Speaker 1: Well here. We are back here again Wednesday, midweek here
Speaker 1: getting ready for the CFL playoffs. Jason, I were talking offline,
Speaker 1: you little drag here near the end of the CFL season.
Speaker 1: But we are at the playoffs today, very exciting. I
Speaker 1: have my cracking jersey on. Almost wore my commander's jersey
Speaker 1: Hottest team in the NFL coming off our big Hail Mary,
Speaker 1: but I thought that that would be disrespectful to our
Speaker 1: Canadian listeners. Although we did beat the Habs last night
Speaker 1: eight to two, so that was exciting. And we have
Speaker 1: Jason and Anthony here. I have some bookkeeping stuff off
Speaker 1: the top. But first off, Jason, how are you. It's
Speaker 1: been a couple of weeks. Good to see you.
Speaker 2: Yeah, good to see you too. Read I'm happy to
Speaker 2: be here. You know. It's been a long time, but
Speaker 2: we're heading into the playoffs here and ready to go
Speaker 2: for the stretch run.
Speaker 1: Yeah, we have Anthony Sepin. It was trying to get
Speaker 1: the professor on. I think the professor is Professor and Andy.
Speaker 1: Anthony was on here with me last week all his
Speaker 1: workover at Sports Illustrated. Anthony, I wanted to have a
Speaker 1: little bit of a roundtable today. Do a little CFL preview.
Speaker 1: You were here last week. What are you most looking
Speaker 1: forward to here for this weekend.
Speaker 3: I'm just glad if we finally have the playoffs set
Speaker 3: and we know exactly who was going to play. And
Speaker 3: you know, I think your team Reed probably has my
Speaker 3: interest to most because I have no idea which PC
Speaker 3: team we're going to see. We're going to see the
Speaker 3: Are we going to see the one from the beginning
Speaker 3: of the year, We're going to see the one that
Speaker 3: was that nearly collapsed at the end of the season,
Speaker 3: and so really interested to see how the Lions do
Speaker 3: this weekend.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and Anthony and I talked a lot about the
Speaker 1: Lions last week. I do really want to get Jason's
Speaker 1: thoughts on all of that. Speaking off the top, just
Speaker 1: to plug here like and subscribe two weeks away from
Speaker 1: the Great Cup. We'll probably do a similar midweek things
Speaker 1: next week, kind of looking forward to, you know, the finals,
Speaker 1: and then we will be live in Vancouver getting that
Speaker 1: I'll do a big post, but we're official. Jason and
Speaker 1: I will be live at BBC lions Den part of
Speaker 1: the media row on Saturday. We'll have all of our
Speaker 1: guests as we always do the Nailors and far haunts,
Speaker 1: and maybe we'll get Matt Baker or moje or whoever's
Speaker 1: walking around, but we'll get all of that thick of things, Dan, Ralph,
Speaker 1: everything else. So that should be really exciting. The show
Speaker 1: did very well last year. Evan was there. I know
Speaker 1: Evan's going to be a part of it. I don't
Speaker 1: know if Andy's I don't even know who's coming to
Speaker 1: Vancouver or not, but I know Evan's going to be there.
Speaker 1: Jason and I. That's all you need plus everything else. Anthony,
Speaker 1: how does that sound? Are you excited to to presumably
Speaker 1: hopefully watch remote here our big show coming up in
Speaker 1: a couple weeks.
Speaker 4: Yeah, you get all those people on. I mean that's
Speaker 4: going to be a massive show.
Speaker 3: So, I mean I always watch your stuff for you,
Speaker 3: so you know, you know I'm going to be plugged
Speaker 3: in and ready to watch.
Speaker 1: Well, and I think I'm about ready to pull gloves
Speaker 1: off and fight with Dave Naylor over this CFL the
Speaker 1: Saint Louis kind of thing. So we've promised that that's
Speaker 1: been brewing for a couple of weeks. Excuse me, I
Speaker 1: have a coffee. Dave sent me a YouTube link that
Speaker 1: I still need to watch kind of my homework prep
Speaker 1: for that, but I think that that will be exciting
Speaker 1: because Naylor very high on the CFL at the Saint Louis.
Speaker 1: What can't we just replicate it like it was back
Speaker 1: at like Dave and we'll talk through all that stuff. Jason,
Speaker 1: speaking the Lions, I want to get your thoughts first
Speaker 1: off here obviously going and playing Sasketchwan this weekend, but
Speaker 1: the game last week we had Vernon Adams there, I
Speaker 1: was in attendance. We have a lot of comments of like,
Speaker 1: well Montreal was really playing for anything and this doesn't
Speaker 1: matter and it's vanilla defense, Like what is that the
Speaker 1: Lions team? What did you make of that game? And
Speaker 1: what what does that make you think here heading into
Speaker 1: the weekend?
Speaker 2: Well, I mean, it certainly is a very unique situation
Speaker 2: the whole Lion season this year, being in a great
Speaker 2: Cup year with all the pressure associated with that. Then
Speaker 2: you also, you know, bring in a guy and Nathan
Speaker 2: Rourke's you know, profile in the middle of the season.
Speaker 2: I think it's kind of an unprecedented situation. So I think,
Speaker 2: you know, just based on who Nathan was and what
Speaker 2: he accomplished with the Lions previously and what BA had
Speaker 2: already done, uh these past what is it two and
Speaker 2: a half years since he's been a Lion. I think
Speaker 2: that you know, it was you know, you know, Destin
Speaker 2: did really drive a wedge between that team. I think
Speaker 2: there's definitely got to be regardless of what they say,
Speaker 2: and to the credit of Rourke and b A, they
Speaker 2: have you know, you know, been very you know, uh,
Speaker 2: you know, very friendly friendly with each other, I think,
Speaker 2: you know, relatively speaking, but you know, in that locker room,
Speaker 2: there has to be a division between the guys that
Speaker 2: are Rourks guys and ba's guys. And I think that's
Speaker 2: what we've seen throughout the second half of the season
Speaker 2: and why they haven't really really hit their stride since
Speaker 2: that first half of the season where they looked really
Speaker 2: good and among the best teams in the league. So
Speaker 2: I think that going back to VA, I think gets
Speaker 2: started as his team this year. I think it's kind
Speaker 2: of only right that he you know, tries to get
Speaker 2: them going in the playoffs here, but at the end
Speaker 2: of the day, there's still is that division, and I think,
Speaker 2: you know, until they really move on from BA this offseason,
Speaker 2: it's not really going to be totally solid them whose
Speaker 2: team it really is?
Speaker 1: Yeah, Anthony, if that's any updated thoughts on that. It
Speaker 1: reminds me a little bit. I was watching the Steelers
Speaker 1: game was that Monday, right, and you kind of have
Speaker 1: Russell Wilson sitting there kind of talking with with Justin
Speaker 1: Fields here on the sidelines, and Okay, we're kind of talking,
Speaker 1: but like, you don't really know how comfortable he is
Speaker 1: with this because it felt like he kind of lost
Speaker 1: his job. Similar obviously different dynamics, but kind of similar
Speaker 1: situation there. Any updated thoughts on kind of the VA
Speaker 1: Nathan debacle here and the fact that they're going to
Speaker 1: obviously ride with VA heading into the playoffs.
Speaker 3: I mean, I'm glad that the team is gonna go
Speaker 3: with Vernon Adams. He's clearly the better quarterback for that
Speaker 3: offense right now. And I think we talked about this
Speaker 3: last week, like no offense to Nathan Rourke. You know,
Speaker 3: he's got all the potential to be a good starting
Speaker 3: quarterback in the CFL. I just think after going through
Speaker 3: four NFL teams over the last year plus and then
Speaker 3: jumping into the CFL after playing in the NFL for
Speaker 3: a year plus, you know, playing American football versus Canadian
Speaker 3: football is two different things and it takes time to adjust.
Speaker 3: I just don't think Nathan Workers really set up for
Speaker 3: success in the first place. So I'm glad that they're
Speaker 3: gonna go with Adams, who's been in the system for
Speaker 3: a while. He's got chemistry with the receivers, the team
Speaker 3: seems to be more comfortable with him. It just makes
Speaker 3: all the sense in the world. And then when the
Speaker 3: off season rolls around, I mean, they got to go
Speaker 3: with Nathan Work. I mean, when you spend the kind
Speaker 3: of money that you did on him, where he's got
Speaker 3: the biggest contract for in league history, like, you got
Speaker 3: to with him. He's he's got to be your future
Speaker 3: quarterback and you got to see what you have in
Speaker 3: him in the next two three years. So they have
Speaker 3: to let Adams walk. So it'll be interesting how the
Speaker 3: Lions kind of ads next year. But I think for
Speaker 3: the time b I mean this year, it's yeah, the
Speaker 3: last few months have been just kind of a disaster
Speaker 3: for this team. It's really disappointed because they started out
Speaker 3: so good. They were one of the best teams in
Speaker 3: the league. And I truly thought this that I really
Speaker 3: thought it was going to be bec and Montreal meeting
Speaker 3: each other in the Great Cup, and technically it could
Speaker 3: still happen. But everything that's happened, I feel like there's
Speaker 3: a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes. But
Speaker 3: you know, like us you were saying, I think they've
Speaker 3: done a great job of hiding that if there is issues,
Speaker 3: I think they've been able to do a really good
Speaker 3: job of keeping that behind curtains, which is always a
Speaker 3: positive thing.
Speaker 4: So you know, hopefully they get through this season.
Speaker 3: Next year they can cut the cord with probably Burden
Speaker 3: Adams and you know, roll on with the future with
Speaker 3: Nathan Morrik.
Speaker 1: It reminds me and it's obviously different as well, but
Speaker 1: I just spend the day kind of watching this Anthony
Speaker 1: Richardson debacle, pam out kind of with the Colts, and like, well,
Speaker 1: we drafted him and we knew it was a project
Speaker 1: and then we you know, he got injured last year
Speaker 1: and he starts this year and they were benching him
Speaker 1: and like, you know, how much time is enough time?
Speaker 1: And obviously we've recounted on here kind of bringing to
Speaker 1: Nathan and throwing them right into the gauntlet there. I
Speaker 1: don't know, I feel like they didn't do right by him,
Speaker 1: but also you certainly didn't do right by va Jason.
