Kyran Moore celebrates a punt return touchdown for the Roughriders.
Sheer panic gripped Rider Nation way back in just Week 3 of
the CFL season.
On June 30, the Saskatchewan Roughriders fell to 1-2
dropping a 23-17 decision to the lowly Montreal Alouettes at Mosaic Stadium.
With that win, the Alouettes halted a 13 game losing streak that dated back to
the previous season.
That was also the Roughriders “Humboldt Strong” game, where
the green and white were honouring the junior A Humboldt Broncos of the
Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.
The Roughriders defence played tough in 2018.
The CFL contest was part of the various
efforts to rally and support the Broncos in the wake of an April 6 team bus
crash that resulted in the deaths of 16 players and team officials and injuries
to 13 other players on the team.
There was a
vocal contingent of Roughriders fans that wondered what type of team they were cheering for. A consensus existed in the fan base that 2018 would be a
non-playoff year.
Fast forward five months and the Roughriders finished second
overall in the CFL regular season and the West Division with a 12-6 mark. Had
they won just one more game, they would have beat out the Calgary Stampeders
for top spot overall in the league and first in the West Division.
Special teams ace Jordan Reaves emerged as a fan favourite.
If any member of Rider Nation was told that would be the
type of regular season the Roughriders would have, they would all likely sign
up to take it.
Unfortunately, the overall memory of the Roughriders in 2018
comes from their last game. In the West Division semifinal just seven days ago
on Nov. 11, they dropped a 23-18 decision to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
In the aftermath of that clash, there was a huge uproar over
an unpenalized helmet-to-helmet shot hit delivered by Bombers defensive end
Jackson Jeffcoat to Roughriders quarterback Brandon Bridge in the second last
play of the game. That hit knocked Bridge out of the game.
To add further insult to the Roughriders and their fans, the
team lost starting quarterback Zach Collaros in the club’s final regular season
game on Oct. 27, when he was hit helmet to helmet by British Columbia Lions
defensive lineman Odell Willis in a 35-16 Saskatchewan victory.
QB Zach Collaros missed five total games due to injury in 2018.
The uncontrollable aspects of the game mounted against the
Roughriders at the end of their 2018 campaign.
Still, they were likely two changed plays away from winning
the playoff encounter against Winnipeg.
In an idealistic world, it would be cool to see most of the
roster return to see if they can improve on where they left off. Due to the
realities of professional sports, there will likely be medium sized turnover at
least.
The Roughriders defence played strong in 2018. Players like
defensive backs Jovon Johnson and Nick Marshall, defensive tackle Zack Evans,
linebacker Samuel Eguavoen, and defensive ends Willie Jefferson and Charleston
Hughes, despite his legal troubles with charges from an alleged diving under
the influence incident that are before the courts, all had outstanding years.
Roughriders DB Jovon Johnson, second from left, was out in the community.
All were great at dealing with the fans, and in the case of
Johnson and Jefferson, getting out into the community.
Brett Lauther, who was the team’s 28-year-old kicker, played
a full CFL season for the first time in his life, and he made 54-of-60 field
goal attempts with his long coming from 56 yards out. The Truno, N.S., product
played well enough to earn a look from an NFL team. He deserves that chance to
come his way.
Special teams ace Jordan Reaves grew into a fan favourite
with his hustle and the fact he got his nose dirty doing unglamourous work like
blowing up blocks.
On offence, the Roughriders bit the bullet and decided to go
with a younger group of receivers, and they steadily improved as they gained
experience as the campaign moved on. You pass catchers like Jordan
Williams-Lambert and Kyran Moore were fun to watch.
Jordan Williams-Lambert, left, became a key receiver for the Roughriders.
The ground game was in the capable hands of Tre Mason,
Marcus Thigpen and Cameron Marshall.
The offensive line had some ups and downs, but always had a
steady base anchored by Brendon LaBatte and Dan Clark.
If the Roughriders had more consistent play at quarterback,
they would have placed first overall in the league. Bridge seemed to regress,
which was unfortunate. Bridge is a phenomenal person who is easy to cheer for.
Collaros appeared in 14 of the Roughriders regular season
games and missed four regular season games and the club’s playoff contest due to injury. He was good at reading defences and had a good command of the offence.
HC and GM Chris Jones did a great job guiding the 2018 Roughriders.
The Steubenville, Ohio, product seemed to struggle throwing
the ball deep and throwing wide side outs. There were times opposing defences
gave him those options and focused on defending short and intermediate routes
expecting him to struggle with deep and wide side out throws.
Seeing those physical flaws, a few Roughriders fans have
gone public with a dream that the team might be able to sign soon to be free agent
Edmonton Eskimos star quarterback Mike Reilly.
Head coach and general manager Chris Jones often takes
criticism from the fans. He has always been a great coach, and he is improving
in the general manager’s role. Looking at the Roughriders over the past three
seasons, Jones is proving to be a good hire by the club.
