Monday Morning Meissnervations

Happy Monday y'all. Let's see what's happening....

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Jimmy's milestones are coming fast and furious now. Just last weekend, he took his first unaided steps. During this past week, he has stood up, on his own, a bunch of times. And last night, he had two new firsts. While his Mommy and I were watching the movie Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Jimmy, sitting in front of the TV stood up, without support from any other nearby obejcts, and started grooving to the tunes. Our baby boy is getting to be a full-fledged toddler. He'll probably ask to borrow the car next month. We love our Jimmy!

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The Saskatchewan Roughriders lost at Montreal Friday 34-25. Special teams struggled a bit, and the run of nasty third quarters continued, but other than that, the Riders gave the Als, the league's best team, a solid run for their money. Now, it's a well-deserved week off, then a matchup with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Sunday, September 5th in Regina. The Bombers put together an impressive effort Friday night in Vancouver, steam-rolling the BC Lions 37-10. Fred Reid rushed 26 times for 260 yards, with Yvenson Bernard(His father's name is Yven, and he was named after him, so he is Yvenson), the former Oregon State running back, carrying 11 times for 112 yards. Wes Cates of the Roughriders is certainly one of the best running backs in the pass-happy CFL, but the Bombers may have the league's best running back tandem in Reid and Bernard. (Anyone know whatever happened to Ken Simonton?) Game time on Sunday, September 5th, is 4:00pm. I can't wait!

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In the CFL West, Edmonton is 4-3 and Saskatchewan is 4-4 for 8 points, while Edmonton is 3-4 and BC 3-5 for 6 points each. In the East, Montreal is 7-1 for 14 points, Hamilton is 4-3 for 8, Winnipeg 3-5 for 6 and Toronto(the team that has lost 9 straight in a year-long home losing streak) is 2-5 for 4 points.

All the teams who played this past weekend are off this coming weekend, while the teams who didn't play last weekend, play this coming weekend.

Confused? Check the CFL schedule, linked on the right side of this blog.

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Speaking of football, NFL preseason continues. Are there any events more boring than NFL preseason? I watched the Tampa Bay Buccaneers against Jacksonville the other night. YAAAAAAAWN! Besides, the fields are too short, not as wide, and what is up with those teeny, tiny endzones? Not enough players on the field, only one is motion, fair catches allowed and goal posts on the back line. Weird.

Real men play in the CFL.

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The Tampa Bay Rays had a decent weekend against Texas, with two late-inning wins, before losing 4-0 yesterday. They're hanging in there, wild-card speaking.

In the AL East, the Yankess lead Boston by 7 1/2(They hung a 20-spot on the Red Sox over the weekend...in one game!) and Tampa Bay by 10 1/2. In the Central, Detroit leads the White Sox by 2 1/2 and Minnesota(in their final season in the Metrodome) by 4 1/2. In the West, the Angels are on top, 5 1/2 in front of Texas and 12 clear of Seattle. In the Wild Card, Boston leads Texas by 1 game, Tampa Bay is 3 back, followed by the White Sox and Seattle, both 7 1/2 back.

In the NL East, Philadelphia leads Atlanta by 6 1/2 and Florida by 7 1/2. In the Central, it's St. Louis by 8 overs the Cubs, 10 over Houston and 10 1/2 in front of Milwaukee. The Dodgers lead the NL West by 3 1/2 over Colorado and 6 1/2 over San Francisco. In the Wild Card, Colorado leads San Francisco by 3 games, Atlanta by 4, Florida by 5, the Cubs by 7, Hoston by 9 and Milwaukee by 9 1/2.

