Last Friday's Eskimos-Argonauts game was filled with strange plays.
If anybody new to the Canadian Football League and all its nuances and oddities happened to be watching the Edmonton Eskimos/Toronto Argonauts game, they surely must have been wondering what they saw.
Heck, even if you've been watching the CFL all your life, there were enough strange plays to make you scratch your head in disbelief.
In the final 10 seconds of the first half, there is a pass interference call assessed against the Argos for what was arguably a ball that travelled out of bounds. And then with five seconds to go, the Eskimos are given three cracks from the one-yard line because after the second miss there is somehow 1.5 seconds left on the clock.
Later in the game, Matt Black pounces on a short punt and with a Willie Mays over-the-shoulder catch and returns it 80 yards for a touchdown -- and he wasn't even the return man. And, upon review, Argo assistant equipment manager Ton (Bugsy) Bryce jumps into the field of play and retrieves a water bottle.
Eskimos ace receiver Fred Stamps appears to catch a pass and secure it between his legs for a touchdown, but it's overturned on video review. He later makes a touchdown catch that gives the Eskimos a lead late in the game.
And then with 24 seconds to go and with a third-and-five from the Eskimos' 50-yard line, Argo head coach Jim Barker elects to try a 57-yard field goal instead of gambling with a short pass or a run play. Kicker Grant Shaw, an Edmonton native, is pressed into all three kicking duties when punter/place kicker Noel Prefontaine comes up lame in the warmup, and struggles all game with his punting.
He comes up 10 yards short on what could have been the game-winning field goal, albeit the odds weren't great of making it anyway. The Eskimos get the ball back with nine seconds on the clock.
Time management was an issue the whole game. But the most interesting thing may have happened after the game when Barker was asked about the sequence at the end of the first half that brought his team back after many of the members had gone to the locker room thinking time had expired.
"I have no comment about anything except the football game," Barker told the media. "If you want to talk about that, talk to Mr. Cohon."
He was referring to CFL commissioner Mark Cohon, whose office slapped Barker with a $1,000 fine for comments made about the officiating following the previous game, which saw middle linebacker Ejiro Kuale booted out of the game for rough play.
ROUGH RIDE: The Saskatchewan Roughriders posted their 14th consecutive sellout in their past game, which ended in a loss to Calgary, the third time the team has lost at home this year.
EDDIE IS MONEY: Riders punter/kicker Eddie (Money) Johnson sails a kickoff through the uprights, a distance of 75 yards. Johnson is one-for-two on field goals and averages 44.6 on his punts.
BOMBERS FANS GO WILD: The Winnipeg Blue Bombers scored an emotional 25-20 win over B.C. only two days after the sudden death of assistant head coach/defensive line coach Richard Harris. The Bombers' dramatic turnaround from a 4-14 team to a 4-1 team early this season is giving the fans lots of reasons to cheer.
The public address announcer is enjoying this season by prompting the fans to say in unison "first down." It's a little like the Montreal Alouettes' public address announcer who relishes saying, "First down, Monnnnntreal."
HOLY SPIT: Als' defensive back Dwight Anderson, who was nailed for poking Riders' receiver Weston Dressler in the eye the week before, is accused of spitting at Ticats' fans in the game in Hamilton and there is apparently evidence to support it.
HIT OF THE YEAR: Riders' cornerback Tristan Jackson absolutely hammers Stamps' receiver Romby Bryant, who is looking downfield and doesn't see the hit coming but holds onto the ball. If he had fumbled, it could have given the Riders a chance to mount a drive in decent field position down by four.
As an aside, Jackson was used primarily as a return specialist in Edmonton, but he's showing he can be an every-down player with the Riders.
STALA'S TOUCHDOWNS: Ticats' slotback Dave Stala has been creating quite a sensation, starting last year with his touchdown celebrations. It was curious that on the second of his two touchdowns against Montreal, he practically slowed down to a walk just before crossing the goal line and falling down without being touched. Is that taunting the opposition?
Not sure if Stala has a nickname, but I'll give him one: Sticky. The ball just seems to stick to his hands.
ALS OUT OF SYNC: That certainly didn't look anything like the mistake-free Als against Hamilton. The Als were really out of sync and you have to wonder if it's because they only had one full practice to prepare since their last game.
LOST IN SPACE: Ticat receiver Arland Bruce looks completely lost in the new offence. In the Als' game, he dropped one pass and got in the way of another that appeared to be intended for another receiver. He then took himself out of the game with a leg injury. Bruce was once the go-to guy for the Cats, now he appears to be fourth behind rookie Chris Williams, Stala and running back Avon Cobourne.
PAREDES IS FOUND: Stamps' rookie kicker Rene Paredes, who went into a funk in his last two games after an amazing start with the team, goes to see a sports psychologist during the week to help him work on visualization and breathing techniques, and nails four of five field goals against the Riders.
THE SLEEPING LIONS: General manager/head coach Wally Buono will continue to search for answers, but he can't be criticized for his receivers dropping passes. It has been an issue all season.
Next up for the Lions is a home game against Saskatchewan. Like the Riders, the Lions have not done well at home since playing at Empire Stadium since the start of last season while B.C. Place is under renovation.
