Coming up this week on the mark Cast Big CFL Week fifteen pregame show.
This week, have you covered both with the East Division and the West.
Two great CFL reporters plus two player interviews coming at you. Jeff Hamilton from
the Winnipeg Free Press joins us to preview everything on the CFL West Division.
We're talking BC Lions, Blue Bombers, Alex everyone else. There was a
burning fire in Zach Clarson the team all week, they just didn't share it.
They took their opportunity at ig Field Saturday afternoon in the Banjo Bowl,
and did they ever answer back? And then Dan Ralph from the Canadian Press
joins us. We are talking the Argos. We're talking tie casts, red
Blacks, everything going on over there, the Alouettes, what do we make
of them? And more? Sometimes you know the best option is to live
to play another down rather than go for the whole inch. Alauda. But
having said that, if I had Austin mac as a receiver, maybe I
would hold onto the ball too. The XFL is reportedly not renewing the contracts
for its assistant coaches, and Twitter is melting down. I give my two
cents on the situation that has the Internet unraveling. This week, everybody's dialed
and everybody knew what they had to do. You know, Coach Thorpe does
a great job, like, you know, make sure you understand what we
have to do because last like I said, last week is a bit of
a it's a bit of a crap shoot. Really, we kind of embarrassed
ourselves out there, not kind of, we didn't embarrass ourselves, So you
know, it's excited to go back in now everybody has like a clear,
clearer visional on what exactly what we need to get done this week. And
then two great player interviews. We have Almanda Sewell of the Montreal Alouettes and
Matthew Batts of America CFL team the BC Lions joining us. Hope you guys
enjoy it, Like and subscribe. Hey guys, welcome to the marcast.
Here busy week trying to get all of this recorded. I hope you guys
enjoy Welcome. Thank you for stopping by today. Jeff Hamilton, how the
chaotic morning car accident. Everything's fine, made it on the show, working
around everything a couple of different days, trying to get the month to seewell
on the program. Really appreciate his time. So I just hope you guys
enjoy it. I can subscribe if you enjoy the content we do here,
trying to get up to thirty five hundred subscribers Big CFO Week fifteen. Here
four great matchups over the weekend. That we have the Montreal hosting Toronto here
they have their big BMX them that bike night happening there. And then we
have Edmonton traveling to Saskatchewan. Very excited for that. Elks kind of rolling
right now with straight forward and then obviously a Winnipeg roll went into Hamilton.
Hope Hamilton puts up a little bit more of a five than we were expecting.
And then Ottawa coming home. In my opinion, that must win for
the BC Lions. BC Lions cannot be dropping any games right now, especially
to Ottawa at home. Like I said, four great interviews today, we
have a Jeff Hamilton join us from the Winnipeg Free Press. Really appreciate him
making the time, like I said, on a chaotic morning on his part,
Really appreciate that. And then Dan Ralph always making time to come on
the program. Can't wait to see Dan back up. Dan and Jeff probably
back up in Hamilton for the Great Cup this year, and then really appreciate
Francis everyone over at the Montreal Aloettes getting the month of seewell on the program.
And then Matt Baker and I took in a Mariner game here one of
the one loss we have this week to the Anaheim Angels. It's very very
sad that extra innings loss, but spent lots of time hanging out with Matt
and the rest of the BC Lions content team. Really appreciate him setting up
Matthew Bets coming on the program that's going to probably do it for me today.
I do have the article up. I know there were reports out this
week of XFL assistant coaches contracts not being renewed. Obviously, you know the
online stress and kind of discussion and argument that's going to a riots from that,
similar to you know, the XFL losing sixty million. We kind of
lived through all that a few months ago. I will say, genuinely so
happy to be podcasting CFL right now and be talking actual football and not expansion
or hypothetical expansion or hypothetical rebranding through extension. Like really just enjoying talking football
right now. Really enjoying all of our conversations involved with that with the CFL,
but I did want to touch on this today. I asked Andy,
like, do you have any hot takes on this? And you know we've
kind of talked about it in the group chat this week, but I figured
that would give my two cents on here. Article notes XFL assistant coaches facing
uncertainty as contracts wind down. The September twenty second is going to be I
guess the end date for the current contracts of all the assistant coaches and not
the head coaches and not the XFL coordinators, but the assistant coaches. It
sounds like they'll be have benefits paid out through September thirty if the assistant coaches
contracts are set to expire with no clear date set for renewal of their agreements
as the league explores new payment structures. Obviously, you can imagine kind of
the drama and stress to went online when all of these reports came out this
week. To me, I don't know, I don't want to call this
for nothing burger because obviously these are people's lives and careers and trying to get
work. It looks like they can apply for unemployment here in the off season
as early as the new contract could come up as early as November or January,
so they could do the unemployment in the meantime and the next year maybe
they have a different contract in place, and you could be under unemployment for
longer, you know, from maybe potentially May through November. I don't know.
To me, Andy and I have talked about this at nauseum on here
at the seasonal nature of the XFL, and as much as we want them
to operate, it's kind of a three sixty five business right now, I
just don't think that that's proven. We've seen that with the USFL basically go
dark, you know, following their season, except for these NFL the US
develo, the NFL signings, but pretty much go dark in that regard.
Feels like similar here. You know, do we need to keep the assistant
coaches on staff payroll, you know, throughout the year, even if they're
only theoretically working the formats of the year. Obviously I use the air quotes
on that because I believe football staffs work all year. We've had Evan on
here, you know, the director assistant director of player personnel over at the
Vegas Nighthawks. You know, if I don't think football as scouting, football
development, coaching, any of that ever goes into the offseason. But if
your quote unquote theoretically only working four months for the XFL, really kind of
hard to have them to justify paying those contracts right now four twelve months out
of the year. We'll see. Like I said, we've seen similar models
and notes here, driving parallels with the USFLS operational brew planet. The XFL
is contemplating the pay model where assistant coaches would become stage during active periods ranging
from training camp to the ongoing season. That set up the echoes part time
employment more than a full time commitment. Mark had the extra little quote here,
and this is kind of where and I get we got to do clicks
and all that, but the tumultuous scenario evokes concerns, yet also opportunities for
restructuring and revitalization as league evolves to establish a sound operational base that augments these
sports growth trajectory. If I said that right, like I said, I
wouldn't worry too much about it. I think that anything right now that they
feel will justify them. And continuing to hear two a year three, continuing
to give people opportunities, players, staff, coaches, all of that game
day staff, ticket sales staff, the announcers, at the commentators, you
know, the in stadium hosting experience, any of that stuff, anything they
need to do if they feel like Redbird is saying, we need to cut
costs right now to maintain We've seen the USFL go through this. As long
as it doesn't affect you know, the product on the field, I think
we'll be in good hands. Obviously we're going to continue to monitor this,
But I just wanted to give my two cents on that here. Like I
said, didn't feel like there was enough for a full segment today, but
I obviously wanted to share my thoughts on that. So, like I said,
please like and subscribe lots of CFL concept this week. We'll get you
know, continuing on the XML bandwagon right now when news dictates and kind of
justifies that. But like a subscribe, But we'll see at the end.
Mix. Well, this man's had an interesting morning here. I appreciate Jeff
Hamilton coming on. I will say I felt like Leonardo DiCaprio, you know
the meme where he's like sitting on the couch pointing at the TV. I
was watching Zach Colaross post press conference. Was it two weeks ago with the
head butt herd around the world? I that's Jeff Jesse. You know what
are they gonna do? I don't know what they're gonna do. How are
you doing, sir? Yeah? Really good man, Like you said,
a little bit of an adventure this morning with a car collision, but all
in all safe, happy to be on here and looking forward to to talk
him three down football man. It's been a while. I've obviously been listening
and whatnot, but it feels great to be on and uh and talking about
the league. We love covering. Yeah, it's good here. So you
know, life is good in Winnipeg. I wanted to get your thoughts first
on this because I, you know, the Labor Day game was great.
I was able to listen to that. I was filming and I had it
up on my headphones. You know, Winnipeg losing that right and then coming
back and really just kind of kicking the snot out of the Saskatchewan last week.
What did you make of that? You know what? It was?
Personal? It was I don't know how else to explain it. I mean
that was an extremely disappointing loss, as you alluded to, you know,
just seconds ago about the Labor Day Classic, and of course the Pete Robertson
headbut heard round the CFL, and and of course the post game chatter.
