By Rob Vanstone, The Leader-PostNovember 16, 2009 7:29 AMBe the first to post a comment
Saskatchewan Roughriders fans may not like the Calgary Stampeders, but there is everything to love about the looming matchup.
The CFL's West Division final, to be played Sunday on Taylor Field, will be contested by two teams that posted 10-7-1 records in 2009 ... two teams that have played three must-see games this season ... and two teams that have been the class of the West over the past two years.
The division final will also showcase the past two Grey Cup champions -- Saskatchewan won it all in 2007, followed by Calgary a year later -- and the West's past two all-star quarterbacks.
Only four Roughriders quarterbacks have thrown for more than 4,000 yards in a season since the franchise's inception. The West final will feature two of those gentlemen -- Saskatchewan's Darian Durant and Calgary's Henry Burris. (The others, for the record, are Kent Austin and Kerry Joseph.)
Durant has won over most of the naysayers with a breakout season, which has included his first-ever all-star berth. Burris, by contrast, will always have his detractors, who remain embittered over his decision to leave Saskatchewan and sign with the rival Stampeders as a free agent in 2005.
The derisive "HENRY!'' chant is already building. With a Grey Cup berth at stake, and a lightning rod such as Burris on the premises, the decibel levels at Mosaic Stadium may reach an all-time high.
Although the Stampeders are a formidable opponent, the Roughriders should carry a confident air into the game. After all, Saskatchewan is undefeated against Calgary this season, registering two victories and a tie.
The season series began Aug. 1 at McMahon Stadium, where the Roughriders won 24-23 on the strength of a 65-yard touchdown pass from Durant to Chris Getzlaf with 1:17 remaining in the fourth quarter.
When the teams next collided, on Oct. 17 in Calgary, they played to a controversial 44-44 tie. If not for a debatable unnecessary roughness call against Saskatchewan defensive end John Chick on the opening possession of overtime, the Roughriders would likely have emerged victorious for the second time in as many visits to McMahon Stadium.
As it turned out, the Roughriders applied the much-anticipated finishing touch on Nov. 7, defeating the visiting Stampeders 30-14 to claim first place in the West for the first time since 1976. A first-round bye enabled the Roughriders to sit back and watch the Stampeders and Eskimos engage in a typical West playoff slugfest.
Calgary prevailed on the strength of 127 rushing yards from Joffrey Reynolds, two touchdown passes by Burris (including a breathtaking 29-yard laser to Romby Bryant that provided the Stampeders with their final points of the game) and a stubborn defence that restricted the Ricky Ray-led Eskimos to 232 yards of total offence and one TD.
Sunday's outcome was a gift to anyone who enjoys Canadian professional football, given the proven entertainment value of a Roughriders-Stampeders game.
When pitted against one another, those teams simply cannot play a bad football game. If you thought the games were riveting in August and October, imagine what the matchup will be like with a trip to the Grey Cup awaiting the winner.
Really, what more can you ask?
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