ARGOS RELEASE PICTON
6 years ago
Monday, March 30, 2009
We will be moving
We are going to over the next few days be moving this site. The new address will be www.ridersradio.com On the new site we are going to have forums, as well as a feature by Calvin Daniels, as well as streaming audio in the new football season is a goal. Sign up as a member and enjoy all the perks. http://www.ridersradio.com for all the goods! We hope to have all features up by kick off of the regular season. There will also be info on our bus trips coming up as well in short order!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Touchdowns from the chesterfield – Vol IIBy Calvin Daniels
Touchdowns from the chesterfield – Vol IIBy Calvin Daniels
If we were Americans we would be falling all over ourselves with the emergence of a new sports celebrity.Alas, in Canada we are too reserved for that. So when Jesse Lumsden recently teamed with pilot Pierre Lueders to become national two-man bobsleigh champions, it was accomplished with sadly little fanfare.The championship run at Whistler Sliding Centre may be the first step in what could be a truly amazing two-sport career for Lumsden who of course also plays football in the Canadian Football League.Jesse, the son of former CFL stand-out Neil Lumsden, is a rumbling power back who looked outstanding at times with the Hamilton Tiger Cats, although his career to-date has been punctured with injuries, limiting the impact he might have had in the league.Lumsden is now on the Edmonton Eskimo roster, where if healthy, he could blossom into a true superstar. The fans in Edmonton are going to love him, since the Esks are where his father shone for years.And, you just have a feeling Richie Hall, Edmonton's new head coach, will get the most out of the big backfielder. Lumsden could be just the counter balance to the air attack of Ricky Ray, arguably the best quarterback in the CFL, to really turn the Eskimo offence into a fearsome unit.But, back to what Lumsden accomplished on the bobsled track. It was something that has to be deemed amazing already.Lueders with Lumsden on the brake clocked a two-run combined time of one minute, 44.73 seconds to finish in first place, pretty impressive given Lumsden is a newcomer to the sport.With the 2010 Winter Olympic around the corner, and on Canadian soil, the question of whether Lumsden might be there, is a delicious one from the point of view of creating a Canadian hero. Imagine for a moment that Lumsden puts together a healthy CFL season, and is among the running elite, as his skill suggest he could be.Then imagine weeks after the CFL season he steps to the Olympic podium for a medal."When I volunteered to give bobsleigh a try, I never figured I would end up at this point. I think any athlete would take full advantage of the opportunity to possibly represent his or her country at the Olympics,'' Lumsden said in a Canadian Press story.Whether he achieves such success, or not, there is a story to be told as he makes the attempt.Think for a moment how revered tow-sport stars are in the United States. Bo Jackson was a huge media star when he played in both the NFL with Oakland, and initially with the Kansas City Royals in pro baseball.Deion Sanders was considered one of the NFL's best cornerback, and also played some solid major league baseball.In their time Jackson and Sanders were huge stars, in large part because of their two-sport status.In Canada we don't build our heroes the same way.Just look at Gerry James, who earned a spot in the CFL Hall of Fame for his gridiron prowess, and played with the Toronto Maple Leafs at a time when that was tough with inly six teams in the league. It was a career now all but forgotten.Now we have Lumsden who could emerge as a true two-sport star. A Canadian born CFLer, with sky's the limit potential, who just might be an Olympic star in the making too. It's the stuff of legend, something we need more of in Canada.I can see the posters, the advertising, the memorabilia surrounding the year to come for Lumsden. He could become an athlete for Canadian youth to look up to, and to aspire to mimic at a time hen too many sports heroes are shrouded in the doubt of drug scandals, and the malaise which seems to surround pro sports. Any doubt of that, look no further than the healthy baseball players who refused to take part in the recent Would Baseball Classic.A big year, and Lumsden just might prove sports stars are worthy of being our heroes because of what they do.Go Jesse