Speaker 1: Is it? I don't know, is it fair to say that,
Speaker 1: like if the Lions played in America with the with
Speaker 1: the with the heavier amount of American media kind of
Speaker 1: covering the NFL versus and obviously the CFL and Barhunt
Speaker 1: and Naylor and everyone do a great job, but like
Speaker 1: this might be a bigger story than it is, like
Speaker 1: because it feels like it's a similar situation, but obviously,
Speaker 1: like the VC Lions are only going to get so
Speaker 1: much kind of airtime in Vancouver. Is that kind of
Speaker 1: how you feel?
Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't think you'd ever see this situation in
Speaker 2: the NFL, just because you know, teams really want to
Speaker 2: declare who is their guy, and I think in the
Speaker 2: CFL it's less, you know, pronounced. Usually you know what
Speaker 2: teams have their number one guy that they roll with,
Speaker 2: but it doesn't mean that, you know, some teams that
Speaker 2: the starter can't eventually be overtaken by the backup. But
Speaker 2: in the NFL you kind of want I think Dave
Speaker 2: Naylor says this a lot. You want to have your
Speaker 2: backup as a guy that will support the starting quarterback
Speaker 2: more or less not necessarily push them to be the
Speaker 2: number one guy. So I think it would be a
Speaker 2: huge story if it ever did happen in the NFL.
Speaker 2: But I think, you know, the quarterback controversy like this,
Speaker 2: I think is really a one of a kind situation
Speaker 2: that we've seen in BC this year.
Speaker 1: Let's see a couple of other news items and then
Speaker 1: we'll kind of do a little bit more of a
Speaker 1: deep dive into these matchups. Anthony, I was at our
Speaker 1: niece's soccer game Saturday, standing in the rain watching them.
Speaker 1: They won a very exciting game. They won that I
Speaker 1: don't like soccer, but they won, got the goal. It
Speaker 1: was like ten seconds of over its left, and then
Speaker 1: they started together like wow, that was really close to it.
Speaker 1: I mean, the news came out, I ran, they Ambrosi
Speaker 1: down getting ousted, and he didn't have the full support
Speaker 1: of the board TOGETHERS just wanted to make sure we
Speaker 1: touch on all that go around, because none of us
Speaker 1: have really shared the thoughts on that on here. We'll
Speaker 1: go first to Anthony on that surprised not and what
Speaker 1: do you make of that? Let me see if I
Speaker 1: article up here.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think it was super surprising this is. I
Speaker 3: think he's been in that position since twenty fifteen. I
Speaker 3: think he's done a lot of good for the league.
Speaker 3: I think in terms of what he's done with getting
Speaker 3: Americans to watch the CFL, I think has been big.
Speaker 3: You know, I think just the evolution of where the
Speaker 3: league has been. And also he probably had the the
Speaker 3: toughest job of any commissioner and is to get through
Speaker 3: get the league through COVID. I mean, he they canceled
Speaker 3: the whole season, They lost millions of dollars. I mean,
Speaker 3: I can only imagine the turmo that was going on with,
Speaker 3: you know, with the CFL, because that it's really important
Speaker 3: that they have fans and games and they're playing the
Speaker 3: games obviously, but you know, unlike the XFL, which I
Speaker 3: hate to knock on the XFL forward, but the CFL
Speaker 3: was able to get through it. They were able to survive.
Speaker 3: They keep increasing their attendance. I actually just wrote an
Speaker 3: article on it today that they actually did I think
Speaker 3: thirty thousand more fans total. I think they had a
Speaker 3: two percent increase in attendance from last year. So I
Speaker 3: think that's a really big thing for the CFL. And
Speaker 3: he's really helped with that growth process. I'd be really
Speaker 3: interested to see who is coming up to be the
Speaker 3: next commissioner, because I'm pretty sure that the probably the
Speaker 3: number one thing they're going to be asked is, hey,
Speaker 3: when are we getting our tenth team?
Speaker 4: It's finally going to happen.
Speaker 3: I'm sure that was kind of hovering over you know,
Speaker 3: Randy this whole time that he's been commissioner.
Speaker 4: He wasn't able to bring it in.
Speaker 3: So this next one is gonna probably that's probably gonna
Speaker 3: be the number one priority is can we get a
Speaker 3: tenth team in the CFL. But I think overall, I
Speaker 3: think he did a good job during his tenure, and
Speaker 3: I think the league should be appreciative of it. And yeah,
Speaker 3: I think he did a solid job. But it was
Speaker 3: a major surprise to see that. You don't see it
Speaker 3: very often that commissioners are in and out this way,
Speaker 3: but he did a really solid job.
Speaker 1: Yeah. Well, we'll toss here to Jason and I'll share
Speaker 1: my thoughts because he doesn't. To me, Jason, this doesn't
Speaker 1: feel like this is that coveted of a role, like
Speaker 1: it feels like it's a little bit more grief than
Speaker 1: anything else. I'll I'll let you shure your thoughts first.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Absolutely. My first thought was that I wish that
Speaker 2: even though he wasn't perfect, I think the biggest thing
Speaker 2: with Ambrosie that I would criticize is that he was
Speaker 2: a little bit too much of a cheerleader with his rhetoric,
Speaker 2: and you know, I think like he was almost overly
Speaker 2: positive and trying to overspeak what the CFL was capable
Speaker 2: of doing. But what I was gonna say is that,
Speaker 2: you know, he in the history of the CFL, I
Speaker 2: believe he's the second or third longest tenured commissioner and
Speaker 2: he's only been there since I think it was twenty
Speaker 2: seventeen that he got hired, So that really speaks to
Speaker 2: how much turnover there is this role. And I was
Speaker 2: kind of hoping that he would stay on for you know,
Speaker 2: at least another like five years or so, because, you know,
Speaker 2: just to bring some more stability to that position and
Speaker 2: just show that it's not a complete revolving door. But
Speaker 2: in terms of the stuff that he did that I
Speaker 2: think were positives, I think the seven year Collective Bargaining
Speaker 2: Agreement was a huge thing. I think getting guarantees as
Speaker 2: part of the contracts you know, partially guaranteed money for
Speaker 2: the first time ever for players. I think that was
Speaker 2: a big thing, and that has really helped the teams
Speaker 2: as well retaining guys and have less turnover in free
Speaker 2: agency each year. So I think that helps the league
Speaker 2: in general because there was just too much turnover from
Speaker 2: one year to the next. I think that, you know,
Speaker 2: the the Global Initiative, if you want to point the
Speaker 2: things that he didn't do well, I think the Global
Speaker 2: Initiative was a complete waste of time. I think I
Speaker 2: don't know the dollar value that they've spent on that,
Speaker 2: but I think, you know, in terms of like real results,
Speaker 2: I think that it hasn't really produced that many star
Speaker 2: players except for some great punters that we've seen in
Speaker 2: the CFL the last few years and a couple of
Speaker 2: noteworthy examples elsewhere on the rosters. So I think that
Speaker 2: was a waste of time. I think that, you know,
Speaker 2: the way that he went about again talking about the
Speaker 2: tenth team, just really saying that it was super close.
Speaker 2: And I get that they did have conditional funding, you
Speaker 2: know about uh Stadium in Halifax before COVID. Then then
Speaker 2: COVID kind of killed that, but that still wasn't like
Speaker 2: set in Stone, and they didn't really have like like
Speaker 2: it didn't feel like it was furthered up along for
Speaker 2: him to really say that this thing was in the pipeline.
Speaker 2: So I think those are my problems I had with him, BROSI,
Speaker 2: but he definitely did some good. And to be the
Speaker 2: second or third longest commissioner, I have to look that up.
Speaker 2: They were saying that on the Three Down podcast this week,
Speaker 2: but uh, you know, I think that's an achievement in
Speaker 2: itself that he stayed in the role this long and,
Speaker 2: as Anthony said, guided them through COVID.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I thought I was speaking of three that. I
Speaker 1: thought it was Travis. Was it? Travis and Jason Kelsey
Speaker 1: voted People's sexiest podcasters of the year. I saw Hodge
Speaker 1: tweet out I think they were a close second. I
Speaker 1: would I would cass this into the mix there. I
Speaker 1: have slight slightly more hair than John Hodge, not much,
Speaker 1: but I do have slightly more hair there. I will
Speaker 1: take that to me. The thing with Randy always been
Speaker 1: great to the show, friend of the podcast. I think
Speaker 1: we had him on three times talking, you know, said
Speaker 1: I could call him a friend of the podcast. I
Speaker 1: thought the last time I had him on because like,
Speaker 1: how many times are you going to ask about like
Speaker 1: a tenth team or whatever. But we were talking about you,
Speaker 1: what do you want your legacy to be? What you
Speaker 1: want to be remembered as, and I thought he got
Speaker 1: a little emotional and saying, like, you know, I really
Speaker 1: want just the fans to know that, like I gave
Speaker 1: it all to them, and I really like I work
Speaker 1: hard every day and I wake up kind of wanting
Speaker 1: to promote the league. I do believe that. I think
Speaker 1: it's a tremendously hard position. That we've talked about this
Speaker 1: in the past, and that people want. You know, the
Speaker 1: CFL commissioner is not like Roger Goodell with the NFL,
Speaker 1: where they have kind of full control. It's very much
Speaker 1: kind of the lop sided power on that. I don't
Speaker 1: know who's clamoring for the job. I don't know what
Speaker 1: else is better out there in terms of that. We've
Speaker 1: seen Randy deal with the Montreal Alouette sale twice, right obviously,
Speaker 1: the mare Doman sale, like these are things that you know,
Speaker 1: as a commissioner you are kind of in the position
Speaker 1: to help but navigate through. And I think all of
Speaker 1: those things went well, obviously, the COVID and all of that.
Speaker 1: You know, I think we could have figured out some
Speaker 1: sort of the bubble in Toronto or whatever they were
Speaker 1: talking about for that Anthony, any other thoughts on that,
Speaker 1: because I just he said he'll stay, you know, in
Speaker 1: position until they get someone else voted in. But I
Speaker 1: just if the Board of the Governors voted him out
Speaker 1: right five to four whatever, like, I just don't know
Speaker 1: what those what anyone else wants for someone else to
Speaker 1: come in and kind of fill those shoes.
