CFL Week 20 Results + Reactions! Winners and Losers From CFL 2024 Week 20!!

CFL Week 20 Results + Reactions! Winner and Losers From CFL Week 20! We went LIVE on Monday, October 21st to recap and react to CFL week 20! Join Anthony Miller and me as we react to the 20th week of CFL gameplay and take your comments and questions live!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:31):
Well, let's see if I remember how to do this
back inside here to get the desk and lighting. And
I've even installed like new shelving since I did the lighting.
I'm like, oh shoot, I got it. Readjust all this.
We're back here. Anthony was asking like, how long has
it been since you guys have done the show? Five weeks?
Last time Jason and I did a show was week fifteen.
CFL been traveling a lot with work and talking with

(00:53):
Jason offline and obviously all the guys Anthony Miller, who
scheduling knows is going to be on here today. Here
are lots of CFL been tracking everything. Just I haven't
been home on a Monday since whatever the last time
I did it. So do the mat there. But we
are back here, Anthony. I traveled up to the Homeland.
I have my football Canada that had on. I did
the whole thing this weekend. I really did think that

(01:15):
we ended up not having time Friday night, but I
was gonna post something that like if the Lions lost,
I was gonna eat poutine because we've had all these
things lately, Like you know, if MSU lose, is we're
gonna eat dog poop whatever, I was gonna do that
because I figure that's the closest thing Canada has right
to know. I won't say that, but we have Anthony Miller,
Anthony Howard, you ser hopping on here today scheduling issues.

(01:36):
Jason couldn't make it all, but Anthony's here.

Speaker 2 (01:39):
I appreciating on Everything is good. CFL seasons coming to
a close. We're in the final week, so playoffs are
going to be interesting. I know we got some seating
that we need to kind of figure out. But it's
been a wild ride this season for sure.

Speaker 1 (01:53):
Yeah, so we'll do we'll kind of do a deep
dive here, a little bit into, you know, just the
weekend games. We'll do full play by play. I was
at the BC Lions game, share thoughts on that, lots
of thoughts on Nathan Mork and Brendan Adams and all that.
I hung out with Farhan and Jim Mullen. I saw Blake,
one of the other CFL content creators at CFL fan Fanatic.
I think as the account saw them as well. I was,

(02:15):
you know, taking care of as always by the BC Allions.
We'll see here. Plan is in some form or fashion
doing shows here. The rest of the time through Great Cup,
like and subscribe if you're in tuned with that, we'll
figure out what we're doing kind of off season. I
know Jason and I have kind of batted back and
forth of like that's kind of a lot of work
right now. I've just been crazy busy. I haven't had

(02:35):
time to think about it. But we're going to go
lock steam here. So like I said, make sure you subscribe,
applied everything for credentials. We'll see how that goes. Haven't
been as active this season. They didn't get involved in
whatever that partner program was. That's okay, that's okay, maybe
next year, but we'll be there in some form of
fashion Gray Cup. I know the BC Lions are going
to play the SUP at Radio Row. I'm sure Anthony

(02:57):
can call in. I know Jason's going to be there
and Evan and I think Andy's coming. I haven't even
gotten the whole lift, but we'll do all that big blowout.
So like when subscribe, Anthony, you know you right if
no one has tracked and I can't imagine him listening
to this, hasn't tracked Anthony with everything at Sports Illustrated
and Fandation and all that stuff. Extensive work covering everything.

(03:19):
Make sure you follow his stuff off there in the
thoughts here of the season, you know, Winnipeg still in front,
Like what do you think here? I don't know if
we've had you on one of these recaps, so kind
of like bird's eye view thirty thousand feet, what do
you think?

Speaker 2 (03:32):
I think the I would say the Winnipeg's been the
most impressive team.

Speaker 3 (03:36):
I mean, you talk about a team that started two
and six. Everyone thought Zach Klaris was washed.

Speaker 2 (03:41):
This was an offense that was could not get anything
going in the passing game, even though their defense was
still among one of the best. But they hunk tough
and they were able to kind of ride out the
season and now they're on top of the West Division
and really one went away from winning the West Division titles.
So I've been very impressed with what Winnipeg's done. Sasketchewe,
I really think Corey Mays needs to be up for

(04:03):
Coach of the Year. I think he's done a phenomenal
job with the Saskatchewan team. This was a defense last
year one of the worst in the league, and he
was able to, you know, have him in the top four,
you know, consistently throughout the season, the job he's done
with you know, Trevor Harris, he has shown some improvement
this season. Uh, this is a very balanced offense and
defense between Saskatchewan and they've really come on strong here

(04:24):
late in the season. So, I mean the West Division,
I know the records don't really show like it's that great,
but it's a it's been a really competitive division and
I think there's a lot more talent there than we think.
I would also say, like kudos to Hamilton. I really
think this has probably been the best team in the
CFL over the last month or I think on a

(04:44):
they've won for the last five games. This was a
team that you know, unfortunately they got hot at the
wrong time, but you know, they've been super competitive throughout
the last month or two. Bow Levi Mitchell has been great.
He's kind of found a resurgence in his career. You know,
a month ago I was called for maybe Bo to
maybe retire at the end of the season, go join
TSN and started his broadcasting career. But yeah, I mean

(05:06):
he's he's shown to probably be the most consistent quarterback
in the CFL and probably has bought himself another year
or two if he wanted to play in this league.
So it's a shame that Ottawa is in the playoffs
because I'll be honest with you, I would rather see
Hamilton in the playoffs because I think that team is
better overall offensively and defensively than the Red Blacks are,
especially since Chris Jones joined to do the defensive play calling.

(05:29):
I know Eminton Elt fans are kind of still have
their feelings about him, but he has done a lot
for this Hamilton defense. I think they're allowing five or
six points less with Chris Jones calling the defensive plays,
and they weren't before him.

Speaker 3 (05:42):
So yeah, those are the teams I've been most impressed with.

Speaker 2 (05:45):
And you know, it's disappointed that Hamilton's on the playoffs
because I really think they probably deserve it right now
over Ottawa.

Speaker 1 (05:51):
Well, and that's I know we've Jason and I have
talked about that before, both online and off of you know,
it's a shame that Hamilton always seems to start so slow.
I just because they really dug themselves so much of
a hole here earlier in the season right to be
able to come out and do that now. And like
you said, with Ottawa and we were tracking what was
that the earlier in the game Saturday when I was
trying to get Yeah, we were getting to the BC

(06:13):
Lions game and all that, and we had it up
on the phone. I'm like, uh, you know, for a
game that really could have got you home field advantage here,
you know, you they do really well at home right
kind of support their fans really came out laid egg.
I know it looked closer at the end, and we'll
talk through all that, but yeah, I really felt like
Ottawa I had a lot of momentum there for a while,
and then, like you said, with Saskatchewan, you know, really

(06:34):
started hot right well were they four and oh five
and zero? And then really, you know, Trevor Harris, kind
of the injuries, all that really kind of slumped and
they're really the resurgence here to hold on the second place.
I mean, I know a lot of people aren't very
high on BC's chances going in there and trying to
win and then go to Winnipeg. I guess we'll kind
of do a playoff preview later, but thoughts on that,
I mean, how much better do you think Saskatchewan is

(06:55):
in BC right now?

Speaker 2 (06:57):
I mean, defensive way Saskatchewan is better than where BC's at.
I think all season, like the Lions have good individual players,
Like I know TJ. Lee has been kind of in
and out of the lineup, but I really think him
and Ben that linebacker or like two of the you know,
they're two of probably the best players on that defense.

Speaker 3 (07:14):
But that secondary is an absolute mess.

Speaker 2 (07:16):
I mean that that defense has been prone to allowing
big plays all season long, and it's really hurt this
BC team.

Speaker 3 (07:21):
Especially Like even at the beginning of the.

Speaker 2 (07:23):
Season when Verdon Adams and that offense was really rolling
for them, they still had a lot of issues on
that defensive side of the ball. And you know, they
could have done probably a lot more in the offseason
to kind of offset that, but they just didn't do enough.
And I think that's what's ultimately going to cost them,
is that they just don't have enough playmakers on that
defensive side. And even with Matthew Betts, Like Matthew Betts

(07:44):
has actually been disappointing. He's only had one sack in
the last what four or five games that since he's
returned to BC, Like he hasn't really been an impac player.
Like I'm sure the Lions were hoping for it, so
they you know, they they they were too late on
making the moves they need to with bringing in Nathan
Urick and Matthew Betts because those guys I haven't really
played as well and they spend all this money on
them and it just hasn't really recuperated for them.

