Latest / The CFL Outsiders / Does the CFL Need a Salary Cap?/The CFL Outsiders S03 E24

Transcript

Does the CFL Need a Salary Cap?/The CFL Outsiders S03 E24 · The CFL Outsiders

• 0:36
  Hey kids! Welcome back to another episode of the CFL Outsiders.
• 0:43
  I remain, as always, here 100% impartial,
• 0:46
  completely unbiased, and slightly disappointed,
• 0:49
  but really not that bad. Host Old Man Shouting at Clouds.
• 0:55
  Joining me this week is MJ.
• 0:57
  Hey everyone, I have been reliably informed that that's what a lion's roar
• 1:02
  is for.
• 1:03
  Ha ha makes sense. And unfortunately it's just the two of us again 'cause we're
• 1:09
  starting to question MJ two's commitment.
• 1:11
  She's off doing stuff she gets paid for rather than
• 1:16
  Unfortunately no. when she joined us after GT had to step away for the the remainder
• 1:21
  of the season, if you'll recall,
• 1:23
  if you were listening back then,
• 1:25
  it was an MBT situation. She came in saying I need to negotiate some dates So
• 1:30
  Yeah.
• 1:32
  this is what we're living with.
• 1:33
  But after this week I believe she'll be back for the last two and we'll close up.
• 1:36
  Yeah. It's been um
• 1:38
  really awesome that she's been able to step in when she can though.
• 1:41
  So thank you. Thank you.
• 1:41
  Oh yeah, she
• 1:43
  she is she is just so amazing at this.
• 1:46
  We are lucky people here. But I wanted to say this week,
• 1:51
  hey, this week we've got a little more time 'cause go brew crew apparently
• 1:54
  they're now world or yeah world champions the
• 1:55
  Yeah. Go Brewers. all
• 1:58
  enjoyed that baseball because it might be your last for quite a while.
• 2:02
  I was actually really sad at the end of it.
• 2:04
  I was happy they won, but I was actually really I was quite sad and I have spayed
• 2:08
  for Sportsnet for an entire year and I can't get out of that now,
• 2:11
  so I'm
• 2:12
  Uh
• 2:13
  not sure what I'm gonna be watching in the spring.
• 2:15
  We'll see.
• 2:16
  I have no idea what's even on Sportsnet.
• 2:18
  Who knows? Maybe there'll be some some wild international sports you can watch.
• 2:22
  Maybe some Aussie rules football or what's the the Yeah,
• 2:25
  True. Sped my horizons.
• 2:27
  and
• 2:28
  then there's the the I have no idea,
• 2:30
  Halai or whatever, the the the Latin American game with the that I know nothing
• 2:36
  about but looks like it's dangerous.
• 2:38
  Well, I watched cricket with my son a few weeks ago and it is a little bit like
• 2:41
  baseball, so maybe I will become a cricket affionate.
• 2:44
  I'm just gonna I'm
• 2:44
  Yeah.
• 2:45
  gonna figure it out.
• 2:46
  It's like cr it's like what baseball would be if you took a week to play a game.
• 2:51
  Yeah.
• 2:52
  Fine by me.
• 2:54
  Yes. Anyway. So we're in no rush tonight,
• 2:57
  but maybe we should 'cause apparently we did some stuff good last week.
• 3:02
  and frankly you folks out there may not give a damn about this,
• 3:04
  but it's I'm gonna talk about it a bit 'cause I'm feeling good about it.
• 3:09
  So last week we were on a shorter show and
• 3:13
  Again, behind the scenes look,
• 3:15
  MJ and I'd been talking about the fact that on Instagram when we did our little
• 3:20
  short clips, we take a minute or two clips out of this show and do them
• 3:23
  for promotion. When we did that that the ones where we were talking about the games
• 3:28
  didn't get so much traction, but our opinions on news and issues did.
• 3:33
  So last week I decided we'll cut them back down.
• 3:36
  We only did seven of them and most of them were on that and we normally get
• 3:41
  A few hundred people taking them in,
• 3:43
  which is good. Last week five of seven were over a thousand views.
• 3:49
  Now a lot of people at a big YouTube channels would be laughing at that,
• 3:53
  but for us, over a thousand people interested is great.
• 3:58
  And frankly, we also got a nice little chunk of new subscribers out of it.
• 4:03
  So welcome to
• 4:03
  Yeah.
• 4:04
  you if this is your first time watching or listening to the the full show.
• 4:08
  I don't know if all of them did as well on Instagram,
• 4:10
  but I think we were we had a few there that were up in the over the yeah,
• 4:15
  I cannot figure
• 4:16
  one or two K.
• 4:17
  out the Instagram algorithm. I don't think
• 4:20
  Ha ha.
• 4:20
  anyone can anymore, so it's just a big black hole in whatever sticks sticks.
• 4:27
  Yes.
• 4:27
  Yeah.
• 4:28
  Yes, exactly. But hey, for whatever reason on the YouTube shorts they liked us this
• 4:33
  week and it worked out well. So thank you all.
• 4:36
  And we'll try to entertain again.
• 4:39
  Now, if you are one of the new folks,
• 4:41
  if you've been around for a while,
• 4:42
  you'll know that we used to have another panelists on us on this show,
• 4:46
  GT, who was very good at what he had to say and had some amazing
• 4:53
  mini rants and whatnot, but unfortunately halfway through the season he did have
• 4:57
  to step away. Before he did, He's got quite a collection of CFL memorabilia.
• 5:03
  And he decided he was going to take four of his.
• 5:05
  vintage jerseys he'd collected over the years and sell them off for CFL fans fight
• 5:11
  cancer. Now, I'm repeating myself for the long fan term listeners
• 5:17
  but for anybody new, he's a big stamps fan,
• 5:20
  so he set the prices at whatever the total points were between the stamps
• 5:25
  and the jerseys these teams came from.
• 5:28
  So two of them have already been gone.
• 5:30
  They're long gone. People have snapped them up and are enjoying them quite
• 5:33
  a bit from what I understand. And that was a BC one from Geroy Simon
• 5:38
  and a Saskatchewan one with Michael Bishop.
• 5:41
  So that's between the two of them,
• 5:43
  they netted three hundred and thirty-four dollars that GT is sending off to CFL fans
• 5:48
  fight cancer. Now, we still have two others to go.
• 5:53
  There's a Winnipeg jersey that doesn't have a nameplate on it,
• 5:58
  but
• 5:59
  It's a nice vintage jersey. And because there's no nameplate,
• 6:02
  he's only taken the two lower price games.
• 6:04
  And that one was I've got that price wrong.
• 6:08
  I think it was 119. But anyway,
• 6:11
  if you're interested, let us know and we'll clear that up.
• 6:14
  I'm pretty sure it's 119. My mark my notes here are wrong.
• 6:17
  And there's also a Toronto one with Carrie Joseph for $157.
• 6:23
  So thank you very much to GT for putting those up and
• 6:27
  Getting them out there. Congratulations to the folks that like them.
• 6:30
  If you would like either of these other ones that are still out there,
• 6:34
  great Christmas gifts, especially if you've got a long-term fan in the family
• 6:40
  or you're a long-term fan, buy it for yourself as a Christmas gift.
• 6:43
  or birthdays or whatever. So hopefully we can get those last two gone.
• 6:47
  We're happy to see the first two snapped up.
• 6:50
  Anything to say on that, MJ, or should I just keep babbling on about other stuff?
• 6:53
  yeah, their their posts are on Instagram,
• 6:56
  so if you wanna you can message that's how the writers one went,
• 6:58
  'cause somebody messaged me on Instagram.
• 6:59
  Yes, it did.
• 7:00
  So if you are on Instagram and you see them,
• 7:02
  shoot me a message and I'll put you in chat to GT.
• 7:05
  Exactly.
• 7:06
  And if you're coming from here on for any of it,
• 7:09
  just drop a message in the comments or you can reach us on CFL outsiders at almost
• 7:15
  any social media platform and just message us there or and drop a comment.
• 7:20
  We'll put you in touch with GT and you'll get a very nice jersey.
• 7:24
  just so because people have asked they are extra large I believe all of them yeah
• 7:28
  good, yes, okay, that's a good point.
• 7:30
  That does make a difference.
• 7:31
  yes it
• 7:32
  does make a difference you might need it you might have a dress
• 7:35
  Okay. Yes.
• 7:37
  Yeah, for some people it's very much so.
• 7:41
  let's see. a few things in news,
• 7:43
  but there's also some other stuff that people have been talking about looking
• 7:46
  ahead. we had the Chad Kelly million dollar deal signed.
• 7:51
  Million dollars a year for Chad.
• 7:52
  And then there's some other questions coming up around CFL quarterbacks for next
• 7:57
  year. So I thought
• 7:59
  Maybe we should take a couple of minutes to,
• 8:01
  in light of all that, talk about the CFL quarterback landscape in twenty twenty
• 8:08
  seven.
• 8:09
  So my first question for you
• 8:11
  Okay.
• 8:12
  Everyone's saying that this is going to reset the quarterback market.
• 8:18
  That quarterbacks are finally going to be paid what they're worth,
• 8:21
  which I have to say I disagree with completely.
• 8:23
  I don't think anybody should get more than 10% of the cap,
• 8:26
  and that's about 600,000, which I think is fair.
• 8:29
  But they're saying that. Now it's gonna go.
• 8:31
  We're gonna all these quarterbacks are gonna make a lot of money.
• 8:35
  My question to you is let's put a hypothetical situation up there.
• 8:40
  Going into next year.
• 8:42
  Every CFL starting quarterback,
• 8:44
  but Chad and whoever is starting for Ottawa is a free agent.
• 8:50
  Their team offers them
• 8:52
  Nathan Rourke Money, six hundred grand and change.
• 8:56
  Ottawa offers them a million. How many do you think would move?
• 9:01
  Well, let's yeah, let's Montreal.
• 9:05
  Davis is not leaving Montreal.
• 9:08
  He's got a good thing there. He knows that.
• 9:10
  They there's been loyalty built both ways.
• 9:12
  Okay? Toronto, we've already said Chad is out.
• 9:16
  Bo in Hamilton.
• 9:17
  Bo's not leaving he Bo's not leaving Scott.
• 9:21
  Yeah, I don't think so.
• 9:21
  And Bo is not
• 9:22
  moving anywhere where they don't have a good O line.
• 9:26
  Yes. And I think that spoiler alert for the rest of our conversation,
• 9:31
  'cause I'm agreeing on this, I think frankly Bo is the second most likely
• 9:35
  to move, and there's very, very little chance he would.
• 9:38
  Zack.
• 9:40
  Zach might. I think Zach might.
• 9:43
  I think that quarterback room's pretty big in Winnipeg and if he has one year left
• 9:48
  on his contract he might as well go big and pull a Henry Burris and go there
• 9:51
  for one last run at it.
• 9:54
  One last hurrah. One last ride.
• 9:56
  Yes. And I agree, Zach is probably the most likely.
• 9:59
  But even that, I don't know if the extra money would make a difference if Winnipeg
• 10:05
  came back and offered him actual like big money like Rourke is making now.
• 10:10
  Cause he's got a lot interested in the the loyalty there.
• 10:14
  But he might yeah, he's probably the most likely.
• 10:16
  You want to say that?
• 10:16
  Um, well, I think it's also I mean not just it's not just I think quarterbacks
• 10:22
  really care about who is the OC.
• 10:25
  Yes.
• 10:25
  And they really care about who the GM is and who their receivers are.
• 10:29
  I mean, we're doing hypothetical,
• 10:30
  it doesn't really matter, but you look at anyone a big star who is signed and then
• 10:34
  they've hired an OC after them and it's never gone well.
• 10:38
  No. We have s examples of plenty the last few years.
• 10:41
  So I think if quarterbacks were smart because just it's because you know you're
• 10:44
  getting the extra pay, but it's danger pay.
• 10:46
  Yes. Yeah, that's the thing is for for some teams.
• 10:50
  Anyway, I think people get my point,
• 10:52
  but let's just we'll go through the rest of them quick.
• 10:54
  Trevor has already said he doesn't want to play with an OC other than Mark Mueller
• 10:59
  again.
• 11:00
  Yeah, well, maybe he should.
• 11:03
  Well, maybe but we can talk about that.
• 11:04
  But that's what he said. I don't know that the extra money gets him out of there.
• 11:09
  VA in Calgary has been treated better by the fans than ever before and
• 11:15
  Has he been treated well by the management of that team and what
• 11:19
  Well,
• 11:20
  I don't know we'll talk about Dickinson later too,
• 11:22
  but
• 11:22
  Yeah.
• 11:23
  Dickinson's offense works for him.
• 11:25
  He might like Ryan.
• 11:26
  The I
• 11:26
  VA might like Ryan.
• 11:28
  He might I don't my personal feeling is I don't think so.
• 11:31
  I think he figures his best chance because the only thing wrong with Calgary
• 11:36
  for him now is they need to s shore up the defense.
• 11:40
  He's a lot closer to a gray cup with Calgary than he would be with Ottawa.
• 11:43
  I think VA
• 11:45
  would be a lot happier if I think I think everyone on that Stampede team would feel
• 11:51
  a lot better if Dave was not sticking in if like there's a person who's all like
• 11:55
  all hat, no cattle. you're doing too much.
• 11:58
  Yeah, more lives than a cat.
• 12:00
  if I were a Stampeder who's a free agent,
• 12:02
  I would be probably looking to leave.
• 12:05
  Yeah, yeah. And some are, apparently.
• 12:07
  Jalen and that. But finish my hypothetical.
• 12:10
  Cody in Edmonton?
• 12:12
  Cody might.
• 12:13
  I don't know. I think again, he knows when he's got a good thing.
• 12:17
  He's been kicked around a lot,
• 12:18
  being somewhere he's appreciated.
• 12:19
  He might, but
• 12:20
  Cody
• 12:20
  loves not being appreciated. Cody loves being
• 12:22
  That's true too.
