Watch a movie. Best personality
trait? Shoot, I don't have too many of them. What would it be ... I don't know,
it's really hard to say. I don't have too many. Worst personality
trait? I don't talk to people enough. Does that mean you're
shy? At times. What's in your CD
player right now? The Black Eyed Peas. Food you won't eat?
Anything that's not cooked, sushi. Anything's that raw, I ain't eating it. Evil hits on all
players should be penalized
Winnipeg Free Press
Tue 03 Oct 2006
Page: C3
Section: Sports
Byline: Doug Brown THERE were two hits
this weekend in the world of professional football that in my analysis were
both examples of cowardly conduct. One was a stomp by
Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth on the face of Dallas Cowboys centre Andre Gurode. The other was a legal
-- but unnecessary -- cheap shot by Alouettes cornerback Davis Sanchez to the
back of the knees of Milt Stegall, the best receiver in CFL history. If I had to choose
which of those hits to receive, I would have gladly taken Gurode's stitches to
the forehead over Stegall's potentially blown-out knee, though the head stomp
is the only punishable offence in the NFL and CFL. Maybe I feel this way
because I have had my head booted before in a rugby game (surprised?) without
consequence or penalty, or because a knee injury can be career-ending, but a
mess of stitches in your mug is not. Tell me which
behaviour is really more threatening to the livelihood of a professional
athlete: a little chin music with the old football cleats the rare time your
helmet pops off, or hurtling yourself at the back of someone's knees while he's
defenceless and unaware of your presence? Of course, having a
320-pound defensive tackle tap dance on your cheek could result in much more
severe consequences, such as a skull fracture if done maliciously enough. Even
Haynesworth was cognizant of the danger of applying too much pressure to what
is commonplace in any other game of rugby. Yet tackling another
player well below the waist when he has his back turned to you or is in a
defenceless position is still legal in both leagues unless you happen to be a
quarterback. If you remember back
to Week 1 when we played Montreal in Montreal, at least one member of the Alouettes
offensive line made a big stink in the press that some of the hits Anthony
Calvillo took in that game were a little too low for his taste and were in the
knee and ankle region. Penalized Two of our players
were penalized for those hits and one of them was fined for his part in them.
The Montreal players knew that if Calvillo went down, so would the chances of
their success on the gridiron. I wrote a column
disagreeing with the punishments not simply because one of my teammates was
fined on what I felt were disputable calls, but because the policy protected
quarterbacks above all others in the CFL. Just as in the NFL, it is now a
fineable infraction to hit pivots below the waist or above the neck in the CFL,
yet in both leagues this level of protection is not afforded to anyone else on
the football field. The reasoning behind
this discrepancy, I have been told, is that if you don't take added precautions
to safeguard the quarterbacks in both leagues, it ends up affecting the quality
of play and marketability of the games. This makes sense, but
that was before Stegall, the Wayne Gretzky of the CFL, got taken out by an
action that would have led to a penalty and fine had he been a quarterback. And
this also happens to be the second time Sanchez has taken a run at the best
receiver who has ever played the game. Turns out that not all the MVPs in
football are quarterbacks, and the loss of other players can be just as damning
to a team as the loss of a starting pivot. It took only one
horse-collar tackle to franchise receiver Terrell Owens for the NFL to
institute a new rule outlawing that brand of tackling last year, so how about
we take the initiative and set a precedent for a new rule in the CFL before any