Speaker 3 (08:06):
So they're gonna need to do a lot.

Speaker 2 (08:07):
Of work in the offseason because I'm not sure what
their chances are at this season with the talent they
have well, and BC.

Speaker 1 (08:15):
Is really that I don't know. I want to do
a deep guy here in a minute talking all this
and Nathan and everything else, but yeah, you wonder, at
what point is it kind of a sunk costs And
you know, you're hosting the Great Cup and you're doing
all this and you're spending all this money. But I mean,
they're setting this stuff up now, especially with Nathan's contract,
you're going into the next two years, and if you
couldn't done now, and you couldn't get it done two

(08:36):
years ago, and I know Nathan was sure, but if
you couldn't pay Nathan fifty thousand dollars and have all
Star wide receivers around him and now then you're gonna
be paying him the highest paid player of the league,
and then you're still wanting to replicate that, Like I
just don't know. I mean, I talk about disappointing for
the Lions, and I've told Jason offline, you know, we
were doing podcasts every week the last month. I probably

(08:56):
would have gotten in trouble with things I said, just
of how upset that I've been about it everything, and
it's it's really been disappointing, and even talking and I
won't say names, but we went to far Han's party.
Far Han, a friend of the show, got inducted into
the BC Football Hall of Fame with his after party
talking with some of the people from the team, and
I was like, oh, what do you and like they

(09:18):
didn't even really want to talk about anything, and you know, like, well,
you know, we're kind of okay, Like this feels like
this is kind of a cluster right now. And I
was just kind of interesting to kind of get the
feedback on that in terms of I guess where do
we want to start do we want to start with?
I guess we'll go chronologically through here Bo coming back
in playing the game of his lifetime. Here I guess right,

(09:39):
big Bo revenge game. What did you make of that?
We don't need to do a super deep die, but really,
I mean Bo looks like the best quarterback in the
league right now.

Speaker 2 (09:48):
Yeah, that was a good revenge game for him, especially
since Hamilton lost to Calgary at the beginning of the
season and both didn't really look back great in that game.
So this was a massive bounce back for game from
especially since a couple of weeks ago Hamilton got the
lights knocked out of them by Winnipeg, So they really
needed this one to kind of build some momentum into
going into this final week and then building Really for them,
it's about building momentum going into twenty twenty five and

(10:09):
trying to figure out what pieces they have because I'm
sure this, I'm sure Hamilton about you know, since you
since the last time you were on Hamilton was a
mess and it looked like Taylor Powell was going to
be the future quarterback of this franchise. Now they're probably thinking, well,
maybe maybe we have one more season with Bo because
he's looked like the most consistent quarterback in the league. Yes,
he's had his off moments, but this was probably his

(10:32):
best game of the season. You know, he had the
He did have the one ugly floater that was intercepted
for a pick six at the at the end of
the second towards the end of the second quarter, but
really outside of that, he was lights out. And then
I mean ton of critic to Greg Bell one hundred
and thirty nine yards rushing for him. He had, you know,
James Butler's been kind of oddly in and out of
the lineup. Greg Bell has been a great complimentary piece

(10:53):
for them. The two of them combined make for a
really good running game, and I think that's what's really
helped Hamilton in this backstretch of the season is that
they have a really balanced attack between you know, running
the ball and passing the ball, and then again defensively
there this is a big improvement for them. I think
twenty points might be the lowest amount of points they've allowed,
more one of the lowest points they've allowed all season.
I think major credit has to go to Chris Jones

(11:16):
for the job that he's really done with the defense,
and I really think he's earned the right to if
they wanted to make him the defensive coordinator for twenty
twenty five I think he's earned that right. But also
it's a telling sign for Calgary. I mean, what a
disappointing season has been for Calgary and what a downfall
for this franchise. I mean, this was a franchise that
hadn't missed the playoffs in what twenty years since two

(11:36):
thousand and four, and now they're, you know, the worst
team in the CFL. I mean, there's gonna have to
be a lot of questions about Dave Dickinson and if
he should be even keeping his job. And if he
does keep his job, he may be like Chris Jones
and he'll probably be on the hottest seat in the
CFL going into the next year. So I think it's
this game was more about how much of a mess
Calgary is versus how good Hamilton is, because I think

(11:58):
people already knew that like Hamilton and has turned the
page over the last month. But it was more about
can Calgary be competitive against team that's out of the playoffs,
and clearly they showed they have a lot of problems.

Speaker 1 (12:08):
To them well, and that's the I the issue. I mean,
there's many issues with the CFL nine teams and the
playoffs and all the things and the divisions all that stuff,
but talking and when we were up in Vancouver, Evan
was there as well, you know, front of the show,
and Evan was traveling today or I think he would
have tried to pop in as well. But you know,
when you have six teams make the playoffs out of

(12:30):
nine every year, you know, to use that as a
benchmark of success is interest, you know, is I don't
know if that is the right benchmark. And we've had
Brian Valentine on the front of the program and you know,
with three down and writes for cal you know about
Calgary and all that, and like even last year as well,
you know, but we did make the playoffs. Go yeah,
but then you get bounced immediately. That doesn't it doesn't
speak to me a success. And like if you said

(12:51):
in here, seeing them, you know, regress even more this season.
You know, they really didn't do anything last year except
kind of just further extend maybe some of these coaching
stuff some things into this year, as you mentioned, kind
of the hot seat there. But it just seems that
I don't know, like they didn't look good last year.
You kind of eke in and your cure is kind
of the long term decisions of that same with Hamilton,

(13:12):
like Okay, Bo looks good. Now we're were really get
to devote another year to him? Like statistically you would
say probably right, and I think he's the past five
thousand yards And I like that kind of the social
media they clip how to him, like how did it
feel to beat your former team? He's like it felt
really good or whatever he said. And I like seeing
some of that personality because I think he's kind of
been drug through the ringer here the last few months

(13:33):
and years is kind of with the injuries and stuff.
But I don't you know, you get these late season
kind of burst and then okay, do we you hold
on to that promise to next year? I mean we
saw like I was just watching first take talking about
the Jets and things, and you know, okay with Aaron
still you know, got hurt last year. Okay, we hold
on that faith againto next year. And then it's kind
of a dangerous situation when you're putting in you know,

(13:54):
you're kind of planning the year out of these things
and you'll know where they're going to come about.

Speaker 2 (13:58):
Yeah, I mean, I mean last year they went six
and twelve, Like even if they made the playoffs, It's
like that's not even a good record, Like that's one
that's the worst record they had in over twenty years.
So it's like that that doesn't I mean, yes, they
made the playoffs, but I don't really think that.

Speaker 3 (14:12):
Should count for anything.

Speaker 2 (14:14):
Like this team has been a decimated mess since bo
Levi Mitchell left.

Speaker 3 (14:18):
Like Jake Mayer was supposed to be the guy.

Speaker 2 (14:20):
I I don't even know if you bring him back
next year. I think they probably do, just because you know,
Dave Dickinson ends up you sticking around as a head coach.
They need to have somebody who's familiar with it.

Speaker 3 (14:30):
But PJ.

Speaker 2 (14:31):
Walker is gonna come in there and compete. I think
he could be the guy who ends up taking this job.
But Calgary has to do something about quarterback because that's
where they're the biggest mess right now. Like Ddrich Mills,
I think it's perfectly fine as a running back. He's
top five running back in this league. You know, they
have some good receivers on that team. You know, overall
think offensively they have some of the pieces there. They
just don't have a quarterback. And obviously Matthew Schultz is

(14:53):
not the guy. You know, they brought him in the
beginning of the season. They brought him in the offseason
thinking he was gonna push Jake Mayer. That that didn't
really push the needle at all. Even though I think
Jake Mayer played better this year than he did last year,
I still think like the quarterback position is something they
got to take care of. So, you know, do they
bring someone into the off season, you know, maybe Verim
Adams if he ends up being available, do you bring

(15:14):
him in. You know, they have PJ Walker, who's good,
I think legitimately going to be the guy who's going
to push Jake Mayer, and I think it's better than
Jake Mayor. So I think that's where kind of Calgary stands.
They need to figure out who their quarterback is next year.

