CATES HAD A GOOD YEAR AND LOOKING FORWARD TO 2011

After the end of their season on Sunday, the Riders' annual garbage bag day saw most of the players show up to clean out their lockers. Stu Foord with Wes Cates.
Photograph by: Roy Antal, Leader-Post

REGINA — Wes Cates wishes the outcome in Sunday's Grey Cup game would have ended with his team on top.

But the Saskatchewan Roughriders veteran running back said he will reflect on the 2010 CFL season as one of the best in his five-year career.
"I'm pretty proud of this season just based on the fact that a lot of people didn't think I had the potential to be a difference maker this year," Cates said Tuesday as he and his teammates congregated at Mosaic Stadium to clean out their lockers.

"I came out and helped my team win games and made a difference. To bounce back and have that resilience showed me a little bit about myself and helped me gain some of that confidence back that I might have lost from 2009."

After a disappointing '09 season that saw him rush for 932 yards, the lowest total among starting 'backs in the CFL, Cates enjoyed a productive 2010 campaign. The product of California, Penn., rushed for 1,054 yards and a team-high 15 touchdowns, which was three shy of a Riders' record in a single season.

Cates also proved to be durable late in the season. He gained more than 60 yards in each of the Riders' three playoff games, including 83 yards rushing in the Grey Cup. He also reached the end zone in each post-season game.

"Wes is a huge part of our offence," explained Riders centre Jeremy O'Day. "I couldn't be more proud of him for coming back from last season where he was nicked up ... and people were writing that maybe we needed a new running back. Wes took it upon himself to come into this year in good shape and stay healthy and do a great job for us."
Cates wasn't immune to the grumblings in Rider Nation that suggested he was getting up there in age and that maybe he had lost a step. The presence of a younger and perhaps more explosive Hugh Charles didn't help matters.

But Cates stayed focused on providing a steady performance each week.
"The people who thought (Cates) might have been finished probably would have thought he would have be worn out by the end of the season," said Riders centre Jeremy O'Day. "But a lot of people don't understand what he means to our team not only running the football but securing it and catching it and, more importantly, help us O-lineman in pass protection."

Cates, 31, will enter the 2011 CFL season as the oldest starting running back next to Montreal's Avon Cobourne, who is a few months Cates' elder. But Cates feels like he has a lot left in the tank.

"I feel good," Cates said. "Right now, I couldn't even tell you how much longer I could play because I feel like I can go for a few years at least. I'm definitely going to do a better job of keeping my body together this off-season than I have before.

"I'm excited to see what kind of shape I'll be in coming into camp next year."

But he also expects to be pushed at training camp by Charles and others.
"That's the name of the game — it's all about competition," Cates said. "You have to relish those moments and appreciate the people who drive you and motivate you to be better.

"If you just want to be mediocre and think that nobody will challenge you for your spot then that's the day you'll probably lose it."

cslater@leaderpost.com
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RIDERS GATHER FOR THE LAST TIME IN 2010

After the end of their season on Sunday, the Riders' annual garbage bag day saw most of the players show up to clean out their lockers. Weston Dressler packs his bags.
Photograph by: Roy Antal, Leader-Post

REGINA — As Weston Dressler emptied the contents of his locker into a garbage bag, he couldn't help but ponder the finality of it all.

The 2010 Saskatchewan Roughriders gathered for the last time on Tuesday before going their separate ways. In some cases, the players will depart with a simple "see you next year." In other instances, it could be a final "good-bye."

"It's always a weird day, that last day when the season is over, cleaning out the lockers, because it's really the last time you're going to have this whole team together," noted Dressler, a three-year CFL veteran. "You don't know how many guys are going to come back. You'd like to think you're going to have the same team next year, but there's always at least a few that are sent to a different team or done playing football and you may never see those guys again."

Regardless of how the Roughriders' season had ended — they lost 21-18 to the Montreal Alouettes in Sunday's Grey Cup — the arrival of the off-season would inevitably bring many of the same questions and uncertainties. That includes Dressler. The dynamic slotback is entering the option year of his contract, which means he can explore his options south of the border.

"I haven't talked with any agent or anyone about that yet," he said. "We'll see what he says and take it from there. It's going to depend on what types of situations I'm in (with potential NFL opportunities). I'd really have to evaluate once the time comes."

That equation could change if Saskatchewan offers him a contract extension.

"Yeah, if I'm going to be in the CFL, this is where I want to be," he said. "This is the team to play for, the organization I want to be a part of. I would definitely look forward to that."

The Riders have at least nine players who are eligible to become free agents in February — a list which includes a mixture of backups and starters, young up-and-comers and grizzled veterans. One of the latter is Canadian linebacker Mike McCullough, a valuable backup and special-teams captain.

"You'd like to have everybody back but there's always some changes," said McCullough, who left no doubt as to his intentions. "I'd love to be back. This is where my heart is, it's where I've always played and I want to play here. Hopefully they want me back."

McCullough chuckled when it was pointed out that his stance might not be considered a shrewd negotiating tactic.

"I think they know I want to be here," he added. "I've been here eight years and I haven't tried to escape yet. I know my role on this team and I enjoy it. I guess if I had to go somewhere (else) I would. I don't want to, though. I'm not going to piss around and waste people's time by telling them I am going to go somewhere because I don't want to go somewhere else."

The same goes for defensive end Kitwana Jones, who's another potential free agent.

"I would love to retire a Rider but as of right now I don't know what the situation is," said the six-year veteran. "I'll find out in the next couple months. I'd like to be a Rider until I'm done playing ball."

That said, there are times when sentiment has to be weighed against the business side of football. That's the case for veteran running back Neal Hughes, a native of Regina who has already talked to the Riders' brass about sticking around.

"Obviously I'd like to stay here, but I want to be making some money, too," he told the Leader-Post's Craig Slater. "It's my seventh year in the league and I feel I contribute in a lot of different ways for this team."
One of Saskatchewan's highest-profile free agents is linebacker Sean Lucas, a former West Division all-star who missed the 2010 playoffs with an elbow injury. Lucas said he'd like to be back with the Riders but he also knows there are no guarantees.

"This is the greatest place to play in the CFL," he said. "The longer you play here, you grow to appreciate the community and the fans and just the way people support our team. But I haven't really talked to the team about any of that (contract stuff). I'm just waiting till I get a phone call, basically. There's always the anticipation of where you're going to be and where you're going to go. There's always the unknown. It's kind of the toughest part of the business."

gharder@leaderpost.comRead more:

GREY CUP - BOB HUGHES

TURN OUT THE LIGHTS, THE PARTY'S OVER!

By Bob Hughes for Exit Realty Fusion

How is it that this always seems to happen? Why is it that Montreal Alouettes get the lousy hotel, but we always seem to end up checking into the Heartbreak Hotel?

How was it that in 1967 Eddie Buchanan was wide open and Ron Lancaster hit him with a perfect pass, and he dropped it, and the Saskatchewan Roughriders were done in the Grey Cup game.

How was it that in 1972 the Riders were poised to win the Grey Cup until some rookie, yes, a rookie, named Chuck Ealey found a tight end named Tony Gabriel for consecutive catches that led to an Ian Sunter field goal and another Cup loss.

How was it that in 1976 the Riders were this ( ) far from winning the Grey Cup when Tony Gabriel blew through the whole Rider defence for the game-winning touchdown?

And, how was it, that in 2009, the Saskatchewan Roughriders had won the Grey Cup when what’s-his-name Duval shanked a game-winning field goal with no time left, only to have the Riders called for too many men on the field, and, well, shoot!, you know the rest.

Then, there was yesterday. Ah, as the Beattles once twanged, “But that was yesterday, and yesterday is gone.” Is it ever!

She always seems to reach out at times like this, this Mistress of Misery who hides in the shadows of Saskatchewan’s “sure” wins and then reaches out and wraps her suffocating tentacles around the Riders and the Rider Nation and chokes the dreams out of them all.

It is a terrible cruel death.She did it in 1967, 1969, 1972, 1976 and 2009.

And, she did it again last night in Edmonton in a place called Commonwealth Stadium in front of 60,000 fans, and millions more on TV, most of whom were screaming for Saskatchewan and ended up screaming in agony.

