Superman swoops into Saskatchewan

The Saskatchewan Roughriders served notice that perhaps an aerial attack is going to be one of the key parts of their offensive game plan in the 2013 CFL Season.

The Riders made a deal with the BC Lions this week that will bring one of the CFL's most talented and popular players to Saskatchewan for the 2013 (and maybe 2014) season, as Geroy Simon, feeling that he still has something to contribute in a premier role moved on to the Riders.
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The move appears rather one sided for the Riders, one of the league's most storied players for a  talent unproven (reportedly Justin Harper ex of the Baltimore Ravens practice roster) and a third round pick in the 2014 Canadian college draft, but in the cold world of professional football it was a business decision for the most part for the Lions.

Not an easy one we imagine, what with Wally Buono attending the press conference wake for the departing Simon, indicative of the respect that the two have for each other, even if they couldn't come to an agreement on dollar figures for a final contract.
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For Buono, it fits a pattern, he is constantly seeking ways to replenish the talent banks, bringing in young players, easing them into the line up and giving them a shot when the time arrives. Sometimes that means bidding farewell to the hard working and the popular.

Football after all is a business, and in the CFL one where the bottom line is a most important benchmark and a business that sometimes leaves the emotions on the field when it comes time to ease a player into a lesser role.

Though, in the case of Geroy Simon, probably that has never been a harder football decision to make. Not so much on the football side of the equation, but on the attachment part of it that fans invest in their players.

Simon has been the face, heart and soul of the Lions for twelve years, even as he heads for Saskatchewan he still to a fashion identifies himself as a BC Lion, such was the impact he had on the province and it on him.

In the farewell tour part of his career, rather than take on a reduced role (and reduced salary) in BC, he instead will showcase the Superman move at Mosaic Field, joining a team that has designs on not only hosting the 2013 Grey Cup, but clearly making a case of late that they intend to try to win the thing at home.

Simon will, if he remains healthy (another concern that Buono may have had moving into 2013) provide the Riders with yet another offensive threat, providing for a range of options for the new offensive coordinator George Cortez to fit together as he takes the helm of the Riders offence.

Geroy joins the already talented Rider receiving corps of Dressler, Bagg and Getzlaf, making 2013 a challenging year we imagine for defensive backs.

It is going to be very strange for Lions fans to see Geroy in Green, he has been in Lions Brown and Orange for so long, that he became part of the background of BC Place and British Columbia for that matter, as familiar and reliable as a player and community face as a player could be.

Time as they say marches on, though, as it does, when the clock finally strikes midnight and Geroy calls it a day, we suspect he'll be back in BC quickly, a place in the ring of honour awaits him and when he goes into the CFL Hall of Fame, as he surely will one day, it will be for his days as a BC Lion. As it should be.

In a perfect world, a player retires to the accolades of the team he excelled with, a celebration of shared time and achievement, that celebration in Vancouver will have to be deferred a few years it seems.

Until then, Superman's cape hangs in Saskatchewan, where some of the league's most passionate fans will quickly learn just how special Simon is to a team, a league and a community.


Vancouver Province-- Geroy Simon traded to Roughriders 
Vancouver Province-- Geroy Simon's departure wrenching but it may be for the best
Vancouver Province-- Emotionally, I'm still a B. C. Lion ...
Vancouver Sun-- Geroy Simon,  Lions' 'Superman,' traded to Roughriders
Vancouver Sun-- Dan Dorazio has seen most of Geroy Simon's moves
Vancouver Sun-- It was time for Geroy Simon to move on
Vancouver Sun-- Lions GM Wally Buono insists he 'got something' for Geroy Simon
Regina Leader Post-- Geroy Simon deal welcomed by Riders
Regina Leader Post-- Simon swap was simply super
Regina Leader Post-- Lions trade Geroy Simon to Riders
Regina Leader Post-- Taman, Chamblin talk about Simon trade
Winnipeg Free Press-- Lions ship aging Simon to Roughriders
Canoe Sports-- Roughriders acquire Geroy Simon from Lions
Canoe Sports-- Geroy Simon and Brendan Taman together again on Roughriders
TSN-- Lions trade Simon to Roughriders for Harper, Third round pick
CBC-- Lions send veteran Geroy Simon to Roughriders
CFL.ca-- Riders pass-catchers will look for full season together

Bonjour, Je M'appelle ...

