They did not just do that

In a move that is sure to - in my opinion - doom the Eskimos for the next four years, the Edmonton CFL football club has signed quarterback Ricky Ray to a three-year contract, with an option for a fourth.

Amazingly, the club is keeping Danny Maciocia doing double-duty as head coach and director of football operations.

The people who took the blame for the dismal Eskimos season were the secondary coaching staff.

Hmmm. What are your thoughts on all this? Do you also hate Ricky Ray, he with the soap opera star name? Let me know in the comments.


LUNCH: BLT. Mmmmm, bacon.

"I hurt my poor little finger!"

First, terrible news that Anthony Calvillo has decided to take the rest of the year off to care for his wife, who was just diagnosed with lymphoma. It's a courageous and respectable decision, and the Alouettes are to be commended for allowing him to take a leave of absence.

Practically, it means that Jason Maas will start as quarterback when the Als take the field at McMahon Stadium in Calgary on Saturday.

As for Friday nights games, the B.C. Lions surprised nobody by beating the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The Lions locked first place in the West Division, and Dave Dickenson even took a few snaps, threw a touchdown, the usual.

Even better was that Casey Printers left the game in the first half because HE HURT HIS FINGER.

I swear I could hear him wailing as he walked to the sidelines to have his hangnail looked at. "WAAAAAAH! My finger! WAAAAAAH!"

Of course, as soon as he was off the field, the Ticats scored a touchdown. How to take it to those B.C. Lions who done you wrong, Casey.

Then, with Saskatchewan playing a bunch of second stringers, the Edmonton Eskimos did their best to win a game and keep their slim playoff hopes alive. They had the lead - a good lead - heading in to the fourth quarter, but just didn't have enough to wrap it up. So the Eskies are out for the season.

CFL weekend roundup

The Argos beat the floundering Alouettes, the Lions beat the Eskimos (and unless the Eskies win their last two games and the Alouettes lose both of theirs, that's it for the green and gold this season; good analysis over at Twelve Men on the Field), and the Stampeders decided to rest Henry Burris, and lost to the Blue Bombers, establishing that maybe they need Burris to win (and, therefore, that it may have been a good idea to rest him and his shoulder).

Then, in the sole CFL Sunday game, Saskatchewan managed to beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, which does nothing to establish whether they can win against a real football team with a healthy quarterback.

And did you hear? Lenny Kravitz is the half-time headliner at this year's Grey Cup game in Toronto. (Check out the nice Kravitz photo over at Rouge For the Win.)

Football round-up

Well, Tom Brady clearly won the battle of the quarterbacks when the Patriots crushed the Cowboys on Sunday. Too bad, Tony Romo.

Tom, don't give up your day job, though, cause an actor you are not, and you proved that in the funny bit about why you are always listed as "probable" on the NFL injury report because of that lingering shoulder injury.

Henry Burris showed why the Stamps need him so bad, and the Eskimos were, for all intents and purposes, officially eliminated from the CFL playoff picture. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Ha!

Finally, over at Twelve Men on the Field, a look at how B.C. Lions president Bob Ackles is trying to save the CFL.


LUNCH: Really average mall Thai food, ginger beef and orange chicken. Mmmm, sweet

CFL, NFL, a little golf

On Friday night, the Toronto Argonauts took another step toward securing a playoff berth, and the Eskimos came another step closer to elimination.

Bad news for the Eskimos, too, as Ricky Ray left the game with a separated shoulder. Now I may hate Ricky Ray, but I don't wish injuries on anyone. Except maybe Rex Grossman.

More on him later.

What does it mean that quarterbacks in the CFL are dropping like flies? Burris? Out. Ray? Out. Printers? Out.

Not to mention the Lions, but they always seem to have depth in the quarterback position, and Jarious Jackson is playing like a starter.

Note to Hamilton: Need a quarterback? Talk to Wally Buono.

The Lions crushed the Stamps on Saturday, solidifying their hold on the West. The Riders helped the Bombers and the Argos by taking a game from the Als. Next week's Thanksgiving games will likely set the playoff picture.

In the NFL today, I'll be watching the Bears against the Lions, more to see if Brian Griese can put the final nail in the coffin of Rex Grossman. Today, everyone is a Bears fan.

And I can't be the only one excited about what Favre is doing in Green Bay. After last year I thought he should just retire, but he seemed to know that another season would give him a chance to leave on a high note. This season, everyone is a Packers fan.

Finally, as I settle in for a day of watching football and golf (so glad that the weather stinks so bad today), I can only say this: Go, Mike, go!