It is no wonder this province leaves the country in depression cases the week following the Grey Cup.One year, we beat the Mistress of Misery, in 2007, but obviously she must have been on paid maternity leave. Other than that, not much to write home about. Because she will not leave us alone.

The score yesterday was 21-18 for Montreal. Who cares what the score was? Saskatchewan lost. And, that loss carried a sting that was felt throughout North America, from the house of my sister in New Jersey where my New York nephew threw a Grey Cup party to the place in Calgary where my sons died a thousand deaths to the parties in Saskatchewan which ended with a dull thud.

Three people showed up in the dark aftermath of this devastating loss on the Green Mile, parking themselves at the corner of Victoria and Albert. One shrugged, and went home. The other two girls screamed their allegiance to the Riders, and went home.

It is not easy being a Rider fan. There are so many tears. No wonder we have more lakes than anybody in North America. It’s like running a 100-yard sprint in record time, only to tire out with 10 yards to go.You see, champions are not born, they are made. And, this one is still in the making.

Is it ever!I’ve said this before, and I will say it again, Darian Durant is the next great quarterback of the Roughriders. He will live his dream of becoming remembered in the same affection and admiration of Ron Lancaster. In just two years as a starter, he has taken the Riders to the Grey Cup, only to end up as the little kid with his nose pressed against the candy store window, unable to get in.

When he threw the game-ending interception, it was the product of sheer stamina, courage and a fire that burns within him.

He somehow escaped the clutches of the smothering hordes of Alouettes and in a misguided attempt to salvage something, he threw the ball towards out of bounds.

But he was hit as he threw and the spiral intended for out of bounds turned into a wobbler that was intercepted. Game. Set. And match.

The thing is, there is no quit in Darian Durant. He is a rarity. He is the diamond in the rough. He is pure gold. He is a winner. And, some day, he will win the big one, and more after that.

He should accept no blame for Sunday’s harrowing defeat. No, the blame should go where it should go.The whole season, the Riders’ special teams did not return a single kick for a touchdown.

And, as usual, they got gagged on a fake punt.The whole season, the defence, as wondrous as it may have been in the first three quarters, was figured out in the fourth.

The whole season, the offence was not allowed to use its best weapon – Darian Durant moving around and even running.That is not Darian Durant’s problem.

He is the real deal. But, the Riders need somebody coaching them who understands that.And, if they are going to become the dynasty they should become, it has to happen this winter.

Then, maybe the Mistress of Misery will move elsewhere.

MR TOUCHDOWN

Call him Mr. Touchdown.

Saskatchewan Roughriders running back Wes Cates led the league with 16 touchdowns during the regular season — a trend he has continued throughout the playoffs so far.

If there’s a stats column a football player wants to lead all season long aside from wins, it’s touchdowns.

But that’s the whole point, right?

“Yeah, it’s about scoring,” said the 31-year old, who has spent the past four seasons with the Roughriders and will be playing in his third Grey Cup during that time. “I was lucky enough to be on a team that found the end zone a lot and I was the guy that found it the most out of everybody on my squad.”

The Roughriders were third in scoring, with 497 points — behind the Calgary Stampeders and Montreal Alouettes. Cates accounted for 96 of those with 15 rushing touchdowns and another one through the air.
But Cates is quick to spread the love among his offensive mates.
“There were kind of a lot of situations where receivers were doing a great job of receivers getting penalties in the end zone and things of that nature,” he said. “And up front, we’ve just done a great job of blocking and on the short-yardage situations, we always get that yard.

“So I’m just the recipient of a lot of good teamwork.”

While the smash-mouth style of scoring from just a few yards out of the end zone are some of the hardest yards he’s compiled, nothing is more satisfying than breaking a long run for a major. Even with all his trips to the end zone this year, it’s something that’s eluded Cates.

“I’m not sure what my longest TD is, but I don’t think it’s over 20. It’s been in that 15-yard range,” he said. “I had an 83-yarder but I got caught on the 10, so I won’t talk any more about that one.

“I’ve had a couple long runs, but the receivers seem to get all the long TDs. It doesn’t matter to me as long as we’re scoring.”

Cates finished the regular-season fifth among rushers with 1,054 yards on 203 carries. While the short-yardage touchdowns might have hurt his stats, he still ended up with an average carry of 5.2 yards.

“It’s been a blessing, man. It’s really about staying healthy,” he said. “Like I said, it’s teamwork in tough yardage. I like to pride myself on being a tough, short-yardage back and always able to get that yard.

“As an offensive line and backfield, we’ve been getting it done.”

It was the second time the running back surpassed the 1,000-yard mark. His career high was 1,229 yards in 2008, but that year he only had 14 touchdowns.

Finding the end zone was a trend he continued into the playoffs, scoring a rushing touchdown in both the West semifinal against the B.C. Lions and last week’s divisional final against the Calgary Stampeders.

He’s looking to continue the streak on Sunday.

“I hope so, man,” he said. “It’s going to be hard to deny me from getting in the end zone. That’s my focus, I’m trying to come out and have one of my best games of the year, if not the best, and scoring would definitely be a part of that.

“My goal is to help our team any way I can, but to put some points up myself and add to the scoring total would be nice.”

gerry.moddejonge@sunmedia.ca

RIDERS TRYING TO GET READY

Saskatchewan Roughriders head coach Ken Miller (L) with Riders quarterback Darian Durant (#4) at the end of the Saskatchewan Roughriders walkthrough at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton at the 98th Grey Cup on November 27, 2010.
Photograph by: Don Healy, Leader-Post

EDMONTON — The day before the Grey Cup is different than the day before, say, a Week 14 clash.

For Saskatchewan Roughriders linebacker Tad Kornegay, that means an increased need for downtime.

"It's really hard to relax when you're playing in a big game like this," Kornegay said Saturday after the Roughriders' walk-through at Commonwealth Stadium, where Saskatchewan is to play the Montreal Alouettes in Sunday's CFL final.

"You've got all the excitement around the game. It's a big event. Right now, it's all about trying to stay relaxed and calm and be ready for next year . . . I mean, next week . . . tomorrow. Excuse me. I'm excited. I can't even talk right now."

Linebacker Mike McCullough wasn't having any difficulty in that area.
"We're pretty relaxed," he said. "We're not doing a whole heck of a lot. We're just trying to take it easy. We have a lot of time to ourselves and to get mentally ready. I like to watch a movie and my wife's in town, so I might go for a meal. Nothing crazy for sure."

This is the Roughriders' third Grey Cup appearance in the past four seasons, so most of them know how to handle the buildup. However, there still are issues to be addressed.

"It's the last game of the year, so you don't have to worry about what's going on next week," said Saskatchewan centre Jeremy O'Day. "But there are a lot of distractions. You're worrying about your family making it here safely and you're worried about getting them in the right spots

and making sure they know where to go.

"But as you go to more to these, it makes it easier — even for the families. They know what to expect, too."

Roughriders defensive back Lance Frazier planned to take members of his family to the West Edmonton Mall on Saturday to give them a chance to hit the amusement park. After that, he was going to return to his hotel to continue poring over film in preparation for Sunday's game.
The walk-through and his workload may have been the same, but Frazier still considered the day before to be different.

"You're playing for what you've prepared for all your life: To win a championship," he said. "It doesn't matter how many of them you go to, it's the same preparation, it's the same feeling and the focus goes up.
"It's the biggest game of your life — it's the only game of your life. It's definitely different. You've just got to go out and do it now."

It's also different because of the length of their stay in town.

In the regular season, a team slated to go on the road prepares at its home field before heading to the location a day or two before the game. During Grey Cup, both teams are in the host city for days before the game — and that can be a problem at times.

"You're here the whole week and everywhere you walk, you're reminded of what the game is," O'Day said. "It makes it all the more exciting — and that's the way it should be."

Roughriders quarterback Darian Durant is eager to get it all over with. The Roughriders have been meeting and practising at different times than they do in Regina and the number of media requests that go along with the Grey Cup is greater than the team faces at home.

Even so, Durant has tried to remain on an even keel — and that may have allowed him to adopt a different mindset this week.

"I think I'm less amped and more focused," he said. "I think being amped up can kind of take a little energy out of you. If you're focused, you're thinking about football all the time and you're thinking about your reads and things like that.

"When you're amped up, you're focused on running around, jumping and high-fiving and it kind of takes you off of football. I'm a lot more focused on football this time around."