• 12:23
  the underdog. Cody loves nothing more than to go to a rickety team and just be like,
• 12:30
  all right, I'm here to build this and take it on a run.
• 12:32
  Yeah, that's okay. I hadn't considered that.
• 12:34
  Maybe. Maybe. And and then our la Yes.
• 12:35
  It's his it's when he's at his best,
• 12:37
  really.
• 12:39
  Okay,
• 12:39
  I'll give you that. And then our last one's Nathan,
• 12:42
  who's already said he doesn't want to play for a team that's not BC,
• 12:42
  Nathan's not leaving BC.
• 12:45
  that I would never like think Nathan and Alexander are the two quarterbacks where
• 12:49
  I'm like, if they went to another team,
• 12:51
  I would cry. And I would be completely shocked.
• 12:54
  any other quarterback,
• 12:55
  Yes.
• 12:55
  you might say that about Zach and and Trevor,
• 12:58
  because but they are they're getting to the point where they're gonna be probably
• 13:03
  demoted to second string.
• 13:05
  And that depends on again, if you need a big payday to end your career out,
• 13:09
  that's not such a bad place to be.
• 13:12
  Yes.
• 13:12
  that is true for both of them and there's a lot of circumstances around that.
• 13:16
  Now that brings us to an the my next question with it,
• 13:19
  which was about Harris, about Trevor in Saskatchewan.
• 13:23
  Lots of people are saying Do whatever you have to to sign him because Jack Cohen
• 13:27
  or Sh is it Schlager? Schager,
• 13:30
  I think. can't do the job.
• 13:32
  What do you think? Is is Harris still worth a lot of money?
• 13:36
  No. Well I wouldn't be surprised like we like we've talked about,
• 13:39
  it'll be interesting to see if they come out and say he's had an injury.
• 13:42
  And if he's not injured, then he just can't throw anymore.
• 13:44
  And then that's a different problem.
• 13:46
  I don't know. I think s the riders actually are running into a
• 13:50
  bit of a quarterback situation.
• 13:53
  They they honestly are one legal inch away from being the Tie Cats this year.
• 13:58
  So I if I were them, I would be looking at getting I don't know I don't know what
• 14:03
  to do. I don't know. I mean you got to the West semi,
• 14:06
  but I mean I don't know if he can play a full whatever like s eighteen games next
• 14:11
  year plus whatever is happening in the playoff format.
• 14:13
  How many games are you playing in that next year?
• 14:16
  Yes. Yeah, exactly. to his credit,
• 14:19
  he led the league in passing this year.
• 14:22
  And was I think his second best passing year ever.
• 14:26
  But I agree with you. without knowing,
• 14:29
  is the lack of the deep game with Saskatchewan injury for to him that
• 14:35
  can be repaired? Is it age or is it Mueller not calling it?
• 14:39
  Yes. Yes.
• 14:40
  And if it's
• 14:41
  if it's
• 14:42
  injury that can be repaired, then you bring back.
• 14:44
  If it's Mueller not calling it,
• 14:46
  then you can correct that. we saw most of his yardage came in the first half
• 14:50
  of the season. And people were still playing Saskatchewan,
• 14:54
  as they would any other team. down the stretch and even in this playoff game,
• 14:58
  they didn't worry about anything deep.
• 15:01
  And you can't win in the CFL like that.
• 15:03
  You might win
• 15:04
  Half your games again, 'cause there's gonna be teams that are gonna be weak,
• 15:08
  but you're not gonna go very far.
• 15:11
  And and then the other two teams that what's Winnipeg gonna do?
• 15:16
  Well, Brown looked not bad. So I don't know,
• 15:20
  maybe they'll be okay if if they decide to run Brown next year with Elgersma
• 15:26
  Yeah.
• 15:26
  I don't
• 15:27
  as long as that defense keeps performing the way it does,
• 15:30
  they've got a shot. But
• 15:33
  Nothing good has happened to Zack.
• 15:33
  Brown look
• 15:34
  Nothing good has happened to Zack since he said no to going to Taylor and Travis's
• 15:38
  wedding. I wanna just point this out.
• 15:41
  It's been bad luck for him since then,
• 15:41
  Yes, you can bad karma.
• 15:42
  and maybe that is part of the problem.
• 15:45
  Yes. Exactly. So yeah,
• 15:49
  we'll I don't know. Drew looked passable.
• 15:51
  He did not look to me like a somebody I would feel comfortable going into
• 15:55
  the season with. So frankly, between Saskatchewan,
• 16:00
  Winnipeg, and Ottawa, I think Nick Arbuckle's gonna be a starting quarterback
• 16:06
  next year. Because he's a free agent.
• 16:07
  Is but then you guys I always
• 16:08
  say this and then you're like his contract's not up and I'm like
• 16:12
  I apparently his contract is up.
• 16:15
  then he I don't
• 16:15
  They released
• 16:16
  okay, if it is then I don't think he's staying in Toronto.
• 16:19
  Yeah. They released the list of Toronto's free agents this year.
• 16:24
  And he's on it. The only quarterback on it,
• 16:27
  but he's on it.
• 16:28
  so my guess is he and Zach, or maybe both,
• 16:31
  are headed to Ottawa.
• 16:33
  Quite possible. Or I could see him again,
• 16:37
  Trevor has said he'll make a decision real quick if he wants to come back or not.
• 16:41
  If he wants to come back, do the riders say we want you back?
• 16:44
  And if not, so I could see Arbuckle also ending up in Winnipeg or Saskatchewan.
• 16:50
  Because they're both teams that defenses that can perform.
• 16:54
  And a quarterback that's not gonna lose you games might
• 16:59
  You might build into something,
• 17:00
  especially while you're in Winnipeg trying to to get Elgersma up to speed or with
• 17:07
  Saskatchewan I don't know, this the shine.
• 17:11
  Trevor Harris has a lot good to say about Jack Cohen,
• 17:13
  but everybody else seems to be talking about the number three guy.
• 17:18
  And
• 17:19
  This
• 17:19
  I feel like the C FL goes in cycles.
• 17:21
  it's Winnipeg's time to be the basement of the quarterback.
• 17:24
  Like they're they just they just ebb and flow and it just they seem to cycle
• 17:29
  at different times and it's just like some people's stars are rising right
• 17:32
  now and some people are rebuilding and that's just kinda how it goes.
• 17:35
  Yeah.
• 17:37
  I agree. And then the last thing on this that I that I wanted to throw
• 17:41
  was if I asked this on a couple of different social media platforms this
• 17:48
  week, mind you it was late Sunday,
• 17:50
  so I didn't get a lot of people biting,
• 17:52
  but the question was, is Chad Kelly the new Zack Collaros If you're a Toronto fan,
• 17:58
  how do you feel about a million dollars a year over the next five years?
• 18:02
  Making it difficult to build a team when you've got a quarterback
• 18:09
  and people talk about the fact that yeah,
• 18:10
  he threw the four interceptions back in what was it,
• 18:13
  twenty three, I think, that lost them the final.
• 18:18
  But then the last two times he's been in the playoffs,
• 18:20
  he's gone out injured. This year,
• 18:23
  counting the playoff game, he started
• 18:26
  seventeen of the nineteen games,
• 18:28
  so he missed two games. Now that's late in the season,
• 18:31
  but he was injured with his hand and then his knee on the on the ones that he missed
• 18:34
  of those games, he only finished twelve of them.
• 18:38
  He went out with injury in a couple,
• 18:40
  he got pulled out because they were losing badly in a couple.
• 18:44
  Is that a quarterback that's worth a million bucks?
• 18:49
  Yeah. So interesting. I wonder if the Argos will try to offer Arbuckle more
• 18:52
  money to stay. But how do you do that when you already have so much money on like
• 18:57
  I don't yeah, I
• 18:59
  Yeah.
• 19:00
  You g you're giving your quarterback four hundred K more and yeah,
• 19:05
  some of that's marketing money,
• 19:06
  but I think some of the previous contract was marketing money.
• 19:09
  so you gotta give that up. You're trying to sign Adarius Pickett back,
• 19:13
  you're trying to sign Dark Angelo back,
• 19:15
  you've got Coxie and Polk that everybody's talking about are free agents.
• 19:19
  The the one I think is a is an even bigger one for them,
• 19:22
  frankly, is David Unger or the third,
• 19:25
  who s has been just amazing when they needs
• 19:27
  A first down something. He is he's been fantastic.
• 19:31
  So you got that. Dakota Shepley retired.
• 19:34
  And they were
• 19:34
  Yeah.
• 19:34
  paying him, I think, close to 300K.
• 19:36
  So there's a bunch of your money.
• 19:38
  Yeah. But who are you going to stick in there unless you pay for a replacement?
• 19:43
  Do you want a rookie
• 19:45
  what's what's that going to do to your line when you've got a quarterback
• 19:48
  who may have injury issues?
• 19:50
  Yeah. I guess Tucker Horn didn't look so bad last time I saw him play,
• 19:53
  but maybe they'll try to work with him more.
• 19:56
  I don't know.
• 19:56
  all and all things considered,
• 19:58
  I think what we'll see who knows?
• 20:00
  Everybody said Toronto was gonna be terrible this year and they managed
• 20:02
  to get to the second place because of some other stuff that happened.
• 20:07
  We don't need to talk about those other things.
• 20:09
  the whole thing is they'll come back with other players that they can't re sign.
• 20:14
  I mean Pickett said he wants to go back to Toronto,
• 20:17
  but will he go back at the same money?
• 20:20
  Does want more money? I don't know.
• 20:21
  And there's a bunch of others in there.
• 20:23
  I think that this will hurt Toronto even more.
• 20:26
  I think that they didn't have a great line this year,
• 20:28
  but they won't be able to afford one,
• 20:30
  which will also take away the running game.
• 20:32
  And if you start getting Kelly hurt,
• 20:35
  I think if anything, it's gonna drive the the market back down to where
• 20:39
  as the salary cap goes up,
• 20:41
  We're gonna see people making seven,
• 20:42
  eight hundred grand, not a million.
• 20:44
  Well, A, Toronto doesn't have a running game,
• 20:46
  so they're saving money on running backs.
• 20:48
  Um,
• 20:49
  Yeah.
• 20:49
  B, do you as a star receiver,
• 20:53
  star DB, safety, like all these guys making huge bank now,
• 20:56
  are you gonna take a pay cut when your quarterback hasn't?
• 21:00
  I think there's a lot of guys in Montreal not getting paid full value because
• 21:05
  neither is Davis Alexander.
• 21:08
  Yes.
• 21:09
  I think there's guys there like Hamilton's a bit different,
• 21:12
  but like I think that there's a reason why they have so many guys there because
• 21:15
  Bo is not getting paid his full what he's worth.
• 21:19
  And if your quarterback is willing to do that,
• 21:21
  you're more willing to do that.
• 21:23
  I mean there is this whole other thing if the MLB is talking about too like
• 21:26
  why should we even have salary caps anymore and maybe this is a capitalist
• 21:30
  thing where greedy owners are just making bank and maybe we shouldn't even have
• 21:34
  a salary cap and just let the market determine the value of your team.
• 21:38
  MLB kinda does they have a luxury tax,
• 21:40
  but same thing. You can just so I mean,
• 21:42
  maybe players do deserve to get paid.
• 21:44
  And owners and CFL are just on keeping that cap low for un for no reason really,
• 21:50
  but just to like try to make as much money off of them as can.
• 21:54
  There's two sides.
• 21:54
  Yeah.
• 21:55
  Yeah, it's and it's hard to say.
• 21:57
  you've we've seen in the past in well I don't know baseball down south so much,
• 22:01
  but in the NFL seem s seen people try to buy teams and it doesn't work.
• 22:05
  Or it hasn't worked very well generally.
• 22:08
  There is something.
• 22:08
  New York
• 22:09
  Mets have the second highest payroll in baseball,
• 22:12
  and they didn't even make the playoffs.
• 22:15
  The Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays,
• 22:19
  both of their starting the their payrolls were still less than the LA Dodgers
• 22:23
  payroll. So it's not always about assembling an all-star team.
• 22:28
  It's about chemistry and how people work together.
• 22:31
  So I mean
• 22:32
  So maybe you don't need a salary cap because just because you're
• 22:35
  a quarterback's making a million dollars doesn't mean he's gonna work well with
• 22:37
  other receivers. Your quarterback's making five hundred thousand dollars and then
• 22:41
  but you can sign like bigger receivers and maybe that works.
• 22:45
  I don't know.
• 22:45
  I personally still think I don't think the salary cap is a case of ripping
• 22:49
  off the players. I think it is fair play And as long as the deal is good,
• 22:55
  as long as the players are getting a good reasonable part of
• 22:58
  of the monies available. Because otherwise,
• 23:00
  yeah, you do run into the thing like MLSE,
• 23:03
  if they ever decided they actually want to do something,
• 23:05
  they've got an awful lot of money.
• 23:07
  They could basically just buy out every good free agent that's that's available
• 23:12
  for two or three years and be on top of it.
• 23:15
  Whereas other teams are not in the position to do that.
• 23:18
  So I'm not against the salary cap.
• 23:20
  And I will say that yeah, Saskatchewan tailed off at the end of the year and
• 23:26
  Who knows why? But they had a pretty darn good team.
• 23:29
  Edmonton had a good team. Both quarterbacks took lower value contracts
• 23:33
  to build the team. Bo did the same thing in Hamilton.
• 23:37
  And those teams all did well. Winnipeg,
• 23:40
  part of when their decline happened,
• 23:43
  they were what you talked about with Montreal.
• 23:45
  People taking less money to be on the team.
• 23:48
  And then they turned around and made Zach the highest played quarterback
• 23:51
  in the league two or three years ago,
• 23:52
  and people started leaving. So
• 23:54
  Yeah, imagine that.
• 23:56
  'Cause if
• 23:56
  it's not parody across the team that starts breaking that up.
