I don't understand why the CFL had no games on thanksgiving day as it makes sense to have football on turkey day.

For sure. It was terrible out there for the past 3 days.

Reilly Leaves Game With Suspected Broken Wrist
cfl.ca October 12, 2019

Mike Reilly was forced to leave BC's pivotal game against Edmonton with a suspected broken wrist.

Lots of crop left to harvest out in the fields. My brother still has 600 acres to take off. Pretty much all of his neighbours are in the same boat. This is a harvest that will be talked about for decades.
s
(I know, has nothing to do with football)

Even in the city, the snowstorm just took a lot out of everybody. My boss was trying to give away tickets on Friday and nobody would take them :haha:

But yeah out of town it’s really bad. Up around my hometown in the Interlake , the majority of hydro poles are snapped in half. Gonna be without power for a long time.

Anyway, happy to see a Blue win today

I guess failing to ever make it to the Grey Cup counts as "stability".

Also, tough break for Reilly, although the Lions season is done so the next couple games are basically 2020 preseason anyway.

It was a shock to my system having no football on Thanksgiving. It's like having no New Year's Eve count down on December 31st. Did the league put out a statement explaining what went wrong? Has this ever happened before? :uhh:

https://i.imgur.com/RjIRyk8.jpg

Sherwood Park's Chuba Hubbard taking Heisman Trophy talk in stride
Former Bev Facey running back leads NCAA football in rushing yards
Min Dhariwal CBC News Oct 10, 2019

https://i.imgur.com/PitKt3d.png

2019 Top 25 MAC Players: #1 Nathan Rourke, QB, Ohio
Air Canada is ready to take the MAC by storm once more.
Steve Helwick@s_helwick Aug 31, 2019

They call him “Air Canada.”

But what makes Nathan Rourke special is not just his playmaking through the air as a quarterback. The senior from Ontario has established himself as one of the best mobile quarterbacks in all of college football, and he has one more season of leading the Ohio Bobcats with dazzling playmaking.

Rookie Canadian QB O'Connor poised to take first snap in CFL
Frank Zicarelli Toronto Sun October 15, 2019

The Argos are all in when it comes to their stable of quarterbacks and the team’s stated plan to spread the reps in the season’s final three games.

They’ve seen enough of James Franklin, but not enough exposure has been given the likes of Dakota Prukop and Canadian rookie Michael O’Connor, the two primary beneficiaries of this late-season audition process as the franchise looks forward to next season.

It’s expected McLeod Bethel-Thompson will start this Friday night in Montreal, but he’s not expected to finish, paving the way for Prukop and O’Connor to see playing time.

Prukop joined the Argos in 2017, but it wasn’t until the team’s visit to Edmonton this past July when he finally got meaningful reps under centre.

It arrived when Bethel-Thompson was pulled at halftime as the Argos suffered the team’s first shutout loss in 10 years.

After throwing two interceptions in the second half against the Esks, Prukop was pulled for Bethel-Thompson.

Prukop hasn’t taken a snap since.

O’Connor has never taken a snap at the pro level, but whether it’s as early as Friday night or next week when the Argos close out the home portion of their schedule against Ottawa, he’ll finally get his shot.

O’Connor played well in the pre-season opener against the Als when Montreal came to town for a morning kickoff the same day the Raptors played host to Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

There’s plenty of intrigue surrounding the kid and it goes well beyond his nationality, a designation in three-down football that gets way overblown, especially when it involves the quarterback position.

O’Connor grew up in the suburbs of Ottawa and took the U.S. route before returning to Canada where he led UBC to a national title.

Michael O’Connor is named after his dad’s uncle, who died in a car crash two months before the kid was born.

“He was actually a big supporter of women’s basketball in Ontario,’’ said Michael. “He was big in the community and he won a Vanier Cup, one at the University of Ottawa, one at Queen’s. When we were fortunate enough to win one at UBC, it was kind of special.

“All I hear are great stories about him. I would have loved to have met him, but my aunt still talks about him when I see her. It’s a shame what happened, but, you know, that’s life, I guess.”

O’Connor’s uncle played at linebacker and it’s clear his legacy continues, his spirit very much alive.

The goal for every athlete is to play and the kid will soon get his shot.