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Yesterday was, to say the least, a pretty unque day in MLB. John Smoltz, who bombed out with Boston, pitched for St. Louis against San Diego yesterday, and struck out 7 consecutive Padres. Michael Cuddyer homered twice in one inning as the Twins pounded Kansas City 10-3 and Philadelphia's 2nd baseman Eric Bruntlet, who kicked the ball around on two straight plays to keep a Mets rally alive, turned an unassisted triple play to end the game. He grabbed a sinking liner, stepped on second, then tagged the runner coming from first. It was the first unassisted triple play to end a game since 1927 and the second time since 1983(I think) in which one game had both an inside-the-park home run and a triple play. And Eric Reed was the first base umpire in both those games.

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Hockey camps have started. Tampa Bay is having a free benefit game for slain Tampa police officer Mike Roberts next Saturday. It is part of their 2009 Fanfest. It's a great thing for a franchise that is otherwise mired in controversy, with the league strongly encouraging them to solve a rather acrimonius squabble in their ownership group. Fanfest runs from 3 to 8pm this coming Saturday. There will also be chances to get autographs and talk with Lightning players. Let's see if the area's hockey team can pull off the fan relation schtick better than it's baseball team can. I'm thinking they can and will.

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Hurricane Bill missed Florida by a wide margin and is losing strength, but may still bring some nasty weather to the Canadian Maritimes. More storms are already forming behind where Bill came from. The Atlantic hurricane season has started a bit late, but still looks to be busy. Not what I wanted to hear. At least with hurricanes, you know where they are coming from and have some time to prepare. Two nights after our Jimmy was born, three tornados touched down in Kearney, Nebraska, a city that hadn't had a tornado touchdown in nearly 40 years. Kim and Jimmy were hunkered down in the corridor of the hospital with all the other new Mommies, while I was in the basement of our home with Snoopy and Smoke. We lost a couple of shingles and a piece of siding, but it was still a pretty scary night. Those tornados pop up most anywhere, often with little or no warning. Not fun, not fun at all.

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Gee whiz. All those trips to all these doctors, plus 3 or 4 trips to get blood drawn(Where do those vampires learn their trade? The latest trip was more painful than all the others put together), and no one can seem to find much wrong with me. It stinks to be sick and not know what's happening. Well, at least it's nothing serious and I am most grateful that all tests do show that there is no cancer. Once you've had cancer, like I did three years ago, any little twinge gets your attention. BTW: This past Friday was the third anniversary of my surgical cure from stage one colon cancer. Happy Anniversary to me. Also to all of you who have survived serios health challenges as well. It's great to be able to hang on to the exalted title of N.E.D.(No Evidence of Disease.) Hopefully, medical advances will make colon cancer a disease our Jimmy won't have to be concerned with when he gets older.

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That's it for this week. Have fun everybody!

4th quarter comeback falls short for Riders at Montreal

The Saskatchewan Roughriders battled hard all night long, but once again it was a poor offensive third quarter that hurt the most, as the Montreal Alouettes were able to hold their precarious halftime lead, on the way to a 34-25 win Friday in front of 20,202 fans, the 90th straight sellout in tiny Percival Molson Stadium in Montreal, Quebec.

The teams traded quick possessions to start the game. The Riders went 2-and-out, while Montreal, after one first down, got a 51-yard punt single from Damon Duval to take a 1-0 lead 3:56 into the contest. Saskatchewan went 2-and-out on their second possession and punted to the Als' Larry Taylor, who ran it back 73 yards for the major score, his second punt return for touchdown this season. Duval converted and with 8:56 to go in the first, Montreal had an 8-0 lead. The Riders responded on their next possession and moved quickly into scoring possession. Darian Durant hit Weston Dressler twice, the first for 52 yards. Dressler was interferred with in the endzone later in the drive, giving Saskatchewan 1st-and-goal at the 1. Two dives over the middle by Hugh Charles were stopped cold and on 3rd-and-goal, Wes Cates was stopped for a 2-yard loss, leaving the Alouettes with an 8-0 lead and 5:00 left on the 1st quarter clock. The Riders did get on the board moments later however, as Duval conceded a safety touch with 4:07 left in the first, making it 8-2, after Saskatchewan had held Montreal to a 2-and-out at their own 3.