Rider Nation is always ready to back their team.
An incoming football operations salary cap next season will
mean Jones will be releasing some coaching staff and other football operations
staff.
In 2018, it seemed like the expectations for the Roughriders
by the fans increased as the team’s win total grew larger.
When a loss did
happened, it seemed fan criticism went more overboard than normal, which is
part of life being with the Roughriders.
Overall, the campaign was a good one for the Roughriders,
and it created a lot of excitement for the fans.
The Roughriders celebrated victory on 12 occasions in 2018.
The good did overshadow the
bad for the green and white in 2018.
If you have any
comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them
to stankssports@gmail.com.
-------
If you like what you
see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like
this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the
DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.
Darian Durant speaks at the In the End Zone Dinner.
It was the question everyone wanted Darian Durant to answer.
How much fun was it to DJ
at Gabbo’s Nightclub after winning the 2011 Labour Day Classic?
Speaking to a packed
banquet room in the clubhouse building at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the
legendary former Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback grinned and answered the
query at the Saskatoon Hilltops End Zone Dinner on Saturday night.
“It was nice,” said
Durant. “It took it way back with that one.
“You know 2011 was a
rough year, and after getting that win in the Labour Day Classic, I think that
was when (head) coach (Ken) Miller came back for his first game after his
retirement. I was just happy to get a win.
“It was just a
regular party, and Gabbo’s was the place to be.”
Durant was the guest
speaker at Saturday’s dinner, where the net proceeds go towards scholarships
and bursaries for Hilltops players. A question and answer session was part of
the program.
Of course, the
36-year-old from Florence, South Carolina, was asked if he would return to play
in the CFL during the Q and A session. Durant announced his retirement on May
11.
“You just never
know,” said Durant. “I remember we were talking at the table when Kerry Joseph
came back in 2014, (and) he came back right before the playoffs.”
Darian Durant, left, shares a laugh with Dave Thomas.
The signal caller, who
played 12 seasons in the CFL, said he retired because his wife gave birth to
the couple’s first child in daughter, Amayah Taylor. Amayah Taylor was named after the Roughriders former storied home park, Taylor Field.
“I wanted to be
there every step of the way,” said Durant, who stands 5-foot-11 and weighs 214
pounds. “Now that she is a little bit older, I am kind of itching a little bit.
“The feeling is
coming back, so we’ll what it holds here in a couple of weeks and who may need
a quarterback for a playoff run.”
He was also asked if
he thought about coaching.
“I thought about being
the offensive coordinator of the ‘Riders right now,” said Durant, who played
for the Roughriders from 2006 to 2016. “Of course, I have my differences with
Chris Jones, but I want to see the organization win no question about it.
“It seems that they
need some offensive help (with) the way the defence is playing and special
teams is scoring touchdowns. If we can score some offensive touchdowns, we have
a Grey Cup team.”
Darian Durant celebrates scoring a touchdown in 2016.
If Durant was to
return to the CFL, that move has to run through the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who
still have the signal caller under contract. After playing the 2017 CFL season
with the Montreal Alouettes, Durant was released by that club and signed a
one-year deal with the Bombers.
His separation from
the Winnipeg side was a messy one as those associated with the Bombers howled
at the fact Durant kept a $70,000 signing bonus. The contract with the Bombers
expires in February of 2019.
Besides the serious
queries, Durant was asked questions that were more on the humourous side including
his thoughts on end zone dances, giving advice on who to start on a fantasy
football team and which Roughriders mom made the best cookies.
Durant said Karen
Newman, who is the mother of Durant’s former teammate and Hilltops alum Graig
Newman, made the best cookies.
“I’ll always
remember those cookies,” said Durant, who looked towards Karen Newman in giving
his response. “Thank you so much.”
The man who
quarterback the Roughriders to a 45-23 victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in
the 2013 Grey Cup at Taylor Field was asked what he thought about social media.
“Some guys are just
outspoken,” said Durant, who was a reserve quarterback on the Roughriders 2007
Grey Cup championship team. “Some guys don’t know how to express themselves.
Darian Durant (#4) fires a pass down the seam in 2016.
“I think social
media gives you a platform to interact with your fans and interact with people
who may never be able to speak to you. It can also be a downfall, because when
things aren’t going your way, sometimes you get out of character and say things
you don’t mean.
“I’ve been guilty of
that. I’ve been fined numerous times by the league for social media rants. It
can be good and bad.”
When he was asked to
do an impersonation of current Roughriders head coach and general manager Chris
Jones, Durant played that offer down.
“I think someone is
trying to get me in trouble here,” said Durant with a chuckle. “They probably have their phone recording what I am saying right now.”
Jones held his
current role during Durant’s final season with the Roughriders in 2016. Durant
offered up his thoughts on Jones, who has the Roughriders sitting second in the
West Division at 8-5.
“I think he is an
excellent coach,” said Durant. “The business side of things we just didn’t see
eye-to-eye.
