MVN - Most Valuable Network

What we learned through 3 weeks of the CFL: Can all teams go 9-9?

Up is down. Down is up. The BC Lions are 1-2, the Edmonton Eskimos are 2-1. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are 0-3. The Toronto Argonauts are 1-2. Heck, the Hamilton Tiger Cats are 1-2.

Leave it to the defending Grey Cup champion Saskatchewan Roughriders to show the way. Their wins over Edmonton, BC and Hamilton make them the only undefeated team in the CFL, but one thing is very apparent in the 2008 CFL season. Every team has a chance to win every game, and there has never been a season like this in recent memory. Usually, there are one or two teams that absolutely dominate and go 13-5 or 14-4. This year, I think that the best team will be 11-7 or maybe even 10-8.

Maybe it’s just the early season, but every team looks similar in talent. Maybe it’s the 4 new coaches around the league. Maybe it’s the Salary Management System. Whatever it is, there is no more dominance in the CFL.

Here are some random thoughts from the first three weeks of the CFL season.

- Hamilton won a game in July. This is a team that has been 1-17 the previous three years in June and July and they beat a Toronto Argonauts team that many thought would be the class of the Eastern Division. Charlie Taaffe and Bob O’Billovitch are working hard to bring the TiCats back. After a horrible loss to Montreal in the season opener, the team has put together two very solid games.

- What is up with the Toronto Argonauts? They have two of the league’s best quarterbacks, and maybe that is their problem. It would also be nice if their defence could stop the run. Toronto’s defence has always been susceptible against the run, but this year it seems like it’s much, much worse. It’s one thing to be beat by Charles Roberts and Jesse Lumsden. It’s much another to be beat by the duo of Tristan Jackson and A.J. Harris.

- The Montreal Alouettes had an old offensive line last year. Anthony Calvillo was also too old last year. Then why have they been putting up much improved numbers? Ahh, that’s right. The coaching change. However, a concern for the Alouettes should be their offensive production in the second half of their last two games against Winnipeg and Calgary. They also need to bring in a more balanced offense. Avon Cobourne had only five carries in their loss to Calgary.

- Wasn’t Winnipeg supposed to be the Grey Cup favourite? They are 0-3. Kevin Glenn looks like he’s back to his late-2007 form, which is not a good thing for the Bombers. They lost two key games against East rivals Toronto and Montreal, and then fell in a game against the BC Lions in a matchup of 0-2 teams. The injuries have to be a concern for head coach Doug Berry.

- Saskatchewan might just be the class of the league. Again. Think Eric Tillman knew Kerry Joseph wasn’t that big of a loss? Not only is Marcus Crandell playing well, but he missed today’s game against Hamilton and Darian Durant led the team to a win. Of course, it helps to have a great defence and an even better running game with Wes Cates.

- Any doubts that Henry Burris is the best QB in the CFL? He is playing unbelievable and along with Joffrey Reynolds have provided the Stampeders with a great offence. They impressed me a lot against the Alouettes, especially with their ball control in the second half. Chris Jones is also one of the great defensive minds in the league.

- Edmonton is possibly the biggest surprise in the West. They are at 2-1 after wins against Toronto and Calgary (it seems like everybody is beating each other in this league). They have a nucleus that has been together on offence for a while in Ricky Ray and Jason Tucker. Their defence is young, but appears to be learning quickly.

- The BC Lions at 1-2? What? Question marks at quarterback were put to rest after a tremendous win against Winnipeg in a battle of 0-2 teams. Will they be able to catch Saskatchewan? How will they fare against Edmonton in a battle for third place at the moment.

Basically, it’s only 3 weeks into the 18 week season, but this year has all the makings of a very closely fought battle involving all 8 teams. It’s been a long while the league has seen that.

Unnecessary Competition: Why does the CFL play on Sunday?

The last two weeks, the CFL playoffs went head-to-head against the NFL regular season. If it wasn’t for Remembrance Day on Nov. 11, both weeks would have had games starting at 1:00 and 4:00.

This is just the worst possible decision for the league to make. The way football works in the US is very simple. High School on Friday nights, College football on Saturday’s and the NFL on Sunday. Canadian football has no such format - except that the CIS for the most part plays their games on Saturday.