Montreal took a 9-2 lead, as they opened 2nd quarter scoring, with Duval hitting a 61-yard punt single 2:06 in. The Riders tied the game on their next possession, moving quickly into Als territory once again, this time reaching the endzone on a 75-yard drive in 4 plays, ending with a 26-yard scoring strike from Durant to Rob Bagg. Congi's convert with 4:12 gone tied the game 9-9, then Jamie Boreham blasted a 94-yard kickoff single to put Saskatchewan on top 10-9. Duval booted an 18-yard field goal to get Montreal back on top 12-10, with 5:18 left in the half. The frenetic pace continued, as both teams scored once more each. Durant hit Gerran Walker with a 43-yard touchdown pass and Congi converted with 2:34 left, putting the Riders back on top 17-12. The Alouettes answered, with 34 seconds to go. Ben Cahoon caught a 9-yard pass from Anthony Calvillo and Duval converted, giving Montreal an 19-17 halftime lead.

After a Saskatchewan turnover, the Als had to move just 33 yards for a major score. Chris Leak hit Kerry Watkins with a 2-yard touchdown pass on 3rd-and-goal, to open 2nd half scoring with what turned out to be the only points of the 3rd quarter. Duval converted with 5:07 left, putting the lead back to 9, at 26-17.

Montreal's 4th takeaway of the night, an interception by Chip Cox that he returned to the Rider 22, led to the first points of the 4th quarter. Avon Cobourne caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Calvillo and Duval converted, giving the Als a 33-17 lead, with 6:01 left in regulation. Saskatchewan came right back, with a 4-yard touchdown run by Charles. Durant escaped a sack and hit Chris Getzlaf for the 2-point conversion with 4:07 to go, cutting the deficit to 33-25. The Riders had another crack on offense, but a Durant scramble to the Alouettes' 53 on 3rd down was short of the yard to gain, giving the ball back to the Montreal. The Als went 2-and-out, but Duval's 50-yard punt ended up in the endzone after the returner failed to catch the ball, giving them one more point and the 34-25 win.

Montreal was led, as usual, by quarterback Anthony Calvillo, who was 19 of 28 passing for 170 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Chris Leak got on the field for one pass, which he completed for a 2-yard touchdown. Ben Cahoon, Kerry Watkins and Avon Cobourne caught touchdown passes, while Damon Duval had a field goal, 4 converts and 3 singles. Cobourne rushed 19 times for 101 yards. For Saskatchewan, Darian Durant was 19 of 31 passing for 326 yards and 2 touchdowns, but also suffered 3 costly turnovers. Rob Bagg and Gerran Walker caught touchdown passes, while Weston Dressler caught 8 passes for 179 yards. Hugh Charles scored a rushing touchdown, Luca Congi had a pair of converts and Jamie Boreham a kickoff single. The Riders had 400 yards total offense, while the Als had 265. Turnovers were critical, with Saskatchewan turning the ball over 5 times, while not taking the ball from Montreal once.

With the loss, the Riders slip to 4-4 for 8 points, still tied with the idle Edmonton Eskimos for first in the CFL West. The Alouettes improve to 7-1 for 14 points, moving 6 points ahead of second-place Hamilton.

Saskatchewan, who have week #9 off, returns to action on Sunday, September 6th, with a 4:00p.m. EDT home game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Montreal, also off on week #9, play again on Friday, September 4th in Vancouver against the BC Lions.

Hi. I'm N.E.D.

Today, August 21st, 2009, is the third anniversary of my surgical cure from stage one colon cancer.

My story: In the fall of 2005, I started feeling "oogily." Repeated doctor visits, test, hospital trips, yielded nothing more than a case of acid reflux(Which often times can mimic heart problems.). Finally, in July of 2006, my doctor sent me to a gastroenterologist for a colonoscopy, since I was already past the magical age of 50(I was 51 at that time). One polyp was found, removed and sent for testing, even though the doctor said "It looked fine." A week later he called and said they had found cancer at the tip of the polyp. A month after that, I had a colon resection, where my sigmoid colon and any possible cancerous sites were removed.