“You just have to
respect that. He is in a position of power, and you have to respect your boss
and that is just how that went.”
Darian Durant (#4) throws a pass into the flat in 2016.
With the Roughriders, Durant sits second in team history for
career pass attempts (3,584), completions (2,226), yards (28,507) and touchdown
passes (152).
During his 12 seasons in the CFL, he completed 2,500 out of 4001 passes for 31,740 yards, 167
touchdown passes and 115 interceptions.
Durant closed the
question and answer session saying he was pumped to have had the opportunity to
be the guest speaker that night for the dinner to help Saskatoon’s storied Canadian Junior
Football League club.
“I always enjoy
coming to Saskatoon,” said Durant. “The tradition here is just amazing.
“I’ve just been
hearing about the success that this Hilltops squad has been having over the
years. The commitment to excellence starts here. You guys pave the way for
these kids.
“You guys make it
possible. I just want to thank you guys for having me. Keep pushing these kids
to not only be the best on the field, but off the field as well.”
If you have any
comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them
to stankssports@gmail.com.
-------
If you like what you
see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like
this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the
DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.
The Roughriders released Duron Carter on Saturday night.
If you live in Saskatchewan, there is a good chance you were
consumed by some degree with the news the CFL’s Roughriders released Duron
Carter over the weekend.
Late Saturday night while the Montreal Alouettes were in
Ottawa falling 24-17 to the host Redblacks, social media went haywire with the
news that the Roughriders, who were on a bye week, released Carter. The
Roughriders confirmed the move with a note on the club’s website that night
while the CFL game in Ottawa was still going on.
Carter had been playing both receiver and defensive back for
the Roughriders this season.
It was one of those moves that wasn’t a surprise, but it did
catch you off guard. The Roughriders (3-4) aren’t due to return to game action
until Aug. 19 at 5 p.m., when they host the Calgary Stampeders (7-0) at Mosaic
Stadium.
It wasn’t a surprise from the standpoint that it feels like
teams at all levels of sports these days try to mirror how the NFL’s New
England Patriots and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick operate. Basically,
what that means is information is to be guarded tightly by the secret society
of that team.
Duron Carter makes a circus TD catch against Toronto last season.
In media gatherings, you expect a team official to go in
front of a podium and say in a monotone voice, “In order to have success, we
must be better on offence, defence and special teams.”
You repeat that answer to any question that is fired your
way.
A lot of teams to varying degree these days follow the
Belichick effect.
Carter, who is from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has never been
shy when it comes to speaking his mind since he broke into the CFL in 2013 with
the Montreal Alouettes. The 27-year-old comes off as being genuine when it
comes to saying what he things and believes.
That alone will get you cut from a number of sports teams
these days despite the fact it has brought Carter a lot of respect in many
circles.
On Sunday morning, Carter sent out a tweet saying he
received calls from teammates on Saturday asking if he was still with the
Roughriders. Carter said he sent a text message asking why he was being asked
these questions to Roughriders head coach and general manager Chris Jones.
Carter said Jones called and said the receiver was being
released.
Jones spoke to the media about the move during a press
conference held Sunday morning in Regina.
Duron Carter defends a pass as a DB this season.
“Over the break, we are always evaluating our roster, our
team and the way we do things, processes and coaching (and) things that we do
at practice,” said Jones. “Upon that evaluation again made the decision that we
were going to go in a different direction from Duron.”
His answer mirrored a scene that comes from the 2011
baseball drama movie “Moneyball” based around the Oakland Athletics’ 2002 MLB
season. In the one scene in the movie, Athletics general manager Billy Beane
talks to fictional assistant general manager Peter Brand about how you tell
players they have been released or traded.
During that scene, Beane said you inform the player that the
team was “going in a different direction” and nothing more needed to be said.
Due to the fact players moves are made frequently in sports, this tactic is
used to avoid having a discussion to give reasons why a player was let go in
order to not get too bogged down with lengthy conversations.
This tactic from the movie Moneyball is used often in
professional sports.
Jones was asked for a specific reason for Carter’s release
during the press conference. He responded with an answer that was a mix from
what you would see from Belichick and the movie Moneyball.
“We’re not going to go into any kind of specifics or
anything like that,” said Jones. “We’re not here to put a guy on trial or
anything like that.
“We released a very good player. He is going to land on his
feet. We decided to go in a different direction for our football team.”
Duron Carter makes a catch against the Argonauts last season.
Jones did say the decision to release Carter had nothing to
do with the fact the sideline boss worked out 44-year-old Pro Football Hall of
Fame receiver Terrell Owens last week.
Like anything that has to do with the Roughriders,
interpretation of what went down is being spun in various directions by fans.
Carter, who is 6-foot-5 and weighs 205 pounds, has had his
share of well-documented antics during his CFL career including to getting into
a fight with a practice roster player in October of last year. He is also an
extremely talented football player.