Speaker 1 (15:27):
Yeah, no, I like that for PG Walker and we've
talked about that. What was that a week or two
ago he got added on there and obviously kind of
late this year. I don't know if we see him
elevated to try to get him any sort of whatever
before the end of the season. But Calgary needs to
figure it out. And I'm curious, like you said, with
the hot seat there, you know, we'll we'll talk lions

(15:48):
here in the minute with you know, Rick Campbell and
all that. Like, you know, the CFL isn't a kind
of reactionary as the NFL, where you and maybe the
NFL is two reactionary when you look at like David
Temper or things like that out like okay, you're out,
you're out. We need someone else needs and us where
Like I don't know if if BC wins one playoff game,
do we keep Rick back next year after all this?

(16:09):
Like I and we'll talk. I don't know right in this,
like do we have other options here? Is there a
big waiting list of people that want to show up
to be the Calgary Sam Peters head coach? Do we
elevate someone with BC? Ryan Phillips looked like he was
kind of you know, coaching his way or coordinating his
way into being the head coach BC defense. You know,
I wouldn't put him on a high list right now.

(16:30):
So I'm curious where we go with that where it
feels like it's not complacency, but it's like well whether
I mean, I guess it is, because like there'd be
a lot more work to try to figure out someone
else here like, I guess we'll just try to work
with what we have.

Speaker 3 (16:42):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (16:42):
I think both with BC and Calgary situation, you need
somebody who knows offense. You need somebody who could be
able to develop a quarterback because you know, with BC
you have all the pieces of place. I think the
offensive line is to miss. You know, the defense needs
to add some pieces. But you need somebody who's going
to come in there and fixinate the Rourk because ultimate
the end of the day, he's probably gonna end up
being the starter in twenty twenty five.

Speaker 3 (17:02):
And we'll talk about that a little bit.

Speaker 2 (17:03):
But Calgary same thing, like, you need somebody who knows
the quarterback position and can bring either bring someone in
or you develop Jake Mayer or you develop PJ. Walker
into that starter. I think with Walker, you I don't
think you bring him up this year because you know,
kind of like Hamilton with Tulio Taco Viola, you don't
want to put someone in there right away that comes
from the US game and try to learn the Canada game.

(17:25):
It's just it's just too complicated. You need to give
him more time to learn it. So I don't anticipate PJ.
Walker playing this year, but he should compete for a
starting job. And I again, I don't know if you
bring in Jake Mayor, I think you maybe go to
the free agency, maybe find somebody else. But right now,
with the quarterbacks that are on the roster, I would
definitely be wrong with PJ.

Speaker 3 (17:44):
Walker. I think he's quite far the best option.

Speaker 1 (17:46):
Well, and he's you know, it's kind of that last
gas for him to the kind of show. And I
think he's right at the edge of like maybe affecting
this and just getting old and you know he's a
little bit mobile as well and being able to do
all that. I just I don't know, I know that
I think it was earlier this season they had batted
around maybe it was Naylor someone like, you know, the
kind of the QB college like kind of coaching thing,

(18:07):
similar to like how the the XFL would do with
James Palmer right going in there and bring it right,
am I making up all this in my head, like, oh.

Speaker 2 (18:15):
Jordan Palmer, Yeah, Jordan Palmer, the development of I don't know,
some development, quarterback development or something like that.

Speaker 1 (18:22):
But they were talking about that, like doing it with
the CFL as well. And I remember when Naylor was
on I think it was two seasons ago we were
talking USFL. He's like, well, it's so hard to come
into the CFL and it really takes you three four
years to kind of really get into it, and it's
a really hard game to learn. It's really hard to
get used to, you know. Yeah, like you said, okay,
so we don't want to throw PJ in there, but like,
if you have this program where you could work with

(18:43):
people in the off season, right, if you you get
PJ and you get two of you know, Tooya whatever,
I can never say these things, but you'll get these
guys in there and kind of be able to develop them.
So maybe it won't take you five years to be
a starting quarterback in the league. Yeah, maybe you can
do it in two years. I just I think we
need to see that next progression of these quarterbacks is
like you said, kind of shuffling around. We do keep

(19:05):
Mayor back. I think we've seen everything we're going to
see from him. You see a spark, you know, two
out of every seven eight times, and then the rest
of it is just kind of a mess.

Speaker 2 (19:14):
Well, the league I think needs some kind of coach
to develop quarterbacks, especially in Canada. Like if they really
want to they you know, Canada loves trede Ford, they
love Nathan Worke, they love their Canadian quarterbacks. So I
think if the league really wants to take the quarterback
position seriously and try to develop like homegrown guys, they

(19:34):
definitely need somebody like that just for Canadian quarterbacks. Like
I remember covering the CFL draft this year, there was
only like two or three quarterbacks that actually went to
the combine, like they they didn't have really any quarterbacks
coming in there, and that's a position that I think
is in desperate need of an uplift, especially you know,
from the homegrown side of it.

Speaker 3 (19:54):
So I think if you really.

Speaker 2 (19:56):
Want to push for you know, to try to get
better quarterback developed, the people that were within your country already,
get get more Canadian quarterbacks in there, because right now
it's the majority of it is Americans, and you know,
it may take them a little bit to ramp up,
but it's just a matter of fact that most you know,
American quarterbacks are just playing better in the CFL than Canadians,

(20:17):
and it's just because of how they're developed, you know,
going up in the rankings of high school and college
but the CFL desperately needs it if they want to
get more Canadians in this league.

Speaker 1 (20:27):
Anything else, Calgary, anything else, Hamilton here, I kind of
end of the season for both of them. I do
want to talk anything else with them before we kind
of move on to some of these other teams.

Speaker 2 (20:36):
I yeah, I mean, I'm just impressed with Hamilton. You know,
they got a really interesting game to close out the
season against to Ottawa. I think they have a chance
to really prove that maybe Ottawa shouldn't be in the playoffs,
it should be them instead. So I think for both teams,
they need wins to close out the season to kind
of build some momentum. I think probably more Calgary than anything.

(20:58):
I mean, they haven't won a game in what two months, probably,
so they desperately need to get some kind of win
on the board so they can have something to celebrate
over the off season. So now, very impressed with Hamilton.
This is a really good football team and I think
they're better than what people think.

Speaker 1 (21:14):
Yeah, we got to come in here. I see if
on need to focus more on U sports Kibis. Yeah,
there's like I think there's all this weird like CFL
and they want to do. Like I I hear en
kind of behind the scenes with friends of the show
that kind of work with amateur football college. I don't know,
there's always seems to be a lot of egos and
budding heads and things and working together. I don't know
if I'm kind of reading into that wrong, but yeah,
I just like I even when we were up in

(21:36):
Canada this weekend and talking like spoiler alert, nobody I
talk to watch is the CFL, like know what? Like
I didn't talk to anyone. I even we went to
the what I'll chronicle my travels here in the midt,
But you know, even like we went to the bar yesterday,
we went both days to watch football and I'm talking
with you know, the manager. He's like, oh, yeah, we

(21:56):
don't like I don't whether you you know, I was
talking to the past four guy that we back lass.
I checked, like, well what we're what were you here from? Like, oh,
the CFL game is like the Seattle game, like you know,
the CFL like the football BC, Like you know, they
the point is like it's interesting talking through and they're
talking to people about yes, like more like more Americans

(22:19):
succeed up there because of the strength of our college
programs and they have the ratio and because they wanted
to protect those and that's important, and you know, having
these conversations with people, it's always interesting because yeah, they're like, well,
what is there a lot of Americans? Like, yeah, it's
actually a lot, you know, just because like you said,
because of all that and because we're able to come
up and kind of get going better, let's talk through
argos and Red Black Cheer, we can touch based on

(22:41):
all of those. Uh. Disappointing for the Red Black Cheer
losing this uh being able to kind of host the game.
I know, Bemo Field right opened up by saw. Mike
Cogan tweeted they were opening up more seats for the game.
So that was good in Toronto. Get a little bit
of juice for this one. But I would certainly like
to see Ottawa host the playoff game. Thoughts on this one.

Speaker 2 (23:00):
It's very ironic that Ottawa for like three straight weeks
had an opportunity to win and get into the playoffs
and they couldn't do it. And on their bye week
is when they make the playoffs. Like, this team hasn't
won since I want to say September seven. I think
he's been over a month since Ottawa's last one A game,
so they've been they've been wildly disappointing, and honestly, Toronto
has been very impressive. Chad Kelly has really come around

(23:22):
the last four to five games. I think he's grown
maybe six touchdowns, two picks in the last four or
five games. He has played a lot better over the
last few weeks for Toronto. And that defense for the
Argonauts have been really good. I think that's what's really
propelled them. That defensive line is just very stout. I mean,
they do a great job of getting pressure on the quarterbacks.

