The Canadian Press
Hello, Bo Levi Mitchell. My, you have your helmet speaker turned up pretty loud. I SAID: MY, YOU HAVE YOUR HELMET SPEAKER TURNED UP PRETTY LOUD. NO… YOUR HELMET SPEAKER… *points to ear* THE VOLUME. IT’S PRETTY LOUD.
Never mind, it’s time for takeaways, anyway. I SAID: NEVERMIND, IT’S TIME FOR TAKEAWAYS.
1. CHER HAD THIS PLAY IN MIND WHEN SHE RECORDED THAT SONG
I’m not saying that Cher can predict the future, though I’m not certain she can’t. I’m merely saying that when she recorded “If I Could Turn Back Time,” in 1989, if she didn’t know why she had a feeling that one day she would.
Go ahead and sync up the chorus of that song to Zach Collaros’ brilliant scramble and throw to Darvin Adams, in the back corner of the end zone. I have. It works perfectly and is why, in the grand scheme of things, the universe wanted that song out there. For that play.
It may not be the favourite thing of Stampeder fans and I get that. But in the bigger picture, was it not fabulous to see a guy who’s been through so much physical pain – and the emotional anguish that had to go along with it – turn back the clock and show us once again what we all loved about watching him play in the first place?
Welcome back, Zach. The ol’ swashbuckler can still swing from a chandelier.
BONUS TAKEAWAY: Referee Dave Foxcroft has hops. Pretty impressive evasive manoeuvring on his part to ensure he didn’t get in the way when Collaros rolled to the right. Nice move, Dave.
BONUS BONUS TAKEAWAY: Not all big contributions are flashy. Bombers’ back-up quarterback Sean McGuire showed that on the game’s final play.
That was a pretty sweet snag-and-pin on a bit of a highish snap on the game-winning field goal.
2. YES, I GOT YOUR MESSAGE. DID YOU GET MINE?
That was kind of intense for a so-called “nothing game” between the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Montreal Alouettes.
Things were a wee bit chippy, a wee bit pushy-shovey. And chirpy-chirpy. And Henoc Muamba didn’t even play, man.
I guess both teams felt it would be valuable to send a few messages, just in case the two of them meet three weeks from now, in the Eastern Final. If they do, you can expect the intensity meter to get pinned to the right.
BONUS TAKEAWAY: The “butterfly effect” is real. Hamilton defensive back Cariel Brooks perfectly jumped a route and had an easy, walk-in touchdown against the Als, had he hung on to the ball that he’d gotten both mitts firmly on. Nine plays and 90 yards later, quarterback Vernon Adams found Quan Bray in the end zone for a Montreal touchdown.
BONUS BONUS TAKEAWAY: Khari Jones likes Led Zeppelin. Bo Levi Mitchell could tell you there’s only one way to listen to Zeppelin. Loud. I SAID YOU COULD TELL PEOPLE….
3. THAT’S SOME SMOOTH ASPHALT THEY’VE GOT IN EDMONTON
Almondo Sewell, we all know, is one of the great disruptors in the CFL, from his position as a defensive tackle for the Edmonton Eskimos.
He’s also a pretty fair disruptor on the other side of the line of scrimmage, as a short-yardage fullback.
Twice, on the doorstep of the Saskatchewan end zone, Edmonton deployed him as a battering ram ahead of Calvin McCarty, and both times, Sewell made like a road grader, giving McCarty a nice on-ramp to pay dirt.
McCarty is a load himself and can lay down some pretty good asphalt of his own. Together, along with the beef up front on the O-line, the Eskimos have a pretty good goal-to-go road crew.
It’s a formidable set for Edmonton, who could continue to employ Mr. Plow in a straight-ahead fashion, barging in with insistent authority.
Or, hey, there’s always play-action….
BONUS TAKEAWAY: You absolutely should be taking Cody Fajardo seriously as a Most Outstanding Player candidate.
BONUS BONUS TAKEAWAY: Don’t count your chickens on a Montreal/Hamilton Eastern Final just yet.
4. THERE’S MORE TO BANKS’ SUCCESS THAN MEETS THE EYE
We all know that Brandon Banks can create room with breakaway speed, as well as agility.
Still, don’t you sometimes watch Ticats games and wonder, with all the space Banks has, “don’t they know they need to cover that guy tight?”
Some insight comes to us from Hamilton Head Coach Orlondo Steinauer, with comments that followed Banks’ three-touchdown, 201-yard performance against Montreal.
“I think some of the things that people don’t pay close attention to,” Steinauer began, “is there’s some good clear-outs. Some good decoys, some good distractions.”
Banks’ own abilities loom large in the equation, but so do the routes being designed by coordinator Tommy Condell, and executed well by Hamilton’s other receivers.
Something to bear in mind next time you wonder “why is that guy so wide open all the time?”
5. THEY TIP YOU FOR TOUCHDOWNS IN WINNIPEG
Nic Demski made a nice catch in the end zone, and then he and a bunch of his teammates did what they usually do at home games, jumping into the stands for a little celebration.
A few moments later, and over on the sideline, while Demski was winding down with the whooping it up, teammate Kenny Lawler approached him and gave Demski a fiver, explaining to him that it came from a fan.
“What?!” Demski exclaimed.
Yeah, they tip you for touchdowns in Winnipeg, Nic. Sometimes, at least.
I love the sentiment, but I question the logic. I mean, that’s good Rum Hut money yer givin’ away there.
BONUS TAKEAWAY: Kenny Lawler is totally trustworthy. The fan gave him the money, and he could have just pocketed it. Well, not “pocketed,” because football pants don’t have pockets. You know what I mean. But he didn’t keep it, he passed it on to who he thought was the rightful recipient of the tip.
Lawler’s problem moving ahead? Now anyone who recognizes him, anywhere, will have no hesitation in saying “I’ll be back in a few… can you just watch my stuff for me?”
BONUS BONUS TAKEAWAY: Football pants should have pockets. So you have somewhere to keep your tips.
AND FINALLY… On Friday night, Roughrider fans were rooting for Winnipeg. Saturday night, Stampeder fans were pulling for Edmonton. We entered The Upside Down. I thought of Bill Murray, in Ghostbusters: “Dogs and cats living together! Mass hysteria!”
