TrueBlue4ever

Also Charlie Roberts' holdout because he was playing part of the three-headed monster with Troy Mills and Eric Blount I believe at RB, and he wanted to be the lone star. Pulling that stunt on a team in the middle of a 12 game winning streak, WTFFFFFFFFFFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re-assessment continued: Winnipeg: What I said then - "Lots to be excited for as a Bomber fan, but the bar has been so low the last decade that 2 straight winning seasons qualifies for a parade in these parts at this point (which is kind of sad when you think about it). Nicholls showed he can win games (10-3 as a starter is an overlooked stat by many) but except for the division semi against BC, his passing numbers didn't jump off the page. Good game manager, and Winnipeg's run game may be the best in the CFL this year with that o-line and the Harris-Flanders combo. And that undersized receiving corps can still make plays. But about that defence ..... so we brought in two d-lineman with big sack numbers to bring more pressure - sounds like a carbon copy of last year. And Mo Leggett may be hurt to start the year, so the same problems could arise at linebacker. Hurl was not good enough 2 years ago and got bumped by Bass, why would he be an upgrade now? Bottom line, unless Richie Hall's "rush only 4 every time and bend don't break" schemes don't change, I have little hope that our overall defence will look better than last year. And don't know how Medlock can improve on last year's performance which was the difference between winning and losing in at least a half dozen games. They'll do OK, maybe be even pretty good, but the West is so stacked I think it adds up to 4th spot. Hope to be proven wrong. 10-8." How did I do? - The 7-2 record suggests that this team is better than I gave them credit for, and I don't look at the close wins and say they are lucky to have as many wins as they do. That Montreal miracle is offset by the gassed lead in BC, so 7-2 feels legitimate rather than fortunate for this bunch, if you get my drift,=. And the receiving corps isn't so undersized anymore with Dressler out, Adams exploiting his height on jump balls, and Thorpe in and pounding bodies for impressive YAC yards (is YAC yards redundant?). But I think I nailed the running game, o-line, and "Nicholls is a winner without gaudy numbers" positives, although I am surprised at how many points this offence puts up. And I don't think any of my concerns about the defence have really been quieted yet, and Medlock has in fact done worse statistically than last year, percentage-wise. Still, 10-8 may likely be a low prediction at year's end, and yet they sit 3rd (pending the Eskimo and Stamp games) with that 7-2 record, so my 4th place prediction is still definitely in play. Win they'll savour - For the fans, the Edmonton win was a real statement game to say this team has arrived, is elite, and should no longer be disrespected, but I believe the team itself (despite the mantra that every win is equally important) would look to the improbable comeback against the Als as a sign that they are never out of it in any situation and are just a team that is good enough to find a way to win every time out, and their results this year so far (4 last play victories!) bear that out. Loss they'll lament - Which is why the loss in BC stung so much in a way. Blowing that comfortable lead was one thing, but Medlock missing that field goal short at the end was more surreal than disappointing. Did anyone imagine he wouldn't make that one? Still baffling in a way, and it is the only reason we are not tops in the CFL right now. They make the playoffs - Because there is a crossover, not that they'll need that route to get, but the security blanket is nice. Honestly, a 'Rider sweep and they can book a spot before October rolls around, even a split and they are in great shape given 3 teams in the East are all at 6 losses already, and they will add to those totals as they play each other in the second half. No team in CFL history, if I recall correctly, has ever won 9 games and missed the playoffs (and only one has ever won 8 and not made it), so the odds look really good right now. They don't - if they don't salt away a couple of wins in the next 3 weeks and lay an egg against the Ticats, then a full-on collapse is not impossible, given the opposition in the final third. Looking ahead - The critics (not saying I am one of them) will overlook the overall record and the Edmonton win, or snidely point out that it was built on the back of 5 Eastern games and a team missing 16 regulars, and say that this team will show how good it really is in the last 6 games of the year. 2 games in Alberta and another against Ricky Ray on the road, and back-to-back against the Leos, and aside from the Ticat home game free space on the bingo card, there is nothing easy about the last month and a half of the year. This team has done what it needs to do to set itself up to challenge for top spot, but are in no way home and cooled for a home playoff date (or even a Western opponent) quite yet. Will be fun to watch, though, as this team is confident and skilled enough to take it to the next level. Montreal: What I said then - "This team is more in need of a re-build than any other, and maybe firing Popp has already kick-started it more than I am prepared to give them credit for. Plus, Darian Durant is pissed off and REALLY wants to stick it to the 'Riders for cutting him loose, so that's good for 2 wins right there. But likely not much else goes well this year in the end I fear. Wouldn't surprise me if they did a tank job by season's end and were last, but early on I think they sneak out a few surprise wins before other teams catch on and take then seriously. 7-11 (if Durant gets hurt, take 3-4 wins off that total)." How did I do? - Beating the 'Riders? Check. (More of an asterisk given that missed makeable field goal that gifted them the win). Surprise win? Check. (Maybe the Bombers could ask that all Stampeder games be neutral site affairs at Molson Stadium). Going as far as Durant will take them? Check (notwithstanding that the defence rules this team, the wins have been Durant's best outings all year). Teams catching on to them? Well take away a shank gimme field goal gave them one win, a bored Stamp team gave them a second, and no Ricky Ray gave them a third, and aside from that they are 0-6, I'll say check. I have a hunch the 38-6 Toronto-style beatdown may become more common than the 41-40 or 34-31 coin flip losses to the Bombers for this Alouette team in the second half. Win they'll savour - Although the win over the Argos was more important, the Stampeder upset at home may be the only result they can legitimately not have to make excuses to feel good about. Loss they'll lament - Blowing a 12 point lead with 48 seconds left is soul crushing. They'll make the playoffs - If they take care of business against the RedBlacks, they get just enough out of Durant, and their defence wills them to it. They don't - If they can't handle Ottawa, they start to resemble the team that got blown out in Toronto on a more regular basis, or they are the team that Hamilton decides to show up against to record their lone victory of the year. Looking forward - 3 very distinct 3 game segments in the second half. A road game on the west coast sandwiched by Ottawa at home twice will give them a clear picture of where they stand in the playoff chase before the killer 3 of both Alberta teams and a game in Toronto, before the last 3 of Ham-Sask-Ham gives them a last chance dash to make up ground or put away a playoff spot with a season ending winning streak.

