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Fri, Dec 24 "Merry Christmas USA, Friends of the CFL! Anthony Calvillo the star QB" Moose

"CFLers this picture is of Sue Haddox and Ken Saroka from the Al's party at Grey Cup 04. What a great guy that Anthony Calvillo." Moose

"Moose you are right. Anthony has been very friendly to me. Anthony is on several of my Total-CFLwebTV shows" Myk Aussie

Fri, Dec 17 04 "Moose's Grey Cup 04 in Ottawa pictures!"

For CFL Grey Cup webWORLD Click here" Myk Aussie

Wed, Dec 1 04 "CFL report!" Moose

Since I missed Sports Centre last Monday I am much ablidged to ESPN's Chris Berman for the 30 seconds of the Grey Cup and the CFL talk (and hockey talk!) yesterday morning on Sports Centre! He showed a clip and talked about Damon Allen and Toronto upsetting B.C. in the 92nd CFL Championship. News - News: A CBC Grey Cup Video on the 92nd Grey Cup and Grey Cup week will be available Jan. 25th, but cbcshop.ca is making preorders available. I am as glad to see this as the CFL Traditions Series last year. I have 18 CFL vidoes I've collected over the years (9 from 'CFL Traditions') and one, going on two (see above) CFL DVDs that are (above - will be) in my collection. 

Now on to other CFL related News: Three CFL players are double-dipping - so far and have signed offseason contracts with the Arena Football League. Demetrious Maxie, ex- of Calgary (and Baltimore!) has signed the standard one year contract with Da Chicago Rush. Kelvin Kinney, for the fourth year in-a-row will play for the Tampa Bay Storm (he spent '01 with Detroit, who are now defunct) and Michael Bishop, reserve pivot with the Toronto Grey Cup Champs, is heading back to Grand Rapids. All three are of course Imports. But two Canadians I've talked to last season (this calendar yr.), Sean Fleming and Paul McCallum, K/Ps have been in negotiations with Las Vegas and Austin respectively. The Ar.FL knows good players when they see them (remember Kurt Warner?) and I commend them on keeping the best Sport in Nth Amer. going in the CFL (& NFL's) offseason. Switch gears... Grey Cup wins Update per current CFL club in following cities:

15 - Toronto Argonauts
15 - Hamilton Tiger-cats / Tigers / Wildcats / Alerts
12 - Edmonton Eskimos
10 - Winnipeg Blue Bombers / 'Pegs
9 - Ottawa Renegades (0) / Rough Riders (7) / Senators (2)
5 - Calgary Stampeders
5 - Montreal Alouettes
4 - British Columbia Lions
2 - Saskatchewan Roughriders" Moose

Tues, Nov 30 04 "Kenneth Saroka my friend at the Grey Cup with the Bomber cheerleaders!" Moose

"Moose I know you would have been wearing some of your past NFL and CFL Media passes when taking these great photos in case someone might happen to want to mess with us for adding these photos to the massive Total-CFLwebWORLD. Great pictures of the Blue Bomber Lightening cheerleaders! They are definitely always up there with the best CFL cheerleaders.

We have great Total-CFLwebTV action from past Grey Cups and a MYKwebTV trip I did to Winterpeg awhile ago of the Bomber ladies. " Check out Total-CFLwebTV it's Massive! Click here "Myk Aussie

Sat, Nov 27 04 "My experiences at the 92nd Grey Cup in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada!" Moose