• 23:59
  So so yeah, I I don't know other than like I said,
• 24:03
  I just thought it'd be an interesting discussion.
• 24:05
  I'd love to hear the comments from anybody out there.
• 24:08
  Any if got any of our new listeners,
• 24:10
  viewers, whatever, let us know what what you think on this and on a few other
• 24:15
  topics. We I'm gonna be asking for opinions here from MJ on a on a few things
• 24:18
  tonight. But I do think like I said,
• 24:21
  it's gonna be interesting.
• 24:23
  to see where they it all shakes out and I do think I do think Arbuckle
• 24:28
  may end up being one of the higher paid quarterbacks in the CFL next year just
• 24:34
  by process of elimination.
• 24:37
  Yeah, maybe.
• 24:39
  Especially if Harris or or the riders between them decide that they're he's
• 24:44
  not coming back. Musical chairs with three seats and one person.
• 24:49
  I don't know
• 24:51
  Argos gonna offer him half a million dollars of marketing money and he's just
• 24:54
  gonna stay there.
• 24:55
  I guess they yeah, you can play with the numbers like that too.
• 24:57
  Like I feel
• 24:58
  like somehow that's just gonna be what happens.
• 25:02
  Like
• 25:03
  Yeah. Yeah, in I I could not say that I'd be surprised.
• 25:06
  Yeah.
• 25:07
  Or or maybe surprised but not shocked,
• 25:09
  Yeah.
• 25:09
  one of the two.
• 25:11
  another team that is happy with just about everything that they've got going right
• 25:15
  now is Edmonton, so they've extended mister Hervey as the GM and mister Killam
• 25:20
  as a coach. Good move.
• 25:22
  I think it's well known that I don't like Ed Hervey,
• 25:25
  but there's people at Commonwealth and your team is first place,
• 25:30
  so I can't argue with that. clearly he and Killum work really well together,
• 25:34
  and clearly Cody, Killum, and Ed work very well together.
• 25:39
  So this is fantastic news for Edmonton.
• 25:42
  And Mark Killam must just be like walking around with a grin on his face,
• 25:46
  like what a so happy for him.
• 25:50
  Yep. Both got extended through twenty nine.
• 25:52
  Dave Dickinson is back as the coach and GM of Calgary.
• 25:56
  Good move?
• 25:57
  so when the Stampeders were here in Edmonton,
• 26:00
  I went to the game and I was on the train with a lot of Stampeder fans and we were
• 26:04
  all waiting for the train for forever,
• 26:05
  so we were chatting. Not a single one of them wanted Dave back in a both roles
• 26:12
  or any role. So the fact that he's back with both roles is I think very concerning
• 26:18
  for fans. They have a crumbling stadium.
• 26:20
  again, they have a brilliant team on paper,
• 26:23
  but something's not clicking there and your window for these players to excel
• 26:29
  together is so short I what what is happening in Calgary?
• 26:35
  Dunno. I
• 26:36
  They don't even want a
• 26:37
  team. It's like their ownership group doesn't even want a team.
• 26:40
  That's how it feels.
• 26:42
  to me this felt like whoever's in the ownership group responsible went,
• 26:47
  Well, it'd be an awful lot of work to go out and have to look for new people.
• 26:52
  Yeah.
• 26:53
  we got the flames and everything to deal with.
• 26:55
  let's just give it back to Dave.
• 26:56
  He's Dave's been around forever.
• 26:58
  But he
• 26:58
  Right.
• 26:59
  we got a a nine and nine record this year.
• 27:01
  It's good enough.
• 27:02
  If your team doesn't make the playoffs with your starting quarterback healthy,
• 27:06
  there needs to be a lot of changes.
• 27:09
  Six of nine teams make it.
• 27:10
  Whether you went nine and nine or not.
• 27:11
  I don't care. I don't care if you went nine-nine.
• 27:13
  You didn't make playoffs, so that's an issue.
• 27:15
  You didn't even make the crossover.
• 27:16
  That's an issue. but clearly, according to the ownership group of Calgary,
• 27:21
  it's not, and things are just status quo going ahead.
• 27:24
  you've got to be embarrassed. You have Grey Cup in your city and you didn't even
• 27:28
  make the playoffs.
• 27:29
  Yes.
• 27:30
  My god, your old special teams coordinator is probably gonna march in there
• 27:34
  and win a gray cup in front of you.
• 27:34
  Yeah. Drake up in your building,
• 27:36
  Like
• 27:36
  yes. Definitely.
• 27:38
  I don't know, they say conflict between us here it makes better radio or podcast
• 27:44
  or whatever, but it's hard so far we're agreeing and I can't I I cannot yeah.
• 27:47
  Can just like patch GT in for
• 27:49
  his Stampeder rant? Because I feel like I'm not doing it justice.
• 27:53
  Yeah.
• 27:54
  Because if
• 27:54
  I were a Stampede fan I'd be furious.
• 27:57
  I would be
• 27:58
  Yes.
• 27:58
  so upset. Why am I buying a season ticket next year?
• 28:03
  You tell me. The only way the only reason I would even remotely think about
• 28:07
  it is because of VA. I think that's their only
• 28:09
  Yeah. Yes.
• 28:10
  credible thing they have left on their team.
• 28:12
  And if he decides to leave, or if they like all of his receivers decide to leave,
• 28:17
  you have nothing.
• 28:19
  Yes. And Jalen's already said he's not committed to it.
• 28:23
  I mean, they've got good receivers.
• 28:25
  But you lose Jalen Philpot, you're losing a big chunk of your production.
• 28:29
  So we'll see. And no, nobody could do justice to this the way GT could have.
• 28:33
  So we miss you, GT. ah Would have loved
• 28:36
  I tried.
• 28:37
  to hear hear what you had to say on this.
• 28:39
  when we're putting together what we're gonna talk about tonight,
• 28:42
  you mentioned that
• 28:43
  Stewart Johnson has come out talking about the playoff new playoff format.
• 28:47
  I didn't see that. I'd love to hear this.
• 28:50
  Well,
• 28:50
  I just saw it on Instagram, he's been missing in action and he's just like
• 28:53
  Yes.
• 28:53
  the groundhog, just pop up after winter or to like t spread some news and disappear
• 28:58
  again. He was on Luke Wilson's what's this show called?
• 29:02
  Film Never Lies.
• 29:03
  Oh, okay.
• 29:04
  I've never seen it,
• 29:05
  inst TSN posted a video of Stuart talking about much of what he said was word salad
• 29:10
  and was very repetitive he just talked in circles.
• 29:13
  But the main takeaway here, as I are as I can tell,
• 29:16
  is that he said that getting into the playoffs is not the bar.
• 29:22
  Ha ha
• 29:23
  Okay.
• 29:24
  It's your
• 29:24
  path based on your regular season performance and the difference in your
• 29:30
  path in the
• 29:32
  Darnell Sankey posted a meme under it of a guy just throwing his glass to the floor.
• 29:38
  I was like, thank you, Darnell.
• 29:38
  Yeah. I don't doubt
• 29:41
  I'll tell ya. Three down did a mock up of what the playoffs would be this
• 29:48
  year if we were under next year's format.
• 29:51
  And then for each game they just did a coin toss.
• 29:53
  Okay, we went here here who here we're they go.
• 29:57
  I got I got a headache trying to read it and follow it and I couldn't.
• 30:02
  It just
• 30:03
  It's so friggin' bizarre. I tell ya this will never happen because the only reason
• 30:08
  they're doing it is for money.
• 30:10
  'Cause they've gone from five playoff games to nine.
• 30:12
  Yes, 'cause Dazone needs their playoff games.
• 30:15
  And TSN
• 30:15
  Yeah.
• 30:16
  wasn't gonna get rid of any playoff games.
• 30:18
  Well also you're gonna get
• 30:19
  four more gates in the playoffs,
• 30:20
  which if people are suckers enough to go to go to these games with the the worst
• 30:26
  place teams. you look at Toronto,
• 30:27
  they averaged less than sixteen thousand a game this season,
• 30:31
  they had twenty-two for the the playoffs.
• 30:33
  Now a lot of those may have been Winnipeg folks,
• 30:35
  but still it's four more games of revenue that they're going for.
• 30:39
  But frankly, if you want to go to this playoff format,
• 30:42
  I would say fine, but the only way that makes sense.
• 30:44
  Is you turf out the 18 game regular season and you do round robin,
• 30:47
  Thank you.
• 30:49
  nine games each.
• 30:51
  I said that this only way this
• 30:52
  makes sense is if you knocked the regular season down to like twelve games
• 30:57
  or something.
• 30:57
  Yeah.
• 30:58
  Yeah. I say nine or well I guess eight games for per team 'cause you play
• 31:02
  everybody once, it's a round robin
• 31:05
  I feel like we needed to have
• 31:07
  a curling expert on to talk about this page playoff format.
• 31:10
  Okay. I don't know.
• 31:11
  Because it it's
• 31:13
  the dumb or an NBA person who understands play-in.
• 31:16
  but this only makes sense if you have less regular season games,
• 31:19
  because these regular season games Stuart Johnson said that they are not,
• 31:23
  the bar is not getting in the playoffs.
• 31:26
  That's not your bar. So what what what's the point?
• 31:30
  Well
• 31:30
  it can't be the bar when everybody but one gets in.
• 31:33
  Yeah. We might as well let every team in at this point.
• 31:34
  You know? Yeah. Yeah.
• 31:36
  All nine
• 31:37
  in and then do your round robin.
• 31:39
  Yeah, that's what I said this year.
• 31:42
  And and they say, Well, you can't do it with nine teams.
• 31:44
  I Okay, give Ottawa two chances 'cause they're so they it's so bad.
• 31:46
  Well, you know what? Then then
• 31:48
  the top the top seed gets a a by the first round.
• 31:51
  Yeah,
• 31:51
  I know. it is just ridiculous.
• 31:53
  Anyway, the fact that you had to
• 31:55
  surface from z radio silence to pop up and be like,
• 31:58
  guys, the bar isn't I know you kinda this is confusing,
• 32:01
  but the bar isn't getting into the playoffs and then pop out and then
• 32:04
  whatever we see
• 32:06
  Well, especially when you've got people that are excited about the fact we've
• 32:10
  got a good set of playoffs this year.
• 32:11
  It's the last time we're gonna have a valid set of playoff games.
• 32:16
  Let them enjoy that and then start squawking your gaslighting afterwards.
• 32:20
  it's just gonna piss off some people and chase them away.
• 32:23
  I said to you when we were just chatting a little bit earlier,
• 32:27
  I pay a certain amount of attention.
• 32:29
  I'm not on every press release that drops from the league or a team,
• 32:33
  but I pay a pretty good amount of attention.
• 32:37
  I didn't realize that they were changing when they were announcing the the award
• 32:41
  winners, how they were doing it,
• 32:43
  where they were going. They've gone to three finalists for the MOP rather than
• 32:47
  have divisional ones, which may be a good move and we can talk about that more.
• 32:51
  But all of a sudden now
• 32:52
  it's still another week before we get to when they would normally be announced,
• 32:56
  but we know Darnell Sankey's the defensive player of the year.
• 32:59
  Mm-hmm.
• 32:59
  And
• 33:00
  Trey Vaval's the special teams player of the year.
• 33:03
  And Tyler Cummins the rookie of the year.
• 33:07
  You know, I haven't seen Lineman of the Year announced yet.
• 33:10
  It's probably coming out at practi somebody's practice remote.
• 33:12
  What if you're done practicing?
• 33:15
  Yeah. I don't know.
• 33:16
  Then
• 33:16
  what? Anyway, just if you didn't know,
• 33:18
  Trey Vaval found out at practice they had him pull his like trophy out of a box.
• 33:23
  And then I didn't see anyone else's like videos,
• 33:25
  but they it's just like if Instagram chooses to show me things,
• 33:29
  that's how I find out about them.
• 33:32
  'Cause it's funny, we won't talk about these awards last week 'cause you're like,
• 33:35
  they're not gonna be announced till later,
• 33:36
  so we don't need to d make our picks and then all of sudden I saw I was like,
• 33:39
  then the next day I was like, Trey Vaval is the special teams player of the year.
• 33:43
  Yeah.
• 33:43
  I was like, Huh.
• 33:46
  Yeah. Egg on my face.
• 33:49
  How embarrassing for all of us.
• 33:50
  I don't know. I so I don't know if they gave media outlets heads up or what,
• 33:55
  but as a fan and a person who is on a CFL every almost everywhere,
• 34:00
  I didn't have any clue that this was happening.
• 34:03
  I don't I don't hate it. I think awards ceremonies and awards banquets are stupid
• 34:09
  and I hate them, so I don't mind.
• 34:11
  but I think that they could be this this is could be done better.
• 34:16
  maybe announce them at Grey Cup.
• 34:18
  or the or the week of why not announce them the week of Grey Cup?
• 34:21
  Yeah, exactly.
• 34:21
  I don't know.
• 34:23
  Anyway.
• 34:23
  you've heard me say many times I love the chaos of the CFL.
• 34:27
  I mean that on the field. I don't want chaos from the league office and from
• 34:31
  the the team's head offices. but let's talk about it.
• 34:34
  Sankey, defensive player of the year.
• 34:35
  Okay. Fine by fine by me.
• 34:37
  Right choice? Yeah. Yeah.
• 34:39
  Yeah. What a machine.
• 34:42
  I can't back up anything I'm saying here with stats,
• 34:45
  because I don't worry about that.
• 34:46
  I go by play. And honestly, I don't even know if Joel DeBlanco
• 34:51
  was the defensive player for Edmonton or not.
• 34:56
  But to me, I think he could have given Sankey a run for his money.
• 34:59
  He didn't have quite the stats Sankey did.
• 35:01
  But I thought DeBlanco was was a huge impact for them this year.
• 35:06
  Tyler Common.
• 35:07
  Rookie of the year.
• 35:08
  Fine by me. That guy had an outstanding season.
