Canadian Football League

[Khansingh]

I don't know if the mods will approve this, but I thought it would be cool to have a CFL thread in the Canada forum. Even though it has virtually nothing to do with soccer, I wanted to have a place where especially Canadians could discuss Canada's greatest sporting treasure as its season heats up after Labour Day. And the Canada forum seems like the place to find Canadians. The Alouettes have nine wins in the first eleven games for the second year in a row. Last year, they lost their last ten games. In the West, Edmonton is the surprise team with the surprise quarterback. But suddenly British Columbia is alive and well. So discuss away and, moderators, please don't close this thread. In fact, can we get a sticky?

[Gordon]

Originally posted by Khansingh
I don't know if the mods will approve this, but I thought it would be cool to have a CFL thread in the Canada forum. Even though it has virtually nothing to do with soccer, I wanted to have a place where especially Canadians could discuss Canada's greatest sporting treasure as its season heats up after Labour Day. And the Canada forum seems like the place to find Canadians. The Alouettes have nine wins in the first eleven games for the second year in a row. Last year, they lost their last ten games. In the West, Edmonton is the surprise team with the surprise quarterback. But suddenly British Columbia is alive and well. So discuss away and, moderators, please don't close this thread. In fact, can we get a sticky?

In the east Montreal rules. In the west, a rash of injuries to quarterbacks and O-linemen has hobbled the best team temporarily. But come November, the Grey Cup will be going back to Riderville!

[Krammerhead]

You do know that there is rec.sport.football.canadian where there is plenty of CFL talk or

http://www.total-cfl.com/cfldiscussion.asp

Not that I mind.

[DoyleG]

The Green and Gold are kings of the CFL.

End of discussion.

[hobbes]

July 19: Saskatchewan 45 Edmonton 11

Sure that was in Regina and if we want to advance to the Grey Cup we will need to go through Edmonton. Fine. 1989. 1997. Been there done that.

The defence added three NFL castoffs to a unit that completely shut down Avery and Ricky Ray in Regina. Edmonton is a very good team, but just because you can flog a dead horse doesn't make you that good. In any event there are definitely arguments for and against all of the playoff contenders. There are no arguments for Toronto, Ottawa or Calgary I'm afraid.

That's just my two bits. I think it's remarkably presumptious to say there is no discussion when you don't even have the best record in the league.

cheers,
hobbes

[DoyleG]

Originally posted by hobbes
July 19: Saskatchewan 45 Edmonton 11

Sure that was in Regina and if we want to advance to the Grey Cup we will need to go through Edmonton. Fine. 1989. 1997. Been there done that.

The defence added three NFL castoffs to a unit that completely shut down Avery and Ricky Ray in Regina. Edmonton is a very good team, but just because you can flog a dead horse doesn't make you that good. In any event there are definitely arguments for and against all of the playoff contenders. There are no arguments for Toronto, Ottawa or Calgary I'm afraid.

That's just my two bits. I think it's remarkably presumptious to say there is no discussion when you don't even have the best record in the league.

cheers,
hobbes

It was Mass you were facing, not Ray.

We know how you choked in '97.

[Gordon]

Originally posted by DoyleG


It was Mass you were facing, not Ray.

We know how you choked in '97.

But we played a week longer than the Green and Gold so I'll live with the shame :).

Your right, it was Jay "No" Mass. And our quarterback had a working hamstring. Ray does look like a keeper though.

[DoyleG]

Originally posted by Gordon


But we played a week longer than the Green and Gold so I'll live with the shame :).

Your right, it was Jay "No" Mass. And our quarterback had a working hamstring. Ray does look like a keeper though.

The rest of the CFL should stand up and take notice of the Green n' Gold. Especially since we dismantled the Stamps.

[hobbes]

Right, right Doyle, we got a roughing the passer penalty after someone tripped over his ears. How could I forget that.

Okay, fair enough we haven't beat Ray. I think he's a dynamite QB. Are you the undisputed best in the league? Not even close. No one is.

Unless you're working on a "we just thumped the Grey Cup champs twice" theory which is totally illogical.

Choked in 97? We lost the championship game to a better team. You were overwhelming favourites against a 10-8 (I think, if I'm wrong I'm sure it will be pointed out to me) team at home the week before playing the Grey Cup on their home turf? That's choking my good man.

Besides everyone knows that the 97 final turned after Trooper arrived. Once they hit the stage everything went downhill.

cheers,
hobbes

[JRedknapp11]

Just as a side note for those of you who get Fox Sports World.....they are starting to show a live game every Saturday afternoon.

..... for the rest of you...there simply is no better then the... SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS #1



... although i am a bit of a closet Stamps fan.

