Rider Bye's & Fruit Flies

I took the Roughriders bye week off from blogging. Instead, I waged a war on fruit flies. They moved in to my kitchen when I brought home a box of pears from Costco. Let me say this – Fruit flies are not my friend.

During the bye week, we said goodbye to Kevin Glenn in a trade to the Montreal Alouettes. The Riders got a 5^th round draft pick in return. Then we turned around and used that draft pick as leverage and sent Jerome Messam to the Calgary Stampeders for a kicker (Tyler Crapigna) and a player on their negotiation list. It took some time to find out who the neg list player was and he had no sooner arrived in Regina when he got some NFL opportunities and quickly retreated. In the end of it we signed a RB Chad Spann.

GASP! Messam to the Stamps?!

May as well just kill off Glenn on the Walking Dead.

Oh wait.

So after the initial shock wore off it did feel encouraging for Jeremy O'Day to be making some moves. It felt like he was making a statement and doing what any 2 – 14 team does when looking to the future and that is trade for some younger players. As much as I've enjoyed McCallum being our kicker, the truth is that he's a 45 year old man. I've loved his attitude in spite of what I've heard others say...I do believe he has been a leader in the locker room when we were lacking that so badly this season. Messam to Calgary was a great move for the Stamps with the future of Cornish up in the air. It seems he's still suffering from effects from concussion injuries. I talked to a Stamps fan and even he admitted that in his opinion it was a stupid move from the Roughriders, but Messam was a free agent at the end of the season anyway. We were bound to lose him one way or another. So...as it may appear, I'm on the fence about Jeremy O'Day. I also highly suspect his hands are tied by previous contracts and the salary cap and so many other things that our little fandom brains can't even comprehend it. What I do know is that he was a player on a Roughrider team who did suffer as horribly as the 2015 team has. Maybe...just maybe he is exactly the right man for the job.

~ shrugs ~

Here we are nearing the end of October and what have we found out about the 2015 Saskatchewan Roughriders? They are awful in every possible way. Tackling has been an issue right out of training camp. That can almost sum everything up. We are slow. We are undersized. We are unmotivated. I don't think Bob Dyce is the next Head Coach. There, I said it. The Roughriders need a coach & coaches who can keep the team in check, preparing them for every game situation possible and firing them up when they falter. At times during the game Saturday, Dyce seemed bored. He's also saying some similar things as to what Chamblin was quoted as saying in media scrums. Sure mistakes happen but it is your job to be better...make the team better...

...Fans deserve better and we know, BETTER is always possible.

This team has consistently tried to hang onto the glory of past seasons and done very little to plan for next year. We can't even say we are in “next year country”. There are very few players on this current team who should be here next week never mind next year. The bottom line for the Roughriders is they need to put a system in place to scout and develop players not only for now but for always. They should always be looking for the next Chick, the next Dressler, the next franchise quarterback. There needs to be an end to finding the cast offs and trying to rehabilitate them. It doesn't work and we end up running in circles.

This is where someone like Wally Buono has excelled. He's been able to see the end of a career and nip it in the bud before they've over stayed their welcome. It's shocking. But when you are the GM or HC your job is to make the tough calls not the popular ones. You have to do what is best for the greater good. You have to sometimes release players you've loved to move the team forward. It's not personal – it's business.

Did firing Corey Chamblin and Brendan Taman change anything? There was such an outcry at the time but really, in my opinion, all it really did was expose how broken down the team really was. No longer can we hinge the Riders demise to the injuries of Darian Durant or Shea Emry. When the rule changes occurred the Roughriders were the last team to try to adapt. We didn't employ a defence that was prepared or could over come the changes while our small receivers constantly got beat by taller Db's. Next season I'm looking to see taller bigger defensive backs and receivers and I know that means saying goodbye to Riders we love dearly.

Rip off the band aid.

Just pull Glenn off the dumpster.

There are two games left in the Roughriders season. Many fans have already jumped ship. They've gotten behind the Jays, although that didn't end very well. It was very inspiring to see so many people, myself included, come together for a Canadian team. Others have turned to hockey or the NFL. I myself am enjoying the end of the Nascar season and have tuned into some of the Boise State games which are always fun to watch on the Smurf Turf.

