No repeat, no epic Grey Cup party for the city. Today's game went off with problems from the get go. First TSN dropped the feed screwing up again and suggesting maybe the CRTC wants to rethink broadcasting Canada's game (Grey Cup is only on cable now) to the entire country rather......Nonetheless, Calgary came out and stunk out the joint, folding under the loud noises of drunken hicks.


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A short post because the Flames game is starting. But tonight, first place in the West division and a a bye to the West final was on the line. The Calgary Stampeders have only themselves to blame for what can be called a monster debacle. The team, once again, other than Joffrey Reynolds, didn't show up for the entire first half. In the second half they found their game (until late in the 4th) and Saskatchewan had no answer. Now the Stamps need to play Edmonton and go back to Saskatchewan for the final (assuming they win).

Here's the good news, it wasn't anything the Riders did, it was everything the Stamps didn't do. Defence was shotty at the start, offence didn't start at the start..... Burris with two interceptions and the defence with no turnovers. Can they get any worse? Unlikely, so expect a destructive West final, however, again, the Stamps cant look that far ahead with Edmonton waiting.

The good news, Roughriders acted like they've never been to the finals throwing water on the coach and acting like the drunken hicks that sit in their stands. That will add fuel to a hungry Stampeders team. In the meantime the Stamps can come home and think about how they've blown another chance to take matters into their own hands. Frankly they don't deserve to win if they can't figure out how to string together a 60 minute game.

Referees Try Their Best to Screw Great Game: Stampeders 44 - Roughriders 44

For the first time in a year, in a time when blackouts have been a rarity, the Calgary Stampeders organization blacked out a crucial game with playoff implications. The reason? Games are blacked out if the organization doesn't hit a certain level of ticket sales (doesn't have to be sold out), so apparently that 'level' wasn't met. Too bad, it was an awesome game that nobody saw.

****Apparently the game did come on but who sits around waiting for a football game to show up on TV hours later? Most people just forgot about the game and went and did something else. A professional organization doesn't make lame mistakes like forgetting to call TSN to life a blackout. Stupid.****

What's worse, is if you were at the game, it looked sold out except for the NEW seats that were added for the Grey Cup.

Those down for an early afternoon game in the house with the buddies should have gone instead of watching at home. The controversial decision raises a few questions considering some estimates were 40 000 tickets sold....

1) Sell outs aren't required to lift the black out, and I recall this year a low turnout for a frigid home game, maybe 25 000, that was still on TV? Reported attendance was 38, 600, the THIRD highest attended game of the season BUT the blackout wasn't immediately lifted.

2) Today the game was against the Roughriders, always a sell out. Albeit it was a 130 start, the fact it wasn't sold out suggests in the least it was close.

4) The Stampeders brass have ADDED 5000 seats. Are they now calculating black out figures based on an additional 5000 worth of seats they've put up for the Grey Cup? Without those seats the game is a SELL OUT. A monumental bad decision by ownership and Stamps fans can expect never to see another game on TV with the new seats.

5) Someone from the game tell me if it was really empty or if this was a dumb decision.....

Back to the game that nobody saw but was awesome in its own right.

Back and Forth Battle Setting up For Great Playoff Clash

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Jamal Richardson this Years Clabourne

Montreal lost in the Grey Cup last year and part of the fire that burned for Calgary was started by trash talk from Avon Coburne. If the Stamps will repeat this year they'll use Jamal Richardson and his loud mouth as fodder for the dressing room billboard. The dude caught three touchdowns in the first half alone and made a point tell the TV screen what he thought of Calgary and the West......

The potential Grey Cup match-up for two years in a row had its second regular season installment. In the first clash Montreal stomped the Stamps in the season opener. Calgary sought to redeem themselves in Montreal but got off to a similar start as they did in Game 1.

First possession for Montreal. Long pass, complete. First possession for Calgary, Henry Burris tried long pass, goes short, interception. Great start < -- sarcasm.