Since then, I have had several "scares," with the most recent one being a week ago. But, I have passed all tests and remain N.E.D., cancer survivor talk for "No Evidence Of Disease." I am a great example of how, if caught early, colon cancer can be defeated.

If you are 50, get tested. If there is a history of colon cancer in your family, get tested. (The rule of thumb there is, you get tested at 10 years of age younger than your relative's diagnoses age.) Lots of people don't listen to their bodies, or don't push their doctors for further testing, if they don't like the answers their doctors give them. Remember, the doctor works for you, not the other way around. If you feel the need to, push your doctors to keep looking from every possible angle, until all possibilities are exhausted. Colon Cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. but is also easily defeatable.

I am several things. A husband. A father. A friend. And, without being N.E.D. I wouldn't be any of those. Get tested. The life you save may be your own. Trust me. And, call me N.E.D.

Riders in Montreal tonight

The Saskatchewan Roughriders, 4-3 and tied with Edmonton for first in the CFL West, are in Montreal tonight to meet the Alouettes in CFL Friday Night Football.

The Als, expecting their 90th straight home sellout, are atop the East with a 6-1 record and are coming off a dominant 39-12 win last Saturday at Winnipeg. The Riders built a 23-0 lead last Sunday, let it slip completely away, then rallied for 10 4th quarter points to beat the Hamilton TigersCats 33-23 in Regina. Montreal has beaten Saskatchewan once this season, 43-10 at Mosaic Stadium back on July 18th.

Kickoff tonight is set for 7:30pm EDT, with the live CKRM broadcast beginning at 6:30pm EDT. Links are to the right.

Monday Morning Meissnervations

A day late and several dollars short, but here we go again........

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The Saskatchewan Roughriders darn near let another one get away again over the weekend, building a 23-0 lead over Hamilton, letting it slip completely away, then dominating most of the 4th quarter to win against the TiCats 33-23. Hamilton tied the game early in the final period, but the Riders responded with 10 points to pull into a first-place tie in the West with Edmonton. While Darian Durant and Steven Jyles weren't spectacular, they finally gave the team some solid play at quarterback and that was good to see. Wes Cates rolled up 117 yards on the ground, becoming the first Rider to rush for over 100 yards this season and even a fat guy got in on the scoring. Defensive tackle Keith Shologan checked into the game as an eligible receiver in the first half and caught a one-yard touchdown pass from Steven Jyles. As a fellow member of the fat guy society(I was a defensive tackle in high school), I was pretty excited to see that. Riders are at 6-1 montreal Friday night at 7:30pm EDT and that'll be a tough one for sure. The Als beat Saskatchewan 43-13 in Regina back on July 18th. Catch the game on http://www.620ckrm.com with Rod and Carm beginning at 6:30pm EDT.

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The Riders and Edmonton are on top of the CFL West at 4-3, with Calgary and BC close behind at 3-4. In the East, Montreal leads at 6-1, Hamilton is 4-3, while Winnipeg and Toronto are both 2-5.

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Winnipeg is really starting to struggle. In their 39-12 home loss to Montreal Saturday, former Oregon State kicker Alexis Serna provided all the offense with 4 field goals. Former Beaver running back Yenson Bernard saw action again, but fumbled twice. I hope he continues to develope and gets a chance. If the Bombers don't pull the plug on him, Bernard could be a huge star running the ball in a league known for throwing it.