more league MVPs get hurt? There should be no
tackling or blocking allowed below the waist on ANY player (not just
quarterbacks) if the player has his back turned or is in a defenceless
position. For when another player can't see you coming, hitting him at the
knees to bring him down is about as gutsy as stepping on someone's head while
he's lying on the ground. Doug Brown, always a
hard-hitting defensive lineman and frequently a hard-hitting columnist, appears
Tuesdays in the Free Press. FIRST & 10
Winnipeg Free Press
Tue 03 Oct 2006
Page: C3
Section: Sports
Byline: In the Huddle/Ed
Tait 1. Is it just me, or
has the CFL's spiffy new instant-replay system been big-time hit-and-miss over
the past few weeks? These eyes still
insist Milt Stegall was not down by contact in Montreal a couple weeks back --
a ruling that robbed him of TD No. 136 -- and the no-catch decision in the
Calgary game on the weekend is still baffling. Replays revealed that
a catch by Stampeder receiver Ron Johnson on Toronto's five-yard line with 15
seconds remaining was incomplete. Calgary ended up losing 23-16 after a
third-down gamble failed. Wasn't replay
supposed to help eliminate controversy instead of breeding it? 2. Call it the Almost
Mosaic Miracle. If you shut the tube off before the final play of Edmonton's
30-25 win over Saskatchewan at Mosaic Stadium on Saturday night, you missed the
CFL at its goofiest. The Riders were at their own 54-yard line when QB Rocky
Butler was crushed by Eskimo end Antico Dalton, setting off a wild game-ending
play that would have rivalled the classic 1982 finish featuring Stanford and
Cal, in which Cal players lateralled the ball back and forth -- including
through the Stanford band, which had come onto the field to celebrate. All told, the ball
changed hands eight times before Kenton Keith fumbled and it was recovered by
the Esks at their own five-yard line. Dave Jamieson, the Esks' director of
communications, had already wandered onto the field when he saw players
sprinting toward him. "It was
chaos," Jamieson told the Edmonton Journal. "Absolute bedlam. I'm
going for centre field with my head down to set up interviews. The next thing I
know, all these guys are coming for me. I had no idea they were still playing
football. I was scared, so I turned around and ran the other way. "The only thing
missing was the band." 3. Chances are, most
fans have never heard of Todd Mortensen. But given the track record of the
Lions for finding QBs, he could be the CFL's next big star. On the weekend, the
Lions crushed the Ticats with third-stringer Jarious Jackson filling in after
Buck Pierce dropped out with an elbow injury. Pierce took the first snap
because No. 1 gun Dave Dickenson is on the mend with post-concussion syndrome. So now, with Pierce
hurting and Dickenson suffering from cobwebs, the Leos are likely to add
Mortensen, who was worked out by B.C. last year after playing at Brigham Young
and San Diego State. 4. By the way, if
you're an expansion CFL general manager who's looking for a quarterback -- and
considering age, skills, and salary -- how could Buck Pierce of the Lions not
be at or near the top of your wish list? 5. Had a chat with
TSN's ace play-by-play voice Chris Cuthbert before last Friday's Bomber game
and we both agreed it was a blast to be part of the network's Top 50 players
poll along with a number of other coaches, ex-players and media. Now this
disclaimer: When the list is unveiled during Grey Cup Week, there will be howls
of displeasure because of some omissions. That said, kudos to Steve Dryden and
his crew at TSN for calling on voters who offered a wide-ranging perspective. 6. It's about those
cheesy "objectionable conduct" penalties CFL officials pull out of
their butts once in awhile when teams use the scoreboard to jack up the
crowd... What is this -- golf? What's the point of having home-field advantage
if fans can't be at full throat? 7. Why not Dave?
