Hockey season!

With junior camps underway, it makes me excited about watching the Maple Leafs on HNIC for another season. I can't wait to see the "new" rough n' tough Leafs run over everything in it's path! Do i think they will challenge for the cup? Not a chance, but i do think they will make the playoffs, in the 7th or 8th seed, and be very hard to play against. With Brian Burke adding Mike Komisarek, Francois Beauchemin, and Garnett Exelby on the back end, and Vesa Toskala healthy again, should make the Leafs a much improved team. Burke still needs to find a top six forward but i wouldn't sell the farm to get one.

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Team Canada wrapped up their orientation camp last week and i think they just might have a pretty good team. Wink! Wink! I really think it's a two-horse race, between Canada and the Russians, for the gold medal. Last week, Crosby, Nash and Iginla were skating on the top line. Wow, is all i can say about that combination. Their second line could consist of Getzlaf, Heatly and Jeff Carter. The Canadians shouldn't have trouble putting the puck in the net. Even scarier could be the first line for the Russians, consisting of Malkin, Ovechkin, and Datsyuk. Wow again. Can't wait until February!

Later

Holidays are done!

I'm back! I haven't posted in a while because i really haven't been near a computer outside of work (One of my rules is not to blog at work!).

We just got back from camping at Echo. The family had a great time on the last camping trip of the summer. We spent 25 nights in the new trailer this year. Wow!

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Well, the Riders are back at it this week preparing for the Labour Day Classic. I can't wait! It's going to be a real long weekend at the Pollock household as we also have a wedding to attend on Saturday night. My liver should be floating by Monday.

The biggest test for the Riders, this game, will be their ability to stop Fred Reid. I think he ran for something like 500 yards last week at B.C. Ha Ha! We should have Andy Fantuz back and possibly Reggie Hunt could join the Riders this week. I still think our offence won't be complete until we have Neil Hughes and Belton Johnson back.

Later

Game Day Baby!

We'll it looks like rain for most of the day and it's not going to be real warm either, high of 15. The running game will be in full force and the title bout will be Cates vs. Cobb. Like i said a few days ago, there will be a rule of 80 today. If Cates is over 80 rushing yards and Cobb is under, it will be a Rider win. Guaranteed!

I really believe, and i've said this to a few people over the last couple of days, that the Riders will win big today. Maybe by 25-30 points.

Fans don't expect very much out of our defense these days and i think they have a huge chip on their shoulders. I think getting Chick back makes a huge difference and the defense comes up big today.

I think Durant, Cates and Clermont put up big numbers today.

Let's get behind this team and for god's sakes, let's get behind our QB! Go Riders!

Sure glad i bought some ponchos this week!

Later dudes.

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Did anyone see the profile on Keith Shologan last night during the pre-game of the Als / Bombers game? It was a sad story about how his two younger sisters were killed in a car accident about 10 years ago and how the family, and Keith, found solace in football. There wasn't a dry eye at my place.

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My touch football game today is cancelled because of the rain. I was anxious to see how we'd do moving up to "C" Division. Being a new team we had to start in the bottom division, "E", and win our way up a couple of divisions. Well with a 8-2 record, we've moved up to "C". Former Bomber, Cory Olynick leads our team in almost every offensive and defensive category.

Schwartz, Weal & Gormley win GOLD!

A few seasons ago, i had the chance to coach a Bantam AA hockey team, with my brother Ryan, in the SSMHA. There was a bantam AAA team out of Notre Dame that didn't lose a game and pretty much destroyed anything in its path. Now i see why! Today, Jaden Schwartz (Notre Dame Hounds), Jordan Weal (Regina Pats), and Brandon Gormley (Moncton Wildcats) helped lead Canada to under 18 Gold. All three players played for this AAA Hounds team. Jaden Schwartz, in particular, did things as a 14 year that most 18 year olds couldn't do. He is one of the smartest hockey players i've seen and he has continued to dominate at every level. As a 16 year old, this past season, he put up numbers that we haven't seen around these parts since Brad Richards had a Hounds jersey on. If Jaden continues to progress the way he has, he'll be well on his way to a big league career, just like Richards.

Later.

Rider thoughts and other things..........

The Riders need to get Chick, Morris, Hughes, Fantuz and B. Johnson back ASAP! We haven't been able to replace any of these guys after they went down.