I mean, Zach Claris is is a fiery guy, but I've never seen
him that livid, that angry, and of course he was not happy with
the Pete Robertson head butt. And he's been a guy who's been very vocal
about protecting quarterbacks in the league, not doing enough to protect their best players,
and you know, it was it was one of those where it was
like, you know, it was he was really mad about the headbut the
you know, that was personal to him. He's been very vocal about the
CFL and not protecting its best players. So he took that opportunity. But
make no mistake, man, he was incredibly upset about the offensive effort,
the inconsistency. I mean, they still came within a two point convert of
tying that game and pushing it to another, you know, another over time,
and certainly could have won that game, you know, even not playing
at their best. But Zach Claris took the un characteristic step after the game
and addressed the team. Look, this guy is an absolute leaders. He's
the unquestionable leader on the team. But he's a lead by example guy,
so very rarely does he address the team. He addressed the team after the
Labor Day Classic, you know, just said to them. You know,
I'll sum it up pretty much, was, Hey, what an awful game
we played. We did not live up to our standards. We have an
opportunity in a week's time to make things right. We better be taking full
advantage. And you know, the Bombers are so good at at the whole
one and oh process, at the whole boring. You know, we're you
know, we're focused on us and not getting too high with the wins and
not getting too low with the losses. But there was a burning fire in
Zach Claris and the team all week. They just didn't share it. They
took their opportunity at ig Field Saturday afternoon in the Banjo Bowl, and did
they ever answer back. I mean, this is a team that had slow
starts the last four games, and all of a sudden, we look,
okay, first drive one touchdown, second drive two touchdowns. Okay, I
guess they got the memo about the slow starts. By halftime they have gone
six for six and it was nearly a perfect a perfect half. And I
mean there was only nine points scored all by the Bombers in the final two
quarters. But what an answer for them. And I mean not that it
was surprising. I thought that the Riders would have a bit more confidence.
Maybe they had too much confidence. I thought they'd be better off in that
game. But certainly the crowd played played a role and the Bombers just did
an old fashioned ship kicking as we saw. It's weird to me because I
want to talk about BC here in a little bit, but you know,
I don't think that BC has carried loss as well into the next week,
like you know, ricks, Oh, we gotta kind of forget about that.
Like I think you need to carry over some of that sometimes. And
I like hearing that that Winnipeg we played like duty here we want to come
back in. What was weird was you know, at least during the Labor
Day game, Saskatchewan felt like a semblance of our actual football team and like
I Della Galla is going to be good the defense and all this stuff,
and then to completely you know, kind of be locked down here. Whether
you make of Saskatchewan as a football team, you know what, they're so
confusing to me. I just you know, you look at what they've gone
through this year. There's no doubt about it. They've been They've been hit
by the injury bug. I mean, they lost, you know, obviously,
Trevor Harris to what looks like it's probably going to be a season end,
season ending injury. He addressed the media I believe yesterday or a couple
of days ago, and said he hopes to return, but doesn't look good.
You know. Then Mason Fine has a hamstring injury, and then they
get forced on by Jake Dola Galla, who if you talk to a lot
of people in Saskatchewan, they've been calling for this guy to be the quarterback
from you know, maybe not from the beginning. Trevor Harris was certainly the
guy they needed to get. They needed some after last season's debacle. They
needed that position to be consistent, right. I mean, Cody Fajardo he's
doing well in Montreal right now, but he he just was a different cat
last season and by the end of the year, it was just you need
to shore up that position, So getting Trevor Harris was the was the certainly
the answer. I think Jake Dolegal is the future. I like what we
saw from him. I mean, you know, he did not look good
against Winnipeg and they did everything, you know, in their power to stop
him. As a defense, that happens when your offense puts up that many
touchdowns and you're forced to throw the ball. I mean, they would have
thrown their game plan I imagine out the window by the third drive because they
were they were playing catch up. That forces them to throw. And like
I said, i G Field was absolutely booming. It was sold out,
you know, very difficult to deal with the sound, much like the Bombers
were dealing to Mosaics Stadium the week before. That's just very challenging. But
I just don't know what to read on the rough Riders. I came into
the season extremely low on them. I didn't think Craig Dickinson would have a
job by by Labor Day weekend. I thought this was a show me kind
of Well, absolutely was a show me season for Jeremy O Day and Craig
Dickinson. They both don't have contracts for next season and coming off an absolutely
disappointing season. Why where they didn't even make the playoffs in the year they
were hosting the Great Cup. I thought that was you know, that was
going to be the end of them. Now looking at them, you know
at six and six, they were six and five paying into this past weekend.
That's about as good as I thought they would be. Are they a
good team? No? But guess what, the rest of the West sucks?
So they just sit there comfortably in third place in the West at six
and six, and Calgary did themselves no favors Edmonton as well, splitting that
you know, home and home series over the last two weekends. That's about
it. That's exactly what the rough Riders were hoping for. So it just
looks less like this team is all that threatening. I mean, they did
have an impressive showing against Winnipeg, and we know how good the Bombers have
been for years, so you gotta give them credit for that, and you
gotta give them credit for going into BC and beating them, you know,
beating them as well. So you know, I think that you know,
we've certainly seen Oh no, that was actually at home. It was Hamilton
that went into BC and gave them there and took their lunch money. But
still regardless, BC's are really good, talented team. So for them to
go back to back, I think a lot of people were high on them,
thought that perhaps even if they could somehow win last weekend, which they
didn't even closed, that they were in conversations for maybe capturing the West Well
slam. Back to reality, I do not look at this team as a
juggernaut. I don't look at them look at them as a threat. I
look at the Barbers and you know, the BC Lions and a class of
their own, and then the Rough Riders in the mushy middle, and then
the basement being Calgary and Edmonton. So I still don't. I think we're
gonna get a lot of answers, you know, of who this Rough Riders
team is here down the stretch. But my opinion, over the last five
or six games, we're going to see a lot of what we predicted kind
of a five hundred team. They'll get into the playoffs, and I think
they'll be an early exit against the Lions in that in that West semi well.
Because that's my question, and we had some of the BC Lions staff
down here for a Mariners game this week and we were talking, you know,
talking kind of West Finals, and you know, I have been a
frustrated fan a year with BC and some of these very winnable games. Right,
Okay, Winnipeg, that's one thing, but you know, you need
to be Hamilton. You need to be at Saskatchewan here. And I don't
know if Saskatchewan comes into be you know, I don't think BC place is
this like you know, Lions have this incredible home field advantage there, right,
if it'd be different if it was in Saskatchewan, like, I don't
know. I mean last year I saw in Calgary fallow the BC. I
don't know. I mean the Sascatchman kind of gets their head out of their
bat here. It could be kind of different. Yeah, I mean that's
the beauty of the CFL, like that you can change the narrative with one
win each week. I mean, the Edmonton Elks lost their first nine games
and of what, won the last three of their last four games or whatever
it is, and they're in conversation for the East, you know, swing
over. So it's like it really is a week to week thing. And
we're getting to that time though, where it's kind of the pictures, kind
of showing itself. I think the BC Lions are a fascinating team. You
made a point earlier read and I agree with it whole hardly, and I've
been saying it on every interview I have. The BC Lions are incredibly talented.
They have continuity, which is which has been the Bomber's bread and butter
for the last few years. You know, so they have guys who have
been in that locker room for years. The problem is they still are learning
how to win and lose. You know, you need to learn how to
lose, but you also need to learn how to win games. And and
you know, we saw that, you know when the when the Lions you
know, beat you know, put a beat down on on the Bombers in
Week three this season. You know, you had Alexander Hollins, who's been
an absolute stud this year. You know, he's probably you know, far
and away the best, you know best, you know, first year receiver,
surprising receiver this year. But he, you know, he he's posting
on social media four days later, we're gonna, you know, we're gonna
come into your house and do whatever we want. And I just I just
that to me, I just I could never imagine. I mean, I
got to compare him to the Bombers, because that's the team that I cover,
and that's a team that's been the class of the CFL. That would
never happen. There was not a single guy on that locker room who four
days later after a win would be celebrating it. And then what happens.
They go into Toronto and they get their asses kicked, and then they come
back to Winnipeg for the second round and Winnipeg puts up a fifty burger on
them. So to me, it's it's less about, you know, the
talent for them. There's no doubt they have talent. I mean they got
they got great guys on the sixth game I are right now and there's still
a dangerous, lethal team right And I'm a fan of Vernon Adams. I
think he's a good quarterback. I was wishwashy about him earlier in the season,
just because of his inconsistencies. But I think he's got that team,
he's got the respect of that team. He's certainly their leader. It's just
this is a club that I think is gonna need to just be a little
more mature. You know. I know that's not a great thing to say
about a team, but just from what I've seen this season, it's been
there's been some inconsistencies that that get when your head gets a little too big.
And that's the BC Lions for me right now, very talented team.
I would not be I would be worried about them playing them in the playoffs
because it is any given Sunday, right. But at the same time,
they're a team that gets a little bit too emotional at the wrong times and
that's really been the Bomber's bread and butter and why they've been so successful the
last few years. Well, I agree with that a lot. You know,
I said this is either if you can't beat Ottawa at home this weekend,
I mean I would pack up the season and go home. I mean
if I was if I Ottawa might be the new CFL's worst team. We
are we there yet, I think we're there. It feels that way,
and we can talk Ottaway too. It's just like you said, there,
I don't know if there's something in that locker room. I don't know if
it's Rick or you know, I know Ryan Phillips and like if he's not
getting them up. Like it just feels, I don't know, like he's
immature or whatever that they can't you know, the game Toronto, Vernon's throwing
all the picks and like they're freaking out and like, we gotta make a
play. We gotta make a play, you know, winn it peg.
Like you said, they'll start slow, or they'll start down, or they'll
start with we're just gonna march down the field and score. We're just gonna
march on the field. I don't know, BC, like you said continuity,
but they do feel very young and kind of frantic in that way too.