If we were Americans we would be falling all over ourselves with the emergence of a new sports celebrity.Alas, in Canada we are too reserved for that. So when Jesse Lumsden recently teamed with pilot Pierre Lueders to become national two-man bobsleigh champions, it was accomplished with sadly little fanfare.The championship run at Whistler Sliding Centre may be the first step in what could be a truly amazing two-sport career for Lumsden who of course also plays football in the Canadian Football League.Jesse, the son of former CFL stand-out Neil Lumsden, is a rumbling power back who looked outstanding at times with the Hamilton Tiger Cats, although his career to-date has been punctured with injuries, limiting the impact he might have had in the league.Lumsden is now on the Edmonton Eskimo roster, where if healthy, he could blossom into a true superstar. The fans in Edmonton are going to love him, since the Esks are where his father shone for years.And, you just have a feeling Richie Hall, Edmonton's new head coach, will get the most out of the big backfielder. Lumsden could be just the counter balance to the air attack of Ricky Ray, arguably the best quarterback in the CFL, to really turn the Eskimo offence into a fearsome unit.But, back to what Lumsden accomplished on the bobsled track. It was something that has to be deemed amazing already.Lueders with Lumsden on the brake clocked a two-run combined time of one minute, 44.73 seconds to finish in first place, pretty impressive given Lumsden is a newcomer to the sport.With the 2010 Winter Olympic around the corner, and on Canadian soil, the question of whether Lumsden might be there, is a delicious one from the point of view of creating a Canadian hero. Imagine for a moment that Lumsden puts together a healthy CFL season, and is among the running elite, as his skill suggest he could be.Then imagine weeks after the CFL season he steps to the Olympic podium for a medal."When I volunteered to give bobsleigh a try, I never figured I would end up at this point. I think any athlete would take full advantage of the opportunity to possibly represent his or her country at the Olympics,'' Lumsden said in a Canadian Press story.Whether he achieves such success, or not, there is a story to be told as he makes the attempt.Think for a moment how revered tow-sport stars are in the United States. Bo Jackson was a huge media star when he played in both the NFL with Oakland, and initially with the Kansas City Royals in pro baseball.Deion Sanders was considered one of the NFL's best cornerback, and also played some solid major league baseball.In their time Jackson and Sanders were huge stars, in large part because of their two-sport status.In Canada we don't build our heroes the same way.Just look at Gerry James, who earned a spot in the CFL Hall of Fame for his gridiron prowess, and played with the Toronto Maple Leafs at a time when that was tough with inly six teams in the league. It was a career now all but forgotten.Now we have Lumsden who could emerge as a true two-sport star. A Canadian born CFLer, with sky's the limit potential, who just might be an Olympic star in the making too. It's the stuff of legend, something we need more of in Canada.I can see the posters, the advertising, the memorabilia surrounding the year to come for Lumsden. He could become an athlete for Canadian youth to look up to, and to aspire to mimic at a time hen too many sports heroes are shrouded in the doubt of drug scandals, and the malaise which seems to surround pro sports. Any doubt of that, look no further than the healthy baseball players who refused to take part in the recent Would Baseball Classic.A big year, and Lumsden just might prove sports stars are worthy of being our heroes because of what they do.Go Jesse
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Appointment of Curtis Emerson as Director, Events & Production For the CFL
The Canadian Football League (CFL) added some valuable experience to its roster today with the appointment of Curtis Emerson as Director, Events & Production.
"Curtis brings a wealth of experience to the CFL that will benefit us as we continue to grow all of our annual events, especially our premier event, the Grey Cup," said Jamie Nishino, Vice President of Marketing & Broadcasting for the CFL.
Emerson, most recently with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE), brings more than 20 years of experience to the CFL. He has worked for two NBA franchises, the Detroit Pistons and the Toronto Raptors, as well as the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs. During his tenure with MLSE, Emerson managed the broadcast and production facilities at Air Canada Centre including the recent HD upgrade. He also played an integral role in the design and implementation of the technical facilities at both the Ricoh Coliseum and BMO Field. Also an experienced production professional, Emerson directed and managed stadium shows for sports teams, touring events and concerts.
For the CFL, Emerson will be responsible for the management and execution of all events, including Canada's largest sporting event, the Grey Cup.
"The CFL and the Grey Cup is such a big part of our Country's culture," said Emerson. "I'm honoured and excited to join the CFL team in delivering this world class event to millions of Canadians each year. I am a lifelong CFL fan and I look forward to this new challenge."
Emerson officially begins his new role with the CFL on April 1st.
"Curtis brings a wealth of experience to the CFL that will benefit us as we continue to grow all of our annual events, especially our premier event, the Grey Cup," said Jamie Nishino, Vice President of Marketing & Broadcasting for the CFL.