Absolutely. Missed that in my write-up, but the genuine article would have called out that play as a classic happy honker winner. Most of the plays Cactus would cite often were those ones that happened in the middle of the game, would sometimes be forgotten, but at the end of the game when discussing things the fans could say "boy, in hindsight THAT turned out to be a big play". That is the essence of the Happy Honker, moreso than the game winning FG or TD. The stop on the fake punt and Langford running down Logan which us allowed us to get a turnover 2 plays later and avoid giving up points on that drive are the kind of "little things that are really big things" that he loved to highlight. However, in this case the athletic plays by Denmark and Randle, especially in the pressure of the moment, were too much to pass up.

Well friends, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers marched into La Belle Province tonight trying to get to 7 wins by the halfway mark of the season for the first time since the halcyon days of Kahari Jones (editor's note, actually they were 7-1 back in 2011), and more importantly to keep pace with the leaders in the Western conference heading into the Labour Day weekend. And despite the temptations of St. Laurent street, which has led more than one young player astray in the wee hours of the morning, the Bombers showed no ill effects as they jumped out to a 10-0 lead before the teams switched sides for the first time. But as we have come to expect with this team, nothing comes easy for them, and close games that come down to the wire are as predictable for them as it is to hear Nick Hill saying "Come ooooon down" during our commercial breaks. So it was no surprise to see the Alouettes storm back and tie the game up with a last second field goal to send us into overtime all evened up. But a little extra football never hurt anyone, and the Bombers got the job done when they needed to, and it all turned out nice again. Now as is the custom after a game, I bestow the Happy Honker award on a player that in my mind is the most deserving of it. Now as you know, the Happy Honker ward does not usually go to the best player in the game, but is given to that player who did something just that little extra special, that made you stand up and take notice, that maybe made an impact on that one play. And for 60 minutes it looked like that player who was going to receive the Happy Honker Award was special teamer Ryan Langford, who ran down Stefan Logan when it looked like he was going to return kick all the way for a touchdown, which of course led to Maurice Leggett corralling a fumble 2 plays later and the All came away with nothing when it looked like they might get 7, and with the game going to overtime, those lost points certainly cost Montreal. But the game did not end after 60 minutes, and so the Happy Honker does not stop there. We got an extra game, 2 extra games in fact, and therefore this Happy Honker is all about 2. In the first extra session, on down number 2 at the opposition 10 yard line. Matt Nicholas hit Clarence Denmark, who 95% percent of people may want to get rid of when the Bombers sign Derel Walker, or so I have read, and Denmark made a great grab, changed hands with the ball, and stretched over the goal line falling down for touchdown number 2 on the night, and that was a touchdown the Bombers absolutely needed to keep their hopes alive in the end, so that is Happy Honker #1. But as I said, this Award is all about 2, so there is a second Happy Honker tonight. In overtime #2, Darian Durant threw a pass over the middle but failed to see Chris Randle cutting across the field, and Randle made a beautiful play to get interception #2 on the night, and all that was left was for Justin Medlock to kick yet another game winning field goal to send the Bomber fans off happily into the night, and with it 2 points for the Bombers in the standings. So my 2 Happy Honker Awards tonight go to Clarence Denmark and Chris Randle, for 2 big plays on 2 overtime drives that gave the Bombers 2 big points.