This tale is true! All of the names have not been changed to protect the guilty! Ah, despite the more expensive hotel rates, which I ALMOST couldn't afford, the late planes coming and going. I still had a great time in Ottawa. I had been to Ottawa twice back in the '02 season to see my old Baltimore Stallions backup QB mate, Dan Crowley. The 'Gades lost 2x then; once in O.T. (1st game, June. 28th, and in 2 O.T.s on Sept. 22nd). But his was the first Grey Cup in Ottawa since 1988 and my first there. I have the Quality video tape at home of the 1988 season/76th Grey Cup, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers played the B.C Lions and won 22-21 with ESPN's Sean Salisbury at QB. Matt Dunigan and Rickey Foggie were the B.C. QBs then. The game this year had four very good QBs with League Most Outstanding player, Casey Printers, Grey Cup and M.O.P. vet Dave Dickenson and Toronto's Damon Allen and Michael Bishop. Bishop and DE Eric England were the Arena League vets play- ing in this contest, for those that keep track of these things, like me. Wednesday by the time I got through customs it was 11:30 p.m. and I got to the Grey Cup welcoming table (a small little thing), I ran into Stu Laird, former Calgary Stamp- eder DLm, who Ken Saroka and I met at the AgraDome in Regina @: the CFLPA meet-an-greet, Tyler Paopao, who looks nothing like his kanaka-samoan dad (!) & several others. 

The nice old couple told me that there were no shuttles going to where the hotel I had booked was. Thanks goodness the folkes called the Hotel. And sure enough, being that I was late, they gave my room (@: $80 Canadian) away. But they did have an- other for $115 a night. I gave the man my credit card number again and signed up for three nights when I got there. Free (so-called 'Continental' breakfasts and papers; I knew I would have to find another room by Saturday morning. I used my American credit card and got two all-day bus passes for $6 Canadian per day. they were life savers since I was five-and- a-half miles from the downtown festivities. I was staying on Montreal St. in East Ottawa and Montreal St. turns into Rideau. At the stop at Rideau, the driver told me to go through Rideau Centre, second floor, all the way to the back, go out, past the metro Centre, down the street to the bridge, down the steps across the street to City Hall. All within 1 mile. I saw the giant Football blown up and the tents to where the Grey Cup Parke was set up. The Calgary breakfast only went two days and there was no OFFICIAL Grey Cup Parade, which Ken had told me two days earlier. I met many familiar faces. I am starting to run into people every year that say, "Rich, I can't believe you made it back to another Grey Cup." Well, as long as the good lord gives me the strength and breath.

The Media attacked me and I had four total Radio and T.V. interviews out of the way in 30 minutes and still had time to eat two pancake and hams from my Calgary mates (They' ve been doing this since 1948!). I sold one Baltimore shirt (I mailed it today!) to a guy, sight unseen, from Calgary, who rushed up to me and said, "Do you have any Baltimore stuff back home in the states." Well, I told him, an extra '94 Eastern Champs shirt (boy do I wish I had the ring!). He whipped out the $20 Canadian faster than I could answer and shoved it practically into my wallet and said, "Mail it to me when you get back. I trust you Americans." Well, Ike, it's in the mail! Some of the other great folkes I met this week include: Jeff and Mona Younger, also from Cal- gary, Arne Livemore, actually at his first Grey Cup and from Copenhagen, Denmark! His daddy was British and Arne was raised in England but lived in Denmark, with his Ontario Canadian wife, when the London Monarchs were going well in the NFL Europe. Anyway, Arne and I hung together for a couple hours Saturday, knocking back beers at the 'Un- official 10th CFL team', the Atlantic Schooners gig. I even got a shirt. Arne's e-mail address is - get this: " cfleurope@ hotmail.com ." You gotta like that. I saw Arne again briefly Friday, as he was stating downtown. He likes the Als and had an Anthony Calvillo shirt jersey on. 

Ben Checkowy, the 'Riders Trailblazers cheerleaders photographer, who I had met in Regina the year before and I hooked up again and talked there at the parke before another news crew bum rushed me to talk about: US expansion, the Stallions winning the Grey Cup in '95, etc., et, al. Ho-hum. Friday night Ken called me and we met downtown at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. The Spirit of Edmonton is a killer bash, and Ken got (almost) killed and bashed, slamming down 20-25 drinks. He got me some too since people kept giving him tokens and he kept finding them. He informed me that Major League Baseball DID GET BACK IN TOUCH WITH HIM about game four of the World Series - We plan on maybe covering the Philly Wings and Philly Soul this spring. I will make an adjustment to the 'Economy with Dignity' World Footy Tour schedule if need be later.