Sigh.

Oh...so how did I finally get rid of the fruit flies? It turns out a slice of fruit with vinegar in a jar and a makeshift funnel made out of paper is all it takes to trap them.

If only the Roughriders problems could be resolved so easily.

Riders, Flags, & Blue Grass

So I was right.  The Calgary Stampeders came out of Grey Cup 2014 victorious.  But it was close wasn't it? I must admit that when the TiCats got Banks running back that last punt I kind of said to myself "shoot, leave it to the Stamps to mess that up." Then I saw the flags.

HA HA!

Then I realized how similar a situation that was to our very own Riders 2009 occurrence.  Ack.  The cup no one likes to think about.  However, there was a main difference, in '09 the Riders had indeed won in regulation time.  The TiCats still had minutes left on the clock and the Stampeders were in fact faltering.  The emotion was very similar and one does have to feel for those players who's hearts lept in jubilation and then crumbled to the depths of despair.  The sun came up for Rider fans and I'm sure it still did for TiCat fans too.

The biggest news/rumours of Grey Cup was Dave Naylor and Jim Lawless breaking "news" during the pregame TSN show that there would be huge shake ups in the Riders organization including George Cortez,  Richie Hall and Baron Miles.  Huh? Wha?  Knowing what I know of these two "reporters", I took it with a block of salt.  What it did do was spur tons of speculation and rumour and all sorts of conversations in the Twitterverse.

Then nothing happened.

Nothing from the Riders.

*pin drops*

Then there was a tidbit of news.....

There were new retro license plates announced.

*eyeroll*

COME ON! Rider fans deserve better than that!

The news gradually emerged that George Cortez was not really let go.  His contract was up and it was decided that it was not being renewed.  It was also eluded to that all coaches would be evaluated and there was some truth to the Richie Hall rumours.  Wow.  How shocking is that?  I mean Richie is a Rider institution.  Plus no one ever doubted the Riders defensive scheme.

What an amazing man Richie Hall is.  I met him the year he returned to Saskatchewan after his Head Coaching stint in Edmonton.  He was gracious.  I told him I was glad he returned to us.  He smiled and said he was happy to be back. *beams* Richie was every bit as gracious in his media scrum this week.  It's part of the game.  It's part of what happens when you want the team to win.  As hard as it is to accept on a personal level that you've been demoted, when you believe you just do what the best interests are.  I'm not sure any other person or coach would be able to be so articulate and logical in such a circumstance.  Bravo Richie!

The hardest part is that from this fans point of view I want to scream NO IT'S SPECIAL TEAMS THAT NEEDS FIXING!!!!  But the sun still rises and there will be more off season changes that may be harder to accept.

Like 27 free agents.

Gulp.

Speaking of sun...or maybe sunglasses, rather, how about those Oregon Ducks? I've managed to catch two football games.  Wow they are exciting and fun to watch!  They actually remind me so much of our very own Riders last season.  You see, instead of moaning and groaning and whining about the CFL season being over, I've decided to get into something else and decided college football is it.

It's very easy for me to get behind the Oregon Ducks as well as the Boise State Broncos.  I've got family who lives in that area of the United States so it's fun to watch and be excited for them, after all they stay excited for the Riders for me.  But holy smokes, those Ducks uniforms are bright.  They have cool designs and about 100 different looks.  If that isn't your cup of huckleberry tea then it sure is fun to watch Boise State on the smurf turf.  It's not quite as hard on the eyes.

How do they make grass blue anyways?

*shrugs*

Apparently there are 4 college teams who have coloured turf.  Thank goodness green is the colour around here, eh?

Christmas is less than 3 weeks away.  It's a busy time for us all.  There likely won't be another blog post before Christmas.  I thank each and everyone of you who read this blog or follow and chat with me on Twitter (@smilingsandra).  You make watching football so much more fun and brighten many days.  I hope Rider Claus is good to you all and you find the best and magical surprises under your Christmas trees this year and have an amazing new year too!  Let's plan to paint Winnipeg GREEN!