ROB VANSTONE'S BLOG

By Rob Vanstone Fri, Nov 27 2009 COMMENTS(0) Rider Rumblings

• I am sitting in my 11th-floor room at the Hyatt Regency. I can hear a siren and people screaming. Sounds like the Grey Cup party has broken out.

• I did it! I managed to go an entire day without interviewing Darian Durant. He is quoted in Saturday's column, but that quote was culled from an interview I did with him on Thursday. It's our secret, OK?

• Stevie Baggs is hilarious. From a purely selfish standpoint, I hope he re-signs with the Roughriders (he is to become a free agent in mid-February) and plays here for 10 more years. There aren't enough instant-copy players in the CFL. Baggs is one of them. So is Durant. Other go-to guys on the Roughriders: Mike McCullough, Lance Frazier, Rey Williams, Wes Cates, Marc Parenteau, Gene Makowsky, Marcus Adams, Eddie Davis and Andy Fantuz.

• I wouldn't have included Fantuz's name a few months ago. I'm not sure what happened, but he has suddenly become elaborative and analytical in conversation with reporters. Perhaps that is what happens when you have spent four years in the league and are more comfortable. He has become a great quote and is one of the nicest guys on the team. (He wasn't unfriendly before. He just didn't have as much to say.)

• CFL commissioner Mark Cohon needn't have bothered to hold a media conference on Friday. Talk about a non-event! For more than a half-hour, he offered little in the way of illumination — especially on the issue of possibly reducing the minimum number of Canadian starters from seven to four. Why would the league have any interest in doing something so nonsensical? At a time when the league is hugely popular, there is nothing to be gained by needlessly inflaming people. And it is the CANADIAN Football League, remember?

• Alas, the Grey Cup has dispensed with the media touch football game, which prevents our man Ian Hamilton from being named an MVP for the second time in a week. Last Sunday, Ian earned most-valuable-player honours while representing the Paperboyz in the Old Fat Guy Touch Football League. Last Saturday, one day after turning 47, Ian was named the MVP while helping the Paperboyz win the championship game. (It's funny how much better the team got as soon as I dislocated my thumb.) Ian is also a former MVP of the Grey Cup media game.

• I was the media-game MVP in 1997, for all it's worth. Three touchdown catches! Nobody remembers it, but I do. So there. Such are the joys of blogging. Onwards . . .

• In Saturday's paper, I am predicting a 31-28 Roughriders victory in the Grey Cup. Will that be the kiss of death? Keep in mind that I also picked the Roughriders to beat Calgary in the West final. As for my other predictions this year, uh, don't ask.

• Why am I sitting in my hotel room when all the Grey Cup partying is breaking out? The answer: My wife is flying in from Regina for the weekend. She just texted me, informing me that she is waiting for her luggage. I am glad that she will be able to experience a Grey Cup festival, because it's a gas — much more exciting than being married to me. She also bought a ticket online for $280. I'll be in the press box, texting her about how much warmer it is indoors.

• I will have to introduce her to the mushroom soup, as blogged about earlier. Later