Anyway, Ken could barely make it upstairs and boy did he look fit. He said he lost 30 lbs. (I found 10 of them!) and who did we see upstairs but Danny Mac, Damon Allen, Marcus Allen, Val St. Germain and many more CFL stars. This was the first Grey Cup that Marcus Allen ever attended. I did see him on CBS several years ago at B.C. Place for the American Bowl, the NFL preseason game they play all over the world. CBS show- ed Damon from the Wendy's Friday night game the day before, a little clip of Damon Allen and Marcus making a comment. The only other time Marcus made it to 'O' Canada? Anyway, we take the cab back to Ken's Hotel, are standing out front and Ken, who was just in Ottawa several weeks earlier, points out where the Canadian mint is, and this and that when a guy on the phone calls us over and says, "You guys from Baltimore?" We explained who we are, where we are from and I give him one of my cards and one of Myk's cards. Turns out he's from the Toronto Sun and he takes pics fo me and Ken and tells us he'll get in touch with me/us, etc. These guys rarely do, but we bid him adieu and I let Ken go up to his room and I walk back to my Hotel, which is now a lot closer. 

I take the bus to downtown the next day and meet an author who has just come out with a new book, "The CFL - Phoenix of Pro Sports Leagues", Steve O'Brien. W take the shuttle down to the Stadium and and hang out near the Media Centre and I get to (finally) meet Darren Flutie. I shake hands with him, intro myself and asked him as he is coming out to leave, (1) Any truth in the rumour that he is coming back - answer - Sorry, no, can't., (2) Is Doug coming back to CFL? Sorry, no. staying with San Diego - if Chargers cut him, he's playing Arena in San Diego. His daughter Alexis has one more year of High School; the Flutie's live in San Diego. Then Dave Cynamon and Howard Sokolowsky, owners of the Toronto Argos come out; they rush over to me seeing me wearing my Baltimore jacket and with my Baltimore flag. They want a picture with me! Un-friggin' real. Would Jerry Jones do that to me at the Super Bowl? I think not. So naturally I pose for them. We talk for 15 minutes while they wait for they're ride to lunch. The author Steve O'Brien, who gets kicked out of the Media Day the day before, because he doesn't have proper pass, shows them the book. We get invited to lunch but they don't have room in the minivan! Rats! More to come." Moose

Wed, Nov 24 04 "My CFL Grey Cup report from Ottawa!" Moose

My report of the 92nd Grey Cup, Sunday, Nov. 21st, 2004, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Temperature, 4 degrees Celsius. It was a beautiful night for the Canadian Football League's 92nd Championship game. All seemed in favor of the British Columbia Lions, with two strong QBs and most of the TSN & CBC pundits picked it that way too. Except Chris Schultz and Dave Randorf. Hey, I thought they were crazy too. Shame on me. And all the others who picked B.C to win. Or even win big. There is an old adage known as "they still have to play the game." How true. Even top Canadian WR/SB Jason Clermont didn't even know who Wally Buono would pick to be the starting QB until right before game time. 

I personally THOUGHT he would start Dave Dickenson but I expected Casey Printers to LEAST get one third of the game if not a half. Especially if by some miracle, B.C. were behind at the half. How in the world did they get beat in the same exact manner and by the same exact score that the overrated 14-4-0-0 Winnipeg Blue Bombers did, in '01 in Montreal? Easy - they tensed up more and more after Toronto took the lead. Check out the two - THAT'S right, TWO time count violations IN-A-ROW(!) on the two-point conversion try. 