Emerson, most recently with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE), brings more than 20 years of experience to the CFL. He has worked for two NBA franchises, the Detroit Pistons and the Toronto Raptors, as well as the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs. During his tenure with MLSE, Emerson managed the broadcast and production facilities at Air Canada Centre including the recent HD upgrade. He also played an integral role in the design and implementation of the technical facilities at both the Ricoh Coliseum and BMO Field. Also an experienced production professional, Emerson directed and managed stadium shows for sports teams, touring events and concerts.
For the CFL, Emerson will be responsible for the management and execution of all events, including Canada's largest sporting event, the Grey Cup.
"The CFL and the Grey Cup is such a big part of our Country's culture," said Emerson. "I'm honoured and excited to join the CFL team in delivering this world class event to millions of Canadians each year. I am a lifelong CFL fan and I look forward to this new challenge."
Emerson officially begins his new role with the CFL on April 1st.
Spring Expo
We are going to be at spring expo in Yorkton this year. April 17-19th. We will be signing intrested parties in taking a bus to Regina for Saskatchewan Roughrider games. The cost will be 120 a person. With this you get, Game ticket,food, and trasnsportation. We will also are also working on details to bring a few of the Riders on the bus after the game to sign some autographs and meet up with everyone. THere is also a season pass for 1000 bucks. This does not include labour day. Because unfortunately, we do not know if we will be able to get Labour Day tickets. On April 18 at spring expo around noon we will tape a show live on ridersradio.com with hall of famer broadcaster and good friend of mine John Lynch. On April 17th btw 1 and 2 we will have fox fm live on location and they will also be live on location between 5 and 6pm. Talking about the site and bus trip. Get your tickets soon before they run out. once we sell out there will not be another bus.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
NEW MEMBERS, NEW CHAIR, NEW DIRECTION FOR CANADIAN FOOTBALL HALL OF FAMEBoard votes in favour of Hall of Fame Weekend 2009 in Winnipeg
Hamilton, ON - (March 10, 2009) - The Canadian Football Hall of Fame has a new chair, some new board members and a new idea.
The new chair is McMaster University professor Steve Howse.
Along with Howse, the new members are Murray Souter, former chief executive of Black's camera, and former Hamilton Tiger-Cat quarterback Dave Marler, a local investment counsellor.
And the new idea is moving this year's Hall of Fame weekend -- set for this Sept. 24-26 -- to the city of Winnipeg.
All of these changes became official at a meeting of the Hall's Board of Directors last evening.
"Like the Grey Cup trophy itself, the Hall resides here in Hamilton, but it truly belongs to all Canadians," Howse said.
"So it makes sense to share our annual induction weekend, and the festivities that go with it, with some other Canadian Football League cities. This will help raise the Hall's national profile, and generate some new revenue, both of which will help us reach our eventual goal: a new or at least improved Canadian Football Hall of Fame, right here in Hamilton."
The first order of business last night, however, was a tribute issued to three outgoing members of the Hall of Fame board: former chair Bill Tidball, Mario Vespa and Gabe Macaluso.
"In total, these three gentlemen have dedicated more than 40 years of service to the Hall, out of their love for Canadian football, and their dedication to the city of Hamilton," Howse said. "Our city, and all Canadians who love the game of football, along with the men honoured here as inductees, owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude."
All three men were appointees of the Canadian Football League. Other board members are appointed by the City of Hamilton.
"As we approach the playing of the one hundredth Grey Cup game in 2012, the history and tradition of our great game, and its greatest players, coaches and builders, has never been more important," said CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon.
"The time and effort contributed by these men, and all members of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame's board, should be appreciated by everyone associated with our league, from our players to our fans to team executives."
The Canadian Football Hall of Fame and Museum is a non-profit registered charity that has been located in Hamilton since 1962. The current hall of fame was established beside the city's municipal building in 1968. The current facility was opened in 1972.
"The fact that the area surrounding Hamilton City Hall is now under renovation, making the movement of vehicles and parking difficult, was another factor in the decision to take the induction weekend on the road this year," said Mark DeNobile, the Hall's executive director.
"Organizers in Winnipeg, along with the Blue Bombers football club, are very excited by this news and are looking forward to a tremendous event."
The induction class of 2009, as well as details on the Canadian Football Hall of Fame Induction Weekend and Game in Winnipeg, will be announced soon.
Hamilton, ON - (March 10, 2009) - The Canadian Football Hall of Fame has a new chair, some new board members and a new idea.
