It’s my Parting Shot for post Labour Day Weekend Classic Tuesday Tidbits…..
The Saskatchewan Roughriders won the 61st edition over the arch-rival Winnipeg Blue Bombers – in spite of their place kicker and their inability to execute a two-point convert. That game should’ve never gone to overtime! Two missed field goals by Alex Hale and not making a two-point convert after Touchdown Tommy Stevens’ second major score, just before the Bombers drove the field for a touchdown to force O-T, meant the Green and White gave the largest-ever attendance at “New” Mosaic Stadium some bonus football. That should’ve never happened, the Riders should have had anywhere between a nine to 14-point lead going into the final minute of the fourth quarter!!
The time has come to stop making excuses for Alex Hale. The Aussie place-kicker is 10th in the C-F-L in, both, field goal percentage and one-point convert percentage. And, the league only has nine teams! To quote head coach Corey Mace – next man up!!
Hale’s lack of reliability had very little to do with Mace deciding to go for the two-point conversion with just under a minute to play. If Saskatchewan could’ve made that, it was a nine-point lead and game over! As it turned out, the Bombers ended up tying the game and lost in O-T!
Speaking of the Green and White not making a two-point convert, they couldn’t execute in the overtime and were fortunate the defence saved the day!!
Jameer Thurman is tied for fourth in the league with 66 defensive tackles. The 65th and 66th take downs were the biggest of the game on Sunday – if not the season thus far, in my humble opinion! In fact, I’m willing to speculate that the Riders’ middle linebacker has made more key or critical tackles than anyone else in the C-F-L and should be All-C-F-L at that position!!
By the way, while Rider Nation is still being somewhat ticky-tack about some things, beyond Alex Hale and not executing two-point converts, the bloom is definitely off the rose for Winnipeg fans with their long-time, uber successful head coach Mike O’Shea! Considering the fact that there are no more times after two overtime possessions and the game is decided, eventually, by one team making a two-point convert while the other doesn’t – “For the W” fans are upset that O’Shea didn’t go “For the W” after scoring the touchdown with time done in the fourth quarter, rather than play it safe and go to overtime! I can’t say I disagree with them!!
That’s my Parting Shot. I’m Les Lazaruk…and it turned out nice again!
