Weekly blitz on the CFL

By JOSH WEBSTER -- SLAM! Sports


 With one week to go in the CFL season, one thing is for certain. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Calgary Stampeders will not be playing in the post-season.

 The Ottawa Renegades are praying to the football gods that the Toronto Argonauts lose to the Stampeders this Friday. If not, the Boatmen clinch second place in the East Division, officially eliminating the Renegades.

 If the Stamps win, all the Renegades have to do is defeat the Montreal Alouettes on Sunday, and they will clinch second spot.

 Both the Alouettes and Edmonton Eskimos have locked up first place in the East and West Division respectively, and will get a bye next week. The B.C. Lions, Saskatchewan Roughriders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers are still jockeying for position to determine which teams will play where in the opening round of the playoffs.

 If the Lions defeat the 'Riders on Saturday, B.C. clinches second place. If Saskatchewan wins and the Bombers lose to the Eskimos on Saturday, the 'Riders clinch second, the Lions take third and the Bombers finish fourth and face the Argos or Renegades in the East. If both the 'Riders and Bombers win, the Bombers finish second, the 'Riders third and the Lions head East.

 Confusing, isn't it.

 It must be nice to be the Ticats and Stamps right now, so they don't have to worry about this mess.

 Although every game has something on the line, the game of the week has to be the Lions versus the 'Riders. Both teams are on three game winning streaks, and the victorious team will have a ton of momentum heading into the playoffs. Although Edmonton looks unbeatable at the moment, upsets always happen at playoff time, and the winner of this game could easily be this year's Grey Cup champion.

 Saskatchewan has defeated B.C. at home two times this season, but it's hard to imagine the Lions getting swept in the season series, especially when the game is at B.C. Place. Still, this game is too close to call. Although the Lions should be favoured at home, nothing would be a surprise in this game. Not even a tie.

 That, of course, would bring about an entirely new set of playoff scenarios. Stay tuned.

 Deserving of a better fate

 I can't help but feel sorry for Stampeders quarterback Kevin Feterik.

 It was announced last weekend that the young QB would not be back in Calgary next season in an effort to rid the team of any distraction he brings to the club.

 Feterik, of course, is the son of owner Michael Feterik and has been criticized for being on the team only because of his bloodlines. Never mind the fact that Kevin was in Cowtown before his father bought the Stamps.

 Kevin was clearly between a rock and hard place. CFL commentators and writers couldn't get through a sentence about Kevin without adding that he was the owner's son. Talk about beating a dead horse, no pun intended.

 Kevin showed nothing but guts in his performances with the Stamps. He did win two games for them, and had a memorable play on Canada Day when he caught a touchdown pass from Scott Deibert on a trick play.

 Regardless of his ability, he did play hard when he received the call. Somebody who is not afraid of putting their body on the line in an effort to gain an extra yard should have the respect of every player and fan across the nation.

 Here's hoping that one of the other eight teams in the league can find room on its roster for Kevin. That way he can finally prove once and for all whether he can be a first-string quarterback in the league without any of the distractions.

 Flutie reunion?

 The annual rumour is making the rounds that both Doug Flutie and Darren Flutie want to reunite for one last season with Hamilton being the destination of choice.

 Doug is currently a back-up quarterback in the NFL with the San Diego Chargers while brother Darren is doing commentary on CBC telecasts.

 Before this reunion becomes a reality, new Hamilton Tiger-Cats owner Bob Young needs to make a decision on who will run the football operations of the team in 2004. That person will probably want some input as to whether signing Doug and Darren is a good idea.

 Personally, I don't think it is. The Tabbies are in need of a major overhaul, as their 1-17 record suggests. They are officially in rebuilding mode, an unofficial expansion club in need of adding some young talent for the future.

 The Flutie brothers do not fit that bill. Although they may stir up some attention in Hamilton -- after all, Doug reached his highest popularity in Southern Ontario the minute he went back to the NFL -- this is only a Band-Aid on a machete wound. Doug and Darren can't be expected to turn this franchise around on their own, assuming they can still be effective at 41 and 37 years of age, respectively.

 In a league full of good young quarterbacks, the Tiger-Cats should be looking to adding help from within the CFL. Both Jason Maas and Henry Burris, former starters with the Edmonton Eskimos and Saskatchewan Roughriders respectively, are now in backup roles on these same teams. Both had good numbers when they did start, and would probably welcome an opportunity to be a number-one pivot on another club, and for more years than Doug can offer.

 As for Darren, can he physically survive another CFL season? It's one thing for a quarterback to scramble and avoid the big hits, it's another to be a receiver and get physically abused catch after catch.

 If the Fluties are intent on having this reunion, a better location may be Calgary. The Stamps are not nearly as bad as their record indicates, and are in need of stability at quarterback. If they sign the Fluties and keep Marcus Crandell on the roster, it just may be an effective one-two punch at QB to lead the Stampeders back to the playoffs.

 So much for financial security

 The only positive thing Ron Lancaster could take from a 1-17 season with the Tiger-Cats is that at least he was going to get paid for the next two seasons.

 At least that is what most people thought. When the CFL took over the team last summer, all contracts with coaches and front-office personnel became null and void. Although the CFL opted to keep Lancaster for this season, Young doesn't owe the two-time Grey Cup winning head coach any money if he decides to go a different direction.

 Talk about rubbing salt into a wound. Lancaster had signed a three-year extension this past off-season, but that proved to be as reliable as a politician's word.

 At least for Lancaster's sake there might be a job opening in Toronto, since Michael "Pinball" Clemons will find himself in the exact same situation at the end of the season.

 You know what they say. Misery loves company.

 Insert your best lawyer joke here

 Former Winnipeg Blue Bombers offensive lineman Brandon Dyson is suing TSN alleging that three commentators damaged his reputation by continuously replaying a questionable hit he laid on then Edmonton Eskimos defensive end Doug Peterson during a game in October 2001.

 Glen Suitor, John Wells and Chris Schultz were all named in the lawsuit. Each commentator had some not so flattering remarks about Dyson's reputation, and called the particular play against Peterson cheap and dirty.

 Dyson has not played in the CFL since 2001, spending the 2002 season in the Arena League. He is currently without a team, and claims that his damaged reputation has prevented him from landing a job in the CFL.

 Dyson and his lawyer seem to think that each player personnel director in the CFL gives credence to what TSN and its commentators have to say. But these personnel people have access to both game film and a scouting staff to determine a player's ability. They don't need TSN's opinion to determine whether a player is in fact dirty, or whether that player can cut it in their league.

 But I'm no lawyer. I just play one on the internet.

 Good thing TSN has Jock Climie on its panel.

 Finally...

 Saskatchewan's Reggie Hunt and Winnipeg's Brian Clark are a pair of CFL linebackers not nominated for any major awards this season.

 To echo TSN's sentiments, these two players deserved nominations. But as always, that would mean that two other worthy players would be left in the cold.

 Hopefully the voters will make it up to Hunt and Clark by naming the pair CFL all-stars.



 Weekly blitz on the CFL appears every Wednesday during the regular season.

[an error occurred while processing this directive]