The sky is falling on Riderville as they continue to show off their Halloween costumes a month early. Yes, the entire team is going door to door this year dressed as professional football players. As one person Tweeted after the latest loss on Sunday, "The Riders have lost games to Justin Goltz, Zach Collaros, and Thomas DeMarco. Hardly a murderer's row of quarterbacks." Amazing to me that the Riders could fall that far in three games. A month ago I was convinced the Riders were the class of the CFL. But, this is what the Roughriders do. They win your heart. Take it. Grind it into small pieces and then hand it back.
This isn't Darian Durant's fault, although he isn't immune to blame on Sunday. To me, if you fumble the ball on the first offensive series that is a clear message you aren't ready to play. By the middle of the third quarter he had generated no offense and fumbled a second time. If I was a coach, I am putting him on the bench just like I would any other player who can't hang on to the football. But, good thing I am not the coach because the way Durant led that final minute drive was a thing of beauty and something not many can pull off.
I felt bad for a friend of mine who took his kids to the Rider game on Sunday. The only section in the stadium that doesn't sit, even for a minute, is 27. That's where they were. I'm all for cheering and getting up to applaud a big play; but is there really a need to be standing and drinking beer, obstructing view for three solid hours? I'm betting most of those people crawled home and weren't aware of the final score. If you have never taken your children to a Rider game, be selective where you sit. It's not family entertainment in certain sections.
For me, it's hard to believe that it was 25 years ago this week that Ben Johnson won the 100 metres in Seoul and then was discovered to have taken steroids, thus making him a national disgrace. Sportsnet is running a piece on Johnson this week aimed at giving him a bit of redemption. It's a nice feature and with the public being as forgiving of other athletes over the years, I think it's about time Johnson was also looked at a little more favorably. I, often, wonder with his gullible nature if he wasn't plied steroids unknowingly anyway. Do you remember where you were when Johnson won the gold on September 24th, 1988? I was 13-years-old and up well past my bed time in Moncton, New Brunswick at my dad's house watching on television. I was the only person awake in a house that had six other people in it.
I, clearly, need to sit down and pick an athlete's brain as to why hazing is necessary and something that bonds young men. I see the Town of Lanigan is dealing with a hazing issue at the high school after a bush party on the weekend resulted in some teenagers getting assaulted with a modified goalie hockey stick as well as other things such as pouring of chocolate syrup, eggs, and flour on students. This was bizarre to me as a kid and sounds even more stupid as I write this today. You can't make this stuff up. Assaulted with chocolate syrup?
People are strange. There was a report of a stolen cattle prod from a vehicle at Sunday's Roughrider game.
I'm no stock market player, but if you had a share in RIM valued at $150 in 2008, you are likely sick to your stomach today at being offered 6% buyout. Can you say Nortel repeat?
Digestive system freak Joey Chestnut devoured 70 brats in 10 minutes at a competitive eating contest over the weekend. I'm ill typing that. What's worse is that he stayed and posed for pictures afterward. I don't know about you, but I'm not getting anywhere near a guy that, not only has horrible breath after such an event, but has a 50-50 chance of losing those brats all over me during the photo op. I'll pass.
Here's a story for anyone wondering what would happen if you took more than the prescribed dosage of Viagra. Apparently, there is a story of a man who finally went to the hospital after three days and doctors said his member was inflamed, fractured, and infected with gangrenne. Invasive surgery was required in order to keep the gangrene from spreading to the rest of his body. That's quite a side effect. I've heard stories of men who have failed hearing after taking too many. I wonder how many men would actually call failed hearing a side effect though?
Let me get this straight, it's illegal for me to use my cell phone while driving, but not illegal for a police officer to operate a laptop computer while driving? Just clarifying.
Nice person mentions this week to Todd Brooks, Mark Nickolayou, Tammy Stevenson, Neil Lamberty, Aynsley O'Donovan, and Marie-Anne Ramcharitar.
