A Roll of the Dyce

Many a blog has been composed at my dining room table coffee cup in hand. At 3pm Thursday afternoon my two year old Keurig moaned and groaned but did not product any coffee.

I'm not sure life can go on as we know it.

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How great was the Labour Day Classic? I was again in section 14 but got moved up to row 13 and I have to say, WOW, what an interesting (crazy) and fun (drunk) group of people. Someone actually brought a massive jar of pickled eggs and was serving them to seat mates with a spaghetti ladle. Sunflower seeds were shared as were touchdown high fives. It was great. I have to say any Bomber fans near us were good sports in spite of my Hubby's incessant yelling of BOMBERS SUCK!!! One turned around and motioned as if to say 'yeah, well, you're right.' Still these fans make the pilgrimage every year and help make the day into the event that it is.

This has been a season of rumours. Going back to the story by Gary Lawless, which we now pretty much know was leaked by Brendan Taman himself, we all said at the time it was hogwash only then a couple weeks later and after the outcry of fans what he said became truth. Knowing now that Lawless and Taman are friends is interesting and has made me think of two scenario’s.....one being that BT was just wondering out loud and Lawless took it and ran with it OR two, that it was a publicity stunt of sorts where Taman was trying to drum up Chamblin support and squash the firing rumours. That's all water under the bridge because then Jeremy O'Day and Bob Dyce were named as interim GM and Head Coach. Rider Nation was high after the Labour Day win. It seemed like the team was the one we remembered. It kind of seamed like everything was fixed. It's a new O'day! Then a new rumour emerged saying John Hufnagel was going to leave the Calgary Stampeders to become the Roughriders new GM and Head Coach.

Wait, wha?

I don't know where this story started but I know for sure it did not start in good old Saskie.

Before the firings, while everyone was speculating, call in show hosts talked about how the position of head coach would be a difficult one to replace and that it would pretty much be career suicide because when the season is over they'd be relieved of the position as well. Then, once the names O'Day and Dyce were put out there it seems like all of what I just stated went out the window. Suddenly everyone is on board with the hiring. What I can honestly say is that besides knowing that Jeremy O'Day was a previous player and was Taman's assistant, I know nothing else about him which would make him ready to not only right our Rider ship but make it the premier team that we all want it to be. I also ask this question.....if Bob Dyce wasn't good enough to be named Head Coach in 2012 after being Rider Offensive Coordinator and now Special Teams Coordinator, what makes him ready for the job going forward?

I'm not saying I don't like these men because that simply isn't true. The players certainly seem to like them and want to play for them. Just consider the inexperienced coaching staff we currently have.....who could possibly fix it? Not only fix it but completely turn it around into a winning team next year? And that's why whether there may be any truth to the Hufnagel rumour or not....it actually could be considered because you cannot deny how successful he's made the Stampeder franchise.

I know what you're saying.

ABC – Anyone But Calgary.

Since I'm on the topic of ex Roughrider quarterbacks.....how about that little skirmish Kent Austin got himself into? In case you missed it, he gave Dave Stala a bit of a shoulder shove on the Tiger Cats sidelines during the game the other night. This whole thing is so amusing to me. First of all we all know that Kent has sideline antics from eye rolling to arms flailing so much so a Twitter account was created called Angry Kent. Taking that into consideration, it doesn't surprise me that a hot headed Kent would shove a player in this fashion. But really...was it a thing? I mean, a big enough deal for Austin to issue an apology and then be fined $5000 by the league?

:)

By the way, word on the street is that Kent Austin's contract in Hamilton is up at the end of this season. Would we want him back?

Why is another teams cast off supposed to make the Riders pearl necklace?

Shrugs

Remember that time the Roughriders were favoured to thrash the Blue Bombers in the Banjo Bowl? I'm not going to rehash a game where we saw our 3^rd string quarterback run for his life as our mostly veteran offensive line failed repeatedly. In my opinion the game ended exactly the same as the Ottawa game where Brett Smith was pulled and we saw Sunseri get sacked again and again as our offensive line failed.

The questions this week are all about who starts at quarterback as Kevin Glenn comes off the injured list. Since our O line can't seem to protect anyone for three quarters never mind four.....does it really matter who the starter is? Playing armchair coach, I think you have to go with the veteran in this case. He has the experience in seeing the defences. Glenn put up great numbers prior to his injury. The choice is simple for me. The goal even though the play offs aren't even a consideration at this point is to win games. We still have to play games and try to win and by playing anyone else you are waving the white flag.

The stats say that typically teams who fire their head coach tend to win the following game, however, the season usually finishes the way it starts. If you read my last blog I went back in Roughriders history and looked at the coach firings two to three years before Grey Cup wins and the season records.

1964 9-7

1986 6-11

2005 9-9

2011 5-13

Even though in two of those seasons the Riders made it to play offs, they still weren't successful winning teams until two or three seasons later. Are you ready for that Rider Nation?

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Some good news. I McGyvered my Keurig by using a steak knife and vinegar and gave it a second life.

Coffee cup in hand, I ask you, can the Saskatchewan Roughriders gain some W's in these last 7 games? My guess is as good as yours.

It's a roll of the Dyce.