Yeah, Jennings as MOP was based on him using his legs and arm with that obscene receiving corps, but he has been uneven, and that injury will set him back a bit more. But if they do wind up in the crossover spot, would there be a more dangerous team, and more mercurial QB who could find that next level in the big game?

With teams hitting the 9 game mark, thought it might be a good time to review some pre-season predictions and re-assess them, and gaze into the crystal ball again with half a season of backing to shape those guesses. Included for your amusement/my shame are my pre-season prognostications. Will start with the 3 teams already at 9 for now, then do 4 more later after this week's games are played, and the final 2 after week 11. BC: What I said then - "Scary good offence this year with Chris Williams added to the receiving mix and three deadly return specialists. Jennings is the ridiculously early pick for league MOP. Could see a few 45-40 games from them. But Wally will have their defence prepared too. Bit of a gut pick but I say 13-5 and first." How did I do? - OK, so they still could go 8-1 and I hit my prediction, but I overshot on this pick a bit, and with 4 games against Calgary, Edmonton and the Bombers left in the second half, they will need to step up their game to finish first, especially having lost the series to the Esks (and the Riders, for that matter) already . The injury to Jennings has stalled their offence a bit (but only since his return). Did get that 45-40 score pretty much right, though, thanks to the Bomber game. Win they'll savour - that comeback win against the Blue and Gold keeps them in the mix in the wild West. Loss they'll lament - losing both to Edmonton hurts their chances at top spot, but the beatdown in Riderville is the kind of loss you can't afford if you want to run with the big dogs. They make the playoffs - if they sweep the Bombers or stay ahead of the Riders, and continue their dominance against the East, whom they have the majority of their remaining games against. They don't - if the Bombers sweep them and the Riders play more games like the second match vs the Lions Looking forward - I picked them to win the Grey Cup, and if the playoffs started today they would have the easiest road they could ask for, at least to get to the big game. Maybe 4th is preferable to 1st? Ottawa: What I said then - "I really like Trevor Harris at QB, and thought the team might have actually been better with him at QB if you took Henry Burris' shoulder chip out of the equation, but his offence around him has been dismantled a bit. And lest we forget they were a losing team last year going in to the playoffs who needed a blizzard to beat the Esks and stupid play-calling by Dave Dickenson (down by 3, 2nd and goal from the 1 with one minute left and you take out Bo Levi to run a 3rd string QB option and don't hand off to Messam???? That's worse than Pete Carroll) to win the Grey Cup. Regression. 8-10." How did I do? - better than their current record might suggest. They had the most brutal schedule you could ask for (3 games in 11 days, Calgary back-to-back to start, Eskies twice, and Bombers). West games make up 4 of their 6 losses, but a pair dropped to the Argos may keep them out of 1st. Still, Harris looks strong. Win they'll savour - The Als win was needed, the Cats win was necessary, but maybe the opening day tie against the Stamps is the one they hang their hats on to say "we can compete with the best, so let's get back to that level". Loss they'll lament - the first Argo loss at home (25 points given up in the second half after a 1 point defensive effort in the first, and blown convert and FG) set the template for all the close losses to follow. They make the playoffs - if they make hay against the East in the second half, the rest of the offence matches Harris' numbers, and the defence and kickimg especially improve. They don't - if they play the games against Montreal like they played against Hamilton. Looking forward - still a brutal schedule (byes in week 18 and 20, who OK'd this season's lineup of games?) but 6 games vs the East or Riders give them a reprieve. Still on pace for a losing record and second place standing. Toronto: What I said then - "Love the coaching and GM hire, but this will take time, and time is the one luxury they don't have in a market that has them ranked behind (in order) the Leafs, Jays, Raptors, NFL in general, the Bills in particular, Toronto FC, and quite possibly the Rock lacrosse team, not to mention any other cultural event like rock concerts. And Ricky Ray's first season magic is not there, even if he stays healthy. Let the annual gnashing of teeth begin about how the CFL will die without its flagship franchise being able to draw fans. 6-12." How did I do? - well, there current record would suggest much better than 6-12, they are on pace for first, not last, and in my biggest oops, Ricky Ray has definitely rediscovered his first year Argo magic and then some, even with an injury. But before I concede that I completely blew this pick, they still draw flies, they still have a sub-.500 record despite an East-heavy schedule, and read the "looking forward" section. Win they'll savour - the opening week dismantling of Hamilton set the tone for 2 franchises. Loss they'll lament - a lazy loss in Saskatchewan (looking at you, Johnny Sears) has kept them from pulling away in the East. They make the playoffs - becuase they hold off the RedBlacks, who they already have a pair of wins against and a 2.5 game cushion on, and because the Ticats suck. They don't - if the second half schedule turns out as badly as the first half East vs. West tendancies suggest it might. Looking forward - that schedule. 7 of 9 against the West, with 4 of those against the Alberta juggernaut, and maybe 6-12 isn't a pipe dream. Still could be good enough for tops in the East, though.