“To be honest, I felt by Week 10 I was ready to go,’’ said O’Connor, who wears jersey No. 13. “I will say it took me about half the season for me to find my routine, get comfortable with the offence, get comfortable with what defences are playing, what the week looks like.

“I can say now how I feel much better than I did in Week 1. As a team it has been tough. It’s always tough when you’re struggling to find victories, but give a lot of credit to the guys in this locker room because they have always stuck to it and always came to work like professionals.

“In that sense it makes my job easier when everyone here is working towards one common goal and that’s to get a win.”

O’Connor has dressed as the team’s third stringer.

“Not dressing versus dressing and not playing is like the same thing. I’m going to prepare the same way regardless,’’ continued O’Connor. “I would have loved to get in, but you never know what will happen and you have to be ready for your opportunity when it comes and just keep the faith.”

Head coach Corey Chamblin reiterated how Bethel-Thompson will be the guy at quarterback.

“At some point we’re going to see him this year,’’ said Chamblin of O’Connor. “He has a great demeanor. I don’t want to use the word mellow, but he looks stoic in the way he handles everything.

“He looked good in the pre-season, but the real tell will be under pressure when the real bullets start flying. He has good arm strength and I want to see him under a rush and see how he throws the ball, how he moves around with his legs and how he handles the pocket.

“He’s been around enough weeks and at some point we have to see what he has.”

Offensive co-ordinator Jacques Chapdelaine has been impressed at O’Connor’s mental approach.

“He does prepare very well,’’ he said. “He prepares just like he’d be a starter. He’s got a good mind.

“Obviously what’s missing at this point in time in standing back there and having a bunch of 300 pounders running after him when he’s throwing the ball. And that’s part of the progression with any young quarterback.”

There’s no denying O’Connor’s skills and his high character.

“He’s a quality guy,’’ said Chapdelaine. “He’s very meticulous in his preparation. I give those guys a bit of a home work every week and what he submits is as good as anyone who has been playing in the league for a few years.

More than 10K tickets already sold for Als’ playoff game
cfl.ca October 16, 2019

MONTREAL — The Montreal Alouettes announced on Wednesday having sold just over 10,000 tickets for their playoff game scheduled for November 10, even before tickets go on sale to the public on Thursday, October 17, at 10:00 a.m ET.

The Alouettes are assured to finish the season in second place of the East Division behind the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and will take part in a post-season game for the first time since 2014. Montreal will host the Eastern Semi-Final on Sunday, October 16, at 1 p.m. ET at Percival-Molson Memorial Stadium.

It is already determined that the Alouettes will face a team from the West division because of the crossover rule. However, the opponent’s identity remains uncertain.

“We have exceeded our pre-sale objective with more than 10,000 tickets sold since October 7, said Patrick Boivin, President and CEO of the Montreal Alouettes. I want to thank our fans who are behind us and have already answered the call for our upcoming playoff game. Our objective is to fill Percival-Molson Stadium to its full capacity and with the support we received throughout the season, we are confident to reach that goal.”

“We have played our home games in front of an incredible crowd, in an electric atmosphere,” said head coach Khari Jones. “The contribution of our 13th player was often an important factor in the outcome of our games. Our fans bring us so much energy, it’s as if they are on the field with us. We need each and every one of our supporters for this playoff game; we want to live it with you. Let’s win together!”

Bombers vs Riders drew almost 900,000 viewers up against hockey night in Canada

https://3downnation.com/2019/10/17/b...ght-in-canada/

Bombers in Calgary on Saturday night... I wish I could say I was optimistic, but I'd be lying...

Score was close, I did not catch the game though. Tight standings at the top of the west division.

Bombers put in a solid effort, but once Streveler got nicked up that was it. A little surprising that Collaros didn't go in, I guess he won't be seeing any game action before the playoffs?

https://3downnation.com/2019/10/22/z...bers-practice/

Collaros taking first team reps for the Bombers in practice hopefully he can stay healthy for a few weeks.

Two injured guys and a raw rookie at QB :surrender:

I realize the Bombers are poised for success next season assuming they can sign a decent QB and upgrade that secondary, but this season is looking increasingly grim.

Collaros is a much better passer than Strev he just needs to rely on Harris and Augustine to carry the load and not throw so many picks like Strev

No question Collaros is better, but he's one hard shot away from being forced into retirement.

Yeah - I'll be cringing everytime he gets hit if he does play.