Saturday is known as Hockey Night in Canada. But that’s at night. There is no excuse that the CFL shouldn’t have had their playoff games on Saturday afternoon. Start one game at 12, the other at 3:30 and you will have no conflict with the 7:00 start of HNIC. Instead the CFL decides to go up against the NFL. I can guarantee you that there are a whole lot more NFL fans than NCAA Football fans in Canada, so why doesn’t the CFL realize this and hope that more people may tune in.

Here lies the problem: the CIS had their playoff games on Saturday and I realize that the CFL does not want to compete with it’s College brother. After all, the Vanier Cup is held together with the Grey Cup this year.

But there has to be a solution to keep the CFL from being competitive with the NFL. Maybe CBC can give up their rights to covering the games (they have a group of third-rate announcers, any way) to TSN and then TSN can have a whole day of football with CIS and CFL football. Four games, scattered through the day. That way CBC can still have HNIC at 7:00 and TSN can have games at 11, 2, 5, 8 It would be like New Year’s Day in November.

From personal experience I can tell you that the radio station I work for had a commitment to the NFL so the CFL post-game show was abbreviated so that we could go back to the game.

There is no reason for regular season games on Sunday, and there shouldn’t be a reason for playoff games on Sunday. I’ll give the CFL their Sunday evening Grey Cup which usually kicks off around 6:30 ET. Not really a conflict with NFL games there.

But when I have 5 NFL regular season games to choose from, I might not always choose the CFL Eastern Final. But if it comes down to the CFL Western Final and a CBC-produced HNIC game between Toronto and Atlanta, my choice would be a little more favourable to the league.

Maybe it’s time they made the change.

Underdogs to meet in sold out Grey Cup

First of all, I’m not going to hide from my predictions. But I have to warn you that I won’t get many things right as long as I’m doing this blog. You’ve been warned.

What it means is that Winnipeg and Saskatchewan will meet in the Grey Cup in Toronto on Sunday. I’d expect a pro-Winnipeg crowd in general because of two reasons: Cities usually cheer for teams in their own division and because the University of Manitoba is playing in the Vanier Cup as well, so I’d expect a lot of people to make the trip for the weekend (the Vanier Cup against the St. Mary’s Huskies is played on Friday).

Ryan Dinwiddie will be making his first CFL start in this Grey Cup because Winnipeg starter Kevin Glenn broke his left arm in the East semi-final.

CFL Division Final Previews and Predictions

Well the time has come to see who will be playing for the Grey Cup next week in Toronto. And one division final should be a landslide while the other has the potential for an upset.

Eastern Final: Winnipeg@Toronto

This Winnipeg Blue Bombers team is not playing very good football right now, and escaped with a win against the Montreal Alouettes due to their prowess on defensive 3rd-and-short opportunities. That won’t come into play in this one, because Michael Bishop, Pinball Clemons and Steve Buratto had a bye week to prepare for a team that they are playing infinitely better than right now.

Not to mention that the last time these two teams played Rich Stubler’s defence allowed only 8 points and Toronto has only lost one game when Bishop is starting at quarterback.

Charles Roberts and Milt Stegall deserve a better fate, but Kevin Glenn’s season has made a major turn for the worse the past month and a half.

Toronto will be playing for the Grey Cup at home.

Final Score: Toronto 24, Winnipeg 10

Western Final: Saskatchewan@BC

Last week, like the Blue Bombers, Saskatchewan didn’t play their best game at home, but still managed to escape with a win.
This week, the task gets tougher. But, if any team can beat BC at home, it is Saskatchewan (they’ve already done it once). Kerry Joseph has to lead his team and not turn the ball over for Saskatchewan to have any shot at the upset. On the other side of the ball, Geroy Simon has to be stopped by the Riders secondary, no matter who is throwing the ball to him.

Jarious Jackson will have his work cut out for him, but he has got it done despite the injuries to Dave Dickenson and Buck Pierce to lead the Lions to a 14-3-1 record.

The Riders have injury problems, especially at receiver with Matt Dominguez out, DJ Flick questionable and Wes Cates playing with a broken bone in his foot.

It will come down to defence, but in the end BC, the league’s heavy favourites will move on.

Final Score: BC 24, Saskatchewan 18