That could result in a different outcome that 2009, when the Roughriders lost to Montreal in the Grey Cup.

"I've been waiting so long, a full year, for this opportunity," Durant said, "and it'd mean everything to me to be able to capture this one."
ihamilton@leaderpost.com
Leader-Post sportswriter Murray McCormick will be tweeting Roughrider news this week from Edmonton. You can follow him at twitter.com/McCormickMurray
Don't forget, the leaderpost.com will be frequently updating you during the Grey Cup game on Twitter at twitter.com/leaderpost and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LPRoughridersNews
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FROM STRUGGLE TO SATISFACTION

Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive tackle Ryan Lucas (#96) during morning practice at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton at the 98th Grey Cup on November 26, 2010.
Photograph by: Don Healy, Leader-Post

EDMONTON — The road to Sunday's Grey Cup game has been long and twisted for Brent Hawkins and Ryan Lucas.

This time last year, the Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive linemen were working regular jobs. Hawkins was working at an oil refinery in Wood River, Ill., putting in 16-hour days. Lucas was a project manager for a construction company in Vancouver. Lucas's job required him to do everything from meeting with clients to digging ditches.

On Sunday, the two will be battling in the trenches against the Montreal Alouettes.

"Brent and I talked and we have just kept believing in ourselves,'' Lucas said in advance of Sunday's game (5:30 p.m., TSN, CKRM). "We knew in the back of our heads that we were meant to play. It was just a matter of the right situation. I'm so glad that it happened.''

Hawkins, a first-year defensive end, wept after the Riders beat the Calgary Stampeders 20-16 in the West Division final last Sunday.
"I broke down crying and Ryan Lucas can relate because he was doing the same thing working construction,'' said the 27-year-old Hawkins. "He asked me why I was crying and I said they were happy tears. I came from working 16-hour days, starting at four in the morning and it was hell. It knocked me down a few pegs and I'm happy on the team, but I'm a different player because of what I went through at the oil refinery.''
Lucas, a defensive tackle, supplemented his income by working in Vancouver nightclubs as a bouncer while waiting for his chance. He also counted on friends to help him financially and emotionally.

"I've been able to surround myself with people when I didn't have $2 in my pocket, they were able to help me out,'' the 26-year-old Lucas said. "They didn't expect anything in return. I do this for them, for my teammates and for Saskatchewan. I know that everybody back home takes a lot of pride in this. I know they will be watching back and they feel part of it. That means a lot to me to have those kind of people behind me.''

Hawkins said he remains in contact with his co-workers and with friends from his hometown of Jerseyville, Ill.

"All of us didn't come from the greatest beginnings,'' said Hawkins, who dressed for 20 games with the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars over the 2006 and 2007 seasons while recording 23 tackles and 5 1/2 sacks. "We all grew up poor and to see a guy from a small town pop up and be in this position ... They are all proud of me. (Sunday's) game is for them and our fans in Saskatchewan.''

After three seasons at Western Washington University, Lucas signed a free-agent contract with the Alouettes in December of 2006. He spent the 2007 season and the 2008 pre-season with the Als before being cut. He said he had tryouts with the Stampeders, B.C. Lions (twice) and Edmonton Eskimos and also was in training camp this spring with the Arena Football League's Spokane Shock.

Lucas was added to the Riders' practice roster in May. He made his first appearance on the active roster against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Sept. 25 and dressed for four regular-season games. Lucas recorded a fumble recovery in the Riders' 31-23 victory over the visiting Eskimos on Nov. 6.
Lucas is living the life of a professional player, but still has problems believing it's actually taking place.

"It feels surreal,'' Lucas said. "I had emotions after the West final, but I was so focused on coming here. This is the big prize. I bottled up my emotions after the West final because we had this game ahead. I guarantee when we win this thing, I will have to run in the locker room so no one will see me cry.''

Hawkins is enjoying his life in Regina so much that he plans on remaining there through the off-season.

"I want to be close to my doctors and my coach,'' Hawkins said. "I'm the type of guy who likes to really get at it during the off-season. I want to spend some time getting better. This experience has been great because I've never played for a championship in my career.''

mmccormick@leaderpost.com

A MUST READ ARTICLE BY THE FAMOUS RIDER WRITER

By Bob Hughes

Somewhere, he is smiling. Because no matter where he was, whether it was in Edmonton or Hamilton or parked in a television booth, his heart was always with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

I used to think that Ron Lancaster was invincible. During his 18 unequalled seasons as a quarterback in the Canadian Football League, all but three of them with Saskatchewan, Ronnie took ground-shaking hits from the likes of Wayne Smith, Angelo Mosca, Tom Brown, Wayne Harris, Bill Baker, Dave Fennell, John Helton and on and on. He broke ribs, bruised bones and muscles, was knocked out, gave blood, and always defiantly rose from all those injuries to play another day.

They called him The Little General. They called him The Little Assassin of Taylor Field. Short and thick, the brushcut his trademark for many years, Ronnie stood taller than just about anybody who ever played the game up here.

He was a leader, by word and by actions. The most telling words I ever heard spoken about what he was like on the field of play came from Calgary Stampeder centre Basil Bark after he had stopped crying in the Stampeder dressing. Ronnie had brought the Riders back in an amazing second half comeback to score a win that clinched first place for Saskatchewan in 1976.

“I’ve known him for a long time now,” said Bark, his words raw yet ringing with admiration. “I know that when you get him down, you better put your foot on his chest because he never gives up.”In his storied career, Lancaster engineered 50 comeback victories.

The fourth quarter was his theatre, the stage where he gave his most electrifying performances, where somehow he would yank the fans out of their seats and his teammates out of their comfort zone and bring them all along on the giddiest of rides to victory.

And, when the game was over, and the city and the province were alive with the fumes of victory, Ronnie would sit in the dressing room, shrug his shoulders, get that little grin on his face, and sip on a beer with his buddy George Reed.

When he died two years ago in September after seeming to have whipped cancer only to have his heart give away, the province, indeed the country, went into mourning. I had never seen such an outpouring of unrelenting grief for any Saskatchewan figure who died as I did for Ronnie in the week following his death.

It was if everybody had been hit in the stomach with a sledge hammer.In the 100 year history of the Roughriders, you can count on one hand the number of truly remarkable quarterbacks they have had. Glenn Dobbs was one. Maybe Frank Tripuka. Ronnie was another. Kent Austin was one.

And, now, on the eve of the Grey Cup championship in Edmonton, there is emerging yet another chapter in the rise of a guy who may be the next great Rider quarterback.And, in some ways, the emergence of Darian Durant as a bonafide starter in the CFL is intriguingly similar to Lancaster’s story.

They both began their careers with Ottawa. Lancaster played three years there before coming to Regina in 1963. Durant went to Ottawa, having set 51 records at the University of North Carolina. When Ottawa folded, he went to Hamilton and then was traded to Saskatchewan in 2006.

He was Riders’ third string quarterback in 2007, their Grey Cup year.

But, he didn’t become the starter until coach Ken Miller finally stopped juggling his quarterbacks and gave the number one job to Durant in 2009. When Miller made Durant his guy, Darian took off. When Eagle Keys made Lancaster his guy, Ronnie took off.Sunday’s game against the Montreal Alouettes will be Durant’s third Grey Cup appearance, his second as a starter.

And in the two seasons he has started, the Roughriders have become perhaps the most feared and definitely the most watched team in the league.

He brings to the game a fierce determination to win and a rare talent to turn that desire into points. He is everything you could want in a quarterback. He can throw the ball, with the accuracy of anybody.

He can run it, better than most. He thrives in an element where when all else appears coming down around him, he is just taking off. He is as good and as dangerous a running quarterback as if there ever has been.

And, he has that extraordinary ability to involve each of what is the best set of receivers in the league in virtually every game. And, like Ronnie, he has class and respect. Neither one of those two ever trash talked anybody.

Now, there is nothing especially pretty about how Darian Durant plays the game. He can throw interceptions you can’t figure out. He can hang around the pocket so long you figure he must think he’s invisible. He can look about as interested in what’s going on as the guy who is in charge of cleaning the snow off residential streets. There are times when you think he’d rather be somewhere else.

ut put the game on the line, maybe even the season, and he somehow finds the nearest phone booth, makes a quick change, and shows up wearing a Superman outfit. The eyes suddenly look like bright lights on a dark night, he gets this smile on his face, and he launches himself right into the other team’s party.

