Monday Morning Sentimonies: Extending Harris

The big news in Riderville this week was also the leats surprising news. Trevor Harris was signed to a one year extension. If you were surprised by this move you either haven’t been paying attention or have been willfully deluding yourself. Given Harris’ age, for him, any extension that doesn’t require the assistance of pharmaceuticals is a win.

There are a number of reasons why this happened (listed in order of importance):

1 – Trevor Harris Is Good

When healthy he was damn good in 2024. Obviously the first 2 words of that line impose a massive caveat but Harris threw 3200 yards and 20 TDs (compared to just 9 INTs) in 12 games. Over an 18 game season that would be 4800 yards and 30 TDs. He started in 7 of our 9 wins. He proved he is still a starting caliber QB.

2 – Stability and Consistency

2024 was a season of change. Purging all the stench of failure from the Dickenson era. New offensive philosophy. New defensive philosophy. New leadership amongst the players. It worked. We improved from a team that could not find the playoffs even if someone hid them in a bowling alley to hosting and winning a home playoff game and finishing as a top 4 team. The changes worked. We want to continue to build on that foundation not seek our more massive changes. A new QB is a massive change that has potential to disrupt our upward momentum.

3 – Leadership

Harris is a true professional and an unquestioned leader in that locker room. He sets a high standard on and off the field. He embodies what Coach Mace wants to see in this team. Leaders like Harris help set the culture for the team and while intangible its important to winning franchises.

4 – What else were they going to do?

Adams was off the market. Despite everyone’s pipe dreams Tre Ford was never leaving Edmonton. That left Harris as far and away the best free agent QB on the market. The only other starting options were old man Bethel-Thompson (swapping one old man for a worse old man makes no sense) and Maier (back-up maybe, starter, please no). 

There is also Cody Fajardo but that would require a trade with Montreal and is not guaranteed. The irony of a fan base that was all to happy to see Fajardo go 2 years ago pinning for him to return is not lost on me. Also, if we want to knock of Harris’ durability consider that Fajardo played just one more game in 2024. 

I fully support keeping Harris. With two conditions: 1 – I am assuming his contract has a lower base salary and is more incentive based. If he can play 18 games then he deserves to be paid like a top 3 QB… but given that he hasn’t played 18 games in a season since 2015, it’s a pretty big risk to assume that will happen and pay him big guarantees. 2 – we need a quality back-up. At a minimum I expect whoever is #2 to start 2 games in 2025, maybe more.  I still believe that Patterson has more upside (how quick we are to forget how banged up we were during his starts and how many beautifully thrown balls our receivers ineptly dropped for him). But his progression is slow enough that you may want to look at other options.

In other Rider news…

LB Coach JC Sherritt is headed back to Edmonton to be the DC. Sucks to lose a talented coach but that’s the price you pay for employing quality people. No one was lining up to poach the likes of Kelly Jeffrey… is that the quality of staff you want instead?

Last but not least DL Charbel Dabire also signed an extension. This signing will not get a ton of hype but it should. I have been on the Charbel Dabire hype train since his rookie season. He is a quality Canadian player that can make an impact along the D-line when called upon. He had 2 sacks in 4 games in 2024 before succumbing to injury. Happy to have him continue his career in Saskatchewan.

16th Annual Rider Prophet Awards

It’s the season of holidays and tradition. American Thanksgiving, Christmas, the Grey Cup ending in Bomber tears and the Rider Prophet Award. Unlike other family traditions this one has no risk of awkward political conversations, drunk uncles or high credit card bills. 

Every year we end the CFL season by honouring all things that I unilaterally deem noteworthy. This year’s award winners will receive an interception delivered by Zach Collaros (I know, it seems everyone has one of those but in this economy its all I can afford). 

Let’s get to the awards.

Best Player Name

I debated long and hard about this one but in the end there really was no other option. A younger, less mature (relatively speaking) Prophet would have awarded this name out of principle. But the older more mature (relatively speaking) Prophet is awarding this name not because I think there is anything inherently funny about the name but because of how nervous the prospect of him making the active roster and how possible a career ending Freudian-slip happening to an announcer was. The winner… Diego Fagot. 

