TrueBlue4ever

Well fans, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers entered today's game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders trying to do something they hadn't done in a long time. You see, in 26 prior tries when faced with a back-to-back series, the Bombers had failed to come away with a sweep. In fact, you would have to go back to 2004 against these very Roughriders to witness a Winnipeg win against the same team in consecutive games. And the Bombers were also trying to win their 6th straight contest, something we haven't seen in these parts since 2001, a span of 15 years. So a lot of negative history to battle. And of course the Green and White would have something to say about it, on the heels of last week's loss where they felt they deserved a better fate, and struggling through a dismal 1-9 season to date. And what we witnessed today was a physical, nasty, chippy, some might say dirty slugfest, with many players at both benches ending upon the injured list before it was all said and done. But for our purposes, it means that we got to see more back-ups come in and make plays, and means that there were more candidates for our Happy Honker Award. Now I've often said that the Happy Honker Award goes not to the player who had the best game, and not necessarily the player who made the game-deciding play per se, but someone who did that something extra special in the game. And we saw a ton of special plays out there today. We had Bruce Johnson, who had a very tough week last week, make a couple of big tackles on Kendall Lawrence sweep runs that could have turned into big plays had he not been there. And we had Johnny Adams make a big stop on Ron Bragg at the one yard line on the first series of the game that kept the 'Riders from getting a touchdown, and they ultimately settled for only 3 points there. And Terrence Frederick had 2 huge plays, the first a shoestring tackle on 'Rider receiver Terry Holley, not to be confused with singer Buddy Holly, to keep the 'Riders from a first down, and of course and even bigger tackle on a third down gamble late in the 4th quarter off of a failed fake field goal that was the last big chance for Saskatchewan. And there was Tony Burnett, not to be mistaken for singer Tony Bennett, flying all over the field today. And Matt Nicholls with what would have been a game-saving tackle on a Jennifer Lawrence return, had a penalty not made the play pointless anyway. No, all of that was good, but this game was all about momentum. The 'Riders scored first and the Bomber offence struggled for much of the first half, before a long drive gave them the lead which they would hold until late in the third quarter. And when Kevin Fogg returned a punt for 76 yards to put the Bombers up 17-3 I figured we had our Happy Honker winner, especially since I promised I would give it to him once he got a return that counted, having had 2 prior runs negated with penalties. Well if we didn't see another orange flag on the field to wipe out his third punt return TD of the season, which must be some kind of record, maybe Matt, er, Gord Cook can look that one up for us. So he would have to wait for his glory. And with that called back touchdown we saw a big change in momentum, as the 'Riders would respond with a touchdown of their own to tie the game and make the Bomber collars a bit tighter. But needing to wrest back momentum from the 'Riders, and facing a 4th quarter drive where Saskatchewan appeared poised to take the lead with the ball deep in Bomber territory, the defence came up big once again, and wouldn't you know, it was Kevin Fogg, undeterred by his earlier lost score, who made the big play. With the ball at the Bomber 20, and a pass to receiver Buddy Holly being completed, Fogg came in a ripped the ball from his hands, forcing a turnover deep in Winnipeg territory to stop the scoring threat. And after a big catch by Ravioli-Gambino on the next play, the Bombers were on their way to the game-deciding touchdown. So for not quitting when so many would have thrown their hands up in frustration, for changing the momentum at the key time in the game, and for causing the big turnover that this team has thrived on for so many games now with the 'Riders on the verge of taking the lead, a turnover that turned into Bomber points in the end, Kevin Fogg gets today's Happy Honker Award.

Sucks when you know you've been eliminated with a half of football to go.

Andrew Harris.

Transcona is akin to the platypus. It just exists to prove that God has a sense of humour.

10-man practice squad..32-man practice squad. Same size. Please, this is the team that thinks there is no difference between 12 and 13. Let's not confuse them more.

The cool nickname - The Birmingham Rifle The cannon arm - 55 yard passes from his knees, Joe Poplawski saying Dieter once split the webbing between his fingers on a 20 yard pass it was so hard. Could hear the wind ripping as the ball sailed. The off-season regimen - Supposedly he had a 16 lb. lead football he warmed up with in the winter by throwing it against a piece of plywood. The NFL year - 33 year old "rookie" who set all kinds of rookie passing records and was one all-time great Chicago Bears team away from making the Super Bowl. The awards - back-to-back CFL MVP awards and a single season passing record (at the time) The games - At Ottawa, 41 of 48 passing; made Eugene Goodlow the first 100 reception receiver in CFL history. The last "true" drop back passer to play in the CFL.

