CFL West

With all the talk about a potential NFL lockout in two years, little has been said about how it could affect other the other football leagues.

The CFL, whose roots take it back farther than the NFL itself, stands to gain considerable ground should a lockout take NFL football off TV for a year.

The CFL enjoyed some U.S. exposure in the '80s when games were broadcast on ESPN. ESPN NFL Talking Head Chris Berman is a noted fan of the CFL, despite the wisecracks that other commentators give him.

While Monday Night Football is the only time of the week that an actual game is played on ESPN, one has to think that ESPN would look to the CFL as alternative programming should the NFL take a year off.

ESPN found success with poker when the NHL had its lockout, so we know that ESPN is not afraid of unconventional programming. 

NBC and ABC are two networks that have aired non-NFL football in recent years. ABC aired the Arena Football League championship game, and the NFL had a contract with the failed XFL in its only year of existence. 

NBC, CBS, and Fox are three networks that air the NFL on a weekly basis. While the CFL does not always have a Sunday game, I'm sure something could be worked out to get them on the air. 

The CFL currently has a deal with America One to show games in the U.S. That isn't a very big network. With higher-profile networks such as Versus, Fox Sports, and MSG Network out there, there are plenty of networks that could air the CFL should a lockout occur. 

The CFL would have a great shot to convert some American fans.

I'm sure people would be turned on by the fast style of play, higher emphasis on passing, and lack of big egos that guys like Terrell Owens bring to the table. There are also far fewer criminals in the CFL, which is a turn on for many.

The CFL would compete with the UFL for U.S. air time, since Versus currently has a contract with the UFL. However, the CFL has dealt with U.S. networks before and could do so again.

There's enough air time to go around. 

This year's Grey Cup was one of the highest rated in a long time. Canada is getting behind the CFL. The game is a great alternative to the NFL, and the league could stand to gain a lot of ground should an NFL lockout occur.

Who knows, maybe even CFL USA could have another try. 

Photo by Todd Korol/Reuters

With the 3rd overall pick in the 2010 CFL Canadian Draft, the Toronto Argonauts announced that they have selected LB Cory Greenwood from Concordia. A three-year starter, Greenwood’s athleticism, intensity and toughness earned him the Presidents’ Trophy in 2009 as best defensive player in the CIS. The 3-time QUFL All-Star also led the league in tackles in 2009 with 62.

Greenwood remarked, “It’s such a relief to finally know where I’m going to start and hopefully finish my professional career. It’s been a long process and I’ve played my heart out, but I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. Growing up in Kingston, I’ve followed the Argos and especially the career of Mike O’Shea. I can’t wait to work with him and the rest of the Toronto coaching staff. I’ve been in intensive training for a month now and plan to keep up that level of intensity going into training camp and the season. I feel so lucky and privileged to be a part of the Argonauts organization and thank them for the opportunity to play in the CFL wearing the Double Blue!”

College: Played four seasons at Concordia (2006-09)…2009 Named Presidents’ Trophy Winner as best defensive player in CIS…Selected to go to the East-West Bowl Game as a CIS All-Star…Named QUFL Defensive MVP…Named QUFL All-Star…Led the QUFL in tackles with 62, and his 52 solo tackles, 7.8 per game, and 20 assists ranked him fourth in the country…Also forced a fumble and had two sacks… 2008 Named QUFL All-Star…Recorded 61 tackles, 50 of them solo tackles, five sacks and an interception… Received Defensive and Team MVP honours with the Stingers…2007 Named QUFL All-Star…Dressed for 8 regular season games and two playoff games…Started at left guard in seven games…2006 Dressed at left guard for one game.

Personal: Cory is working toward his degree as a Human Environment major at Concordia. His parents, Lana and Peter, have not missed one of his games since he started playing collegiate football. Cory has an older sister named Amy who is currently teaching in Guatemala. He enjoys playing video games and hanging with friends and family. Growing up, Cory spent his spare time wakeboarding, snowboarding and playing hockey, as well as playing football for Regiopolis-Notre Dame Catholic High School.

To View Cory Greenwoods HighLight Videos And Links To His Draft Videos Click Below

Cory Greenwood is a BEAST!!

Defenses beware, Wes Cates is back!

Cates, the starting running back for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, had missed the first two games of the seasons due to a shoulder injury. There was much scepticism to when Cates would return to the lineup, but it appears he is ready to go.

“I’m ready.” Cates said to Mitchell Blair of Riderville.com. “If they need me on the field for every play, I’m ready and I’ll be able to handle it. The team’s been doing great in my absence, now I get to join in on the fun and start contributing.

The return of Wes Cates is very timely, considering the Riders are welcoming the powerhouse Montreal Alouettes into town. Hugh Charles, the replacement for Wes Cates in the first two weeks, performed admirably in Cates' absence.