It’s like he’s been waiting all game for the moment when he could take it over.

f there is anything the Montreal Alouettes should be afraid of on Sunday afternoon in Edmonton, it will be that moment when Darian Durant decides this is his time and his place, and nobody is going to stop him. They tell me that Darian Durant has this tattoo on his left bicep which reads, “Against all odds – I’m going to shine.”Ron Lancaster didn’t have any tattoo. But, he had that same fire-eating attitude.

Bob Hughes column sponsored by Exit Realty Fusion

RIDERS LOVE BEING THE UNDERDOG !!

By Rob Vanstone Sat, Nov 27 2010 COMMENTS(0) Rider Rumblings

EDMONTON — To hear select members of the Montreal Alouettes tell it, the Saskatchewan Roughriders are favoured.

Oddsmakers have a different view.

The word from that former CFL mecca, Las Vegas, is that Montreal is a 3 1/2-point favourite to defeat the Roughriders in Sunday’s Grey Cup, to be played at Commonwealth Stadium.

Some of the best and the brightest in the gambling industry believe that the Alouettes will valiantly overcome hardships such as a cramped, minimally equipped dressing room and (gasp!) hotel accommodations that are not, in their view, opulent.

That has to be good news for the Roughriders, who are already savouring the lavish surroundings of the Edmonton Eskimos’ dressing room and the plush Sutton Place Hotel.

The Roughriders, you see, are more apt to win a Grey Cup when they have carried the “underdog’’ label. The research sample is not extensive, considering that Saskatchewan has won the CFL championship on only three occasions, but there is a commonality to those three seasons.
Most notably, there is 1966.

The Ottawa Rough Riders were heavily favoured to dispose of Saskatchewan after vivisecting the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 72-17 in the two-games, total-points Eastern Conference final. (Comparably, Montreal annihilated the Toronto Argonauts 48-17 in this year’s East Division final, whereas the Roughriders scratched and clawed their way through the tougher West playoffs.)

Ottawa had finished the 1966 regular season with a league-best 11-3-0 record. Despite placing first in the Western Conference, Saskatchewan was an unremarkable 9-6-1, and figured to be easy prey for the eastern Riders.

Surprise! Saskatchewan won 29-14 on the strength of three touchdown passes by Ron Lancaster and 133 rushing yards by George Reed. The underdogs had their day.

Fast forward to 1989 — when the greatest Grey Cup ever was played. Saskatchewan (9-9-0) outlasted Hamilton (12-6-0) by a 43-40 count, thanks largely to three Kent Austin TD passes and Dave Ridgway’s game-winning field goal.

The biggest shocker of ’89 had occurred one week earlier, when Saskatchewan had upended the prohibitively favoured Edmonton Eskimos 32-21. The 1989 Eskimos set an enduring CFL record for regular-season victories (16), but that was immaterial to the Roughriders.

A somewhat similar scenario applied in 2007. Like the 1989 Eskimos, the B.C. Lions of three seasons ago established a franchise record for victories, going 14-4-0. Nonetheless, the Lions lost 26-17 to the Roughriders (12-6-0) in the West final.

The following week, Saskatchewan — cast in an unaccustomed role as favourites — defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 23-19 to win the Grey Cup.

This bombardment of background is required to underline the following point: In each of the Roughriders’ three Cup-winning seasons, they have been perceived as an underdog.

So maybe, just maybe, this is a good omen as the Roughriders prepare to face Montreal in a rematch of last year’s Grey Cup.

Montreal was also favoured last year, when it appeared that a monumental upset was in the making. The Alouettes (15-3-0) never led the 10-7-1 Roughriders until the final play, when Damon Duval’s 33-yard field goal produced a 28-27 Montreal victory.
In that instance, the Roughriders did not prevail as the underdog, but the 2009 game was certainly more compelling than was widely expected.

History has demonstrated that the Roughriders do not thrive in the role of front-runner. They were huge favourites to win the 1976 Grey Cup, only to be ambushed by Ottawa when Tony Gabriel caught THAT pass with 20 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

As was the case with the 1989 Eskimos and 2007 Lions, the Roughriders did not even reach the Grey Cup to culminate a season in which they set a franchise mark for victories. In 1970, Saskatchewan went 14-2-0, only to fall to the Calgary Stampeders in the Western final.

Moral of story: Despite what the oddsmakers may say, the Roughriders are much better off in situations such as the one they face this year.

If that trend continues, the Alouettes may end up lamenting a different form of accommodations — in the boiler room of the Heartbreak Hotel.

By Murray McCormick Sat, Nov 27 2010 COMMENTS(0) Rider Rumblings

EDMONTON — The Riders completed their final walk-through Saturday with players dancing in the middle of the huddle.It’s a tradition with the Riders use to welcome new players to the roster. I asked Darian Durant who was the best dancer and he said placekicker Warren Kean.Kean did a pretty good job of break-dancing on the turf. It’s a sign of how relaxed the Riders were on Saturday. It was a day for grown men to have fun.

They are in the Grey Cup and there is pressure there, but there has to be some fun involved.“If you’re too serious about playing a game, which this is, you’re never going to get anything done,’’ Durant said.

“Having fun is something that all football teams and coaches preach. Go out there have fun and let the chips fall.’’Here are the other highlights Saturday’s events. Sorry, I didn’t make it to the Alouettes’ walk-through.

I'm sure they are still unhappy with the hotel and the locker room.—

Omarr Morgan and Barrin Simpson will play. Simpson said he’s great, great and even greater. He feels the best he has since injuring his ankle. Morgan is about 95 per cent, which is more than good enough.

Linebacker Sean Lucas was added to the 46-man roster and head coach Ken Miller said he would play in the event of an emergency. Not dobuting Ken, but Lucas told me he’s not playing. Details online later but not in the paper Sunday. We have no paper, so you we exclusive on-line coverage of today’s happenings when I get the stories finished.

— It was a bright, sunny day and the workers are still shovelling snow from the stadium. If you’re going to the game, be careful on the steps. They are slippery.

— I dug down real deep and went to Riderville last night. I go to any length to please my readers. The place was filled with Riders fans. There were guys in fur coats, cheerleaders, people in green jerseys and just about every costume you could imagine. Warren Woods was there holding court. I lasted until mid-night then decided to beat the cab rush. Not sure if I need to do any follow ups tonight. We’ll see when I get done.

— That’s it. If you want to save time and enjoy me in 140 characters or less, follow me on Twitter. I have a bunch of fuzzy pictures posted for you to enjoy. I’m much better at 1,000 words than taking pictures.

REMEMBERING THE LITTLE GENERAL

THERE IS A VERY NICE VIDEO REMEMBERING RON LANCASTER

http://communities.canada.com/montrealgazette/blogs/stuonsports/archive/2010/11/27/remembering-ron-lancaster.aspx

LETS MAKE IT 4 IN 100 YEARS

EDMONTON — The Saskatchewan Roughriders' storied history has been widely celebrated during this centennial season. But the time has arrived to respectfully spit in the face of tradition.

Given the "Grey Cup or nothing'' mentality that was articulated earlier this week by quarterback Darian Durant, the Riders cannot adhere to great expectations without one great expectoration.

The Riders, for all their charms, have been generally feckless in Grey Cups. They have lost more Grey Cups (14) than any of their CFL brethren, winning only three times — in 1966, 1989 and 2007.

If the Roughriders were to go 3-and-14 during the regular season, there would be calls for firings and a brand new, 6,000-seat stadium. Apply that nose-plugger of a record to the championship game and, well, the numbers tell the grim tale.

The 0.824 losing percentage, as ugly as it is, does not reveal the extent of the Roughriders' Grey Cup miseries. Saskatchewan also has a penchant for losing Grey Cups in excruciating, even unprecedented, fashion.
The old Regina Roughriders set an ignominious record in 1923 by surrendering the most points in a Grey Cup, losing 54-0 to Queen's University. (Queen's, by the way, has won as many Grey Cups as Saskatchewan, despite not having competed for Earl Grey's grail since 1924.)

Saskatchewan lost in the final minute of the 1972 and 1976 Grey Cups, with Tony Gabriel figuring prominently on both occasions. Three catches by Gabriel, then of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, set up Ian Sunter's game-winning field goal in 1972. Four years later, Gabriel's late touchdown catch allowed the Ottawa Rough Riders to record an upset win.