BTW: Toronto continues to stink up the Rodgers Centre. After being shut out for the first time in 30-plus years in Montreal the previous week, the Argos were outscored 22-3 in the 4th quarter Friday, losing by 8 to a BC Lions squad they should have beaten. Toronto has lost 9 straight AT HOME and has not successfully defended the honor of the Rogers Centre turf in over a year. It would be easy to sit here and make fun of them, but then I remember how Oregon State football suffered through 28 straight losing seasons. So, GO ARGOS! They're off this week, then host Calgary on Friday the 28th.

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The Tampa Bay Rays, coming off a disasterous 1-5 road trip, have rebounded to win two straight. Sunday against Toronto, they were tied 1-1 in the 8th when Greg Zaun blasted a grand slam to lead the Rays to a 5-2 win. The team continues it's up-and-down season, but remains in the thick of the Wild Card race. Tampa Bay hosts Baltimore for three games starting tonight, then Texas, one of the Rays main competitors in the AL Wild Card chase, comes to the Trop for three games beginning Friday. Tampa Bay heads to Toronto for three starting Monday, then Detroit for four beginning Friday the 28th.

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The Yankees have widened their AL East lead to 7 over Boston and 10 over Tampa Bay. In the Central, Detroit leads the White Sox by 2 and Minnesota by 6 1/2. In the AL West, the Angels are 4 1/2 ahead of Texas and 11 in front of Seattle. In the AL Wild Card race, Texas is 1 ahead of Boston, 4 ahead of Tampa Bay, 6 1/2 ahead of Seattle and 7 in front of the White Sox.

Over in the Senior Circuit, Philadelphia leads the East by 4 1/2 over Florida and 5 1/2 over Atlanta. St. Louis is pulling away in the Central, leading the Cubs by 6 games and Milwaukee by 9. In the West, the Dodgers lead Colorado by 4 1/2 and San Francisco by 5 1/2. In the NL Wild Card race, Colorado is 1 game ahead of San Francisco(GO GIANTS!), 2 ahead of Florida, 3 in front of Atlanta and 4 in front of the Cubs.

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I always write about Tampa Bay on my blog, because they are my local team. But, I've been a Giants fan for as long as I can remember. My parents met and married there, my older sister was born there and my grandparents lived there. It's amazing to think that the Giants haven't won the World Series since they moved from New York when I was 2 years old. Of course, the Cubs haven't won the World Series in 100 years. But, who cares? I don't. GO GIANTS! They pounded out 18 hits and beat the Mets 10-1 yesterday and are at Cincinnati tonight. The Giants are at Colorado for a huge 4-game set starting this Friday, then host the Rockies for three games beginning Friday the 28th.

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In case you missed the big announcement, Jimmy took his first unaided steps Saturday. And Mommy and I both got to see it! Kim has long said how she hoped to get to see his first steps and she did. I am so happy for her too. It was such a cool thing to see our Jimmy walk, that it brought tears to our eyes. We love our little guy more and more each day!

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The TV weather person is talking about Hurrican Bill right now. Even though it's a long way off shore, it's looking like predictions (at the moment) show it missing the Atlantic Coast. Thank goodness for that. We live one block from one of the many sounds off the Gulf of Mexico. A serious storm surge could bury our house. Time to stock up on supplies and get that evacuation plan finalized.

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One of Kim's co-workers gave her a bunch of toys for Jimmy, that her own child had outgrown. Jimmy really enjoys the musical toys and more and more, the toys he can stand up at. Our baby is really gowing fast.

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In entertainment news, the Jonas Brothers are performing tonight at the St. Pete Times Forum. I simply can't wait to miss that one. (BARF!) Big and Rich are part of the Tampa Bay Rays summer concert series and will play after this Saturday's game. Now, I wouldn't mind going to that. But, no more seats in the right field corner. Those are just horrible. ESPN the Magazine voted the Tampa Bay Rays as the best bargain in sports. Obviously, they didn't talk to us when they were conducting that poll.