However, Wes Cates just brings so much to the table.

Ever since he was traded over from the Calgary Stampeders, Wes Cates has excelled as a starter. Finally getting a chance to become a full time starter, Cates rushed for 866 yards in his first season with the Roughriders. The next season he rushed for 1,229 yards and had 12 touchdowns while battling injuries.

But the stats don't quite paint a clear enough picture. They don't say just how valuable Wes Cates has been to the Riders.

Cates played injured during the Riders 2007 Grey Cup Grey Cup Run and made some timely plays. He was the Riders best player in their 6-0 start to the 2008 season.

Wes Cates has great vision on the field. He is patient as he picks his way through opposing defenses with a blend of speed and power. Cates also has solid hands and has been a reliable receiver out of the backfield.

In fact, Wes Cates could very well have a rushing title under his belt if he had not suffered through injuries. The whole Rider nation is undoubetly hoping Wes Cates' return is a permanent one.

The return of "The Green Machine" may just be the spark the Riders need against the Montreal Alouettes and the rest of the league.

Find all of my work over at http://www.2ndnshort.blogspot.com

Graham Harrell former Texas Tech QB aka the guy who threw to Michael Crabtree recently singed with the CFL squad Saskatchewan Roughriders.

NFL scouts were obviously aware that his numbers were inflated due to the pass happy system at Texas Tech. This does not mean that he is not talented, obviously he is a great athlete, he was the star QB for a D-I school. But just like the leap from High School to College, the leap from College to the NFL is very big.

Scouts were also unimpressed with his arm strength. Even guys in the NFL with "weak" arms can throw a football really far. Simply put you need to have a great arm if you have other areas of concern as does Harrell.

If nothing else this will make for a great where are they now piece in the future.

Bonus Vid...

Winnipeg vs. Edmonton
Free CFL Pick: Edmonton Eskimos -9.5 (-110) - Thursday July 2nd 2009 9:05p
Visit Touthouse.com for more CFL Football Picks and CFL betting odds from Mike Rose

Over the past several seasons, the cogs that made the Blue Bombers go were QB Kevin Glenn, RB Charles Roberts, and WR Milt Stegall. But Glenn (free agency), Blink (trade), and Uncle Milt (retired) have all moved on from Winnipeg, and the team is forced to start anew. The new wave of Blue Bombers will be headed up by QB Stefan LeFors, who backed up QB Ricky Ray in Edmonton the L/2 seasons. There’s still a big question mark about how well LeFors, a University of Louisville product, can do at this level. He wasn’t even good enough to be the second string man last season, as Jason Maas took that responsibility. As a result, LeFors only threw four passes all season, one of which was picked off. RB Fred Reid showed some flashes last season, but he isn’t amongst the best backs the league has to offer. If there is one bright spot for the Bombers, it’s at wide receiver, where Derick Armstrong, Terrence Edwards, and Romby Bryant all have NFL-type talent. The defense is stock full of new names, and is a big reason why the team will have a whopping 20 new names on the roster this season.

Thanks to the additions of DB Kelly Malveaux, DE Kai Ellis, and RB Jesse Lumsden, the green and gold really feel like they have a shot at taking all the marbles this season after a couple of sub-par years. New HC Richie Hall was the man that led Saskatchewan’s defense to the Grey Cup two years ago, and many in Canada feel as though his time to become a head coach in this league was far overdue. Many also think that the subtraction of former coach, the much-maligned Danny Maciocia, will aid the club. Capping the Eskies is pretty easy. As goes Ricky Ray, so will go the Eskimos. Ray led the CFL last year in both completion percentage (69.8%) and passing yards (5,661), and he is largely accepted as one of the best in the biz over the L/10 years or so. He leads an offense that averaged 25.6 points per game last season, but that average should go up thanks to the addition of Lumsden, who, when healthy, is arguably one of the best backs in the league.

Winnipeg has the longest Grey Cup drought of any team in the CFL at 18 years. They’re probably not going to be taking too many steps in the right direction this year, as it’s clearly a rebuilding era. Though LeFors has looked at this Edmonton defense for his entire career in practice, this defense knows him just as well. Expect to see some jitters early on from the young starter, while the veteran, Ray eats up a questionable defense.

Second version of my 2009 CFL Mock Draft. For those of you who want to see it here is the first version.

