CONTRACTS FOR LIFE

Do I ever feel dumb.

I've criticized this coaching staff, almost, on a weekly basis.  It stops now.  Even if they lose 50-0 next week.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders just pulled off a huge 20-16 win over the Calgary Stampeders to advance to the Grey Cup for the third time in four years.

Sign this coaching staff up for life and please do not let Ken Miller retire at season's end.  Let Ken Austin go to Edmonton.  He has nothing on Miller.

And, you can give Jim Daley a new contract too.  Sure, Ryan Grice-Mullen fumbled a key punt in the fourth quarter; but who cares?  The Riders won.  You could also choose to look at that fumble in a positive light:  Jerrell Freeman competed hard on that play and deserves full marks for recovering the football.  What's that?  You say the defense was actually on the field?  Oh.  Still.  Give Daley a contract too. 

Honestly, I think the Riders are bad on special teams on purpose just so they can keep games interesting.  Otherwise, they'd blow out the opposition weekly.  So, I can handle a few anxious moments with Daley's coaching and the players on special teams that one opposing player said, "don't even compete".

One really important thing that Ken Miller demands of his team that he doesn't get any credit for whatsoever is that he makes sure his athletes are gentlemen.  How many dumb penalties did Calgary take today with their hot headed group that consists of Dwight Anderson, Nik Lewis, Brandon Browner, etc.?  As time was winding down I thought to myself, that win or lose, the Riders (players, not fans!) are as classy a football team as you will find anywhere.  No stupid celebrations after touchdowns, taunting is pretty much non-existent, and I don't remember the last time I saw one of their players called for unsportsmanlike conduct.

For all of Anderson's talking, I really wish someone would interview him tonight.  I would love to hear his comments, especially after he was cursing and swearing at Rider fans who were leaving in the dying moments of a big regular season game, won by Calgary, a few weeks ago. 

Calgary, truely, picked their poison today.  They decided Fantuz or Dressler weren't going to beat them.  By now, you'd think they'd understand just how good Chris Getzlaf can be too.  Listening to John Hufnagel at halftime, I think he's fully aware of how good Getzlaf is.  Their defense just wasn't good enough to shut down everyone.

The other coach that deserves full praise is Gary Etchevarry.  How impressive were the Riders, even with a hurt Barrin Simpson, against the run today against Jon Cornish and Joffrey Reynolds?  Cornish had one really big run; and I don't remember a significant gain by Reynolds at all today. 

Wes Cates was awesome again today too.  His detractors are awfully quiet these days.  I don't know what he had for yards, but his touchdown was key and a third quarter block that allowed Durant to gain yardage with his legs was also very important.

The big test next week will be stopping Avon Cobourne, who racked up 170 yards on the ground against a, usually, stout Toronto defense today.  I think Durant is going to find his receivers without any problem in the Grey Cup as Montreal's pass defense is their weak spot.  If Etchevarry's group has one more run-stopping game left in them, then Saskatchewan can win this game.