Official 2008 Prophecies

'Twas six months past Grey Cup and the season was looming;
The Riders were champs yet some fans were still fuming.
We'd won the big game but many seemed not to care
They were busy hurling hate at the GM with pointy hair.
Ken Miller was running the players through drills
While he and his assistants evaluated skills,
When all of a sudden, who should appear?
Tis' I the Rider Prophet with my thoughts on this year:

Eric's been busy and his moves have been doubted,
He's moved household names for those less highly touted.
The surprising trades have left the fans in pure shock,
And just for good measure, he let Kent Austin walk.
"Gone Holmes, gone Hunt, gone Murphy and Perry,
Gone Jones, gone Ronta and especially gone Kerry!
Thanks for your efforts but it's onwards and up,
No room to be complacent, we want another cup!"

On day one of the season Marcus Crandell takes the reigns,
Quite different from Joseph - less moves, but more brains.
The offense features an embarrassment of riches,
Crandell and Co. will make other defenses their... well you know.
The receivers are stellar, a talented bunch indeed
Matt, Flick, Andy and Bowman (here thanks to the weed).
Wes Cates returns to lead the rushing attack,
Offensive weapons we certainly do not lack.
Our offensive line is stacked to say the least
And watch for Glenn January - he'll turn out be a beast.

Our defense will be younger, stronger and quick
Lead by a monster by the name of John Chick.
Reuniting Davis and Morgan will make our secondary strong
And hopefully, James Johnson will step up and prove me wrong.
Our linebackers remain solid despite losing Hunt
The best D in the league; we'll force many a punt.
Our special teams' blocking and coverage surely improves
Fueled by Weston Dressler's lightning fast moves.

Our team looks quite different but I see no reason to fret
We've got talent across the board so don't count us out yet.
Tillman's shipped off some vets but 'tis no reason to moan
Have faith in their replacements despite being unknown.
For 1 or 2 of these "no-names" I will guarantee
By the end of the season will be considered marquee.

We will start 4 and 2 to the surprise of many
We shant miss a beat under the direction of Coach Kenny.
There will surely be some bumps we will have to fight through
And the bandwagon will temporarily empty as if right on cue.
In the end we will finish 11-7 - good for second
Proving that were still a force to be reckoned.
In the West Semi we'll play the Stamps in the snow
Burris will choke (but claim it's not 4 in a row).

Then it's off to BC on our way to defending,
But this year the Lions ruin the storybook ending.
For the date at the dome ends our quest to repeat
It will be a good season but end bittersweet
We won't have a Grey Cup to help the dynasty be built,
But at least it's not all bad - neither will Milt.
If my predictions seem dismal, you have no need to fear -
For you must keep in mind, I was way off last year!