• 35:11
  He did, but there were others that played better,
• 35:14
  I think. To me and they were it they
• 35:15
  But we're rookies?
• 35:17
  were in the running. to me it's Major Williams out of out of Winnipeg.
• 35:20
  Well, Major
• 35:20
  I said I picked Major Williams but everyone's like,
• 35:23
  Well but the I think they tend towards receivers.
• 35:26
  That's that's a receivers are a lot more fun,
• 35:27
  Yeah. Yeah, it is, exactly. And you s
• 35:28
  right? There's a little more high w you
• 35:29
  have better tape when you're a receiver.
• 35:32
  Yeah. And Vaval as special teams player.
• 35:35
  Yeah, this is the one I'm not happy about.
• 35:37
  'Cause I think that he was an average returner this year.
• 35:41
  there was kickers who I would have picked over that and I think I would have
• 35:44
  probably picked like someone like Generion Grant over him despite what happened
• 35:48
  in this game this weekend. I still think overall
• 35:50
  Yes.
• 35:50
  he was our wooden or anyone I just Yeah.
• 35:54
  I
• 35:55
  I think you could have gone with Blanchard who got the nod out of Edmonton.
• 35:59
  Yeah.
• 35:59
  I think
• 35:59
  he would have been great. Frankly,
• 36:01
  to to be quite honest with you,
• 36:04
  my gosh, I'm drawing a blank. But luckily there's a Hamilton fan here to help me.
• 36:08
  Hamilton's kicker.
• 36:10
  LEGO. Yeah?
• 36:11
  Yes, I think he had a
• 36:13
  hell of a season. Could could have been in there.
• 36:16
  Maltos, yes, didn't have to have as good of a season.
• 36:18
  But even if you're going for returners,
• 36:20
  I thought McAllister outplayed Vaval this year.
• 36:23
  I think so too.
• 36:25
  And Khalil Pimbleton set a record for kickoff return yards.
• 36:28
  I
• 36:29
  honestly if we are going to pick a returner,
• 36:31
  Pimpleton should be the the special teams player of the year.
• 36:35
  Absolutely.
• 36:36
  again, I don't do this on stats.
• 36:38
  It may be that he had a lot more kickoff returns to make because it was Ottawa
• 36:42
  and they were they were receiving a lot,
• 36:42
  I mean just deal you just play the hand you're dealt,
• 36:44
  but still. Yeah.
• 36:45
  right? Like
• 36:46
  So yeah, so I think that would have made more sense.
• 36:49
  And I mean, no knock on
• 36:51
  Vavel. He was also playing DB this year,
• 36:53
  so he had to split his duties.
• 36:55
  Although Pimpleton plays receiver.
• 36:57
  So
• 36:57
  Yeah, exactly.
• 36:58
  And McAlstair a bit in the offense,
• 37:00
  Yeah.
• 37:00
  but not much.
• 37:01
  No, I'm not knocking Vaval He Bavel had a hell of a year.
• 37:04
  I just don't think he was the best special teams player this year.
• 37:07
  I just don't
• 37:07
  understand the criteria which these votes are based on.
• 37:10
  I think they're just vibes based.
• 37:13
  I don't think there's any actual like method to the madness.
• 37:15
  I think the reporters vote on these,
• 37:18
  don't they? Or like media people?
• 37:19
  I I I
• 37:21
  know that the first round the five people every team there's five people that pick
• 37:26
  the team nominees and that's some local writers and the head coach.
• 37:31
  Then it went to the divisional rounds and they're not doing that now.
• 37:34
  So I'm it's mostly writers and sparks casters and that,
• 37:38
  but I think there's some league personnel or team personnel,
• 37:41
  maybe the coaches or GMs that get a vote into.
• 37:44
  I don't know for sure.
• 37:45
  I'm sorry, they have four writers for each who has a dedicated beat reporter on their
• 37:50
  for their team anymore? On a new on a newspaper syndicate or anything?
• 37:55
  Yeah.
• 37:55
  Like come on.
• 37:57
  Well and more than that, you had four writers and a head coach decide that Tyson
• 38:01
  Philbott didn't deserve to be the MOP this year.
• 38:04
  well,
• 38:05
  And that
• 38:06
  Alexander is equally
• 38:08
  Yeah, Alexander is great, but I don't think you can say that he was the obvious
• 38:13
  choice over Philpot they've changed it now 'cause they said,
• 38:16
  well, there could be two good players from a division that that should
• 38:20
  get recognized. So they've that's another change that I again kinda caught
• 38:24
  me s by surprise. So there's now three finalists for the MOP
• 38:29
  So who's the finalist for the MOP?
• 38:31
  It's Alex and
• 38:32
  Um I believe
• 38:34
  I believe it's Alexander, Rourke and I think Fiardo's the third one.
• 38:39
  Right, okay, yes, because Suter had like a meltdown about this during the game saying
• 38:45
  because he was mad that Cody had the nomination and not Rourke or something.
• 38:50
  Somebody
• 38:50
  anyway, the the point is that solves the problem of you got two good players from
• 38:54
  a division, sure. But what about something like this year?
• 38:57
  And it's happened in the past when with Winnipeg with Zach and Brady where they've
• 39:01
  talked about it, where they're both should be in consideration.
• 39:04
  of the three that are left, who gets it?
• 39:06
  Who do you think?
• 39:06
  Sorry, it was Rourke Alexander and Philip
• 39:08
  Rour I believe it's Rourke, Alexander,
• 39:10
  and Fajardo
• 39:10
  and Fujardo. I don't think I don't wanna make this pick until after Grey Cup,
• 39:16
  but
• 39:17
  Yeah, but unfortunately
• 39:19
  You know what? I'm gonna pick Cody because he led those elks out of that nasty West
• 39:23
  Division. I think that
• 39:24
  Yeah.
• 39:25
  was a dogfight.
• 39:27
  I'm just making sure that Cody is in here.
• 39:29
  I'm checking out here. Yes.
• 39:33
  no. Okay. I'm sorry. I'm I'm Yeah.
• 39:34
  No? Okay, like let's just cut all this and we can find out what we actually
• 39:39
  Yeah, we'll cut it all
• 39:39
  out because cause I just popped open we're gonna have to look into this.
• 39:43
  I'm thinking I'm gonna leave this in.
• 39:44
  Cause I just popped open a report from CTV and it says Davis Alexander Tyson Philpot
• 39:49
  and Cody Fajardo named as CFL MOP finalists.
• 39:53
  So
• 39:53
  Yes,
• 39:54
  this is why Suter was mad, because Rorik was not nominated and Cody was.
• 39:58
  And he was like beakin' about how Rourke was not nominated.
• 40:01
  And I said to my TV, I said Glenn,
• 40:06
  Cody led a team that had not been in the playoffs since 2019 to first in the West
• 40:11
  Division. Yes, of course he is in the MOP talk.
• 40:15
  I don't think I'm gonna cut any of this because I want everybody listening
• 40:18
  to see just how shocked I am because Philpott wasn't even a finalist.
• 40:22
  But he was and you know why? Because he'll be Canadian,
• 40:25
  most of the sounding Canadian.
• 40:27
  Maybe they don't maybe they
• 40:28
  Yeah, I know, but you
• 40:29
  don't want people winning two awards anymore.
• 40:31
  No, I know, but they're this I gotta look into this because this is now saying
• 40:35
  somehow, even though he wasn't a team finalist,
• 40:38
  he is a league finalist for it.
• 40:40
  And if that's the case, I'm not against it,
• 40:42
  because I was gonna say the exactly the same thing to them.
• 40:45
  I was gonna say, okay, if you're gonna say that this chance of having too many,
• 40:49
  players missed because they're on the same division or same team,
• 40:52
  change your and maybe they've done something like this and I just haven't
• 40:55
  heard it, but I said, change it so that
• 40:57
  You do the same thing you did now.
• 40:58
  You let the local writers and the coach pick the nine team representatives.
• 41:03
  And then you bring the people that will quiddle it down to the three at the end.
• 41:07
  But before you do that, you give them the opportunity to pick up to three other
• 41:12
  finalists. So that if there is somebody who didn't get in that first team round
• 41:16
  is eligible, you put it in this year you might get a Tyson in for it.
• 41:20
  That would work. The other thing that would be an advantage of it would be that
• 41:25
  You could start those extra three picks could start focusing on the defensive
• 41:30
  players that get ignored because the team picks always go to the best offensive
• 41:35
  player. But I'm my whole rant on that is gone now 'cause it
• 41:40
  ha ha I'm just I am I have no idea what's going on.
• 41:45
  I am CFL Chaos.
• 41:47
  You know what, I actually don't really care about these because they're
• 41:49
  a popularity contest, and I don't actually think they're based necessarily on merit
• 41:54
  whatsoever, and it's more about popularity.
• 41:56
  and two players on the same team,
• 41:58
  I actually don't mind because look what happened in the East Division neck last
• 42:01
  year. I think that the team that like was perfect at home and has like records break
• 42:06
  in left, right, and center should have more than one player.
• 42:09
  I'm not against that at all. You find a way to facilitate it.
• 42:12
  Cause yeah, I do think frankly I do think that Alexander and Philpot might have been
• 42:17
  the two best players in the league this year.
• 42:18
  Yeah.
• 42:19
  And it might be hard to tell which was the better of them.
• 42:21
  it's interesting, do you look at what s somebody's stats are or do you look what
• 42:25
  they did for their team? Because that's the difference
• 42:27
  Yeah.
• 42:27
  between Alexander and Cody in my books.
• 42:30
  Yeah.
• 42:30
  That and that's the whole thing is that and they say,
• 42:33
  well it's an MOP it's not an MVP,
• 42:35
  but they also go to stats and to me stats don't tell you MOP.
• 42:39
  You know, yes you've got to be good,
• 42:41
  but to be outstanding you've got to make plays that nobody else makes.
• 42:45
  And that those don't always show up in the stats.
• 42:48
  or it is it about ha you do you have some grit and determination and you drag your
• 42:53
  team along with you and you win.
• 42:54
  Yeah. Yeah, exactly.
• 42:54
  'Cause that's
• 42:55
  those are two totally different things,
• 42:57
  but you still end up in the same category for finalists,
• 43:00
  so
• 43:01
  Yes. I would say that with Cody Fidgiardo and Davis Alexander and Nathan Rourke,
• 43:08
  some of the most fantastic plays they've made these years have probably gone
• 43:12
  for like six or seven yards. But it was something where they worked absolute magic
• 43:17
  to get a first down they needed and it doesn't show up in the stats.
• 43:21
  that's why you gotta look at the at what's done.
• 43:23
  I said I think last week or the week before.
• 43:26
  To me it's you look at them and you go,
• 43:27
  How many times did I go, Wow? What a play.
• 43:30
  And anyway, moving on, they've also announced the coach of the year finalists.
• 43:36
  And these I don't think get announced the actual winner of in life well who knows.
• 43:40
  They should not they
• 43:40
  Last year the
• 43:41
  should not until after Grey Cup.
• 43:43
  Yeah. Last year these didn't get announced until the Combine.
• 43:46
  What they're doing this year I have no friggin' idea.
• 43:49
  But anyway, but the finalists are Maas Killem and Pierce.
• 43:53
  Good choices?
• 43:54
  Those are the correct choices.
• 43:57
  Yes. Who should win it?
• 43:57
  Yeah. Um
• 44:00
  it's gonna be between Killum and Maas I mean Moss is just it's just the machine
• 44:05
  Alois machine is churning, but Killum has turned an entire team around in two years.
• 44:10
  So I mean either I
• 44:13
  'cause think both of them are outstanding what they do.
• 44:15
  Jason Maas has a team that he like the e they he has built a machine and they
• 44:21
  do like all the fun things that you want your team to do.
• 44:25
  They do all the cool tricks and the trick plays and yeah,
• 44:29
  and then but yeah, Kiilam has gone and turned an entire franchise around.
• 44:33
  And I
• 44:33
  Yes.
• 44:34
  you can't under like dismiss that or underestimate that and what he has done
• 44:38
  is nothing short of remarkable for that team.
• 44:41
  Yes. Exactly. if it's announced after the Grey Cup,
• 44:45
  it'll probably go to whoever wins the Grey Cup,
• 44:47
  it's tough 'cause they're very good.
• 44:48
  I will tell you though, that I believe because of the convention of who gets
• 44:53
  nominated for coach of the year,
• 44:55
  that the coach who
• 44:56
  should win it isn't even on the list.
• 44:59
  My mind, the coach of the year this year was JC Sherrett running the Edmonton
• 45:04
  defense. Second year coordinator,
• 45:08
  had the defense looking not bad last year.
• 45:11
  It was by far the best defense in the league this year.
• 45:15
  And they don't give out assistant coach of the year.
• 45:17
  They only give out coach of the year,
• 45:19
  so he should be in there.
• 45:22
  Maybe he's so good because Mark has taught him well.
• 45:26
  It could be.
• 45:26
  I will say
• 45:27
  Buck I mean, i I don't think he's on the level of Mark and Jason,
• 45:30
  but that team started terrible.
• 45:32
  And we were like writing them off and they completely turned it around and they're
• 45:37
  in the West final.
• 45:39
  Yeah,
• 45:39
  he sure made a brilliant decision this weekend,
• 45:42
  coaching wise. So I'll give you that.
• 45:43
  yeah.
• 45:43
  But but yeah, but Sherrett started as a linebackers co once he came out.
• 45:48
  He started as a linebackers coach.
• 45:50
  I can't remember. I don't know if he was with anybody before Saskatchewan,
• 45:52
  but he learned under Mace in Saskatchewan.
• 45:54
  And then he went and worked with Killum in Edmonton.
• 45:58
  And that is like I said, I'm just I am so impressed with what he's done with that
• 46:03
  group.
• 46:04
  His daughter played flight football against my kid and that girl made
• 46:07
  all the boys cry.
• 46:09
  Yeah.
