This Week's Non-Tigercat Games

I suppose I should comment on the three non Tigercat games this week, considering the importance of these games early in the season for the East division standings.

Ok, the first game, Calgary at Montreal, which is just about to start. I think Montreal is slightly favoured and with some justification. I think this game will really prove if Montreal is actually for real. Montreal has always been good at home (as have most CFL teams) so they have to have some edge there. I'm not really a huge fan of Henry Burris. He has always seemed to me to be a big numbers guy without a big winning record. Anyways, I'm going with Montreal, with the caveat that Calvillo will get injured (heartwarming cancer story notwithstanding) for a number of games at some point this year, wherein the team will go into a tailspin. Not this week though.

The Argos at Edmonton. A hard game to pick. If the Argos can't get their defence going, they are done. With all the Bishop waivers BS week, I can't think it will help the Argos offence, although teams often seem to have a habit of kicking ass for one game in such a situation and then sucking. With all the Argos' former NFLer receivers injured, I can't think their offence will do much. Ricky Ray? I don't trust prematurely balding quarterbacks for some reason (although I might have been horribly scarred by Jason Maass). Ray to me is another big numbers guy who doesn't have the winning percentage you would think. I know he has won a Grey Cup, but then so has Marcus Crandell. Crap versus crap, I'll pick the home team.

BC at Winnipeg. Neither of these teams is very good so far and one thing we do know now is that Jarious Jackson is not very good and that Buck Pierce has my dreaded Stamp of Brittleness(TM). No Joe Smith this week either at running back. Winnipeg isn't terrible and with a bit of better play in the first game versus the Argos in the second half, they may not be 0-2. Glenn is decent, although better with Milt Stegall in the lineup. I have to take Winnipeg at home, decent quarterback plus a good running back.

One final point, what is up with these Amway ads (sorry Quickstar) on TSN? I like John Tesh's line about proudly operating as Quickstar in North America. I guess operating as Amway would just be embarassing.