It feels like when the good times are rolling, everything's good right,
everyone's eating right. As long as everybody's eating, everyone's happy, everyone's happy
with what's going on. And when you see certain games with a couple of
weeks ago that you know, and I think it was that Rider's game or
one after that, whatever you had Alexander Hollins again, I don't mean to
pick on him, but he's slamming his helmet down on the sidelines because because
they didn't convert right or they fumbled that ball, and Butler might have fumbled
the ball and so he's sitting there getting angry. You have Lucky Whitehead,
who had had an incredibly slow start to the season, tweeting out peace time
out, you know, and they had to explain what that was, and
it was, you know, it's a frustrated guy who's not getting his you
know, not getting his catches. Lucky has certainly improved over the last months.
He's been getting more of those deep threat passes. He isn't quite the
deep threat that he was even last season, but you know, it's just
again, it just it kind of points back to the immaturity. And you
look at a lot of like their social media and stuff, and they got
great social media Nick Kools. He does a great job out there, obviously
Matt Baker and what they do and bringing the you know, their team to
their community. But it's all like look at me, look at me,
like I'm you know, I'm incredible, Like like you know, it's just
like it's like, might as well be like a hip hop music video every
time they get on. It's just you don't really see a lot of that
in other markets. And while they are definitely, you know, a flashy
team and a top end talented team, you you I question just some of
that composure and some of that maturity when the game really matters, right,
Like, it's great if you can get up on teams and continue to roll
and high five. I mean, it's when you face that adversity in game
that I start questioning maybe some of their antics and some of their maturity,
and why they haven't been able to be maybe as dominant as many people expect
them to be this season. I love Vernon. You know, we've had
him on. He lives not far from from me here, you know,
in the off season. But I just like, in my head, I
can just picture, like, you know, we're in we're in ig Field
here in a couple of months, and we're screaming and it's freezing cold,
and he's just like I can picture that in my head right off him.
Just you know, he like I said, when it's rolling, Vernon's great,
and Vernon's cool, and everyone loves Vernon, but it is you're riding
that roller coaster and it just kind of depends what day you find him out,
if that makes sense. And that's the thing. How many games is
he thrown for like four hundred and something yards and lost? You know what?
I mean, that's like they have an ability they have that's the thing.
They have, the talent that if they get down in games, that
they can claw their way back. They've proven a few times this year they
haven't been been able to get quite over the edge of big deficits. But
just the fact that they put themselves in games where they look nowhere near competing
through the first two quarters is a testament to their talent. I you know,
it is interesting. I think it's one of those those things too.
With the with the Lions is that they have a lot of people that want
the ball right into and some and Winnipeg has the same problem, right they
have guys. When you have guys like Dalton shown, Kenny Lowell or you
know, Nick Demski, Brady Olivera, you know, even guys like Rashid
Bailey and Drew Wiltarski. I mean, there's a lot of targets to go
around, a lot of places to go around. But each and every game,
regardless of how many catches a guy got or if a touch on,
it's always been about the team. You know. It's not even one of
those things where you go in the locker room you can kind of see someone
quietly seething or upset and stuff like that. It's just it just doesn't exist
because at the end of the day, what matters is is winning. And
I mean, as obvious and as cliche as that sounds, it's those teams
that are able to kind of put that in there, you know, the
top of their priority and not talk about individual stats. Individual stats will come
with Winnie, And I think that's the thing the Bombers have been able to
do is and latch onto and be successful by is that understanding that Well,
it might be Kenny Lawler's week one week, it might be Nick Dempski's week.
The next week, it might be Nick Demski was the one he got
one target for eight yards last game, you know, but he but he
led the team with one hundred and twenty yards in the Labor Day Classic laws.
Like you know, it's just going to be different week to week.
And I think that that maturity and that continuity and that leadership group that you
know, you mentioned like Ryan Phillips and some of those guys you know,
and then some of the players out there, like you know, they have
a lot of leaders, right, they have guys that are leaders. It's
just about getting everybody on board. And I'm not trying to make this a
BC Lions have a broken locker room. That's not the case at all.
I just think they have a bit of a different philosophy that one that allows
maybe a few more cracks to come in when it comes when it comes to
those times of adversity in every single game that you play. Yeah, well,
I mean, what happened to the dumb that boys? That was someone
I gonna screw it up. But it went from the Donut Boys, Oh,
the Donut Boys to the fifty Burgers. Yeah it was the Yeah,
so it was you know, and and I played that up to I love
that. I mean, I love that part of the CFL. I'm not
trying to dull the league, right, I'm not trying to have every every
team be a one and oh whatever. You want to see personality, and
certainly there's a lot of personality on BC, but maybe some of the times
that personality gets in the way a little bit. In terms of Winnipeg here,
your team going into Hamilton, they're having a rough season, is probably
be an understatement. And I had said in the pre game our CFL pregame
here many many weeks ago, I said, it feels very similar to Aaron
Rodgers going into the Jets here. We got believe I going in and both
here injuries for older quarterbacks. What do you make Winnipeg coming. I don't
know if there's a world where Winnipeg loses this game, But what are you
what are you making of the matchup? You know what I'm with. I
think it's a beat down. Like I think there was a bit of a
lesson learned from the Labor Day Classic, and I don't think it was a
one week lesson. I think this is you know, them priming down the
stretch here and they want to be playing their best football and they want to
be locking up the West. I mean, that's their ticket, right You
talk about BC plays, the comfortable confines of BC plays, and you know,
although I'm sure there's some teams I would like to play there versus Calgary
Winnipeg outdoors in November, that's the ultimate advantage when it has is their crowd
and there, you know, and the fact that they have players have been
around for years and have played with in that cold. So anyways, I
think they're going to be motivated for sure this week it's not forgotten on them.
Last season they were going, you know, they were riding high and
high and went into Hamilton's last year and Dane Evans had the game of his
life. I think he threw five touchdowns. And I've never seen Mike O'Shea
that angry after a game, and so I don't think it's lost on them
what they did. I think Hamilton is really Hamilton's should be a much better
team than they are based on their on their roster. They remind me of
the twenty seventeen Toronto Argonauts who as you as you know, went on to
win the Great Cup that year. They bought a team in the offseason.
They brought all these big names, you know, brought all these big names,
managed to keep you know, a lot of their stars brought on Bowlie
by Mitchell. I always thought that was a mistake. No offense to bow
but I just felt I was expecting to see him in a TV booth,
not behind center this season. But certainly, I think the Bombers are going
to be motivated. They gave up a game against the Riders that put them
in a position, you know, where they can't really have many more mistakes.
As if they want to clinch the West as early as they have the
last couple of seasons. So I see a massively motivated team. And while
Taylor Powell has done some some cool things with with with with BOLIVI I out
and to be honest with you, man, I think that the quarterbacking with
all the injuries, has been a blessing this season because they were seeing a
lot of young guys. I just don't think that it's going to be the
Taylor Powell led Hamilton tiger Cats that that teach the Bombers another lesson this season.
Yeah, what do you make of that? You know, we've had
you know, Crum and he's kind of, you know, it was kind
of high and a little bit of a crash, and Taylor Powell and then
obviously you know, Trey Forward is seeing that and we've talked to hell gout
like, do you it feels like it's kind of a new ushering hair.
I absolutely love it, And that's exactly what it is. In my opinion.
I think it's a new ushering of the new age quarterbacks. And I
was writing about this during the offseason and certainly leading up to the to Week
one was the CFL has a quarterback problem, you know what I mean,
Like you had guys like Bowlie by Mitchell signing for three years after horrendous two
seasons, like the fact that they thought like and that's kind of the media
and you know, and and hyping up guys and putting them at the top
of their trade, you know, free agent lists and whatnot. I mean,
I know Bo wasn't a free agent. Hamilton went after him and got
his rights at the end of the last season, but you know, it
just it looked like they were just recycling, you know. And then Trevor
Harritts goes over to Saskatchewan to save them, and then Cody Fajardo heads over
to Montreal, and then Vernon Adams is back in the see and well,
friend of Adams, I don't necessarily put with the rest of that group.
I think he still has a lot to you know, I still think he's
got a lot in the engine. Is certainly a prolific and entertaining quarterback.
I just felt like it was just a bit dull. And the reality is
is that without those injuries, the coaches don't make those decisions like the like,
you know, I talked to Craig Dickinson and the labory. I've talked
to other coaches, Jason Moss, like other guys, how about how conservative
head coaches are in giving guys, you know, backups opportunities because at the
end of the day, like you ride or die with your quarterback, and
if you're if you're if you're a coach and you're trying to make the playoffs
and keep your job, and you know, if you're in the last year
year contractor and the you know, one more year remaining and you're looking for
an extension, like you need results. So it's it's a it's a gutsy
move to go to an inexperienced guy. But here we are in Ottawa.
It took it took injury to Jeremiah Massoli, it took Nick Arbuckle to continue
to suck. It took Tyree Adams to tear his ACL and now we got
dust and Crumb, who well has certainly showed some you know, some mistakes,
an inconsistent season his first year. It's his first season in the CFL.