(23:44):
So major kudos to Toronto. I think they've won three
straight after going after being like seven and seven at
one point, so I thought they've played really well Ottawa.
I mean, it's it's disappointing because I think at one
point Ottawa was what seven three and one or something
like that, like they were, they were one of the
top teams in this league. And you know, I think
problem is, you know, losing Darius Pickett on the defensive

(24:05):
side of the ball was really big for them. They
kind of lost their leader who has been, you know,
leading the team in tackles and they they've lost that
boost on the defensive side because that's where they've taken
a big hit.

Speaker 3 (24:15):
I think the.

Speaker 2 (24:15):
Receiving corps is really good, you know. I think another
big thing with Ottawa. You know, I don't know what
happened with the way Kwan ray Kwon Armstead situation. Like
I know there was something some you know rumors about,
you know, having issues with I don't know the coaches
or that. I don't know what it is. But ever
since they released him, they have no running game. I mean,
Ottawa cannot run the ball for their lives. And the

(24:37):
disappointing thing is they're asking a young quarterback like Drew
Brown who's in his first full year as a starter,
and being like, hey, I need you to carry this team.
Drew Brown is not in the place right now where
he can carry a full team. He's got the talent,
Like I really think he can be a starting quarterback
in the CFL, and I think he's got a bright future.
But it's the first full year and he's being asked
to kind of carry this team and he you know,

(24:59):
he's taken a ton of hits. You know, he's been
stacked quite a bit. He's been injured a couple of
times this year, like it really hasn't It's been kind
of an up and down season for him. I think
there's good potential there, but I mean, I know, like
not to call out the professor, but Andy Burry's like, oh,
he threw four and three yards and four touchdowns in
the game. He played really well, and I was like, yeah,

(25:19):
but that was all like garbage time points, Like they
scored twenty five points in the fourth quarter. The is
just pretty much, you know, packed it in in the
fourth quarter and just let them come back. So I
don't really think that's really telling the full story. Like
I think he's good. I think he had a good game,
but it's like, you know, most of that came in
the fourth quarter. So you know, yeah, Ottawa's been, you know,
one of the surprise teams of the season, but this

(25:42):
late season dropped for them is kind of what we've
seen with Ottawa over the last couple of years. And
you know, I sincerely hope it can you know, bounce back,
have a good last week of the season against Hamilton
and going to the playoffs with some kind of momentum
where they're gonna have to travel to Toronto again in
a couple of weeks.

Speaker 1 (25:59):
Well that's the thing you have, you know, Bob Dice
there and like I hear both sides on this, like, oh,
the team was flat, Like okay, maybe Bob, and then
they'll come out and really playing, like hey see, Bob
really got him going and all this kind of stuff.
And I was talking because Evan was out. But one
of the Ottawa games earlier, I think it was the
last time they won a game was when that Evan
was out. I think he was saying, but you know,

(26:19):
I mean there's a lot of talented people there, and
there's a lot of you know, smart people putting together
the team, and you know in terms of player you know,
management and all that stuff. I just I'm just I
can never get a good sense of like how do
we feel about this and the just kind of Bob
dies and everything and kind of getting the team ready
to go. It's interesting you talking about the Jew Brown
and kind of the run game and all of that,

(26:39):
because it reminded me obviously yesterday. You know, Jay Daniels
going down injured in the first quarter for the Washington Commanders.
It feels like he's gonna be okay. But even with
Marioda and there and Mario Thea hadn't looked good in
the other little bit we had seen them this season.
But having a run game kind of knowing that we're
able to just kind of and obviously Carolina is a
horrendous team, and so like, okay, let's say with the

(27:00):
greatest salt, but you know, having we really have three
solid running backs at this point that we can send
out there just alleviates all that where it wasn't like
Sam hall Lasher with the Commanders, like I have to
throw fifty times a game to be able to be
successful here and you're looking, you know, and obviously they're
coming from behind and all that, but you know, forty
three attempts here from Drew Brown, I probably not setting
up for success that way at all. Where you know,

(27:21):
Toronto always seems to have a little bit more of
a kind of a well rounded I guess team effort,
if that makes sense, both the run game had passed
and then obviously the defense taking care of stuff as well.
But interesting because yeah, Drew Brown started really hot, so
you think you think he's cooled off or do you
think the team's kind of let him down?

Speaker 2 (27:38):
I maybe a combination of both. I mean, he's been
really banked up. I don't think his offensive line has
really done him much favors. You know, the running games
kind of dropped off. I mean, the good the good
news for Ottawa is, look, they have Devonte Williams who
was injured before the season. He's been out the whole year,
so when he comes back next year, they'll have one
of the top running backs in this league.

Speaker 3 (27:57):
So that's at least the good news.

Speaker 2 (27:59):
But for the time being, I mean, poor Drew Brown's
gonna have to carry this team on his back. And
you know, at the beginning of the season, he wasn't
putting up spectacular SATs, but he was doing.

Speaker 3 (28:09):
What he needed to do to win games.

Speaker 2 (28:11):
But now it's gotten to the point where he's got
to do everything for this team, and I just don't
think he's at the point of his development where he's
able to do that. And I don't think he should
be asked to do that. I you know, it's his
first full season. He's been the backup at Winnipeg for
the last two to three seasons, so you need to
give him time. I think he's got audible in the
right direction. I think he is a franchise quarterback. I

(28:32):
do think he is the future for this team. But
you know, hopefully, you know, with Williams coming back next year,
that maybe it will get the you know, with a
decent running game of maybe some help on the offensive
line and the defense getting healthier.

Speaker 3 (28:45):
Maybe that will help Outawa out.

Speaker 2 (28:46):
But I mean, right now, for this season, I think
I don't really think there's much hope for this team
to really bounce back and be legitimate contenders for a
Great Cup.

Speaker 1 (28:58):
It's just a test. You know, we really went all
in on the Massoli thing the last couple of years,
and it really feels like this Drew Brown, right, he
had the big game when Kolaro's went down, or a
couple like a couple of decent games. I remember, you
had the one really breakout game last year, and so like,
you know, you sign them off of that and then
you see a full season's worth and then I don't know,

(29:19):
I just don't know what Ottawa does here in that
because it just feels like they've been searching for that
the last couple of years. We talked to Hamilton and obviously,
you know, do they double down on bow again. It's
not like there's either a wealth of options are kind
of floating around Vernon or we'll talk through that, you know, Nathan,
some of them wind up somewhere. But I don't know,
it just feels like Ottawa every year is like, well,
you know, the quarterback is in the league, we're not

(29:41):
going to really compete. And they've obviously had the injuries
and everything else. It's just been really unfortunate for them.
It feels like they've really tried the last three years
and surely just kind of not worked out their way. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (29:51):
I mean the problem with the Vasoli is he's getting
a little bit older, and while I think there were
moments where he came in in the last month where
he did provide some kind of sport for them when
Drew Brown wasn't able to do it, MOSOLEI turns them
all over too much. I mean, Drew Brown protect the
ball better than he does, so I don't you know,
Massoli I think is a really good back of him.
I think they're solid at quarterback. Like I think you

(30:11):
give you got to give Drew Brown a little bit
of time.

Speaker 3 (30:13):
He's already made.

Speaker 2 (30:15):
He's already made major strikes with his ottawall team compared
to what they've done over the last three to four
five seasons, when this team was averaging you know what,
three to four wins per season, Like, this team is
actually in the playoffs. So the first time since I
think it was twenty eighteen was the last time they
were in it. So he's already made significant strides with
this franchise. He just needs more time to develop. So
I think they have their quarterback of the future. It's just,

(30:37):
you know, get the running game going, maybe you know,
fix some pieces on the offensive line, you know, get
your defense healthier, maybe add a piece or two more
like Ottawa is just I think there are a few
players away from being.

Speaker 3 (30:49):
A really competitive, great Cup contending team, Darren.