Last season in his first full campaign with the Roughriders,
he hauled in 73 passes for 1,043 yards and scored eight touchdowns to be named
a CFL all-star. On defence, he returned an interception 43 yards for a
touchdown in a 30-7 victory over the Stampeders in Calgary on Oct. 20, 2017.
This season, Carter has seen more limited time on offence
catching eight passes for 111 yards and one touchdown. He started five games at
cornerback and returned an interception 28 yards for a touchdown in a 40-17
loss to the Redblacks in Ottawa on June 21.
Duron Carter celebrates a TD catch last season.
On the field, Carter did everything that was asked of him, and he returned kicks on occasion last season.
During his time in Saskatchewan, Carter became a fan
favourite for the Roughriders faithful. Carter acknowledged in a tweet on
Saturday he loved the fans and his time in Saskatchewan was the most fun he has
had in a long time.
The majority of the fan responses to Carter on social media
were those that wished him luck in the future. Carter embraced being in
Saskatchewan and played hard, and that won him a lot of fans in Rider Nation. He
was particularly awesome with little kids.
There doesn’t appear to be any bad will between Carter and
Jones when you view their statements over the last couple of days, so that has
to be considered a positive sign.
For my two cents, I do not see Carter as a diva receiver in
the image of Owens and former NFL star veteran Chad Johnson. In the few
encounters I have had with Carter, I see him as a good guy, but a different
cat.
I see him more as a person that gets his fun trolling on
Twitter, playing video games and watching science fiction movies. I could never
see him out at a nightclub or a fancy hotel partying it up like how former NFL
star receiver Michael Irvin did in his heyday with the Dallas Cowboys in the
early and middle 1990s.
I think Carter is a high-maintenance player, and Jones said
he had daily meetings with Carter during the 2017 season which didn’t happen
this season. Those meetings included talking about other subjects besides
football. It seems like the coaches didn’t want to put any more energy into the
high-maintenance aspect of Carter.
Duron Carter always interacted well with young fans.
In June, Carter pleaded guilty to drug possession after getting
caught with marijuana-laced chocolate chip cookies at the Winnipeg airport, and
he received an absolute discharge as well. Another charge of marijuana
possession in Saskatoon is still before the courts.
Those developments don’t bother me, because I believe
marijuana should be legal. I also came across a situation where it led me to
believe marijuana could possibly be used to treat cancer and more research
needs to be done on that front, but I will save my views and debate that for
another day unless someone asks me person to person out in public.
It has been reported by multiple sources that the Alouettes,
Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Toronto Argonauts and B.C. Lions have shown interest in
Carter. Hopefully, he will find a new football home sooner than later.
As for the Roughriders, their offence has been waffling all
season. Part of that is due to the fact starting quarterback Zach Collaros
missed time due to injury.
Saskatchewan has shaken the deck a bit on that side of the
ball too. Besides Carter’s departure, Bakari Grant, Rob Bagg and Nic Demski
were all regular receivers with the Roughriders last season, and they moved the
ball quite well in that campaign and are no longer with the team.
Duron Carter was always popular with the fans in “Rider Nation.”
The steady influence of veteran quarterback Kevin Glenn from
last season is missing too. Glenn is the backup quarterback with the Edmonton
Eskimos this season. Cameron Marshall, who was a regular running back last
season, is no longer with the Roughriders as well.
For the present, Carter’s release has been made. Now, Carter
and the Roughriders will go their separate ways in search of respective
successes on the new path that was created.
If you have any
comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them
to stankssports@gmail.com.
-------
If you like what you
see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like
this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the
DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.
The Roughriders get set to charge out of the tunnel at Mosaic Stadium.
REGINA - Everything is better when the Saskatchewan
Roughriders win, when you live in the “Land of the Living Skies.”
On Friday night, the Saskatchewan Roughriders opened their
2018 regular season schedule downing the defending Grey Cup Champion Toronto
Argonauts 27-19 before 29,788 spectators. At that moment when the Roughriders
win and you live in Saskatchewan, everything becomes great.
The sun rises bright and warm in the morning.
That drive down from a centre outside Regina through piles
of road construction no longer seems that bad.
That Big Mac you eat at McDonald’s tastes better.
Fans dance at the tailgate party outside Mosaic Stadium.
The person you are attracted to or your better half looks
that much hotter.
Two losses in the pre-season don’t seem that bad.
The Roughriders players have an extra hop in their step when
they meet the fans outside the stadium after the game.
Newcomer Charleston Hughes looks just so good and natural
wearing that green and white colour scheme making three sacks coming off the
end of the defensive end. You feel bad he had to spend all those years wearing
that awful red and white of the Calgary Stampeders.
Roughriders QB Zach Collaros fires a TD pass to Naaman Roosevelt.
The vanilla latte at Starbucks takes that much sweeter.
The coffee at Tim Horton’s is fresher.
A post-game Pilsner goes down that much more smoothly.