Like this guy hasn't had a ton of time. But you look at
the comfort and I say that about Taylor Powell, I say that about Caleb
Evans, who played well with Cody Fajardo out of the lineup. I say
that with Jake Dolagala, I say that with Drew Brown and Winnipeg like we
now have, Like it's gonna be a fascinating offseason as teams retool and figure
out their their futures. Because you know, I don't think Jeremy Miamisoli comes
back just because of you know, the back to back injuries and just how
difficult it was for him to get back from from his knee injury. I
don't know if he's got the ability to come back from achilles. I wish
him the best, and you know, I hope, I you know,
hope he proves me wrong. But I just don't see it. Trevor Harris
is getting upwards of forty years old, Like you know what I mean,
Like like is he going to be the right answer? Like do you want
to go back to a guy? I know they're really high on him.
I seen him around Mosaic. I mean he's hugging team personnel and whatever they
like when he brings. But is he the right football move to me?
And and and that's to assume that Craig Dickenson and Jeremy Day or even gonna
be in the building next year to even make that decision. So I mean,
they obviously have a commitment to him. In football, you can bail
any time. But that's an interesting one, and you know, so I
think there's gonna be. Whereas at the beginning of the season it looked like
there were too many old retreads from team to team, there now looks like
it's an exciting off season of quarterbacks. And I'll be very curious, you
know, of the nine teams and who their starters are. Because I like
Jake Mayor two he hasn't had a great game in Calgary. I wouldn't be
given up. I wouldn't be given up on him just yet. But at
the same time, I you know, I also wouldn't look at his job
and say it's all that secure either. Trevor Harris is older than me,
which is insane. The things that I and I very nearly tore something and
then I very nearly tore something in the back of my leg filming the wedding
this year, walking on gravel, So I like God forbid, you know,
I mean, it it happens us last thing before we get out of
here at Edmonton here coming in Saskatchewan. You know, Okay, bouncing back
maybe, but you know, Trey Forward's got a lot of momentum there.
What are you making of that? One? Man? I really like Trey
Ford. I just, you know, like, I think it looked like
he learned how to throw last week and add that to his arsenal. So
i've, you know, I've I think. I mean it's crazy. I
mean, I'm not the first person to say this, and I won't be
the last. I can't believe the Elks, you know, talk about being
conservative. You know you went with Taylor Cornelius. Yes, you committed money
to him, but you stayed with him that long because you felt like he
was your best option and you did. Chris Jones obviously did not want to
hand the ball to a Canadian, you know, quarterback who hasn't had a
lot of experience. He didn't want to go down with that ship after already
losing, right and now here we are, He's given this team of fighting
chance to maybe even make the playoffs. So I think they're gonna make the
playoffs. Absolutely not, But I do think they're headed in the right direction.
I think it's it's one of those games where you know both teams are
going to be up. Both teams feel pretty desperate. Like the Riders are
not well, they're comfortably in third place. They lose to Edmonton and all
of a sudden, it's a little bit more reachable. At the same time,
if if the Riders can, if the Riders can beat the lowly Elks
as we've called them all season, they put themselves in a great spot.
They just separate, they continue to separate themselves, and and and so there's
a lot to play for from both sides. But if you're asking me,
and you are, I'm going with the Elks this week. I think the
Elks come in, they ride their momentum, they ride their confidence. It's
nothing to lose. They're playing playoff football two weeks ago, so they might
hit fatigued by the end of the regular season if they can do it.
But at this point in time, I think they're They're super desperate. And
the way the way that Trey Ford is playing, I just like him a
bit more than than the Jake Delgalla led Riders. Yeah, I mean it
went from Chris Jones needs to be fired and this is you know, how
quick can we get the salary calf on all of this? And now it's
like many elks actually looked pretty good. So Chris Jones just got to stop
being GM. Yeah, I mean I think he's he's a great talent.
With alluett, I think he's proven to be a bad GM. You know,
he's a good head coach. We could probably do a little less than
the turnover, but you know, players respect them, all players for the
most part. I haven't heard a single guy say they don't like them,
even if they've been cut. But it's it's the too many roles, man,
that's the problem in Edmonton. Well, Jeff, I appreciate it.
You're making the time today with everything going on. We'll see you, I
assume here in Hamilton's and we'll see you Winnipeg and INBC what could be exciting,
But we'll see you in November at the minimum. I really appreciate your
time to that. Yeah, I read. Thanks so much, man.
It's always a blast hanging out and talking three down football with you. Well,
here we are back. We had this gentleman on during our kickoff.
I believe for the CFL we have Dan Ralph here hopefully we'll be seeing you
back up here in Hamilton in a very short time. How are you doing,
sir? Everything's great, fun time of year. Yeah, well you
said that you like this time of year because everything seems to matter more.
I mean they've told us, you know, games don't matter until after labor.
They what are your thoughts right now? We're walking into the fifteen of
the CFL. Yeah, I mean we're starting to see some really interesting trends
now with two t having clinched, and then this weekend the Toronto Argonauts have
an opportunity to clinch first in the East, and then you're gonna have you
know, playoff runs for second, third and the respective divisions, and also
you know the potential crossover, which is something we always go through. And
then we also see on an individual basis some of the you know, the
players separate themselves in the in the respective individual honors races. So yeah,
it's it's a fun time. I mean, I'm still figuring out where the
heck the summer went. But then in November I'm going to be sitting there
wondering where the heck the season went, because everything just goes by so fast.
Well, and it seems like to me, it seems to be clicking
a little bit more. I mean, we entered all of this through the
COVID year and then it kind of slows start. I mean it feels like
back on track. There's not there hasn't been a lot of like weird,
controversial or weird, and it seems like it's been a pretty copasetic safe season
here and growing through. Yeah, so far, you know, it's been
a very we've been able. And I say that because there's talk of a
new variant coming into Canada and uh, you know, who knows. Let's
let's hope, but yeah, it's been nice to just concentrate on football and
not have to worry about all the other stuff. And you know, crowds
in Hamilton and are solid, it seems, and crowds in Toronto seem to
be on the upswing, which is you know, a nice thing to see
as well. So yeah, let's hope it stays that way. I mean,
for the sake of the Hamilton Gray Cup festival. Two years ago they
had the Gray Cup and couldn't have a normal Gray Cup with all the fan
activities because of the pandemic. And so now they're they're hosting the game again
for the second time, and they have, you know, lavish plans for
a terrific festival, and here's hoping that they're allowed to go ahead with it.
Yeah, we're I guess supposed to have someone on from the festival here
soon. They had said to me to kind of promote anything interesting you're hearing
from that. I'll be honest, I haven't really concentrated. I'll concentrate more
on it as we get closer to break cup. That's kind of where I'm
at. Yeah, you know, I mean, it's funny. Social media
is the bane of my existence. But everybody and their brothers been you know,
all summer touting player A, B, C and d as you know,
the front runners for the respective individual awards, and I don't even begin
thinking about it untill now. And I'll be honest, I haven't really seriously
thought about it, and I will as we get closer. But yeah,
I mean, as we get closer to break up, same sort of deal.
I'll start looking at some of the other things and fingers crossed that they're
able to they're able to have a normal break up in terms of Toronto here.
Obviously, I think that's one of the more market games this week and
the Friday game going into Montreal. I'll get your thoughts on Montreal separately,
but obviously Toronto kind of historic run right now. We had my Cogan on
last week kind of categorizing that what do you make of them? What they've
been able to get together. They've they've been very, very impressive, and
they're ten and one right now, and I could make the argument they could
ideally be eleven. And oh if if Chad Kelly doesn't get hurt in that
game against Calvary because it was only a seven point to a seven point game
or sorry, a three point game at that point when he left. So
yeah, I mean they're they're really you know, the thing that impresses me
the most about them is they're strong on offense, they're strong on defense,
and then they've got really good special teams. So if one game, you
know, the defense is allowed thirty plus points, they have an offense that
can put up thirty five and sort of you know, hide that and if
the offense is struggling, they can win ugly with the defense and a you
know, in a timely return from Javon Leake, who's who has a club
record four print return touchdowns this year. So I just think they can beat
you so many ways. And if all three, you know, all three
phases haven't clicked at the same time, to me, that that proposition is
a little scary about what damage they can do if all three phases of their
game are clicking simultaneously. But they've got you know, they've got three elements
to their attack that are very, very potent, and now at any given
time, one of those three can take over a game. Not looking too
far ahead like we said, but you know, Gray Cup here, you
know, presumed a favorite in the East, and I want to get your
thoughts on Montreal, but you know, last year we were there and that
you know, it felt to me like an upset that Toronto. You know,
Toronto comes in and you know, all this stuff with McLeod and Jack
Kelly and everything, like a very different just opinion of this team going into
the you know, kind of the end end game of the season. That
that means. Yeah, well it's funny Winnipeg and Toronto meet later on down
the stretch and that's the game that I'm really looking forward to because it could
be another Gray Cup preview and at the beginning of the year, I really
said I wouldn't be surprised if those two teams made it again, and I
fully expect, you know, I'll reiterate, I fully expect to Winnipeg Toronto
break up again in twenty twenty three. I mean, I'm sure the BC
Lions in Montreal Alo Wets will have something to say about that, and and
we'll see where they are, where both teams are in terms of injuries.
