The Pony Express

RedandWhite's back after a short hiatus to weigh in on the state of affairs in Cowtown.

My apologies, kind reader, for missing an article last week after the Stampeders decisive handling of the Toronto Argonauts on September 23^rd.  I find it easier to write about problems, to critique failings, and I could find none in that particular game.  So you’d think then that there would be plenty to write about then after the September 30^th game right?

Well, sort of.  I been getting a writer’s block lately I guess.  Mid-Season malaise I suppose.  Excited to get to the playoffs perhaps?  I can’t really say.  But there is something not right here.  Maybe I can work it out during the course of this article.  How about a confession to start it off?  All right, I’ll bite.

I’m concerned our squad can’t win The Big Game.  There, I said it.

We have had a couple of TBGs this year and walked away empty handed.  There have been a few TBGs that for one reason or another we can’t get the job done.  My opinion, but here’s some examples

• The second game of the year in Edmonton.  Having come out strong in the first game and knocking on the door a second time, ready to stuff the current GC Champs in their own backyard, we come up short on an almost glorious opportunity.

• Hosting BC in July.  Having had our butts handed to us in the preseason at home and knowing BC was going to be a hurdle for this club down the road this game had TBG written all over it.  Thanks to Joe Smith and a disorganized stamps squad the outcome was a stinker.

• Labour Day Rematch.  O.K., I know these back to back games are difficult to repeat but here was an Edmonton squad in big trouble, playing the Pride Card, recently horsewhipped in Calgary, and the Red and White came out absolutely flat.  You’d think sinking an arch rival like the Eskimos would pump up the team.  Apparently not so.

• Ricky Williams Homecoming.  Maybe the smallest of the TBGs played so far this year the rematch against the Boatmen this last weekend still had big implications attached to it.  Win and we stay tied with BC, lose and we allow Saskatchewan the chance to play catch-up.  We thoroughly spanked the Argos in our backyard the week before, negating the return of Williams and making Damon Allen look, well, old.  So why did it take 58 minutes of game time to find our game face?  Hey, don’t ask me, I’m just the writer here.

I am really concerned our inability to win TBG is going to be our downfall again this year.  TBG against the Eskimos last November comes to mind.  We have a few TBGs left this year and unless this squad can find a way to get up for it and play their type of game it’s going to be the guys in Orange or Green that’ll be representing the West in Winnipeg come November.

We are not totally in trouble when faced with TBG.  Walking into Mosaic Stadium in July, stepping into the wrecking ground that is the home of the Priders, we faced a revamped and ready for action Rider squad.  We came out ahead that game, something made us put on our war face.  So this is not a curse or anything.  It is a challenge though.

This next game against BC is a TBG challenge.  The one after that is even bigger.