If B.C had made that, they could have cut the lead to 24-21 and been right back in it. As Chris Walby said many times during the broadcast, Why are they "pooch" kicking it and giving Damon Allen half a field to work with? Why also did Wally Buono, now 3-4 in Grey Cups as a Coach, not give the League's most Outstanding player, QB Casey Printers, at least some playing time. 5,000+ yards & 35 TDs in only what, 10 or 11 games this year and no playing time in the Grey Cup. I still don't go along with Damon Allen as Most Outstanding Player, though he did have a good game but really, The linebackers for the Argos played just as well. Maybe the League is trying to tell Damon it's time to move along, here's your award, go. We'll see. I predict he will retire. 20 years is a good round number. Hey, just ask another QB who's been in four Grey Cups, Doug Flutie." Moose

"Thanks for that Moose. I was very disappointed that Casey Printers did not start at QB for the Lions and then when he did not play at all that was even more disappointing. Congrats to the Argo's. A great year of reporting on the CFL" Myk Aussie

Tues, Nov 16 04 "Canadian Football League Eastern and Western Playoffs report! Grey Cup Preview!" Moose

Western Final: Brit. Col. 27, my beloved (and beleaguered) Sask. 'R'Riders, 25, O.T.

Eastern Final: Toronto breaks the Don Matthews curse over my man from Virginia, Pinball Clemons. First time in four CFL seasons that Montreal WON'T be in the Grey Cup. Finally, some new teams for a change (sorry Sue & Bill in Centreville, MD). Stats to lead up to the Grey Cup:

Toronto's first Grey Cup appearance since they beat my beloved Riders in Edmonton, in '97. B.C.'s first appearance 2000 when they upset Montreal. Damon ALLEN IN HIS 6th Grey Cup in a twenty year career. Doug Flutie in his twentieth Pro career too, and he played in five Grey Cups, albeit he's in "that other outdoor Pro League", I forgot the name of for the moment...

Hamilton leads all-time with 15 Grey Cup Championships (in 29 games!!), Toronto 14 (in 22 games), Edmonton 12 (in 18 games), Winnipeg 10 (in 22 games), Ottawa 9 (as Senators '25-'26 & Rough Riders, 15 games), B.C. 5 (about to be six, see matchup below), Montreal 5, Calgary 5, Saskatchewan 2 wins (in 15 tries!)

**First time Toronto / B.C. MATCHUP, 1983 Toronto 18, B.C. 17, in newly built B.C. place.

Matchup: Sunday, Nov. 21st, 2004 CFL's 92nd Grey Cup Pro Championship Ottawa, Ontario, Canada's Frank Clair Stadium:

Western Representative: British Columbia Lions (14-5-0) v. Eastern Representative: Toronto Argonauts (12-7-1)

Offencive Breakdown: QB: The matchup of the two-headed monster from the West; Dave Dickenson, who's won one before with Calgary and newcomer Casey Printers v. ancient Damon Allen, who frankly should retire after this season; I've got the perfect job for Flutie - come back to Toronto for one last ride next season and PLAY for Pinball Clemons. Brit. Col. with a huge advantage over Toronto, who frankly lucked up and out v. overconfident Don Matthews, who had owned Pinball Clemons and Co. the last two seasons in the Eastern finals. Remember, 11-7-0 B.C. had to crossover to play AT TO. in the East finals in '03 and lost, 27-7 WITHOUT injured Dickenson, who's also won something Damon NEVER has; a Most Outstanding Player award, in '00 with Calgary.

RBs: This one I give a very slight edge to Toronto IF John Avery has his wheels right. He runs better outdoors and Ottawa's Frank Clair Stadium, though turf, has been kind to him in his two years in the CFL ('04 & '02). Green, Warren and 'Beirut Brute' Mark Nohra are a very good tandem and will keep the game honest for the Lions. If Avery breaks more than 3 big runs and scores more than once, which is why they outbid Myk's Vikings to bring him to TO., it could get ugly for the Lions quickly.