Ah, method acting.

OK, I did the whole "Cactus" rambling thing last year. Was not easy to crank out a wordy piece mainly because I wouldn't come on the boards until about 48 hours after a game (learned that is the best way to stay sane after a win, or especially after a loss, because the knee-jerk reactions inflamed by emotion were a bit much too take for me), and the spontaneity had passed, but I will not shy away from a challenge. I will skip this week since the moment has passed (BTW, Cactus would have picked Randle for that huge INT which led to the late TD in the first half - flipped the game) but will give it a go next week (hopefully promptly too). Remember that the HH is not the unsung hero or underrated performance, it is all about the "something special, a little extra" which basically is one play that stood out during the course of the game, maybe has impact, maybe did not, maybe was an example of the larger game as a whole. Example: last week, against Hamilton, Matt Nicholls throws a block when Harris reverses field, with 2 minutes left in the game and the Bombers up by 20!!! Totally unnecessary, pretty meaningless in the grand scale of the game, but what a moment to show how tight this team is and how much of a leader he is. That is happy honker worthy. So see you all next week. Hope I can rise to my own challenge (now to work on the Haiku - Johnzo is brilliant for getting that going too, between that and Odds and Sods, this place is gold for creative post-game commentary).

Erica Hill played on the women's indoor volleyball team for Manitoba. They beat previously undefeated Alberta in the final on Saturday 3 sets to 1 to win the gold medal.

Better late than never, week 7 haikus: BC - Offence already Embarrassment of riches Now add Chris Williams Cal - How to beat the Stamps: Game in Montreal after Night on St. Laurent Edm - Injury ravaged But winning. Still can't cheer 'cuz Your coach is a jerk. Sask - Lions' rout, Glenn out. A QB controversy? Hardly. Bridge sucks too. Wpg - Down late? No worries. Not with QB "Matty Ice" And Justin "the Lock". Tor - Have Trestman, not Ray. Despite a losing record Still best in the (L)east Ham - Horseshoes, hand grenades Forget moral victories You're still oh and six. Ott - Another close loss? You are what your record says: A bad Eastern team. Mtl - How bad is the East? Montreal has the bye, yet Gains ground on the rest.

I'd say I respectfully disagree, but I'm having a hard time respecting your comment. Read the article, Carter engaged with the fans before the game to show appreciation for their support of him, delivered the ball after his TD, and only because the mom requested it did he sign the ball and pose for a picture. This was not at all him looking for a photo op. The pictures were takem by the mom for her daughter and posted by the mom on her own social media account and it was picked up by 3downnation, hence the article. None of this was instigated by carter as a PR move, just a nice gesture to a young fan, whose cancer angle gets played up by the media in their feel good story. To suggest that he is burnishing his own ego by manipulating a cancer survivor is a pretty loathsome comment to make.