We've heard former Alouettes head coach Charlie Taafe's name mentioned and that
of Bombers defensive co-ordinator Greg Marshall as well. But the more we watch
the Lions defence fly around, the more we wonder why Dave Ritchie's name isn't
being mentioned as a head-coaching candidate in Hamilton. We know he just
turned 68. But he's made a career of being a master fixer-upper, and after his
surgery in '04, he's as healthy as he's been in years. 8. So let's get this
straight: The Als have a big dinner together here in Winnipeg to try stopping
the bleeding of a six-game losing streak, and then promptly beat the Bombers in
their own backyard. The Esks hold a players-only meeting, then knock off the
Riders in Regina. Imagine, then, how far the Bombers could go if they got
together for a weekend retreat. 9. Every time I watch
Stamps QB Henry Burris in action, the more I'm impressed by his physical
skills. But from this perch, it seems he can be fooled by his own gifts. Case
in point: that awful interception he threw right into the arms of Argo
defensive end Eric England. Most QBs would have eaten the ball or thrown it
away. 10. The last word:
Another reason why Stampeders placekicker Sandro DeAngelis is gaining
popularity in Calgary and beyond -- yes, that was the feisty Italian getting
into a shouting match with Argo defensive end Jonathan Brown in warm-up. The
two patched up their differences, but we love this bit from DeAngelis: "Sometimes
people think because you're a kicker, you have to take their crap,"
DeAngelis told the Calgary Sun. "I'm not going to take anybody's crap. I
live a simple life. You treat me like crap, I treat you like crap. I disagreed
with things he said." ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca THE CFL THIS WEEK WEEK 15 MARQUEE MATCHUP CALGARY STAMPEDERS
(9-6) at B.C. LIONS (10-4) When: Friday, 9 p.m.;
TV: TSN. Streaks: Calgary: 1L;
B.C.: 2W. PinnacleSports.com
line: No line available yet. The storyline: Forget
the Stampeders' stumble in Toronto on the weekend; this one has been circled
for a long, long spell as a potential highlight of the regular season. This has
West Division Final preview written all over it and will be a test of the
Lions' QB depth -- third-stringer Jarious Jackson may get the start if Dave
Dickenson (concussion) and Buck Pierce (elbow) can't go -- and whether the
Stamps' high-octane offence can find its groove again after sputtering in the
score zone against the Argos. Ed Tait picks:
Calgary. Randy Turner picks:
Calgary. Chris Cariou picks:
B.C. Bob Irving picks:
Calgary. Mitch Zalnasky picks:
B.C. SASKATCHEWAN
ROUGHRIDERS (7-7) at MONTREAL ALOUETTES
(8-6) When: Monday, noon;
TV: CBC/RDS. Streaks:
Saskatchewan: 1L; Montreal: 1W. PinnacleSports.com
line: No line yet. Ed Tait picks:
Saskatchewan. Randy Turner picks:
Montreal. Chris Cariou picks:
Montreal. Bob Irving picks:
Montreal. Mitch Zalnasky picks:
Montreal. EDMONTON ESKIMOS
(5-9) at TORONTO ARGONAUTS
(8-6) When: Monday, 3 p.m.;
TV: CBC. Streaks: Edmonton:
1W; Toronto: 1W. PinnacleSports.com line:
No line yet. Ed Tait picks:
Edmonton. Randy Turner picks:
Toronto. Chris Cariou picks:
Toronto. Bob Irving picks:
Toronto. Mitch Zalnasky picks:
Toronto. Last week: Randy
Turner: 1-3/38-20; Mitch Zalnasky: 2-2/35-23; Bob Irving: 2-2/33-25; Chris
Cariou: 1-3/32-26; Ed Tait: 2-2/30-28. Power Rankings Here is The Huddle's
take on CFL teams through 16 weeks of the regular-season schedule (last week's
rankings in parentheses): 1. (2) B.C. LIONS
(10-4) -- And now they're getting it done with a third-string pivot in Jarious
Jackson, who was solid in a relief role in Hamilton. 2. (1) CALGARY STAMPEDERS (9-6) --
Just when you think they're making a statement, they serve up a clunker in the
Big Smoke. 3. (4) TORONTO ARGONAUTS (8-6) -- We
should know better than to underestimate Pinball & Co. Huge turnaround in
win over the Stamps. 4. (6) MONTREAL ALOUETTES (8-6) --
Still some flaws, but finally looking like a contender again. 5. (3) SASKATCHEWAN
ROUGHRIDERS (7-7) -- A chance to bury a nemesis in the Esks, but instead they
give them new life. 6. (5) WINNIPEG BLUE
BOMBERS (7-8) -- Honestly, we can't figure this team out at all. 7. (8) EDMONTON ESKIMOS (5-9) -- It's
but a faint beat, but this heart is still ticking. 8. (7). HAMILTON
TIGER-CATS (4-12) -- Now officially in next-year country. Soundbite 'You need to live in
my shoes to understand the stuff we have experienced as a football club. Maybe
I'm getting it all out during the 2006 season. A play like the last one makes