We really need to change our defensive scheme on first down. I don't mind the fact that our middle linebacker is the only true LB but this should only be done on second and long. We need to get bigger on first and ten. Put 7-8 guys in the box and make them pass against us.

Our defense looks so small right now that it reminds me of when the Rams made it to the Vanier Cup and got pushed around by the Ottawa GG's.

I know people aren't sold on Durant right now but who else in all of the CFL would you rather have? If you take Calvillo, Ray, and Burris out of the picture, who is really left? IMO, Porter would be 4th on the list and then it would be a toss-up between Durant and Buck Pierce. Personnally, i would take Durant over Pierce.

I really believe that if our o-line improves their play, that we will start winning games consistently. Over the last 6-7 years, our success always started with the big guys up front. Establishing a running game opens up the passing attack and keeps the defense off balance.

The key number for this weeks game against Hamilton is 80. If Wes Cates rushes for more than 80 yards and DeAndra' Cobb has less than 80, the Riders will win!

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The family and i watched the movie 17 Again last night. Pretty good show. I think the boys really enjoyed it and i'm sure the wife has a crush on Zac Efron.

Also saw The Race To Witch Mountain the other night. It's a good family show and i seem to enjoy any show with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. A man crush i guess!

Robyn and I went to Bruno on the weekend as well. That show is way offside! We laughed a lot but Robyn and i are pretty open-minded so all the homosexual "jokes" were just good laughs to us. A lot of people will find this show very revolting though. That Sacha Baron Cohen is a sick dude.

Later.

Pogge dealt to Anaheim

I don't really understand the Leafs dealing Justin Pogge to the Ducks for a late round conditional pick. I wouldn't mind all that much if it was an early to mid-round pick but, as it stands, the Leafs basically gave him away. He only made seven appearances last season with the big club and didn't play all that well but he is only 22 years old! They should have gave him a few seasons under new goaltending coach, Francois Allaire, and then seen how he would have done. Besides, how many good goalies are there in the show under the age of 25? I just think it was way too soon to give up on this kid.

Riders @ B.C.

This was my response to some of the poster's on Roddy P's blog the other night after the Rider's loss to B.C..........

I love coming on here and the first couple of things i notice is...... "we don't have a QB" and/or "Durant sucks".

It was good to see Jyles go in because we now know that it isn't just Durant who has issues back there. There has to be a bigger problem here that needs to be fixed. Is LaPolice not putting our QB's in a position to succeed? When we do something good, why don't we go back to it later in the game? When we do something that doesn't work, why do we continue to do it again & again & again?

We got beat at the line of scrimmage badly again! Our o-line had the shit beat out of them. Our QB's were running for their lives. Our running game didn't have a snif! Ever team will blitz on 2nd down because we don't have an answer for them!

The only time Buck Pierce got touched was when he ran for some yards or when his teammates smacked him on the head and said "good job". Our defence is on the field too long because WE CAN'T STOP THEIR OFFENCE!!!!!!! I don't think B.C. had a 2 and out until the 4th quarter.

Was the ball glued to Steven Jyles' hand?

We lost the field position battle badly. How many drives did we start inside our own 20? 4 - 5?

We need a return game.

What is wrong with Wes Cates? I know the o-line is brutal but it looked like he was walking on some plays.

1:25 left in the second quarter. We are 2nd and 3 and driving the ball. How many people knew we were going to run?? That many eh? B.C. had 8 guys on the line of scrimmage. Do you think they knew? And we hand it off 5 yards deep in the backfield.

I think Rob Bagg was off-side about 15 times tonight.

Our defence does look small. When we only rush four guys, the o-line beats the hell out of our guys. We don't come anywhere near the QB.

The pre-game report said the Riders lead the league in time-of-possession so stop saying the defence is tired and on the field too long. It's a veteran group. Why do they get a free-pass every game??? Seriously???

Stay with the plan. Develop our QB's.

Again, we're .500. Right where you experts said we would be so what's the problem?

I try not to be a Negative Nancy after games but this past one pissed me off a little. I also can't stand when people think it's the QB who is the only problem. Anyone who knows anything about football will say we lost that game at the line-of-scrimmage. Our d-line and o-line have to pick it up if we're going to be successful. Later.

First Post!

This is my first post ever, and i really haven't decided what i'm going to write about on here. I think because i'm a huge Rider and Maple Leaf fan that they will be easy topics to talk about. I have a wife and two boys so they give me lots of issues to talk about as well. Later.