• 46:10
  She was amazing. I was like, it's cause her dad is teaching her It's probably
• 46:14
  Well it could be it could also be genetics 'cause he was a pretty darn good player
• 46:17
  a bit of both. It's probably
• 46:18
  too.
• 46:18
  both, but anyway.
• 46:20
  Yes. Uh right.
• 46:22
  Watch her f it to
• 46:22
  be on the Olympic team one day.
• 46:24
  I just know it. I just know it.
• 46:26
  So
• 46:26
  Yeah. we'll we'll mark that down.
• 46:29
  Yeah.
• 46:29
  Who knows if we're podcasting
• 46:31
  in what would that be? Probably ten or twelve years,
• 46:33
  Yeah.
• 46:33
  but maybe
• 46:34
  we'll we'll call back to us to you as a genius.
• 46:37
  Yes.
• 46:38
  Other bits with this. They announced the divisional all stars.
• 46:43
  I'm not gonna run through them all.
• 46:45
  I don't know if you've looked through them.
• 46:47
  I saw it briefly.
• 46:50
  That was there anything that stood out with you as an obvious miss
• 46:56
  I looked at these like five days ago and then they scrolled past and I never found
• 47:00
  them again. So.
• 47:03
  that make okay, I'll give you that.
• 47:04
  I'll give ya I'll give you that.
• 47:06
  I'll I'll tell you there I was mostly thought they were right.
• 47:08
  I had a few questions.
• 47:12
  Well not questions. The first one when I looked at it I saw Thiece was the running
• 47:15
  back out of Montreal was the eastern one.
• 47:18
  And I thought, Well, duh. Who else ran the ball in the eastern division?
• 47:21
  There's nobody Nobody
• 47:24
  else ran the ball. So good for you.
• 47:26
  No. So so
• 47:28
  so that was kind of a default one.
• 47:30
  receivers in the West. I was mostly good with them.
• 47:34
  I didn't think Hatcher had a all star year in B C.
• 47:37
  Was Cottoy not on there? Hmm.
• 47:40
  Nope. Yeah,
• 47:42
  if anything, Katoy had a better year in B C than than Hatcher did in my opinion.
• 47:46
  And I thought frankly, there's not a lot of other people in the West that maybe
• 47:53
  did more than him, but maybe Jones,
• 47:56
  who even got pulled out of the lineup in Calgary for a little while,
• 48:00
  had some fantastic games and played really well.
• 48:03
  And Wilson off the bombers, I thought would have
• 48:06
  Ontario while it's funny.
• 48:07
  would have been
• 48:07
  probably a better choice I had of it.
• 48:09
  I think there's a few players in here that got named because of their reputation.
• 48:15
  Again, this is a popularity contest.
• 48:17
  Yeah, yeah.
• 48:18
  the fans even get to vote on it to a degree.
• 48:20
  Yes, we voted on this.
• 48:20
  It's not the full vote. Yeah. Yeah,
• 48:22
  exactly.
• 48:22
  I didn't think Hatcher had a good year.
• 48:26
  On the defense the West they had JJ Ross and I can't remember who
• 48:33
  was at the other corner now. Anyway,
• 48:35
  I thought that
• 48:37
  Major Williams should have been on there somewhere,
• 48:39
  and I didn't see him on it at all.
• 48:41
  Defensive line, and this might be my my green tinted glasses showing.
• 48:49
  But I thought Cerezna was a bit of a a legacy pick again by his name.
• 48:53
  I thought Caleb Sanders with the Riders had a far better year.
• 48:58
  Was Willie
• 48:59
  Jefferson not on this list? 'Cause he was the best one in Winnipeg.
• 49:03
  and they had some good young players that I thought outplayed Cerezna there there
• 49:07
  too. Fletcher for them was had a had a hell of a year.
• 49:10
  But I again a D lineman's never going to make a major award,
• 49:15
  but in the old man universe, Caleb Saunders would have been up for MOP.
• 49:20
  He had a hell of a year.
• 49:22
  And then the other two were special teams.
• 49:25
  They in the east Grant got the returner I thought it should have gone to Pimpleton.
• 49:31
  And in the West the punter was Edmonton Jake Jillian and I thought Mayers
• 49:35
  had a better year in BC than he did.
• 49:38
  Please put your comments in, let us know what you think.
• 49:40
  Tell me if I'm completely out to to lunch,
• 49:42
  but that's my opinion of where they got it wrong.
• 49:46
  Okay, what else? Qu quick things and then we'll get to well actually I d I don't
• 49:50
  think I put game re recaps on the rundown,
• 49:53
  but let's just do what we did last week and
• 49:55
  it's just 'cause you don't wanna talk about Saskatchewan losing.
• 49:58
  no, I got a lot to say, but
• 50:00
  but but rather than a recap, let's talk because I think that went over better with
• 50:04
  people. We'll see. when we get there.
• 50:05
  I don't it may not be a major change,
• 50:07
  it just might be in my mind. But anyway.
• 50:10
  this isn't on your rundown,
• 50:11
  but I added it in lately. Quick fact,
• 50:14
  we don't even really have to talk about it,
• 50:15
  'cause but we did talk about how the attendance was going all year.
• 50:18
  Attendance overall, the average attendance was down about five hundred f fans
• 50:23
  per game for the
• 50:25
  twenty twenty six season. And the ratings were down I've seen a couple of numbers
• 50:30
  somewhere between about one point two and one point five percent.
• 50:33
  So not huge, but down in both cases.
• 50:36
  It's almost like when you change all the rules and field dimensions and tell fans
• 50:43
  they're dumb and they don't know what they're talking about and then raise
• 50:47
  ticket prices, it's so strange that people don't wanna watch your product.
• 50:53
  Well yeah, it'll be interesting to see next year.
• 50:55
  Does it shoot up or go further down?
• 50:58
  I may have to eat some crow over it if it does shoot up.
• 51:01
  I don't think it will.
• 51:02
  Yeah. I saw someone on one of the platforms this this last week going
• 51:08
  beakin' off about everybody's complaining about the CFL and they're changing it.
• 51:12
  My CFL is doing fine. I think we're thriving.
• 51:14
  I love all of this. Well, okay
• 51:16
  Emonton's
• 51:17
  attendance went significantly up.
• 51:19
  Like significant so who's dropped dramatic like who dropped really badly?
• 51:25
  Because Montreal was selling out near the end.
• 51:25
  If you
• 51:27
  I mean I don't think
• 51:28
  they were at the beginning. Hamilton's I know that theirs dropped once Bo
• 51:31
  was in I think people just packed it in.
• 51:33
  Calgary
• 51:34
  was disappointing.
• 51:35
  Well,
• 51:35
  Calgary did not lower their ticket prices.
• 51:38
  They kept them really high for a s so that's their own fault.
• 51:42
  yeah, Edmonton went up. it seems like Saskatchewan and Winnipeg were ticking
• 51:45
  along. I mean, there was fifteen thousand people to watch a terrible Red Blocks game
• 51:49
  every time, so that's actually good for them.
• 51:51
  Yeah. I don't know how that
• 51:51
  Toronto doesn't
• 51:52
  have Toronto always has fifteen thousand people,
• 51:54
  whether they're like bottom of the team or like winning grey cups,
• 51:58
  doesn't seem to matter.
• 51:59
  I don't know how Ottawa's numbers were overall.
• 52:04
  Winnipeg was selling out most of the year.
• 52:05
  I don't think they sold out every game,
• 52:07
  so they might have been down slightly.
• 52:09
  Riders were still getting great numbers.
• 52:11
  They got some sellouts. They year over year they might have been up or down
• 52:14
  a bit. I think the Lions were down some.
• 52:17
  I could be wrong, but I just that's my kind of impression.
• 52:20
  But you
• 52:20
  know what, it's not just CFL because NFL and NHL is also having this problem.
• 52:24
  And I'm like, you stupid business owners,
• 52:28
  have you tried to buy cucumbers?
• 52:31
  Have you
• 52:32
  Yes.
• 52:32
  tried to buy gas? Have you seen your utility card?
• 52:35
  Have you seen your insurance rates?
• 52:37
  People's disposable income keeps dropping.
• 52:40
  And I'm sorry, but sports is a luxury.
• 52:43
  It is a want, it's not a need.
• 52:45
  And people are making very tough choices.
• 52:47
  Like, how many people in Hamilton just got laid off from Stelco?
• 52:51
  Like, those are not people that are gonna be buying season tickets.
• 52:54
  so I just I think sometimes when they say these,
• 52:57
  they're like, whoa, what's going on?
• 52:58
  And I'm like, you're so
• 53:00
  So, like, where do you live that you don't see
• 53:02
  Go to touch.
• 53:03
  what's happening to like people who buy these tickets?
• 53:07
  So, I mean, good for the elks,
• 53:08
  like those playoff tickets are cheap.
• 53:10
  And they're cheap on purpose. And good for them
• 53:12
  Yeah.
• 53:13
  because their lower bowl is almost sold out.
• 53:15
  They actually just opened the upper bowl for the West final.
• 53:18
  I hope a great crowd.
• 53:19
  Yeah, but I just sometimes I'm like,
• 53:21
  maybe you don't have to buy a cucumber for two dollars and fifty cents,
• 53:23
  but the rest of us are making choices and they're not great.
• 53:27
  So I don't know. Maybe it's
• 53:27
  Yeah. Yeah.
• 53:28
  just me. Maybe I'm just but I think that for a lot of people for a lot of people,
• 53:32
  sports is a luxury.
• 53:34
  I don't think it's just you. This is not a politics show,
• 53:38
  so I'm not going to get into that,
• 53:40
  but I will and what I'm going to mention here is about a stat out of
• 53:44
  the US not here, but I think in this case the comparisons are there.
• 53:48
  And what I was that I saw was they said people are concerned about affordability
• 53:52
  of course. That happens a lot
• 53:55
  as the world goes round and round.
• 53:58
  But generally if you ask people two questions,
• 54:02
  the majority say, Yes, I'm concerned about affordability.
• 54:06
  How are my personal finances? I'm still okay with them.
• 54:10
  I'm happy with them. There were a couple of polls that came out that they said
• 54:15
  first time in history in the US that over fifty percent of the respondents said,
• 54:19
  I'm really worried about my personal finances.
• 54:22
  And that's a change. Anyway
• 54:25
  That's politics, we're not doing that.
• 54:27
  Player transactions, only one that I saw.
• 54:28
  Dakota Shepley retired. Finished off after the Argos game and said I'm I'm done.
• 54:34
  So that will save them, like I said,
• 54:35
  somewhere in their range at three hundred K a year,
• 54:38
  but what does it do for their line?
• 54:41
  Yeah.
• 54:42
  And says game recaps, but we're gonna I'm bumping it to thoughts about the games
• 54:47
  from the weekend. Because we both know already that Winnipeg shocked Toronto
• 54:52
  25 22, and Saskatchewan fell 26 33 to the Lions.
• 54:59
  Yes. But full credit to the Lions on it.
• 55:04
  first thing I noticed, you notice all of a sudden
• 55:06
  Lions scored thirty three points.
• 55:09
  Nobody else got over thirty. After
• 55:10
  Yeah.
• 55:11
  a season of, it's forty to thirty nine,
• 55:13
  it's forty four to thirty eight.
• 55:15
  you get in the playoffs and the the defenses start doing stuff.
• 55:19
  And the and somehow the offense play calling got much more conservative because
• 55:23
  there was a boatload of field goals in these two games.
• 55:26
  Yes. Yes there was. And
• 55:29
  that Toronto took a bunch of of criticism over that.
• 55:33
  I will say that I wasn't surprised when I saw it out.
• 55:36
  As I'm watching the games and I made my notes,
• 55:38
  part way into the third quarter,
• 55:39
  I said if Toronto loses this game,
• 55:42
  it's gonna be because of how they handled their play going into the half and coming
• 55:47
  out of it. Going into the half there was something like under two minutes left.
• 55:52
  they strip sacked Drew Brown Sean Lemon took it down to I think the twenty nine.
• 55:58
  John ran twenty two yards. He probably
• 56:01
  Yes.
• 56:01
  needed the oxygen mask. Like, he was working so hard and yet still nothing.
• 56:03
  Yes. Yeah. Exactly. Yes.
• 56:08
  Like
• 56:09
  Yeah. So with with more than a minute left at least,
• 56:13
  you've got the ball on the twenty-nine.
• 56:16
  A good chance for a a touchdown,
• 56:18
  they end up settling for three.
• 56:21
  They come out of the second half and march the ball nicely down the field,
• 56:26
  end up third and three on the three yard line and kick a field goal.
• 56:32
  So they had fourteen points available to them,
• 56:34
  they got six. And that as much as you can talk about Generian Grant's fumble,
• 56:39
  Not his fault.
• 56:39
  which I feel really terrible for
• 56:41
  and everything else. Wouldn't have made a difference if they made if they had taken
• 56:47
  care of business when they had the chance,
• 56:49
  to to put their foot on their throat and just step down.
• 56:52
  so this game was actually really pretty terrible.
• 56:55
  Neither team was interested no offense wanted to win.
• 56:58
  Winnipeg had four turnovers.
• 57:02
  Yeah. And a hundred and twenty yards and penalties.
• 57:05
  There's no reason for that they should have won that game.
• 57:07
  The only reason they won that game is that Nick Dembski decided that they were
• 57:11
  winning that game. And he was like,
• 57:13
  I shall catch all the important passes and I will finish this off for us and drag
• 57:19
  us to the East Final. because nobody else seemed to be interested in winning.
• 57:24
  It was terrible. It was terrible.
• 57:26
  the other side of it, Toronto only had two turnovers that mattered.
• 57:30
  I think they they had one on downs late.
• 57:32
  But the ones that they made were
• 57:34
  much more impactful 'cause they gave up a a defensive touchdown on it.
• 57:38
  Yeah.
• 57:39
  And their other one was at that again,
• 57:41
  with a little over a minute to go when Grant fumbled and gave the Winnipeg
• 57:44
  the ball in their territory.
