The Toronto Argonauts start out their CFL season welcoming the classic rival Montréal Alouettes to BMO Field on Thursday night.
Winnipeg and Ottawa complete a home-and-home series in the nation's capital on Friday night. After Friday, they won't meet again (barring a crossover) until the Grey Cup. ESPN2 will air the Thursday and Friday games in the United States.
The action stays east on Saturday with the Calgary Stampeders in Hamilton. The lone game west of Ontario has a green battle as Saskatchewan arrives in Edmonton. ESPNews airs the late game.
Edmonton hasn't won at home since 2019 before the pandemic and with the old racist nickname.
The BC Lions get to relax in the Vancouver sunshine (hopefully).
ESPN2
Thursday
Montréal @ Toronto, 7:30p
Friday
Winnipeg @ Ottawa, 7:30p
ESPNews
Saturday
Saskatchewan @ Edmonton, 9:30p
TSN
Thursday
Montréal @ Toronto, 7:30p
Friday
Winnipeg @ Ottawa, 7:30p
Saturday
Calgary @ Hamilton, 6:30p
Saskatchewan @ Edmonton, 9:30p
Bye week: BC
Toronto rests atop the East Division with a 0-0 record. All 3 eastern teams lost in western cities in Week 1. Not much of a surprise given the strength of the West Division teams and usually doing better at home.
In the West, BC, Calgary, Saskatchewan, and Winnipeg are all 1-0. Edmonton is 0-1 with a -44 point differential.
The BC Lions didn't really want a bye this week. Winning by 44 points in the home opener where the upper deck was open for fans was an incredible start. The OneRepublic concert was pretty good as seen on TSN and ESPN+.
We also saw 3 Canadian quarterbacks in the same game with BC starter Nathan Rourke, BC backup Michael O'Connor, and Edmonton backup Trey Ford. That might be a modern record.
Rourke had 3 passing TDs and 2 rushing TDs. O'Connor added a rushing TD.
2022 CFL Week 1 preview
We hate to see significant injuries from major players. Montréal running back William Stanback suffered a fractured ankle in Calgary. Stanback is on the 6-game injured list. Unlike a lot of players who aren't out for the full 6 weeks, Stanback should be out at least that long.
2022 CFL preview
The Montréal Alouettes fell just short of a first down in the opening quarter in Calgary. Vernon Adams Jr. left the field and Dominique Davis came on to get a 3rd-and-short opportunity. This marked the return of the 3rd quarterback.
The CFL's mangled experiment with teams only had 2 quarterbacks. The league argued that teams could have a 3rd quarterback but had to sacrifice a roster spot.
Winnipeg needed all 3 quarterbacks in its comeback over Ottawa.
There were a few games where a team had offence troubles, not having that extra quarterback. The extra quarterback also extends drives, which leads to fewer punts.
We didn't know how poor the game would be with only 2 quarterbacks. May we never have to think about that again.
Why the Canadian ratio is so important in the CFL
2022 CFL preseason schedule
The ESPN cable channels aired 0 games in Week 1 but 3 games in Week 2. That is 15% of the cable channel games in about 53 hours.
The schedule is top heavy in that most games air before Labour Day. None of the 2022 Labour Day weekend games are on the cable channels.
CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage
If you see empty seats in the stands, especially in the prairies, consider that football draws regionally, especially in Canada. The sharp gas price increases makes short trips rather tough these days.
.@GlenSuitor took him all the way to game 2 to say the @GoElks old racist nickname. You aren't getting paid to say the old nickname. Last season, we suggested a swear jar where Suitor donates $ to #Indigenous projects. @CFLonTSN @CFL @TSN_Sports
— Chad Rubel (@canadian_xing) June 11, 2022
Glen Suitor knew what he was doing in 2021 and now in 2022. Suitor thinks he's the cool kid in the back of the classroom with the wisecrack. Using the old racist nickname is his way of relating to those frustrated by the name change.
If Suitor literally had to pay the price, he might still do it but perhaps less often. The idea of Suitor holding up a big check of his own money is better than the status quo.
As we noted in the CFL season preview, TSN has several sideline reporters. TSN has Sara Orlesky and Ryan Rishaug in the west along with Farhan Lalji in Vancouver. TSN used to have Claire Hanna out west before moving her to Ottawa.
Orlesky was in Calgary on Thursday, Winnipeg on Friday, and Regina (via Calgary) on Saturday. She had to be in Winnipeg as the MC for the unveiling of the newest Grey Cup banner in her home base in Winnipeg. TSN referred to Air Sara for all her travels this week.
Sara Orlesky's doubleheader last December of being the sideline reporter at IG Field followed by hosting the Winnipeg Jets at Canada Life Centre is legendary.
We are in favour of more Sara Orlesky. Hopefully, she got a lot of sleep starting on Sunday.
The eastern sideline reporters are Matthew Scianitti (Toronto and Hamilton), John Lu (Montréal), and Hanna (Ottawa).
Rod Smith and Glen Suitor kicked off the season in Calgary on Thursday and Saturday in Regina. Dustin Nielson and Duane Forde worked in Winnipeg on Friday night and then a quick flight out to Vancouver (Farhan Lalji) for the Saturday late game.
logo credit: CFL
Twitter capture: @canadian_xing
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