WRs: Let's see; for TO., it's Arland Bruce III, Isaac's cousin and rejuvenated and financially strapped Andre Rison, with a solid Canadian bench behind them v. Clermont, Brazzell, Cutolo, Simon, etc., etc. I give a fairly big edge here to B.C. 

OL's: B.C., with Grey Cup magnet Dan (House of) Payne, Stevie Harden (333 lbs., 6'6") and Co. have a fair edge over Jude St. John and Co. for TO. Advantage in depth and Canadian talent to B.C.

DLm: Toronto with an advantage over B.C in depth but not Canadian talent.

LBs: Toronto with an advantage here. Mike FLetcher is the best in the CFL but B.C had more bodies. Slight lead to TO.

DBs: Toronto has a definite advantage but not against four very good

WR/SBs. They'll have their hands full v. Brazzell, Clermont, Cutolo and Simon.

Good luck TO. If B.C loses they'll know they should have kept the best CB in the CFL, Eric Carter. We'll find out Sunday! 

ST / K-Ps / Rm: with Duncan O'Mahoney, the Lions have the second best in the CFL - for now, to my mate Paul McCallum, with Saskatchewan, who wants to play for Las Vegas in the Ar.FL in the CFL offseason ('double- dipping', as he calls it. Kelvin Kinney has been doing it for years and just resigned with Tampa Bay in the Ar.FL). Duncan CAN be the best in the CFL as both Punter/Kicker and maybe move to Minnesota next year as Morton Andersen, who's still chasing Tennesee's Gary Anderson, ponders retirement. If Duncan makes ALL his kicks AND B.C. wins the Grey Cup, he IS the best in the CFL and he will be a millionaire shortly. 

Just look at Lawrence Tynes, who got out of the nuthouse in Ottawa with the awful Renegades and landed a cush job with Dick Vermeil's Chiefs. The Titans 45 year old G. Anderson will probably call in a Hall-of-Fame career after this season too. New York Giants Steve Christie will probably play for Hamilton next season, too. Noel Prefontaine already got his U.S Championship ring in '01 with Los Angeles in the XFL for whom he played P/3-QB. In return men, Cutolo and Bruce are about even. If TO. gets desperate, they may even use Rison back there on missed FGs. The coverage gets is big plus to TO., though B.C. is not bad. Steve Buratto, is a fine ST Coach in addition to being a first rate Off.Coordinator (a 2x B.C. H. Coach). I give an overall edge to TO.

Coaching: Mike 'Pinball' Clemons, once he decided to concentrate on just being a 'Coach' had developed nicely. He finally gored the Ox from Montreal named Don who had bedeviled him for two consecutive years. The third times the charm, eh? Anyway, he'll need luck, Total Recall & more luck to pull off the upset v. B.C. as Wally Buono has been in 9 Grey Cups (four as player with Montreal lb/fb in the '70's) and five more in the last 13 seasons as Coach with Calgary. Big edge to B.C.

Final Score Prediction: B.C. 32, Toronto 19" Moose

"Moose great reports all year on here! Go the CFL and I hope it keeps expanding into the US" Myk Aussie

Wed, Nov 10 04 "Canadian Football League Playoffs Report" Moose

Eastern & Western Semi-Finals: 
East: Toronto 24, Hamilton 6
West: Saskatchewan 14, Edmonton 6

Good Bye for 2004, former Defending Champ Eskimos. It seems as though losing QB Ricky Ray and others to the NFL and other CFL clubs was just to much to make up for. As I predicted back in May, the Saskatchewan R'R's 'D' would be too much for the 'Rest of the West'. It remains to see one more time versus upstart B.C. in Vancouver at: B.C. place this coming weekend. My picks below. Chris Berman on ESPN gaffed this morning as he said the Eastern Semi-Final game was held in Hamilton yesterday. Of course it was at SkyDome before the biggest crowd since Aug. 26, 1992: 37,835 fans, which is good. Long live SkyDome! And how about Steve Wheaton's all-time CFL playoff record 116-yard INT. return for a major,eh?