• 57:46
  Nealed had a pass hit his hands and dropped it.
• 57:50
  Yes.
• 57:50
  Tim
• 57:50
  White had negative one receiving yards.
• 57:53
  Tim White was streaking down the field and Brown threw t through the tossed the ball
• 57:57
  to him for what should have been in at I don't know of a touchdown,
• 58:01
  but at least a good gain and White just slowed up.
• 58:05
  Well I guess it's not gonna wait.
• 58:07
  damn. At least that's how it appeared to me.
• 58:08
  Yeah. How's how's that
• 58:10
  payroll going for you, bombers?
• 58:12
  Like
• 58:13
  Yeah.
• 58:13
  I don't know, you're right. nobody seemed all that keen on winning the game.
• 58:19
  what else to have to say. Yeah,
• 58:19
  I think we've talked about most of it,
• 58:21
  but like I just have a note saying WTF Argos.
• 58:24
  Like I'm just like confused. Did they just not plan for this game?
• 58:27
  Were they already thinking about Montreal?
• 58:28
  'Cause it kinda makes me think that they were.
• 58:31
  They were kind of playing like they didn't need there was I just didn't feel
• 58:36
  a lot of urgency, except for Sean Lemon.
• 58:38
  I didn't really feel a lot of urgency from the rest of the team.
• 58:42
  And they just let Winnipeg hang around.
• 58:45
  And then Chad gets hurt. And Arbuckle goes in and they still can't do anything.
• 58:50
  And because then when everyone's Chad's hurt,
• 58:53
  I was well, our buckle's a Grey Cup MVP guy.
• 58:56
  Like, I don't know. I wouldn't count them out.
• 58:58
  And then they just despite Winnipeg's best efforts,
• 59:02
  they won. Like that's I think that's how
• 59:04
  Yeah.
• 59:05
  it sums it up. Like, despite their best efforts,
• 59:07
  to lose they won and Toronto just lost.
• 59:09
  Winnipeg didn't win, I guess, is how we sum this one up.
• 59:12
  Yeah. I that they they made the plays they needed to when they had the opportunities,
• 59:17
  but it wasn't an an impressive performance.
• 59:19
  I will say after complaining about Condell all year,
• 59:21
  he certainly used Brady well in this game.
• 59:24
  Yes, finally.
• 59:26
  then the other thing
• 59:27
  I'm not necessarily a fan of Chad Kelly and I don't think you want
• 59:30
  all the interceptions he throws,
• 59:32
  but it looked like they had him on a leash.
• 59:34
  He was not throwing the deep ball very much.
• 59:37
  Well
• 59:37
  It looked
• 59:37
  like they told him it's time to be check down Charlie and he wasn't very good
• 59:41
  at it.
• 59:42
  No, he wasn't. I was like 'cause Bru Brown had two interceptions two touchdowns,
• 59:47
  two interceptions. And I'm like,
• 59:48
  That's a Chad Kelly stat. Like,
• 59:50
  what are you doing here? he did have
• 59:52
  a knee injury, so he said he was playing with a knee injury,
• 59:54
  so maybe he was just like couldn't drop back enough to like or scramble enough
• 59:58
  to launch it, but I don't know.
• 59:59
  Yeah. Yeah, it's possible that
• 1:00:01
  that yeah, he just couldn't get the the torque from with the lower body.
• 1:00:04
  It could
• 1:00:04
  Yeah.
• 1:00:05
  be I don't know if it was that or a coaching decision of now we're
• 1:00:08
  in the playoffs, we have to play safe
• 1:00:10
  If there was any team
• 1:00:11
  you could have done those big deep passes on,
• 1:00:13
  it was Winnipeg is defense is good,
• 1:00:15
  but they're not like Edmonton,
• 1:00:17
  B C Montreal good. Yeah.
• 1:00:19
  they've been beaten deep before.
• 1:00:21
  Yes they have.
• 1:00:22
  if you were gonna
• 1:00:22
  do it, this was the time. Even I expected Arbuckle to air it out a little bit.
• 1:00:26
  Like you're down you might as well go for it.
• 1:00:29
  Like you're going home if you don't put some points on the board.
• 1:00:33
  So why you continually just kept kicking field goals was infuriating to watch.
• 1:00:38
  If I was an Argo fan, I'd be pissed.
• 1:00:40
  Yes. And you mentioned Dembski scored the the winning touchdown yeah,
• 1:00:45
  And the two and the two point convert.
• 1:00:46
  the winning touchdown and the two point
• 1:00:49
  and when you need the stuff why do you go to a veteran?
• 1:00:53
  'Cause he caught the ball outside the end zone and as he was getting tackled reached
• 1:00:57
  it into the end zone.
• 1:00:58
  Yeah.
• 1:01:00
  I've seen an awful lot of players not do that and get stopped short of the points.
• 1:01:04
  Yeah, he is just what an incredible player.
• 1:01:07
  I love Nick Dembski.
• 1:01:09
  So there was that game. And I did also s I think I said something on some of my posts
• 1:01:14
  this week about I'm sure glad they're changing the rules because this current
• 1:01:18
  CFO is so boring. 'Cause you gotta say,
• 1:01:19
  That one was boring. That one was?
• 1:01:20
  even with the bad play, it was an exciting game.
• 1:01:24
  No, it wasn't. No, it wasn't. You enjoy
• 1:01:25
  Yes it was. I found it exciting.
• 1:01:28
  Maybe I'm
• 1:01:29
  five field goal attempts? Was that exciting for you?
• 1:01:32
  Cause it was
• 1:01:32
  No, it was
• 1:01:33
  just that I enjoy I do enjoy a good defense.
• 1:01:36
  I don't have to see a whole lot of of scoring it was one of the the tighter
• 1:01:42
  games it was in question. You there was I think the a nine point lead was the most
• 1:01:47
  that you saw. So yeah, I found it exciting.
• 1:01:49
  Although if I were an Argo
• 1:01:50
  That's me.
• 1:01:51
  fan and I bought a ticket to sit in that stadium and I did not see a f sixty yard
• 1:01:55
  pass to poke or coaxy, I would have been very disappointed.
• 1:01:59
  yeah, if I
• 1:02:00
  was an Argo fan I might not have found it so exciting,
• 1:02:02
  but I'm not. Although I
• 1:02:03
  I just like I just don't
• 1:02:04
  like when both teams I like a good defense but I like when offense at least pretends
• 1:02:08
  to try and I didn't feel like anyone was pretending to even try.
• 1:02:09
  Yeah. Okay, I'll give you that.
• 1:02:11
  And
• 1:02:12
  Yeah.
• 1:02:12
  it is a sad day for the podcast,
• 1:02:14
  being as we're fans of the Argos and all.
• 1:02:18
  I'm so glad our million dollar quarterback played so exceptionally terrible in that
• 1:02:21
  Yeah.
• 1:02:22
  game.
• 1:02:23
  What a tragedy for me personally.
• 1:02:25
  and for my sister. My sister texted me,
• 1:02:27
  she's like, this is the best thing to happen to me all CFL season.
• 1:02:30
  I'm like, indeed.
• 1:02:31
  Yeah. Well I gotta say, I would have liked to see the Riders win this weekend.
• 1:02:37
  But frankly the the teams that came out of it left me in a spot where I can just
• 1:02:42
  enjoy the football because I think all four teams left deserve to win.
• 1:02:46
  Yeah. No.
• 1:02:47
  Even the
• 1:02:47
  even the bombers because of what they've been able to
• 1:02:50
  There's three teams who deserve to be in the gray cup.
• 1:02:53
  I
• 1:02:54
  I think well I'll save that again.
• 1:02:58
  Saskatchewan goes into B C.
• 1:03:01
  Now, don't think you can complain about well,
• 1:03:03
  I will complain a little bit later about the coaching out of Saskatchewan.
• 1:03:06
  But at least they were prepared.
• 1:03:09
  They had more
• 1:03:09
  I was
• 1:03:10
  worried about BC for the whole first half.
• 1:03:13
  I was like, I posted on Blue Sky's like there's like a little train going
• 1:03:16
  off the rails. I'm like, this is what the BC like half locker room looks like.
• 1:03:19
  Your your team's off the rails.
• 1:03:21
  Like
• 1:03:22
  Yeah.
• 1:03:23
  Well Saskatchewan s did come out with a lot more jump in their step.
• 1:03:26
  Yeah.
• 1:03:27
  And frankly, it wasn't just we're we're more hyped.
• 1:03:31
  They ran formations and plays that they didn't use all season.
• 1:03:36
  the way that running game took off in the first half wasn't just a fluke.
• 1:03:40
  They had
• 1:03:41
  Against a team who is number one against the run.
• 1:03:44
  Yes.
• 1:03:45
  But depleted at linebacker and at D line for BC.
• 1:03:49
  So, there was would they have done that with Parker McKenna in there?
• 1:03:53
  I don't know. Would they have done that if the BCD line was healthy?
• 1:03:57
  I don't know. But they didn't just come out and say,
• 1:04:00
  we have to work harder. They work smarter.
• 1:04:03
  They had Ouellette and Bertrand in the on the field in the same formation,
• 1:04:08
  but I hadn't s maybe they've done that before.
• 1:04:10
  I hadn't seen it.
• 1:04:11
  They were using Bertrand a lot more and using Olet as a decoy.
• 1:04:15
  They were they had their stuff together.
• 1:04:17
  And on defense they had pressure packages that were really confusing Rourke
• 1:04:22
  for the first
• 1:04:23
  Quarter and a half anyway.
• 1:04:25
  But two big plays made the difference in this game.
• 1:04:27
  both by BC. The first one was a fantastic play by Rourke,
• 1:04:33
  but also taking advantage of mistakes from Saskatchewan.
• 1:04:37
  And that was that pass to Berry Hill wide open.
• 1:04:40
  Seventy yards.
• 1:04:43
  Yes.
• 1:04:43
  Seventy yards. And no one was even near Berry Hill.
• 1:04:47
  He was back there on his own, completely
• 1:04:50
  Yes.
• 1:04:51
  alone, by himself.
• 1:04:54
  full credit to Rourke because he made someone,
• 1:04:57
  I think it might have been Thurman,
• 1:05:00
  miss with a hell of a move to get that pass off.
• 1:05:03
  But he never should have had the chance because Josh Woods for the Riders
• 1:05:07
  had a free run. He had he was unblocked blitzer and he took a shallow angle
• 1:05:12
  and let Rourke just step outside of him and go.
• 1:05:15
  And then meanwhile the
• 1:05:17
  The riders on the defense that they were running,
• 1:05:19
  it was a zone, and they'd rotated DeMarcus Fields into the middle where your safety
• 1:05:23
  would normally be, and he was twenty yards ahead of of Barry Hill and nobody covering
• 1:05:30
  grass. There was literally not a player within ten,
• 1:05:33
  twelve yards of him. So those were riders' mistakes,
• 1:05:36
  and like I said, it might still not have worked out except Rourke made a fantastic
• 1:05:41
  move and got free and
• 1:05:43
  I don't know how he threw it that far.
• 1:05:45
  Because it wasn't just downfield,
• 1:05:46
  the riders Yeah.
• 1:05:47
  it was across the field too.
• 1:05:49
  Riders also chose to leave Dick Katoy alone.
• 1:05:53
  Yeah.
• 1:05:53
  Deep. They
• 1:05:54
  that was another choice that they made.
• 1:05:55
  I was like, interesting.
• 1:05:57
  Yeah. But see that's
• 1:05:59
  that one though, that's when I said Pierce made a fantastic coaching thing.
• 1:06:05
  Because that was nothing new. And I'm sorry,
• 1:06:08
  I know I'm pontificating here,
• 1:06:09
  but this I this matters to me.
• 1:06:12
  Way back when I played high school ball,
• 1:06:16
  our coach, Coach Steves, one of his blitzbreakers was that.
• 1:06:22
  It's the look in pass to the tight end.
• 1:06:24
  If they're gonna blitz from that side,
• 1:06:27
  it leaves a hole. And it's called the look in because you all you do is your tight
• 1:06:31
  end goes straight towards where the hole is,
• 1:06:33
  in this case, a almost a streak,
• 1:06:35
  and within two strides, he's looking in because the ball's coming out to him.
• 1:06:39
  And that's what they did. They hit the look into the tight end,
• 1:06:44
  Saskatchewan, because of the blitzing,
• 1:06:46
  and I'm sure there was someone prepared to cover him,
• 1:06:49
  the holes in the zone in the defense were a lot bigger because they were blitzing.
• 1:06:53
  I'm sure that Pierce said, Okay,
• 1:06:56
  next time we see that blitz, that package,
• 1:07:00
  this is what we're checking to automatically.
• 1:07:02
  unless he tells me they didn't do that,
• 1:07:05
  I will continue to believe that that was pre planned,
• 1:07:08
  they were ready for it, and it just Again,
• 1:07:11
  the riders came out with blitz packages that were confusing Rourke,
• 1:07:14
  Anybody coaching any CFL's position at all knows far more football than I do.
• 1:07:20
  But I do question just the strategy on it.
• 1:07:22
  They came up with heavy blitz.
• 1:07:25
  And then once that package beat them,
• 1:07:28
  they just backed off and said,
• 1:07:30
  Okay, we're going back to four man,
• 1:07:32
  five man pressure. I would have much preferred even before that package
• 1:07:36
  hit that they were showing the blitz a lot,
• 1:07:39
  but dropping out.
• 1:07:41
  into coverage sometimes with the disguise 'cause if you're showing that it messes
• 1:07:44
  up the blocking scheme along the O line.
• 1:07:47
  And maybe there's players where Rourke doesn't expect it to be.
• 1:07:50
  You can get a a pick They didn't do that.
• 1:07:52
  They just made it obvious. When w when everybody was up,
• 1:07:54
  they came hard. Otherwise it's we're back here in our zone.
• 1:07:58
  So glad Cory who took over defensive play calling for this game.
