e game. ... Chicagos RH Jake Arrieta (5-1, 1.81) opposes R

Lets put it to a vote across Canada. Sabres Jerseys 2020 . With B.C., Edmonton and Calgary all winning, the competitive balance between the two divisions does not exist. Would it not be more interesting and easy to follow if there was a single group of nine teams? Im a traditionalist, as I do enjoy the East/West rivalries if both divisions are good at the top. But at 2-4, the East-leading Argonauts are the sixth best team in the CFL and the league standings should reflect that. If the playoffs were to start today, Hamilton, Ottawa and Montreal - all at 1-5 - would be out. The five West teams would all be in with one East team. Good! If two West teams are in the Grey Cup, I have no issues with that as long as theyve earned it through the regular season and through the playoffs. For me, one division of nine teams is more visually attractive and easier to follow. Yes, the bottom three will have concerns over ever being able to catch a playoff spot and theres a chance that by early October, a team or two would be out of the playoffs completely. Well, welcome to big boy football - where if you dont win, you lose your job. Its no different than any other chosen profession of pressure and performance. One division of nine teams gives exceptional clarity of who is good and who is not with a quick glance of the sports page. I like it! And if youre a Roughriders fan, you have to like your team coming off a road win in Ottawa and a road win in Winnipeg. I didnt think they could continue the turnovers for a third game in a row. Next up is a home game against Montreal and 5-2 is quite realistic. Two players stand out in Regina. John Chick is having a heck of a year. It is the combination of physical ability, polished technique and excellent effort that makes him excel. What will happen as were closing in on midseason is that teams will design packages of protection to make sure he keeps his distance from quarterbacks. Thats when you know youre good - when a tackle gets help from a running back or when a tight end is lined up beside the tackle. I look for Richie Hall to move Chick around pre-snap so what a team plans can be seen as the game progresses. The other is Jerome Messam. With over 100 yards rushing in one half of football, he is a true power back with a unique level of elusiveness. And the time to shine is now. And this is the team to do it with because George Cortez will never abandon the run. From Anthony Allen to Hugh Charles, from Will Ford to Messam, theres a job dangling with the Riders for someone to take. With Canadian citizenship, ratio-buster Messam has the inside lane in a sprint to be the No. 1 guy. In Montreal, it was Edmonton that controlled everything in their game. With three plays, 54 yards and a touchdown, the Eskies were ready to play - especially when you add 191 yards rushing. On the other side, Troy Smith ran 65 plays so the contingency of coaches and advisors have a lot of good video to work with. Smith only completed 44 per cent of his passes but I counted five dropped passes which would have taken him over 50 per cent. And I could have found another five catchable footballs to take him to 60 per cent. I still think Smith can lead, perform, and most importantly improve this year and still make it a good year in Montreal. That late touchdown was so important to end the talk of going 52 offensive possessions without a touchdown. When that is embedded in your mind you press to get it out of the mind. With Hamilton, the challenge is to keep confident at 1-5 and that can be tough to do. The Ticats have now lost four games they could have won and you use it that to learn and move on. With a home game against Calgary on Saturday afternoon, it does not get easier. But with a win, perception changes. In Vancouver, the Lions have won two close games and Kevin Glen threw for 400 yards. Many will want Travis Lulay back ASAP, but I would wait until Sept. 5 in Ottawa. It would become a nice 10-game season for Lulay and that little extra week or two helps him get back and be more productive. In the second half of the season, B.C. could be a very good team. Which brings me to a not so good team in Ottawa. The 38-17 loss on Saturday night was pure logic in real time. The battles are threefold in the nations capital. First, beat the opponent every week. Second, dont beat yourself every week - which is as difficult to master as beating any opponent. And third, finding new talent to inject and perform for the team. The other eight teams have players that have been around a while and are dependable and consistent. The Redblacks have not played enough games to make that type of conclusion with the present roster, so they must continue to evaluate until the coaches confidence builds up. They dont think they have an 18-game starter on their roster. They know it. Its a tough challenge because it can take two years to find 12 on offence and 12 on defence you really are solid in