O’Leary: What’s in store for Mark’s Labour Day Weekend rematches
Adam Gagnon/CFL.ca
The saying, whether it’s attributed to a Klingon proverb, the opening seconds of Kill Bill, or possibly to the Godfather himself, Don Corleone, is that revenge is a dish best served cold.
There are four teams in the CFL that are hoping that it’s served buffet-style, from Vancouver to Toronto.
In the rematches of the Mark’s Labour Day Weekend games, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Toronto will be out to right the wrongs incurred in Calgary, Saskatchewan and Hamilton, respectively. The other game that makes up Week 13 has revenge and survival at play. Let’s take a look at what we’re in store for this week.
Ottawa vs. BC | Friday, 10 p.m. ET
Trevor Harris and the REDBLACKS eye a win to stay ahead in the East (The Canadian Press)
Sitting at 3-6, the Lions need to start thinking about two things: Catching a team in the West and eyeing the exit. They won’t catch Calgary (will anyone?) and they’re now two games behind Winnipeg for fourth place in the West.
Their road East could start to be paved on Friday night when they host Ottawa. They let one slip away the last time they met the REDBLACKS, dropping a 29-25 decision in Ottawa on July 20. Friday night won’t be an easy go. Ottawa is coming off of a frustrating loss to Montreal and the Lions continue to lose players. Manny Arceneaux is injured and out for the season. BC’s top return man, Chris Rainey, is looking like he’ll be benched, and he’s not happy about it. The REDBLACKS will be intent on hanging on to first place in the East. With the Ticats inching closer to them in the standings, a win is imperative.
Hamilton vs Toronto | Saturday, 1 p.m. ET
Toronto looks for revenge while Hamilton eyes two in a row this week (Adam Gagnon/CFL.ca)
If things go their way and Ottawa falls to BC on Friday night, Hamilton has a shot at meeting the REDBLACKS atop the East Division standings with a win over their rivals up the QEW. The Ticats have been a hungry, resilient bunch in their last two games, surviving 24-unanswered points from Edmonton on Aug. 23 and out-punching the Argos at home on Labour Day. The panic button may not have been pressed yet in Argo land, but there has to be a finger hovering over it. They’re barely in front of the Alouettes in the standings (did anyone think they’d read that sentence when the season started?) and with the threat of a West crossover, they need to finish top-two to guarantee their survival this season. Taking the Ticats down a peg would go a long way on that front.
Saskatchewan vs Winnipeg | Saturday, 4 p.m. ET
Can the Blue Bombers bounce back against Saskatchewan this week? (Matt Smith/CFL.ca)
Hanging in the balance, like a wrestling championship over a ring full of ladders, is the pursuit of a home playoff game. The Riders can take a step toward their goal of a playoff date at the new Mosaic Stadium if they complete the sweep over the Bombers and claim the Banjo Bowl. A Winnipeg win would make things very interesting in the West. Not only would it allow Bombers fans to exhale a little bit, it’d create a great jumble of 6-5 and 6-6 teams sitting behind Calgary. This week’s ladder match has the potential to turn into a West-wide battle royal.
Calgary vs Edmonton | Saturday, 7 p.m. ET
Can Calgary improve to 10-1 this week with a win over Edmonton? (Larry MacDougal/CFL.ca)
At 9-1, the Stamps may be uncatchable in the regular-season, as they’ve been for four of the last five seasons. For the Esks, Saturday won’t be about the standings. It’s about getting back on solid ground and gaining some confidence against a team that they last beat on Oct. 28, 2017. It’s also about that imaginary belt hanging over the ring two provinces to the East. The West Final may be out of sights at the moment, but that home playoff date in mid-November is very tangible. And how fun would it be for Edmonton fans in a perfect scenario to get to see their team at home twice in the playoffs?
While the rest of the league is shrinking in Calgary’s rearview, they’re chasing history. Over their last five years of dominance, they’ve had two 15-win teams (2014 and 2016) and two 14-win teams (2013 and 2015). No Stamps team has ever broken the 15-win mark. Given where they’re at now, it seems very possible.
