JuranBoldenRules

The Lions were worse in each successive season under Benevides. Ditto Higgins teams in his last two head coaching stops.

They already are. The officials are responsible for judging whether the formation is legal based on the rules. Players can always ask for clarification, that's what the check-in with the linesman is. You'll see defensive players ask the umpire to set the line for them fairly often on short-yardage so they don't line up offside too.

If substitutions and participation are reviewable, there's no reason why formations can't be.

OK...everyone makes mistakes. I'm certainly not immune to them. However, why didn't they pick up the flag? His memory couldn't be that bad that he couldn't remember 5 seconds later that he did indeed acknowledge Adam's position on the line. This doesn't make sense. No kidding. It's gotta be instinct for a side judge. If you don't throw the flag on the snap, why the hell would you throw it 7 seconds later? Can't invent penalties. That official should not work another game this season. Clearly not up to it.

Suitor is the worst colour commentator on anything I watch. Picks one narrative (likely what he was fed by a producer) and pounds it into the dirt all game long, regardless of what is actually happening in the game. Pure garbage.

But you can't. All the " other plays and squandered opportunities" absolutely are the teams fault and they should wear it. The thing is, that game breaking incident wasn't the incompetence of the team, it wasn't the Stamps out playing the bombers, no bone headed coaching mistake- it was 100% on the Zebra on a bllusiht call. They gave that game to Calgary, that is what is infuriating about it. Agreed. The problem with the "shoulda made the plays earlier in the game" stuff is that the cumulative effect of all the plays to that point in the game had put the Bombers in a great position to at least tie the game if not more, and then the official unnecessarily jabbed a pin in that balloon. There's no reason to shield the official with that crap. That complete screw-up on the most basic part of the side judge's job took the determination of the outcome away from the players and onto his flag. The league needs a mechanism to ensure that doesn't happen, to ensure the integrity of the outcome (don't think it happened in this case but a fix would not be hard). They've done it with pass interference after a series of ridiculous end of game incidents. Let the officiating supervisor or command centre make the right call.

He's always been a DB, arrived here as a DB, played there in NCAA. Johnny Adams went out for a few quarters and Stoudermire filled in.

What makes this one so bad is how basic of a call was just completely botched. At least with the Richardson fumble and whistle debacle in 2010 the rule was pretty vague and unclear. It was understandable that a mistake could be made. This one is just pathetic.

Head ref was either instructed by the CFL to ensure Winnipeg lost or he's accepting bribes. Someone with Als org paying off refs? A playoff game can result in $1-2 million in profit. Share some with corrupt refs?An NBA ref went to prison. You don't think something similar could happen in the CFL? I'd say it's much more likely. This outcome does nothing to help Montreal host a playoff game. Crossing over they have no chance of hosting. Road playoff games are an expense for CFL clubs. Just incompetence, which is almost more problematic than a fix because there's not much the league can do to solve it.

The gambling angle doesn't make sense. No way the Stamps could cover 9.5 by that point. Just pure incompetence.

Someone going to the Bomber game should take pictures of the stands. I'd imagine there will be about 20,000 people in the building tonight with the Jets game on the same night.

By far the best CJFL teams are on the Prairies. It's not even close, PFC teams have won 15 of the last 30 national championships, and the last 7 straight. They've won 5 straight, and other than the Hilltops on a yearly basis none of the PFC teams would be competitive in the BCFC. It's a different world, very little competition from CIS, much more to offer their players and they have credibility with recruits. They are competing with the CIS for recruits. The Rifles sure as hell aren't. The Colts are spending some money and trying to follow the model of the BCFC teams, we'll see how that works out. The issue is sheer quantity (like you mentioned above)... the Lions have 6 territorial exemption teams in BC (assuming the Lions have rights to all of them)... Calgary has the Colts and Winnipeg has the Rifles.... even if the Rifles and Colts were by far the best teams... there's still a much greater chance to pluck some decent players when you have 6 teams to choose from... And players from all over Western Canada. The PFC teams have few guys from out of their city or province. The Rifles can barely field a competitive team most years because the best players from Manitoba playing junior rarely stay.

The Free Press can't directly hire someone for that columnist gig, it will be filled internally and an entry-level reporter gig might open up at the bottom. It's a union shop, all decisions are governed by seniority.