LUNCH: probably pizza

What a game!

Lots happened in Hamilton last night, where the Calgary Stampeders took on the Tiger-Cats.

The game starts with the Stampeders hitting Casey Printers and forcing a fumble. The Stamps convert the turnover into a touchdown, and on the kickoff Sandro DeAngelis attempts an onside kick.

And it works!

And Casey Printers, who thinks he's so great, is absolutely sucking. Even with Jesse Lumsden - who is a great running back, by the way - Printers was 9 for 16 and 73 yards when he left the game because of a "hamstring injury."

Isn't that what some players say they've got when really they just want out of a game in which they are sucking?

The Ticats decide to throw Richie Williams to the Stamps, instead of Timmy Chang.

That's when things started to go wrong for the Stamps.

Williams actually gets the Ticats rolling. And Joffrey Reynolds fumbles twice. And suddenly the Hamilton Tiger-Cats are actually in the lead.

The, as Burris leads the Stamps on a late drive to win back the game, he gets hammered, and leaves the game with a shoulder injury.

Watching the replay, it looked like it might be separated. We'll see. The point is that his shoulder injury actually happened. Unlike some vague, unconfirmable muscle strain suffered by some other quarterback earlier in the game.

So the Stamps drop the win, the Ticats pick up some pride, and Printers? This is what Printers has to say: "I'm happy for these guy. 'Boy, I was out there cheering and I'm kind of hoarse right now. But this is a great team win.''

A team win, for sure. But a team that doesn't include Casey Printers. What a knob.

Move over, Ricky Ray. Make some space in the "I hate you" box for your new best friend, Casey Printers.

Meanwhile, in Montreal, Jason Maas might get to start against his old team, the Edmonton Eskimos, who are in town for a game today. Play nice, boys.


BREAKFAST: oatmeal

Eskies don't fold a lead. For a change

Well, fancy that. After dropping first half leads in each of their last three games, the Eskimos managed to play an entire game this week, pounding Montreal and keeping a faint hope of the post season in sight.

Montreal, for their part, were awful. After a solid effort against the B.C. Lions last week - the Alouettes had me wondering if I was watching an NFL game, actually: Brady to Payton, Brady to
Thurman - the Alouettes secondary let Ricky Ray and Jason Tucker eat them alive. They scored on the first play of the game. How can you let that happen?

Ricky Ray, for his part, passed the great Warren Moon for total passing yards for an Edmonton Eskimos quarterback. I hate Ricky Ray.

Jason Maas ended up coming in to relieve Brady, and helped the Als notch a few points, so as not to be completely embarassed. Wonder what Maas thought of being back in Edmonton. He'll probably be on Whyte Avenue tonight.

On a somewhat related note: The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are starting Casey Printers against the Blue Bombers in Winnipeg on Saturday. 'Cause Timmy Chang was so masterfully horrible against Toronto last week. Timmy!


LUNCH: PBJ sandwich and some potato chips

Separated at birth?

Just saw the TSN "This is my Sportscentre" promo with Henry Burris, from the Calgary Stampeders.

Is it me, or does he look and sound suspiciously like Tiger Woods? What's up with that?

I have to say that I'm very impressed with how Burris led the Stamps back from halftime deficits, to clobber the Eskimos twice last week. Twice.

I still don't think the Stampeders have enough to make it out of the West, but at least Burris has his game going.

Eskimos' season over

With a 3-6-1 record on the season, the Eskimos lay back and watched the nail be driven into the coffin of their 2007 season.

For the second time in under a week, the Eskimos went into half-time leading, and managed to come out in the second-half as dry as toast. Dry toast.

And they allowed their arch-rivals, the Stamps (who aren't so great themselves again this year with a 5-4-1), to heave the hammer.

Those Edmonton boys must be hanging their heads this morning. I bet Ricky Ray is in his underoos, watching cartoons while eating Frosted Flakes, and blubbering like a baby.

Have I mentioned how much I hate Ricky Ray?

The big games this weekend, though, are B.C. at Montreal and Saskatchewan at Winnipeg. Those games will start getting the divisions sorted out as we head into the second half of the season.


BREAKFAST: coffee, coffee, and toast. then some more coffee.

While watching the Labour Day Classic, western edition

I just realized why I hate Ricky Ray.

It's because his name is that of an obscure cartoon character from a 1930s animated soft-core porn experiment, not that of a head quarterback, CFL or otherwise.

Ricky Ray. Pfft.

LUNCH: hotdogs, Cheetos Puffs, and a beer