Speaker 1 (30:53):
I see your comment here talking Calgary talking Nathan Argan.
Calgary will get to that in a second. Yeah, it's
just like I was just looking at you know, Mizolei's
thirty two years younger than I am. Trevor Harris is
thirty eight. I think it's you know, a week younger older.
I can't remember the math here. We are we are
old people. I mean, I am at the point where
I have to put like this, like lotion stuff on

(31:13):
my ankles because they get inflamed when I like, I
we are old people. I'm not a professionally athlete trained
in that way and obviously living in a different health
regimen and like all of those things. But I cannot
imagine any of this. And you see, and you know,
like the trade fourth thing, and okay, we bring back
McLoud and maybe we should talk Edmonton here too at

(31:33):
some point before we get off, but like, let's you
need to start. Yeah, okay, maybe Drew Brown sucks for
a year and then we get around him and as
opposed to just these retreads coming back of you know,
the Mclouds and the bow and the who is the
other one is Trevor Harris, Like you got to bring
in kind of a fresh crop here. These guys are
getting old and it just feels like, okay, and now

(31:54):
we're going to trade and we're like, oh, this big name,
I mean, even Vernon, how old's Vernon thirty five? How
old's Vernon Adams?

Speaker 3 (32:00):
He's in his thirties. I know that for sure.

Speaker 1 (32:03):
Brendon Adams was born in nineteen ninety three, So what
is that thirty one? Okay, so he's thirty one. He's
got a little bit longer on there. But like you know,
it's not like they're all just the spring chickens running around.
I mean that's like lame like example there. But anyway,
I just feel like you kind of need to figure
that out. And we've talked to a quarterback thing and
all that kind of stuff, But start bringing in some

(32:24):
more of these this youth here and get these guys
figured out quick. Making it be you know, five years
to be able to be a quarterback.

Speaker 2 (32:29):
Yeah, I mean miss always had what five million aco
injuries in his career. I mean, I love the guy
and I think he can, you know, can still be competitive,
but like you said, he's like thirty six, I think
he needs to go. Trevor Harris has played well though,
Like I'll give him his credit like that. That dude
is still playing well. He may have a year or
two more in him. You know, bo is up there
in age, but he still probably has a year or

(32:51):
two and in him. Bernard Adams probably has, you know,
just compared to those guys, he probably has five or
six years in this league.

Speaker 3 (32:57):
You know. Cody Fujarro is not that young either.

Speaker 2 (32:59):
I think he's in his early thirties like these are,
but I mean still competing on a high, you know,
high level, but they the league still needs to find
younger talent, you know, like a trade for it, like
a Drew Brown who were in their twenties, then they
can develop into superstars for this league because they just
don't have that right now.

Speaker 1 (33:16):
So let's talk through a little bit here of Yeah,
let's talk a little Winnipeg and Edmonton just because they
were on the bias this week, or it's so weird
with this, like because who else was on the by Hamilton, Montreal.
So we had Edmonton, Winnipeg, sask Okay, so let's talk.
We've done Sask all that stuff. Edmonton, all right, So
trey Ford's playing next week. I'm looking here. They're playing Toronto.

(33:41):
Not not a lot to play for for Edmonton. But
what do you think of the situation they have a
right they're starting Tray, We got Ada McCleod. Was that
just kind of overall thoughts kind of put into bed
this season for Edmonton because they're pretty much out of it.

Speaker 2 (33:55):
Well, I mean, the last I heard, they were trying
to come up with some kind of negotiation with Tray
for it to put them in to have a you know,
extend him or give him a longer contract.

Speaker 3 (34:04):
So we'll see what happens with it.

Speaker 2 (34:07):
But I mean, for the love of God, please give
Trey for a chance, Like, can we give him a
full season to start, because at this point people are gonna,
you know, he's gonna have a slow start next year.
They're gonna be like, oh, what's wrong with this guy's back?
Well you were, I don't know. He's been the maid
of honor for the last for two three years and
you haven't given him the chance to really bloom in
this offense. And we all know what the potentially is.

(34:29):
I mean, I'll say this season, I think the one
thing he's done really well that maybe he hasn't done
over the last couple of years is his accuracy. I mean,
this guy's completing over seventy one percent of his pass
He's one of the most accurate quarterbacks in this league.
I think he's done a lot more. He's done a
lot better in the pocket than what he has in
the past. I think he's really showing that he could
be an Italy passer. Yes, he has his moments where

(34:50):
he's turning the ball over, but trey Ford is really
showing that he can be a passer and you know,
once he gets held. I know, like this year has
been kind of weird with his rib injury and they
probably haven't had more that they haven't had as many
quarterback designed runs as they probably want with him. But
when he's one hundred percent healthy next year, like he's
gonna be a weapon. And he's proven that he can

(35:10):
be a pocket quarterback in this league. So I think
Edmonton's really got something in trade board, you know, mccle
Bethel Thompson, He's had like these weird moments, like one
game he's like four hundred yards and five touchdowns. Another
game he's throwing one touchdown in two picks. Like he's
too inconsistent, and even he's getting up there in age,
I don't I don't know. And plus he's been fined

(35:31):
like five hundred times for complaining about the schedule and stuff.
So it doesn't even want to come back to the
CFL because sometimes it just feels like with all the
complaining he's doing, like I don't even know if he
wants to come back. I don't know if any team's
gonna want him back, because I don't know if he
can compete for a starting job really anywhere else, so
I don't suspect them. Mcleile Bethel Thompson will be back
next year. If he is, he's gonna have to probably

(35:53):
you know, pack it in as a backup. But this
is trade Board's team. I think they need to build
around him. I think they have some nice pieces defensive,
like the running game. They have an elite backfield with
Justin Rankin to to Kevin Brown to you know, Javon Leak, Like,
they have so much talent on that backfield, like.

Speaker 3 (36:13):
They're they're they're they're the best rushing attack in the league.

Speaker 2 (36:16):
So they have good running backs, they have a good
receiving corps, solid offensive line. Defense needs a lot of
work though, I mean, just one of the worst defenses
in the league. So if they can fix their defense
and get that going, I think Edmonton's.

Speaker 3 (36:27):
Got good potential to be competitive next year.

Speaker 1 (36:30):
This is a mess, right, and this is to me,
is the biggest kind of situation besides the BC and
kind of what they're going to do there for the
Darren has I just got Corp's interaction on my shoulders. Yeah,
we're all old everybody's old. We're all, we're all, we're
they're getting old. Yes, no, I averrigiate that, like because
here's the deal, and I was looking at this. You know,
so you're Edmonton. You pay half a million dollars for

(36:51):
McCloud to come in to win six games, right I
I I feel like you could have won six games,
which ray Ford and obviously the injuries kind of all
that stuff, the McCloud, the anti CFL and getting fined
and all that stuff. Like, brother, you can pay half
a million dollars to come up and play football, like
you know what's going on, Like you know the deal
with all that. This is why I can't stand like

(37:13):
any of this, and I don't I don't always buy
like Aaron Rodgers last night after the game, like well
we just our energy was low. We didn't Like, I
don't that Aaron's just kind of talking nonsense. You're kind
of to throw the blame. But you hear that a lot,
like the cracking last season, like we had a hard
time getting motivated. Like you're getting paid like millions of dollars,
Like you are a professional, Like you need to show up,

(37:34):
like you need to do your work. I have a
really hard time with that. The McCloud, I love you. You've
been on the show. Everyone plays short weeks, brother, everyone
played short weeks. Look in the NFL, like look at
the USFL. It could have been a lot. Like I
can't imagine his living standards and playing standards are any
worse than it was in the USFL with the Breakers,
Like I just, you know, let's be realistic here, but

(37:55):
you've you've so alienated tray Ford. And it's it's similar
but different, right with Vernon and how BC's handled it.
But you have a team that's really poorly handled this
person the last couple of years. And people like players
are people, they're not just ponds. You can you know,
my fantasy team and we're gonna start this person this
week and then we're gonna put this one and we're like,

(38:16):
if I'm Trey Ford, I would want nothing to do
with Edmonton. I would want to know there's a big
market out there. You guys haven't put any you know,
energy behind me. I have no faith even if I
resign here, you're not going to try to go out
and do Like I just couldn't imagine having this person
that Chris Jones took you know it, moved up in
the draft to take relegated and relegated and relegated him,
and then now, oh, let's now we're really ready to

(38:38):
sign you. I just I would have no faith in that.
I wouldn't believe in that. I would be very put
off by how Edmonton's handled it.

Speaker 2 (38:44):
Well it this has to come from Larry Thompson, the
new owner. He needs to sit down tray for it.
Be like, look, Chris Jones is gone, that's the old regime.
I'm a longtime fan, I was a season ticket holder.
I understand what this team needs. Put your trust in me.
I'm gonna give you.

Speaker 3 (38:59):
The money you need.