Peach is a sacred cow, I don't get how Johnson stays on over Cole. Forget than Johnson can slide inside a bit, they seem to prefer average guys who are really not good at any spot (Johnson, Fraser) to guys who can actually play and make a difference (Cole, Gibson). I also don't get why they aren't auditioning imports at RT. We've got the extra import spot on offence, use it. If they are looking at Neufeld as a long-term player, I've lost all hope.

The PA is going to fight anything that restricts player movement tooth and nail, particularly the NI players who run the union. The concession made by the league to get the last CBA done was to kill the option year. Restricted free agency would fly in the complete opposite direction.

By far the best CJFL teams are on the Prairies. It's not even close, PFC teams have won 15 of the last 30 national championships, and the last 7 straight. They've won 5 straight, and other than the Hilltops on a yearly basis none of the PFC teams would be competitive in the BCFC. It's a different world, very little competition from CIS, much more to offer their players and they have credibility with recruits. They are competing with the CIS for recruits. The Rifles sure as hell aren't. The Colts are spending some money and trying to follow the model of the BCFC teams, we'll see how that works out.

As average as Lawless is as a columnist, the Free Press has very little in the bullpen behind him. Just wait for Wiecek to be the next columnist.

TSN picks a storyline, particularly Suitor, and runs it into the ground all broadcast, even if it is complete rubbish. Suitor needs to make some in-game adjustments.

It's been needed for years along with making players in junior football draft eligible. There are a handful of teams with a ridiculous advantage simply based on population or having an entire league which is always the best or second best in their backyard. I'd make it 5 CFL seasons for non-imports to be full UFA. In the intervening time, anytime they are a free agent beyond being released by their team they are restricted with their team being able to match any offer and any opposing team having to compensate with draft picks based on the size of the contract. The PA would never agree to any of this though, literally would have to shutdown the league to get this into a CBA.

I think Austin is making a big mistake by not trading for Glenn as quickly as possible. With the team strength of the Cats, Glenn gives them a passable opportunity to advance to the Grey Cup if they work him in now rather than later. It may take a couple of more losses before Austin sees that reality with his current QB's. Glenn can't carry the team but if he can put enough points up on on the board as he has with Sask. the Ti-Cat D can certainly hold opponents down long enough to win games. Why would Sask. deal Glenn? I doubt it would go very far to fixing their issues and it would be a step back on offence (though Smith was progressing fairly well). Smith was awful and getting exposed the more he played. No ability to pass the ball at all. People really overrate QB's who can break a tackle.

It's interesting you say that as Suitor doesn't seem to be a big fan. He made the point during the Sask game (I believe labor day) to be a premier back you regularly have to make the first guy miss which Suitor believes Marshall isn't doing. Yet TSN is all over backs like Walker and Grigsby being great, two guys who have yet to make anyone miss.

Does "blacked balled" mean made a head coach?

I believe him 100% on stuff like this. He doesn't make stuff like this up. If he says someone is contacting Walters for the job, it happened. Doesn't mean Walters is going to take it. I'm sure Stu Laing has been in touch with Walters as they have essentially rebuilt the football program at Guelph together. They probably talk fairly often. There are about 10 more steps to go before Walters is hired. I fully believe that he's a candidate if he wants to be, but the article today is beyond dumb in how it is presented as almost an inevitability that Walters is going to be the AD at Guelph. Would be interesting if Lawless looked into internal candidates and the gender distribution of management positions at Guelph.

The whole thing as presented by Lawless is pretty goofy. The job isn't open yet and there will be a whole hiring process that the university has to go through. They can't just choose the one person they want without going through the posting, vetting and interviewing process. Lawless seems to live in fantasyland sometimes, maybe a touch too eager to break news. I don't doubt that Walters could be a candidate for AD at Guelph.

95K IF he can get on an NFL roster for three weeks(that's a big if) or about 100K for 8 weeks of work in the CFL? The only thing that makes me even slightly agree with your statement is the state of our sinking dollar. Plus he'd basically be giving up on a NFL career if he signs in Canada. He's got 1 of 3 seasons towards a NFL pension. If he went down and got cut in his first training camp, it would make sense to come back right away, sort of like Dressler. He's played in the NFL and there's bound to be an injury, or 100, leaving teams looking for players like him. His value in the CFL won't change anytime soon as a NI, that money will always be there.