ARG!

The final score didn't tell the story of the game.

Here's my two cents... er... ok... buck fifty.

Two good things:

1. Austin finally found his friggin' challenge flag. Good, good. Nice to see him use it! Keep it up.

2. The third down gamble by B.C. inside their own 20 yard line will go as one of my favourite plays of the season - hands down! Sacked Jackson on their 15 to take over the ball. Would have loved to see Buono's face on that one. Hurts, don't it, Wally?

Kudos for our defense for coming through on that play in a big big way. No one was getting through the green wall that time!

Two things that were not so good:

1. Six times. Not once, not twice, not even thrice, but ... well... you get it. SIX FREAKING TIMES Jarious Jackson hands the ball to Joe Smith who walks around for a pick up of seven or so yards. Do it once and way to go, nice play. Big whoop. Do it twice and I think... well hey they found a weakness, go for it.

After third time I screamed myself hoarse!

Hello...! Defense...! You there?

Knock, knock. Anybody home?

I'm not very bright when it comes to football plays. But even I could tell you what the B.C. team was about to pull.

Seriously.

Could they not see him coming?

Did they think he was going to trip eventually or tire from carrying the ball all the time?

Come on, defense! Pick up the guy and haul his butt down. They gave you six times to figure it out. Pick up the learning curve a bit there.

Smith eventually carried the ball in for a TD. On the same freakin' play.

Six times.

I'm telling you...

2. Something I've learned this season... you don't ever throw a helmet. You never ever rip the helmet off of your teammate or an opposing team member. It is the ultimate in disrespect in football. Football is a violent game and their helmets are the biggest piece of safety equipment.

This is a dangerous sport and so you don't mess around with the helmet.

Ask the kid in college ball in the States who was told a few weeks ago he'd never walk again after a hit in a Buffalo Bills game just how dangerous. (A neuro-surgeon later said... oops, we jumped the gun on that one, he'll probably walk again...)

Don't even get me started on their cleats in those big pile ups.

That's why there are hefty fines and usually an automatic game ejection for a helmet violation.

In all my football watching career I have never seen such an objectional display of poor sportmanship and judgement on behalf of a professional sports team.

B.C. had better learn to reign it in because for the second time in two games they played with a man down because someone got ejected from the game.

That's not the story, though.

In fact, I initially thought the officials might have gotten the number wrong when they ejected #18 after a hockey brawl broke out on the field after Saskatchewan sacked Jarious Jackson.

I thought they got the number wrong because #55 went into the melee throwing punches. Yes, punchES in plural. And a knee.

And ended his little hockey outing by ripping the helmet off Scott Schultz who later had to be held back from ripping apart the offending player. God bless whoever held him back because as you may know... Scott's not a small guy and it wasn't easy.

In the end B.C. got off lucky that they weren't down two men. And what that says to me is their team is playing lose and emotional.

And that, my dear little green friends, is a very bad thing for Mr. Wally.

Because the team I saw wearing orange and black tonight was totally a beatable team. They didn't win because they played well. In fact, they played terrible. The only thing that kept them alive was Joe Smith. (SIX TIMES!) They squeaked out a win in a game that could have gone either way.

They got lucky on the ejection and they got lucky in the final point total. And as my grandfather used to say... Luck don't last forever.

So should we meet this team in the playoffs, I'll put money on my Riders any day of the week. Because B.C. showed today Saskatchewan might be the only team that can beat them. If for no other reason than that they lose their cool around us.

They are beatable. Trust.

But back to Saskatchewan...

Nice to see their back on the field and playing the game. In fact, I'd say all round improvement in every department. The game could have gone either way. If they can keep their head about them and not let this loss get to them they might actually be able to salvage the season.

The season is still circling the down the spout, but there's still time.

And again... I say if we meet B.C. again we won't be making the same mistakes we did tonight.

One more freebie:

If Geroy Simon wasn't so darned likeable I think I would actually hate the man. He's infuriatingly effective. Still... it was nice to see him drop a few balls tonight.