Monday Morning Meissnervations

Happy Monday. Here's wassup........

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The Saskatchewan Roughriders slipped out of first in the CFL West, after losing a heartbreaker to BC Friday, 19-16. Although the game was low scoring, it was still very entertaining. Sean Whyte's 33-yard field goal with 5 seconds left was the difference.

Calgary is now by themselves in first at 8-5 for 16 points, followed by the Riders at 7-6 for 14 points and Edmonton and BC, both at 6-7 for 12 points. Montreal has clinched a playoff spot in the East, sitting atop the division at 11-2 for 22 points. Hamilton is second, 6-7 for 12 points followed by Winnipeg, winners of their last two games, improving to 5-8 for 10 points. Toronto is 4th at 3-10 for 6 points.

Saskatchewan hosts Toronto this Saturday, then travels to Calgary on Saturday the 17th. The Toronto game airs on CKRM Radio beginning at 8:00p.m. this Saturday, with the game on the 17th at Calgary airing on CKRM beginning at 2:30p.m. EDT.

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The Oregon State Beavers broke a two-game skid Saturday, with an impressive 28-17. The Beavers bolted out to a quick 14-0 lead behind a pair of touchdowns by Jacquizz Rodgers and were never seriously threatened. James Rodgers caught 10 passes for 114 yards and a touchdown. By winning, the Beavers avoided going 2-3 for the 4th straight year, won in Tempe over ASU for the first time since September 27th, 1969 and won their first two road games of the season for the first time since their Giant Killers year of 1967.

The Beavers host Stanford at Reser Stadium this coming Saturday. The Cardinal, who beat UCLA Saturday 24-16, is 4-1 in 2009, 3-0 in conference, and hopes to qualify for their first bowl game since 2001. Kickoff on Saturday is set for 7:00p.m. EDT. The live radio broadcast is available at http://www.kpam.com/. Fox Sports Net will have the live telecast.

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The Major League Baseball regular season has just one game left, and it's a big one. Detroit and Minnesota tied for the AL Central and break the tie with a one-game playoff in Minneapolis tomoorow. TBS has the live telecast, beginning at 5:00p.m. EDT.

In the other AL Divisions, the Yankees won the East, the Angels the West, while Boston took the Wild Card. In the NL, the Dodgers won the West, St. Louis the Central and Philadelphia(2008 World Series champions) the East. Colorado won the Wild Card.

While Tampa Bay did slump mightily over the last several weeks of the season, they did post an 84-78 record, their second-consecutive winning season. Still, many of the last several games had embarrasingly low attendance figures. The Rays apparently have a lease that ties them to the City of St. Petersburg through 2027. However, a more centrally-located stadium may be a great help for the franchise. Many people(including my family) have to travel quite a distance to get to the games, despite living in the Tampa metro area.

While some people propose renovating Tropicana Field, what would the team do if that plan is chosen? Unless it could all be done from closing day one season to the next, they would have to move to temporary digs for a year.

It's a very sticky situation, to be sure, and one that won't be solved anytime soon.

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The two AL playoff series start either Wednesday or Thursday. The Yankees will meet the winner of Tuesday's Detroit-Minnesota play-in game(Which would normally have been played today, but Monday Night Football is in the Metrodome tonight), and the Angels play Boston.

The two NL series will start on Wednesday. Philadelphia starts their title defense against Colorado and the Dodgers tangle with St. Louis. TBS will have the telecasts of all first-round games.

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The 2009-2010 National Hockey League season is underway. Tampa Bay Lightning dropped their opener, 6-3 at Atlanta. The Thrashers jumped out to a 4-0 lead and led 4-2 after two. The Lightning's Martin St. Louis scored twice late in the second period and Andrej Meszaros early in the third to draw within one at 4-3, but Atlanta held on from there. Ilya Kovalchuk and Rich Peverley scored twice each for the Thrashers. Both teams were 1-for-3 on the power play. Mike Smith had 20 saves in the net for Tampa Bay, Ondrej Pavelec 31 for Atlanta. Announced attendance was 18,545.

The Lightning play at Carolina on Tuesday, then open their home schedule against New Jersey on Thursday.