With the departure of Marc Trestman to the Windy City and the chance to take the Chicago Bears on to NFL glory, the Alouettes are considering all of their options when it comes to the next chef de mission de Montreal.

And in this job search, the Als are giving strong consideration to a francophone coach for Quebec's football squad and if ever there was a time for a homegrown coach from Quebec, this could be it.

There are no shortage of possibilities for the position that just opened, with Danny Maciocia, Glen Constantin and Jacques Chapdelaine the most likely candidates. Indicative as it is, of the strength and popularity of football in Quebec these days, that the depth chart is so large when it comes to qualified candidates for the job.

The success of the Laval University Rouge et Or (where Constantine has built a dynasty) is perhaps the best example of just how far football has come in the last two decades.  Where once it was mainly a game between Bishops and McGill, it now regularly offers up highly entertaining contests from the U of M, Laval,  and Sherbrooke, as all three schools have come to dominate the RSEQ in recent years.

That success has more than a few followers of the CFL wondering if perhaps the next expansion phase for the league should not be considering Quebec City, where football has become a rather fierce passion with the Rouge et Or.

In addition to the Laval coach, Danny Maciocia won't be too hard to find, the former Edmonton Eskimos coach now runs the football program at the University of Montreal, moving the Carabins forward and building up that university's presence on the football fields of Quebec.


And then there's Jacques Chapdelaine, the man running the explosive BC Lions offence and always at the top of any list when coaching opportunities seem to pop up.

As the Als weigh their options, the names mentioned all make a fair amount of sense, having rebuilt the game from pretty well the roots up in the province, the next step of a Quebec born member of the coaching staff is perhaps the next logical step for a leading franchise of the CFL.

Montreal Gazette-- No CFL experience required
Montreal Gazette-- Search for Als coach neither simple nor clear-cut
CBC-- Next Alouettes head coach could be bilingual
Winnipeg Free Press-- Francophone coach a possibility as Alouettes owner, GM set to interview candidates

Cortez sets course for Saskatchewan

George Cortez didn't spend much time on the unemployment rolls, the recently dispatched head coach of the Hamilton Tiger Cats will be heading west, set to take on assistant's duties with Cory Chamblin's Saskatchewan Roughriders.
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 Cortez was announced as the Riders new offensive coordinator this week and said all the right things about making the shift to Regina, a place where we gather the traffic is a little less daunting than what he had to deal with in the Hammer.

He of course comes about his knowledge of Regina's traffic flow honestly, having previously been the teams Offensive Coordinator back in 2006. Though we imagine that things have picked up a tad in the traffic department in the last seven years.

As for the football aspect of things, Cortez would appear to be a good fit for the Riders, he has a comfort zone there and appears to be firmly on the same page as his boss, in fact it was Chamblin who first brought the name to the table for Rider management to consider.

It's a wise head coach that doesn't feel threatened, that he isn't afraid to find the right peg for the right hole and with the arrival of Cortez in Saskatchewan, the Rider offence which has always been a high octane kind of thing, will be finding new ways to make use of their many options.

And the Riders will find that the vast knowledge of the CFL that Cortez brings with him (he's been a fixture on CFL coaching staffs since1984) will make the Riders a most formidable foe in this upcoming season.

The only downside to the signing, is that a rising star in the coaching ranks will have to shuffle sideways to make room (if he wishes to) as Bob Dyce surrenders the offensive coordinator role.

While there is no doubt disappointment at how things turned out in Hamilton, a team that really should have done much better in 2012 than their record provided for, still you have to think that perhaps more than one season would have been required to get a feeling for what the Ti Cats had to offer.

With Saskatchewan he joins a team that seems poised to once again become a major factor in the highly competitive CFL West. A team, which is hosting the Grey Cup this season and would like nothing better than to be the main attraction for that last weekend of November.

There are still a few months to go before the Riders head to camp, a bit more time for Cortez and the family to sort out the best driving routes around Regina, Rider fans are surely hoping that he's driving to Mosaic Field right up until Grey Cup Sunday.