you age a few years. It's
clearly good to come out on top.' -- Eskimos head coach
Danny Maciocia 'From previous games,
I've annihilated him in
play. So he started massaging my genitalia. What am I supposed to do? He's punching my
groin area, squeezing it. I'm not going to take that from
anybody.' -- B.C. O-lineman
Jason Jimenez, who took an unnecessary roughness penalty during a loss to
Saskatchewan two weeks ago after accusing Riders end Fred Perry of a rather nasty
attack to his nether regions. Numbers Game 55 Argos head coach
Pinball Clemons moved past Leo Cahill and into second place on the club's
all-time coaching wins list with 55. Bob O'Billovich is first with 89
victories. Ryan gets his kicks
The Leader-Post (Regina) Tue 03 Oct 2006
Page: C6
Section: Sports
Column:
The Daily Dish: Shorts on Sports
Source: The Leader-Post Regina-born Jon Ryan
averaged 46.6 yards on five punts for the Green Bay Packers in their 31-9 NFL
loss to the host Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football. The former
Sheldon-Williams Spartans, University of Regina Rams and Winnipeg Blue Bombers
standout had punts of (in order) 60, 41, 54, 38 and 40 yards. Two punts left
Philadelphia inside its 20-yard line. On the 41-yarder, a fair catch was called
at the 17-yard line. The 40-yarder went out of bounds at the 15. Ryan's 2006 average
of 47.1 yards per punt ties him with Mike Scifres of the San Diego Chargers for
third-best in the NFL, behind Mat McBriar of the Dallas Cowboys (49.9) and
Shane Lechler of the Oakland Raiders (48.7). The Packers are to
return to action Sunday at Lambeau Field against the St. Louis Rams. - - - The San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs will have new managers for the 2007 baseball season. The Giants decided to
sever ties with Felipe Alou, whose contract was about to expire. Alou had
replaced Dusty Baker after the Giants lost the 2002 World Series. Baker learned
Monday that the Cubs did not plan to renew his contract. "I wish we could
have gotten it done, but we didn't," Baker said. "I guess all things
must come to an end and all things come to pass." After Baker's first
Cubs team collapsed in the 2003 National League championship series, when the
World Series was a mere five outs away, he couldn't get them back to the
playoffs. After winning 100
games and the NL West in Alou's first season in 2003, the Giants did not make
the playoffs in Alou's final three years. He had a 76-85 mark in 2006, ending
his tenure with a 342-304 record. "I'm proud of my
behaviour, my respect to the game, people, to the cities and countries, the
flags," Alou said last week. "I don't like .500. A .500 man to me is
mediocrity. You don't choose your tools." - - - Rams quarterback
Teale Orban was named Canada West football's offensive player-of-the-week on
Monday. Orban set Rams
single-game records for completions (34), pass attempts (53), passing yards
(548) and touchdown passes (six) during Friday's 60-48 loss to the host UBC
Thunderbirds. The passing-yardage
total was the second-highest in Canada West history and the fourth-highest in
CIS history. The 34 completions were third all-time in Canada West. The six TD
passes tied Orban for fourth all-time in Canada West. - - - Another six members
will be inducted into the Regina Sports Hall of Fame on Thursday. The fourth
annual ceremony is slated for 7 p.m., at the Regina Inn. The new inductees are
George Chiga (athlete; wresting); the 2005 Kyle George rink (team; curling);
Rhonda Holt (athlete; racquetball); Kit Peterson (athlete; handball); Tom
Shepherd (builder; football); and Del Wilson (builder; hockey). The RSHF
display is located inside the U of R's Centre for Kinesiology, Health and
Sport. Tickets to the
ceremony are $20 and $10 for children. Tickets can be obtained by calling RSHF
president Marlene Hoffman at 586-6948. - - - BEST BETS ON TV (Listings are
tentative) BASEBALL: Rogers
Sportsnet West (Ch. 15) has the following divisional series playoff games --
Oakland Athletics at Minnesota Twins (11 a.m.), St. Louis Cardinals at San Diego Padres (2 p.m.) and Detroit Tigers at New York Yankees (6 p.m.). HOCKEY: TSN (Ch. 33)
has the NHL on TSN Season Preview (5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.). - - - Today's birthdays:
Former Saskatchewan Roughriders running back Mike Saunders (37), Hockey Hall of
Famers Glenn Hall (75) and Jean Ratelle (66), Baseball Hall of Famers Dennis
Eckersley (52) and Dave Winfield (55) and golfer Fred Couples (47). Canadians important to