Speaker 3: Yeah, you know, if it is true that he was
Speaker 3: voted out, I kind of wish they didn't announce it
Speaker 3: as he's retiring. I wish it would just be honest
Speaker 3: and just say, hey, we're looking for somebody else to
Speaker 3: come in. I would like a little more transparency from
Speaker 3: the league on that, because if he did truly get
Speaker 3: voted out, I mean, why did he get voted out?
Speaker 3: What was he supposed to accomplish? You know, what were
Speaker 3: the goals that he didn't reach? Instead of just making
Speaker 3: it and I know they were trying to you know,
Speaker 3: save face, you know, pr wise and try to make it,
Speaker 3: you know, look like he's retiring and stuff. But you know,
Speaker 3: like I said, read, I mean, he clearly loves his
Speaker 3: job and he wore as harder to sleep, and he's
Speaker 3: done a good job with the league. But I really
Speaker 3: do want to understand, you where did he miss the
Speaker 3: mark him? What does the next commissioner need to do
Speaker 3: in order to get the CFL to the next level.
Speaker 3: So I wish there was a little more transparency on
Speaker 3: the the league side, because it definitely does not sound
Speaker 3: like this is the retirement, So I don't That would
Speaker 3: be the one part that really bothered me about this announcement,
Speaker 3: but otherwise it would be really interesting what the next
Speaker 3: commissioner has.
Speaker 4: To do to get the CFL to the next level. Yeah.
Speaker 1: I liked Randy a lot and as someone that has
Speaker 1: you know, had the foraging to kind of interview him
Speaker 1: and then even people with like the XFL. Right with that,
Speaker 1: we've I've talked with Russ at the showcase you that
Speaker 1: we didn't he was like on the podcast on the
Speaker 1: podcast here, I had Moose on the podcast, right, had
Speaker 1: the other people in those positions, Like anytime like you're
Speaker 1: someone like Randy and you're in that position you're doing interviews,
Speaker 1: it's always antagonistic, right, Like no one's ever coming up
Speaker 1: to the commissioner and being like telling me how great.
Speaker 1: Like it's always like, well this was bad or why
Speaker 1: do you handle this? Or this is going wrong. It's like,
Speaker 1: so you're always kind of in that defensive mode anyway,
Speaker 1: So I give a lot of grace, Like I've gotten
Speaker 1: a lot of private comments like hey, when Randy was
Speaker 1: coming on, a lot of CFL like ask him this
Speaker 1: or do this, or hey, be prepared, is it gonna
Speaker 1: do whatever? And you're like yeah, but you're always on
Speaker 1: the defense. And that was like when Moose came on
Speaker 1: and we were talking with Daryl Johnson about the UFL,
Speaker 1: like he knows from the second he comes on, right, Hey,
Speaker 1: they're gonna be asking about this or that, like how
Speaker 1: can I kind of defend that? So you never really
Speaker 1: get like the full sense of the man or woman
Speaker 1: kind of in that position. But I don't know, I
Speaker 1: thought it was really good, Jason, anything else with that,
Speaker 1: because I wanted to talk about the Elks and then
Speaker 1: we'll kind of do the game stuff.
Speaker 2: Yeah. I mean I actually personally met Randy and Rosie
Speaker 2: a couple of years ago. He did this thing called
Speaker 2: Randy's road trip where he did a stop at every
Speaker 2: CFL stadium during the off season. I got to meet
Speaker 2: him here in Hamilton, and you know, for what it's worth,
Speaker 2: I thought he was a genuine guy. I got to
Speaker 2: talk to him, shake his hand, and me and my
Speaker 2: brother asked him about you sports and what he thinks
Speaker 2: about you know, the CFL supporting you sports, and you know,
Speaker 2: I think, you know, he just seemed like a genuine
Speaker 2: guy that he was able to be approachable and to
Speaker 2: do that. So, like you said, I think he loved
Speaker 2: his job. He really did love this position. I think that,
Speaker 2: you know, there was a lot that came along with it,
Speaker 2: but I think the fact that he was a former
Speaker 2: player in this league, he shows that he loved this
Speaker 2: league and and I think that's what you need to
Speaker 2: have if you want to be the commissioner of the CFL.
Speaker 1: We had some other news. I think this just came
Speaker 1: down pretty quick. I saw Dave Campbell tweeting about this
Speaker 1: and three down together the art the club. But Chris
Speaker 1: Moore is ginna be the new president the Edmonton Elks
Speaker 1: moving forward here, Anthony, do you have any quick thoughts
Speaker 1: he've had a chance to digest all this yet I
Speaker 1: know this is just coming down as I saw when
Speaker 1: I was getting ready for the show.
Speaker 4: Well, it's quicker than I thought it was going to be.
Speaker 3: I think a lot of people thought it'd be closer
Speaker 3: to you know, the Great Cup in a couple of weeks.
Speaker 3: But good first stepp for Edmonton. They needed to bring
Speaker 3: in somebody. I think he used to play for the
Speaker 3: Edmonton Elks, you know that. I guess the the story
Speaker 3: Edmondson has been doing is one Larry Thompson has been
Speaker 3: a longtime fan. Here comes Chris Morris, who knows the
Speaker 3: Edmonton Elk system. So they're really trying to push for it. Hey,
Speaker 3: we are bringing in local people. We are bringing people
Speaker 3: that know the team, that had some association with them
Speaker 3: because they really care about this team winning. So this
Speaker 3: is a really big first step. And now the next part,
Speaker 3: obviously is going to be who's going to be the
Speaker 3: general manager? And I'm it sounds like they're going to
Speaker 3: hire a general manager separate from the head coach, which
Speaker 3: is probably a good move after what happened with coach
Speaker 3: Jones over the last two to three years.
Speaker 4: So be interested. You know, what direction do they go with?
Speaker 4: General manager.
Speaker 3: But I think that this sounds like obviously I'm an
Speaker 3: outsider just learning about the CFL over the last couple
Speaker 3: of years, but this seems like a good first step
Speaker 3: in getting the Edmonton Elks to where they need to be.
Speaker 1: Hey, Jason thoughts on this.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't know too much about Chris Morris personally,
Speaker 2: other than the fact that he's the coach of the
Speaker 2: al Berta Golden Bears for the last several years. But
Speaker 2: one thing I did see in a report I think
Speaker 2: three Down put this out, is that they're looking to
Speaker 2: hire both their GM and the head coach. And obviously
Speaker 2: they hired the president. They're gonna hire the president tomorrow
Speaker 2: by the Great Cups, so that seems like a really
Speaker 2: short timeline. We might get a lot of news coming
Speaker 2: in the next couple of weeks. But in terms of
Speaker 2: Chris Morris the person, I don't know too much about him.
Speaker 2: I have to dig in further. I'll be completely honest
Speaker 2: about that. But you know, Edmonton, I think you're right, Anthony.
Speaker 2: I think they need to have those people that are
Speaker 2: invested in the local community, and I think, you know,
Speaker 2: this is a good start in doing that.
Speaker 1: It was interesting I think it was Dave Campbell put out.
Speaker 1: I think Edmonton must have done kind of their end
Speaker 1: of the season stuff and talking about you know, who's
Speaker 1: coming back or what's going on, and you know, you
Speaker 1: had the whole trade forward thing, and like, well he's undecided,
Speaker 1: and I just tweeted like I would tell him to
Speaker 1: kiss my ass and walk out the door and tell him,
Speaker 1: you know, you've had the timeline here. I don't know
Speaker 1: if you can get think Anthony and I talk last week, right, Okay,
Speaker 1: maybe you get the new owner in there and say, hey,
Speaker 1: we're really committed to you, or we're trying to kind
Speaker 1: of figure this out, Anthony, any updated thoughts on that,
Speaker 1: and then we'll let Jason chair and then we can
Speaker 1: kind of figure out what we want to talk about.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean that's the most important thing is you
Speaker 3: bring in a whole new staff, a whole news system.
Speaker 3: You got to change everything with them, Minton, and you
Speaker 3: got to let trad Ford know we're serious about changing
Speaker 3: this franchise and making it people who actually care about winning,
Speaker 3: because the previous regime clearly did not care about winning
Speaker 3: because they didn't put in the better quarterback.
Speaker 4: At the end of the day.
Speaker 3: I mean, trade Ford for the last two years has
Speaker 3: been the best quarterback on this team, and it almost
Speaker 3: like is like they have refused to put this guy
Speaker 3: on the field for some weird reason.
Speaker 4: I don't know what it is.
Speaker 3: I know some of it speculation was, you know, the
Speaker 3: maturity issue or whatever. But trade Ford has been the
Speaker 3: best quarterback on the team for the last two years.
Speaker 3: So bringing in someone like Larry Thomas and bringing in
Speaker 3: Chris Morris and then you know, whatever they end up
Speaker 3: doing with the GM and the head coach, they have
Speaker 3: to make a statement by showing trade Ford, hey, we
Speaker 3: are making changes, we're bringing in the top people, and
Speaker 3: you're going to be our franchise quarterbacks.
Speaker 4: So we're gonna show it to you with a contract.
Speaker 3: So that's that's really the big thing Evanton's got to do,
Speaker 3: and what we talked about last week's got to come
Speaker 3: from Larry Thompson. He's got to deliver that message to
Speaker 3: tray Ford and bring up bring him home.
Speaker 1: Jason. Let's also touch on like, do you have any
Speaker 1: other the thoughts on tray Fords that I forgot what
Speaker 1: I want to take Calgary too. Before we get in
Speaker 1: everything else. The other thoughts on tray and the Evonton Oaks.
Speaker 2: Well, speaking of the Alberta teams, I don't think it's
Speaker 2: a slam dunk that, you know, if they can get
Speaker 2: Vernon Adams junior, I think they do that in a
Speaker 2: heartbeat instead of bringing back tray Ford. So I think
Speaker 2: that we could see, you know, a little bit of
Speaker 2: a bidding war between the two Calgary teams, and then
Speaker 2: if Vernon Adams goes to Edvonton, maybe tray Ford goes
Speaker 2: and says, screw you, Edmondson, I'm going to Calgary. So
Speaker 2: it's gonna be really interesting. It's it's always interesting when
Speaker 2: in this league when there's only so many chairs available,
Speaker 2: Like if tray Ford wants to go elsewhere, where else
Speaker 2: is he gonna go? Right, So there's only so many
Speaker 2: starting spots and premium you know, backup positions available in
Speaker 2: the league. So those are just my thoughts on that.