Regina Leader Post--  Taman pleased with addition of Cortez
Regina Leader Post-- Cortez hiring is a coup for the Riders
Regina Leader Post-- Torn between two columns
Canoe-- George Cortez joins Roughriders
TSN-- Roughriders agree to Terms with Cortez as new OC
CBC-- Ex Tiger Cat coach heading to Riderville

Correction: As a sharp eye reader has discovered, we in error placed Cortez in the position of offensive co-ordinator in 2006, in fact he was the Offensive line coach, many thanks for the proof reading!

Lulay and the Leos, it's all about commitment

In a week where one high profile CFLer made his much discussed move to the NFL, another was taking a different path, throwing his future in with the league where he has found some impressive success in a very short time.

On Thursday, the BC Lions announced that they will have Travis Lulay in their future until the 2015 season, as the Lions QB signed on for a two year contract extension to remain in Leos Orange.

(See Lions video here)

It's a contract that will pay him more than 450,000 a season and places him at the top of the CFL pay grid along with Ricky Ray and Anthony Calvillo in the marquee quarterback category.

It is also a contract term that would seem to suggest that the lure of the NFL while always there for CFL players, didn't overshadow what is best for the QB, his family, the Lions and even the CFL.

Lulay's offensive skills have been on display for a number of years now for the Leos, slowed only by injury in the last season, which ended in a disappointment for British Columbia when they lost the CFL Western final to perennial rival the Calgary Stampeders.

That's a season ending disappointment that you get the feeling that Lulay and the Lions are anxious to address in 2013.

With the QB extended in the fold for the next three years, the prospect of more high flying offence from the Lions is secure, Lulay along with a stable of some of the best of offensive weapons available over the last few years, has provided for some of the most entertaining football that Lions fans have seen in years.

Wally Buono has made a habit of it over the years of ensuring that his offence is built around a strong quarterback, someone who can direct the offence and offer the kind of on field leadership that lifts a team around them.

In Lulay, the Lions have that and much more, a strong presence in the community for the Leos, who will do as much off the field as he does on it to help build the Lions brand in a crowded marketplace.

The QB spot as many a CFL team can tell you (hello Winnipeg) is the key decision that any GM and coach have to make.

Once again, Wally Buono has found the right guy for the job, at the right time.

Vancouver Sun-- Lions, Travis Lulay committed to each other, to winning another championship
Vancouver Sun-- Travis Lulay's ship safely secure in Lions' harbour
Vancouver Province-- Lions lock up Lulay with two-year contract extension
Canada.com-- Lions go long with Travis Lulay, sign star QB to contract extension
CBC-- Lions give QB Travis Lulay contract extension

The Top Bird takes flight south

CFL fans no doubt will feel a little bit of pride from yesterday's announcement that Marc Trestman will be taking the helm of one of the storied franchises of the NFL, the Chicago Bears.

It is and always will be the team that Halas built  and through its storied history it has had a strong stable of head coaches, 14 in total and some of them icons of the game really.

And now, into those giant shoes, will arrive the unassuming Mr. Trestman, by the account of anyone it seems who has ever dealt with  him, one of the nicest men to ever blow a whistle on a football field..

His success in the CFL speaks for itself, Grey Cup Championships, Eastern Division Championships the key member of a Montreal team that has been a dynasty for so many years in the CFL. The measure of his impact on the league and its players, the unanimous flood of good wishes from present and past players, some who spent years with him; others, but a few snaps on a practice roster.

He leaves the CFL a much better place, his Alouette teams over the years were among the elite of our game, entertaining, disciplined and formidable for all that faced them, a pretty good resume to bring to Chicago, a city that worships football and everything about Da Bears.

A city that is still very split and justifiably so, over the firing of Lovie Smith, who actually had a winning record in the Windy City. Though, as has been reviewed and over this year, at the helm of a team that missed the playoffs, a rather cardinal sin in Illinois.

It's into that overwhelming twelve month a year coverage that Trestman will now tread, a media tornado that we suspect he has never quite seen before, nor we imagine, once he has become established in the NFL he will have to face again.

Not to mention the pressure, oh the pressure, Chicago wants to dance (see above) and now it's up to Trestman to bust some moves.

For Montreal the hole will be huge to fill, but considering that teams stable ownership and management we imagine that they have always had a back up plan in place, the time it seems has come to take it off the back shelf, dust it off and start making the phone calls.

Some of the reviews of Marc Trestman's answer to the call of the NFL can be found below.