The new chair is McMaster University professor Steve Howse.
Along with Howse, the new members are Murray Souter, former chief executive of Black's camera, and former Hamilton Tiger-Cat quarterback Dave Marler, a local investment counsellor.
And the new idea is moving this year's Hall of Fame weekend -- set for this Sept. 24-26 -- to the city of Winnipeg.
All of these changes became official at a meeting of the Hall's Board of Directors last evening.
"Like the Grey Cup trophy itself, the Hall resides here in Hamilton, but it truly belongs to all Canadians," Howse said.
"So it makes sense to share our annual induction weekend, and the festivities that go with it, with some other Canadian Football League cities. This will help raise the Hall's national profile, and generate some new revenue, both of which will help us reach our eventual goal: a new or at least improved Canadian Football Hall of Fame, right here in Hamilton."
The first order of business last night, however, was a tribute issued to three outgoing members of the Hall of Fame board: former chair Bill Tidball, Mario Vespa and Gabe Macaluso.
"In total, these three gentlemen have dedicated more than 40 years of service to the Hall, out of their love for Canadian football, and their dedication to the city of Hamilton," Howse said. "Our city, and all Canadians who love the game of football, along with the men honoured here as inductees, owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude."
All three men were appointees of the Canadian Football League. Other board members are appointed by the City of Hamilton.
"As we approach the playing of the one hundredth Grey Cup game in 2012, the history and tradition of our great game, and its greatest players, coaches and builders, has never been more important," said CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon.
"The time and effort contributed by these men, and all members of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame's board, should be appreciated by everyone associated with our league, from our players to our fans to team executives."
The Canadian Football Hall of Fame and Museum is a non-profit registered charity that has been located in Hamilton since 1962. The current hall of fame was established beside the city's municipal building in 1968. The current facility was opened in 1972.
"The fact that the area surrounding Hamilton City Hall is now under renovation, making the movement of vehicles and parking difficult, was another factor in the decision to take the induction weekend on the road this year," said Mark DeNobile, the Hall's executive director.
"Organizers in Winnipeg, along with the Blue Bombers football club, are very excited by this news and are looking forward to a tremendous event."
The induction class of 2009, as well as details on the Canadian Football Hall of Fame Induction Weekend and Game in Winnipeg, will be announced soon.
Touchdowns from the chesterfield
By Calvin Daniels
Sometimes you just have to smile when you realize for the most part the powers that be in the Canadian Football League are working toward making the game even more exciting.
The League has announced its Board of Governors are considering a number of rules changes, changes already approved by the league's rules committee.
The most interesting, a potentially exciting of the moves would give the coaches the green light to use so called "wildcat" formations that would move the quarterback around, instead of requiring him to stand behind or under centre.
In a league already as wide open as the CFL is offensively, the idea of diversifying formations for the quarterback is tantalizing as a way to create new opportunities for the offence.
While generally the new formations might amount to a few specialty plays in a game, it will create some unusual sets which defences will need to adjust too. The more a defence has to change its normal coverages, the more likely a receiver or running back will be sprung for a gain.
The change will be an excellent addition to the CFL, in particular for the more non-traditional head coaches and offensive coordinators, those willing to switch things up, and go a little wild.
The new formations will also tend to favour mobile quarterbacks, those who are already adept at being creative,
It would have been great for a QB such as Doug Flutie, who would have no doubt been even more elusive and successful with a few more play sets in his repertoire.
Of the current set of pivots in the league, someone such as Kerry Joseph could benefit, although we saw last season how ineffective he was in Toronto where the idea of razzle-dazzle on offence was to go to the shotgun formation.
Given a bit more flare on offence, Joseph could be a huge fan of the so-called 'wildcat' formations in a hurry.
Two other rule changes up for consideration focus on the kicking game, although neither eliminates the silly one-point awarded on a missed field goal, which remains perhaps the dumbest scoring rule in all of sports.
What the changes could do is see a bit more focus on actually football plays rather than kicks.
The first idea is to move back the kick-off following a safety touch, to reduce the number of times a team chooses to take a knee in its own end zone.
OK that one is pretty straight forward, and makes sense without changing much in terms of the game. It basically means we might see a few more run-outs on kicks to the end zone, although maybe not as many as those calling for the change think. It's still a risk that you could end pinned inside the 10 if you chance to run it out, and a kick even from the 25-yard line is still going to be considered a better option in most cases by most coaches.