Round One

1. Hamilton Tiger-Cats: OL Simeon Rottier, Alberta

2. Toronto Argonauts: WR Matt Carter, Acadia

3. Hamilton Tiger-Cats: DE Etienne Legare, Laval

4. BC Lions: OL Matt Morencie, Windsor

5. BC Lions: S Eric Fraser, Central Michigan

6. BC Lions: OL Bill McGrath, Indiana State

7. Montreal Alouettes: OL Steve Myddleton, St. Francis Xavier

8. Calgary Stampeders: OT Dylan Steenbergen, Calgary

Round Two

9. Saskatchewan Roughriders: LB James Yurichuk, Bishop's

10. Toronto Argonauts: DL Dee Stirling, Queen's

11. Edmonton Eskimos: DB Ryan Hinds, New Hampshire

12. Edmonton Eskimos: TE Martin Bedard, UConn

13. BC Lions: LB Michael Cornell, Ottawa

14. Montreal Alouettes: DB Anthony Lucka, McGill

15. Montreal Alouettes: DE Osie Ukwuoma, Queen's

16. Calgary Stampeders: DB Tang Bacheyie, Kansas

Round Three

17. Hamilton Tiger-Cats: DB Jim Allin, Queen's

18. Toronto Argonauts: DB Matt Morris, Toronto

19. Winnipeg Blue Bombers: FB Peter Quinney, Wilfrid Laurier

20. Edmonton Eskimos: WR Matt Lambros, Liberty

21. BC Lions: DL Scott McCuaig, UBC

22. Saskatchewan Roughriders: DL Jon Pierre-Etienne, Montreal

23. Montreal Alouettes: LB Tristan Black, Wayne State

24. Calgary Stampeders: G Mike Morris, UBC

Round Four

25. Montreal Alouettes: WR Spencer Armstrong, Air Force

26. Toronto Argonauts: SB Scott McHenry, Saskatchewan

27. Winnipeg Blue Bombers: C Louis David-Gagne, Laval

28. Calgary Stampeders: FB Eric Lee, Weber State

29. BC Lions: OL Vicent Turgeron, Laval

30. Calgary Stampeders: LB Thaine Carter, Queen's

31. Montreal Alouettes: DE Mathieu Brossard, Montreal

32. Calgary Stampeders: WR Darcy Brown, St. Mary's

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Saskatchewan Roughriders, pulled off a three team trade yesterday.

Originally, the Blue Bombers sent All-Star offensive lineman Dan Goodspeed, the negotiation rights to running back Tyler Roehl (a fifth round pick in this years draft) and then a fifth rounder in 2011 or 2012 to Saskatchewan.

In return, the Bombers received offensive lineman Jean Francois Morin-Roberge, wide receiver Adarius Bowman, defensive back Brady Browne (a sixth round pick in 2010) and fifth rounder in 2012 from the Roughriders.

After acquiring Goodspeed, Saskatchewan turned around and sent him along, with a fifth rounder this year, to Hamilton for an offensive lineman, and the Tiger-Cats' second round pick this year.

Analysis:

Winnipeg

On a day where they lost their force on the offensive line, the Bombers came out pretty well. A lot of picks are coming their way, along with talented players from the 2007 Grey Cup Champs, make this a pretty even deal for Winnipeg.

Saskatchewan

I have the belief that Saskatchewan got ripped off in this deal since the only player who is already under contract that they received is Rempel. Not to knock Rempel, he's a solid player, but not nearly worth what they gave up in the three way deal as a whole.

In total, the Roughriders gave up three players (four if you count Goodspeed) and three draft picks.

Hamilton

It's never a bad day when you get all-star in both 2007 and 2008. However, the second round pick (9th overall), could have come in handy to the rebuilding Tiger-Cats.

The Buffalo Bills are one step closer to playing games in Toronto full time, as Toronto Argonauts co-owners, David Cynamon and Howard Sokolowski, floated the idea of a CFL consortium in purchasing the team.

The Toronto series already started last season for Buffalo as the league has agreed to let the Buffalo Bills play two games a season in Toronto.

Empire State Development, the corporation that controls the subsidiary that administers the Bills' lease at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., gave the go-ahead last year for the team's proposed plan to play games in Toronto.

The plan calls for the Bills to play one preseason game and one regular season game a year at the Rogers Centre, home of the MLB Toronto Blue Jays. An estimated 15,000 Canadians already cross the border to attend Bills game at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

"Playing these games in Toronto will provide an opportunity for the Bills to expand their fan base," said Dan Gundersen, upstate chair at Empire State Development, in a statement. "This plan will help draw Canadian fans to Buffalo for the remaining season games and the long term economic impact on western New York will no doubt prove beneficial for many local businesses, as well as the Buffalo Bills."

Erie County, which has some control over the lease, has also signed off on the proposal, according to Business First.

The plan will face another hurdle, as NFL owners meet in Philadelphia and discuss the proposal.

It received the “go-ahead” and the Bills will play in Toronto in each of the next five years, the final years of the team's current lease at the stadium.