But right now, I don't think there's a doubt in my mind that they're
the top two teams. And you know, I fully expect to see them
in November. And that's the thing, you know, we we talked.
We do our Monday recaps right now, and we can't figure out, like
are Montreal Outletts second in the East? Like are they a good team?
All right? What do you think I think? Well, I will say
this, I think, I mean, they've lost three straight and so three
weeks ago, I was marveling at the job that Jason Moss had done with
that team. And I still think, if you know they're to me,
they're the second best team in the East. There's I don't think I don't
think there's a doubt and and I like the way they match up against Toronto.
It's just that they never been able to to put it together. I
mean last week, you know, they got beat thirty nine ten. They
had four turnovers, some really costly penalties, not the least of which was
Austin Mack being ejected for his involvement in the melee in the first quarter,
which took away their biggest playmaker. So I still am waiting for the Alouettes,
like Toronto, to put it all together. They hold the promise to
me of being a very very good football team. I mean, they've taken
care of business in the East Division. The only team that they've lost to
so far is Toronto. So I mean, to me, they're they're the
number two team. But until they start beating a Winnipeg or a Toronto and
or maybe even a BC, then I think they're in that that second tier.
And but to me, they're they're they're a bona fide playoff team and
they're a team that if Toronto plays in the East Final, they'll they'll be
prepared because that team, you know, is made to be successful in cold
weather with his ability to run football. It's just funny we talk, you
know, like Montreal is really good unless they have to play BC when they're
Beeg or Toronto. It's yeah, that's what I mean. There's there's that
second tier, right, we're the best of the tier two. We've seen
Cody, you know, obviously from Saskatchewan go over. We had him back
on the show a couple weeks ago and he you know, was heard and
then came back and kill them Evans and there was you know, it was
like the short week and he came back and then he had a whole week
and they still lost. Like in terms of Cody with this team, is
he's still a boni fire kind of superstar here? Like what do you make
of his presence in the CFL. Well, I still think he's a good
starter. But I mean, and I think maybe it could make the argument
that sometimes he holds onto the ball way too long because he had a problem
with sacks last year with Saskatchewan and Montreal has a problem giving up sax again
this year. And you know, what's the what's the common denominator there?
And in both instances it's Cody and and and sometimes you know, he's either
got to get rid of the ball and settle for what he can get,
or take what the defense is giving, or throw it away. And you
know, I just and you know, if the more hits he takes,
the more appt he is to get hurt. And if he gets hurt,
then I think they're not as good a team without him as they are with
him. So I still think he's a decent cful starter. I think he's
a bona fide cful starter. But sometimes you know the best option is to
live to play another down rather than go for the whole inch Alada. But
having said that, if I had Austin mac as a receiver, maybe I
would hold onto the ball too. It's as hard like I think, you
know, obviously we were expecting a lot kind of this year with him moving
in and there was all the drama with the Scotchwan. I don't know.
I mean, I like the outlett player, I said second in the East,
like there's something wrong there where it feels like we're walking into this East
final buzz saw regardless. Yeah, I agree, I mean I think there's
the I think they're, you know, among the better teams in the East.
We'll see this weekend, you know, I mean, even if they
beat Toronto. Toronto's won the season series, so I would still expect Toronto
to be to be the favorite at home in November, especially given that the
Argos can run the ball too. The Artgos have you a running quarterback.
Alouettes have a semi you know, semi mobile quarterback. So I yeah,
I would I would like that matchup. But I would still take Toronto nine
times out of ten. In terms of East teams here Hamilton, you know,
kind of on live support, and I wanted to talk Ottawa as well,
but you know, coming in and they eat out the win in Ottawa
last week. I talk about expectations for the season, kind of just following
apart here and you know, we still I guess, I guess be Levi
as you waiting in the wings or whatever, But what have you made of
this is the whole experiment this year? Very I meaniative kind of the New
York Jets here with Aaron Rodgers and injuries. Well, in a perfect world,
I would have said, and I wrote it yesterday. In a perfect
world, Taylor Powell would have been given in the opportunity to watch from the
sidelines and see how bo Levi and Matt Schultz played the game and adjust slowly
to the nuances of Canadian football. Instead, injuries have sort of thrust him
into the limelight. And I mean, the kid has done well, you
know, considering he's a he's a bona fide rookie, considering he's never played
Canadian football before coming up here, and you know, and he showed me
some moxie last week, where in fact, that whole team did where you
know, they were coming off you know, they're they're playing their second game
in four days and they beat an Ottawa team that was coming off of bye.
So I mean, you know, I think that the one thing Hamilton
has shown this year's resiliency. And you know, they go into BC and
get a big win against the Lions when me and others did not see it
coming. And you know, they go in on four days notice, play
a team that's more arrested, and you know they eco to win. So
I mean, they've been resilient. You know, I think I don't see
them finishing second. I see them at best finishing third and h and having
to go on the road in the playoffs. So I do see them as
there's the number three team in the East there's no doubt there. You know,
you talk resilient like, because there's been calls you know for like more
even more staffing changes than they've had in Hamilton's and you know it's really last
year was kind of a failure and you know, coming off of the Gray
Cup and you know, appearance and everything like, I just don't know really
went to make there. I mean, obviously they made the big swing this
year. I don't know. It's kind of like with Ottawa. You know,
what is bob Dy's supposed to do and mis Holly and everything, and
we'll get to them, but you know, the Hamilton has been dealt to
really difficult hand here. Yeah, I mean they put all the leggs and
to me, they put their eggs in the bow league basket and uh,
you know, and unfortunately he's been hurt twice and that's not really you know,
and that's really a big blow when your number one quarterback plays you know,
let's say three or three games of your of your twelve so far,
and your number two has been hurt most of the year and you're starting a
bona fide CFL rookie at quarterback and so yeah, I you know, I
think, like I said, they've been resilient. And you know, I
like Tommy Condell as a person, I like him as an offensive coordinator,
but obviously they had to make a change. They're there, and I like,
you know, the the promotion of Scott Milanovitch to play to play caller.
He's got, you know, a good CFL coaching pedigree, He's handled
offenses, he's won Gray Cups. He's you know, he's he's to me,
I think he's he's certainly going to step in and give them experience and
a good base from which to call players. It's just you know, you
just hope that he can, you know, he can turn that offense around.
And the problem I see with the Tie Cats is their offensive line.
I mean Ed figure Row, who are you know who was a big addition.
Figerow was a big addition to them in the off season and unfortunately he's
been hurt most most of the year. And you know, there's you know,
they've had some issues establishing the run now of late James Butler has has
really done well. And uh but you know, they lost you know,
they lost some some key components in the off season and you know, we'll
see we'll see. I mean, you got a rookie quarterback and we'll see.
Let's just leave it. Well, I mean Butler has kind of been
a revelation there, and I mean there really is a lot sometimes the only
thing that seems like they can do on offense sometimes that yeah they like and
you hear you know, the commentators, and while they're trying to get away
from you try to establish the run game and you'll get away from maybe I
guess the old Jean Jones stuff up there and be a little bit more offensive
that way. It just doesn't real likely have much of an identity. And
I think they had obviously, like you said, a lot wrapped into we're
going to bring in moo Levi and have this superstar quarterback and it all kind
of falls apart. Yeah, I like the addition of Butler in the offseason.
I thought he was a really really solid player with BC last year,
and he showed against his former team that he can be a dominant running back.
And you know, it's funny, Hamilton hasn't had a one thousand yard
receiver or a thousand yard rusher since something like two or nine, two ten,
And I think this guy gave them a bona five thousand yard rusher,
and I think he will hit one thousand yards on the ground, which is
something they haven't had in a long long time. In terms of the Ottawa
team, kind of this was a must win really with Hamilton coming in,
and what do you attribute that too? I mean, we had this little
sugar rush of the dust and crime and then it's all fallen apart. Now,
yeah, you know, I mean I like the dust and crumb story.
And I think what he's done is he has at least kept that team
in games, you know. I mean they've lost I think five or six
in a row, but take a look they you know, they haven't been
blown out at all. If if they have been, it hasn't been often.