every way. No one said this was going to be easy. Success never is. Custom Buffalo Sabres Jerseys . Johan Franzen had two goals and two assists, Gustav Nyquist a goal and three assists and David Legwand a goal and two assists in the Red Wings 7-4 win over the New Jersey Devils. Buffalo Sabres Gear .Brady threw a 69-yard touchdown pass to Julian Edelman midway through the fourth quarter, and New England beat the San Diego Chargers 23-14 for its eighth win in nine games. https://www.cheapsabres.com/ . "Weve given ourselves now a tougher task," said Carlyle after the Friday practice, the Toronto head coach notably chipper and upbeat throughout. "But the bottom line is we just have to win our share of games [and] not worry about what anybody else is doing. WASHINGTON -- The Washington Nationals posted football-like numbers in routing the Chicago Cubs on Saturday with Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III watching from the stands. The way Gio Gonzalez is pitching, it was much more than they needed. Gonzalez pitched eight sparkling innings and Ryan Zimmerman tied a career high with four hits and drove in three runs as the Nationals roughed up the Chicago Cubs without recently traded Jeff Samardzija for a 13-0 victory. "Today he didnt have the velocity he did in Chicago, but nevertheless when you can throw your breaking stuff for strikes then it makes your fastball look better," manager Matt Williams said after Gonzalez defeated Chicago for the second Saturday in a row. "Hes relied on (his curveball and changeup). If he gets in a jam he can throw either one of those, can use either one as a strikeout pitch," Williams added. Jayson Werth and Anthony Rendon added three hits and two RBIs apiece for the Nationals on a day the Cubs were forced to start Carlos Villanueva (4-6) following the trade of Samardzija, the scheduled starter, and Jason Hammel to the Oakland Athletics. "Somebody told me that earlier," Rendon said of the change. "I didnt even know who we were facing to begin with. I just show up." Washington netted a season high in runs and hits (19), including eight doubles but no home runs. "(The trade) had nothing to do with any of the things that happened today we spit out a bad ballgame," Cubs manager Rick Renteria said before the question could be asked. He added he doesnt think it will be an issue going forward. "I dont. You had two things happen," Renteria said. "You had Gio who threw really well. So he stifles out offence pretty much and so that combined with us giving up a lot of runs it kind of looks like, Wow -- you know -- whats going on? Its just baseball." Gonzalez (6-4) allowed four hits, while striking out seven and walked one. He was lifted after throwing 109 pitches. Hes now thrown 29 consecutive scoreless innings against Chicago and 22 overall. After spending a month on the disabled list with shoulder inflaammation, Gonzalez is 3-0 in four starts since his return. Cheap Sabres Jerseys. Villanueva was pulled after the first four Nationals reached base in the third inning. He was charged with four runs on five hits. Chris Rusin, called up Saturday from Triple-A Iowa, was roughed up for five runs on nine hits over 3 2-3 innings. Justin Ruggiano had two hits for Chicago, which had won four straight. Williams flipped left-hander Bryce Harper and right-hander Rendon in the batting order, putting Rendon back in the 2-hole and Harper sixth against righty Villanueva. "Bryce is a little tick off (his timing)," Williams said before the game. Harper (1 for 3 with a walk Saturday) is 4 for 18 since returning from the disabled list. After Scott Hairston hit for Denard Span in the seventh, Hairston went to left field and Harper shifted to centre. Harper helped build the games first run Saturday. After Zimmerman singled leading off the second, Harper bunted him to second base and Zimmerman scored on Desmonds single. Washington sent 10-men to the plate in the third as they broke the game open and chased Villanueva. It was his fifth start of the season in 23 appearances. Span started the inning off with a single, and Rendon, Werth, Zimmerman, Ian Desmond and Wilson Ramos had RBI hits. Adam LaRoche scored on Rusins wild pitch. "After that its just go out there and attack the strike zone," Gonzalez said. "Just try to stay consistent in the strike zone." When Gonzalez singled in the seventh, every Washington starter had hit safely. NOTES: Washingtons Danny Espinosa pinch hit in the eighth, his first at-bat since June 28. ... Rusin, 27, was 6-10 with 3.96 ERA in 16 starts at Iowa. ... Renteria said the team will add another reliever Sunday. ... In the seventh inning, Frandsen came on to play third base for Washington, with Zimmerman shifting to first. ... Desmond leads MLB shortstops with 53 RBIs. ... Griffin sported a No. 10 Nationals jersey with his name on the back and visited the locker room after the game. ... Chicagos RH Jake Arrieta (5-1, 1.81) opposes RH Jordan Zimmerman (6-4, 2.95) in Sundays series finale. ' ' '