My half season synopsis for each team after the Labour Day games. Would love input from others on this, especially the other "team reps" on the site, a.k.a lyin' guy, Ripper, kpt_krunch, Bluto, etc.: WEST Calgary (8-1-1) – Class of the league, and not yet looking like they want to mail it in. REASON TO SMILE: Best QB, best defence, best depth, maybe best running back and kicker, and motivated to win right now FATAL FLAW: None right now, unless they wrap up the division by October 1, get bored, and get caught napping in the West Final (which happens a surprisingly decent amount of the time with the Stampeders in the last 2 decades) BC (7-3) – No one thought they’d be this good, will teams stop taking them for granted and recognize how strong a squad they really are? REASON TO SMILE: The best young QB in the league and maybe the best 2 individual defenders in the CFL, and a hall-of-famer at head coach who knows how to win FATAL FLAW: Their performance in each game seems less impressive than their overall record, especially of late. Take away the Calgary games and they are 6-1, but they won those against Sask., Mtl., Ham. twice, but without their starting QB, and an Ottawa team in turmoil. And they were clearly outclassed the last time they played the Stamps. Winnipeg (6-4) – Have things finally turned around in River City? Nothing certain yet, but boy it sure feels like a giant cloud over this franchise has dissipated. REASON TO SMILE: Free agency pick-ups have re-vitalized this team at running back, kicker, and in the offensive playbook. A QB who can make plays, strong line play on both sides, and a turnover machine of a defence. Lots of good pieces in play. FATAL FLAW: Still not converting enough of those turnovers into 7 points, can’t continue to rely on 6 field goals and 6 turnovers every game as the season progresses, and since the road to glory will ultimately go through Calgary, that doesn’t bode well given how those match-ups went this year. Edmonton (5-5) – Maybe the most under-achieving team this year. An all-star season at QB, the top 2 receivers in the game, and many of the pieces from last year’s championship defence are still present, so what gives? This can’t just be Grey Cup hangover. REASON TO SMILE: All those pieces I just mentioned and a championship pedigree suggest that if they get it turned around, they can still be a force. And if a .500 record is a sub-par performance from them, it speaks to how good they can be when firing on all cylinders. FATAL FLAW: Just the vibe that something is missing, especially defensively. Blown out in Calgary, gave away a 4 touchdown lead at home to Hamilton and followed it up with a dismal home loss to Winnipeg. These losses speak to a squad with some unresolved problems rather than a “these things happen” one-off loss in each case. Saskatchewan (1-9) – 12 car pile-up, train wreck, nuclear disaster, pick your analogy. After stealing Chris Jones and his staff away from the Grey Cup champs, no one thought it would go this badly, even if he did vow to blow it all up. REASON TO SMILE: Nothing, unless you are from Manitoba or Alberta. Then it is ear-to-ear grins watching your rival crash and burn so completely. Seriously, I guess there is hope that rather than trying to drag out a few more wins from an over-the-hill bunch, the approach is to have a brutal season now and re-build faster. At least what the guy selling me the Kool Aid said. FATAL FLAW: It’s one thing to be lousy, it’s another to be a laughing stock, and this team has had some embarrassing defeats. What’s even worse than all that? To be so bad on the field when you’ve tried to cheat your way to victory, and been caught so flagrantly at it. The ultimate embarrassment, however, is to be even more inept off the field than on it, and the shenanigans of ‘Rider management (hiding players illegally, complaining publicly about a league-driven “conspiracy” against you when you get busted for it, and signing an unrepentant anti-Semite to your roster being just a few of their transgressions) have made many ‘Priders blush this year. EAST Ottawa (5-4-1) – A hot start with their back-up QB has largely disappeared, and there are now questions as to what is wrong with the Grey Cup finalists from last year. But in the East, their mediocrity is still good enough for top spot…..for now. REASON TO SMILE: Still the best 1-2 punch at QB and tons of weapons on offence. If they can figure out their o-line issues they could still take off. FATAL FLAW: Injuries have exposed a lack of depth, but moreso teams are starting to figure out the RedBlack game plan and exploit it. Both QBs are finally healthy and no bounce-back, so something deeper is amiss with this team. Hamilton (5-5) – Survived the early part of the season without their MVP quarterback, and have exploded offensively in recent games. Likely the most feared team (behind Calgary) as we hit the second half of the year. REASON TO SMILE: That powerful offence means they are never out of a game, as has been witnessed multiple times already this year. FATAL FLAW: If defence wins championships, then this squad needs some work before it can claim glory. All those great comebacks are set up by a sometimes porous pass defence giving up a big lead in the first place, and it will bite them at some point, won't it? Toronto (4-6) – Have somehow scratched out 4 wins, while not looking particularly flashy about it. But may start to lose ground (and relevance) if they can’t beat the top dogs in the division. Crossover position in jeopardy too. REASON TO SMILE: In the East, never really out of it as all teams seem to tread water around the .500 mark, and Ricky Ray can still pull a crazy good performance out of his hat on any given day. FATAL FLAW: That “any given day” is becoming fewer and farther between for this aging, and now somewhat injury-prone, dink and dunk QB, and there is no back-up plan in place. A few players here and there, but no real “team” feel here. And if BMO Field was the last great hope for this franchise in terms of Toronto sustainability and survivability, then we may need to start preparing the obituary. *SHUDDER* Montreal (3-7) – Think Saskatchewan without the admission of defeat. This is how you drag out the death of a team rather than blowing it up and starting fresh. REASON TO SMILE: Jim Popp is still the GM and he has always proven to be a good one for finding strong players and building Canadian depth (if his record of success in the past is any indication). And NFL castoff Duron Carter is arguably the single most dangerous weapon in the CFL at wide receiver. FATAL FLAW: Jim Popp is too busy trying to prove he is a head coach too. He isn’t. And maybe having Anthony Calvillo as your QB for all those years made you look smarter as a GM than you really were. Because Anthony Calvillo as your offensive co-ordinator is not making you look like MENSA material right now. And the sideshow that is Duron Carter may be even more dangerous for your own team to deal with than the athlete is for opponents to handle.