Brett Lauther’s one missed field goal doesn’t seem that much
of a big deal. He made four-of-five kicks against the Argonauts and the
27-year-old becomes a field good story of perseverance kicking professional
football since 2013 looking for a real chance to play and stick.
Gainer the Gopher looks way more entertaining.
Starting quarterback Zach Collaros looked that much more
natural guiding the Roughriders offence. He completed 18-of-25 passes to nine
different receiver for 203 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.
It was the 29-year-old’s first winning start since Sept. 16,
2016, when he guided the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to a 20-17 victory over the
Montreal Alouettes. You know more wins are coming Collaros’ way.
Roughriders DB Ed Gainey knocks down a pass attempt.
The farmer notices all his crops are coming up nice and
healthy in the fields.
The long days on the oil patch go that much more quickly.
The Rider Cheer team is more awesome than they normally are.
A trip out to the lake or the beach is so much more
relaxing.
You already envision the guilty pleasure of running over
that minor speed bump known as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
First-year cornerback Nick Marshall looks like a perfect fit
taking an interception back 66 yards to the house against one of the CFL’s
all-time greats in Argonauts quarterback Ricky Ray.
Head coach and general manager Chris Jones looks way cooler
in his black sunglasses and his all black attire.
The noise at Mosaic Stadium sounds louder.
The celebrations by the receivers seem a step more creative
and humourous.
You know seeing that win on television will urge those that
didn’t go to the game to go to one in the future.
Roughriders OL Brendon LaBatte gets set to drill an Argos linebacker.
All of a sudden, the work on
the farm or any other occupation one is involved with can be put on hold to
join the rest of Rider Nation for a few hours to have a good time.
Running back Jerome Messam looks that much more powerful
running through people for 72 yards on 21 carries.
Linebacker Derrick Moncrief looks that much more intelligent
showing up all over the field to make eight tackles.
The blocks of offensive linemen Brendon LaBatte and Dan
Clark look more powerful.
The amount of fun increased at the pre-game tailgate party.
The expensive meal at the fancy restaurant is well worth the
money.
The turnaround to play the Redblacks, who come off a bye
week, in Ottawa this coming Thursday doesn’t look as daunting.
Gainer the Gopher meets the fans after a Roughriders touchdown.
Here is to the Roughriders piling up whole bunch of more
wins this season. At this moment after Friday’s win, your mood is so great you
already envision the Roughriders lifting the Grey Cup over their heads on November
25 at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton.
At this point, the good times are going to roll, because the
Roughriders have won a game.
If you have any
comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them
to stankssports@gmail.com.
-------
If you like what you
see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like
this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the
DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.
Duron Carter has made a tonne of huge plays for the Roughriders.
Remember when it seemed like the Saskatchewan Roughriders
2017 season was appearing to go off the rails?
Actually, there were two distinct points, when it looked
like that was going to happen. Way back on July 1, the Roughriders played their
first regular season game at new Mosaic Stadium and dropped a 43-40 double overtime
heartbreaker to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to fall to 0-2.
Saskatchewan opened the regular season going on the road and
falling 17-16 to the Alouettes in Montreal on June 22.
Having missed the playoffs in 2015
and 2016 going a combined 8-28 over those two campaigns, it seemed like the
Roughriders were going to find a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
After pulling their record back to 2-3, the second panic
point occurred on Aug. 6, when the Roughriders went to Vancouver and dropped a
30-15 decision to the B.C. Lions to fall to 2-4. Saskatchewan trailed 30-0 in
that contest before scoring two late fourth quarter touchdowns.
DB Ed Gainey (#11) hauls in an interception.
When those two teams met again on Aug. 13 in Regina, the
Roughriders rolled to a 41-8 victory before a roaring sellout crowd of 33,350
at their new home park. From that point, the team took off.
Today, the Roughriders enter their final regular season game
at 5 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium sporting a 10-7 record against the visiting
Edmonton Eskimos (11-6). The winner will finish third in the CFL’s West Division and third overall in the entire league.
The majority of pre-season predictions foresaw the
Roughriders scraping into the playoffs, if they made the post-season at all
playing in a tough West Division. Only those close to the team’s inner circle
would have thought that winning 10 games was a possibility.
Had the Roughriders defeated the Bombers in overtime in Week 2, Saskatchewan would have had a chance to finish second in the West and host a division semifinal contest with a win over Edmonton today.
Overall, this Roughriders team has been fun to watch.
The most exciting player has been receiver Duron Carter. The
26-year-old from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has been one of the team’s colourful
characters and has found a strong home of supporters in the Saskatchewan
community. Carter and the community have embraced each other.
QB Kevin Glenn played a major role in getting the Roughrider to 10 wins.
Like his Pro Football Hall of Fame father Cris, Duron can
flat out make plays on the field. He has hauled in 73 passes for 1,043 yards
and scored eight touchdowns on offence.