He keeps them in the game. But I think the thing that that
I keep coming back to is that I really don't see I haven't seen a
really consistent passing game from him. He runs, he runs well, He's
as good a running quarterback as you're going to find it. I think he
anchors a pretty good ground game. But the thing is they get behind and
you know, and I think they show, they show their awards when they
can't, you know, throw the ball consistently to come back. And last
week, this is the one thing that I drew from it. Nate Bahar,
They're Canadian receiver, early last week, went on record and called the
te cast dirty on defense. They said that they you know that they played
dirty and made that insinuation. And I really, you know what, I
really questioned a the timing and be the logic of that. Because he was
playing a team that was coming off such a very short turnaround. Why would
you give them incentive to win and more incentive to win, especially after a
very physical loss against Toronto? And to me, I really I thought that
that could come back and bite him and them, and it did because Hamilton,
to me, played inspired football, kept it close and then found a
way at the end to go ahead and to take the win. And to
me, you don't give your opponent more incentive to come into your stadium and
deal your playoff aspirations a severe blow. That's interesting. I missed that story
this week. I must not have seen that with it. Yeah, it
was it was Tuesday. Tim Ban's the ottowas Son did a nice job of
writing it, and uh, you know, I I just I questioned the
logic of Bihar. You know, if you believe that and if you think
that, that's one thing. But to me, you keep it quiet because
you don't you know that goes out there and that that to me is prime
bolton board material. And you don't want to give an opponent that's that's hurting
and as tired, you know, the the extra incentive to rise above that
adversity. I like that. I like that, a little bit of locker
room and drave I like that. I like that. As a reporter,
I looked at I went, oh, Tim, you dode go go with
it, Go with it. In terms of Ottaway, you know, it's
like to be back to back years now and we have the Azzoli's have last
year and obviously again this year, and I don't know, you know,
obviously we got rid of Lappa last year and Bob Dice comes in and now
he's got all this and deal like, I don't know who, you know,
who would maybe write the ship better in this situation, Like what do
you what does Ottaway do next year? Because obviously this season is kind of
a watch. How do you how do they rebound? Well that's a really
good question, and I think a healthy Jeremiah Moz only might help because I
mean, you know, in close games, you've got a guy who's been
there, done that. Now having said that, he's missed two straight years
with season ending injuries and and he's getting older. But I mean, I
don't I don't bet against that guy. He has shown time and time again,
in my humble opinion, that he can overcome, and he can He'll
be back on the field in twenty twenty four. I think that's a starting
point. If he's healthy. He is, he's a very very good quarterback.
I think Dustin Crum becomes your number two and he's benefited from from all
this, all this, you know, being thrown into the limelight. And
you know, I just I like their defense. I just wonder sometimes if
that defense is just getting beat into submission and as on the field way too
much. And you know, and and Ottawa seems to they don't lose games
as much as they run out of time, right, and so they're in
it. I've sat there and I've seen multiple games now where Crumb has put
the team on us back in the fourth quarter and either forced overtime and won
there or come close to, you know, to forcing overtime or securing the
win, and I think, you know, the more experience he gets that
that helps him. But you know, let's let's not forget he is there
arguably their third or their fourth quarterback on the depth chart when they started the
season. So you know, the fact that he's starting suggests that there's there's
been problems at that position. We I think it was earlier in the season
we had Nailer on and talking about how the secondary, the backup quarterback situation
in most teams in the CFL now is kind of involved to just be in
the short yardage person, right, there's not a lot of learning there.
And we've seen so much this season all these quarterbacks, like you said,
Taylor Powell kind of being thrown in and Dustin crumt Obviously injuries you know,
have occurred. To make that half of it. You just swished there was
a way for some of these guys because I've just heard for years, oh,
you know, it takes three years to really learn the CFL game,
and it's you know, you can't just come in and there was some way,
you know, We've we've talked to Vassie. You want to have a
quarterback academy like the XFL does where we kind of work with some of these
guys, like something to get these guys more up to speed than just baptizing
with fire here in the middle of the game. Right, Yeah, it
makes you wonder, right, And I'll be honest, I don't know what
the answer is. I do know, excuse me, a lot of guys
this year, if you've given them the opportunity that they've shone with it.
And I look at trey Ford and Edmonton. Here's a guy who was,
you know, firmly tied to the bench until until hit you know, basically
else had no choice but to start him, and they're they've they've won all
three games with him at quarterback. So and then I look at Saskatchewan.
I mean, they're on their number three guy too, and don' gallas seems
to be playing very very well. So the only team I thought that was
really good at the backup position to start the year, the only teams up
for BC with Dane Evans and Hamilton with with Schiltz, and I hold my
breath with Toronto because behind behind Chad Kelly there's there's no dearth of CFL experience
and and I you know, I mean that kid, to me, has
has been a godsend for the Argos, and if Heaven forbid something happens to
him, they become a vastly different football team. But yeah, you're right,
I don't know what the answer is. I really don't, and I
wish I knew, because you know, it seems to be. It seems
to be if you get past the team's starting quarterback, there's there's a noticeable
drop off with the backup guy. Well because even with you know, obviously
Tray Forwards, it has had the experience of playing youth sports, right and
where maybe that made they transition a little bit better. Yeah, Della Gallis,
you know, I don't even know where he was born, somewhere somewhere
in America, but uh, you know it's in New York whatever. Anyway,
Yeah, I mean there's something to be said for that where, you
know, and maybe now after this year, maybe next year there'll be a
dearth of great quarterback played from some of these guys. Because I remember we
had Steve simmons on and he said it was right after the crum sanity kind
of thing, and he goes, yeah, it was the most exciting week
end of the CFL a year, but like, I don't know if that
was a good thing or a bad big year just kind of had a lot
of erratic where you know, sometimes the results are there and you know,
it's kind of you're getting your sugar rush and you're not worried about kind of
the long term. Like what does that mean? I don't know, you
know, he and Steve was right, like, I mean, it's always
neat when when a young kid comes off the bench and sparks a team to
a you know, a thrilling victory, and then the next week the team
that they're playing has film on the kid and all of a sudden, he
looks he looks rather ordinary, right, So, and that's the thing I
found with Taylor Powell, for example, poll that you know, I mean,
he came on, he did well in his in his first appearance.
Then he had you know, some as teams getting more familiar with him than
it's harder for him to do the things that he he did well in the
first game. But I mean last week he showed me something with with with
his ability to keep on to keep Hamilton's close and then you know, and
then lead them over the top. And you know, three hundred yard performance
for a rookie's always impressive. Well, Dan, I appreciate it making the
time today. You know, it should be good games this weekend. We'll
be up in Hamilton. I'm sure we'll see you there. I'm trying to
get you on. We'll do our show again. We have our whole crew
coming up this year. We have a team. Anything else from you,
anything you're looking forward to this week? I'm yeah, I think I said
Ed Figaro when I was meant to talk about Joel Figueroa. I think I
got Ed mixed up with with a baseball pitcher player. Yeah, so it
was Joel Figaro. But no, you know what I'm looking forward to seeing
Toronto is going to be my you know, some Robertson Daniel in their secondary
and Curly Curly Guitton's junior in the offense when they play Montreal. So you
know, those are two two starters and two big players, and you know,
so they got a little bit of adversity going into Montreal, and uh
so we'll see I uh, you know, I wonder if clinching this early
is a boon or a or a bad thing for them, because you know,
now all of a sudden. You got, you know what, six
weeks of not meaningless games, but they mean more to your opponents. And
now you're playing, you're playing guys hoping not to not to get them hurt.
And so you know, I don't know about being able to you know,
turn around with the light switch. So you know, I'd like to
see them clinch. But then that creates a whole new, you know,
bunch of problems for head coach Ryan Didnwoody. That is interesting because it's kind
of like when the Chiefs do that when they always like they always lock up,
like AFC one seed or whatever, and they got, we're gonna stay
you always, you know, Rats versus Austin. You know, one week
is fine, like you said, six weeks or whatever is vastly different there.
And I don't know, yeah, do you I mean, just Chack
Kelly touched the field for the next month, so and I think he does.
But how much you know? And when? And so do you do
you give the backups, you know, the start and the ball will play.
And like right now, this this offense seems to be running like a
willow machine. What happens when you take some of the key parts out and
I mean, like I said, I've never been a proponent of offense is
being able to flip the switch. So it's it's a problem, but I
think I think Coach Dinwoodie will tell you it's not a bad problem. That's
not a bad problem. That all right, Dannel, I appreciate it.
Stay safe, We'll see you soon. Be well, thank you. Well
here we are. I think I've actually been trying to get you on the
show since last year with Francis and where everyone over at the Montreal Autlettes.
We have a Montacy. Well here, how are you doing, sir?
I'm doing good. How's they by doing? We're good, excited at Montreal,
you know, fan, we're that's our East team here in the CFL.
You guys have a big game Friday. Francis wanted to make sure.
I mentioned at BMX night there's going to be special like get it up discounts
and things like that. A big game for you guys. How's the team
looking forward to it? Teams looking really very good. Really, I mean
we're looking forward to it to see what's gonna happen next. You know,
it was pretty embarrassing last game. We are aware of up so you know,
it's excited to go back out there and get a second chance. You
don't get those two things a lot, play them back to back. In
terms of your life right now with the season, how's everything going for you?
It's okay, I can't ask some more. You know, we're in
a We're in a very good position right now as far as football wise go.
You know, you just have to take one game at a time.