Is that why Johnny Cash was talking to me in the form of a coyote, telling me to find my soul mate?

Oops, typo on the "correct" name. My bad. I guess too much Cactus infected my brain. Will edit.

The start of it was nothing special, just the volume: "He's got it at the 20, moves left, gets away, NOW HE CUTS BACK, AT THE 30, 35, 40, 45, STILL ON HIS FEET!!!! The 50, 45, 40..." which is all OK if you don't mind hearing the screaming from 2 Provinces over without the need for a microphone, but it was the "GO KENDAL!!! GO KENDAL!!! GO KENDAL!!!!!! KEEP GOING KENDAL!!!!!! YESSSS!!!!!!! TOUCHDOWN 'RIDERS! WHAT A CLASSIC!!!!" blatant cheerleading on the call which is the epitome of classless and unprofessional broadcasting.

Ah, ah, ah, ah….stayin' alive! Stayin' alive!

Good call, sir, although you must have been sweating it out in the 4th quarter.

Well friends, the annual Labour Day match-up between the Blue Bombers of Winnipeg and the Roughriders of Saskatchewan is in the books, and for the final time at old Taylor Field here in Regina, and there was no shortage of excitement on both sides of the ball. And after squandering big halftime lead the Bombers clawed back and looked ready to walk away with their 5th straight victory, before the Saskatchewan returner number 32 ran a punt back with 42 seconds left to seemingly break the Bomber faithful hearts once again. But this Winnipeg team has shown us something different this year, which is the ability not to throw in the towel, and once again that resiliency was in full display. Now the Happy Honker is traditionally not meant for the best player on the team, not the one who makes the "big play" per se, but someone who does something extra special in the game. Now, often it can be the big play that defines the game that becomes our Happy Honker winner, but not always. And likewise, while the game star is not usually the Happy Honker winner, it doesn't mean they can't be. And when the game comes down to the last play, you need to look hard at what really stood out in the game. So although A.J., er B.J. McDuffie, whatshisname? [Bob Irving patiently interjecting: "Quincey MacDuffie, Cactus"] right, B.J. MacDuffie had a big touchdown catch and some good returns in the kicking game tonight, and although Joey….Johnny Adams had a big interception, and C.J. Roberts had a even bigger interception on the goal line late to keep Saskatchewan of the board when they were threatening to take the lead, and Mo Ligament had some important kick returns to keep points off the board, none of that ultimately decided the game. No, this was decided by the kickers. And Saskatchewan's Tyler Crapola, Crapola? [Irving: "Close enough, Jack"] did not put his best foot forward, so to speak. No, he missed two field goals and let Mr. Leggant produce those aforementioned returns, and then with a last minute lead staring them in the face, Craptastic once again muffed a convert to keep the game tied. Now when the shoe was other the other foot, that of Justin Medlock, well it was a different story altogether. After extending his field goal streak to 22 consecutive successful field goals, Justin channelled his inner Keiran Hyroglyphics, the former Bomber kicker who never met a goalpost he didn't like to hit, and clanged one off the upright to finish his streak. But not to be deterred, Justin went out and started a new one, and with the outcome on the line, he calmly connected from 43 yards away for his 5th straight 3 pointer and his 7th overall in the match to seal the victory for the Blue and Gold in this final Taylor Field Labour Day battle. And so after earlier this season tying a long time Bernard Ruoff club record with a 58 yard field goal, Mr. Medlock matched another Bomber great, Trevor Can-ard, with 7 field goals in the game, and who knows, maybe he will catch Troy Westward and his single season scoring record too. So because of the record, because of the streak, because he was truly the most important player all night long, because he's a kicker who usually only gets mentioned when he misses, and because the game came down to his play, Justin Medlock is my Happy Honker award winner tonight.