Speaker 1: I was just looking up here, how old see you
Speaker 1: know trade forward's twenty six, still got time. But you know,
Speaker 1: you get to this excuse me, get to this point now,
Speaker 1: and he's coming off as rookie deal. You're really going
Speaker 1: to have to pay up for that. The other thing speaking,
Speaker 1: Calgary keeping Dave as president, right and are a head
Speaker 1: coach in GM, but then I parton ways with some
Speaker 1: of their other coordinators. Anthony first surprised that Dickinson sticking
Speaker 1: around there. I mean, I know we talked sometimes coaching
Speaker 1: with the CFL and like how many people want to
Speaker 1: do or a vast pool people are. Are you surprised
Speaker 1: kind of with Calgary's decisions you're heading into the off season.
Speaker 3: I mean, it's tough because Dave has done such a
Speaker 3: great job with this franchise that I mean, it's only
Speaker 3: been the last two years that this franchise has struggled,
Speaker 3: so it's really hard to kind of judge it off
Speaker 3: with that because I think he's taking him to like
Speaker 3: three Great Cups and they won one, so I mean,
Speaker 3: he's had a lot.
Speaker 4: Of success since he's been with the Stampede.
Speaker 3: Unfortunately, he's gonna be the head coach known for kind
Speaker 3: of breaking the schnaib on consecutive years they made the playoffs,
Speaker 3: which is unfortunate. But now he's gone, and he's also
Speaker 3: gone back to back years with a losing record. But
Speaker 3: you know, I've always kind of gone with the rule
Speaker 3: of thirds, like you give someone three years to get
Speaker 3: the job done.
Speaker 4: You know.
Speaker 3: I think there was an understanding what bo Levi Mitchell
Speaker 3: left that this team was kind of going through our
Speaker 3: transitional period.
Speaker 4: It was not going to be smooth.
Speaker 3: It was not going to you know, it was not
Speaker 3: gonna be the you know, the best moments for them.
Speaker 3: So I think this is kind of the third and last.
Speaker 3: Like I if I'm the Calgary front office, if I'm
Speaker 3: the you know, the like you know, if I'm part
Speaker 3: of that front office, I'd let him know like this
Speaker 3: is probably his last year, Like he's gonna have to
Speaker 3: get it done, Like this is a make or break here, Like,
Speaker 3: don't be surprised if he makes the kind of moves
Speaker 3: that like the Evonton Elves were making last offseason, where
Speaker 3: Chris Cholls was desperate and needed to get as many
Speaker 3: guys as possible and you know, maybe change a quarterback
Speaker 3: and try to get all these new pieces in place
Speaker 3: to try to fix what's happening. So now I'm not surprised,
Speaker 3: but I am glad that he's making changes on the
Speaker 3: coaching staff. These were changes that were absolutely needed, even
Speaker 3: though some of those guys were very you know, long
Speaker 3: tenured guys that were on the staff. The Sam Peters
Speaker 3: need to shake up, They need to change, you know,
Speaker 3: some aspects about their coaching staff. So it looks like
Speaker 3: there was more of a focus on the defensive side,
Speaker 3: which is probably good. They were, you know, for a
Speaker 3: defense that added a lot of good pieces in the secondary.
Speaker 3: This was one of the weaker defenses in the CFL,
Speaker 3: so they really need to make some changes there. So
Speaker 3: and then obviously the other question is going to be
Speaker 3: what do they do at quarterback? If Dave's job is
Speaker 3: going to be dependent on you know, what is what
Speaker 3: does he end up doing? Does he end up going
Speaker 3: PJ Walker? Does he bring back Jake Mayer? Do they
Speaker 3: go somewhere else in free agency for it? You know,
Speaker 3: there's if he can knock that out of the park
Speaker 3: that will probably save his job.
Speaker 4: But twenty twenty five is gonna be making a break
Speaker 4: for him.
Speaker 1: Yeah, jeez. I think it's interesting because obviously BC right,
Speaker 1: we'll talk ride with Nathan presumably right, Toronto's kind of
Speaker 1: locked up, but I guess Otama right, Drew Brown. I mean,
Speaker 1: these are conversations for some of these playoff teams still
Speaker 1: to be had, you know, sask with Trevor Harris. But yeah,
Speaker 1: both of these Alberta teams really seem like, you know,
Speaker 1: Elk's were really trying to figure this out with Trade
Speaker 1: Ford whatever. But yeah, there's no way in hell that
Speaker 1: Dave Dickinson goes into this and it's like Jake Mayor
Speaker 1: is my guy next season? Like I'm Penny my job
Speaker 1: on this, right. So I know we all are reading
Speaker 1: for PJ Walker just because of his XFL you know,
Speaker 1: pedigree and all of that, but realistically, like I know
Speaker 1: this is too far to the tuble what early thoughts
Speaker 1: on kind of what they do here, because I don't
Speaker 1: I don't know if like does PJ Yes and the
Speaker 1: Fever Dream come in and win the job and play,
Speaker 1: but I think that they're probably gonna have to make
Speaker 1: a bigger swing than that.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think it has to be the Vernon Adams mover,
Speaker 2: like I said, the crazy scenario where Trey Ford comes,
Speaker 2: because I think you can't sell this fan base, which
Speaker 2: is you know, not showing up in as big a
Speaker 2: numbers as they used to the games, that you can't
Speaker 2: sell them on Jake Mayor another year of Jake Mayre.
Speaker 2: And I was a big believer on Jake Mayor. I
Speaker 2: think we both were read. I think, you know, the
Speaker 2: way he played the first ten or so games of
Speaker 2: his career, he looked like he had a lot of
Speaker 2: promise in this league. But unfortunately, you know, whether it
Speaker 2: was him or a lot of the situation around him,
Speaker 2: I think it just didn't work in Calgary. And I
Speaker 2: think he would benefit a lot from a fresh start
Speaker 2: somewhere else, and Calgary would just benefit a lot from
Speaker 2: getting a guy that's more of a proven guy. That's
Speaker 2: why I think it would be better for them to
Speaker 2: get Va than go with the Trey Ford or maybe
Speaker 2: I'll throw another name out there, Davis Alexander, because I
Speaker 2: believe he's a free agent and he's looked really good
Speaker 2: and I think he was six and oh this year
Speaker 2: or something like that in the games that he started.
Speaker 2: So I think that, you know, Calgary the thing with Dickinson,
Speaker 2: I probably would have moved on from him. But I
Speaker 2: do get with their opinion of let's see what he
Speaker 2: does with another quarterback. If he can bring in a
Speaker 2: veteran quarterback that's a proven quarterback, let's see if he's
Speaker 2: still that coach. But I have doubts with that, because
Speaker 2: I've seen some of the play calling he's been using
Speaker 2: the last several years in Calgary, or the last two years,
Speaker 2: I should say, particularly, and just too many screens. I
Speaker 2: think he was part of a problem. It wasn't just
Speaker 2: Jake Mayor. I think he was not even allowing Jake
Speaker 2: Mayor to really push the ball down field too often.
Speaker 2: It was just you know, quick snap, get the ball
Speaker 2: out of your hands on a screen pass. And that
Speaker 2: was a lot of their offense. So Dickinson will probably
Speaker 2: have to look back to the drawing board if he
Speaker 2: wants to have success next year and now bring in
Speaker 2: a new quarterback. But yeah, it's going to be interesting
Speaker 2: to see what happens going forward in Calgary with the
Speaker 2: changes that they made to the coaching staff elsewhere.
Speaker 1: Well, and Anthony, what I want to hear what we
Speaker 1: can use this kind of transition to the playoffs step
Speaker 1: but here, you know, so we had Calgary play last week.
Speaker 1: You know, end of the season doesn't matter at Alpha Calgary.
Speaker 1: They just played Jake right, Like were you I? And
Speaker 1: I tweet because I think it was Mark Stevenson posted like, hey,
Speaker 1: it looks like you know Jake's going to be the
Speaker 1: starter this weekend, and I'm like, like, what the hell
Speaker 1: are we doing here? Like, why wouldn't you give anyone else?
Speaker 1: I know there was a lot of criticism I think
Speaker 1: I saw about sask not showing up for the game.
Speaker 1: I think it was a Jamie and I kind of
Speaker 1: thing where he's like, man, like this team really looks lifeless.
Speaker 1: But here you're going into the offseason, and why the
Speaker 1: hell did not play someone else?
Speaker 2: Here?
Speaker 1: You roll back Jake Mayor. I mean, he plays fine
Speaker 1: nineteen twenty six and all this, but like, are you
Speaker 1: surprised kind of even going into this, Well, we're still
Speaker 1: going to play Jake Mayor here.
Speaker 3: I mean, I think Dave Dickinson still was trying to
Speaker 3: decide what he wants to do at quarterback, and I'm
Speaker 3: going to defend Jake Mayor a little bit. I mean,
Speaker 3: I actually think he played better than what he did
Speaker 3: last year. I mean, statistically, he threw more touchdowns and
Speaker 3: less interceptions for what he did last year. And I
Speaker 3: think also he wasn't like stuck in the pocket like
Speaker 3: he was last year. He seemed a little more loose.
Speaker 3: He could move out of the pocket and make some
Speaker 3: throws on the run. So I think the development was
Speaker 3: kind of getting there with Jake Mayor, but I, like
Speaker 3: Hussy said, I think he was kind of held back
Speaker 3: from what he can truly do. Like if there was
Speaker 3: a tenth CFL team, I could see Jake Mayor is
Speaker 3: starting for that ten team. Like I actually think there
Speaker 3: is some potential there, but it's just something isn't working
Speaker 3: there in Calgary.
Speaker 4: You know, doesn't come down to Dave Dickinson.