The latter game endured as the Roughriders' most heartbreaking Grey Cup defeat until Nov. 29, 2009, when the Montreal Alouettes won 28-27 on a last-play, 33-yard field goal by Damon Duval. Moments earlier, Duval had missed from 43 yards away — inciting a momentary victory celebration by the Riders — before the West Division champs were called for too many men on the field.

The Roughriders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers were tied for the most Grey Cup defeats, until the 13th man produced the 14th loss.
Kudos to the Roughriders for shaking off that devastating result and returning to the Grey Cup. Sunday's rematch with Montreal is to be played at Commonwealth Stadium, where the Roughriders hope to make an emphatic statement.

The days of the lovable losers are gone, or they should be. The once-impoverished Riders are flush with cash. They are the only CFL team to have produced a double-digit victory total in each of the past four seasons, but a genuine breakthrough will not occur until the Riders habitually win Grey Cups.

This is part of the culture change that Durant has consistently advocated since blossoming into an elite starter in 2009.

"It's about making a difference, and it starts with the quarterback who has been here for more than three years, winning the Grey Cup, winning the West,'' the 28-year-old passer said. "All those things that come along with changing the culture, I'm all about that.

"The locker I sit in back in Saskatchewan, Gordie (Gilroy, equipment manager) asked me if I wanted to sit there because every quarterback who has sat in that locker hasn't been with the team for more than three years. I said, 'Give me the locker. I'll take it,' because I'm all about changing this culture and changing the way fans look at this team and the way people look at it.''

Durant has already helped to engineer a notable sea change, and applaudably so. But he knows, as well as anyone, that the battle is far from won.

Consider the fact that the 2010 Grey Cup is being played in Edmonton — the erstwhile City of Champions. The Edmonton Eskimos have won 13 Grey Cups since capturing their first title in 1954. Beginning in 1978, the Eskimos won five consecutive titles — two more than Saskatchewan has captured, period.

For Durant and the Roughriders, the reminders are everywhere. They have taken over the Eskimos' opulent dressing room during Grey Cup week.

"As soon as you walk into that locker room, you see all the Grey Cups that they have on the wall,'' Durant noted. "That's something that I want to bring to Saskatchewan. I hate the fact that there's only been three in 100 years. Let's make it four in 100 years.''

rvanstone@leaderpost.comRead more: http://www.leaderpost.com/sports/VANSTONE+Riders+must+reverse+tradition/3891450/story.html#ixzz16Ulwv4x4

IT IS ALL ABOUT THE PLAYERS

Rider players Gene Makowsky (left to right), Jerrell Freeman, Marcus Adams and Chris Getzlaf
Photograph by: Bryan Schlosser, Leader-Post files

EDMONTON — Ken Miller is a former biology teacher, but he can also teach lessons in chemistry.

Miller has created an environment that has helped the Roughriders develop into a close-knit team — not to mention a Grey Cup participant for the second consecutive year.

The Roughriders' head coach is quick to defer to the players when asked about the cohension within the ranks.

"First of all, it's their relationship with each other,'' said Miller, whose CFL team is to play the Montreal Alouettes in Sunday's Grey Cup at Commonwealth Stadium.

"There's a thread of respect between players, whether it's in the receiving corps or on the defensive line, whether it's offence or defence, whether it's special teams. All of it kind of fits together in some kind of a crazy patchwork quilt. When you look at it on the underside, it looks unorganized or whatever it might be — but when you turn it over, it really is pretty attractive.''

The leadership of the veterans is a key factor.

"I have seen the promise in the nucleus of the veterans that we've had over a period of time,'' Miller said. "That's another intangible. Our veterans are so inclusive. When we get a new player, they bring them in and they kind of initiate them into the Rider way — the way that we operate in our locker room, and the way we conduct ourselves. That is kind of a self-perpetuating environment, I believe.''

Roughriders receiver Jason Clermont was asked about Miller's role in creating that environment.

"He keeps us grounded by teaching us about small life lessons in the big picture,'' Clermont said. "We just build those up over the season. We prepare for obstacles that haven't even presented themselves, and we have a plan to overcome them before we even know what they are.
"Guys are on an even keel. We have a great sense of reality. We know who we are. For the most part, we know who the teams in the league think we are. We just know how we're going to have to play.''Read more:

http://www.leaderpost.com/sports/Riders+chemistry+about+players+Miller/3889954/story.html#ixzz16UkU4VCz

EDDIE JOHNSON VIDEO DIARY

CHECK OUT EDDIE JOHNSON'S DAY 2 VIDEO DIARY. EDDIE, STU, COLE BERQUIST, AND RYAN DINWADDIE


http://www.leaderpost.com/sports/Video+Riders+punter+Eddie+Johnson+Grey+video+diary/3891009/story.html

Saskatchewan Roughriders punter Eddie Johnson is writing a daily Grey Cup diary for the Leader-Post. Here is the fourth instalment of a five-part series. In addition, check out Johnson's video diary at leaderpost.com. And now for the written version . . .

EDMONTON — On Sunday, I will play in a championship game for the first time since 1996. Yes, it has been a long time between this year's Grey Cup and the 1996 Orange County high school football league final in southern California.

Back then, I was 15 years old and punting for the Newport Harbor Sailors in my hometown of Newport Beach. We played the Santa Margarita Eagles, whose quarterback at the time was Carson Palmer — who went on to star at the University of Southern California (winning the 2002 Heisman Trophy as the best player in U.S. college football) and is now the Cincinnati Bengals' starting quarterback.

We got smoked by Carson Palmer. He was just a man-child. He was like a grown man. It was like playing against John Elway in high school. It was 38-0 at the end of the first half, and then we held them for the rest of the game. It was a bad one.

As it turned out, I tried out for Cincinnati in 2004, after spending the 2003 season with the Minnesota Vikings. I remember sitting next to Carson Palmer at the breakfast table and saying, "Man, dude, you guys smoked us in high school!'' Of course, he was really humble and nice about it. He's a beach guy, too, you know?

That game against Santa Margarita was in my sophomore year in high school. That shows how few and far between these opportunities are.

You hear a lot of pro athletes talk about, "Man, I thought I was going to go to the Super Bowl every year after I went there in my rookie year.''

Look at me. I'm in my first year with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and I get to go to the Grey Cup. It seems to happen easily, even though you know it doesn't happen easily. You could easily fall into that hole of,

"This is going to be a natural thing. Yadda yadda yadda,'' but it is not that easy. I'm excited to go out there and hopefully seize this opportunity.

Just like I was when I was playing in Orange County, I'm almost like a fan who gets to go on the field and punt the ball to the other team. It's like Kick For A Million, but you just kick it to the other team. You don't get a million bucks. You just get to play every week. Maybe it's Kick For The Minimum. You cruise out there. You get to grow some facial hair. It's a good gig — especially this week.

Everybody on our team has been taking care of business all week, and they were professional. I feel like the guys got a really good practice in on Friday, but they were still loose, too. They had just the right amount of professionalism balanced with the relaxed kind of feeling.

The guys know it's the end of the year and they know it was the last practice on Friday. This is the last game coming up. It's for the whole deal. If there's ever a time to focus in and leave it all out there, now's the time. The guys are still loose, which is good. You don't want to be too stiff and you don't want to be too loose. You want to be just right. I feel like things are just right. Hopefully it carries over into the Grey Cup game on Sunday against the Montreal Alouettes.

I think a couple of guys are nervous, but nerves are good. As long as you use those nerves to your advantage and not against you, that's when you do well. When I'm nervous, I know I'm where I need to be as far as preparing for the game. I'm sure I'll probably be a little nervous before the game. It's going to be a huge game, but all you can do is your best. As long as you can go out there and do your best, you have nothing to worry about.

We have a walk-through today. When I go to bed tonight, I think I'll do what I usually do. I'll just take my mind off it and maybe watch a movie.

I'll probably read the Keith Richards autobiography that I just picked up. There's nothing like reading to put me to sleep, although Keith Richards' autobiography is pretty good — like the diary, of course. I'll probably do a little reading of the book, chill out, get to bed early and get a solid eight hours of sleep. Hopefully we'll have some "Satisfaction'' on Sunday.