• 1:08:02
  Yeah. Well each again, there's
• 1:08:03
  Worked out really well for them.
• 1:08:05
  a lot of stuff I don't know about.
• 1:08:06
  It why they
• 1:08:07
  Hmm.
• 1:08:07
  played it that way may make perfect sense,
• 1:08:09
  but to my little mind, they should have been a little less obvious with it.
• 1:08:13
  Well, what I know is that the riders started hot and BC turned the ball over
• 1:08:17
  on their first play. Like Butler got fumbled it.
• 1:08:20
  so they were scrambling and they were messy until halftime and then Buck Pierce
• 1:08:26
  with his halftime adjustments,
• 1:08:27
  they came out and looked like a different team and they settled down and took care
• 1:08:31
  of business and Saskatchewan never recovered.
• 1:08:33
  Once they let Barry Hill and Cotoy get those deep passes,
• 1:08:38
  I think Katoy got two really deep and
• 1:08:41
  lights out. Saskatchewan kicked six field you want to talk about conservative play
• 1:08:45
  calling? Six field goals. you know what to
• 1:08:47
  Yeah. Including two fifty five yarders.
• 1:08:49
  be fair Sean White went four for five on field goals.
• 1:08:51
  There was a lot of field goals and so one team kicked a lot of field goals but then
• 1:08:56
  had three touchdowns. One team kicked a lot of field goals with one touchdowns
• 1:09:01
  and that's the difference.
• 1:09:03
  Like I said, it validates bringing Lauther back 'cause he did hit a couple
• 1:09:06
  of the long ones they got there.
• 1:09:08
  And I very
• 1:09:08
  Can
• 1:09:09
  Law talk about people with the free agents who are gonna get big paychecks near next
• 1:09:12
  Yeah, exactly.
• 1:09:12
  year? You think Lauther
• 1:09:13
  not gonna be asking for money?
• 1:09:15
  And I will just say not for nothing,
• 1:09:19
  but I really appreciated the fact that Mr.
• 1:09:22
  White, who is Mr Automatic, decided he'd miss the last field goal so that
• 1:09:27
  it was still a questionable game down to the very last play.
• 1:09:32
  Yeah. Which Harris got sucked on the last play,
• 1:09:36
  and that's the end of the writers season.
• 1:09:37
  And a nice rush to do that, yeah.
• 1:09:39
  at that point from the thirty-five,
• 1:09:41
  I didn't think it was gonna change the game.
• 1:09:44
  Best case, they get a miracle catch to put it to overtime overtime
• 1:09:51
  unless something really bizarre happened,
• 1:09:53
  BC would have taken it anyway.
• 1:09:55
  BC outplayed them especially in the second half of the game,
• 1:09:57
  completely. But I will say this too though,
• 1:10:00
  I wonder
• 1:10:02
  Should they have gone for that short kick,
• 1:10:04
  the onside kick, after they kicked a field goal.
• 1:10:08
  But if they kicked it deep at that point and got the same two and out result,
• 1:10:14
  they would have been closer to the
• 1:10:17
  BC goal line with the same amount of time left after the two and out and a punt,
• 1:10:22
  and maybe it was better. So but again,
• 1:10:25
  I feel if
• 1:10:25
  that's hindsight.
• 1:10:26
  Lauther had actually executed that properly.
• 1:10:29
  This might be different because it's looked to me that he fanned on the kick
• 1:10:33
  and didn't quite hit it in the center.
• 1:10:35
  And that ball needed to go ten yards and it needed to go to your team.
• 1:10:38
  And it looked like he hit it kind of on the side and it just spun weird and didn't
• 1:10:42
  go very far. I don't mind an onside kick and I like a little onside kick trickery,
• 1:10:47
  and that was excellent trickery.
• 1:10:49
  And I all I know is that the Alouettes would have executed that properly.
• 1:10:54
  Yes. in case anybody didn't see it,
• 1:10:56
  what he what they did with it was he lined up at basically if you're watching from
• 1:11:00
  the riders' ends out, he lined up with the ball on the T at the left hash and they
• 1:11:04
  got everybody all set up to go and then when the whistle blow he suddenly grabbed
• 1:11:08
  the ball and ran over to the right hash,
• 1:11:10
  put it down without the T just lying on the ground,
• 1:11:12
  and tried his kick from there and he miskicked it.
• 1:11:13
  like sideways. Yeah. It was kicked.
• 1:11:14
  Yeah, he hit side of it rather than square.
• 1:11:16
  Yeah. If he had
• 1:11:17
  kicked it square on, I think that would have worked.
• 1:11:21
  But I think he just got a little rushed and then he panicked and
• 1:11:26
  I all I know is I feel bad for kickers when they have to do these kind of trick
• 1:11:30
  plays when it's the West semifinal on the line and you have to do a play that you're
• 1:11:35
  not usually doing, I think that is actually very tricky to pull
• 1:11:38
  off I understand that's a pressure cooker.
• 1:11:40
  you've got to get it just exactly right.
• 1:11:43
  But and it's easy to say in hindsight,
• 1:11:45
  well, they they shouldn't have done this,
• 1:11:47
  but looking back, as as you're doing your postmortem to learn from the game,
• 1:11:54
  maybe you say maybe next if that comes up again
• 1:11:55
  No, always I
• 1:11:57
  no. I say you do it again and you just execute it because the aggressive as we've
• 1:12:02
  seen this weekend, conservative play calling doesn't win you games.
• 1:12:06
  Yeah.
• 1:12:07
  Yes. Yeah, I'll definitely give you that.
• 1:12:10
  Now I the other thing I didn't mention earlier when we were talking the Toronto
• 1:12:14
  game though, another thing that had an effect there,
• 1:12:16
  I don't know if it made a difference in who won the game because it was both
• 1:12:19
  sides, but there was still an awful lot of slipping and sliding on that BMO turf
• 1:12:22
  Oh, Singer. That interception
• 1:12:24
  People can't seem to figure it out.
• 1:12:25
  that interception fr that was on Singer,
• 1:12:28
  the Singer slipped and like the D B
• 1:12:31
  was just standing right there,
• 1:12:32
  like Yeah.
• 1:12:33
  Yes.
• 1:12:34
  But Toronto players did too.
• 1:12:35
  then my last thought for the weekend was I did say last week that I thought
• 1:12:40
  if the riders had a chance to be in it or win it,
• 1:12:43
  it would be based on special teams that and it's particularly on the return game
• 1:12:48
  'cause they had Sexton back in and he looked pretty good.
• 1:12:51
  He had some really good returns,
• 1:12:53
  all called back by penalties. So
• 1:12:56
  Calgary Stampeders.
• 1:12:58
  Yeah.
• 1:12:59
  This is why I said right off the top,
• 1:13:01
  I'm a little disappointed but not that bad 'cause I don't think that that interration
• 1:13:07
  of the riders that finished off the year deserved to win a grey cup.
• 1:13:13
  So if they'd fluked their way into it it would have been nice and there'd
• 1:13:17
  be big celebrations everywhere,
• 1:13:19
  but it wouldn't have been the best thing for the league.
• 1:13:21
  what other fun? So it was fun.
• 1:13:23
  Curtis Rourke was there. The 49ers were on the bye,
• 1:13:26
  so he was at the game, cheering
• 1:13:27
  Yeah.
• 1:13:28
  on, and they had mic'ed up Nathan Rourke's wife.
• 1:13:30
  I sorry, I cannot remember her name right now.
• 1:13:32
  I didn't get that part.
• 1:13:34
  And so
• 1:13:34
  they were mic'd up, and because it was Halloween,
• 1:13:36
  she was in a Lorax costume, so she was in her orange thing with
• 1:13:39
  Ha ha ha.
• 1:13:40
  and they were showing her mic'd up,
• 1:13:41
  and then they didn't show her on the Jumbotron until she'd after she had taken
• 1:13:44
  the Lorax costume off, until she was back in her regular clothes,
• 1:13:47
  and she's like, No, they didn't show me until I took my Lorax.
• 1:13:50
  costume off. I'm like, I'm really disappointed.
• 1:13:52
  Like
• 1:13:53
  Be
• 1:13:54
  so she she was pretty funny. I was it was good.
• 1:13:56
  I think the BC Lions have it on Instagram.
• 1:13:58
  They have some clips of of her mic'ed up on during the game and talking to Curtis
• 1:14:02
  and talking to Nathan after the game.
• 1:14:05
  So it was fun.
• 1:14:06
  Yes. Well, and I think the the only way that or the the best way to
• 1:14:11
  sum up the weekend was the teams that should have won won.
• 1:14:15
  Yeah. And I personally had a great football weekend.
• 1:14:19
  Yes. And I didn't hate it. You know,
• 1:14:22
  there there have been times when riders losses like that in the past have crushed
• 1:14:25
  me for a week or two. I just I knew that there was a long shot of them winning
• 1:14:30
  coming into this and a far, far longer shot of them turning that into two more
• 1:14:36
  wins for the cup. I didn't see it happening,
• 1:14:38
  so
• 1:14:39
  Next year, if I'm still interested.
• 1:14:42
  Always next year.
• 1:14:43
  Yes.
• 1:14:45
  the game's coming up now. Of course we're not doing power rankings because we're
• 1:14:48
  out of the season, so not much point,
• 1:14:51
  but we do have injury reports.
• 1:14:53
  They didn't put them out last week.
• 1:14:54
  This week we've got them. And there are some interesting things to notice in here.
• 1:14:59
  Winnipeg hasn't reported yet. Apparently they haven't practiced.
• 1:15:03
  Montreal had two players on the did not participate.
• 1:15:07
  Theis and Sutherland.
• 1:15:11
  Now they've got a very good running back in Stevie Scott.
• 1:15:14
  And their other running back, Talbert,
• 1:15:16
  who got hurt before, was was, I think,
• 1:15:18
  limited, so I don't know if he'll be in,
• 1:15:20
  but they still have a good running back.
• 1:15:22
  Sutherland is back up at safety and they're rookie of the year.
• 1:15:27
  So not having him on special teams and rotating into the defense might make
• 1:15:32
  a difference. But BC
• 1:15:35
  BC has Bell, Burke, Cherry,
• 1:15:39
  Gusta, and Spatney, who are all defensive linemans,
• 1:15:43
  did not participate. I don't know who they're putting out there.
• 1:15:47
  frankly, Malden has played well for them,
• 1:15:52
  he's not on the injured list, but he's been coming out of games with injuries
• 1:15:57
  for the last three or four weeks,
• 1:15:59
  and the same thing with Dubai.
• 1:16:01
  TV Divide's been coming out. So how healthy are they?
• 1:16:05
  I don't I don't know if they can put it together.
• 1:16:06
  And then on top of that, Parker McKenna,
• 1:16:08
  who's their rookie of the year,
• 1:16:09
  and people are right. he was a big part of what turned that defense around.
• 1:16:13
  He stole did not participate with a head injury.
• 1:16:16
  and I'm sure he'll be in there,
• 1:16:20
  but on the limited list, they had Sankey and Konar,
• 1:16:26
  who was
• 1:16:27
  One of the ones who replaced MCKenna in a rotation this weekend.
• 1:16:30
  And then one of their D Bs, Thomas Oliver,
• 1:16:33
  was also limited. So their defense is pretty banged up.
• 1:16:39
  It's bad. I feel so bad for Nathan Cherry because he was injured for quite a while.
• 1:16:43
  Then he got back into that first game and then he got injured again and
• 1:16:46
  you can see him on the side. He was like crying and I was like,
• 1:16:48
  I would cry too if I had been on
• 1:16:50
  Yeah.
• 1:16:51
  the injured list for like months and then finally got back to playing and then
• 1:16:54
  got injured my first game back.
• 1:16:55
  Brutal.
• 1:16:55
  Yes.
• 1:16:57
  Yes. And you he was back long enough to crush Zack and get a fine for it,
• 1:17:01
  so
• 1:17:02
  yeah, well, going out on top, I guess.
• 1:17:05
  Yes.
• 1:17:06
  Edmonton the
• 1:17:08
  time off has obviously helped them.
• 1:17:10
  They're lower in their injured players,
• 1:17:13
  but there's a few significant ones.
• 1:17:14
  Boyko who's been starting and backing up on the O line.
• 1:17:18
  I think he'd be a backup for this one,
• 1:17:20
  was did not participate. DeBlanco was did not participate,
• 1:17:24
  which will hurt them, and so was JJ Ross.
• 1:17:27
  So you need your defense against that BC offense,
• 1:17:31
  and that can hurt. And then on the
• 1:17:33
  He's gonna be a shoot
• 1:17:35
  out then.
• 1:17:35
  Yeah. And then on the limited side for Edmonton was also Anderson.
• 1:17:42
  So there's that and two O linemen,
• 1:17:45
  Corte and O'Donnell. limited hopefully they can play,
• 1:17:48
  but probably not at full speed.
• 1:17:51
  Mm.
• 1:17:52
  And that brings us to the games and we're almost done.
• 1:17:55
  Ready to make some predictions?
• 1:17:57
  Yes. My sister sent me hers
• 1:17:59
  Okay. Starting with
• 1:18:01
  with commentary.
• 1:18:03
  Good. Well again, we'll let her go first for Winnipeg at Montreal then.
• 1:18:09
  She's like the Als they deserve to win it all and the bombers don't stand a chance,
• 1:18:12
  but I hope it's a fun game.
• 1:18:14
  Yes. How about you?
• 1:18:17
  the only concern I have with the Aloettes is if Maltos Diaz can kick.
• 1:18:21
  That's my only concern. Maybe he's figured out the balance,
• 1:18:24
  because the balance with a cast in your hand is a little tricky.
• 1:18:28
  they do have Lewis Ward, I guess,
• 1:18:29
  if it's can't go, but no. I think Montreal could rest half their team and still
• 1:18:34
  win this game. the bombers pulled off a miracle,
• 1:18:36
  they can't do it twice.
