A number of years ago, Led Zeppelin released a box set entitled “How the West was Won”. The three CD epic ends with the classic song “Bring it on Home.”
In 2007, that’s exactly what the Roughriders did. They brought the Grey Cup home to the province with the most passionate and loyal CFL fans in the entire country.
The Riders are the Led Zeppelin of Saskatchewan, they’re rock stars. Now the reigning Grey Cup champions will attempt to do something the franchise has never done, repeat.
I know Perry Lefko is more of an ABBA fan, but even the man with the Serpico beard will attest to the passion and the pride of Rider Nation.
If Perry can put down his “Wham” CD’s for a few minutes, he would notice that the West is basically a two-horse race.
Saskatchewan: I can’t remember the last time a team won the Grey Cup, then had to replace their head coach and starting quarterback in the off season.
My dear friend Eric Tillman had quite an off-season in Regina. He spent countless hours parading around the Grey Cup all across a grateful and adoring province. He also had to shed some serious payroll to get under the CFL’s Salary Management System. Kent Austin went home to coach at Ole Miss, Kerry Joseph was traded to the Argos, Reggie Hunt ended up in Montreal and Fred Perry was shipped off to the hated Eskimos.
Tillman can replace just about everyone, except Joseph. Marcus Crandell is a nice guy but he’s replacing a quarterback who was the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player and the Grey Cup MVP. Crandell has shown brief flashes of brilliance over the years but the pressure is on to show some consistency over an 18 game season.
Ken Miller has been coaching football for a long, long time. While Miller isn’t the extrovert that Austin was, he’s still an intense and dedicated competitor.
Anyone who thinks the Riders will be an easy team to play this year as a result of all the departures will be in a for a rude awakening.
There is a still a dynamic core of talented players in Regina. Young Defensive End John Chick is on the verge of becoming a star in the CFL. The Riders still possess an explosive group of receivers. Former Western Mustang Andy Fantuz has the potential to be the next Ben Cahoon.
Forget about what the Riders do in July. Be patient and take a good look at what this team is like in late August. Don’t be surprised when you see the Riders among the elite teams in the CFL. Tillman will get the players the team needs. The foundation both on the field and off the field is in place to make sure the Riders will be back in the West Final.
BC: Toronto has Kerry Joseph and Michael Bishop. BC has Buck Pierce and Jarious Jackson. At this point, Wally Buono has declared that Pierce is his starting quarterback.
The best team in the regular season in 2007; the Lions are once again poised to do big things in 2008. They have a high octane offence, a nasty offensive line, two all-star defensive ends and a living legend of head coach in Wally Buono.
I would rather pour lemon juice into an open cut than agree so much with Perry Lefko. But the hairy little man with the big brain is right about Joe Smith. He’s a punishing back who runs with a nice forward lean to his big body. Running behind Rob Murphy, Smith is nearly unstoppable near the goal line.
The Lions have very few holes in their line-up. With Cameron Wake and Brent Johnson; they have the best tandem of defensive ends in the CFL.
About the only thing that could cast a pall on the Lions this season is the potential for a Pierce/Jackson quarterback controversy. Buono is too good of a head coach to allow that to happen and in an 18 game regular season; both pivots will get plenty of work.
Calgary: Of all the stupid things that have gone on in the CFL over the years, the Stamps decision to ban the media from practice gets my vote for number one. For a team that is looking to turn a new page with a new coach and a new way of doing things; the Stamps are playing a dangerous game with the football gods.
Having said that, I am very interested to see what influence John Hufnagel will have on Henry Burris. The Stamps made the decision to bring in the battered and bruised Dave Dickenson to act at as Smiling Hank’s back-up.
I have vivid memories of Hufnagel and his bright white cleats playing quarterback for the Riders in the early 1980’s. Since his playing days, Hufnagel has spent years learning his craft as a coach. He has a great offensive mind by his side in George Cortez.
The Stamps defence is going through a big transition. Denny Creehan’s “3-4” defence is gone. Because of that, the Stamps have gone back to an old school “4-3” defence.
With Joffrey Reynolds, the Stamps are blessed with a good running game. When he is at the top of his game, I feel Burris is one of the best quarterbacks in the CFL. The big question in Calgary will be the defence and how quickly they can adapt to a whole new way of doing things.
Edmonton: It still doesn’t compute that the Eskimos have missed the play-offs the last two seasons. If the Eskies miss the post-season for a third straight year; there’s going to be a riot in the streets of Edmonton.
There is no coach in the CFL under more pressure than Danny Maciocia. If the Eskimos miss the play-offs for a third straight season; I honestly don’t know how Maciocia could keep his job, especially coaching a team in the so called “City of Champions”.
If the pre-season was any indication, Ricky Ray is in for another year of getting pounded. Jason Maas shouldn’t worry about getting playing time this year. If the Eskies offensive line doesn’t get their act together in a real hurry, Ray won’t last the season.
The addition of Fred Perry is a huge boost to Edmonton’s defensive line. The biggest addition involved two former Argos, Jordan Younger and Noel Prefontaine. Younger is one of the best, if not the best, shut-down corners in the CFL. Prefontaine is still one of the best punters in the league. The big question surrounding Pre is his field goal kicking. He simply wasn’t an accurate enough field goal kicker over the last two seasons.
At the end of the day, it’s up to Maciocia and his coaching staff to squeeze all they can out of this roster. The Eskimos won’t survive a slow start to the season. The schedule makers didn’t do Maciocia any favours. The first month of the season is a killer for the Eskimos. If they can manage to win a few games during this brutal stretch of the schedule; the Eskies have a shot. And that is a very big “if”.
Come November, it will be the Riders and the Lions going head-to-head in the West Final. This time, the Lions will have BC Place rocking as Wally Buono will head home to Montreal for the Grey Cup.