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Speaking of the NHL, a bankruptcy judge turned down both offers for the Phoenix Coyotes, so now it's up to the NHL to either run the team itself, or find a local owner. Either way, the team appears to be wed to the arena in suburban Glendale through this season at least. Attendance at their last home preseason game(a September 26th 2-0 win over San Jose), the first home appearance for the Coyotes since it was announced they would stay put this season, was better than the less than 2,000 at the preseason opener September 15th, but still well below the announced crowd of 6,483.

And rumors are beginning to swirl about a group exploring the idea of buying the Atlanta Thrashers and moving them to Winnipeg. We'll see. The opening night crowd in Atlanta (if the 18,545 reported is legitimate)is a good start, but crowd numbers must remain high, if they are to keep the team in Philips Arena.

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The Portland Winterhawks, who won less than 20 games in each of the past three seasons, are 5-1 to start the season and are currently in first place in the Western Hockey League's U.S. Division. Getting Kurtis Mucha back from Edmonton's NHL camp to tend goal is a huge lift. The Hawks won road games this past Friday in Spokane and last night in Kamloops, beating the Blazers 4-3 on overtime, after trailing 2-0 early in the third. Portland is for real this season. Now, they need to keep winning on home ice, to rebuild the fan base. Opening night drew just over 4,300, but their second home game grew just over 1,500.

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There was another exciting round of small-field NFL games played yesterday. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are now 0-4, after dropping a 19-16 decision at Washington. The Bucs appeared a bit more mobile with Josh Johnson at quarterback and did build a 10-0 lead. But, they still have a long ways to go to reach simple respectability. A winless season, while unlikely, is still a possibility. The Bucs are at Phildelphia next Sunday.

Chicago beat Detroit 48-24(The Bears pass rush pounded Lions QB Matt Stafford all day and knocked him from the game with a possible dislocated kneecap); Cincinnati beat Cleveland 23-20(The Browns may be a much more likely candidate for a winless season) in overtime; Houston(The Texans will contend for a playoff spot this season) blasted the Oakland(These guys REALLY stink) Raiders 29-6 and Indianapolis ran past Seattle 34-17(Payton Manning was 31-of-41 passing for 353 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Seneca Wallace did go 33-of-45 for 257 yards and a touchdown for Seattle, who really need Hasselbeck back at QB).

Jacksonville beat Tennessee 37-17(Titans may be the biggest surprise this season with how poorly they're doing); the Giants beat Kansas City 27-16(Eli Manning is scheduled for an MRI today after sustaining a leg injury); Miami beat Buffalo 38-10(And the Bills thought they were going to be pretty good this season with T.O. in their lineup) and New Orleans picked off Mark Sanchez three times en route to a 24-10 win(The Saints might be the best team in the NFL right now).

Denver beat Dallas 17-10(Cowboys had first-and-goal at the 7 with just seconds left but couldn't tie the game), San Francisco beat the daylights out of St. Louis(who doesn't hammer St. Louis these days?) 35-0 and Pittsburgh topped San Diego 38-28(Steelers won't be spectacular this season, but they are still one of the favorites to reach the Super Bowl). Dallas beat Carolina(Who let Carolina on Monday Night Football?) 21-7 in the Monday Night game last week, in front of 90,588.

This week's Monday Night game features Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings at Aaron Rogers and the Green Bay Packers(Go Pack!).

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Jimmy is really moving now. It seems like just a week ago, he was barely walking. But now, he walks way more than he crawls or scoots. And he now has ten teeth(The latest incoming pearlies have really given him the crankies) and is growing his vocabulary as well. It is so much fun to watch him grow and figure out how to do things. He is now officially a toddler. And he's quite good at it too! We love our Jimmy!!!!

Snoopy and Smoke get along with him very well and are pretty tolerant of his "petting" them.

And my wife Kim continues to be Superwoman. She is really the foundation of our family. I married WAAAAAAAAY over my head! I love you dear.

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That's it for this week. See you next time.

Oregon State beats Sun Devils

40 years of frustration in the desert came to a resounding end tonight, as the Oregon State Beavers beat the Arizona State Sun Devils 28-17 in a Pac-10 conference football game at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona.

The Beavers caught the first break of the night, when a fumbled snap on an ASU punt attempt gave them the ball at the 18 yard line. Jacquizz Rodgers scored three plays later on a one-yard run with Justin Kahut kicking the PAT, giving Oregon State a 7-0 lead with 4:45 gone in the opening quarter. Jacquizz Rodgers broke a 32-yard run for a touchdown on the Beavers' next possession, with Kahut's PAT putting Oregon State up 14-0, with 8:38 left in the first. Arizona State would respond with a Bobby Wenzig 35-yard field goal with 4:09 remaining, drawing the Sun Devils to within 11 at 14-3, with 4:09 still on the 1st quarter clock.