Speaker 3: I don't know, but I think this was a move
Speaker 3: to be like, hey, let's play Jake Mayor. Let's see
Speaker 3: if we maybe there's some glimmer of hope of hey,
Speaker 3: maybe we can bring him in and maybe can as
Speaker 3: a second or third quarterback or you know, bring in
Speaker 3: someone from the outside. I think they're still trying to
Speaker 3: I think Davi is still trying to decide what he
Speaker 3: wants to do because there's there's a lot of things
Speaker 3: he's gonna have to fix in the off season. A
Speaker 3: lot of it's gonna come from the you know, the
Speaker 3: defense side of the defensive side of the ball, but
Speaker 3: then on the offensive side, it's all about the quarterback position.
Speaker 3: I think right now he probably doesn't know what he's
Speaker 3: gonna do, so you probably wanted to get Jake out
Speaker 3: there one more time to get some extra tape and
Speaker 3: then figure out in the off season you know who
Speaker 3: he wants to go with.
Speaker 1: I don't disagree with the anthony, but I do think
Speaker 1: that that's like insane. I mean, you do hear that
Speaker 1: all the time, and I don't think you're like, well
Speaker 1: you guys here. It's like when these coaches try to
Speaker 1: do like the two quarterback system and like, well, you know,
Speaker 1: we're trying to get do you really think like pulling
Speaker 1: the guys in and out after everything? Like I agree
Speaker 1: with you though, that's probably the thought process Jason anything
Speaker 1: else on that of just like we're rolling out Jake,
Speaker 1: like this one more game here, you're playing against you know,
Speaker 1: Jack Cohen and Shane Patterson here, like it doesn't even matter.
Speaker 1: But it just was wild to me that we wouldn't
Speaker 1: get a sight on anyone else.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, I think the problem was is that
Speaker 2: Logan Bonner looked so bad in that one game that
Speaker 2: he played, and then Matthew Schultze believe was heard or
Speaker 2: like there was no point of really playing him either, right,
Speaker 2: And then PJ walked or had something where it's like
Speaker 2: he would be ineligible to sign on the practice squad
Speaker 2: or something like that, or if he had remained, like
Speaker 2: if you remained on the Calgary practice squad, he could
Speaker 2: still sign in the NFL this year and wouldn't finish
Speaker 2: the season on a CFL roster. So there was something
Speaker 2: to do with that, and I think that, you know,
Speaker 2: going forward, it will be interesting to see what they do.
Speaker 2: I think that you know, regardless of what you know
Speaker 2: Jake Mayer shown in Calvary, I think that there needs
Speaker 2: to be a clean break there. I think both of
Speaker 2: these guys, Dickinson and Amheric can still have success in
Speaker 2: this league in the respective roles. But I think in
Speaker 2: order for that to happen, they have to go their
Speaker 2: separate ways, and mayor have to has to go and
Speaker 2: find his game elsewhere. I think you'd be a very
Speaker 2: intriguing backup for some team in the CFL. I think
Speaker 2: he instantly become arguably the best backup in the league.
Speaker 2: I think even right now, I would still say he's
Speaker 2: like the seventh best quarterback or around there six or
Speaker 2: seventh best quarterback in the league. So I think ultimately
Speaker 2: that's what they have to do and they have to
Speaker 2: have a clean break here and go in a different
Speaker 2: direction this offseason.
Speaker 1: Yeah, you got it. This is a cycle here of
Speaker 1: you know, it's like and you're in a bad relationship
Speaker 1: with someone like is honey, we just got to move on.
Speaker 1: We got to get out of here. Blake checking in?
Speaker 1: What up? Assuming that's Blake that we were hanging out
Speaker 1: with here at the BC here last week, I was
Speaker 1: hanging out with him and Jamullen chatting it up. Let's
Speaker 1: look here to I have it here and we've had
Speaker 1: all these tabs going up here. The CFL schedule playoffs, Right,
Speaker 1: it's going to be Ottawa. I'll get this pulled up eventually,
Speaker 1: but we're gonna have Ottawa at Toronto. Right. Let's go
Speaker 1: first to Anthony on here. You know, Ottawa I had
Speaker 1: the chance right to host a home field, ended up
Speaker 1: batching that. Thoughts on this one here, Ottawa going into
Speaker 1: Toronto here playing the playoffs.
Speaker 3: I think Ottawa's biggest issue is, you know, how are
Speaker 3: they going to protect Drew Brown. Toronto is top in
Speaker 3: the league in sacks their defensive line. They have four
Speaker 3: guys that have six or more sacks. I mean, this
Speaker 3: is such a dominant defensive line. I think it's a
Speaker 3: nightmare matchup for Ottawa. They have struggled against them. I'll
Speaker 3: give Drew Brown credit the last couple of weeks, he's
Speaker 3: played really well, but he's been kind of maybe inconsistent
Speaker 3: the best. But there's a lot of good traits to
Speaker 3: him that I think he can potentially be a really
Speaker 3: good starting quarterback in the CFL. But I mean, he's
Speaker 3: got no running game. Since Armstead has left, this has
Speaker 3: probably been the worst rushing attack in the CFL.
Speaker 4: I don't you know.
Speaker 3: I think the offensive line is really going to struggle
Speaker 3: against that Toronto front four. And then you look at
Speaker 3: the Argonauts. I mean they have the experience. I mean
Speaker 3: that they this is a team that's been to the
Speaker 3: postseason year in a year out Ottawa hasn't been in
Speaker 3: twenty since twenty eighteen.
Speaker 4: They're going to be heavy underdogs.
Speaker 3: I think what's going to happen here is I fully
Speaker 3: expect Toronto to get off to a fast start, get
Speaker 3: a nice lead, and then Audiwa's going to do what
Speaker 3: Outawa does best and score twenty twenty five points in
Speaker 3: the second half and make it closer than what people
Speaker 3: think it is. But Ultimately, I think Toronto's just a
Speaker 3: better team. They got you know, they got home field advantage.
Speaker 3: Chad Kelly has played really well over the last month
Speaker 3: or so. He's really cleaned up from since he got
Speaker 3: back from his suspension. And yeah, I just think Toronto's
Speaker 3: better on paper. And I think the key matchup is
Speaker 3: ken Audiwa's offensive line really hold up that defensive line
Speaker 3: for Toronto.
Speaker 4: Because they can't, then it's going to be a long
Speaker 4: day for the Red Blocks.
Speaker 1: Yeah, Jason, what do you mean because I think I
Speaker 1: thought I saw the email Chack Kelly right getting honors
Speaker 1: again this week for I think last week of the season,
Speaker 1: getting one of the you know, one of the top
Speaker 1: you know, the spotlight kind of whatever, like he's gotten better.
Speaker 1: I think Toronto had what seven thousand whatever increase in
Speaker 1: the tendance, Anthony, were you put someone put? Like I
Speaker 1: saw that, Like, you know, clearly that Chad Kelly sit
Speaker 1: out maybe didn't hold as much water as maybe people
Speaker 1: thought here. But what do you make of Toronto and
Speaker 1: Chack Kelly and everything else going into this.
Speaker 2: Well, I think that Toronto should be considered heavy favorites
Speaker 2: going into this game. I mean Outawa was two and
Speaker 2: seven on the road this year. I think that you
Speaker 2: know thing with them and I think is what Drew
Speaker 2: Brown are we going to get. He's had really great games,
Speaker 2: as Anthony said, but he's also had some really bad
Speaker 2: games as well. I've gotten injured a little bit in
Speaker 2: there too, So we still don't know if he's the
Speaker 2: guy in Ottawa whereas Chad Kelly say what you want
Speaker 2: about him personally, but we know that he's the guy
Speaker 2: as a football player, right he is a guy that
Speaker 2: you know. The first couple of games he came back,
Speaker 2: one of these games was against the Red Blacks where
Speaker 2: he had, you know, a couple of unfortunate turnovers and
Speaker 2: Ottawa actually blew them out in that one. But those
Speaker 2: first couple of games were almost like Chad Kelly's preseason.
Speaker 2: After coming off the suspension and the last handful of weeks,
Speaker 2: he has looked a lot better and Toronto's looked like,
Speaker 2: in my opinion, arguably the best team in the CFL
Speaker 2: the last you know, five weeks, other than maybe Winnipeg.
Speaker 2: So I think Toronto should roll in this one. I
Speaker 2: think that you know, there's potential there for Drew Brown
Speaker 2: to have a big game Toronto was second last in
Speaker 2: passing yards allowed this year, So maybe Drew Brown can
Speaker 2: have you know, kind of a great game and you know,
Speaker 2: build off that fourth quarter he had a couple of
Speaker 2: weeks ago against Toronto. But I think ultimately, you know,
Speaker 2: Toronto is the better and more deeper team, more well
Speaker 2: rounded team, like they're special teams better too, So I
Speaker 2: think ultimately I like Toronto to win this game.
Speaker 1: So Anthony, you know, so let's say Toronto that takes
Speaker 1: care of business, right. You know, Ottawa was out uh
Speaker 1: ninety eight to one on the season. Here we, like
Speaker 1: Jason said, we still don't know about Drew Brown, Like
Speaker 1: what did they do? Because it feels like the whole
Speaker 1: time that I've ever podcasted the Red Blacks, it's like
Speaker 1: what do they want to be? What's the identity? What's
Speaker 1: going on? We've had all these injuries, like have they
Speaker 1: have you seen enough this year from Ottawa? We're like, Okay, yeah,
Speaker 1: there's a lot of good pieces here we can bring
Speaker 1: back into next season or what would you do?
Speaker 4: I mean, you got to consider this too.
Speaker 3: I mean a Darius Pickett got injured, and I really
Speaker 3: think since he left he got injured, like Ottawa's has
Speaker 3: not been the same, so I think they really lost
Speaker 3: a key leader on that defense that I think that's
Speaker 3: where the downward spiral kind of began for this team,
Speaker 3: is not having him there. So I think if he's
Speaker 3: healthy and comes back next year, I think they'll be fine.
Speaker 3: You got to think about Devonte Williams. You know, he
Speaker 3: was their starting running back last year. They lost him
Speaker 3: for the season due to injury before the season started.
Speaker 3: They're going to have him back next year, so I
Speaker 3: think that will kind of alleviate the issues in the
Speaker 3: running game.
Speaker 4: So yeah, I think the pieces are there. I mean,
Speaker 4: they have a really good receiving corps.
Speaker 3: I mean, Khalil but Pimpleton has been a really standout
Speaker 3: guy that they've kind of found that popped out of
Speaker 3: nowhere and it's probably one of the top rookies in
Speaker 3: the CFL.
Speaker 4: At the receiving corps. You got Justin Hardy, you got
Speaker 4: Nick Martner. They have a lot.
Speaker 3: Of talent on that offense, and I think the defense
Speaker 3: is really solid to it. I mean, Michael Wakefield's been
Speaker 3: one of the best pass rushers in this league and
Speaker 3: he's had a really good season for the Red Black
Speaker 3: so the pieces are there. They may have to do
Speaker 3: a little bit more, maybe in the secondary, maybe add
Speaker 3: a piece or two more, but I think there are
Speaker 3: a couple of pieces away from actually being really good.
Speaker 3: And also, you know, Drew Brown's got his first full
Speaker 3: year as a starting quarterback, you know, worked out the
Speaker 3: kingson and all that, so.
Speaker 4: Season two should see some improvement with him.
Speaker 3: I think I think this Ottawall team is in a
Speaker 3: really good position for the for the future. I don't
Speaker 3: know if this is going to be a great Cup
Speaker 3: team in the next year or two, but I think
Speaker 3: they have the pieces in place to be a competitive team.
Speaker 1: It seems well and obviously like making the playoffs, right,
Speaker 1: like Bob Dice is safe, like everyone, because like that's
Speaker 1: clearly like the the barrier, the whatever we have here
Speaker 1: in the blitmus line, Like, well, if you make the playoffs,
Speaker 1: like you're probably like even if you're going to get
Speaker 1: you kicked out immediately or you'll lose to Toronto with
Speaker 1: embarrassing fashion. But like, yeah, you figure Bob's back, right Dice,
Speaker 1: everyone else, Jason the Sean Burke, I mean you feel
Speaker 1: like right again, I just kind of get stuck in
Speaker 1: this where it's like we'll do okay, we run it back,
Speaker 1: but we kind of seen what we see it. Like,
Speaker 1: I just don't know how many kind of wax and
Speaker 1: the pinata here we get from some of the CFL teams.
Speaker 1: I don't know if that's to get me for that,
Speaker 1: but any other thoughts are kind of the front. It
Speaker 1: just I don't know what, like how Ottawa kind of
Speaker 1: addresses this well.
Speaker 2: I think that you know, in most cases, as you say,
Speaker 2: making the playoffs and the CFL isn't that much of
Speaker 2: an achievement. But given the context of where this team
Speaker 2: was the last three years four years, so like, yeah,
Speaker 2: they missed THELA last four straight years, not counting twenty
Speaker 2: twenty obviously when they didn't play. Twenty nineteen, twenty twenty one,
Speaker 2: twenty two, twenty twenty three all missed playoffs, and they
Speaker 2: weren't particularly competitive in any of those seasons. So I
Speaker 2: think regardless of what happens if they get blown out
Speaker 2: by Toronto in this playoff game, I still consider this
Speaker 2: season a win because it was a return to relevancy
Speaker 2: for this team. I was kind of hoping for the
Speaker 2: same result for Edmonton this year, but unfortunately this you know,
Speaker 2: got behind the eight ball so early in the season.
Speaker 2: So I do think, you know, Ottawa definitely took a
Speaker 2: step in the right direction this year. I think, you know,
Speaker 2: going forward, whether or not, like Anthony said, are they
Speaker 2: a great Cup team? I think they still need to
Speaker 2: add some more pieces. And I said, I don't know
Speaker 2: yet if Drew Brown is really the guy to lead
Speaker 2: them there, but I think I've seen enough to give
Speaker 2: him another season of that and you know, hopefully, you know,
Speaker 2: he can you know, string together enough of those great
Speaker 2: performances that you feel comfortable going into him with him
Speaker 2: as your franchise quarterback of the future. So I think
Speaker 2: that's the big question for Audawa. But I think in
Speaker 2: terms of stabilizing the organization and giving fans some hope,
Speaker 2: like this team went seven to one and one at
Speaker 2: home this year, I think that's a big thing after
Speaker 2: that huge home losing streak that they had for a
Speaker 2: while there. So yeah, I think baby steps for Audwa
Speaker 2: and this was a step in the right direction regardless
Speaker 2: of what happens on Saturday.
Speaker 1: Yeah, it was that famous time when like three different
Speaker 1: CFL teams I think have like cobal streaks at the
Speaker 1: same time, like, how is the how is this even possible?
Speaker 1: It's like right now, amp I was looking like the
Speaker 1: NFL draft order, right and you're like, how are all
Speaker 1: of these teams like one in six or two and six,
Speaker 1: Like how are all of these teams so awful? I mean,
Speaker 1: obviously the NFL has a lot more team Anthony. Presumably
Speaker 1: Toronto takes care of business. Right, we see a repeat
Speaker 1: of last year with Montreal kind of here in the finals.
Speaker 1: Early predictions because we'll probably do obviously chatty next week
Speaker 1: if some kind we'll figure that out. But early thoughts
Speaker 1: on that with Toronto Montreal that.
Speaker 3: It's going to be a much more competitive game than
Speaker 3: it was last year. I doubt we see nine turnovers
Speaker 3: again from the Argonauts. I expect them to be a
Speaker 3: lot more competitive. Look, I think this Montreal team, I
Speaker 3: really like their defense, but that offense has not been
Speaker 3: the same over the last month or two. I think
Speaker 3: the last six games they'd gone like two three of one.
Speaker 3: I think losing Tyson phil Pott absolutely killed this offense.
Speaker 3: It just seemed like they went on a downward spiral.
Speaker 3: And even though they got Austin Mack back, even he's
Speaker 3: not really one hundred percent right now.
Speaker 4: He's been in and.
Speaker 3: Out of the lineup with injury, so you know, really
Speaker 3: outside of him and Charleston Rambo, I mean, they have
Speaker 3: some nice receivers there, but it just feels like this
Speaker 3: passing offense has not been where it needs to be.
Speaker 3: And you know, Cody fajarals playing well. I mean he's
Speaker 3: not playing great like he did the beginning of the season.
Speaker 3: He's being efficient and protecting the football. But the one
Speaker 3: thing this offense is really lacking in Montreal is that
Speaker 3: big play. I mean, they they can't get any big
Speaker 3: pass plays down the field. They just don't have that
Speaker 3: deepend They don't have that big difference maker like Tyson
Speaker 3: phil Pop was. And plus the running game has not
Speaker 3: been as good this year. They you know, they don't
Speaker 3: have Williams stamp back. They have you know, Walter Fletcher,
Speaker 3: who's been nice, but this is still one of the
Speaker 3: worst rushing attacks in the league. So that offense for Montreal,
Speaker 3: I mean really scares me. And the Toronto defense is
Speaker 3: really good, Like I think this is gonna be a
Speaker 3: low scoring affair and honestly would not surprise me if
Speaker 3: Toronto wins that game. I probably still picked Montreal in
Speaker 3: a very close matchup, but would not surprise me in
Speaker 3: the least if Toronto picks off Montreal and upsets them
Speaker 3: to get in the Great Cup.
Speaker 1: It does feel like and I immediately haven't been as
Speaker 1: tuned in to all the minutia every week this year,
Speaker 1: just and we we've talked about that on the podcast,
Speaker 1: Like it does feel like Montreal is riding a little
Speaker 1: bit off of like, well, they're the Great Cup champs
Speaker 1: last year, right, and we kind of run them off
Speaker 1: last year and they kind of surprised everyone. And has
Speaker 1: it been as explosive as a team, like Anthony said,
Speaker 1: hasn't been as dominant as they were. What's the record
Speaker 1: this year? You know, twelve and five. I mean obviously
Speaker 1: still you know, the most wins in the CFL at
Speaker 1: twelve five and one, But you know what, I can't
Speaker 1: remember what the heck they were last year, But like,
Speaker 1: very very good record. I have thoughts on that as
Speaker 1: I break my microphone here, just like them not having
Speaker 1: the same juice as they did last season.
Speaker 2: Well, I'll say this, it is very different being the
Speaker 2: favorite whereas being you know, the underdog, versus being the underdog.
Speaker 2: They should say, and you know, that's what Montreal was
Speaker 2: last year. They were a true underdog. Nobody was picking
Speaker 2: this team to win, you know, the great Copper even,
Speaker 2: you know, go into Toronto and really have a game
Speaker 2: with them. Of the sixteen and two argos, of course
Speaker 2: they're gonna beat the Alouettes that you know, didn't beat
Speaker 2: a winning team or one of the better teams in
Speaker 2: the league last year in the regular season. But you know,
Speaker 2: there was no pressure on them. They had some things
Speaker 2: go their way in that game, and I think, you know,
Speaker 2: they kind of caught Toronto by surprise, and I don't
Speaker 2: think that same was gonna happen this year. I think
Speaker 2: if that game does happen, assuming Toronto beats Audawa on Saturday,
Speaker 2: I do think I'm going to be picking Toronto to
Speaker 2: win that game against Montreal because I think they're gonna
Speaker 2: remember what happened last year. I think that there's gonna
Speaker 2: be a lot of motivation on that Toronto side, and
Speaker 2: I think that you know, on our neutral field, you know,
Speaker 2: most weeks, I would pick Toronto to win. I think
Speaker 2: they have a better team, even though that game is
Speaker 2: gonna be in Montreal and that's a tough place to play,
Speaker 2: and they've been really packing that barn this year. But
Speaker 2: I think that Toronto, you know, they have the better
Speaker 2: quarterback right now. I think, you know, Cordy Pigardo. Obviously,
Speaker 2: he turned into like Superman last year for the playoffs
Speaker 2: and in the Great Cup in particular, but I think,
Speaker 2: you know, we haven't seen that the last couple of months.
Speaker 2: As Anthony alluded to, the first half of the season
Speaker 2: was spectacular for this team and they were really riding
Speaker 2: that high. But I think they kind of cooled off
Speaker 2: and they're not quite the same defense as they were
Speaker 2: last year. I think that it's still probably the best
Speaker 2: defense arguably in the CFL. It's it's right up there
Speaker 2: in the conversation, but I don't see that dominance. And
Speaker 2: like I said, the turnovers that they got last year
Speaker 2: in that game really swung and I think, what do
Speaker 2: they force like seven turnovers something in that game that
Speaker 2: really swung the scale in that game. And I think
Speaker 2: that we're not going to see that this time around.
Speaker 2: And I think it's gonna be a great game, but
Speaker 2: I think Toronto would be my pick to win that game.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think Chad Kelly just threw another interception. I
Speaker 1: think I just heard that that, But I mean, can
Speaker 1: we oh and Tim Caefers checking then, I was gonna
Speaker 1: I was just gonna talk about Tim here, Tim's checking
Speaker 1: in here, I'm picking out one with the upset over Toronto. Wow,
Speaker 1: I was gonna say, Montreal has has done a great
Speaker 1: job packing and you're talking about attendance all that. I
Speaker 1: saw Tim mccliffey last week. I saw them, you know,
Speaker 1: selling their merch and tailgate and all that. I mean,
Speaker 1: but it is like they've they've certainly renewed that fan
Speaker 1: base there, right, and there's been a lot of excitement
Speaker 1: coming off of that. I think that they've really they've
Speaker 1: really played that well. I will say, yeah, I think
Speaker 1: I love Cody. I think Cody is a great quarterback
Speaker 1: that you really had an exceptional moment right in the
Speaker 1: Gray Cup. I don't know if that is Cody Pijardo
Speaker 1: every day all that. You know, like you look at
Speaker 1: some of the elite quarterbacks kind of in the sport
Speaker 1: right now, I don't know. I think he lived up
Speaker 1: to that moment, right, and if he doesn't make those
Speaker 1: throws and like his legacy is wildly different. But I
Speaker 1: don't I think that there there's kind of a step there.
Speaker 1: There's been a lot of conversation this week about you know,
Speaker 1: like good great and then special quarterbacks with the Jay
Speaker 1: Daniels and all that, and there's all these see all
Speaker 1: these different people talking all this kind of stuff. But yeah,
Speaker 1: I think Cody's right at that other level, and I
Speaker 1: don't I don't, you know, I think he can step
Speaker 1: up to that, but I don't know if he lives
Speaker 1: in that space an think anything else on that because
Speaker 1: I want to make sure we talk BC and sask
Speaker 1: and all that.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean it's a big playoffs for Cody for
Speaker 3: Gerald because I don't I don't know how much longer
Speaker 3: he's gonna play. I know he's a little bit on
Speaker 3: the older age. I will say for Montreal, please do
Speaker 3: not let Davis Alexander go. Don't make the same mistake
Speaker 3: Winnipeg didn't let Drew Brown walk. I really think Davis
Speaker 3: Aleenxander could be the future for this team.
Speaker 4: The way he's played this year.
Speaker 3: I mean he's been defeated as the starting quarterback and
Speaker 3: I think he's only thrown like one pick this season.
Speaker 3: Like that's a guy that can really make a difference
Speaker 3: for for this team, And honestly, it wouldn't surprise me
Speaker 3: if maybe he sneaks in, you know, get some playoff
Speaker 3: playing time, you know, if something happens to Cody Frugarro.
Speaker 3: But yeah, I don't know now that The more thing
Speaker 3: I think about it, the more I want to go
Speaker 3: with Toronto now to beat Montreal because I just that
Speaker 3: the defense makes the difference for me. And I think
Speaker 3: Toronto's defense versus Montreal's offense is just a better match
Speaker 3: up for the Argos, you know, vice versus you know,
Speaker 3: Montreal's defense versus Toronto's offense. I almost I'm gonna.
Speaker 4: Change my pick.
Speaker 3: I'm gonna say Toronto win beat Montreal. I think I
Speaker 3: think you convinced me. I think I think the Argos
Speaker 3: would win.
Speaker 1: I just I'm worried for Montreal. I like my that's
Speaker 1: it still carry over a lot of favoritism there. Talk
Speaker 1: to a lot we haven't you know, has made player
Speaker 1: interviews for lately, but they did a lot of work
Speaker 1: there with Montreal. I really appreciate that. H let's talk
Speaker 1: BC sask here. I think this game at least has
Speaker 1: my eyes. I'll be watching this one Saturday. I think
Speaker 1: we have to go visit I got to miss the
Speaker 1: cracking game Sunday, we got to go visit family friends.
Speaker 1: I'm like, whether we do it with our lives here
Speaker 1: at least Commanders play in the morning BC at sask Saturday.
Speaker 1: I guess with the Jason, do I have any hope
Speaker 1: in the world here?
Speaker 2: Yeah? Absolutely? And you know, any given game, I think
Speaker 2: Saskatchewan the home field advantage there isn't what it used
Speaker 2: to be. I think that you know, they're not even
Speaker 2: tracking for a sellout right now. I've been seeing a
Speaker 2: lot of posts about that online, so you know it's
Speaker 2: it's a bigger stadium than most CFL stadiums, but still
Speaker 2: not tracking for a sellout, whereas in previous years you'd
Speaker 2: easily see that place sold out. So I think that
Speaker 2: BC has a shot. I just think they need to
Speaker 2: go in to that first quarter of that game and
Speaker 2: they need to create some big plays. And I think specifically,
Speaker 2: Ba's got to get Justin mckinnis going. I think Justin
Speaker 2: mckinnis led the league in receiving yard this year. He
Speaker 2: looked much better in the first half of the season
Speaker 2: when VA was playing than he did when Rock was
Speaker 2: put in the lineup, So I think that's a guy
Speaker 2: I'm really looking forward to seeing if he can get
Speaker 2: going early in this game and create some big plays.
Speaker 2: And you know, BC, like I said, when they're playing
Speaker 2: I've said many times, if they're playing their best, they
Speaker 2: can compete with anybody in the league. But I think ultimately,
Speaker 2: you know, Saskatchwan is a pretty good defense. They're gonna
Speaker 2: have to be aware of, you know, all the turnovers
Speaker 2: that Saskatchwan's forced this season. I believe they led the
Speaker 2: league by a pretty wide margin in terms of turnovers
Speaker 2: force this season. Cordy Mace did a great job with
Speaker 2: that in his first season as head coach. So I
Speaker 2: think DC has a shot. But I think, you know,
Speaker 2: it really comes down to how the quarterbacks play in
Speaker 2: this game. And I think that, you know, it's it's
Speaker 2: really gonna come down to BC's offense because I think
Speaker 2: that DC's defense, it really is a very middle of
Speaker 2: the road kind of team. I think they're not really
Speaker 2: you know, there's not a lot of difference makers on
Speaker 2: that defense this year. Matthew Betts hasn't been the same
Speaker 2: guy since he's returned from the NFL, So I think
Speaker 2: that you know, the offense is to have to set
Speaker 2: the tone, and we could be in for kind of
Speaker 2: a shootout type game because I think Trevor Harris has
Speaker 2: been really playing well this year in Saskatchewan too. I
Speaker 2: think if he had played the whole season, if you
Speaker 2: didn't miss those six or seven games, I think, you know,
Speaker 2: if you you pro rate that over the whole season,
Speaker 2: I think he would have been the MP this year personally.
Speaker 2: So yeah, I think this is gonna be the better
Speaker 2: of the two games on Saturday.
Speaker 1: You always know it's you got a good shot when
Speaker 1: you're like do I have any chance? And whoever I
Speaker 1: asked Jason the case, It's like, well, you know, any
Speaker 1: Sunday anything, whatever, you know, anytime, you know always, But
Speaker 1: this is what I'm ready for and we'll go to Anthony,
Speaker 1: like you know, we love it. I love the Lions right,
Speaker 1: all this stuff, but I I am really ready for
Speaker 1: either life Gray Cup or we blow all of this up,
Speaker 1: like there is there is something fundamentally wrong in this.
Speaker 1: And I love Rick and I love all this staff
Speaker 1: and all that. But I think it was Rob Peterson
Speaker 1: on one of his shows, you know when they when
Speaker 1: the hockey people got you know, coaches got let go
Speaker 1: and it's like as good as a coach as you
Speaker 1: may be or whatever. At some point that what you're
Speaker 1: saying starts to lose its residents right in the locker room.
Speaker 1: And I don't know if that is the case or
Speaker 1: that's a kise with our phillips, so that's the case
Speaker 1: with whoever, but like something in that equation needs to
Speaker 1: be resolved here, and so I would like to either
Speaker 1: we push through this, we figure it out, okay, we
Speaker 1: were wrong about VA and all of that, or like
Speaker 1: we really need to blow all this up because this,
Speaker 1: I mean, this is just a failure. I mean, this
Speaker 1: is just a failure. Also, Jason, I did like real quick, Anthony, Jason,
Speaker 1: I we are what the hell was it? Anthony and
Speaker 1: I were talking. I'm all confused, po I was talking
Speaker 1: to on the shows here, Anthony. I were talking last
Speaker 1: week about how I talked to a lot of CFL
Speaker 1: fans in Vancouver and like people there and they didn't
Speaker 1: like know about the Lions or they didn't know that.
Speaker 1: There was comments on the YouTube d like, well you
Speaker 1: didn't talk to like real people that were born and
Speaker 1: didn't I'm like always a caveat always got his name
Speaker 1: was Sasketchewan, Like, hey, they can't sell out to see it,
Speaker 1: but you know it's it's the bigger stadium that like,
Speaker 1: there's always a caveat. There's always anthony thoughts on this.
Speaker 1: I know we talked to the alliance off the top,
Speaker 1: but like this is like a disaster scenario otherwise.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean Husty covered it perfectly. I mean, when
Speaker 3: you got the receiving core that you have in BC,
Speaker 3: you have the best receivers in the CFL, you have
Speaker 3: got to get them the football and you've got to
Speaker 3: vombit every single time. Like anything that you can do
Speaker 3: to create big plays for this offense. You got to
Speaker 3: be able to do it, and you got the playmakers
Speaker 3: to do it. So there's really no excuse. But I
Speaker 3: will say, Hussey, I know you were talking about, you know,
Speaker 3: Trevor Harris potentially being MP. I think the MP is
Speaker 3: on the other side on defense with Roland Milligan, that
Speaker 3: dude has had such an extacular season and with the
Speaker 3: quarterback play you know, being good not great this year.
Speaker 3: I mean statistically, I think there needs to be some
Speaker 3: to Milligan being able to be in that conversation for
Speaker 3: MP he has had a spectacular year. I think he
Speaker 3: can make a big difference in this game. You know,
Speaker 3: even if he's not getting the the interception so like
Speaker 3: he has been all year, I think he can make
Speaker 3: a big difference in it.
Speaker 4: I love Saskatchewan in this game.
Speaker 3: There's a part of me that wants BC to win
Speaker 3: because I think it would be a great story to
Speaker 3: kind of see them make that run to the Great Cup.
Speaker 3: But unfortunately, you know, you look at Saskatchewan, They're so
Speaker 3: balanced offensively between Trevor Harrison and you know, in the backfield,
Speaker 3: you know, they got aj they got Armstead, they got
Speaker 3: Frankie Hickson. Like they have a really good backfield. And
Speaker 3: I think that someone like Corey Makes is very defensive minded.
Speaker 4: He wanted to be able.
Speaker 3: To pound the football this year on the ground and
Speaker 3: he has certainly done that in Saskatchewan, So they have
Speaker 3: a really good balance of the offense and defense. I
Speaker 3: think those both of those units are top four in
Speaker 3: the league and you know what they do. So I
Speaker 3: like Saskatchewan winning And honestly, if Saskatchewan was in the East,
Speaker 3: I would almost think that they would probably have a
Speaker 3: better chance of winning it over Montreal. I think they're
Speaker 3: that good of a football team.
Speaker 1: Jason. Obviously, you know the history of all of this
Speaker 1: great Canadian sport more than I do. But uh, first
Speaker 1: year head coach like this to asked, like if they
Speaker 1: were to make it to the Gray Cup, and it's
Speaker 1: gotta be pretty Uh, I don't know. It seems unpresidented.
Speaker 1: You probably know better than I do.
Speaker 2: The last guy that I believe did it, I'm probably
Speaker 2: forgetting someone, so don't quote me on this, but I
Speaker 2: think Corey Chamberlain with Saskatchewan won the Gray Cup in
Speaker 2: his first year as head coach there and then uh
Speaker 2: kind of flamed out, I believe. Or yeah, I think
Speaker 2: he was a really young, upstart head coach when he
Speaker 2: got hired so and and that was a big great
Speaker 2: Cup for them they wanted at home. So that's that's
Speaker 2: the one guy I recall. I'll look it up right now,
Speaker 2: but I think didn't.
Speaker 3: Wasn't that That's one way, wasn't Jason in his first
Speaker 3: year last year when he took Montreal to the Great
Speaker 3: Cup and won it.
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, but he had been I had coached before.
Speaker 3: Oh that's yeah, that's true.
Speaker 1: That's interesting. I just I mean, good for to ask here.
Speaker 1: Let's round this out before we get out here at
Speaker 1: the top of the hour, because then we're going to go.
Speaker 1: I gotta go watch the Yankees hopefully beat the Dodgers.
Speaker 1: I don't like the Dodgers, Anthony. Winnipeg here started slow.
Speaker 1: Everything's churning here. Whenever team goes in. It really feels
Speaker 1: like you're living in Winnipeg's world here at thoughts on
Speaker 1: the thoughts on Winnipeg here going into the final. Obviously
Speaker 1: we'll do more talk next week.
Speaker 3: I mean, this team, what they've been able to accomplish,
Speaker 3: I mean, this was they were two and six and
Speaker 3: through those first eight nine weeks of the season, and
Speaker 3: I'm sure everyone, all of us wanted to write them
Speaker 3: off and just say, well, Zach Klaris is washed and
Speaker 3: this offense can't do anything. All the receivers are heard,
Speaker 3: you know. But the one constant with this team has
Speaker 3: been their defense.
Speaker 4: And I know the old cliche is defense wins championships,
Speaker 4: but my god, this Winnipeg defense has been incredible all year.
Speaker 3: They have been consistent. They are good all around, you know,
Speaker 3: defending the pass, defending the run. They've been number one
Speaker 3: all season statistically, and major kudos to Zach Kulars for
Speaker 3: fighting through, you know, all the stick that he had
Speaker 3: to go through, you know, just kind of get through
Speaker 3: the mental hurdles of the struggles he had at the
Speaker 3: beginning of the year and being able to pull through.
Speaker 4: And then you know, in.
Speaker 3: The back they they got a running back in that backfield,
Speaker 3: Brady that I think can be the MLP of this
Speaker 3: league as well.
Speaker 4: He has also been very consistent.
Speaker 3: I think he had six or seven games with over
Speaker 3: one hundred plus yards rushing this season. Like and then
Speaker 3: they're they're getting healthy at the right time. At receiver ever,
Speaker 3: they're getting mostly everyone back, so outside of Dalton shown
Speaker 3: but you know, they got Kenny Lawer back and they
Speaker 3: got a good receiving course. So I think overall, like
Speaker 3: just it's been really impressive to see Winnipeg the turnaround
Speaker 3: they had, winning nine in the last ten games. And yeah,
Speaker 3: I I I don't think there's a team in the
Speaker 3: CFL right now that could be Winnipeg, and they would
Speaker 3: definitely be my pick for winning the Great Cup.
Speaker 1: And they clean the This been ages ago in my life,
Speaker 1: but they cleaned the clock out of the SASS right
Speaker 1: in the back to back? Didn't they just told but
Speaker 1: mangible on the Labor Day?
Speaker 2: Right?
Speaker 1: Am I making that up in my head?
Speaker 4: Anyone? It's a long season.
Speaker 1: I know, I'm trying to hear right. In the CFL,
Speaker 1: I mean, j Jacob brother, whoever the hell about this
Speaker 1: in the thing? But I mean, wasn't that just anyway?
Speaker 1: I feel like that? Jason? Any other thoughts on win
Speaker 1: to Peg here, let's look back August. Uh, Yeah, Bombers
Speaker 1: beat them on the first and then Bombers beat them
Speaker 1: at home or whatever back to back on the yes,
Speaker 1: so they both times on that. Jason thoughts on Winnipeg
Speaker 1: we'll get out of here.
Speaker 2: Well, winn a peg. It's been remarkable this season that
Speaker 2: they've had. I left them for dead at two and six.
Speaker 2: I thought they were done, Like I thought that was
Speaker 2: too big of a hole to climb out of. But
Speaker 2: I think in the CFL it's it's very unique. Like
Speaker 2: you talk about all these NFL teams that have these
Speaker 2: piss poor records right now, then you can pretty much
Speaker 2: write them off in the NFL, But in the CFL,
Speaker 2: smaller league, if you can get you know, five six
Speaker 2: wins together in a oh, like you really can turn
Speaker 2: your season around at any point, and I think they
Speaker 2: showed that this year, and they showed that they really
Speaker 2: have the heart of the champion and they may not
Speaker 2: be as scary as they've been in recent years, but
Speaker 2: like Anthony said, the defense is looking really sturdy. I
Speaker 2: think that, you know, even if their offensive, you know,
Speaker 2: passing attack isn't what it used to be. I think
Speaker 2: Brady Olavera is still really the heart and soul of
Speaker 2: that team, and he's had a great season. So they're
Speaker 2: gonna be hard to beat because they got that first
Speaker 2: place in the West. You know, we didn't really talk
Speaker 2: about it, but that crazy wind affecting that punt that
Speaker 2: that you know, may have altered the way Saskatchewan had played,
Speaker 2: you know, in in the game against Calgary, and you know,
Speaker 2: it's it's really interesting to see that Winnipeg ended up
Speaker 2: as the first place team in the West again for
Speaker 2: what was the fourth straight year or whatever. But because
Speaker 2: they got that game at home, I think they're definitely
Speaker 2: a heavy favorite once again to reach the Great Cup
Speaker 2: for the fifth graat year. And you know, I think that,
Speaker 2: you know, given the fact they've lost the last two years,
Speaker 2: I'm not super confident that they'll actually win the Great
Speaker 2: Cup because you know, they've gotten in these last two
Speaker 2: years and they've been classic games, don't get me wrong,
Speaker 2: but they just have looked off and Zach Claris hasn't
Speaker 2: really played particularly well in these playoff games, but they're
Speaker 2: usually good enough to win the West Finals. So I'm
Speaker 2: pretty confident that they'll do that. But one thing, when
Speaker 2: you guys were just talking right there, the last coach,
Speaker 2: first year head coach that I've seen that's won the
Speaker 2: Great Cup was actually Scott Milanovitch in twenty twelve with
Speaker 2: the Town Argonauts. So that's the answer.
Speaker 1: Well, there you go. Yeah, we had the wind right
Speaker 1: with Castillo's kick or then the pun, and then they
Speaker 1: led to the kick and then right I did we
Speaker 1: have the walkoff rouge to off the pun or whatever? Right,
Speaker 1: there was a couple of different special teams.
Speaker 4: Unfortunately. I love that.
Speaker 1: Yeah, we're getting out of here, Anthony, anything else from you?
Speaker 3: No, this is a probably the most important weekend for
Speaker 3: the CFL and in a little while, so I'm excited
Speaker 3: that we got meaningful game games that are gonna make
Speaker 3: a huge impact on the season. So I'm looking forward
Speaker 3: to it. Read hopefully your team can salvage something out
Speaker 3: of the season and may pull up an upset.
Speaker 1: I'll be a lot to talk about otherwise. Like I said,
Speaker 1: we'll figure out something next week, probably midweek going into
Speaker 1: the finals, and then Jason and I and the cavalcadd
Speaker 1: guests will be there on It'll be Saturday, the sixteenth,
Speaker 1: so come stop by. We'll be at the Lions. Then
Speaker 1: they say they're making signage for everybody, really really rolled
Speaker 1: out the red carpet, so BC is doing a good
Speaker 1: job there. I think we're gonna have good, reliable internet,
Speaker 1: which is always appreciated if that's always my biggest stressing
Speaker 1: point going north, so come check that out. I'll post
Speaker 1: the links and stuff on live, but we'll be there
Speaker 1: always as good, always a fun show. Jason, welcome back, Anthony,
Speaker 1: thanks for hopping on and we'll see everyone next time
Speaker 2: You