Montreal Head Referee Gives Gift after Gift


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The re-match between the Calgary Stampeders and Tiger-Cats had the home-team seeking revenge after their poorest showing two weeks ago in Hamilton. Calgary sought to improve their record and grasp first place alone in the West division with a win. It wasn't going to be easy in the cold weather but Calgary had something to prove.

The first half went much like the first half two weeks ago for the offence. Total offence was less than 100 yards as receivers and QB couldn't find any consistent click.


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In 2008 the Calgary defense struggled early on defence due to the number of rookies in the line up, particularly at the halfback position. In fact, that was probably their weakest component throughout the season. Not much changed at the start of 2009 with Calgary introducing new linebackers, a 3 new defensive linemen, and of course, new halfbacks.

Now we're past the mid-way point in the season, couple that with injuries, and 80% of the defense looks different from day one. And much like last year, the weakest component remains the halfback position. At the start the linebackers were in desperate need of help against the run but new additions in the middle have helped. At halfback the two starters at the beginning of the year, Tate and Amadi, are now out. The experiment continued with new additions Eubanks, who has performed well, and tonight Dean Webb who was torched every other play for monster gains and touchdowns all night long.

Eventually continous changes are going to kill this team, plain and simple. And why do we have to start rookies in the middle of the season, was Amadi really that bad? Is finding quality halfbacks that hard? Or maybe we have some players within who can step up.

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Stamps Offence Lifeless

Did you know that if you rag on the ref long enough in a game because he spends the entire game by your head coach, you complain non stop, and then with a minute an a half left you do an acting job to get a call, that it actually works? Just like the boy who cried wolf (I'm guessing he gets eaten in a gory death by the wolf?) Quinton Porter did a fantastic acting job, grabbing his head in pain, jumping up right after and smiling as he extended a drive that would have given Calgary a chance to tie tonight's football game.

The penalty was unnecessary roughness--hit to the head. Replays clearly show very little contact to the head....I guess I just don't know the rules. Nonetheless, all the complaining by the Hamilton coaching staff caught on TSN all night long paid off with the bogus call at the end. Did it change the game? Yes. Completely. Was it the reason for Calgary's loss? Not a chance.

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The Stampeders moved into first place in the West division for the first time this season after achieving a rare feat: win back-to-back Labour Day games. The Classic shifted to Edmonton after Calgary came out strong Monday with a convincing 32-8 win.

The Edmonton Eskimos looked to recapture their winning form in Friday's contest at home. In true CFL fashion, the first game was a monster dud, albeit it went to OT (Ham v. Tor with less than 40 points total). The second game, however, in true CFL fashion again, went down to the wire.

If you recall it was Aug 13th, when Edmonton came back with seconds to spare to squeak a 3 point win over the Stamps. Fred Stamps played hero that day, and he got things going earlier for the Eskimos in Game Two of the Labour Day Classic.

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It was punt after punt for an entire first half. I don't get how so many CFL games are SO boring this year. It seems the Stamps don't mind the boredom either, they freely participate in piecing together incomplete games. In fact, when Calgary figures out how to string together 60 minutes, they'll probably be back Grey Cup form. Until then, fans have to watch full halves of at least one element of the team underperforming.

On Saturday against the lowly Toronto Argonauts, the Stamps and Argos went INTO the 3rd quarter scoring ONLY three points each. That's 3-3 folks, one field goal each for 30 minutes of play. How? I don't know. Was it really a defensive showdown? More like offensive sputter. Although Calgary's D did stand up tall, both offences has their struggles that left arm chair coaches shaking their heads.

Thankfully the second half provided some fireworks.

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A short post tonight as we're having hardware problems.

All in all, when you score 35 points you should win the game. Calgary had trouble on one front. THE RUN GAME.

On offense they had no run game, on defense they, once again, couldn't stop the run.

Couple in shotty special teams play that gave Edmonton life at all the wrong times, and you have a last second loss for the Stamps who drop to 4-3 now.

Lots of questions to ask on defence as nothing seems to be happening from the front four to the middle linebacker.