* taps finger nails on the table *
* pin drops *Bye weeks suck.
I feel like I'm Charlie Brown and Linus waiting for the Great Pumpkin to arrive. I need Lucy and her 5 cent psychiatrist booth stat.
The doctor is in.
Our rebuilt Roughriders have gone into the bye week on a high note after a controversial win against the Hamilton TigerCats. John Chick forgot where the visitors dressing room was, Doubles got bonked on the head and Angry Kent flipped out on the sidelines hitting a ref after a flag for the centre moving the ball forward at least six inches. Who says the CFL is boring?
I'm not going to debate how or whether Filer moved the ball because I know what I saw with my own two eyes...four if you count my contacts (and no I don't own green goggles). Yes, I saw Dan Clark do something very similar and not get flagged for it, but even if that were to happen, I'd have a hard time picturing Chris Jones throwing a tantrum of this magnitude on the sidelines. The penalty itself, which Glen Suitor says he'd never heard of before, is found on page 33 of the CFL rules guidebook and is a section dealing with a centre who is perhaps trying to draw the opposing players offsides. Interesting stuff! Special thanks to @RbeesFan for delving into the rule book and finding it. You rock!
I also see Austin's reaction as selfish. His team had already taken the penalty then his behaviour gives his team another. His outlandish expression of disbelief and waving his arms around looked childish and if I was a player that alone would make me embarrassed. The second though that he decided to walk towards the referee shows he had intent for something. Did he mean to smack the refs hand? We'll never know. What we do know is Kent Austin will be paying a $10,000 fine and receiving a box seat up in the booth which didn't seem to make a difference as the Calgary Stampeders steam rolled over them. Hey Kent, $10,000 is a drop in the bucket. Try paying $60,000 plus.
It's hard to believe Ridernation once had Kent Austin up on a pedestal for leading us to two Grey Cup championships. Those of course being 1989 and 2007. How far the mighty has fallen.
I wasn't at that game nor was I at the Husky's vs Rams game at New Mosaic Stadium. I had looked at tickets months ago and for some reason Hubby and I thought there wasn't a rush. The next thing you know the game is sold out. I didn't get to see it on TV either because I am a Sasktel Max subscriber and not Shaw. I can't win. * eyeroll * I did enjoy seeing all the photos posted on Twitter and Facebook from all the lucky ducks who were there for such a memorable day. The sight lines look amazing and it sounds like there weren't any issues except for a few criticisms about the sound system being muffled. This is why there are test events. Now we just have to wait and find out what the other events are. Rumblings around are that one event is a Metallica concert but I don't know where this rumour started and of course there is no way to know for sure.
We're movin' on up! My Saskatchewan Roughriders signed Willy Jefferson and Jeff Fuller! It's a Fuller House?! No? * crickets * They say they just want to play and because they've played for Chris Jones before they want to play for him again. There is something to be said for loyalty. You know who has been the most loyal player of all? Darian Durant. Yet, there's been nothing much in the form of contract negotiations that we are hearing anyway. Oh but there's rumours about the Montreal Allouettes inquiring about him. I'm not sure they need to after their win this week with interim head coach Jacques Chapdelaine. I know that Regina is Darian's home and I've heard him say things to the effect of how he wants to be a legendary quarterback in the history of the Roughriders much to as how we speak of Ron Lancaster. At the same time, football is a business and you have to look out for number one...or four in this case, and go where your talents are required. I'd really like to think it's not only about the money. I'd really really like to think that Chris Jones (and company) knows how much Ridernation needs Doubles to be the Riders QB going in to New Mosaic Stadium. So here we wait...
...and wait.
The next Roughrider game I'll be attending is the October 15th game in Toronto at BMO Field. I'm pretty excited to have Row 2 tickets. I'll be the gal in the 306 hat. I'm bringing the 306 to the 6ix. * wink * Anyhow, I wish that this trip was just a cool CFL vacation but it's not. It's a medical trip. Hubby is having life altering high risk eye surgery to remove cataracts and repair glaucoma. I'd appreciate all your prayers on this matter. I know that no matter what CFL team we pull for on game day, in the end we are all fans of the same league and can accomplish incredible things when we band together.
Happy Thanksgiving and I'll catch ya on the flip side. In the mean time...is the bye week over yet?
Man, bye weeks suck.