He stepped in at defensive back on the defensive side of the ball
and made a memorable start at cornerback against the Stampeders in Calgary on
Oct. 20. Carter highlighted Saskatchewan’s 30-7 win returning an early fourth
quarter interception 43 yards for a touchdown.
He also took down Stampeders power back Jerome Messam with a
tackle in the backfield for a loss. That tackle might have been as good as any
acrobatic catch Carter made all season.
Carter wasn’t the only receiver that made plays. Naaman
Roosevelt broke the 1,000-yard barrier in receiving for the second straight
campaign hauling in 75 passes for 1,035 yards and eight touchdowns. Veteran
Bakari Grant has set career highs in catches (81), yards (995) and matched his
career high in touchdowns (five).
Brendon LaBatte (#57) had an all-star year playing centre and guard.
On defence, Ed Gainey has been the showstopper. The
27-year-old defensive back leads the CFL with 10 interceptions to go along with
his 44 total tackles. He set a team record with four interceptions in one game
in the Aug. 13 blowout of the Lions.
Defensive end Willie Jefferson has become a force on the
edge piling up a career high eight sacks to go along with 44 total tackles.
At quarterback, ageless veteran Kevin Glenn has been a
steady presence and added a key contribution in getting the Roughriders turned
around. On the season, the 38-year-old has completed 313 of 458 passes for
3,975 yards, 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
Brandon Bridge has been strong as well at the pivot position
completing 80 of 120 passes for 1,074 yards, nine touchdowns and four
interceptions. The 25-year-old product from Toronto, Ont., is showing the Canadian
born player can play quarterback in the CFL.
RB Cameron Marshall (#32) celebrates a touchdown run.
At running back, Cameron Marshall and Trent Richardson are
showing the Roughriders have two very capable options at that position.
Brendon LaBatte proved he is still one of the best offensive linemen in the CFL playing in standout fashion at both centre and guard.
On special teams, third-year kicker Tyler Crapigna has
connected on 36 of 42 field goal attempts and has made all 46 of his conversion
attempts.
Head coach and general manager Chris Jones was once often criticized
for getting everything wrong, and now he is a legitimate coach of the year
candidate for the league.
During the team’s training camp in Saskatoon, the
Roughriders players carried themselves in a very polite manner. That was a good
intangible sign, which showed they had the potential to display the discipline
to create success on the field.
In the early part of the campaign, the Roughriders as a team
had to battle to learn how to win. Now sporting an 8-3 mark in their last 11
games, winning has become a habit.
Today will mark the last chance for the faithful at home to
salute the 2017 Roughriders for what has been a fantastic campaign. The best
memories from this group might still be coming.
Roughriders DL Tobi Antigha closes in on a quarterback sack.
It is realistic to think this team could be in the 105th
Grey Cup on Nov. 26 in Ottawa. When the Roughriders are in action throughout
the post-season, most people in Saskatchewan will be huddled around their
televisions on those Sundays. If anything else in the province is schedule at
the same time Roughriders playoff games are going on, those events will be
hooped.
If the Roughriders finish third in the West Division, expect a healthy contingent of supporters to follow the team to Winnipeg, Man., for a clash with the Blue Bombers (12-6) in the West semifinal on Nov. 12.
Overall interest in the CFL playoffs always increases when
the Roughriders make a big playoff run.
A “November to Remember” could be upon the province where
the green and white colour scheme dominates once again.
If you have any
comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them
to stankssports@gmail.com.
-------
If you like what you
see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like
this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE
button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.
Receiver might be a welcome surprise to
Roughriders
Roughriders receiver Duron Carter (#89) high-fives a young fan.
Is Duron Carter really the bad guy he has been made out to
be in the media and even the social media world?
The 26-year-old is one of the most intriguing arrivals on to
the Saskatchewan Roughriders this season. After playing three seasons with the
Montreal Alouettes, the picture that has been painted of Carter is one of the
diva receiver like in the image of former NFL standouts Terrell Owens and Chad
Johnson.
The reputation comes from Carter’s touchdown celebration
last season in a game against the Ottawa Redblacks, where he knocked down
Redblacks head coach Rick Campbell. Carter was suspended one game for that
incident by the CFL.
In the second half of last season, he got into a couple of
heated arguments with then Alouettes quarterback Rakeem Cato. Carter was
released by the Alouettes following a Week 17 loss to the Calgary Stampeders.
During his collegiate career, Carter, who stands 6-foot-5
and weighs 205 pounds, was a member of four different programs over four years
from 2009 to 2012 due to issues with academics. His stops included Ohio State
University (2009), Coffeyville Community College (2010), University of Alabama
(2011) and Florida Atlantic University (2012). Carter didn’t dress for a single
regular season game during his time at the University of Alabama and Florida
Atlantic University.
Duron Carter smiles during practice.
He entered the collegiate ranks after obtaining star status
with St. Thomas Aquanas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, helping that program
win back-to-back Florida 5A state titles in 2007 and 2008. Carter’s fan
interest also increased due to the fact he was the son of legendary NFL
receiver Cris Carter.