Chicago Tribune-- Trestman to unveil vision for Bears
Chicago Tribune-- Trestman hire a 'leap of faith'
Chicago Tribune-- Bears put trust in Trestman
Chicago Tribune-- Marc Trestman: A life in football
Chicago Tribune-- Hot prospect days behind him, Trestman's time has finally come
Chicago Tribune-- Marc Trestman chose to be Bears' new coach
Chicago Sun Times-- Marc Trestman becomes Bears 14th head coach
Chicago Sun Times-- Bears introduce Marc Trestman as new head coach
Chicago Sun Times-- 10 things you need to know about Marc Trestman
Chicago Sun Times-- Mike Ditka: Marc Trestman has 'best job in the NFL'
Chicago Sun Times-- How Marc Trestman went from CFL to Bears head coach
Chicago Sun Times-- So does this mean Tim Tebow to the Bears?
Chicago Sun Times-- Marc Trestman needs to stop the Jay Cutler star treatment
Chicago Sun Times-- Brandon Marshall throws support behind Marc Trestman
Chicago Daily Herald-- Emery gets his man in Trestman
Chicago Daily Herald-- New Bears coach has supporters, detractors
Montreal Gazette-- When, not if, with Trestman
Montreal Gazette-- Marc Trestman of the Alouettes named head coach of Chicago Bears
Globe and Mail-- Marc Trestman lands Chicago Bears coaching job
National Post-- Marc Trestman gives up Alouettes to become new Bears head coach

The 100th Grey Cup

The CFL, 100 years strong and counting this weekend, a Canadian institution that has survived Wars, a Depression and one or two terrible owners over the years.

A collective that has seen franchises lost, franchises gained and franchises eventually returned from where they never should have left.

It has on occasion struggled and then again it has thrived as well, the 100 year old tradition that survives on, despite it seems at times the people that run it.

It has invaded the US and returned a little shell shocked from the incursion and on Sunday, it will bring a country together once again, as only the Grey Cup can.

Yes, somewhere in that audience it's true, a few might not know an Argonaut from a Stampeder, but as it always does, the Grey Cup will provide an audience which will boost television ratings and spike the sales of beer and snack foods (and  provide cause for more than a few home parties) from coast to coast to coast.

The Stampeders earned their way into Lord Earl Grey's party through a path of Saskatchewan and British Columbia, a near death experience in the semi finals, spurring the Stamps on to their handy dismissal of the Lions last week in the Western Final.

The second best team in the CFL of 2012, ascending to the top of the pile through hard work, knocking off the champs as true contenders must do.

The Argos, who came quite close in October to sliding right out of the playoffs, ramped it up when it was required most, knocking out the Eskimos in the semi final, the final punctuation point in the off season trade that brought their new leader to Toronto.

From that statement game they marched into Montreal, faced down the huge crowd of Olympic Stadium and after a horrendous start, found the will to work their way back into contention in the Eastern Final.

Their confidence growing with every pass from Ricky Ray, every call from the defensive coordinators that stymied Montreal at their own game.

The league's wildest dream of the Argos arriving at their own Grey Cup party secured after sixty minutes of football.

The Argos once again find a chance to become a more meaningful sports entity in their hometown, far too often relegated to after thought status, on this weekend the Argos will be the story in Toronto.

It may not translate into a huge jump in season tickets, that of course will take work and in Toronto that's as tough a job as there is, still they've made some serious progress in this final month of the season.

The storybook finish of course would be the Argos on the podium hoisting the Grey Cup, a city celebrating their newest heroes, a championship trophy for a city starved of such baubles.

Calgary we imagine will gladly will don the black hat for that , looking to bring Toronto back down to earth, anxious to remind the east that the best team in the league, should normally win the Grey Cup.

The Stamps were team 1B for most of the regular season, they grabbed the top seed with their victory over the Lions last week.

Yet, Grey Cup Sunday is also about surprises, where the improbable becomes the story.

It makes for a fascinating storyline for Grey Cup 100, the parties are almost finished, the concerts, the festivities and yes even the gallop of a wayward horse in a hotel lobby.

All that is left is for kickoff, tee it up and let's get number 100 underway!

For the record, we'll give the nod to the Stamps to play party poopers at the Rogers Centre and lay claim to the 100th Grey Cup.