Riders' Tillman
The Leader-Post (Regina)
Tue 03 Oct 2006
Page: C3
Section: Sports
Byline: Darrell Davis
Column:
Rider Beat
Source: The Leader-Post With college football
games being played across North America, the Saskatchewan Roughriders are
starting to gather information for the 2007 CFL draft. If the Riders are as
successful as they were in 2006, it would be awfully impressive, considering
they dealt their upcoming first-round pick to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Still,
three selections from the most recent draft are Roughriders starters: Slotback
Andy Fantuz, taken third overall from Western Ontario; punter/kicker Luca
Congi, taken 12th overall from Simon Fraser; and safety Tristan Clovis, taken
22nd overall from McMaster. Other CFL teams such
as the B.C. Lions, who have three first-rounders on their 46-man protected
roster, are carrying as many current draft choices, but none have as many
starters. Indeed, Clovis is the lowest-drafted player to become a starter this
season. "It's always a
collective effort,'' said general manager Eric Tillman, commending the work
done by Alex Smith, an assistant coach who co-ordinates the Roughriders' draft,
and Tony Playter, Saskatchewan's football operations co-ordinator. "Once the season
is over we can get the coaches more involved. We know how important Canadians
are to any team's success. I would prefer to have a first-round pick, but we'll
make the best of it.'' Since becoming
Saskatchewan's general manager six weeks ago, Tillman has attended college
games in Saskatoon and Regina. Next week, when the Roughriders head east,
Tillman is going to stay in Eastern Canada to visit with college coaches before
heading to the U.S. to watch games. Tillman's
predecessor, Roy Shivers, believed most non-imports were simply "backups.''
Shivers rarely attended Canadian college games, although he watched video of
the top-rated players before the draft. Yet all seven players selected by the
Roughriders in 2006 played at Canadian schools. "B.C. and
Montreal have done a marvellous job of drafting Canadians in the past few years
and that's why they're consistently near the top of the league,'' said Tillman. "To be
successful in this league you need to have depth at quarterback, top Canadian
talent and a strong kicking game. When I was interviewing Dave Ritchie (to
become B.C.'s head coach) in 1994, he told me, 'Americans are silver; Canadians
are gold.' I agree with him. When we played against an all-American team from
Baltimore in the 1994 Grey Cup, we started five Canadian offensive lineman and
four Canadian defensive linemen. We also had Kent Austin and Danny McManus, so
we were deep at quarterback, and Lui Passaglia was our kicker. We won.'' - - - Lost in the muddle
surrounding Saskatchewan's 30-25 loss to the Edmonton Eskimos on Saturday were
the first touchdowns this season by fullback Chris Szarka and offensive lineman
Rob Lazeo. For Lazeo, it was the first touchdown of his nine-year CFL career,
coming on a one-yard pass from Kerry Joseph. "We had that
play in for weeks,'' said Lazeo, who lined up at tight end wearing an eligible
jersey number -- 78 instead of his normal 66 -- in a short-yardage situation.
"It's the first time I ever scored a touchdown. It's always your dream to
score, even to fall on a fumble in the end zone. That was the greatest feeling
I ever had, but it would have made it better if we had won.'' It wasn't Lazeo's
first professional reception. In 1997, Lazeo played a preseason game for the
Arena Football League's Iowa Barnstormers and caught a three-yard screen pass from
quarterback Kurt Warner, who would later play for the Super Bowl-winning St.
Louis Rams. Szarka hadn't scored
a touchdown since Sept. 4, 2005. When asked before Saturday's game about his
21-game touchdown drought, Szarka said, "We don't talk about those
things.'' It evidently broke the jinx, as Szarka caught a six-yard pass from
Joseph that put the Roughriders ahead 14-3 early in the second quarter. - - - Ten players touched
the football on the final play of Saturday's game, starting with the snap at Saskatchewan's
54-yard line from Roughriders centre Jeremy O'Day to quarterback Rocky Butler,
who intentionally dropped it while being sacked. Roughriders tackle Charles Thomas recovered the fumble and threw the first of six laterals until the play
finally ended when tailback Kenton Keith was tackled at Edmonton's four-yard
line, where his fumble was smothered by Eskimos safety Jonte Buhl.