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Only one doctors appointment this week. Thank goodness. Do have to get more blood drawn though. Last week's trip to Vampires-r-us took two hours. They may be under paid and under appreciated, but when someone who very apparently doesn't care about their job overlooks you, then checks your name off the list thinking they had already seen you, gets no sympathy from me. If I hadn't complained about the long wait, I might still be there. Fortunately, Jimmy fussed very little.

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Well, time to feed Jimmy and then head to the library for Mother Goose story time. Have a great week y'all!

Riders survive ugly third quarter to beat TiCats

A strong 4th quarter negated a flat third, as the Saskatchewan Roughriders beat a determined Hamilton TigerCats team 33-23 in front of 30,360 soggy fans at rain-soaked Mosaic Stadiun in Regina on Sunday night.

The first half belonged to Saskatchewan. The Riders took the lead on a trick play with 6:03 left in the opening period. Short-yardage quarterback Steven Jyles rolled right and found defensive tackle Keith Shologan, who had reported in as an eligible receiver, with a 1-yard touchdown toss. Luca Congi converted for a 7-0 lead. After recovering a fumble, Saskatchewan scored again less than two minutes later, as Congi kicked a 38-yard field goal, giving the Riders a 10-0 lead after one.

In the second, Hamilton punter Nick Setta conceded a safety touch for 2 points, then Steven Jyles scored on a 2-yard run and Congi kicked the convert with 8:36 remaining in the half, with Jamie Boreham booting a 92-yard single on the ensuing kickoff, to put Saskatchewan up 20-0. Congi's 12-yard field goal on the final play of the half gave the Roughriders a 23-0 advantage through 30 minutes.

The TiCats caught Saskatchewan flat-footed in the third quarter. After not gaining a first down in the entire first half, Hamilton quickly got back in the game with 16 points. Setta kicked a 41-yard field goal with 13:20 left, Arland Bruce III made a spectacular grab on a 49-yard pass from Kevin Glenn for a major score, with Setta adding the convert with 11:22 to go. Setta tacked on a 43-yard field goal with 8:37 left, then a 32-yarder with 4:32 still on the clock, cutting the deficit to 23-16 after three quarters.

After a blocked punt set the visitors up deep in Riders territory, DeAndra' Cobb scored on an 8-yard run and Setta converted 2:07 into the fourth quarter for the TiCats, tying the game 23-23. That score seemed to bring Saskatchewan back to life. Weston Dressler scored on a 13-yard run around end and Congi converted with 5:57 remaining to put the Riders back on top for good at 30-23, then Congi thumped through a 15-yard field goal with just 2:48 to go, and the Riders held on from there for the 33-23 win.

For Saskatchewan, Darian Durant was 15-of-30 passing for 193 yards, and Steven Jyles was 2-of-2 for 21 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for a major score. Wes Cates rushed 19 times for 117 yards, Weston Dressler scored a rushing touchdown and Keith Shologan caught a touchdown pass. Luca Congi had a solid night kicking with 3 field goals and 3 converts, while Jamie Boreham added a single. Kevin Glenn, in relief of starter Quinton Porter, was 12-of-27 passing for Hamilton for 183 yards and a touchdown to Arland Bruce. DeAndra' Cobb scored a rushing touchdown, while Nick Setta had 3 field goals, 2 converts and conceded one safety touch. Defensively, James Patrick and Mike McCullough had 3 tackles each for the Riders, while Markeith Knowlton had 10 tackles and 1 sack to lead the TigerCats.

With the win, Saskatchewan improves to 4-3 for 8 points, tying Edmonton for first in the West Division. Hamilton slips to 4-3 for 8 points, 4 points behind Montreal in the race for first in the East Division.

The Riders have a short week, as they travel to Montreal for a Friday matchup with the 6-1 Alouettes, who won 43-13 in Regina in week #3 play, back on July 18th. Kickoff is set for 7:30pm EDT, with the live broadcast on http://www.620ckrm.com/ beginning at 6:30pm EDT. Hamilton's next game is a week #9 contest at Edmonton on Saturday, August 29th.