CFL PLAYOFFS KICK OFF SUNDAY!

CFL PLAYOFF PICKS

Divisional Semifinals

By Ward Kurenoff

Smart, handsome one in family

Strap on your watermelons and parkas folks because this CFL playoff weekend should be a good one!

You should read this Wealthy Barber 

book because:

a.)  You have time on your hands cause of the NHL lockout;

b.)  You wand be filthy rich like B.C. and TO owner David Braley;

c.)  You need a haircut like my brother;

d.)  You are looking for David for help with this week's picks!

Yup, and David's a Rider fan, too! And think he is picking the Riders this week too!

So this past week was very interesting considering Hamilton lost despite Henry Burris being the offensive (like his team's season) player of the week for throwing for almost 500 yards, yet his defence couldn’t stop the fourth-string QB. Yet both Winterpeg and the Eat-Em-Raw Pride only missed the playoffs by one game.

Banjo bowl meltdown cost Winterpeg and Hamilton’s Fantuuuuuz ( remember him?) botched hold on a field goal cost them their game. So close, yet so far. Kinda like the 18-ounce steak getting away from the Meat Brothers. Pass the salt please.

Ex-Rider GM and now Ex- Eskimo GM Eric Tillman, who is also an Ex-B.C. and Ex-TO GM (did I miss anyone?) has been let go from Edmonton right before this weekend's playoff game against the Argooooos. The optics don’t look good if he knew that he was going to TO before the Ricky Ray trade  (anyone remember who the Esks got?).

This reminds me like a “trade” done by former SJHL Yorkton Terrier GM /Owner Gerry James (you might have seen his name a couple times last week as Cornish beat him and Norm Kwong to be the CFL leading rusher by a Canuck all time with the most yards -- 1,437 -- in a season). Anyways, James was going to Estevan and basically traded all the Terrier players to Estevan for a broken hockey stick and a roll of tape.  He then went to Estevan and they won the league next year. A certain 10-year-old at the time was wondering how the Terriers also negotiated the roll of tape in the trade! Just saying!

And finally game 72 of the CFL was in B.C. and we were there.

It wasn’t the best of games, but Riders' CEO Jim Hopson (see photo) stopped by and made a few jokes and some of us Rider fans want to see him back at BC Place in two weeks for obvious reasons.  Thanks again Jim for taking the time out of your busy schedule!

Adrienne, Geoff, Carol, Jim and me, Ward, pose here for a Rider Pride photo, while in the back Todd impersonates a certain cartoon character my kids like! Any guesses?

Also this week, the CFL picked the Western and Eastern nominees with Jon Cornish and Chad Owens getting the nod for the league's outstanding player award.  For a full story see CFL AWARDS.

Jon Cornish gets my vote considering he proved he can do the moon walk this year.

Considering both weekend playoff games are on Nov. 11, please give your respect on Remembrance  Day!

Without further ado here are the two games this week:

Eskimos minus Eric Tillman vs Ricky Ray's Argoooooos.

Sunday, 10 a.m., TSN

Wardo’s Inside Scoop: Hugh Charles is back after his injury. Who the Eskimos play at QB is up in the air. No confusion in TO as RR is the man.  Eskimos did beat TO twice this year. Chad Owens is very good and will be a big part of the Argos success or failure in this one. Can he hold onto the ball this week?

Wardo’s Wild Guess: The only good team in Edmonton is the Oilers and I think RR is going to light it up against his former team. Tillman has given the Argoooos all the Esks plays anyways! TO by 7.

Wardo’s Cheap Seat Comments: Will there be a lot of empty cheap seats in TO this week? We know the Grey Cup is sold out but is there any excitement in TO this week? By the way, I still wanna see another Charles backflip!

Saskatchewan Roughriders

at Calgary Stampeders

Sunday, 1:30 p.m., TSN

Wardo’s Inside Scoop: QB Durant vs. QB Ex-Rider Tate. (And possibly ex-Rider Glenn. Cornish No.1 rusher vs. No. 2 rusher (He doesn’t give a) Sheets. Dressler (1,206 yards – 13 TDs ) vs. Nick Lewis (1,241 – 10 TDs). 

I think Getzlaf will have a great game this week.  He’s due! By now you know who I cheer for, but who does a certain HHOF member cheer for?

Can’t argue with Dale Hawerchuk can I?

Wardo’s Confident Guess: All the non-Saskatchewan experts are giving the Stamps this one. Mind you, they didn’t give the Riders any chance in 1989 against the 16-2 Eskimos either. And we know how that year ended.  Wasn’t Eddie Lowe’s hit on Tracy Ham awesome! I say stick with Dale (get it?) and go with the Green Machine (did you think I would say anything different?). Riders by two in a thriller.

Wardo’s Cheap Seat Comments: Will there be more Rider fans than Calgary fans at the game on Sunday? But more importantly on Sunday, have fun, stay warm and remember our vets, and we’ll see the Riders here in B.C. on Nov. 18 for a game that means something! Go Riders! Have a great weekend!!!