While Cris Carter faced adversity early in his NFL career,
the Pro Football Hall of Famer is remembered for achieving greatness due to the
fact he became the ultimate polished professional.
When you see Duron Carter play, you see someone with NFL
level talent. He spent the 2015 campaign on the practice roster of the NHL’s
Indianapolis Colts.
In the CFL, Carter has the ability to make explosive and
exciting plays few others can in the league. That was seen on Friday, when he
made a deep acrobatic catch in double coverage in the first quarter of a 42-10
pre-season loss to the B.C. Lions in Vancouver.
Back on Aug. 16, 2014, Carter showed off his athletic
ability returning a missed field goal 123 yards for a touchdown for the
Alouettes in a 16-11 loss to the Roughriders at historic Taylor Field.
He is averaging close to 1,000 yard receiving in each of his
first three complete CFL campaigns despite being out for chunks of time and
Montreal having uncertainty at quarterback. In 14 games with the Alouettes last
season, he had 61 catches for 938 yards and scored five touchdowns.
During training camp with the Roughriders, Carter’s work
ethic has been there. He has been jovial, but he hasn’t gone over the line in
bragging like Owens or Johnson traditionally did. When he has been interviewed,
he has shown good respect for veteran quarterback Kevin Glenn, who was a former
Alouettes teammate.
Duron Carter (#89) makes a TD catch during a scrimmage.
When young fans arrived from various grade schools to watch
Roughriders practice sessions in Saskatoon, Carter seemed to be in his element
interacting with the youngsters.
He has done enough in his short time with the Roughriders
you start to wonder if his bad press was overblown.
Having guys on your team who are jovial and have a lot of
self-belief is a good thing. Good players have to believe in themselves in
order to succeed. During the history of the CFL, there have been lots of
players that have come through the league who have succeeded and been jovial
and self-confident like Carter.
The Roughriders are deep at the receiver position, and Carter
is likely the most talented and the best pass catcher of that bunch.
He might turn out to be a big catch for the team both on and
off the field.
Blades colour “Pac-Man” logo for pride
festival
The 25th annual Saskatoon Pride Festival begins today. We're proud to support love & acceptance in our city!
A big thumbs up has to go to the Saskatoon Blades for this
sweet Twitter post on June 9.
The Blades put out this tweet on June 9 to signal the start
of the 25th Saskatoon Pride Festival, which included a cool artistic
rendering of the team’s classic “Pac-Man” logo in rainbow tinged colours. The tweet
contained a link taking you to a web page with information about the festival.
When it comes showing acceptance for the gay, lesbian,
bisexual and trans-gender community, all the little things add up. This tweet was
a cool thing to see come from a WHL club.
While the game on the ice has changed a lot in the WHL over
the past two decades with the focus concentrated on systems and skill, there
are still a lot of casual followers that see the circuit as a rough and tumble
league with three to four fights and possibility a couple of line brawls occurring
each game. Stereotypically, circuits like the WHL and men’s hockey in general
are viewed as places where men are supposed to men and masculine and aren’t
tolerant of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans-gender community.
The tweet by the Blades helps challenge this stereotype.
Back in the days when I worked at the Medicine Hat News
covering the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers, I checked out the Pride Parade in Saskatoon in 2012,
while in the city on a vacation week. I tweeted a few photos of that event,
because the artistic imagery with the colours was just so great.
When I returned to work at the News, I was talking with a very
social conscious co-worker. The co-worker said it was a good thing I tweeted
those pictures of Saskatoon’s Pride Parade due to the fact I was known for
covering the Tigers and my actions showed others it was OK to be accepting.
I didn’t think that hard about tweeting those photos, but I
liked the fact in a small way it was a public show of acceptance. The Blades
Tweet does the same thing.
It should be noted as well the University of Saskatchewan
Huskies put a rainbow flag behind the logo on their Twitter account for the
Saskatoon Pride Festival. During the 2015-16 season, the Huskies did a launch
to announce they would be part of the “You Can Play Project,” that believes
athletes should be judged on talent, heart and work ethic and not sexual
orientation or gender identity.
The Saskatoon Pride Festival runs to June 25, and the annual
Pride Parade is set for June 24 at 1 p.m. in downtown Saskatoon.
Fights not fun plagued some Rush post-game
parties
Good Rush fans tailgate near SaskTel Centre in 2016.
The Saskatchewan Rush of the National Lacrosse League put on
the best home game spectacle out of any sports team based in Saskatoon, but it
seemed this season the positive vibe often didn’t find its way to the after
parties.
During the Rush’s first season being based out of Saskatoon
in 2016 that saw the club win the NLL title, fans often bolted out of the
SaskTel Centre to Saskatoon’s various night hot spots. They had a great time
celebrating what the Rush did like Saskatchewan Roughriders fans do during good
times after home games in Regina.