The Beavers, who started a long drive that ended the 1st quarter, scored seven seconds into the 2nd, as James Rodgers made a juggling catch in the back of the end zone of a Sean Canfield pass from the 32 yard line. Kahut converted once again, giving Oregon State the 21-3 lead they would take into halftime. The second quarter effort was aided by a Brandon Hardin interception and a Matt LeGrone fumble recovery.

Arizona State hit the endzone on their opening possession of the second half, with Dimitri Nance scoring on a 2-yard run. Wenzig's PAT made the score 21-10 in favor of the Beavers with 10:10 left in the third.

Oregon State put together the drive that would seal the victory in the middle stages of the 4th quarter. A Canfield pass to James Rodgers set the Beavers up with a first-and-goal at the Sun Devil 3, then Canfield's fade pass to Damola Adeniji from 2 yards away put six more points on the board, with 8:08 remaining. Kahut added the extra point, giving the Beavers a 28-10 lead. ASU responded with a Danny Sullivan to Kyle Williams 12-yard touchdown pass, but took a ton of time on their scoring drive, leaving them with just 11 seconds on the clock. Wenzig kicked the PAT, but then punched the ensuing onside kick out of bounds and the Beavers ran out the clock from there, winning the game 28-17.

For Oregon State, Sean Canfield was 19-of-31 passing for 221 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. Jacquizz Rodgers rushed 17 times for 80 yards and 2 touchdown and James Rodgers caught 10 passes for 114 yards and 1 touchdown. Damola Adeniji also caught a touchdown pass for the Beavers. Danny Sullivan was 32-of-58 passing for the Sun Devils for 330 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Dimitri Nance had 17 carrieds for 54 yards and a touchdown and Chris McGaha caught 15 passes for 165 yards.

Arizona State had 27 first downs, were 4-of-17 on 3rd down and 5-of-7 on 4th down, while rolling up 407 yards of total offense. Oregon State had 299 yards total offense, 16 first downs, and were 5-of-11 on third down. The Beavers were penalized just 5 times for 28 yards, while the Sun Devils committed 10 penalties for 81 yards. Each team allowed one sack and committed 1 turnover.

Oregon State improves to 3-2 on the season, 1-1 in the Pac-10. The win was the teams' first in Tempe over Arizona State since September 27th, 1969 and marked the first time they have won their first two road games in a season since 1967. The Sun Devils slip to 2-2 on the year, 0-1 in conference.

The Beavers host resurgent Stanford at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Oregon next Saturday, October 10th. The Cardinal, who beat UCLA today 24-16, is 4-1 in 2009, 3-0 in conference, and is aiming for their first bowl game since 2001. Kickoff next Saturday is set for 7:00p.m. EDT. The live broadcast is available at http://www.kpam.com. Fox Sports Net will have the live telecast. Arizona State is at Washington State next Saturday.

Beavers at Arizona State tonight

The Oregon State Beavers look to snap a two-game losing streak tonight, as they hit the road for a Pac-10 conference matchup with the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona.

Oregon State, after winning it's first two games of the season, have lost their last two(both at home), including a tough 37-32 decision last Saturday against Arizona. The Wildcats enter tonight's game with a 2-1 record, beating Idaho State and Louisiana-Monroe, before losing at Georgia 20-17 last week. This is ASU's 2009 Pac-10 opener.

The series dates back to 1961 with Arizona State leading 24-10-1 (25-9-1 on field, ASU forfeit in '79), but Oregon State has won two of the last three games. The Beavers defeated ASU last season at Reser Stadium 27-25 as defensive end Victor Strong-Butler (now a Dallas Cowboy) intercepted a Rudy Carpenter two-point conversion pass with 21 seconds remaining. Jacquizz Rodgers rushed for 133 yards and Sean Canfield passed for 218 yards after replacing starter Lyle Moevao who injured his shoulder in the second quarter.

Kickoff is set for 7:00p.m. EDT, with the live broadcast on http://www.kpam.com/, and the live telecast on the Versus network.

