We are at a loss for words for how empty the CFL Labour Day weekend is in 2019. The BC Lions are used to being alone on the end of summer holiday long weekend. The Lions are joined by Montréal and Ottawa, teams that had developed a healthy Labour Day rivalry.
The more traditional Prairie matchup is Sunday with the Blue Bombers in Regina without Andrew Harris.
Monday is a bit more traditional with the Battle of southern Ontario back to a daytime 1 pm kickoff in Hamilton. The Battle of Alberta is the last game of the day from Calgary.
The true spirit of the CFL is these games and the revenge games.
TSN
Sunday
Winnipeg @ Saskatchewan, 3p
Monday
Toronto @ Hamilton, 1p
Edmonton @ Calgary, 4:30p
Bye week: BC, Montréal, Ottawa
It wouldn’t be #TouchdownAtlantic without these guys. pic.twitter.com/xOJkK0a2HA
— Atlantic Schooners (@SchoonersATL) August 25, 2019
CFL once again comes to Moncton for 2019 Touchdown Atlantic
Seeing Moncton reminded me so much of my 2013 Touchdown Atlantic trip. Seeing Moncton on TV in the United States was a rather rare phenomenon.
Rod Black did well to talk up Moncton, New Brunswick, the Maritimes, and the Atlantic Schooners. Black and Forde interviewed Anthony LeBlanc and Bruce Bowser of the Atlantic Schooners at the beginning of the 2nd quarter.
The announced crowd was 10,126, far below the crowd of 15,123 in 2013. The high ticket prices were a concern. The Schooners people have said the success of the game will have no impact on the bid to have a permanent team in Halifax.
The CFL game Thursday mentioned a couple of Winnipeg Blue Bombers from New Brunswick: Mike Miller (Riverview) and Jake Thomas (Douglas). Miller also did a promo that aired Sunday. This is a nice cross-promotion to show the interest in football in the Maritimes.
The Moncton crowd got an exciting game eventually. Toronto dominated the 2nd quarter. McLeod Bethel-Thompson fumbled a snap late in the first half that could have made the difference. The Alouettes and Vernon Adams Jr. relied on the long ball to mount a comeback in the 3rd quarter. The game came down to the final play.
Henry Burris brought a perspective to the CFL on TSN panel since he was the Hamilton quarterback in the 2013 Touchdown Atlantic. Montréal is now 1-1 in Moncton, losing 28-26 in 2013 to Hamilton. Toronto is 0-2 in Moncton, losing 24-6 to Edmonton in 2010. Hamilton is 2-0, also winning 55-36 over Calgary in 2011.
IT'S GAME DAY! It's the Battle of Alberta (right @AJCole90?)
— Edmonton Eskimos (@EdmontonEsks) August 23, 2019
This one is for 1st place!
🏟️: @TheBrick Field at Commonwealth Stadium
⚔️: Winnipeg Blue Bombers
⏰: 7:00 PM MT
📺: TSN
📻: 630 CHED
🎟️: https://t.co/9waRWy6fIn
🏈| #OneEmpire pic.twitter.com/5oJUjAJO3P
NFL in Winnipeg with no starters and an 80-yard field
A NFL preseason game in a CFL stadium should be with the wide and long field. No need to move any goal posts. The NFL should also deliberately set up a well-planned preseason game in Canada.
Some people learned that Winnipeg is in Manitoba. Figure that 99.9999% of the CanadianCrossing.com audience knew that but other people didn't know.
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Winnipeg in Edmonton wasn't really the Battle of Alberta but was held up as an exciting game to watch. The Esks kicked 7 field goals without a touchdown in the first matchup in Winnipeg.
The Blue Bombers defence held Edmonton to 6 straight field goals in Edmonton. The Esks finally broke free with a TD with 68 seconds left in the game.
The last 78 seconds featured a single for Winnipeg (more of that in a second), an Edmonton TD, and a field goal for each team. Can't leave a CFL game early.
The single point came on a sack and fumble of Trevor Harris by Willie Jefferson. Jefferson kicked the ball into the end zone but the ball was touched by an Edmonton player to go out of bounds. Chris Cuthbert chalked that up as a safety, which would have given the ball to Winnipeg. The referees said the scoring play resulted in a single point. The difference came in Jefferson kicking the ball. The result also gave Edmonton the ball back and the Esks got a 75-yard TD pass on the next play.
Edmonton came away from the 2-game series with 13 field goals and a TD. Love Sean Whyte but that is some tough defence by Winnipeg. Jefferson also made a spectacular play to bat the onside kick out of bounds.
The Esks were 4-0 at home and won their last 6 games at home. Winnipeg came in with its backup quarterback Chris Streveler and changed that dynamic.
Streveler did have 95 rushing yards on 14 carries and only 7/17 for 89 passing yards. Winnipeg doesn't have the stats but wins games, the same scenario under Matt Nichols.
Streveler outran Andrew Harris who had 13 carries for 89 yards.
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"Milt Stegall on the CFL on TSN panel noted that (Andrew) Harris is getting better with age, rare among running backs." — last week's CFL update
Andrew Harris will be suspended for 2 games after testing positive for metandienone. Harris will miss the home-and-home with Saskatchewan.
I don't have the science knowledge to know how much metandienone has an impact on a running back in his early 30s. Harris released an extensive statement on the matter.
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You didn't have to be in the Eastern or Atlantic time zone to fall asleep during the Hamilton-BC game in Vancouver Saturday night. The Lions didn't score a TD until the final minute of the game. The teams had 6 combined points in the first half.
Watching Mike Reilly continue to get beat up is turning sad for everyone other than the opposing team and its fans. Reilly has been sacked 44 times.
The Tiger-Cats are now 2-6 in their last 8 games in Vancouver. The BC Lions have played 10 games but only 4 at home. The Lions are still winless at home.
CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage
Dominique Davis threw 3 straight interceptions for the RedBlacks that led to 17 points for the Roughriders. Jonathon Jennings came in relief for Ottawa.
The Ottawa offence has struggled this season. Ottawa lost its offensive coordinator about a month before training camp for a 2020 XFL position. Winston October got a promotion within the staff to be receivers coach and offensive coordinator.
The RedBlacks went old school with Joe Paopao, former Ottawa Renegades head coach, to be the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator. October is still the receivers coach. We'll see the impact of the move in the coming weeks.
Give credit to the Saskatchewan defence. The Roughriders have now won 5 straight.
Had a great time calling my first @CFLonTSN game in a long time. Thanks to @MattDuniganTSN producer Jeff MacLeod and everyone else on the crew. Wasnt a picasso but felt like a thriller to me! Thanks for the opportunity @TSN_Sports. #BCLions #TiCats pic.twitter.com/MYikhlbfIl
— Farhan Lalji (@FarhanLaljiTSN) August 25, 2019
Rod Black and Duane Forde were in Moncton for Touchdown Atlantic. I remember that they called the last Touchdown Atlantic in 2013 because I saw them on the field before the game. Chris Cuthbert and Glen Suitor stayed out west in Edmonton and Regina.
Farhan Lalji worked off a bit of rust with Matt Dunigan in Vancouver. Lalji did rather well in the role. He knows the game very well but the play-by-play voice is different than the reporter voice. Lalji is now the 5th person to call a CFL game on TSN this season and that doesn't factor in Gord Miller, who hasn't called a game so far.
Twitter captures: @SchoonersATL; @EdmontonEsks; @FarhanLaljiTSN
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