Adam Gagnon/CFL
CFL.ca Staff
TORONTO — There’s an old saying that the CFL season truly begins on Labour Day, but this year may add new meaning to the expression.
Mark’s Labour Day Weekend is less than two weeks away and all four looming matchups have earth-shattering implications.
Tensions are always high across Canadian cities as rivalries flare up and teams set their sights on the second half of their seasons. A quick glance at the standings, however, shows that more is at stake than just bragging rights.
All eight teams in action will be playing for playoff posturing while six will do it in back-to-back weeks.
We look at what could be at play in two weeks’ time for each matchup:
Thursday, Sept. 3, 2015 – BC Lions at Montreal Alouettes
The only cross-division matchup of Labour Day Weekend doesn’t have the flare the other three matchups do as far as the rivalry goes, but it won’t mean any less in the standings. The BC Lions are off this week and will have a 3-5 record entering that game, while another Western foe in the Bombers will take on a tough matchup against the defending Grey Cup Champions.
Long story short, crossover implications. The Alouettes could actually hold a playoff spot via the West Division crossover as early as this weekend if they can conquer the Ticats on the road and while yes, it’s early, the crossover appears to be in play this season and can’t be ignored.
The Lions, meanwhile, finding themselves competing not just against Western opponents but against whoever lands in fourth in the East, will be dialing up the urgency in a rematch with the Als.
Sunday, Sept. 6, 2015 – Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Saskatchewan Roughriders
Despite an 0-8 start this season, the Riders sit only three games out of a playoff spot behind Winnipeg and BC. Could Saskatchewan become the first team in CFL history to lose its first eight games and bounce back to make the playoffs?
A perfect start would be Labour Day Weekend in the first end of a home-and-home with Winnipeg. The Bombers are without Drew Willy and face a tough test with Calgary in Week 10, while the Riders will look to notch win number one in the Nation’s Capital.
If the stars align, these teams could be tied after a Labour Day home-and-home, something the Bombers will work hard to avoid.
Monday, Sept. 7, 2015 – Toronto Argonauts at Hamilton Tiger-Cats
As of now, the annual Labour Day classic between the Argos and the Ticats looks like a dream matchup. Both teams are 6-2 right now and sit atop the East Division with a two-game lead over the third-place REDBLACKS, meaning no matter what happens in Week 10, these teams will be battling for first place in that game.
The Ticats have not yet lost at Tim Hortons Field and they’ve drawn first blood against the Argos this year with a 34-18 win back in Week 6. Hamilton can clinch the season series and a huge upper hand in the race for the division with a win on Labour Day, while the Argos desperately want to be the first visitor to win at Tim Hortons Field.
Labour Day is all about hatred and these teams will show plenty of that on Sept. 7.
Monday, Sept. 7, 2015 – Edmonton Eskimos at Calgary Stampeders
Speaking of teams hating each other, the Edmonton-Calgary rivalry is among the most intense out there – and for the second season in a row it looks like these teams are on an island battling it out for first place.
The Stamps own the early edge in the standings with a better record but the Eskimos own the CFL’s number one defence and have made it this far without star pivot Mike Reilly. It’s unlikely Reilly will be ready to go in time for their first matchup of 2015, but for both of these teams the season truly does start on Labour Day.
The CFL season is a marathon, not a sprint, but from Labour Day on out you can be sure these teams will be sprinting to the finish line in another heated race for the division.
And remember, the Eskimos will have a chip on their shoulders for this matchup. They were 0-3 against Calgary last year and were hit hard in a playoff loss in the Western Final. This is their first crack at their hated rival since then and you can be sure they haven’t forgotten.
So there are still four more games between now and Mark’s Labour Day weekend, but the time is approaching fast. In a season defined by parity, this time of year could provide the turning point in many team’s seasons.