Another change would require a team that kicks a successful field goal to then kick off to its' opponents, increasing the number of kick returns,
Here is another solid decision, since returns are potentially one of the most exciting plays in the game, so anything which adds a few more to a game, is generally positive.
The fourth recommendation would awarding a team a third challenge of an official's ruling using instant replay if its' first two challenges are successful.
While this one seems logical. How many times do we want a ref under the hood reviewing tape? The league should have more confidence in its official than to want to add more reviews to the system.
It is positive that all four proposed rule changes were suggested by CFL fans as for the first time the League called for suggestions from the people that matter most. Fans responded with some 2,000 suggestions suggesting CFL lovers want to be involved in their game.
"We tend to look at our game like a precious stone that has been in the family for generations: we're willing to put a new shine on it, but we strive to be very careful not to damage it," said Tom Higgins, the CFL's director of officiating and a member of the rules committee in a release. "We feel the rule changes we've discussed today can improve an already great product, and now the final say rests with our board."
Higgins is right, the moves are generally good, made more interesting in that they came from the fans. Just let's hope the Governors are wise enough to implement the changes for the upcoming season
Sometimes you just have to smile when you realize for the most part the powers that be in the Canadian Football League are working toward making the game even more exciting.
The League has announced its Board of Governors are considering a number of rules changes, changes already approved by the league's rules committee.
The most interesting, a potentially exciting of the moves would give the coaches the green light to use so called "wildcat" formations that would move the quarterback around, instead of requiring him to stand behind or under centre.
In a league already as wide open as the CFL is offensively, the idea of diversifying formations for the quarterback is tantalizing as a way to create new opportunities for the offence.
While generally the new formations might amount to a few specialty plays in a game, it will create some unusual sets which defences will need to adjust too. The more a defence has to change its normal coverages, the more likely a receiver or running back will be sprung for a gain.
The change will be an excellent addition to the CFL, in particular for the more non-traditional head coaches and offensive coordinators, those willing to switch things up, and go a little wild.
The new formations will also tend to favour mobile quarterbacks, those who are already adept at being creative,
It would have been great for a QB such as Doug Flutie, who would have no doubt been even more elusive and successful with a few more play sets in his repertoire.
Of the current set of pivots in the league, someone such as Kerry Joseph could benefit, although we saw last season how ineffective he was in Toronto where the idea of razzle-dazzle on offence was to go to the shotgun formation.
Given a bit more flare on offence, Joseph could be a huge fan of the so-called 'wildcat' formations in a hurry.
Two other rule changes up for consideration focus on the kicking game, although neither eliminates the silly one-point awarded on a missed field goal, which remains perhaps the dumbest scoring rule in all of sports.
What the changes could do is see a bit more focus on actually football plays rather than kicks.
The first idea is to move back the kick-off following a safety touch, to reduce the number of times a team chooses to take a knee in its own end zone.
OK that one is pretty straight forward, and makes sense without changing much in terms of the game. It basically means we might see a few more run-outs on kicks to the end zone, although maybe not as many as those calling for the change think. It's still a risk that you could end pinned inside the 10 if you chance to run it out, and a kick even from the 25-yard line is still going to be considered a better option in most cases by most coaches.
Another change would require a team that kicks a successful field goal to then kick off to its' opponents, increasing the number of kick returns,
Here is another solid decision, since returns are potentially one of the most exciting plays in the game, so anything which adds a few more to a game, is generally positive.
The fourth recommendation would awarding a team a third challenge of an official's ruling using instant replay if its' first two challenges are successful.
While this one seems logical. How many times do we want a ref under the hood reviewing tape? The league should have more confidence in its official than to want to add more reviews to the system.
It is positive that all four proposed rule changes were suggested by CFL fans as for the first time the League called for suggestions from the people that matter most. Fans responded with some 2,000 suggestions suggesting CFL lovers want to be involved in their game.
"We tend to look at our game like a precious stone that has been in the family for generations: we're willing to put a new shine on it, but we strive to be very careful not to damage it," said Tom Higgins, the CFL's director of officiating and a member of the rules committee in a release. "We feel the rule changes we've discussed today can improve an already great product, and now the final say rests with our board."
Higgins is right, the moves are generally good, made more interesting in that they came from the fans. Just let's hope the Governors are wise enough to implement the changes for the upcoming season
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