You know, we're controlling our destiny right now. In terms of, like
you said, coming off some rough games, how does the how do you
guys, and how does the team kind of you know, the cope we're
kind of moved through that. How do you process that? You just got
put on you and what's got go back to work, figure out what went
wrong? The only thing you could do it right, I mean, it's
just it was it was embarrassing, like everybody just gotta take that one on
chin and just you know, figure out what went wrong. But just the
game plan and get ready for this week. Embarrassing In what way? How
do you view it? This embarrassing? You got blown up because to stop
a nosebleed if we tried to, So it was just one of those things
right there. And I have plenty of those in my in my playing career,
and you know the best way to come back from those is to go
back out there and hit them back with that same thing that they hit us
with last week. Try to get them back in terms of, you know,
kind of the scouting report on the Argos tough team, what do you
guys view with that, and how do you kind of take it upon yourself
here to kind of be a part of strong defense. I mean, they
will put together team, you know, like they use everybody, and it's
not just one guy is always a key guy on their roster. They use
everybody in the receiving corps. All those guys are hawks, all acts to
block at some period of time. Usually you know, you know where your
breakers are coming from, and that's the receivers coming out of there blocking the
d N blocking d tackle use all their receivers to do that stuff. So
it's one of those things right there you could almost like anticipate with a lot
of teams. With this team right here, it very semboled me make mistakes.
So you gotta like you have to be on your p's and q's,
make sure you know where your players are. You know, then when he
has those guys over there all tuned in. So it's one of these things
right here. You have to do your job. If you do your job,
you'll be all right. And the weather's how how impressed it has has
the argo has been this year. I mean it's certainly one of the you
know them or Winnipeg one of the top teams. How do you view them?
Just overall kind of in the CFL, and they won a great cup
last thing. They retained a lot of their players, right, so you
know, I mean there was always the big the big if with them already
gonna be as good as last year, because you know, with Betha being
gone, you didn't wouldn't think that Chad Kelly will be playing this good.
But you know here we are right now, and he rarely makes mistakes,
I mean a guy. And their offensive line is pretty good too as well.
What they lead the league and least amount of sex by by quite a
big margin. So it's one of those things right there. We keep looking,
you're looking and looking like man, you know you have a chance to
get back. They actually caught something, but guy always seem somebody to get
rid of the ball so fast. All right, Yeah, scouting report on
Chad. Like you said, coming off last year, I didn't really know
what to expect. How do you kind of process that and to kind of
internalize what you need to do? You processed like you know, like you
know, you have to what you see, what you see every week,
right, you know, they have just go off what you see at the
moment. But now he's put it together enough games right now we're actually looking
like you know, have like a decent report on him. He's just sav
a guy. You know, he actually played. It's not a lot of
young guys you actually say that could play. Though. You know, you've
been a part of the CFL for a really long time. What is it
you know about the league? About everything that kind of keeps you motivated,
It keeps you coming back because I mean you've been years now. Yeah,
you know, as a competition man, it's heavy year. It changes.
No I'm a I'm a I'm a competitor, So I want to go out
there. I want to smash them heads. You know. It's just this
is one of those things and especially at the position I play, I can't
I can't necessarily avoid context. So so yeah, I knew you were getting
work done here when we were calling trying to set up by how is the
body feeling? How's everything going? A body's good. Just routine maintenance.
That's all I take care of myself. So that's not you. That's that's
actually the key writer to keep playing for so long. You gotta take care
of yourself. What do you what do you do to take care of yourself?
What's your routine? Get up? You know if I need a dry
needle and I feel like I need dry needle and just keep my muscles loose.
If I had to go get a massage, to get one at least
one a week, so you know, you got you buying nice and lose.
They all make sure you're not all stiff, and you know that's how
you got's how you get them getting hurt. In terms of kind of the
home and home here is you're you're they're playing at BAM last week. What's
it like going in there? I mean, obviously, you know it's kind
of been a joke for a couple of years here argos and attendance, but
the team's doing good that yal fan base. What's it like going in there?
Yas, that's a little different but you gotta create that own atmosphere for
your own self, right. I mean if a team, you know,
if they don't have anybody at the stay, and that's okay, your own
Ye, that's you gotta make it home, you know, you gotta make
you gotta make your own atmosphere. You gotta come bring out your own excitement,
your own energy on the sidelines. I mean, ye, that fairly
decent crowd out there last when we were there just now, so you know,
that's that's good. You know here in Montreal, we always have a
sold out crowd in this place. It's always better. Well, yeah,
so I was gonna ask, so obviously you know this week and if they
sent over, it's gonna be the BMX as student tickets at twenty dollars bureau
be sold at five dollars. Talk about yeah, just that, you know,
because you guys do have a very loyal fan base, very loud.
We've got the you know, the horns and everything else there. What do
you make of the Montreal home crop. It's very loud, man, that's
all. You know. It's it's one of those rare sights in the in
the CFL where you don't see a lot of packed out savum. You know,
they love their football over here in Quebec, so it's always nice that
you're playing at home. Do you enjoy that the camaraderie of the kind of
the CFL with the fan base, and then you know it's a smaller league,
it's more intimate, right, It feels like the fans have a greater
connection to the players and kind of access, if that makes sense. Oh
yeah, absolutely, I mean I was exposed to that the whole time I
was out West, right, I mean this own league, protrusional league in
the world really where everybody is just saying, you know, fans are so
close and all interconnected. You get as close as you want, you know,
you could you could get to know, you know, people outside out
of the outside of like the organization. You have to just be around the
same players over and over and over. Like my some of my better friends
and Alberta, I met them through me own fans regularly, just foreign fans,
and to this day it's still my friends. In terms of Montreal,
this year, a lot of excitement, right, Cody coming in and ownership
and it just seems to kind of revitalization here on the East. Have you
felt that and how do you kind of how does the team kind of internalize
that where where's still going? You know, and it's just like a one
of those things that you know where you know, Cody came in, you
know he's Cody is a good leader. You know, I came in.
You know, he told us, you know, we're gonna we're gonna go
through some ups and downs, but you know, at the end of the
day, as long as we all got out each other back, you know,
we'll be all right. Do you feel like he's kind of the locker
room leader right now? Oh? Yeah, absolutely. Quarterback one, there's
a quarterback, you are naturally supposed to be a leader, right, you
know, he's embraced that role with us. And yeah, whatether bet on
defense? Who kind of leads it is that you kind of been with more
experience, who kind of leads to the defensive side. Everybody has their own
saying it, you know, like, well we have a whole entire team.
If it was the whole entire team has their own own opinion, and
you know, if you have something to share and share it, you know,
because everybody at the end of the day as a leader on the team,
right you know, if you have your own mail, some guys might
say more than most. But at the same point to anybody as they has
an opinion, like because we gotta be in this all together. Some of
the better teams that I've played on, everybody has their own opinions, never
like just one guy. Yeah, so it's all a bunch of leaders on
the team. When you see Chack Kelly can what you're one of these highest
contracts, right, highest paid quarterbacks, Does that give you extra incentive to
kind of make his life more challenging? Shoot, man, your quarterback,
you already get paid more than the restless if but I guess so. I
know there was kind of a controversial roughing the pastor call at the end of
the game last week. Thoughts on that and kind of coming back this week
and we're getting revenge for everything they told me stay away from those questions with
that one. That's okay, that's okay. Last thing for me. What
are you hoping, you know, besides to win, what do you want
to see out of the out of the team, out of the guys this
weekend? Yeah, I want to say, I want to say, the
guys come on and you know, get the same energy that we had in
practice all week. You know, everybody pretty much everybody's dialed and everybody knew
what they had to do. You know, Coach Thorpe does a great job,
like you know, make sure you understand what we have to do because
last like I said, last week is a bit of a it's a bit
of a crap shoot. Really, we kind of embarrassed ourselves out there,
not kind of, we did embarrass ourselves. So you know, it's excited
to go back in now. Everybody has like a clear clear vision on what
exactly what we need to get done this week, so it's exciting. Well,
it should be good, like I said, BMX night there and cheaper
student tickets and beer sales and stuff like that. So I hope it's a
pat crowd. I hope you guys get one up on the Argonauts. I
really appreciate your time today, no problem, due, thank you. Well,
I'm excited. I spent some time with the America's CFL team, the
BC Lions, their social team down here in Seattle on Monday for the Mariners
game. We lost, but I think it was a victory here because we
have Matthew Betts here. I've been trying to get you on all season.
You're a busy guy, having a great season. How are you doing,
sir? I am fantastic. How are you reading? I'm good reading through
everything. You're really you know, you've always performed well, right in last
year with BC and even before with Edmonton. Kind of at a different level
this year. What do you attribute that too? Yeah, I would attribute
it honestly to the whole group on the D line. To be honest,
what I tell people every time is when we arrived earlier this year, it
really felt like it was the continuity of what we did last year. So
we basically we have the same group from last year, so we're just used
to work together with Bowman, the D line coach, or the same system.
So I mean it's little things but not having to learn a new system.
And we really felt it earlier on during training camp where I mean if
I was taking it inside Rush, I mean automatically, either Woody or Cherry
or the guy playing would be just wrapping me already. So it really was
just like a good flow, go win. We and we know how we
work together. I think we're a good group with talented players, and we
pride ourselves on just working hard. And you know, we use the word
keep chopping wood all the time, and I think that we want to work
hard, we want to win, we want to do good individually, but
ultimately, I mean that's I think the way we work together is really to
keep to our success and ultimately my individual successful front this year. Yeah,
people are talking about BC and they have for years and the building the defense
up, but you know, in the same regards as Winnipeg and Toronto,
you know, kind of a lead defense is do you take pride in that?
