It’s my Parting Shot for my Monday Musings…..

I’m happy to say that I finally got the answer to the question that had me more puzzled, than I normally am, from during this past Saturday’s Blades’ broadcast on CJWW. My query was, how could the Saskatchewan Roughriders be claiming to have clinched a playoff spot with Saturday’s 16-12 triumph over Montreal when the other two teams they were battling with to stay out of the C-F-L West basement both had the tie-breaker advantage on the Green and White? How do the Riders get into the post-season tournament if they ended up 9-9 and tied with Winnipeg and Calgary? Well, it turns out the fact that the C-F-L is only a nine-team league and everybody plays 18 games, making for an unbalanced schedule, worked to Saskatchewan’s advantage! You see, the Roughriders split each of their two-game series with the Bombers and Stampeders and lost the tie-breaker due to points scored in those games. However, Winnipeg beat Calgary in two out of three meetings this season. So, the Bombers win in B-C this coming weekend and the Green and White lose at home to Edmonton, leaving the Riders, Winnipeg and Stamps all at 9-9, the Bombers get third place with a 3-2 record in games against the other two, Saskatchewan gets fourth spot and the crossover berth into the East Division because of their 2-2 record and Calgary misses out because they were 2-3. The other three possible results combinations this coming weekend all end up with the Roughriders either finishing third or fourth and in the playoffs! Capiche?!

Now, the next question is, do the Green and White want to finish third in the West and travel to B-C for the first round of the playoffs or do they prefer finishing fourth and going to Toronto for the East semi-final? I tend to favour the latter option, even though history doesn’t back that sort of strategy or idea up!

And, I have to giggle at some of my media colleagues from Regina who are very pro anything about the Queen City – deluded thinking as that is – who are amazed on social media that the Saskatoon Hilltops didn’t bring the Prairie Football Conference trophy with them to Leibel Field for yesterday’s Conference final. The Thunder won, 44-19, but there was no championship trophy for them to celebrate with! Classic P-F-C move – no wonder the Toppers are disliked, maybe even despised, by all the other five teams! I must admit, I love it!!

That’s my Parting Shot. I’m Les Lazaruk…and it turned out nice again!