Perry Lefko

Perry Lefko keeps you connected to all the news in the CFL on Sportsnet.ca.

Riders coach Ken Miller consoles his players after the loss.

Who screwed up on the Saskatchewan Roughriders' bench leading to the infamous too many men penalty that cost the team the Grey Cup against Montreal on Sunday? Does it really matter?

Whether it was a player failing to understand his situation, or special team coach Kavis Reed, who has taken responsibility, the reality is it falls on the head of Ken Miller. He is the head coach, responsible for every aspect of the team, win or lose.

When history reflects upon the game and the blunder, it is Miller's name who will be the coach of record.

I find this unfortunate, having known Miller since he came into the Canadian Football League as a position coach with the Argos in 2002. He is a class act, a true gentleman. I had been covering the Argos for the Toronto Sun in 2002 and Miller's arrival had been delayed because of a personal matter. In fact, someone told me in confidence it had to do with a health issue and, if memory serves correct, mentioned cancer. But I had been asked not to write anything about it.

Seven years later, I decided to ask Miller about it at the media conference for the head coaches of the Grey Cup. I wondered what the health issue was and if there have been any concerns since. Upon hearing the question, Miller became noticeably uncomfortable. I had put him on the spot, and he had the choice of saying he didn't want to discuss it or to tell the story. He chose to reveal what happened -- that he had battled prostate cancer and had undergone experimental radiation therapy, but hadn't had any issues since.

One prominent journalist asked me why I didn't save the question for myself and ask him directly. Knowing Miller, I knew he probably wouldn't want to discuss it because he didn't want the focus to be on him, but putting him on the spot in that context forced him to do something -- to show his character.

And he did.

Not only did the media have no idea of his health issue, but neither did many people associated with the Roughriders, notably the players, who respect him fully. For that day, he became the story and then it quickly shifted to his team and the game.

Four days later, Miller found himself in an uncomfortable situation again, this time having to deal with the penalty. Again, he became the focus as the head coach. He talked about the formation that had been put in place to try to block the field goal.

By now, everyone knows one of the players failed to understand the situation and his assignment, and Miller acknowledged that miscommunication played a key factor.

Miller is now being compared to Don Cherry, who has become infamous for being called for too many players on the ice in the seventh game of the 1979 National Hockey League semi-final against Montreal. Cherry's team, the Boston Bruins, led by a goal with less than two minutes to go in regulation time, but the penalty led to a power-play goal and the Canadiens went on to win the game in overtime.

Cherry said on his syndicated radio show on Tuesday that he sympathized with Miller and suggested, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, that he have a drink to forget about it. Clearly, Cherry more than anyone could understand and feel Miller's pain and knew that time would eventually heal the wound, although he'd likely be reminded of the mistake or have it referenced in a story or history of the Grey Cup.

"That's going to be a disappointment in the lives of our football team for a lifetime," he said.

When I asked him if he had ever experienced such a swing of emotions from feeling he had won a championship to losing it a few seconds later because of a mistake, he paused and said, "Forgive me, but I can't put that into words right now."

Miller never revealed which player made the mistake. Miller took one for the team.

It's been said that sports is just a game, that nobody lives or dies by the end result. Put in context with the cancer battle Miller had seven years before, what happened in the Grey Cup is just a game. But as a head coach who had reached the pinnacle of his career and had a chance to win a championship and become a legend in the province of Saskatchewan, where football is part of the culture, surely Miller felt -- and will continue to feel -- a tremendous ache.

Maybe Miller will have a chance to make it back to the Cup as a head coach and atone for what happened -- just as Als kicker Damon Duval had a second chance to make good on the last-second field goal he missed.

There are no guarantees in sport or life. Als quarterback Anthony Calvillo felt the sting of frustration the year before when his team lost at home in the Cup. He wanted to win the game for his wife, who had successfully battled cancer during the year. A year later, the Als won the game -- or did Saskatchewan lose it? -- because of a fluke or, as Montreal head coach Marc Trestman described it, "Lady Luck."

Whatever happened in the past -- notably only one win in six previous Cups this decade -- is now a distant memory for the Als and Calvillo, who as the quarterback takes far too much credit when the team wins and far too much blame when it loses.

The quarterback is not unlike the head coach in that regard.

You also wonder what the reaction will be like for Roughriders fans -- the Rider Priders -- who are collectively in a state of mourning. Will they understand? Will they offer Miller sympathy? Remember how some reacted after Paul McCallum missed a field goal in the playoffs a few years ago, sprinkling manure on the driveway of the home next to his -- mistakenly thinking it was his home -- and telephoning his home with vicious remarks? The reaction of those few represented a small percentage of the fans who took the painful loss in stride and sympathized with McCallum.

This is another chance for them to show their character and fiber, just as Miller did when he talked about his health issue and later about the greatest loss of his coaching career, maybe the greatest loss of his life.

He beat cancer, hopefully he will be able to beat this.