• 1:18:38
  Well this is why I said earlier I think the Bombers deserve a shot at the Cup.
• 1:18:44
  Because they have not been playing terribly well all year,
• 1:18:48
  but every time it's come down to a crunch,
• 1:18:51
  every time that they absolutely have to do something,
• 1:18:54
  they do it. And they did it again when nobody gave them a chance in Toronto
• 1:18:58
  at all. So now do they go to Montreal?
• 1:19:02
  Because you'll recall from last year,
• 1:19:06
  the one thing I've learned about the bombers
• 1:19:09
  Ye don't count them dead until the corpse is decapitated,
• 1:19:13
  salted, and burned. They just they find ways to come back.
• 1:19:18
  I'm sorry, did you forget that the Allouettes are perfect at home this year?
• 1:19:21
  Well, no I didn't. Because these are
• 1:19:23
  Hmm.
• 1:19:24
  my notes on the things considering how much respect I have on the bombers'
• 1:19:30
  ability to come back and and pull out miracles.
• 1:19:35
  I said Okay, they beat Toronto by three points this weekend.
• 1:19:40
  Davis Alexander is a better quarterback than Chad Kelly is.
• 1:19:45
  Tyson Philpot and Tyler Sneed are better receivers than anyone Toronto has.
• 1:19:50
  The Als defense is better than the Toronto defense.
• 1:19:55
  The Als have a running game.
• 1:19:57
  And Jason Moss is a much better coast coach than Mike Miller at this point
• 1:20:02
  in time. So yeah, I'm I'm not an idiot.
• 1:20:07
  I'm picking Montreal.
• 1:20:08
  The only
• 1:20:09
  thing that I will say in Winnipeg's defense,
• 1:20:12
  because I don't think that they are a good team,
• 1:20:15
  is that the last time they played Montreal,
• 1:20:17
  they were very good at getting under Alexander's skin and they
• 1:20:21
  got him flustered. And when he got flustered,
• 1:20:23
  he started making mistakes, and no one else has really been able to do that
• 1:20:27
  except for BC this year. so if they can get him flustered,
• 1:20:31
  they have a chance. But if
• 1:20:33
  Yeah. I don't know. G are you
• 1:20:35
  talking the the game in Winnipeg or the game in Montreal?
• 1:20:38
  Whatever game that they
• 1:20:38
  'Cause the game in Winnipeg they
• 1:20:39
  seemed to they kept him off the field.
• 1:20:42
  They had played a a real ball possession game and they won,
• 1:20:45
  but he still threw for three or four touchdowns.
• 1:20:49
  That was the game the Bombers won in Winnipeg.
• 1:20:51
  In Montreal. At the second last game of the season.
• 1:20:55
  He just picked them apart
• 1:20:56
  There was one game where there was a bomber up in his grill all the time
• 1:21:01
  Yeah. I think that was
• 1:21:01
  and the he was
• 1:21:02
  the game in Winnipeg.
• 1:21:03
  Yeah,
• 1:21:04
  so they didn't do that the second time.
• 1:21:05
  you look at what happened. Anyone,
• 1:21:07
  anyone, the only way that you get Alexander off his game is by getting
• 1:21:11
  the out chirping him. Which I think is actually kind of hard
• 1:21:13
  Yeah. Yeah, could
• 1:21:14
  to do. But if you can do it, like look what Matthew Betts was able to do to him.
• 1:21:20
  you need Matthew Betts level of chirping.
• 1:21:23
  I think Willie Jefferson's probably pretty good at that.
• 1:21:25
  Maybe Serezna. I think those guys might give him a little bit of trouble.
• 1:21:29
  but I don't think that any universe Montreal may be a little rusty coming
• 1:21:33
  out of the gate, kinda like B C was.
• 1:21:35
  I that's how I felt, but I don't think you're gonna be able to stop them once
• 1:21:38
  the train leaves the station.
• 1:21:40
  I think the Winnipeg defense is good enough.
• 1:21:42
  They will hold Montreal to thirty,
• 1:21:48
  thirty five points. But the Winnipeg offense isn't gonna score more than maybe
• 1:21:53
  in the low twenties.
• 1:21:55
  The Montreal defense is better than the Toronto defense.
• 1:21:57
  is Zach gonna play?
• 1:21:59
  Who knows?
• 1:22:00
  so we're all on all on the Alouettes bandwagon there.
• 1:22:02
  All aboard the
• 1:22:03
  alouettes of bandwagon.
• 1:22:06
  BC at Edmonton. I'll let you pick first.
• 1:22:10
  We'll save MJ twos for the last.
• 1:22:13
  Alright, so I don't know what the CFL writers' room wants to do because there's
• 1:22:17
  several storylines that could happen.
• 1:22:20
  Does the CFL Writers' Room want the Montreal Alouettes to play the BC Lions?
• 1:22:25
  Because they hate each other, and that's gonna be a bloodbath of a Grey
• 1:22:30
  Cup and it's gonna be nasty. And probably high flying and nasty.
• 1:22:36
  So I don't know. I don't know.
• 1:22:38
  Will someone be like murdered on the field?
• 1:22:40
  Maybe. I don't know.
• 1:22:42
  Or the other storylines are is if Emonton rolls in to Calgary,
• 1:22:48
  that's Mark Killam's old team stadium.
• 1:22:51
  What a joy for him to go into Grey Cup there.
• 1:22:54
  Also, Cody and Austin Mack were players that the Alouettes kicked
• 1:23:01
  out, like shoved them out the door.
• 1:23:04
  So do you want them facing their old team in the Grey Cup?
• 1:23:07
  That's another fun storyline.
• 1:23:10
  I have so many BC Lion and Edmonton Elks fans in my family,
• 1:23:15
  and no matter what I pick, there's gonna be a bunch of people mad at me.
• 1:23:19
  And so I actually feel really sick about it,
• 1:23:21
  and I hope both teams play well and both teams have fun.
• 1:23:24
  I will be sitting out there cheering for football,
• 1:23:28
  but
• 1:23:30
  see how you get past Cody. I think there's just something about this Elks team.
• 1:23:36
  And if the BC is as banged up as they are,
• 1:23:40
  it'll be interesting. I think it's gonna be close.
• 1:23:41
  I think it's be but if the Elks get ranking going if Mack I don't
• 1:23:46
  see how you stop them. I don't see I'm gonna pick the Elks
• 1:23:50
  I'll pick the Elks too. I'll say that right off the top because first of all,
• 1:23:54
  BC are pretty banged up against the run.
• 1:23:58
  And between the fact that Cody uses his legs and the running game
• 1:24:02
  That lets me rationally say I think the Elks are going to win this game.
• 1:24:08
  I can also say that one of the problems with BC's run defense,
• 1:24:13
  they are great. They were the first in the league.
• 1:24:15
  BC's defense, I firmly believe this,
• 1:24:18
  BC's defense was built to stop the bombers.
• 1:24:22
  a main part of that is you stop the run with Brady.
• 1:24:25
  Brady's the best running back in the league.
• 1:24:28
  the reason he's the best running back in the league is that
• 1:24:31
  he gets somewhere between four and eleven yards on probably eighty percent
• 1:24:34
  of his carries. He doesn't break a whole lot of long ones,
• 1:24:38
  he doesn't get stuffed behind the line very much.
• 1:24:41
  So you get first downs and first downs and you march.
• 1:24:44
  The elk running game is different,
• 1:24:46
  especially with with Rankin. Powell is a little bit more like Brady,
• 1:24:50
  because again, Brady he's always falling forward.
• 1:24:52
  He's twisting, he's doing something.
• 1:24:54
  Rankin gets stuffed behind the line.
• 1:24:57
  a lot. Rankin get stopped for no yardage.
• 1:25:01
  But he only needs one and he's gone and you've got the touchdown.
• 1:25:05
  And I think that's where that BC run defense,
• 1:25:09
  especially with a depleted line and maybe not their best linebacker in there.
• 1:25:15
  All it needs is one mistake and he's gone.
• 1:25:18
  I think Nathan will work more of his magic,
• 1:25:21
  'cause frankly, I've said all season he's not necessarily been as good
• 1:25:27
  as in the past. Saturday for the last two and a half quarters of that game,
• 1:25:33
  he looked as good as he's ever played.
• 1:25:36
  And if he brings that, he's gonna be hard to stop.
• 1:25:39
  I
• 1:25:40
  Do think that the Edmonton defense is good enough.
• 1:25:43
  I think they'll take the ball away from him some,
• 1:25:45
  I don't think Cody will pass for 300 yards.
• 1:25:47
  I think it'll be 250 yards. But he'll run for a hundred.
• 1:25:52
  And Rankin and Powell run for a bunch,
• 1:25:55
  frankly that's all the things that I'm saying that I can rationalize this
• 1:25:59
  and I can explain why I'm picking this.
• 1:26:02
  The real reason I'm picking it is 'cause Cody.
• 1:26:05
  Yeah. There's something he's just right It's just Cody.
• 1:26:09
  Yeah. Apologize
• 1:26:10
  for being so long winded tonight.
• 1:26:12
  I seem to be in a pontificating mood.
• 1:26:15
  So what did MJ 2 say?
• 1:26:16
  she said Elks, unless a miracle happens,
• 1:26:20
  they found a way to win all season and Cody won't let them down.
• 1:26:25
  And plus, Montreal Edmonton is the Grey Cup we all want to see.
• 1:26:29
  Yes. So we're
• 1:26:30
  And my mom would be
• 1:26:31
  and my mom and our mom will be so happy if the elks are in the Grey Cup.
• 1:26:35
  goodness, can you imagine being at my parents' house this weekend?
• 1:26:38
  Duck for cover. It's like BC versus Edmonton.
• 1:26:40
  Yes.
• 1:26:41
  Who's gonna hide?
• 1:26:43
  at least we're consistent. We've all picked the same teams.
• 1:26:45
  Yeah, look
• 1:26:46
  at us all picking well, I mean,
• 1:26:49
  there's a clear underdog in the East,
• 1:26:51
  but not so much in the West. But I think you're right,
• 1:26:53
  Cody is the factor. He is the the guy and he's done it all year and there's
• 1:26:58
  no reason to think he won't do it again.
• 1:27:01
  'Cause I want him to face I
• 1:27:01
  And he doesn't do it all on his
• 1:27:02
  want him to face his old team.
• 1:27:05
  Yes. And he doesn't do it all on his own,
• 1:27:08
  but that defense gives him the opportunity to struggle at points and still come back
• 1:27:13
  and win it. So
• 1:27:13
  Yeah. The CFL
• 1:27:14
  writers room is gonna be so happy.
• 1:27:17
  Yeah. They can pick whatever they want.
• 1:27:21
  We'll see. And and I like I said,
• 1:27:22
  I really I sitting here looking back on the show,
• 1:27:25
  I do apologize. I feel like I've been ying ying ying all the time.
• 1:27:28
  So if we only get half the viewership this week,
• 1:27:31
  it's on me.
• 1:27:33
  but we're done.
• 1:27:34
  Any closing thoughts?
• 1:27:36
  Well, look for me at the concrete castle of the north.
• 1:27:40
  I'll be there. cheering on, I don't know,
• 1:27:43
  football. I don't know. I need a ride home after the game,
• 1:27:45
  so I can't cheer against the lions too badly.
• 1:27:49
  He knows I love him. it says football is football.
• 1:27:51
  But the important question, wh
• 1:27:53
  whose colours are you gonna be wearing?
• 1:27:55
  I am gonna be wearing a bright pink jacket.
• 1:27:57
  And they'll what you know what?
• 1:27:58
  It's gonna be like zero degrees,
• 1:28:00
  so I you won't even see my jersey.
• 1:28:02
  It won't even matter. I'm just wearing my winter gear.
• 1:28:07
  I'm a neutral party.
• 1:28:09
  but
• 1:28:10
  the jersey's gonna be a Ticat jersey though,
• 1:28:11
  isn't it? Yes, okay, good.
• 1:28:12
  Obviously yes.
• 1:28:14
  Obviously I'm gonna wear my team jersey that didn't make the playoffs to a playoff
• 1:28:18
  game, of course.
• 1:28:19
  Yeah. Doesn't matter. It's
• 1:28:21
  the team loyalty.
• 1:28:24
  Yeah.
• 1:28:24
  Anyway, yeah, I'm I'm really looking forward to I think these these four these
• 1:28:28
  two games are gonna be a lot of fun and I'm really excited to watch them.
• 1:28:31
  yeah, you can find me over on Instagram and I'll be over on Blue Sky,
• 1:28:35
  but you won't find me posting 'cause I'll be at the game.
• 1:28:39
  Good stuff. likewise, I've said before,
• 1:28:41
  look for the CFL Outsiders on any social media but Instagram,
• 1:28:45
  and that I'm the one that's answering you.
• 1:28:48
  MJ handles our well sorry, Instagram and threads.
• 1:28:51
  MJ handles that, but otherwise that's how you get a hold of me and yeah,
• 1:28:56
  I have no more skin in the game.
• 1:28:58
  The riders are out so I can just enjoy football
• 1:29:01
  I think Winnipeg's gonna do enough stuff that it'll be weird.
• 1:29:07
  It'll at least hold our attention.
• 1:29:09
  Maybe not in a good way but it will.
• 1:29:12
  And that western final has a chance to be the second best game of this year.
• 1:29:18
  Well I have like I have not seen Alexander or Tyson Philpott and Sneed for three
• 1:29:22
  weeks. I've missed seeing watching them,
• 1:29:23
  so I'm excited to see them play.
• 1:29:26
  I honestly believe that the best game of the year,
• 1:29:29
  regardless of how the Western final goes,
• 1:29:32
  will be the Grey Cup. I'm excited.
• 1:29:35
  If we have to have a Swan Song for a Grey Cup played under real Canadian football
• 1:29:41
  rules, I think we may get a classic.
• 1:29:45
  Alright. For MJ. This is old man saying,
• 1:29:50
  until next week, get the hell off my lawn.