Monday Morning Sentimonies: Needs More Updation

What a better way to start off a week than by adding a new word to my vocabulary. If you check out the 8th comment on last Monday’s post, you’ll find that faithful reader "produzione videoclip" (may not be his real name) suggested that I need some new updation. I hate to disappoint you produzione but the work involved with actually doing updation flies in the face of my poor work ethic and utter laziness. However I would like to thank you for adding another fantabulous word to my lexicon.

How how about some updation on the Riders…

Last week the team announced the signing of DL Gabe Nyenhuis, WR Brandon Myles and WR Byron Ross. While I would love to get excited about these guys and research their playing history and what not, I will hold off until training camp before I put too much effort into learning about our new guys. Last year I got burned after putting a bunch of effort into writing about Matt Chatelaine, Amariah Farrow and Quentin Jones.

With these signings the team has 4 remaining spots left on the roster to fill their 75 man training camp roster (Canadian draft picks attending their first camp don't count towards the 75). Of those remaining spots, one is no doubt earmarked for a QB. Regardless, I doubt there will be much more in the way of signings until after the NFL draft… which thankfully is this weekend otherwise I may have to sink to new lows with the filler I’d be reduced to posting.

Season ticket sales have hit the 23,000 mark (including flex-packs and sponsorship). This is an amazing accomplishment for the team given that it wasn’t that long ago that you could barely give Rider tickets away, let alone convince someone to pay for them. All signs point to the sell-out streak continuing… which of course means that you expect to hear a lot of people publicly complaining about how they were unfairly deprived of a tickets… a Saskatchewan tradition since 2007.

Matt Dominguez says his knee is healed and he’s ready to play this season. Now where have I heard this before? Oh right we’ve heard it for each of the 37 previous times Dominguez has injured his knee. While MD is a standout guy, a leader in the locker room and an immensely talented receiver (when he’s not on crutches) who I would love to see back on the field for us… I will wait until I hear a medical professional validate his claims before I start believing.

Michael Bishop’s bid to go undefeated as a starter for the Corpus Christi Hammerheads didn’t pan out (shocking I know). Bishop was picked off twice in a loss to Abilene Ruff Riders… meaning it was the most proficient Bishop has ever been when it came to completing passes to Riders.

CFL Ins and Outs

Edmonton
In: Jason Goss (contract extension)
Goss was the Esks best DB last season but he’ll have to do even better this season in order to compensate for the offseason acquisitions (Malbrough and Gordon) with which he may share the field with this year.

Montreal
In: OL Andrew Woodruff (free agent signing)
Not sure how the Als plan to maintain their culturally mandated ratio of players with French names if they keep signing guys with names like Woodruff.

BC
In: Angus Reid (contract extension)
To clarify this has nothing to do with that company that does all those surveys and polls.

Winnipeg
In: Derick Armstrong (contract extension), WR Justin Surrency, RB Yvenson Bernard (free agent signing)
Due to my aforementioned poor work ethic and utter laziness I have nothing to write about these players.

Toronto
In: WR Frank Murphy, K Justin Medlock (free agent signing)
Out: WR Jeron Harvey, WR Abraham Morlu (cut)
Morlu (who you may remember is the Liberian sprinter) was signed by the Argos last month. At the time, I predicted that he wouldn’t amount to much as a football player. While I was right, I assumed the Argos would at least wait until he set foot on a football field before they came to the same conclusion. Maybe Bart Andrus isn’t as misguided as I first thought… then again Andrus was the one who signed him only to cut him a month later so maybe I was right all along.