Playoff record 

3 correct, 1 wrong

A sliver of good news for Argo fans, the Regular season record 37 correct, 39 wrong

Game Time  6 PM ET, 4 PM MT, 3 ET Rogers Centre TSN


Pre Game

CFL.ca-- Game Preview
CFL.ca-- Video Preview

National Post-- Argos' Ricky Ray, Stampeders' Kevin Glenn make for interesting Grey Cup matchup
Globe and Mail-- The Grey Cup is a game that binds Canadians
Toronto Star-- Fourth Earl Grey left his mark in Canada, and his trophies
Toronto Sun-- Argonauts have home base covered
Calgary Herald-- Stamps' Voice of Experience', Anwar Stewart, calms nerves on Grey Cup eve
Calgary Sun-- Stamps feel the love on final day of practice
Canada.com-- Argos' defence not surprised by surging Stamps

Team Backgrounders

Toronto Argonauts
Calgary Stampeders

Twelve Men Review The Finals edition November 18, 2012

And then there were two... Leaving Edmonton football fans with an interesting conundrum to ruminate on over the next week, hate the Stamps, hate the Argos or check out the NFL schedule for Sunday.

Sunday's divisional finals settled the guests for the 100th Grey Cup celebrations in Toronto and the Argos, thanks to a comeback victory at the Olympic Stadium will be the hosts to their own game, the Eastern representative awaiting the arrival of the Calgary Stampeders who upset the Grey Cup champions in their very own stadium on Sunday.

The review of the finals can be found below

Toronto at Montreal

The feel of the big event could be found in Montreal on Sunday, the Als transplanted to the east side of the city took up residence in the Big O, some 50,000 football fans following them onto the metro and settled in to the iconic, or is that ironic, Montreal landmark.

The crowd was alive with anticipation, the Als hosting another Eastern Final, sights set on a trip to Toronto next weekend for the 2012 Grey Cup, the top team of the East for the last half of the season, led by future Hall of Fame entrant Anthony Calvillo, taking on a Toronto Argonaut team that struggled for the majority of the back nine of the CFL season.

And for a while there, it looked like the Als fans were in for a pretty rewarding day of it all, the Argos turned the ball over early in the first quarter spotting the Als a 10-0 lead before many might have ordered their second, well ok, third Molson's.

On top of that, the indication early on from the Alouettes defensive unit was that the Argos were to be denied at every opportunity the chance to score, a pair of goal line stands from the Als defence putting the crowd in a most celebratory mood.

Yet, the Argos kept their poise, Ricky Ray never seemed to be rattled by the early struggles of his team, instead, the Double Blue refocused, adjusted and began turning the tide, a second half that they turned around in their favour, though not without the drama that the CFL seems to like to deliver late into games.

Ricky Ray delivered on the theme of his pre season arrival, that of bringing the Argos back into relevance, sending shudders clear back across the prairie to Edmonton, where it all went so horribly wrong, when the league's worst trade was made.

Ray was indeed the force for stability and confidence that Toronto needed, never more so than in the Eastern Final where he and the Argos vanquished their long time Eastern rivals.

And now they play host to the circus that is Grey Cup, the distractions, the parties, the Horse in the lobby all of it on their home turf, where, perhaps, if they're lucky, the locals will come to learn more about their Eastern Champions and Grey Cup participants.



Calgary at British Columbia

The build up to the Western Final made much of the British Columbia Lions regular season record, their status of defending Grey Cup champions and of an offence that was loaded with weapons combined with a defensive unit that had pride in the stingy nature of their work.

Few it seems, remembered that the Stampeders had a few players that have been on a field before, the quarterback for the day, Kevin Glenn who was pressed into service owing to injury to Drew Tate, was perhaps the best choice for the Stamps in this situation after all.

Experience such as Glenn's is hard to come by, and while a good number of his past playoff games have ended in disappointment along his CFL path, this season has been one where he's provided the key leadership for a Stampeder team that was in need of some quiet confidence on the field.

When Tate went down early in the season it was Glenn who stepped up and kept the Stamps on their path to the playoffs, a stumble or two here and there sure, but Glenn it seems is a quick study, corrections were made the Stamps moved forward.

A loss to the Lions in October cost them the CFL Western title, but provided the incentive to re-dedicate themselves to the larger goal of a Grey Cup berth, they clearly studied their film and went over their assignments since that October loss, learning their lessons.