This season, Rush post-game celebrations seemed to take on a
different feel. Back on a Saturday in February, I took off to one of my
favourite night spots to see some friends after covering U of Saskatchewan
Huskies hockey. Rush lacrosse was going on at the same time that night as
Huskies hockey.
When I arrived at the nightspot, I saw three fights going
down in the parking lot and eight police officers trying to calm the situation
down. I saw a friend who worked security at the night spot looking super stressed,
and I had never seen him like that before.
Judging the clothes some of the fight participants wore, you
could tell they likely attended the Rush game and likely got rowdy after having
a few too many alcoholic beverages. I didn’t make it in the doors of the nightspot
and instead elected to go home.
Over the next few weeks, I talked with a handful of friends,
who are veterans working in Saskatoon’s night club scene. In general, they said
Rush game nights went from being their favourite working nights in 2016 to
least favourite working nights in 2017. The change in opinion came from the
fact more rowdiness and fights were present in recently completed 2017 campaign.
That was sad to hear, because I know sports fans in
Saskatchewan can be way better than that. Here is hoping Rush post-game parties
at local nightspots will return to the vibe they had during the franchise’s
first season in Saskatoon.
Carpenter-Boesch has a good hockey tough
look
Lilla Carpenter-Boesch.
I couldn’t believe I didn’t come across this before, but I
came away impressed with Lilla Carperter-Boesch’s mug shot on her profile page
of the University of Regina athletics web site.
Carpenter-Boesch was a rookie centre for the Cougars women’s
hockey team this past season, and her left eye was looking black from a hockey
battle.
When it comes to picture day for a university team’s individual profile
pictures, players from women’s teams usually doll themselves up with makeup to
look perfect.
As for Carpenter-Boesch, she looked like she wanted the
share a memento from a hockey battle.
The mug shot likely would have given the
18-year-old street cred from the alums of the Cougars 2001 Canada West
Championship winning team, who always had a sense of pride of being able to
battle in the hard areas of the ice.
On the statistical front, Carpenter-Boesch had a strong
season appearing in all 28 of the Cougars U Sports regular season games netting five
goals and six assists.
The Gray, Sask., product was a standout for three
seasons with the Regina Rebels of the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey
League from 2013 to 2016 collecting 40 goals and 32 assist in 82 regular season
games.
Lilla Carpenter-Boesch (#17) in action for the Cougars.
She had career highs with 15 goals and 15 assists in her final campaign with the Rebels in 27 regular season games.
Carpenter-Boesch can go all out to look good for events too
that don’t have a rough and tumble aspect to them.
On April 27 in her hometown,
she looked classy-professional good during a visit with Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau.
Between her hockey mug shot and being able to hang out with
the prime minister, Carperter-Boesch gets to be a few extra steps ahead of
everyone else when it comes to looking and being cool.
A post shared by Cougar Women's Hockey (@urwomenshockey) on
Let’s hold off on falling sky for “green and
white”
Roughriders HC and GM Chris Jones addresses the team after a practice.
A large number of fans on Rider Nation are definitely being fanatical.
On Friday night, a lot of Saskatchewan Roughriders
supporters were speaking doom and gloom on social media after the team dropped
its final pre-season game 42-10 to the B.C. Lions in Vancouver. The doom and
gloom voices were at it again on social media, when the Roughriders made their
final cuts on Saturday. Among the cuts was veteran running back Anthony Allen,
who voiced his displeasure on Twitter.
The reaction was opposite to when the Roughriders played the
visiting Winnipeg Blue Bombers to a pre-season 25-25 tie on June 16 at the
first CFL game ever held at new Mosaic Stadium in Regina. After that result, it
seemed like a number of Roughriders fans were envisioning a playoff berth and
maybe even a Grey Cup win at the end of the season.
Such is the life surrounding the Roughriders, who are the
most followed and scrutinized team in the CFL. It seems emotions peak and
valley with the club even in the best seasons.
I would suggesting holding off until after Week 6 of the
regular season before passing any judgements or evaluations. As for the loss to
the Lions, legendary B.C. head coach and general manager Wally Buono returned a
lot of key players and is for sure guiding a team that will contend for a Grey
Cup title.
One thing that is certain is the honeymoon a number of
Roughriders fans have with second-year head coach and general manager Chris
Jones seems to be over unless positive results start coming. It feels like the pressure
is on to produce a playoff berth.
On paper, it appears the Roughriders have the talent to make
the post-season. Injuries will ultimate be the key factor in determining how a
season will ultimately progress. The Roughriders open the regular season on
Thursday traveling to Montreal to play the Alouettes.
Away from the field, anyone that interacted with the
Roughriders players at their training camp in Saskatoon had to feel encouraged
how well-mannered and polite they were. That usually transitions to a good
intangible on the field.
The sky isn’t falling just yet, so let’s get a better
sampling size of this year’s team before calling the campaign a write off.
If you have any
comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them
to stankssports@gmail.com.