Week 6 haikus: Don't beat the traffic. This year CFL stands for Crazy Football League! Wpg. v. Mtl. - Blue's winning game plan: Keep the defence off the field With great onside kicks Edm. v. BC- Who needs Sominex? Another coach's challenge Will put me to sleep. Sask. v. Tor.- Fans aren't the only Nauseating thing in Sask. Add Duron's sick catch. Cal. v. Ham. - PETA cries cruelty over Stamps abuse of 'Cats and touchdown horse run.

I believe I should be out with 5 strikes (I don't think the 2-point convert would count, so my Madu pick would have earned me 2 strikes) but until you kick me out officially I will take Messam.

And just to rub salt in my wound, Madu doesn't play as a starter in either game and doesn't see the ball until a late 2 point convert, which counts for SFA even though it's akin to scoring a TD, just 4 points fewer.

So a 2 point convert doesn't count for anything? Just as tough as getting a TD in some cases.

And Tragically Hip concerts. Meanwhile, Harper does this: (That's actually a gif - Harper's actually that stiff in a moving picture).

Oops. totally missed that last sentence. And Powell is back from injury so Madu didn't even play. This contest sucks, the world is against me, I hate everyone!

But even if you don't get a score in both games, you still get two chances with a RedBlack player compared to one with any other player. It's actually twice the advantage (two cracks at no strike PLUS the chance to get a strike removed). I was hoping for the chance to pick two separate players if they weren't RedBlacks vs. one RedBlack player for both games. Anyway, given the offer, I will avoid my original Messam pick and take Madu.

Well that sucks.

So here's my dilemma for picking this game. Ray seems to have re-discovered the magic he had 3 years or so ago, and he has lit up the Bombers so many times in the past I can't count. SJ Green will be going up against Carmichael according to the pre-game reports - is there a bigger mis-match on paper right now in the entire league for receiver/DB match-ups? Richie Hall's defence is "rush 3 or 4, almost no blitzes, give the other team short stuff and let them dink and dunk until they mess up" rather than "pressure but risk the big play". Is there a better QB at taking advantage of the conservative defence in the last 15 years in the CFL than Ricky Ray? And add Mark Trestman to that equation, and that's a scary game plan we may have going on tonight. And the Argo receiving injury is offset by the absence of Wild and Okpalaugo. Hurl and Knox at LB does not give me the warm fuzzies. Am I wrong to think that their offense is set up really well against our defence tonight? And if we need to rely on turnovers to win like all of last year, Ray is pretty good at protecting things. Now I think Nicholls and our weapons can match Ray offensively, but that front 7 of Toronto looked pretty awesome against Hamilton (really impressive stunts and schemes by their coaches), and we saw what a pressured Nicholls did last week against Calgary (and for half the game against Sask), so how our o-line dictates the play seems to be the key to everything, especially getting as big run game from Harris to burn the clock. And do we need to see a 7/7 field goal game from Medlock to win? So my analysis is lots of doom and gloom from a match-ups perspective - here's the big question: How much will a very short week hurt Toronto? Play Saturday on the road, probably weren't home until early Sunday morning, day off Sunday, Monday film day, doubtful they practiced much if at all, Tuesday practice, Wednesday travel to Winnipeg per league mandate to get in 24 hours in advance, limited practice I'd speculate, game day Thursday which allows for walk through only. So unless I'm way off on a weekly football schedule, maybe only one real practice day to prep. No? So despite there being no real home advantage here (seriously, 11-26 since this place opened?), is the short week the great equalizer that cancels out all the other factors? Help me out here, trying to decide my pick for the CFL pool I'm in, and this is what I have for the breakdown. What am I missing, overestimating, or underestimating? Would prefer hard logical analysis, not blatant homerism or "sky is falling" negativity without some basis for your takes. thanks.

Just heard that Roc Carmichael will be covering SJ Green tonight. So changing my pick to SJ Green.

10 receptions, 167 yards, 37 points against that lousy D, and still a strike for picking Roosevelt against the Tabbies. But I'm a glutton for punishment, so I'll ride the Ticat train until I'm out. Jeremiah Johnson.

Namaan Roosevelt, SASK.