Playoffs in Canadian football have been somewhat surprising, not so much in terms of outcome but competitiveness.
The exception would be the University of Saskatchewan Huskies who upset the University of Calgary 31-28 on an overtime field goal back on Nov. 4 in the west final. The Huskies weren’t expected to be a playoff team at the start of the season, and the win in Calgary was not on script.
A week later the pesky Huskies kept pace with Western in the Mitchell Bowl being tied with the powerhouse Mustangs 17-17 at the half before succumbing 47-24 to the defending Vanier Cup winners.
The Mustangs will now defend their Cup in hostile territory taking on the Rouge et Or in Laval. It should be a tilt of titans.
In the Canadian Football League Hamilton rolled over B.C., and then hit a buzz saw in the east final in Ottawa. Redblacks quarterback Trevor Harris threw for more than 360 yards to 10 different receivers, while setting a playoff record for touchdowns with six, and having an amazing 90 per cent completion ratio.
Ottawa’s key players are healthy and Harris is holding a hot hand which should make them favoured for Sunday’s Grey Cup.
The west final pitted two teams that no true Saskatchewan Roughrider fan could cheer for. The game saw Calgary win over Winnipeg 22-14 in a defensive struggle that still saw a receiver shine as Eric Rogers had three touchdown receptions for the Stampeders who return to the Grey Cup for the third straight time.
One might think it is Calgary’s time to finally win, but I am picking the Redblacks to win.
Lacrosse
A big boo to one of my favourite sports leagues this week.
The National Lacrosse League is at loggerheads with its player’s union over a new contract, and talks appeared stalled, or at least they are moving forward at a glacial pace, as both sides appear entrenched well short of any common ground.
The situation has already seen the league cancel the first two weeks of the regular season, games set to start the first weekend in December. That the announcement used the word cancelled rather than postponed means fan with season tickets to any of the teams in the league are going to face frustration in getting rebates or vouchers.
But that is just the smallest irritation.
The more concerning issue for the league, the owners and the players, is that this disruption of the 2018-19 season puts the skids on a period of positive momentum that basically started with the league hiring Nick Sakiewicz as commissioner.
Almost from the day of his installation Sakiewicz has talked about the potential for the NLL to grow into something more significant in the world of sports than the nine-team league had been. And, the first step in his vision was to grow the league.
The Philadelphia Wings and San Diego Seals are the first teams in that expansion plan, with both set to begin play in December.
San Diego in particular is a new market for the sport, and that means they are trying to create a buzz for the Seals to attract new fans. Cancelling season starting games has to be a buzz kill that could too easily turn off fans with only a casual interest until the sport wins them over.
If the two sides don’t get a deal done soon and more game cancellations occur it is going to leave a bad taste even in cities where fans are solidly into lacrosse, the Saskatchewan Rush among those who may face an erosion of the good will the team has established since its arrival in Saskatoon in 2015.
Both sides need to find a way to give a little to get a deal done to keep the great league moving forward for the good of the sport’s future.