Previous Winners: La'Akea Kaho'ohanohano-Davis, Diego Allatore-Montoya, Luther Hakunavanhu, Guillermo Villabos, Armegedon Draughns, Rakeem Cox, Akawasi Owusu-Ansah, Lirim Hajrullahu, SirVincent Rogers, Drew Willy, Bear Woods, Solomon Elimimian, Craphonso Thorpe, Charleston Hughes, Chijioke Onyenegecha

 

Quote of the Year

Referee Ben Major has always been a beloved CFL figure. Solid at his job, tough as they come, all around good guy. Well this year he added one the of the CFL’s most quotable figures to his resume.

At a game in BC Place a punt hit the jumbotron. Major proceeded to make the call of the year. “The kick hit the scoreboard…which is pretty odd. We’re going to redo everything.” . That alone wins him the award. But then it happened again later in the season and the camera panned to Major with great anticipation for his call… he just laughed and said “The kick hit the scoreboard… again”. 

Previous Winners: Craig Dickenson x2, Tom Velessi, Cody Fajardo, Dave Dickenson, Kavis Reed/Jacques Chapdelaine, Greg Quick, Solomon Elimimian, Ed Hervey, Joe Mack, Henry Burris, Eddie Johnson, Jason Clermont, Mike Abou-Mechrek x2

Play of the Year

Ben Major is so good at life he’s going to become a double award winner and the first non-football play to win this award. 

The Grey Cup is the biggest sporting event in Canada. It usually starts with a very routine coin toss. But this time around Major handed the coin to the tosser before actually getting the call from the players and had to abort the coin toss mid toss and try again. In true Ben Major fashion, he handled it like a pro.  

 

Botched Call of the Year

As much as we like to rag on them, the CFL refs do a damn good job of a very difficult task most of the time. All the controversy that erupted this year over the CFL Command Centre, just makes me more and more of the opinion that we just leave things to the refs actually on the field. They may not be perfect but honestly despite all their human limitations they are more consistent (and correct) usually than the Command Centre.

That brings us to the botched call of the year. It will come as no surprise to Rider fans that the Ottawa game that was over before the Command Centre inexplicably decided they needed to intervene to assess a penalty that never should have been assessed (just ask the onfield refs that got it right). It’s kinds like when you think you should do home plumbing renos by yourself. You shouldn’t be in that situation. You are probably going to screw it up and everyone will be worse for your efforts…. That the 2024 Command Centre.

Most Insulted Sports Figure

Going to cut right to the chase and add one more insult to the year’s tally… Nelson Lokombo sucks. The only things he excelled at were arriving late to a play, leaving the middle wide open, and managing to have the least impact of anyone I’ve seen despite being a fulltime starter. I spent the season airing my grievances and will continue to do so should he be back as starting safety in 2025. 

Previous Winners: Craig Dickenson, Riders O-line, Riders Offensive Tackles, John Ryan, Brandon Bridge, Steve McAdoo, The Riders Secondary, Any Rider QB not named Durant, Pat Neufeld, Chris Getzlaf, Ryan Dinwiddie, Jim Daley, Michael Bishop x 2, Marcel Bellefeuille

Fans’ Choice Douchebag of the Year

This is one of my favourite annual traditions on this blog. First of all an award for being a douchebag is just such a great concept. Second, I love that it’s 100% voted on by the fans. This season with a strong 60% majority, your Douchebag of the Year is Chad Kelly. To be suspended at all in the CFL means you done real bad (that or you did something marginal but you’re a Rider and there were too much online outrage for the CFL to ignore, but I digress). Kelly earned himself a 9 game suspension and lawsuit because he was a uber douchebag towards a female member of the Als’ staff. I still don’t know how the front office (Pinball, John Murphy etc…) that knew about the bad behaviour and actively threw their support behind the perpetrator as opposed to the victim have avoided any kind of consequence but Kelly is definitely a douche and worthy of the honour you have bestowed on him.

Previous Winners: Craig Reynolds/Jeremy O’Day/Craig Dickenson Garett Marino, Andrew Harris, Simoni Lawrence, Jason Maas x2, Cory Chamblin, Chris Jones, Jon Cornish x2, Henry Burris, Dwight Anderson, Mike Kelly, Jason Jimenez, Rob Murphy