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."
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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.
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.''
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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.
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.''
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.''
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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
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