With Kevin Glenn taking the Stamps down the field on more than a few occasions on Sunday, the Calgarians quickly brought BC Place to a quiet zone of reflection for the home side, a party for a return to the Grey deferred for at least a year, the questions to echo through the winter and into the spring as to how the team with the best record in the CFL couldn't find the answers when needed most.

The Stamps can be a cocky bunch at times, they have that large persona that some don't like, the only thing with that is, if you have the back up to deliver on it's not really cockiness, but confidence and on Sunday the Stamps showed a lot of it.

They take that to Toronto, with a familiar theme to call on as they prepare for the Cup.  Again, into a hostile home with the home side looking to secure not only a victory, but its impact on the city it hails from.

They come into the Grey Cup as the team to beat perhaps, the second best record on the year and having just knocked off the defending champs. One would bet against them at their peril.

Our coverage of the Finals can be found here.

The Divisional Finals

With one week to go until the 100th Grey Cup in Toronto are in full swing, the East and the West Division shall on Sunday determine their representatives in that centennial celebration.

Both East and West feature teams that for the most part might have been pencilled in as the possibilities when the season started on Canada Day, that's the case in the West for sure where the Calgary Stampeders and British Columbia Lions will renew acquaintances at BC Place.

The Lions, who have been the the top performers in the CFL this year, take on a Calgary squad which has struggled through some adversity through the year and once again find themselves reconfiguring the offence as the West Division Final looms.

The East which features the Alouettes and Argos at McGill in Montreal, perhaps could have offered up a different scenario, the Hamilton Tiger Cats were at the start of the season considered a favourite, the off season additions in Hamilton seen as a key to their quest for a Grey Cup berth.

But for Hamilton, as in Winnipeg, 2012 proved to be a most disappointing season, the Als were clear and away for a playoff spot by late September, the Argos while stumbling managed to pull it together when it counted, leading them to the where they are this weekend, one win away from hosting their own Grey Cup party and participating in the game as well.

To get there will require another strong effort from Ricky Ray and his offence and some strong defensive play to shut down the CFL's most respected QB Anthony Calvillo.

Two games that offer up much in the way of potential, four teams at the crossroad to their season, a win sends two of them to the Grey Cup, a loss and a long, long season comes to an end a game short, all that success but background to a lost opportunity.

Our previews, reviews and other information on the East and West Finals can be found below.

Sunday, November 18-- Toronto 27 at Montreal 20   50,112
Sunday, November 18-- Calgary 34 at British Columbia 29 43,216 

Twelve Men Prognostication: Predicted Winners

Toronto
British Columbia

Regular Season record

37 correct, 39 wrong

Playoff Record

3 correct, 1 wrong

The Divisional Finals: Toronto at Montreal (November 18)

They are ancient rivals in hockey, once upon a time rivals in baseball and familiar foes when it comes to Canadian football and Sunday at the Big O, the Argos and Alouettes will once again play out their rivalry on a football field, the winner heading off to the 100th Grey Cup.

For Toronto the stakes are perhaps a little higher, the Argos,  host to the 100th celebration would like nothing more than gain some resonance in their own hometown, a Grey Cup berth the final part of the rebuilding job that 2012 has been.

Ricky Ray, the key part of that rebuild finally it seems has hit his stride, last weeks semi final smackdown of the Edmonton Eskimos was his most complete game in Double Blue. Every play offered up just why the Argos were so determined to bring him across the country, his leadership, ability to read the play and determination to deliver were all intangibles that the Argos finally can call their own.

No further evidence need be provided as to Rays importance to the Argos than to look at what his departure seems to have done to Edmonton, a team that is once again adrift seeking its own rebuilding plans.

The Argos struggled at times in 2012, though victory over Montreal is not an uncommon thing, a three point victory on July 27th in Montreal a notice that the Argos were for real in 2012, a September 23rd loss a reminder that there was still work to be done, as was a loss on October 14th.

By that time, the Als were clearing their way to claiming the top spot in the East, the Argos mired in a spiral that nearly cost them a playoff spot and the chance to be a part of their own party.

As the season came towards its end the Argos benefitted by the self destruction of the Tiger Cats and Bombers, securing second place just before season's end, focusing on their next opponent of concern the Eskimos.