Late field goal helps BC beat Riders

Sean Whyte kicked a 33-yard field goal with 5 seconds remaining in regulation time Friday night, pushing the BC Lions past the Saskatchewan Roughriders 19-16 in a CFL West Division contest in front of 31,958 fans at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia.

BC controlled the game in the first half, but could only muster 6 points on a pair of Sean Whyte field goals, the first a 10-yarder with 10:45 left in the first half after being denied following an advance to the 1, and the second, a 43-yarder, with 7:03 to go. The Lions, who had little trouble moving the ball in the first half, but were stopped on two scoring opportunities by some rock-hard Rider defense, reaching the 1 on the first possesion but being stopped on downs, then seeing Whyte's 45-yarder sail wide left with just under three minutes remaining in the first half. Saskatchewan's Luca Congi lit the scoreboard with a 49-yard field goal with 22 seconds remaining in the second, and the Riders trailed 6-3 at the half.

BC increased the lead to 13-3 with 9:18 to go in the third, as Travis Lulay hit Paris Jackson with a 38-yard touchdown pass, followed by a Whyte convert. Saskatchewan made it a one-score game with five quick points. Whyte conceded a safety with 5:38 left in the third quarter, and a 47-yard field goal by Congi with 2:41 still to go in the third.

After an exchange of turnovers near the midway point of the final quarter, the Lions quickly moved into scoring position, but once again had to settle for three, with Whyte kicking a 25-yard field goal with 4:08 remaining in regulation time, upping BC's lead to 16-8. The Riders, mostly dormant on offense, woke up in a hurry, going 75 yards in 4 plays for the major score. Andy Fantuz skied over a defender to haul in a 24-yard touchdown pass from Darian Durant. Durant then found Gerran Walker for the 2-point conversion, tying the game 16-16, with just 2:33 to go in the 4th quarter. However, the Lions chewed up yardage and clock, getting a Whyte 33-yard field goal with 5 seconds remaining, to win the game 19-16.

Buck Pierce led BC, with 29-of-43 passibng for 349 yards. Backup quarterback Travis Lulay threw just one pass, but completed it to Paris Jackson for a 38-yard touchdown and Sean Whyte booted 4 field goals and a convert. Darian Durant was 18-of-29 passing for 240 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 2-point convert and 2 interceptions for Saskatchewan. Andy Fantuz caught a touchdown pass, Gerran Walker pulled in a pass for a 2-point conversion and Luca Congi kicked 2 field goals. The Lions rolled up 507 yards total offense to 268 for the Riders, who allowed 3 quarterback sacks and committed 3 turnovers. BC allowed 1 sack and committed 2 turnovers.

The Lions improve to 6-7 for 12 points, tying Edmonton for third in the West, 2 points behind co-leaders Calgary and Saskatchewan. The Riders slip to 7-6 for 14 points, tied for first with Calgary, depending on the outcome of Saturday's Hamilton at Calgary game.

Saskatchewan returns home on Saturday, October 10th, to face the Toronto Argonauts. Kickoff is set for 9:00p.m. EDT, with the live broadcast on CKRM and the Rider Radio Network beginning at 8:00p.m. EDT. BC plays at Edmonton next Friday, October 9th.

Riders at Leos tonight

The Saskatchewan Roughriders are in Vancouver tonight for a CFL West Division matchup with the BC Lions.

The Riders are coming off last week's split with Edmonton, which moved the green-and-white into a first place tie in the West with Calgary, both with 7-5 records for 14 points. BC is 4th, but is just 4 points back at 5-7 for 10 points. The Lions lost at Calgary last Friday, after beating Toronto the previous Saturday.

Saskatchewan has met BC twice this season, winning in Regina 28-24 during week #1 on July 3rd, then losing in Vancouver 35-20 during week #6 on August 7th. The Riders and BC meet again in Regina for a week #17 matchup on Saturday, October 24th.

Kickoff tonight is set for 10:30p.m. EDT. Coverage on CKRM and the Rider Radio Network begins with Rod Pedersen and Carm Carteri at 9:30p.m. EDT. Links for the game are on the right side of this blog.

Hey, look at this!

Jimmy started walking awhile back. However, he never did so in front of an actual operating camera. Well, today, I finally got a video of him toddling out of our office. Pretty cool, huh?

Go get 'em Jimmy!