Speaker 2 (39:00):
I'm gonna get you to support you need. We're gonna
get a new coaching staff in here. We're gonna get
you some weapons. We're gonna help you out defensively. Like that,
He needs to sell him on the image that you're
the franchise quarterback. I believe in you. I've seen you play.
I don't know what the hell that other regime was
doing for you. They ruined you, But I'm gonna make
you the best quarterback in this league. So I think

(39:20):
that's the biggest selling point is you use your new
owner to be able to sell the fact that hey,
we got a new ownership, this is a new team,
this is a new day. We're going to build the
team around you.

Speaker 3 (39:31):
You're my guy.

Speaker 1 (39:33):
I agree. I think that's a really good Yeah, you
need to because it's I just I don't know. I
just couldn't imagine. I just I always flashed back to
it last year preseason, like Trey Foard on the show,
He's on his phone, is it common Wealth the Sunshine
in He's after whatever preseason practice or game. He's like,
I'm having the best time. I'm like, this is gonna
be awesome. And then he's not the starter, He's not.

(39:53):
I just I'll never understand it. I love Chris Jones.
I love a lot of people. With all of this
stuff speaking of people I love and teams and everything
I love. Like, So this BC a Lions thing. We'll
talk through all this now and obviously Routy Montreal and
all that stuff. I'll talk through just kind of my
experiences going up, just to give a little color for
the weekend. But what is your thoughts on just the

(40:15):
BC Allions as a whole. Like I said, off the top.
If I've been podcasting the last month, I might not
have been invited to a BC Lions a game just
because of everything. Like, so, what are your thoughts, because
I want to make sure you have a platform as well.

Speaker 3 (40:27):
Okay, So one, I mean.

Speaker 2 (40:31):
This is these are Americans talking about a Canadian quarterback.
So I want everyone to just relax. This is not
completely a negative thing. But I mean, first of all,
offensive line and the defense for BC is the biggest
problem with this team. I mean it doesn't start with
the quarterback, It starts with those The offensive line has
been horrible all season, really.

Speaker 3 (40:51):
Inconsistent in past protection.

Speaker 2 (40:52):
There are some games where they're good, there's some games
of there where the quarterbacks are getting rocked. So I
want to make some acknowledge from that defense has allowed
big plays season.

Speaker 3 (41:00):
This has not been a good secondary. This defense needs
a lot of help, especially on the back end.

Speaker 2 (41:06):
With that being said, I think Nathan Warrick has the
potential to be a starting quarterback in this league, but
this year it just has worked out like he just
doesn't have the confidence there. And then I think the
problem is and Rick Campbell, I think deserves a lot
of responsibility for this he threw him in way too quick,
Like you don't sign somebody you know who has been
playing in the NFL for the last year plus, who's

(41:27):
bounced around between four teams, bounced around four different offensive systems.
You know, he was literally on two teams during the
off season, uh, in the NFL and then just tell him, Hey,
go out, go out and play. Let's see how you do. Like,
Nathan Warck was set up for failure from the beginning.
He was given this big contract and the biggest one
in league history. You're going to be the face of
this league, you know, a Canadian quarterback. It's all going

(41:48):
to be great. So I actually feel for Nathan Wock
because I'm sure he doesn't want this kind of attention.
He just wants to go out and play, and he
was just set up for failure.

Speaker 3 (41:57):
You know.

Speaker 2 (41:57):
But with that being said, you know he's had time
to to, you know, kind of go through the issues
and try to fix it. I mean, read over the
last four games that he has started. You know how
many touchdown passes he's thrown?

Speaker 1 (42:09):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (42:10):
Right, yeah, zero. He hasn't thrown a touchdown pass in
the last four starts, Like even a you know, a
sub par CFL quarterback would be able to throw at
least one touchdown during that time. So I hate to
be so negative about it, but that's a big problem
when you have a quarterback who can't even throw touchdowns,
and that's that's been another problem with BEC. They can't
score touchdowns in the red zone. They just don't take

(42:30):
advantage of those situations. That's a major major issue, and
Nathan Wark has to take some of the point for that.
I would put a little more on Rick Campbell. I
don't think he's really set his quarterback up for success.

Speaker 2 (42:42):
But you know, Nathan Work has not been great, so
you know, I think the Allions made the right decision
going with Verta Adams. It was very clear on Saturday that,
you know, you can make your argument Montreal probably didn't,
you know, they didn't play their start as a whole game.
They probably weren't as motivated to win that game. But
Verdon Adams is clearly the better guy for this offense,
at least for this year. Let Nathan Work sit behind him,

(43:02):
let him learn the offense, let him, you know, take
the off season to work with him, get his confidence back,
work on some of the mechanic issues that he's had
and then put him back in as the start of
next year in twenty twenty five. But I just think
the way they handled him and then putting Matthew and
you know, signing Matthew Bets and putting him in, like
I think, BC just mishandled the middle of this season,

(43:24):
and they panic because Vernon Adams got hurt. They should
have What they should have done was start Chase Bryce
and give him an opportunity, because it seems like every
time they put in Bryce. I mean, he's completing almost
one hundred percent of his passes and I think he's
throwing a touchdown or two this year. He's actually looked
pretty good. I know they were in garbage time, but
he's actually looked pretty good compared to you know, what
they have done. So they probably should have started him

(43:45):
and see if they had, you know, if they have
a backup in him, and then put Vernon Adams back in.
But they jumped the gun on Nathan Work and it
just hasn't worked out. So I think it's more of
a you know, a leadership with coaching and management problem
with Bees versus what's going on with the players. Yes,
there's there's more talent, and there's more talent needs to
be added in, especially on the defensive side and the

(44:07):
offensive line. But Nathan working with out set up for success.
These players that have been set up for success, and
they have squandered a perfect opportunity to host a you know,
to be the host team for a great Cup.

Speaker 1 (44:19):
Real quick on the defense, and I'll talk to Nathan
and stuff here. I don't like the regression of this
defense needs to be studied because I don't know how
you you were the Donut Boys? Was that early last year,
Like it wasn't even that long ago where the Donut
Boys and we're shutting down, they were doing all this
and Ryan Phillips and they're like, shoot, man, Ryan's gonna
be coaching. You're gonna be leaving BC. He had already

(44:41):
got the promotion there and moved up and like, you know,
I know Ryan, like I shot one years ago. Like
this is like just the regression of that. I don't
understand where I again, I was watching first take, which
is you know, a bastiat of knowledge about you know,
football and everything coming out of the Sunday night game.
But you know they were talking out the Jets and like,
you can't expect the same defense every year, right, the

(45:04):
Jets defense was really good last year. You can't expect
the exact same sort of shut down whatever, but you
don't just fall apart. Like I just don't understand how
BC is just totally falling apart and they have no
you know some of the games that we were watching
earlier this season, like receivers are wide open, they can't tackle,
they can't do all that. I like that far Han
has gotten a lot more critical of the team. I
like that he's gotten a little bit more critical of,

(45:25):
you know, coaching and management. I remember I was critical
of coaching during the year and got of got some
feedback like get you know, what are you doing? We
need to be like this is this is the thing here.
And so talking to Nathan and this kind of made
me laugh because Darren, are there the quarterbacks in the
CFLs egotisticos Aaron Rodgers. When Nathan kind of did that
halftime stuff, it was a little that way to me.