The Grey Cup game is going to be another great opportunity to go out and showcase what we've all been practising all year. Opportunities like this are few and far between in football — 14 years apart, in my case.
I'm excited for it. We all are. We're all going to go out there and lay it on the line on Sunday.

© Copyright (c) The Regina Leader-PostRead more: http://www.leaderpost.com/EDDIE+JOHNSON+chance+like+this+between/3891284/story.html#ixzz16UjIylig

RIDERS TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS TO COUNT

EDMONTON — The Saskatchewan Roughriders, who had difficulties counting in the 2009 Grey Cup game, don't have any problems with accountability.

That has been the tone as the Riders concluded their preparations this week for Sunday's Grey Cup rematch (5:30 p.m., TSN, CKRM) with the Montreal Alouettes. The Alouettes beat the Roughriders 28-27 in the 2009 CFL final after a penalty for too many men on the field gave placekicker Damon Duval a second chance at a game-winning field goal. Duval didn't miss the 33-yard attempt and the 13th man took on a new connotation across the nation.

The identity of the 13th player is a secret the Riders have vowed to never reveal. That was until this week. Cornerback Omarr Morgan told reporters that he was the 13th man. Defensive halfback Lance Frazier said he was the 13th man.

"He was sticking up for me,'' Frazier said after the Riders concluded their final outdoor practice Friday at Commonwealth Stadium. "He's a veteran and he wants to take the heat off the younger guy. He took it over for me and I appreciate it, but Lance Frazier was the 13th man.''

Not so fast. Special-teams captain Mike McCullough said Frazier and Morgan are both wrong.

"I was the 13th man,'' McCullough stated. "It was everyone's fault. No one counted and it doesn't matter who was out there. None of us did what we were supposed to do and the play failed.''

Frazier, Morgan and McCullough have never been identified as the 13th man. Replays on TSN singled out linebacker Sean Lucas, who earlier in the season confirmed that he was one of 13 men on the field. Alouettes veteran defensive halfback Jerald Brown agreed with the Riders' team-first approach to the gaffe.

"It takes a bunch of stand-up guys to do that and not place the blame on one man,'' Brown said. "Everyone is accountable for an extra guy on the field.

The Riders have taken steps towards reducing the possibility of a similar error taking place on Sunday. McCullough said that each player is responsible for counting the number of Roughriders on the field. In the past it was the middle linebacker making sure there weren't too many players on the field.

"There isn't really an assigned guy now,'' McCullough said. "We all do it. I just count. I don't want to make it more difficult than it seems. It was a blunder on our part and it won't happen again.''

There was some irony to the Riders being penalized late in the Grey Cup game. Since Ken Miller took over as head coach in 2008, the Riders have posted the fewest penalty yards in the league. In 2008, they were first with a CFL-low 1,092 yards. Last year, the Roughriders were penalized a league-low 1,208 yards.

In 2010, the Riders finished the season as the league's least-penalized team (136 infractions). They were also second to the Toronto Argonauts in the fewest yards penalized (1,179). Toronto was flagged 138 times for 1,058 yards.

"That's playing smart football and we take pride in not making mistakes,'' said Riders linebacker Jerrell Freeman.

Sunday's game brings together teams at different extremes in regards to penalties. The Alouettes led the league in yards penalized (1,952) and were seventh with 195 penalties. They maintained that trend in the playoffs when they were flagged 12 times for 92 yards, yet still beat the Argonauts 48-17 in the East Division final.

"It's not a concern, but it's a legitimate gripe that I've had with our team,'' said Alouettes head coach Marc Trestman. "This is going to be a game where teams are very similar and we all know what's at stake here. The team that can limit penalties, will put itself in a much better position going into the fourth quarter.''

That could explain the Riders' recent playoff run. The Roughriders have been penalized a total of 10 times for 55 yards en route to victories over the B.C. Lions in the West Division semifinal and Calgary Stampeders in the division final.

"The coaches don't even talk about penalties,'' said Riders middle linebacker Barrin Simpson. "We police ourselves, so the coaches don't even have to mention that we should stay away from penalties.''
Frazier wasn't surprised to see the Alouettes were among the league leaders in penalties.

"They have some guys who like to play head games,'' Frazier said. "They are an aggressive bunch and they will get after you. They are going to hit you after the whistle and mouth off. That's a sign of a confident ball club and they are just trying to get into your head.

RIDERS GET READY TO PLAY SUNDAY

Leader-Post staff November 26, 2010 EDMONTON — Saskatchewan Roughriders linebacker Barrin Simpson is savouring the prospect of winning the Grey Cup.

"You can almost taste it," Simpson said while looking ahead to Sunday's CFL championship game against the Montreal Alouettes at

Commonwealth Stadium. "It is huge. This is the pinnacle of CFL football right here. All the accolades, players of the week and individual goals do not count when it comes to this game."

Simpson, 33, has yet to win a CFL title during his 10-year career. He was asked Friday about appearing to be positively giddy during the Roughriders' practice.

"I can't really help it because I'm having so much fun," Simpson replied. "I always say to my teammates and the coaches, 'I'm like a kid with cotton candy at a circus.' This is beyond fun. This is a joy to be able to come out here and do something you love to do and be in that championship game. It's unexplainable."

Simpson tested his injured left ankle this week and, while saying he would have ruled himself out of Sunday's game if he wasn't physically ready, proclaimed himself good to go.

"I feel great right now," said Simpson, who was injured Nov. 6 against the Edmonton Eskimos. "It's the best it has felt since the injury."

* * *

Riders head coach Ken Miller was asked if he was concerned about the possibility of his team having to kick a long field goal with the game on the line.

"To be perfectly honest with you, I have some concern with that, and (with) just how we might go about that,'' Miller responded.
Saskatchewan has been without its primary placement specialist snce fifth-year Rider Luca Congi was lost for the season Oct. 17 with a serious knee injury. Miller has since used Warren Kean on shorter field-goal attempts — say, those under 40 yards — while indicating that punter Eddie Johnson will attempt longer placements.

"If we need a long field goal to win or to score right before the half or something like that, I'm fairly confident that (Johnson will) have the leg strength to drive it through,'' Miller said.

The Roughriders' longest field goal since Congi's absence has been by Johnson, from 37 yards away. Neither Johnson nor Kean has had to attempt a pressurized field goal with Congi out of the lineup.

Unless the game is on the line, would Miller be more inclined to punt and play for field position, as opposed to having his team attempt a lengthy field goal?

"Not that this game will unfold like the game last week, but last week we did punt the football in a situation where, earlier in the year, we might have kicked the field goal,'' said Miller, whose team defeated the Calgary Stampeders 20-16 in Sunday's West Division final. "So the answer to your question is that it will have some impact, perhaps, on how we decide to go about what it is that we're doing.''

* * *

A rollercoaster season for rookie Roughriders receiver Cary Koch took an unexpected turn on a rollercoaster Thursday.

Koch and three teammates — defensive linemen Shomari Williams, Ikenna Ike and Brent Hawkins — decided to go for a ride on the indoor rollercoaster at the West Edmonton Mall on Thursday. Koch said his teammates are big men and fitting them into the seats took some extra time getting them settled.

Once they had started rolling, an unidentified child in a blue hoodie threw coffee at the men in the rollercoaster.

"I recorded the whole thing and we're screaming — then we get hit with hot coffee,'' Koch said Friday. "We got coffee in our faces. Brent was so mad because he got hot coffee in his mouth. He was infuriated.''
Another civilian in the front of the ride was also hit by the coffee. Hawkins and the man chased after the kid, but weren't able to catch him.

"We ended up getting our money back,'' Koch said. "Brent's hoodie was covered in coffee. It was a good prank and it's pretty funny now.''
Koch said the season has been similar to the ride at the Mall.
"It has been a rollercoaster,'' Koch said. "We had four straight losses (and) then came back to play some great football. I've been on and off the practice roster, personally. Just being here is a dream come true.''

* * *

Win or lose Sunday, the Roughriders' homecoming is set for Monday afternoon at Mosaic Stadium.

Fans are asked to be at the stadium by 1:30 p.m. The team is expected to arrive on the field at approximately 2 p.m. Players and coaches will address the crowd. Admission is free.

