Playoffs, Shologan, Coaches and Other Misc Thouhgts

The division finals go tomorrow  with a berth in the 99^th Grey Cup on the line. Amazingly this year the 4 teams remaining were eliminated at this point last season and the four teams currently eliminated were playing.

The combination of the Riders being out and me having the attention span of a 4 year old means that you will be forced to endure my random thoughts rather than a well put together post... or in my case a half assed put together post.

-          Anyone want to place bets on whether Buck Pierce finishes the game? I hope the Bombers were forward thinking enough to give Brink a fair share of first team reps in practice.

-          Then again why should the Bombers worry? I mean what are the odds that an injury to their starter would ruin their Grey Cup chances?

-          At least Brink has that whole “Not Being Dinwiddie” thing going for him.

-          I was asked about my hatred of Dinwiddie last night and I responded that i would gladly withdrawn it if someone could point to something positive he has done in his professional career... I’m still waiting for a response.

-          I do love the Terrence Jeffers-Harris drama that unfolded this week. I have nothing aginast what Hamilton did... i just wish they were honest about. No one is buying this “we only want him for next year” schtick.

-          The Cup is really BC’s to lose, they are the most complete team (at least now that Messam is done)... that said I would not discount the veteran savvy of Ricky Ray (especially now that Bowman seems to have caught on to this catching thing).

-          I was very glad to see the Riders lock up Keith Shologan for 3 more years. He was one of the big 3 free agents this season for the offseason. A quality Canadian DT is hard to come by (hell it’s tough to find a quality import DT) so it was good to see the Riders act quickly to ensure he didn’t get away.

This brings me to the ongoing search for the Riders’ next head coach. Eight names have been floating around as possible candidates. In no particular order here are my thoughts on those 8.

Mike O’Shea – No. A guy with 2 years experience as a special teams coordinator is not ready to be a head coach. The guy hasn’t even been an OC or DC. Maybe in a few years but absolutely not today.

Mike Benevides – He’s not leaving BC, plain and simple.

Corey Chamblain – Taman loves the guy. He’s young, bright and enthusiastic (kinda the opposite of Miller). His hiring would spell the end of Richie Hall since they have polar opposite defensive philosophies... not that that's a bad thing.

Scott Milanovich – I personally think a young talented offensive mind like Milanovich is exactly what we need. We passed on him last time after he interviewed.  He will have to prove he’s not just been made to look good due to his association with Trestman and the best QB in league history.

Craig Dickenson – Has experience in the CFL and NFL but only on Special Teams. His results speak for themselves. I don’t think he’s the best candidate but I wouldn’t be opposed to giving him a shot.

Dave Dickenson – His offensive intelligence is beyond question but he’s still fairly inexperienced.  We would have to accept growing pains if we went with him. Can’t see him leaving Calgary though.

Tim Burke – Nothing against his success in Montreal in Winnipeg but I really think that much like Rich Stubler his defensive success won’t lead to success at the next level.

Richie Hall – For the love of God no!!!!!!!!!  Let’s not make the same mistake twice in a row and hire somebody that everyone else has passed on.