(45:48):
It came across a little that way where you no
show far haunt and all that. This entire Nathan work
scenario is so weird because a number one, as Ryan Clark,
I think, is the one that says it, like you
and football, you're paid the kings ransom to play a
child's game, right, so like immediately you are like it,

(46:10):
like all the criticism everything, and the people online and
the hard questions and like when Aaron Rodgers gets mad
at people like, no, you're paying a ton of money
to do your work, like they're paid, Like this is
everyone's this is how this works, and I'm sorry that
you don't like to answer hard questions or whatever, but
like that's how all that goes. But then with this
Nathan stuff, the whole country of Canada and a lot

(46:31):
of the media and a lot of the media members
babied him the whole way up because I think that
they said, you know, this is our star. We followed
him all the way through you know, high school, going
in and playing college in the States, and he's winning
the you know, the Cornish Award and all these things
from Ja mullen and we're bringing him up and we're
bringing him up and it's just weird coddling that you

(46:51):
wouldn't have. And like even far Han after that game
when he's like no show and far Haunt, oh, I know, Nathan.
It's like, that's not the point, Like it's not the
point that you've known him and covered him and driven
down to the States and gone to practices with him
and went to Jacksonville and tried, like that's not you
need to separate all that from that. But you know,
I know BC was ready to make Nathan the highest
paid person when he decided to go to the NFL

(47:14):
two years ago. His choice, right, Obviously we've chronicled all
that and the Patriots and all these things and everything
that working out Jaguar. But then this whole like the
second he decides to come back that you basically the
BC allions fell over themselves to like run and just
throw that. You know, this truckload of money at him
looks really bad, right, sets it up that way, And

(47:36):
I do know, and I think it was far Han
said in his the postgame was he called that the
far Hank casts, which I go, hey, you know, the
Mark cast is trademark. But Vernon felt really hurt because
he as a starting quarterback. You should never lose your
job because of injury, right, Vernon was playing good, got hurt,

(47:56):
lost his job, was never given the opportunity to compete,
and that's just not the way to set it up.
Vernon put in a ton of time in the off season.
They you know, they did all the arrow up stuff,
and he's flying people down to Tacoma and they're doing
all this and they're like building all this camaraderie. You
carry that into the season, and then when he gets
hurt and you bring in Nathan, it could have been anyone.
It's not a Nathan specific. You could have brought in

(48:18):
anyone if Vernon would he got his job back, you know,
not because of poor player or anything else. It just
sets it up for disaster. And I just think that
the BC Allions had no was it. Seinfeld always tucks
like you got to save face, you can't give too
much fail like totally gave away whatever. Now this team's
atrocious right now. I know they beat Montreal in the game.
They didn't mean anything. They looked good. And I want

(48:40):
to get your thoughts on that if it was just
like because Montreal whatever. But like you're barely in this
right now and you're not even paying Nathan eight hundred
thousand dollars yet, Like, what the heck are you going
to do the next two years? Like I don't know.
I mean, if Vernon comes in and we were arguing
with people at the BC Lions game that like, well,

(49:00):
obviously you know this is Nathan's team, but like if
Vernon wins two playoff games and maybe takes him to
the Great Cup, are you going to cut Vernon? Are
you really going to trade him? Like this is this
to me is until the nightmare? Right now?

Speaker 3 (49:12):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (49:12):
Two things that so one, the media has done such
a horre like you said, a horrendous job of covering
Nathan Worrick and babying him. They treated this guy like
he could walk on water and he could turn water
into the wine. But I mean, my my issue is,
you know, I feel like there was more outrage with
Nathan Borock about if you talk negatively on him then

(49:34):
like trying to defend another Canadian quarterback in Trey Ford
who has actually proven.

Speaker 3 (49:38):
That he has played well in the CFL.

Speaker 2 (49:40):
Yes, Nathan Worke had a good season two years ago,
but he got injured that season and he's still through
twelve interceptions in the ten games that he played, so
like he is like a turnover machine, let's be honest
about it. Like Nathan Work's a good quarterback, but he's
the type of guy that's going to turn the ball
over alive. When you have trey Ford, who's the polar opposite.
He protects the ball well, he's accurate with the ball

(50:01):
like where I know there was some outrage which tray
Ford was kind of passed up over mccob buffle Thompson,
but I feel like there was ten times more outrage
with Nathan Rourke versus trade Ford, Like what are we
doing here? Like we we should be defending trey Ford
by the gates more than we should Nathan wore. And
then also my concern is the off season, it is

(50:22):
BC gonna have any money to spend to try to
fix the issues. They have no because they're gonna be
under the salary cap because they spend so much money
on Matthew Betts, they spend so much money on Nathan
war and they have to fix their secondary and they're
gonna have nothing to work with. In fact, they're probably
gonna have to let good players go. You know what's
gonna happen over the receiving corps? Are they gonna lose
some of those top guys. I mean, they have Alexander

(50:42):
Hollins they have Justin McGinnis, they have you know, Kea like,
they have the best receiving corep in the league. And
they'rerobably gonna have to let some of those guys walk
in free agency. They're not gonna be able to pay them.
They have to fix that offensive line, they have to
fix that defense, and they're gonna have zero money to
do it.

Speaker 3 (50:58):
So they just threw all this money.

Speaker 2 (51:00):
They try to win the Great Cup to go to
win nine games this season and probably doesn't have a
great chance of you know, making a our eight games.
They want a game, but they don't have a great
chance of winning the Great Cup. So I threw all
this money away for nothing. So they've they've really set
themselves back over you know, probably for the next two
to three years because they want to spend all this
money on a quarterback who's throwing four touchdowns at nine

(51:23):
interceptions in eight starts, and a defensive end who's had
one stack in four to five games.

Speaker 3 (51:28):
And I hate being critical.

Speaker 2 (51:29):
I know they're just getting back into the flow of
it and maybe they'll be better next year.

Speaker 3 (51:33):
But BC has not set up for success over the
next year or two.

Speaker 1 (51:38):
I understand what Farahan was saying, when you know, when
naither Work calls you, you know you need to answer
that call and you need to right, like because he
the argument is like any team would have done this right,
any team with it brought in. But I don't know
when you have Vernon, that's we just you know, it's
thirty one has been you know, playing very well. It's

(52:00):
two seasons season that no, two seasons now plus you
and the wa where where Nathan was hurt the season before,
Like two seasons of this coming in has built the
rapport with the guys. They mismanaged their backup quarterback situation
from the get go. You know, they should have kept
the short yardage guy in there, and then we have
dal Gala and then we get rid of him and
we don't like that was total waste of even having

(52:21):
that And like, I don't know, do you just stamp
pat and go Nathan will talk after the season, you know,
get your head straight. I don't know, does another team
go out and throw eight hundred thousand at him? Like
I don't know, but I feel like I understand the
fear of like when that phone call comes, you need
to say yes because that might never come again. But totally,

(52:42):
like it didn't solve the team when he came in,
and it really made it worse because, like you said,
they don't have any money now to do anything else,
So it really took a bad situation and made it
almost impossible. Kind of salary cap wise.

Speaker 3 (52:53):
Yeah, I think.

Speaker 2 (52:54):
I mean, BC has no choice. They made their bed.
They need to lie in it with thinks the work.
He needs to be a starter or the next two years.
Like they're paying this guy the highest salary in league history.
Like he has to play. He has to be their story.
They have to see what they have in him. But
for this season they can at least control that, and
they need to put Vernon Adams in. He gives them
the best shot to win, even though, like you know,

(53:15):
the likelihood of them winning the Great Cup doesn't seem
very likely anymore. Vernon Adam gives him the best shot
to win this season. And then you know, the off season,
you move on from Vernon Adams, you focus on the
development of Nathan Burke, fix the issues as because look,
at the end of the day, I know we're being
super negative, but Nathan work has all the potential to
be a great franchise quarterback.

Speaker 3 (53:35):
In this league.

Speaker 2 (53:36):
He's already proven that he can play well in this league.
He just needs to clean up the turnovers. He needs
to you know, work on his accuracy. He needs to
develop you know, chemistry with these receivers, and you know,
he needs some support around him. But again, what we
talked about, that's gonna be a problem. But Nathan work
is gonna have to understand he's gonna have to carry
the team on his back, and he has the capability

(53:57):
to do it, but he needs some development in the
off season. And honestly, he just he's get his confidence
back up.

Speaker 1 (54:02):
I just you know, and I know this is how
professional sports works, but it's just hard when you pay
players before they actually like win, right. It's like we've
seen this now with Joe Burrow and you're you know,
Jalen Hurts and all this, like you know, Okay, we
got to the super Bowl. Okay, we're gonna pay him.
You know, they're paying Nathan off of eight games that
he played two years ago, where he had even a
better receiving corps now, which is the best receiving core

(54:23):
in the league. And so, like, I guess what I
was trying to explain to Dorothy, Like we don't even know,
Like you don't even know where those eight games are mirage?
Is that the truth? Is it somewhere in between. Like
it's just it's an impossible situation. I understand him wanting
to go to the NFL. I would have stayed in BC.
I would have won a Great Cup and then taken

(54:44):
that down. I don't know if that gets you any
more looks or whatever, but the way that this was handled,
I understand your young man wanting to explore your opportunities,
and I'll blame him for that, but like this has
been handled horribly from both sides. I mean, it really
is a very poor marriage kind of sit suation.

Speaker 2 (55:01):
Yeah, BC should have waited until if they were going
to sign them now, they should have kept them on
the bench, maybe maybe the whole season. Maybe maybe you
just roll with Verdon Adams and just happened and just
tell Adams, look, just be transparent. We're going to roll
with Nathan work next year. So play this season, play well,
work your ass off, and then you can go get
a bigger, nicer contract somewhere else.

