I’ve a political question that needs to be answered and it’s one that has to do with football: Does Justin Trudeau get Stephen Harper’s REDBLACKS tickets?
Speaking of takeaways, here are this week’s:
1) Hey, the REDBLACKS just might be contenders, y’all!
“There’s no way they can keep this up for a whole season,” they all said, back in July. “There’s no way they can keep this up for a whole season,” they all said back in August. “Well, there’s no way they can keep this going for the rest of the season,” they all said in September. “Well, there’s no way they can keep this up now that they’ve lost their running back,” they all said at the beginning of October. Not only can the REDBLACKS keep it up, they can look like no worse than even money in the looming two-game showdown with the Ticats, one that will decide first place in the East. Some are even – gasp – calling Ottawa the favourites. All of a sudden, “they,” aren’t saying the words “no way” anymore.
2) Bowman is on the loose and he’s ransacking opponents like a bear at a restaurant dumpster (Part I):
John Bowman has ten sacks in his last eight games, eight in his last five. He rifled the Argos for six tackles and three sacks on Friday night to take over tenth spot on the CFL’s all-time sacks list, with 97. With fourteen quarterback hides this year, he’s now just one back of Winnipeg’s Jamaal Westerman for the league lead. You might remember that Bowman, aged 33, was a healthy scratch for the Alouettes in Week 8. He wondered if it was over for him. “If it’s my time, it’s my time, and I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished,” he told the Montreal Gazette back in August. Turns out the reports of the death of his career were greatly exaggerated.
3) Bowman is on the loose and he’s ransacking opponents like a bear at a restaurant dumpster (Part II):
Adarius Bowman caught a pass during the second quarter of Edmonton’s comeback win in Regina and even he seemed surprised as to how wide open he was, taking a couple of tentative steps before realizing he could hit the gas for gravy yards, which he did. Bowman had twelve catches for 208 yards and a touchdown against the Roughriders while, the week before, he hauled in eleven passes for 198 yards and a major against B.C. Early in the season, big number four seemed to have trouble shaking the dropsies but he is cash money now and, all of a sudden, Eric Rogers’ grip on the most receiving yards title is no longer a solid one, with Bowman just 60 yards back. He and Mike Reilly are so in sync right now, they could probably celebrate touchdowns with a flawless rendition of the Dirty Dancing finale.
4) Henry Burris is the CFL’s version of Benjamin Button.
How else can we continue to explain the phenomenon of the ageless wonder that his Smilin’ Hank? Not only is he NOT aging, it does seem like he may, in fact, be getting younger. He might actually get his second 60,000 passing yards faster than he did the first. Burris may not have been perfect in Ottawa’s win in Winnipeg, throwing a couple of interceptions along the way, but he was everything you need in a leader on the REDBLACKS’ clinching drive, late in the game. On that drive, Burris was 4/4 in passing for 45 yards and he plunged in from the one, himself, for the winning touchdown. Curious is the case of one Henry Burris, ageless quarterback, who keeps himself young with a combination of exercise and the right diet. It’s a lesson for us all. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to drive to the corner store to pick up some chips and a burrito as I’ve not had breakfast yet.
5) The Toronto Argonauts have some sorting out to do.
With two losses in a row, the Argos have, basically, lost their chance at finishing first in the East (There is the very, very slight chance they could still take it, but it would require them winning their final two games while Ottawa and Hamilton play to TWO ties. You should get Lotto Max odds on that one). They would grab second spot if there ends up being a three-way tie (a much more realistic possibility). Beyond the chance of hosting a home game – and, miracle of miracles, their actual home stadium would be available for that – the Argos must have an urgency about them, as their 34-2 loss to Montreal showed a team in disarray both on the field and on the sidelines, where teammates scuffled. Their leading touchdown getter, receiver Tori Gurley, is being benched by the team for disciplinary reasons. All of this is what you would call “ungood” with two games left in the regular season. What’s that I see? Is that Ricky Ray galloping in on a white horse?
And finally: That Old Spice guy has nothing on Ottawa’s Damaso Munoz when it comes to swagger. Check out his tweet following the win in Winnipeg, site of this year’s Grey Cup Game.
Save the WiFi password here because we coming back #RNation
— Damaso Munoz (@YungLion17) October 24, 2015