[DoyleG]

Such a shame since the stamps got ripped apart by Ricky "Frito" Ray and the Green and Gold.

The Green riders are going to be black and blue when the Esks get through with them.

[CanuckFan]

But if I have to wade through posts by DoyleG, at least reduce the number by moving this thread to 'Other Sports'.

[Tick]

As an American, I have no idea what's going on in the CFL at any time, but I have some curiosity about the players, since some of them are former US college stars.

So, who's up there?

Starting QB, RB, and top WR for each team. Sound off!

[DoyleG]

Originally posted by Tick
As an American, I have no idea what's going on in the CFL at any time, but I have some curiosity about the players, since some of them are former US college stars.

So, who's up there?

Starting QB, RB, and top WR for each team. Sound off!

For the Esks:

QB Ricky Ray (Sacremento St.)
RB John Avery (Mississippi)
WR Edward Hervey (So. Cal)

[Khansingh]

Originally posted by DoyleG
QB Ricky Ray (Sacremento St.)

Chris Schultz was taliking about this problem. There hasn't been a Canadian QB to make a significant impact in the league in fifteen years. Canadian Universities don't really offer athletic scholarships, not that higher education is very expensive in Canada, so any HS player who really stands out would probably go to a US school. Since there are 400+ schools in Division 1 alone, and less than 100(?) football schools in the CIS, you're going to find that the American quarterbacks outnumber their Canadian counterparts by a significant margin. But who knows? Maybe there's some freshman at SMU who's going to change the face of the CFL.

[Gordon]

Originally posted by Khansingh


Chris Schultz was taliking about this problem. There hasn't been a Canadian QB to make a significant impact in the league in fifteen years. Canadian Universities don't really offer athletic scholarships, not that higher education is very expensive in Canada, so any HS player who really stands out would probably go to a US school. Since there are 400+ schools in Division 1 alone, and less than 100(?) football schools in the CIS, you're going to find that the American quarterbacks outnumber their Canadian counterparts by a significant margin. But who knows? Maybe there's some freshman at SMU who's going to change the face of the CFL.

The bigger problem is that football training is not as good in Canada. High School Coaches are often volunteers and even at university, really only the head coach would be as qualified as their American counteparts. A Canadian coming out of the CIAU would need a couple of years of grooming before he was ready to even have a good shot at making th eteam. Why would any team bother when there is a plethora of American quarterbacks with a higher level of training and experience? There was a guy in Regina named Darryl Leason who had all of the tools - arm, decent speed, big play ability, and a world of success and never got much of a look by the CFL.

[DoyleG]

What about Brent Schnider (sp) who led the Huskies in the mid 90's ?

[Tick]

Originally posted by DoyleG


For the Esks:

QB Ricky Ray (Sacremento St.)
RB John Avery (Mississippi)
WR Edward Hervey (So. Cal)

Okay, I remember Avery. He might even have gotten some time in the NFL (maybe Miami?). I don't remember Hervey or Ray, but I haven't seen many west coast games in a while.

Do any of you read Tuesday Morning Quarterback on ESPN? He's half Canadian (or something) and makes jokes about "frostbacks" invading the NFL. When a Canadian player makes a big play, TMQ makes jokes about how Canada is taking over the NFL. Pretty amusing, and a good way to figure out the Canadian NFL players.

Do Canadian colleges ever play against American colleges? I remember seeing U of Alaska-Anchorage's hockey team play a couple of Canadian teams in the 80s, but can't remember ever hearing about international games in any other sport.

[DoyleG]

Originally posted by Tick


Okay, I remember Avery. He might even have gotten some time in the NFL (maybe Miami?). I don't remember Hervey or Ray, but I haven't seen many west coast games in a while.

Do any of you read Tuesday Morning Quarterback on ESPN? He's half Canadian (or something) and makes jokes about "frostbacks" invading the NFL. When a Canadian player makes a big play, TMQ makes jokes about how Canada is taking over the NFL. Pretty amusing, and a good way to figure out the Canadian NFL players.

Do Canadian colleges ever play against American colleges? I remember seeing U of Alaska-Anchorage's hockey team play a couple of Canadian teams in the 80s, but can't remember ever hearing about international games in any other sport.

I've heard the remarks about the Canadian invasion before. People think we turned Moon, Flutie, and Garcia into Canadian agents.

Thier has been competitons between universities of both countries. Canadian teams compete against Americans in volleyball on a regular basis. American basketball teams have competed in Canadian torunaments as well.

[Gordon]

Originally posted by DoyleG
What about Brent Schnider (sp) who led the Huskies in the mid 90's ?

He was a good College QB, but not really quick or mobile enough to play CFL.