Saskatchewan Roughriders (1-7) @ Edmonton Eskimos (4-4)
The Brick Field at Commonwealth Stadium – Edmonton, AB
8:00pm (CST) Kickoff
TV: TSN 1/3/4, ESPN2
Radio: Rider Radio Network (Pre-game Show begins at 5:00pm)
CKRM 620AM – Regina
CJGX 940AM – Yorkton
CFWD (Cruz FM) 96.3FM – Saskatoon
CJNB 1050AM – North Battleford
CJNS 102.3FM – Meadow Lake
CKBI 900AM – Prince Albert
CKBI 92.5FM – Big River
CKBI 95.9FM – LaRonge
Estimated temperature at Kickoff: Partly Cloudy 20C (68F)
Hello friends!! Working in a football environment many of us end up turning to books to escape the methodical pace of the season. Though this still ends up being somewhat work-influenced as they tend toward self-help guru’s or whatever is new in marketing or leadership, there are some true escapist tomes littering our shelves as well.
The avoidance of my reality varies between Hunter S. Thompson, John D. McDonald, Lee Child, George M. Fraser and, of course, anything football.
The football book going around the office right now is “War Room: The Legacy of Bill Belichick and the Art of Building the Perfect Team”.
This book has been out for a while now, but considering what the Green & White is going through, it’s eerily similar to the beginning of the Belichick regime in New England.
When Belichick took over the Patriots, he completely overhauled the organization on and off the field. The roster was gutted of many fan favourites while the football operations was completely restocked. The result, a 5-and-11 season and some really tough losses and blowouts (including a 34-9 loss to DETROIT!!). Sound familiar?
The next season: 11-and-5 and a Super Bowl win.
Now I am by no means calling the Saskatchewan Roughriders the 2017 Grey Cup champions in Ottawa, but rather noting that there is a process in place.
Being a fan myself, I completely understand how some can become embittered as this is now two full calendar years of misery.
How did it get this way? Well let’s get back to the pulpit of Belichick; every year he wants to turnover at least a third of his roster. It doesn’t matter if it’s a fringe practice roster player or one of the core players, it needs to be done.
It’s not just the New England Patriots or even football, look at the success of the Chicago Blackhawks and San Francisco Giants over the last ten years. They find a great core of players and rotate the pieces around them. When the patina begins to show on the core, phase out a couple of the pieces and reinforce.
Look at the defending Grey Cup Champion Edmonton Eskimos, on tonight’s 46-man roster one-third are new to the team (15 to be exact). They may have started slowly, but are beginning to show their championship form.
When the Riders won their 2013 Grey Cup it was a fantastic roster that was brought together. That roster didn’t change that much into 2014 and it was more of the same in 2015. Thus the current situation the Green & White are in with 30(!) of the 46 players on tonight’s roster in their first year with the Football Club.
As for insight into tonight’s game at The Brick Field at Commonwealth Stadium, let’s use some coach-isms (some arcane, some the usual tropes):
“Two you are in, four you win.” Thank you Luc Mullinder for this one. If the Riders force two turnovers, they will be in the game, force four, they win.
“Every series must end in a kick.” This one is Herman Edwards, but it’s also a Nick Saban favourite. It’s pretty self-explanatory, if all the Rider series end with a kick (Punt, extra point, field goal) it puts you in a pretty good spot.
“Well, we’re aiming for zero, but I imagine we’ll end up somewhere north of that.” Washington State Head Coach, Mike Leach (aka: The Pirate King) is the king of the quip in college football, and this one sums up what the Rider defence needs to do.
“Accept false steps as opportunities to learn. It’s one thing to hate failure, it’s another to fear it.” Bill Parcells sums up how the Riders must look at this game, mistakes will happen, don’t be hesitant.
Enjoy the game and cheer hard!!
Fast facts:
School Ties:
- James Franklin (EDM) and Kendial Lawrence (SSK) at Missouri (2010-12)
- Grant Shaw (EDM) and Levi Steinhauer (SSK) at Saskatchewan (2009
- Grant Shaw (EDM) and Ivan Brown (SSK) at Saskatchewan (2006-08)
- Tony Washington (EDM) and Mitchell Gale (SSK) at Abilene Christian (2009)
- Joel Figueroa (EDM) and Kacey Rodgers (SSK) at Miami (2011-12)
- Matt O’Donnell (EDM) and Matt Webster (SSK) at Queen’s (2010)
- Michael Buchanan (EDM) and Ryan Lankford (SSK) at Illinois (2010-12)
- Xavier Fulton is the only player on the Rider roster to have started in every game he has played – tonight marks his 70th.
- Adarius Bowman (103) and Shakir Bell (11) have started every CFL game they have played.
- The last time the Riders won in Edmonton was August 24th, 2013 (that year they swept both games).
- Welcome to the CFL Tony Criswell.
- Welcome to the Riders Fred Bennett.