Speaker 1 (55:21):
But yeah, work, get prove it, Yeah, prove your worth
and then yeah, like you said, just be like, be
honest with all these players. No one's been honest with anyone.

Speaker 2 (55:31):
Yeah, I mean that's all the players want. I mean,
as long as you're honest with them about what's going
on in the future. Don't respect that more than just oh, hey,
we just signed a you know, new quarterback that's going
to replace you. Sorry, you know, sorry I didn't talk
to you about it. But just be honest with them.
Like Vernon Adams I think would have been better off
with it. And you know he's gonna find a team
next year and he's gonna make that team better because

(55:51):
you know he's I believe if you wouldn't have been injured,
easily would have been MP in this league.

Speaker 1 (55:59):
Last thing, and then I I want to recount just
a couple things. We'll get out of here before at
the top of the hour. So okay, we move Vernon, right,
I mean I've seen Calgary. Okay, do you trade him
to the world? Like, what do you do with Vernon?
Because then you're in the same situation where if you
play if you trade Vernon and he plays Elite next year,
you're just just piss off of your b you know,
because you're like you can't have. So I mean, what

(56:19):
do you do with Vernon? You diih him and then
dild I save that cap and just hope that you
know you have Nathan? Is that much better?

Speaker 3 (56:26):
You have to get rid of him.

Speaker 2 (56:27):
I mean again, you gave Nathan Rourke the biggest contract
in history. You've made your bed. You need to lie
in it. You need to roll with him. It's like
the Cleveland Browns with Deshaun Watson. You gave the guy
two hundred and twenty three million dollars, fully guaranteed.

Speaker 3 (56:40):
Guess what you may not.

Speaker 2 (56:42):
You know, fans may not like that he's you know,
starting quarterback, not anymore now he's injured. But you may
not have liked that he was the starting quarterback. But
you gave him all that money. So the owner Junior
has some is gonna be like, ah, yeah, you're playing
him every game like I'm getting my money's worth with him.
BC is the same situation. You gotta you gotta go
with Nathan. So I think with you trade him away,
you know you can get some good value out of him.

(57:04):
You know, maybe you can probably get some good draft picks,
because honestly, at the end of the day, BC is
only gonna be able to afford to pay players that's
out of the draft, so you get as much draft
collateral as you can and try to build a younger
team because there's no way they're going to be able
to afford anybody in free agency, so they're just going
to have to try to find some good young talent
and hopefully build the team around, you know, getting some

(57:27):
sleepers in the draft.

Speaker 1 (57:30):
Sorry, I developed. I've been trying to meet here, but
developed coming back from Canada. Last couple of things here
this before we get out. I appreciate Anthony coming on.
I had a really good time going up. I always
appreciate going up TOBC hadn't been able to make it
up this year and until this weekend. Had a really
good time. We were kind of caught in that ask
what do they call it, asmaspheric river whatever raid? Literally

(57:51):
the entire time, literally the entire time we were there,
pouring ray. But had a really good time. Like I said,
not a lot of CFL knowledge from the people, the patrons,
and a lot of the bars we talked at. I
thought it was funny at our hotel downstairs they had
a bar they had of the TVs and they finally
got a TSN kind of doing some CFL recap on,

(58:12):
but they had my old station Fox thirteen Aaron talking
Seahawks and like doing a whole NFC West preview about
with the forty nine ers on that stuff, like like
we're like twenty feet from BC place, Like the hotel
we stay at it is literally across the street from
BC Place, Like it's they're all kind of the same price,
but it works out. I'm like, you're literally across the street,

(58:33):
Like could you have a BC Lion's flag up in
Like they had Kansas City blow up doll and they
had forty nine ers legs, had Aaron Rodgers jerseys. They
have Lamar jacket, Like hey, like if I'm the BC team,
like I'm up some freaking flegs in there. Game day
stuff was always great. A line getting in, which is
always cool. I just kind of feel I'm like, you're
not just oh, we're just showing up. It's nice to

(58:55):
kind of feel like but not nearly as well attended
as the one we went to last year where it
was winn a peg on that Friday night kind of
for the control of first in the West. But my
last note was every single person watching the CFL game.
You either have I know absolutely nothing about the CFL,
like I've never I don't even know who's on the

(59:16):
team or what's going on, or like I've been a
fan for forty seven years and i know everything. Like
either there's no in between, there's no like, oh yeah,
we come every couple of times. No, it's either I've
never been before, or I come the pregame bar we
went to across the street the other way had a
lot of BC Lions fans, a lot of old, old
people drinking wine and stuff like just speaks to kind

(59:37):
of the age of the of the you know, the
Lions fan base. A lot of older white men like
drinking wine at the bar. You'll normally get that, I'm
sure before like Philly games. You know, let's have a
big like we like Dorothy looked at the menu. She's like,
that's like one hundred and fifty dollars bubble wine. Like
they're drinking. I'm like, hey, yeah, I guess if you're
if you're a PC. But it was really fun. Far
Han got into the BC Football Hall of Fame. That

(59:59):
was great. Congrat him. We saw, like I said, jimol
and all that, so really cool kind of catching up
with everyone and just obviously appreciate BC's hospitalities. So it
was a good game. I mean, Dorothy had fun even
though Montreal didn't have a lot to play for. She
enjoyed seeing what was it, twenty seven to three, So
it was fun.

Speaker 2 (01:00:15):
I'm actually curious did you get to talk to BC
line fans about how they feel about Nathan Worke, Like
are they are they bought into him?

Speaker 3 (01:00:21):
Or are they bought into Vernon Adams.

Speaker 1 (01:00:24):
So the gentleman in front of me that he is
on the side of that, I know every single party
thing of every single person, because I was just kind
of explaining to Dorothy, like, hey, you know and like
Nathan and it's going to be really interesting because I
understand that we've said like Nathan's the highest contract and
all that stuff, like you know, Vernon wins two playoff games.
He just has like this is Nathan's team, like he's

(01:00:44):
they playing him. I'm like, he's trying to tell me
the contract stuff. I'm like, brother, like I know you
don't know, like I know this, I under I know
the situation with the team here, Like I'm not. I
didn't say like I'm a CUFL part, but I was
just like, oh no, like yeah, no, I'm very aware
of everything. And then he the little baby, and the
baby turned around he had like a Nathan Roke temporary
tattoo on the space. So I'm like, well, there you go.

(01:01:05):
I mean obviously like, but no, very pro Nathan. Everyone
we talked to very yeah, not even a lot of
like we like Vernon I posted I stand with Va,
but very pro Nathan. I think that that the run
two years ago really built up all that. And even
like people at the bars, they didn't know really what
the team was doing right now, knew that Nathan was

(01:01:26):
back and that there were some struggles, but that was
kind of the one Yes, so very pro Nathan, and
don't don't talk about my quarterback all right.

Speaker 2 (01:01:33):
Well, I hope Nathan knows how to play a cornerback
because they'll definitely need him to do that as well.

Speaker 1 (01:01:38):
Yeah, Nathan's about one season away from learning to speak
UFL e s buddy. So Anthony, anything from you, you got anything,
we'll get out of here. Anything coming up on the site.

Speaker 2 (01:01:49):
Could probably be working on power rankings and uh, you know,
getting some MLP conversation going and uh, you know, just
getting up to date on you know, the final week
of the season. So I'm excited to see how the
season ends for the CFL and finally get the playoffs going.
I feel like this has been a long season that
a lot has happened. I feel like it's a totally

(01:02:11):
different league from when it was back in June versus
where we are now, So it should be kind of
a photo finish for the league.

Speaker 1 (01:02:19):
Yeah, stay tuned. We'll either do a Monday recap, which
will mostly be a playoff preview, or maybe we'll do
something later in the week, but we'll do something next week.
Kind of looking forward to the playoffs because Week twenty
one is always kind of at least there's four games.
Last year was like the other way and there's only three.
Oh my god, Like we gotta talk about these three games.
At least it's four games. Is don't mean anything, I
know if that makes it better worse. But we'll get

(01:02:39):
some seedings there. Like we said in the West, Anthony
appreciate it, Jason's doing well, and everyone else. I know,
it's been a long time off, so hopefully people you know,
we still exist. On here, so we're trying to do
our thing and hopefully we can get all of our
credentials and everything for the Great Cup, so we'll see
everyone like it. Subscribe, but we'll see you next time.

Speaker 2 (01:03:00):
The Betwen, the