The quick work they made of Edmonton is just the kind of momentum builder a team needs, they'll take that to Montreal for Sunday, aware of course that the Als come by their top spot honestly, through hard work, good coaching and a remarkable never say die QB named Calvillo.

It's a showcase of two of the league's top pivots, both it seems in good health, ready to add yet another chapter to some CFL lore.

Game Time 1 PM ET, 10 AM Olympic Stadium TSN

Pre Game

CFL.ca-- Game Preview
CFL.ca-- Video Preview

National Post-- Argonauts hope to silence thundersticks in Montreal's Olympic Stadium
Toronto Star-- Friendly rivals Scott Milanovich and Marc Trestman save bluster for big game
Toronto Sun-- Argos hope to make amends for 2010 defeat
Montreal Gazette-- Als know they must stop Owens
Canada.com-- Alouettes defence looking to quiet doubters against Argos...

Team Backgrounders

Toronto Argonauts
Montreal Alouettes

The Divisional Finals: Calgary at British Columbia (November 18)

They were the two top teams of the CFL this year, 1 and 2 in the overall standings, the two best offences, the two best defences, all of it meaningless now, the Western Final a whole new adventure for Calgary and British Columbia.

The Lions perhaps won the home field advantage with their October 6th victory at home, a  27 to 22 showdown that gave the Leos the momentum heading towards the final stretch of the season, the loss of October not an inconsequential thing, but in the scope of where the Lions were in the season something that probably does not weigh too heavily on their minds.

The Stamps arrive in Vancouver once again shuffling up the line up, Drew Tate the hard luck story of 2012 sideline with a leg injury and perhaps suffering the aftershocks of a concussion, a prospect the Stamps were being a little quiet about this week, the Tate story but another nugget of nuttiness out of the Stamps camp, which featured Nik Lewis finding himself on the wrong side of the league and more importantly his coach over his less than thought out twitter efforts.

The distractions, they were a plenty in the Stampeder corral, though perhaps we can get back to the football for Sunday.

With that in mind, regardless of the cause, Tate is out, Kevin Glenn back in, the workhorse of the Stamps who kept the team on track through the season, likely eager for a bit of revenge over the Lions from that October 6th defeat. Add on the chance for Jon Cornish to run his game in the town he grew up in and the Stamps have much to look forward to Sunday.

For the Lions the home field advantage will be huge, the noise and vibrant atmosphere of BC Place a sure fire adrenalin rush, once which will gain noise and impact should the Lions put points on the board.

Towards that goal they turn again to Travis Lulay, who came into his own for the Lions over the last few years, his Grey Cup victory of last year offering much hope for BC that a repeat visit to the Grey Cup is in the cards for 2012.

Sixty minutes of football will determine that storyline, Lulay and his high octane offence will seek to take care of the points on the board, the Leos defensive unit one of the tops in the league will be anxious to shut down a Stampeder attack that can strike fast, just ask the Saskatchewan Roughriders for the film.

Should the West Division Final deliver half the entertainment of last weeks semi, then football fans will be well served in these 2012 playoffs


Game Time 1 PM PT, 4 ET BC Place TSN

Pre Game

CFL.ca-- Game Preview
CFL.ca-- Video Preview

National Post-- Stampeders' Kevin Glenn happy to concentrate on football
Calgary Sun-- Calgary Stampeders take circus on the road
Calgary Herald-- Stampeders ready to banish the hurt
Vancouver Province-- Lions don't care who starts at QB for Calgary
Vancouver Sun-- B. C. Lions defence enriched by 'mad scientist'
Canada.com-- Glenn knows all about Tate's heartbreak

Team Backgrounders

Calgary Stampeders
British Columbia Lions

Twelve Men Review Semi-Finals edition November 11,2012

The CFL whittled down it's playoff list a little further on Remembrance Day and for the most part, the two teams expected to advance did so, Toronto without much in the way of opposition or difficulty, Calgary, well not quite so.

The Argos topped the Eskimos with more than a few exclamation points to their Eastern semi final, while out west the finale to the TSN semi final doubleheader offered up another one of those legendary CFL finishes we've been spoiled by over the years.

The reviews of the semis are as follows

Edmonton at Toronto

The Eskimos qualified for post season play through the CFL's cross over provisions, a better record than the two bottom feeders of the east sent the Eskimos through, however after their day in Toronto, perhaps it might have been best if they had just stayed home.