As Berman said on ESPN this morning, "You won't see THAT in the NFL." It is nice to see has been QB Damon Allen back in the lineup for Toronto, but it won't save them v. Montreal in the Eastern Finals. John Avery is worth every penny TO. paid for him though. I really think that Hamilton will have to get a new starting QB for next year. I still say; Shawn Keali'i Withy-Allen from Hawai'i would be a nice fit! My Picks for this weekend, the 21st weekend of the CFL season: East: Montreal 32, Toronto 26

West: Saskatchewan 15, B.C. 13

A Montreal / Saskatchewan 92nd Grey Cup, just as I said in May." Moose

"Moose no way! The Rider Roughie will not defeat me BC lions at Pammy's BC Place this Sundee! Lions vs Al's in the Grey Cup but I must admit the Riders are definitely a chance to win. Burris is suspect and under pressure I believe he will throw to the wrong fella's and the Lions will pounce! Go Lions! Can't wait! Have fun at the Grey Cup!" Myk Aussie

Tues, Nov 2 04 "Canadian Football League Report" Moose

Two new records happened in the CFL this weekend: Team; Montreal Passing - Anthony Calvillo, first Alouette QB to pass for 6,000 yards in a season. Think about it. Even with Montreal's history - with QBs such as Sam 'The Rifle' Echeverry to Tracy Ham and Anthony is the first to pass for 6,000 in a season. A-Mazing! Of course since 1986 they've had 18 games schedules, which helps. League: how about ex-Arena Leaguer Craig Yeast's 123-yd missed Field Goal return for a TD. As Chris Berman said on Sports Centre, the U.S. version on ESPN this morning, "You won't see that in the NFL." Berman is one of the best, and around this time of year he shows a lot of CFL action in his Top Ten, no Monday mornings. He showed the two above this morning and I taped it.

Week 19 scores:
Montreal 58, Toronto 20
B.C. 40, Saskatchewan 38
Hamilton 24, Ottawa 19
Winnipeg 37, Calgary 16

Final 2004 Season CFL Standings:
East 1) Montreal 2) Toronto 3) Hamilton 4) Ottawa

West 1) B.C. 2) Edmonton 3) Saskatchewan 4) Winnipeg 5) Calgary

Time to gloat a bit. For all the flak I took from some corners of CFL fandom, I think my picks for the CFL were very good. Remember, I picked Montreal, Toronto, Hamilton, Ottawa in the East and Myk picked Ottawa (?! Pleez!) to finish above Hamilton. Gimme a break!

In the West I picked an order of Saskatchewan, B.C., Edmonton, Winnipeg and Calgary, with Saskatchewan, B.C. & defending Champ Edmonton in the playoffs. I got all the three playoff teams right in the West and picked all the three playoff teams correct from the east. Not bad for a good 'ole Canadian-American boy from Virginia, eh? Be on the lookout for Don Cherry #16 too, folkes. It may be the only Pro Hockey we see this winter folkes. 

Here's my picks for the CFL playoffs this coming weekend; Sakatchewan OVER Edmonton in Edmonton. Edmonton are the defending Grey Cup Champs and are home. It won't matter. Saskatchewan by 8. In the EAST, will we see the last TO. playoff game ever in SkyDome? I hope not. I love the place! But I am taking Hamilton by 6 OVER the Argonauts! Upset city. Let's see what Chris Schultz and Co. have to think about that.

And now from veteran Sports Writer Ken T. Saroka: No Grey Cup Parade 2004 Date: Sun, 31 Oct 2004 18:05:44 -0800 (PST) I was up in Ottawa this weekend....and in their paper--NO GREY CUP PARADE this year. Apparently it comes too close to their Santa Claus parade and they did not want to piggy back with their Santa parade for fear of drunkenness. At 10am??? Drunkenness?" Moose

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