So, the Saskatchewan Roughriders are a third of the way through the season, with a 6-0 record. Time to celebrate, right?
Except… those injuries! Three different quarterbacks have started games; one (Durant) is out with cracked ribs. Two lead receivers (Flick and Fantuz) out with broken legs. A third (Dominguez) may have blown his knee for about the third time. A key back (Hughes) also out with a knee injury. The starter punt returner (Dressler) out with a hamstring. His replacement (Berman) gone for the season with torn Achilles. Two other leaders of the defence (Chick and Johnson) also out.
And the games. Except for the first game against Edmonton, they’ve all come down to the last three minutes, or two minutes, or most recently, the last 2 seconds. Somehow, they’ve managed to pull it out, but watching the Riders in the last 3 minutes is not an exercise for anyone with a pre-existing heart condition. (And, our opponents have helped occasionally - a big shout-out goes to Jason Armstead who helped pin his own Als on their 11 yard line, and to Sandro DiAngelis of the Stamps, for his missed field goal on the last play of Friday’s game.)
::stifles laughter:: Canada really has a team called the Roughriders? It reminds me of the South Park episode where the Toronto Roughriders are playing the Ottawa Roughriders.
“Boy, these Roughriders sure are having a tough time handling the Roughriders.”
Cisco, if you didn’t know that the Saskatchewan team are the Riders, and you don’t know that the 'Riders won the Grey Cup last year you really haven’t been paying attention **Northern Piper’s ** threads in the past. Tsk.
If you’re going to have any injuries, having them early in the season and still more or less planting yourself in the playoffs - I cannot imagine any team in the history of the league has started 6-0 and missed the playoffs - is about as fortuitous a time to have them as I can imagine. They’ll be healing up just in time for the games that count.
Psshh, I have no idea what sport we’re even talking about. I asked my wife last night if Shaq played for the Diamondbacks, because I was pretty sure he did and I wanted to impress her.
Well, heck, you’d impress me, but then other than soccer every four years when the World Cup is on, or the CFL, being born and raised in the 'Rider Nation, I am stereotypically girly when it comes to other sports. I can’t even be bothered to fake an interest in hockey; I’m a bad, bad Canadian.
He had a great first game as a Rider, against the Esks. One of those “who the heck is that guy and where did he come from??” Since then, he’s been playing really well. Good thing, because he may now be the receiver with the most experience going into tonight’s game…