The Argos were dominant in all factors of play, a punishing defensive effort left the Eskimos confused and unable to move the ball with any real authority, an effort that left Edmonton fans only to ruminate on the events of the year that left many shaking their heads.

Chief among that head shaking the trade of Ricky Ray to the Argonauts in the off season, a trade which  hit home in so many ways on Sunday, Ray clearly in charge, hitting his stride at the Toronto quarterback, showing exactly why the Argos made the trade for him.

Leadership and skill paced the Argos to their 42-25 thumping of the Eskimos much of it orchestrated by Ray at the Argos controls, for every first down, completed pass or touchdown scored one could sense the blood pressure of the Eskimo fan rising to near danger levels.

Mention the name Eric Tillman and we suspect Edmonton EMS was on red alert.

The Argos owned the game plain and simple, there's really not much to review of the Eskimo game plan,  leaving Kavis Reed to review much for his off season, if, of course with the shift in management once again at the top he'll have an off season in Edmonton colours.

The game was such a disaster for Edmonton that the only sliver of good news for them is that Matt Nichols, who suffered one of the most gruesome looking injuries in recent football history was actually able to return to Edmonton.  His ankle dislocation a vision not for the squeamish, the recovery time unknown, but for the most part on his report things are positive. The glimpse of potential he provided prior to his injury the one positive for the Eskimos in a season of woe.

The Eskimo fans are among the most passionate in the league, the team regularly leads in attendance, the knowledge of their backers among the best in the CFL.  They have been their when times were very good and for the moment, it seems they'll have to deal with things when they're really, really bad.

As for the Argos, they move on to Montreal now, the Eastern Final their last obstacle to a home town appearance in the 100th Grey Cup.  Two weeks ago you might not have given them much of a chance against Anthony Calvillo and the Alouettes, however with as complete a game as they played in the semi-final comes confidence, something that will serve them well on Sunday afternoon at McGill Stadium.

Our full coverage of the Eastern semi-final can be found here.

Saskatchewan at Calgary

If the Stamps were watching the eastern semi final prior to their own kick off on Sunday, they no doubt were wishing that the Eskimos had moved through the West, for as woeful as Edmonton was on Sunday, the visiting Riders gave the Stamps all they could handle.

In fact, the Riders only flaw in a late game surge that saw them silence the Calgary side of McMahon Stadium (the place is always a 50/50 split when the Riders are in town) was that they left just a wee bit too much time on the clock after they took a late game lead.

The sign of a championship team however is how you deal with adversity and for the Stamps, while the fans sat in silence in the stands the team on the field went back to work. Shaking off the shock of the Riders improbable comeback and marching down the field for their own, Drew Tate finding Romby Bryant on a 68 yard touchdown pass, the dagger in the heart for Rider Nation in just 22 short seconds.

It is the thing of that defines the CFL, the no lead is safe mantra of the league come to life, a marketing tool that should reinforce for CFL fans as to the magic that can come from a CFL field on a weekly basis.

The final play of course will be the talking point of the semi final, but really, this was an entire game of gems. A heavyweight fight, with two teams punching back and forth, hard hitting and thrilling, featuring exciting offensive plays combined with a defensive war that took no prisoners.

The Stamps led by Drew Tate, looked to have finally taken control of the game with a 12 point lead in the third quarter, only to watch Darian Durant launch the Rider comeback, a remarkable reversal of momentum that should finally gain him some respect from RiderNation.

There was no quit in Durant, no quit in the Riders and no surrender for the Stamps.

As exciting a CFL game as we've seen in a while, offering up the tempting prospect of more to come in the Western final when the Stamps travel west to play the Lions.

They make that transit however with a few changes in the lineup, it was announced late in the week that Drew Tate was out for the final, an injury once again putting him to the sidelines in a hard luck season that offered him much promise and delivered a burden of misery.

Still, the Stamps who seem to relish adversity will march on, it's back to Kevin Glenn, who only led the team into playoff contention through the year, no doubt eager to put a cap on his season with a shocker of an upset over the Grey Cup champs.

If history is any indication and you happen to miss the first half, don't worry, the teams no doubt are only getting warmed up.

Our coverage of the Western Semi Final can be found here.