No Leftovers On This Top Ten Tuesday:

Top Stories

Hope you enjoyed the Thanksgiving weekend and took time to remember all of the things that you are thankful for.

I extend thanks to you for checking in here for the latest on the Saskatoon Sporting scene.

Now to the turkeys or at least my top 10 thoughts on the week that was in the world of sports, in no particular order.

10 – Well that was ugly. The Saskatchewan Roughriders were blasted 40-9 by Montreal. None of the three phases of the team will be spared criticism this week as it was an all-around team loss. The question begs to be asked whether or not the team has hit rock bottom or is there more pain to come with a match-up against Edmonton this Sunday at Mosaic.

9 – So was it all Tino’s fault? The Riders offence sputtered once again but it seems as though the game plan was simply to keep the ball on the ground and keep the clock moving. However, once the Alouettes adjusted and loaded up the box the Green and White could not take advantage. So now what? That’s the big question.

8 – Is there a trust issue in Riderville? It appears to me that the Green and White don’t have a lot of confidence in Tino Sunseri’s ability to execute the passing game. The truth is that the team’s running game is tops in the league but without at least a threat to throw the ball the running games effectiveness is going to be short lived.

7 – One thing that I thought was outstanding about the game was my colleague Rod Pedersen. With all that was happening on the field the consummate pro was dealing with big time technical issues. He didn’t skip a beat even when colour analyst, Carm Carteri and an unknown voice in the background were in the midst of a hollering match. His concentration, preparation and professionalism shone through in turbulent times which is something that I wish I could improve upon myself. Oh and good on Carm for trying to make things happen, I truly appreciate that about Carm!

6 – Moving on and at least the Roughriders aren’t Winnipeg, right? The Bombers were also blasted, 41-9 by Edmonton. The Eskimos were all over the Blue and Gold from the get go. Drew Willy was shaken, the running game without Nic Grigsby (inexplicably a healthy scratch) was non-existant and the defence had no answer for the Eskimos quick-hit passing attack. Things are sliding downhill in the Manitoba capital and I’m not sure that there is any way to stop the negative momentum.

5 – I will say that Edmonton Head Coach Chris Jones needs to park his ego and soon or it will have detrimental effects. Not only was the Eskimo Head Coach gambling on 3rd and 3 late in the third quarter of a blow-out but his decision to leave Mike Reilly in the game into the fourth quarter was questionable. The only time his team has sputtered this season was when Riley was out with injury. If I was him I definitely would have pulled Riley a series or two into the third quarter.

4 – One more on the CFL and has the pendulum swung to the East division? Hamilton and Toronto have stepped up their games thanks in large part to finally getting healthy and is Montreal for real know that they seem to have a quarterback in Johnathan Crompton. I still think Edmonton and Calgary are the front runners for the Grey Cup but Toronto and Hamilton will at least make a game of it.

3 – Speaking of making a game of it. Full marks to the Edmonton Wildcats! They came into Saskatoon on Sunday and gave the Hilltops a stiff test in their 28-23 victory. The win for Saskatoon clinched first place in the PFC while the Wildcats were eliminated from the post-season. The game did come down to a Hail-Mary pass that fell incomplete in the end zone. The Prairie Football Conference play-offs open up on Saturday in Regina.

2 – One more on the Prairie Football Conference and kudos to all teams and executives that seem to have got it. The league was one of the most competitive in recent memory. It truly was a season where any team could win on any given day. Information to the media started to flow again mid-season. The next step is ensuring a broadcast location in Edmonton so radio broadcasts from the Alberta capital can resume in 2015.

1 – Lastly, a tip of the cap to the Saskatoon Blades for a gutsy 3-2 win over the Prince Albert Raiders on Saturday night at Sasktel Centre. The clubs first win of the season was a big one as there is now positive reinforcement to the message that General Manager/Head Coach Bob Woods is trying to get across. The Blades incidentally are back on the ice tomorrow night in Swift Current to take on the Broncos.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.