"Everybody was on the ends of their seats,'' said Eskimos receiver Ed
Hervey, who watched helplessly from his team's bench. "It was that close,
but if they scored I think it would have been reviewed (by the video-replay
officials).'' Loss maintains a Rider
tradition
The Leader-Post
(Regina)
Tue 03 Oct 2006 Page: C1 / Front
Section: Sports
Byline: Rob Vanstone
Column:
Rob Vanstone
Source: The Leader-Post Some despondent
denizens of the Rider Nation are severely concussed, the result of repeatedly
slapping foreheads with considerable vigour. The angst is
attributable to the Saskatchewan Roughriders' latest setback -- Saturday's
30-25 loss to the visiting Edmonton Eskimos on Taylor Field. With some
incredulity, Riders fans are wondering: "How could it happen?'' After all,
the Green and White was widely expected to dispose of the Eskimos and destroy
any realistic chance Edmonton had of making the CFL playoffs for a 35th
successive season. Rider Priders were
salivating at the notion of witnessing the Eskimos' burial. After finishing
behind Edmonton for 29 consecutive regular seasons, who better than the
long-suffering Roughriders to deliver a knockout blow? Oh, what a glorious
evening it was going to be -- until, well, you know ... In hindsight,
everyone should have been able to foretell the outcome. After all, these are
the Saskatchewan Roughriders. They habitually falter against teams which range
in calibre from below-average to downright pitiable. Edmonton, for example, has
won both its games against Saskatchewan, but has a 3-9 record against the rest
of the league. Does this sound
familiar? It should. In 2003, the
Roughriders were the only team to lose to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, who
fashioned a 1-17 record. "You guys ruined
our perfect season,'' Danny McManus, who was then employed as Hamilton's
quarterback, quipped at the time. That season,
Saskatchewan also managed to lose to the Ottawa Renegades, who finished at
7-11. With a victory in Hamilton or Ottawa, the Roughriders would have finished
second in the West Division and staged their first home playoff game since
1988. One year later, the
Roughriders subjected their fans to three head-slappers -- a troika of losses
to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (7-11). One victory over Winnipeg would have
enabled Saskatchewan to snap the protracted home-playoff-game drought. The Roughriders
adhered to a not-so-rich tradition in 2005 by losing both their games against
the Renegades, who would soon be dissolved. Saskatchewan finished at 9-9 for
the second straight year. Ottawa was 7-11. "How can you
lose two games to Ottawa?'' then-Roughriders general manager Roy Shivers
rightfully wondered in June. "We lost to Hamilton (in 2003). We played the
(censored) out of Edmonton, B.C. and Toronto, and we lose to the guys you're
not supposed to lose to.'' That recurring
tendency contributed to Shivers' final eruption as the Riders' GM. Following a
24-18 loss in Edmonton on Aug. 11, Shivers stood on a table in the visitors'
dressing room and provided a caustic critique of virtually everyone. The tirade had the
desired effect. Saskatchewan won four of its next five games. However, Shivers was
not around to celebrate three of those conquests. He was fired Aug. 21, two
days after a 46-15 home-field victory over Hamilton. (OK, so the Roughriders
don't always lose to the soup cans.) During that 4-1
uprising, Danny Barrett did some of his finest work as Saskatchewan's head
coach. He managed to insulate the team from the front-office chaos and keep the
players' concentration on football. Under Barrett, the
Riders rallied from a 3-5 start. They improved to 7-6 as a result of a 23-20
overtime victory over the front-running B.C. Lions on Sept. 24. "This is a team
that's led by a great man,'' Roughriders quarterback Kerry Joseph said after
the B.C. game. "We feed off our head coach.'' That day, Barrett
celebrated his third victory in four games this season against a Lions team
which is coached by a shoo-in Hall of Famer, Wally Buono. And there was much
rejoicing. "B.C. has got
four losses now and we've given them three of them,'' receiver Matt Dominguez
said on Sept. 24. "If we play the way we can play, we've proved that we
can beat the best team in the league right now. We've just got to do it week in
and week out.'' | ||||