Leader-Post sportswriter Murray McCormick will be tweeting Roughrider news this week from Edmonton. You can follow him at twitter.com/McCormickMurrayRead more: http://www.leaderpost.com/sports/RIDER+NOTEBOOK+Riders+have+coffee+thrown+them+rollercoaster/3891524/story.html#ixzz16UeshyU6

PICTURES FROM FRIDAYS PRACTICE

ALOUETTES CRYING FOUL

The new diggs of the Edmonton Eskimos dressing room at Commonwealth Stadium have been taken over by the Saskatchewan Roughriders for the 98th Grey Cup. Photo taken on November 26, 2010.
Photograph by: Don Healy, Leader-Post

EDMONTON — Some members of the Montreal Alouettes are green with envy when it comes to the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Mathieu Proulx and Etienne Boulay told a Montreal radio station Thursday that the CFL was exhibiting favouritism towards the Roughriders, who are to play the Alouettes in Sunday's Grey Cup game (5:30 p.m., TSN, CKRM). The Canadian safeties said the league did that by putting the Riders in a superior hotel and allowing them to use the Edmonton Eskimos' luxurious locker room.

"I was asked a question on the facilities and the hotel and what we had to prepare with and I feel, at this stage of the season, when two teams show up for the Grey Cup, both teams should be put at the same level,'' said Proulx, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the East Division final and won't play Sunday. "The meeting rooms are inadequate, we don't have a pool, or any cold tubs, no training room and we're not allowed to use the weight room (at Commonwealth), as well. I didn't want to attack anyone on a personal level."

Proulx apologized Friday for telling the radio station that the CFL wanted the Riders to win the Grey Cup, adding those were his feelings and not those of the team. CFL commissioner Mark Cohon declined Friday to get into a verbal battle with the players over the

accommodations. Cohon did discuss the situation with Alouettes head coach Marc Trestman on Thursday. Cohon added that there isn't favouritism involved in any aspect of the Grey Cup.

"When we're in the west, the west is the home team and when we're in the east the east finalist is always the home team.'' Cohon said during his annual commissioner's address Friday. "So, we look for the best hotels. If the (Hamilton) Tiger-Cats were in, or if the (Toronto) Argos were in, that would have been the hotel that they were in.''

Riders head coach Ken Miller declined to get drawn into the controversy that threatened to overshadow the Grey Cup festivities.

"I have no idea about what they have or what they don't have,'' Miller said. "I just know that being in the Edmonton locker room, is it's pretty palatial in comparison to what we're used to. We would be happy in a broom closet so we kind of rattle around in that place.''

Cohon also found himself defending the Commissioner's Award, which he presented to all Riders fans during the CFL awards gala on Thursday. Cohon was questioned about singling out one group of fans over

supporters of another team.

"When you look at our fans, we have the greatest fans in this country,'' Cohon said. "The Rider Nation is celebrating 100 years of pride. But when you look at their fan base, almost 10 of those 18 games that were over a million viewers were games that the Roughriders were in. When you look at visiting teams that fill our stadiums, they fill our stadiums.

"They're about half of our licensing business. So they ooze pride, and that pride helps our other teams. In no way are we saying that they are better than our other fans ... It's recognizing fans who have had a profound impact on our game, and celebrating that.''

Lance Frazier, a veteran defensive halfback with the Riders, felt the award was well-deserved.

"There isn't any favouritism because we are the fan favourites,'' Frazier said. "They've earned that. Montreal has good fans as well and it's wonderful to play there but Rider fans go to the extremes. They are out there, half-naked and with watermelons on their heads. It's a beautiful thing and it gets us going.''

mmccormick@leaderpost.com
Leader-Post sportswriter Murray McCormick

DRESSLER EARNS PLAY OF THE YEAR !!

It began with 20 incredible plays taken from 72 games over the 19-week CFL regular season. With the help of over 55,000 votes cast by CFL fans across the country, the winner of the 2010 CFL Play of the Year Showdown has been crowned.

Weston Dressler's sensational diving catch and run into the end zone earned nearly 60% of the final vote, besting S.J. Green's diving one-handed two-point convert.

With the 98th Grey Cup looming on Sunday, no doubt this win is just the beginning of what the Roughriders and Rider Nation hope is a victorious weekend over the Alouettes.

While both plays were fantastic, for many, it was Dressler's presence of mind to scramble home for the TD following his catch that sealed their vote.

As CFL on TSN analyst Jock Climie noted: "It's typical Dressler, it's typical Saskatchewan Roughriders."

Dressler earned his way to the final by first winning a very competitive Pool C with 54% of the vote and then dispatching West Division rival Nik Lewis in the second Semi-Final with a convincing 73% of the vote.

Though Green earned accolades for his catch across the pro football world, even earning a tip of the hat south of the border, the Alouette could not overcome Rider Nation's support for Dressler. It's the second straight year that a Roughrider was won the Play of the Year Showdown.

A year ago, Darian Durant's scramble to avoid the sack and throw a TD earned top honours.

To view all the plays and see the results, click here.

COMMISSIONER'S AWARD - RIDER NATION

Commissioner's Award:

This award is presented annually to someone or a group who have made a tremendous contribution to the Canadian Football League.

This year's recipient of the Commissioner's Award is 'Rider Nation'. While every team in the CFL has tremendous fans, Saskatchewan fans are known for filling stadiums for their team's road games as well as home games, making the Riders the league's best draw.

They are responsible for more than half of the CFL's merchandise sales. And their team's games are routinely among the most watched on TSN.

ALs ACCUSE CFL OF PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT OF RIDERS

Two Montreal Alouettes accused the CFl of favouritism towards the Saskatchewan Roughriders while speaking to a French-language radio station Thursday.

Injured safety Matthieu Proulx and his replacement, Etienne Boulay, dropped the bomb during an interview on Montreal's CKAC AM, an all-sports station, just days before the Als will play the Roughriders in the Grey Cup at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium.

"It seems like the league wants to give us problems by forcing us to do crazy stuff," Proulx said. "In our minds it's clear they want Saskatchewan to win the game. I'm going to drop a bomb but I don't really care ... it got worse this year than it was last year."

To back up his argument, Proulx pointed to the hotels the teams were allocated by the CFL and the dressing rooms.

He said the hotel the Als are staying in is well below the standards of the hotel the Riders are calling home this week. Saskatchewan is also using the Edmonton Eskimos dressing room while Montreal has been relegated to the cramped visitor's room.

"This year again, we still got the cheapest hotel," Proulx said. "We have the visiting locker room, which is small, and we can't use the training room there. But we don't really care. It sucks at first but we got over it.
"Our goal is to win the Grey Cup. We're going to do that, take it back to Montreal and party with our people."

Boulay agreed with Proulx's statement that the Roughriders are getting preferential treatment in Edmonton.

"I feel like it's a slap in the face," Boulay said. "I'd be crazy to think otherwise. It's obvious they put the Riders in the five-star hotel. We're still in the cheap hotel with small rooms that aren't adequate for our needs.

"There was no pool, no hot tub, no ice baths."

Boulay added that the team is using the perceived snub as extra motivation to win their second consecutive Grey Cup. The Als beat the Roughriders in the championship game last year in Calgary.

RIDERS LOVE TO HEAR SOMEONE SAY THEY CAN'T DO IT

EDMONTON — One of the tastiest morsels at Thursday's Grey Cup media breakfast was served up shortly after the final piece of bacon had been (burp) digested.

This correspondent waddled over to Saskatchewan Roughriders receiver Jason Clermont, who was cordial and chatty. About five minutes into the conversation, Clermont referenced a pre-breakfast meeting that had included the Roughriders' quarterbacks, running backs and receivers.

The informal session apparently was more formal than usual, being that the players were resplendent in suits — recommended attire for the media breakfast — while discussing possible strategies and poring over footage of the Montreal Alouettes' defence in preparation for Sunday's CFL final.

"Those are things that we look forward to doing — finding ways to win, especially when the rest of the league doesn't feel like we should be,'' Clermont said after explaining the purpose for the meeting, which was over and above the coach-driven sessions.

Sensing a column in the making, a salivating scribe asked Clermont if he cared to elaborate.

"You draw your own conclusions,'' he responded. "After we beat Calgary last week, we had two all-star defensive backs (Brandon Browner and Dwight Anderson) talk about our receiving corps in not such a great light. So you draw your own inferences as to where the respect lies there.
"We take pride in the fact that no matter what people are saying or how they feel, we just win. We want to continue to do that. The way we do that is we work together and we come up with plans and find different wrinkles in defences and things we can exploit, and try to get those into our game plan.''