Actually, it was Paul Edmonds, TSN morning show phone-in segment, circa 2015. Maybe he got it from there.

Regina......the city that smells like its name sounds like.

Since I'm at 4 strikes I can't just follow the crowd, so Tiger Cat Luke Tasker for me.

Well friends, tonight's game was not the prettiest affair, but in the end the Bombers parlayed another stout defensive effort and the perfect kicking of Justin Medlock to a victory in La Belle Province. Of course, there are many elements that go into securing a win, but there can be only one Happy Honker, the player who did that something extra special in the game. Now, I enjoyed the efforts of lineman Travis Bond, drawing a rough play penalty with the Bombers backed up in their own end with the greatest acting display seen in these parts since a gruff Joe Mack effectively portrayed a competant evaluator of football talent in his interview and conned the Bombers board of directors into hiring him as GM a few years ago, and then provided a key block on Macho Harris, as the fine folks at TSN know him, game clinching touchdown run. But my Happy Honker winner goes to a more unsung hero. With 8 minutes left and backed up on their own 16 yard line, this club did what they so often have failed to do in the past. What good teams like Calgary seem to do all the time when the chips are down with the game on the line - they took control of their destiny with a methodical drive that put the game away. And the architect of that drive way QB Matthew Nicholls, who went 5/5 and spread the ball around, mixing runs and passes in a brilliantly sequence that salted the match away for our Blue and Gold warriors. After struggling for long stretches of this contest, Nicholls came through in the clutch, and that makes him worthy of tonight's Happy Honker award.

I believe Pederson may honestly think that himself....part of his schtick will be prodding other reporters "playfully" because he knows he has to be over the top with the 'Riders and gets some bite back from fans and other media who are not on the "'Rider nation" bandwagon. But when an opposing editor like Drew Edwards feels compelled to write a piece in defence of his reporter against Pederson's attack, that looks from the outside to go beyond the wrestling fakery and a line has been crossed. Especially when other reporters chime in and take their shots too. Pederson's been around long enough that I'm surprised even he would have thought it was a good tactic to boost his profile in this way.

Bowman seems too obvious, but why overthink things?

OK, I know he's a paid shill for the Green and White, so I get (but have little respect for) his over-the-top 'Rider Pride and suspect that his whole "League is out to get us because we're so great" tripe is about page hits and fan love as much as his true belief in it. But I was genuinely surprised at his bashing other reporters (Justin Dunk, Scott Mitchell, and a shot at Arash Madani too just for good measure) when they broke the roster scandal, suggesting they may be fabricating it and that the "riders could sue if it was false and how far Drew Edwards went to call out Pederson in return. Then reading the weekly picks and seeing John Hodge and Santino Filoso also slide in shots about how the Ticats would lay waste to the 'Riders "conspiracy or not" in an obvious shot back at Pederson. So the question is, "what is this feud all about?" Seems to be more than just professional rivalry, and you don't usually see reporters calling each other out for unprofessionalism in public like this. Bryan Hall was a huge homer for the Eskies, but I don't recall people taking shots at him in print. Is Pederson not respectful of others because "they are just bloggers" (some media types seem to have a thin skin about their 21st Century competition because they didn't attend the true journalism school of hard knocks and just picked up a laptop and started typing one day and earned instant cred - or is that just my incorrect perception?) Is he that disliked by other journalists, and if so, why? Is it due to solely just because of his homerism, which is kind of his job and others get a pass on? Or is it something more? Asking legitimately; I have no desire to defend Pederson, as he makes himself look ridiculous with his ranting (Mike Reilly pretty much got it right with his pre-season tweet), but this seems out of character for the media to engage in public smears against each other, and Pederson sure looks like he has a number of detractors in his own profession and not just amongst the fan site peeps. Opinions and insight welcomed.

"CFLNews .@dariandurant - "They're (#CFL) after us a little bit" rodpedersen.com/2016/08/durant… #Riders via @rodpedersen #Riders have adopted an 'Us Against The World' mentality of late. - @dariandurant #CFL via @rodpedersen " Note to self - Call Vegas, bet the World, and take the points and the over.

Yeee-esss!!!!!! Since he scored 2, do I get an existing strike removed? :-D

Taking a flier on Chad Owens.

Out of the country until tomorrow night so won't see game tape until Sunday. Unless you want a delayed Happy Honker write-up, someone else could take a run at it. I will say the Harris TD breaking 6 tackles would be HH worthy usually

The NFL salary cap is about 30 times the size of the CFL's, so this fine would equate to $1.8 million in that league. And the whole Spygate fiasco cost the team only $250,000 (the league maximum, by the way) and $500K for Belicheat personally, and that was by far the biggest in NFL history, so comparatively this is a big hit. No way we'd ever see a high 6-figure fine.