What do you think about that just being you know, it's it's no
small feet to kind of do what you guys are doing the season. Yeah.
Absolutely, I mean defensively obviously, I absolutely. I don't look at
stats on like how many yards a game we're giving or rushing yard, passing
yards or all this all that stuff, but obviously we want to be out
there and we want to perform. Well, that's for sure. The way
the season's been going so far, we've got six gamer six games left,
but the way we've been playing, with the way VA has been playing on
offense, I mean, we know that if we play a good game on
defense, the chances are that will come out with a win with the way
the way VA has been playing. So it's it's hard. It's a cliche,
but an eighteen game season is long, so it's hard, but you
have to take it one day at a time, one week at a time.
We got out of one Saturday, so it's just to be focused on
the task ahead, not to see too far ahead, and to be locked
in. It's sometimes it's hard with the routine and just that they seem to
be the same over and over again. But I have the privilege to be
there with the great group on defense on the D line, and we have
fun together doing it, so it makes it it makes it easier for sure.
Yeah, playing the Ottawa Big game, you got Dustin Crumb coming in.
He's kind of wildly right. I mean he's known to run and scramble
and you know, kind of make a movement. What are you looking at
it? What are you expecting to be able to do on SAT? Or
Yeah, what's our first time playing Ottawa? I mean Dustin Crumb. Ever
since he came in as the starting quarterback, I thought, I mean,
coming in already he was really really good. Obviously he's athletic, but I
think he's a smart quarterback and make all the throws, so he's he's definitely
a legit quarterback. But I mean playing the quarterback position. I mean,
no, no disrespect to anybody, but it's hard without the experience. So
obviously I think that if we put him into some more pressure situation, it's
harder for a younger quarterback. But he's definitely somebody, really really talented.
I think they might have somebody for the years to come, because I was
really impressed personally with the way he led that offense. Big wins earlier on.
I mean, they didn't show up in the past couple of weeks,
but they've been holding up to some close games. And it's the CFL,
so everybody is talented. So in order to win that game, we really
need to show up with passion, energy and play a good football game or
else we won't have the result we want. You're on the field kind of
a scary person, just in terms of what you're able to do and run
it after people. You know here you seem very polite, sauce spoken.
How do you kind of balance it too? It's interesting, you know,
when you see people on the field and then you talk to them here.
Yeah, I don't know. Honestly, I think I've always been a high
competitor growing up, played a lot of sports, was a very very or
losers. So I think that's just what it is. I don't know,
I just k I kind of feel the same way where I like to joke
around, I like to have fun, but I feel like I'm a more
poisoned off the field for sure. So yeah, I don't know why,
but it's usually where I am. Where do you find that out of intensity
when it comes to being on the field, and because even if you're not
getting at the quarterback, you're affecting the play, you're making the tax,
Like, how do you how do you keep up that high level of you
know, intensity, I guess, yeah, honestly, I don't know.
I think I just it's habits. I've always been running hard to the ball.
I think that's one of my one of the keys to my success.
And it's always been like that. I mean growing up in high school.
While playing in high school, our defensive coordinator during our our team's period or
defense period, he would always have us running around. He called it pursued
drill. So we would just get off to our assigned and do a drop
down and run like thirty yards down the field. And I think, I
don't know. I think I just liked it that way. And I feel
that if if I don't do if I don't give my give it my all,
I'm cheating myself. I'm cheating my my teammates. And I mean,
I know the work that I put in to be in that situation to be
able to play with the pro level in the CFL. So I mean,
if I if I get up early at five in the morning during the winter
to shovel my car and go go do the all these squads, all these
split squats and everything, and when you go to practice and you go to
game time, you don't give it your all. I mean, it's kind
of counterproductive. So I think it's just I take pride to what I do,
and I genuinely feel that if I give it my all, I give
my team the best shot to win the game. Do you get good?
What does it feel when you make a big play and you know the other
guys or are they congratulating you? I mean, what's kind of that vibe?
Like with the defense? You know, they call you guys, the
Donut Boys and kind of like a lot of hoop while around the defense is
yere for b Yeah, honestly, I've I've been celebrating more in the past.
I think I just I'm locked in. Man. Sometimes I'm not that
good with celebrating big plays, either with my teammates or myself. I mean
I remember a couple of times. I mean our first game this year,
Bolacambo had a sack against Calgary, and I mean, honestly, I was
just too tired to go high five him or whatever. And what's something I
need to work on a little bit more, even for myself and I do
a big play, sometimes I just go back to the huddle or you'll see
guys do some some crazy stuff. I would like to do it, but
honestly, I think sometimes I just black out and I forget. I forget
to do stuff. But yeah, we're having fun for sure. I mean
the dB crew, our dB crew take care of the celebration more than anything
else. But we have we have cool stuff. Obviously, Minard does the
super saying kamihamiha when he when he does a sack. So I wish I
had a cool celly like that. Unfortunately, I don't. Maybe one day
it will come. But I mean, for I'm obviously happy people whenever I
do a big pay to help to help the team out. Yeah, you
gotta where you need, Like what was it JJ Watt or t J Watt
just like the roundhouse kick or something, or he does the high kicker.
You got to figure out something when you get a big sack and you got
to do a cart wheel or But the worst thing is I've got some planned
out with a couple of my teammates this year, but it never happened where
we actually pulled it off. So I mean, well, I mean it
would be nice from here on towards the end of the year if we could
pull at least one out, that would be pretty cool. Before I let
you go, you know, it's been a rocky season. I mean really
good. But I'm a fan, so it's been rocky for me, you
know, like have some big wins a couple of losses. What's kind of
the mindset with the team in the locker room right now? Yeah, well,
obviously the mindset, I mean, we're in a good situation to win
the playoffs. Obviously we want to we want to be in the best place
possible in the rankings towards the end of the year. But for me,
it's really to focus on Ottawa. I mean, we want to win us
most as possible to those last six games. But for me, if you
see too far ahead, that's where you're that's where you're wrong. So right
now, for me, it's to be able to to do our best on
Saturday, to be able to have the best game as possible. And I
truly believe that if we do that and weekend and week out, that's world
have success. Curious I have on the same show I have. He plays
for Manta now Almando Seawell on the show another kind of all star defensive person.
Just curious your thoughts on him and just I just ended up happening this
week where we kind of have to two defensive superstars on the show. Yeah,
well, Mando was. I played with Mondo my first year in Edmonton.
Actually he was actually either the first person or one of the very first
person to talk to me whenever I got there in Edmonton. So obviously it's
cool to see him still doing what he does after I don't know, ten
to twelve years in the CFL, and I mean, Mondo, he's a
I don't want to see a CFL staple, but I mean sometimes will compare
other players to him. Just I mean, he has some signature moves,
like his hunt move. The way he does it, I mean it's really
impressive. So he's he's a guy that obviously is still really good. But
I mean the way he plays and the way he makes plays it's it's I
mean, it's it's a sometimes it's signature Mondo moves. So obviously cheering for
him whenever he's he's playing against other teams. Actually, Montreal had a bunch
of other players that used to play for Endonton. They had Mike Moore a
couple of years ago. Usher was there earlier this year, and now he's
with us. So yeah, But obviously Mondo is a guy that I was
close to an Endington. We still talk every now and then when we play
against each other, so I'm always happy when when he does well. So
yeah, I want to talk to him after a last game in Montreal.
So yeah, I'm really happy for him, that's for sure. Well,
I'm excited here finally getting you on. Like I said, I call the
BC Lions America's CFL team and you're representing you know, French candidates. We've
kind of got all of North America covered here, so I wish you luck.
I hope it's a good game and that you guys can really kind of
entertain the BC home fans. Are you excited to be back home here and
kind of get BC plays rocking? Yeah, honestly, it's always a really
really fun time when whenever we played BC plays. I think it's because of
the dome, but it'll always get super loud, and the marketing team here
does an incredible job with everything around BC plays with the Lions, So I
mean, I've always liked it to play here. But I mean even fans
that have been following the team for the past ten or so years, I
mean, they really see an improvement in the game they experience, either it's
on during TV time out or whatever. I mean, the marketing team that
just does a tremendous job with the show. So I mean the fans are
the fans are taking I mean, making the most of it, but the
players obviously we enjoy it a lot. So it's really we're looking forward for
Saturday. Well, thanks for making time. I appreciate it. Go enjoy
some Thursday night football here and I'll be cheering for you this weekend. Good
luck, awesome, right, well, thank you for reading. Have a
great day. Really appreciate all of our guests for coming on today. Like
I said, Jeff Hamilton, Chad morning means a lot him making the time
to come on. Appreciate Dan, Ralph is always hopping on and the moments
know this whenever I need him. And then certainly the team's over at the
Montreal Alouettes and the BC Lions. Francis and Matt super appreciate. That.
Should be it for me today, Like I said, exciting weekend, should
you know. Maybe we'll get some Vegas updates here coming in the next few
weeks. I don't know. I've heard kind of mixed reports about that as
well, so be curious to see where all that winds out. Like I
said, thanks for checking out today. Please let it subscribe if you enjoy
any of this content. Trying to get up to thirty five hundred subscribers.
Take care, have a good weekend and see someon