Owner, Ralph Wilson, 89, who has repeatedly said he will not leave his team to his heirs, currently owns the Bills. If the team is not sold before he dies, the Bills will be sold to the highest bidder.

Toronto-based businessmen, Ted Rogers and Larry Tanenbaum, announced their ideas to acquire an NFL team last year.

Britney Milazzo is a Contributor for Bleacher Report. 

And you thought Matt Millen looked bad.

Canadian Football League General Manager Eric Tillman has been accused of asking a 16-year-old girl to show him her playbook, if you know what I'm saying.

Sportsbook odds heavily favor that Tillman is guilty, which is partially why he's on a leave of absence from the team.

Tillman lives in Saskatchewan, Canada, and if I was to blatantly stereotype, I'd say Tillman could have probably parlayed his "star power" as the GM of a CFL team, with his Grey Cup ring, and given her some wheat to get her to open up.

But seriously, this is a pretty sad story. And this comes on the heels of another ugly Roughrider incident, where player Trevis Smith was busted having unprotected sex with women. Oh yeah, I forgot the most important part—he has AIDS.

I haven't seen this much bad PR for a franchise since the San Francisco 49ers PR team released a video dissing homeless people, gays and lesbians, Chinese people, and religion.

I think, for the most part, those who bet sports could care less about the CFL. But this story is funny. Funny in a bad way. Funny in the sort of way that you think to yourself: "Hey Eric, are you really that stupid? Like, genuinely, are you in fact that dumb?"

Guy, tough year for the Green and White.

In anticipation of the 2009 CFL season, Roughrider fans are waiting impatiently.  Now they have seen what the up-and-coming players are capable of, and have lived through the ridiculous amounts of injuries as well as the quarterback controversies.  One particular fan doesn't wait for the next season to roll around—he eats, sleeps, and breathes football.

Meet Aaron Nagy—radio personnel, and avid Riders fan.  He was born in Yorkton, Saskatchewan and moved to the small town of Rhein, Saskatchewan at the age at twelve.  He returned to Yorkton this past year.  His love for football began around the age of six thanks to watching the games with his father.

Aaron began as a volunteer with the Saskatchewan Roughriders organization in 1998, and continued there exclusively until 2002.  This made his love for the game and team grow stronger as the years went on. 

His radio career began shortly after, in 2003.  It has stationed him at various locations: Yorkton at GX94; Flin Flon, Manitoba; Dauphin, Manitoba; and has been back at Fox FM in Yorkton since July of 2007. 

Football is his main game, but he does cheer for an NHL team—the Ottawa Senators.  Not exactly the team to cheer for this year, but hey, they all can't be Habs fans haha.

His other big interest is stormchasing and he has been a spotter for Environment Canada.  While he is not a trained professional, he does have a keen eye.  All he needs to do is look at the sky and he can predict what's about to happen—and he is almost always correct.

His sense of prediction is also proved well when watching a Roughriders game, whether it be on TV or at Mosaic Stadium.  In the two Roughriders game I have attended with Aaron, I have seen how he can call a play long before it ever happens—not just how how it will go, but who the players involved are.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have shown their appreciation for his support.  He has wholly earned their trust in many ways.  He has even had members of the Roughriders and the CFL offer on-air interviews.  Many of them have also recorded liners for him to play on the air during commercial breaks.

Aaron has become pals with some of the long-time Roughriders, who always enjoy when he comes out to the game.  He has earned the respect of these individuals.  Again, I have been witness to this.  For example, guys like Gene Makowsky saying "Hey Aaron, long time no see" and stop to chat as soon as they walk out of the stadium.  Some of the others from the Riders organization include Rod Pedersen, John Lynch, and Joe Womack.

He is the only reason I own any autographs from or photographs with players from the Roughriders.  He makes a person see that the players are not a bunch of big-shot celebrities.  They do take the time to care if you take the time for them.

Aaron can hardly wait to get his 2009 season tickets.  He believes that with the addition of Jason Clermont, combined with the skill revealed this past season in Andy Fantuz and Weston Dressler, "it is going to be good."  As any other Roughriders fan, Aaron is concerned with the quarterback situation.

It is hard to find someone who truly loves the CFL, and especially the Roughriders, in the way he does.  So many people start watching a sport at a young age and as they grow up they either lose their interest or wain to a different team. Not Aaron—he is as committed as they come.

I hope that you all can appreciate the purpose of this interview, which is to show we should never be afraid to pursue what we love, and the fans that the Saskatchewan Roughriders have really are like none other.

For more information on this die-hard fan, please check out the following sites: His Fox FM profile, his autograph blog, his Roughriders blog or his coin collectors blog.  If anyone would like to contact him for further information or interview, please let me know and I'd be glad to help out.