It quickly became clear over breakfast that the skeptics have been noted, and hopefully discredited.

"But that's not why we do it,'' Clermont emphasized. "I think that's just our identity. A lot of the guys who are on this team are guys who were counted out or dismissed as being too small, too slow. Chris Getzlaf . . . where did he get drafted? The fifth round? Rob Bagg was undrafted. Weston Dressler is an under-sized player who a lot of NFL scouts wouldn't have even taken a look at out of the University of North Dakota. We've got guys like that all across the board. They're not trying to prove anything, but they've had to work a little harder, a little bit extra, to be able to stand out with their play, as opposed to maybe standing out with their physical attributes.''

Darian Durant is among those players. At 5-foot-11, he is hardly out of Central Casting when it comes to quarterbacks. Yet, he has reached the Grey Cup to punctuate both of his seasons as the Roughriders' unrivalled starting pivot.

"That's what makes us successful — when we hear naysayers, when we hear people say what we can't do,'' said Durant, whose team has won three consecutive games since losing four in a row. "We had people telling us about the kind of slump we're in when we're thinking the complete opposite. I think that's motivation for us.

"You hear everyone say we're lucky, and this and that. Well, luck didn't throw or catch a touchdown pass. Luck didn't run into the end zone. That's us being good and making plays. I think when people don't give us the credit, it kind of motivates us to go out there and prove people
wrong.''

Durant was then asked about the fact that the Riders had only two all-Canadians — slotback Andy Fantuz and safety James Patrick. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers had four CFL all-stars while winning an equal number of games.

"That's fine. Where's Winnipeg?'' Durant said. "You can have as many all-stars as you want to. If you're playing for individual goals, then you're playing the wrong game, because 12 guys are on the field at the same time, and this is the ultimate team sport. They can have MVP. They can have all-stars. They can have league leaders. They can have what they want. We're where we're supposed to be, and we're where they wish they were.''

This is clearly a source of satisfaction.

"It's just a great feeling to prove people wrong,'' Durant said with a smile. "When someone has something negative to say about you when they don't even know you, you just take it and you want to stick it up their you-know-what, because, 'What have I done to you for you to tell me that I can't do it or that I'm terrible or that I'm sorry? No one says that about your kids, so why would you say that about someone else's kids?'

"When someone does it, it gives you that extra motivation — not only for yourself, but for your mom, who has raised you the right way and has taught you not to talk about people and things like that. And when people do it, you want to stick it in their face.''

rvanstone@leaderpost.com
Leader-Post sportswriter Murray McCormick will be tweeting Roughrider news this week from Edmonton. You can follow him at twitter.com/McCormickMurray
Don't forget, the leaderpost.com will be frequently updating you during the Grey Cup game on Twitter at twitter.com/leaderpost and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/reginaleaderpost.
© Copyright (c) The Regina Leader-PostRead more: http://www.leaderpost.com/sports/VANSTONE+Naysayers+motivate+Riders/3885499/story.html#comments#ixzz16MUe42Xe

MOST INTERESTING MAN

Riders coach CFL's 'Most Interesting Man'
By: Ed Tait

Saskatchewan Roughrider Ludovic Kashindi enjoys the privilege of a chat with head coach Ken Miller, the Most Interesting Man in the CFL, on Wednesday. (DAN RIEDLHUBER / REUTERS)

EDMONTON -- Maybe you've seen those 'Most Interesting Man in the World' beer commercials featuring the gravelly-voiced elderly gentleman surrounded by attractive ladies who offers up his views on life and wraps up the spots with the tag line: 'Stay Thirsty, My Friends.'

Small confession: I love that guy.

I love that, according to the ads on TV, he 'once had an awkward moment, just to see what it feels like.' That he 'is the life of parties he never attended' and that 'he's been known to cure narcolepsy just by walking into a room.'

The epitome of cool? Hey, remember 'his personality is so magnetic, he is unable to carry credit cards' and that 'alien abductors have asked him to probe THEM.'

We bring this up today because it was not long into Wednesday morning's annual Grey Cup coaches' press conference when it hit me like a 2 x 4 across the lips: The Most Interesting Man in the World and Saskatchewan Roughriders head coach Ken Miller must have been separated at birth.

Yes, if the Riders' 69-year-old boss was to throw on a black sports jacket, lose his glasses and grow a beard you'd swear he could be featured on all those commercials. And Miller has got the interesting game down pat, too.

Fact is, Miller might just be 'The Most Interesting Man in the CFL.' Sure, his resumé overflows with football accomplishments -- he also coached baseball -- but he was also a high school biology teacher, paints landscapes to relax and is so adored in the Rider locker-room most of his charges would, literally and figuratively, go through a wall for the man.

Look, there are a lot of reasons the Roughriders are back in the championship game, including their deep Canadian talent, the emerging star that is quarterback Darian Durant and a superb coaching staff and front office. But make no mistake, Miller is steering the Rider bus. He is unquestionably their leader and most certainly the main reason so many in the organization have learned to deal with the heartache and scars that came courtesy last year's Grey Cup loss.

That much had already been established during the 2010 regular season but it was hammered home during Wednesday's gathering with the football press from across the nation.

As expected, the 13th-man angle is being beaten to a pulp here this week and it was the first question asked at the coaches' press conference. Now, granted, Miller has had a year to craft an answer, but what he said during the proceedings Wednesday was a small peek at how he's so cleverly managed the issue.

"For us it's an entirely new game," he began. "For those who talk about revenge or redemption... I have found through the years that's a very poor motivator. That's based on emotion. It's not based on intellect. I think revenge and redemption is shallow intellectually. I think the human mind can hold a positive thought or a negative thought, so from a Rider perspective we would much rather think about what lies ahead of us and what we need to do as opposed to what happened to us."
And then this, later on:

"There's no question about it: it was a devastating loss for me, it was a devastating loss for our players. But every one of us in this room has had something devastating happen to them in their lives -- a loss of a loved one, a failed relationship -- and somehow you compartmentalize that and you put it away somewhere and think about it periodically."

But those are things you don't let affect your day-to-day operation and the way you go about your life and preparing your team.
"That's how I've dealt with it personally and that's how I've asked my players to deal with it as a football team."

And so Miller's formula to success isn't exactly complicated. He treats his players with respect and expects them to approach their craft with a hard-hat and work-boot mentality. An example: his 'Rider Rule' -- be where you're supposed to be when you're supposed to be there and get done what needs to be done while you're there.'

OK, so it's not exactly Churchill-esque, but you get his point here. Do your job, play hard, respect your opponent and the game.
Here's the funny thing about the Rider boss, though: were it not for a phone call from Gary Etcheverry in 2002 -- he was the Toronto Argonauts head coach then and is the Riders defensive coordinator now

-- Miller would likely be at home with his wife Maureen right now, perhaps painting another landscape and maybe helping coach kids on the local high school team.

After all, eight years ago he had already taken early retirement from the University of Redlands and, while teaching biology at a high school, was contemplating helping teach special teams at Riverside City College just to, as Miller put it, "supplement my income for a couple of years before I finally slammed the gavel on everything and rode off into the sunset."
Instead, Miller came north to help Etcheverry, coached with the Argos until 2006 -- in that first year he had a sleeping bag under his desk and would roll it out when he was tired and sleep at the office

-- before joining Kent Austin's staff in Saskatchewan in 2007 as dioffensive co-ordinator. After Austin left, then

-GM Eric Tillman promoted Miller to head coach and all he's done is lead the Riders to two straight division finals and twice been a finalist for the CFL's coach-of-the-year award.

But his impact goes beyond the field. This multi-layered man -- The Most Interesting Man in the CFL -- has reached his players in a way many coaches cannot even imagine. And if he is coaching his last game this Sunday, as has been speculated, they'll deeply miss the grandfather figure.

"He's been around awhile, he's a very intelligent person with a lot of interests," said Rider veteran lineman Gene Makowsky. "He's a strong family man. He's always telling us to keep that as the main thing in your life. When things don't go well and break down you'll always have your family to fall back on.

He's just been so steady. Everyone that's been around him respects him. We'll go through a wall for him."

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca