The week starts a bit early as the Toronto Argonauts play an unusual home game on a Wednesday. Rogers Centre can't be blamed; renovations of BMO Field moved back home games for Toronto FC. But there will certainly be plenty of tailgaters, especially Blue Jays fans in that sport's All-Star break. The Argos host the battle of eastern Ontario.
Your humble narrator will take in a couple of games this week live: the Blue Bombers host Edmonton on Thursday and the B.C. Lions go to Regina Saturday night. These are the last 2 CFL stadiums I have not visited.
Hamilton travels to La Belle Province to visit the Alouettes Friday night.
ESPN2 is silent this week but TSN will be on duty. ESPN3 will rule in the States.
After the tough tie, the Calgary Stampeders are homebound this week.
TSN
Wednesday
Ottawa @ Toronto, 7:30p
Thursday
Edmonton @ Winnipeg, 8:30p
Friday
Hamilton @ Montréal, 7:30p
Saturday
BC @ Saskatchewan, 7p
Bye week: Calgary
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Ties are even rarer than shutouts in the CFL with the Calgary-Ottawa 26-26 tie. The fact that the U.S. audience got the end of regulation followed by OT and the tie is even more impressively rare.
Both teams each had a field goal in each OT period. CFL rules call for 2 overtime periods before a tie can be had.
Calgary was also involved in the last CFL tie in 2009. The Stampeders hosted Saskatchewan on October 17. The teams played to a 44-44 tie. The game could have played a part in determining the West playoff order. The teams tied at 10-7-1. Saskatchewan won the final regular season game to have a 2-0-1 record against Calgary. If the Stampeders had won, the teams would have gone to the next tiebreaker.
This was Ottawa's second OT game of the season. The end of both games aired on ESPN2. The last time Ottawa was involved in a CFL tie, the Ottawa Rough Riders hosted Edmonton and the teams played to a 16-16 tie on November 1, 1986.
Instant classic. That's what Chris Cuthbert called the Saskatchewan-Edmonton game. The Esks had scored 19 straight points to go up 33-19. With 7:31 left in the game, the Roughriders punted and forced a fumble. Went for 3rd-and-5 from the Edmonton 20, Saskatchewan scored a touchdown. Got an onside kick, drove down for a field goal: now the score is 33-29 Edmonton. The Esks go 2-and-out and the Roughriders get the ball back with 2:15 left. The Roughriders drive down for a TD to go up 36-33 with 19 seconds left.
Game over? Not by a long shot. The kickoff return leaves 13 seconds on the clock. The first Mike Reilly pass goes 14 yards to the Esks 50. The second pass gets Edmonton to the Saskatchewan 44. Sean Whyte hits the 51-yard tying field goal and we go to OT.
Edmonton gets a FG in the first OT. Saskatchewan completes a 2nd down pass just short of the 25. The Roughriders, gambling all game, go for 3rd-and-1. The team could kick a FG easily and force a 2nd OT on the road. Darian Durant plunges on the short yardage play but comes up short.
This was the first time since 1995 that the CFL has had 2 overtime games in the same day. This was Edmonton's 2nd straight overtime game. And all of this on the return of Chris Jones to Edmonton. Instant classic, indeed.
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Justin Medlock was certainly capable of kicking a 51-yard field goal. True, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers were penalized 5 yards because holder Weston Dressler didn't know the team was kicking a field goal. Medlock, back in his old stadium in Hamilton for the first time since signing with Winnipeg, hooked the ball to the right. Brandon Banks, Medlock's former teammate was 11 yards deep in the end zone. Banks might have touched twice, however briefly, as he ran the distance 121 yards for the touchdown. Half of the Tiger-Cats on the field were a long way away from any Blue Bomber player when Banks crossed the goal line.
All of this happened in the first 3 minutes of the game. And Winnipeg still won the game. Exciting moments such as these are why the CFL is special.
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We got a Brian Williams sighting with a Chris Jones feature. Williams traveled to South Pittsburg, Tennessee to tell the rise of a coach who went from begging to be an unpaid coach at Tennessee Tech to someone who won Grey Cups as a defensive coach in Montréal, Calgary, and Toronto before winning the Grey Cup as a head coach for Edmonton last season. "What impressed me is the respect that Chris Jones and the citizens of South Pittsburg have not just for the Grey Cup but for our country. And I'll tell you what, they love and know their football," said Williams.
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Zach Collaros got a look from ESPN. Collaros, like Jonathan Crompton featured earlier, has been injured for awhile. Darian Durant got a look, too. At least he's currently playing.
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Chris Schultz wasn't part of the panel in Week 1 and Week 3. Milt Stegall filled in the fourth chair in Week 1, but the CFL on TSN panel went with 3 people this past week. The panel normally rotates Stegall and Jock Climie, and last year had Paul LaPolice to fill in as needed. There is a dance where something is clearly going wrong in Schultz's life off-camera but the folks are giving him privacy. Good luck in whatever Schultz is going through off-camera.
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During the game in Hamilton, Rod Black apologized for swearing on the sidelines captured by the camera. My ears are tuned to swearing but swear I didn't hear a thing. But this is the way to deal with swearing. Acknowledge but apologize. The U.S. ears are so sensitive to swearing. The CFL setup is designed for more on-field noise, something the NFL setup clearly lacks.
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The CFL games leading into the long weekend in both countries likely helped the U.S. ratings. The Ottawa-Montréal game drew a healthy 257,000 number on ESPN2. The nightcap on Thursday for Toronto-Saskatchewan had 223,000 viewers. Even the Friday late night game with Winnipeg at Calgary drew 151,000.
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Chris Cuthbert, Glen Suitor: Toronto @ BC; Saskatchewan @ Edmonton
Rod Black, Duane Forde: Winnipeg @ Hamilton; Calgary @ Ottawa
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photo credit: CFL on TSN/ESPN2
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