As this was written, it was a cool 16-degree morning in Edmonton with rain expected through the day, clearing just in time for kickoff at Commonwealth Stadium.
It’s a fitting forecast for a team and a city full of fans that have been under some dark clouds the last few seasons and the last few weeks in particular. The 2023 campaign has been one riddled with close calls, dashed hopes and mouths-agape disbelief as the Elks have stumbled to a 0-5 start. If you zoom out, you see the bigger, uglier picture of a now 19-game long home losing streak that stretches back to 2019.
And yeah, we all know how we arrived at Loss No. 5, with a miscue from a first-year returner that capped a nine-point swing and a one-point deficit that the Green and Gold team couldn’t overcome. It’s the kind of loss that lands on a team like a bag of bricks, the kind of outcome that sets Twitter aflame (which admittedly is like finding a house laced with kerosene-soaked sheets just waiting for a match) with instant experts hot-taking their way to solutions.
Still, I emerge from all of that to say this: The Edmonton Elks will win tonight. Win No. 1 is coming. The home losing streak will end at the de-clawed paws of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
What do I base this on? Let’s call it a combination of a gut feeling and the incremental progress that a struggling team has made in the midst of its shortcomings.
Look at last week. From CFL.ca’s Elks-Ticats game notes, which point out that the Elks dominated Saskatchewan in areas where advantages there usually indicate a win.
They held the following seven edges over the Riders last week but still did not win: Fewer turnovers: (one to the Riders’ three); higher time of possession (37:02), better field position (36 yl vs 32 yl), More big plays (two to one), more yards gained (369-358), sacks allowed: zero vs four by Saskatchewan and second-down conversion percentage (57 to 42).
The nine-point swing and Taylor Cornelius‘ interception nullified that of course, but the Elks checked a lot of the boxes that will usually get you a win. If they can continue to do that, they’ll get their breakthrough. And the Ticats just might be the right opponent for them at the right time.
A well-protected Taylor Cornelius would make a world of difference for the Elks, who are still seeking their first win of the season (Walter Tychnowicz/CFL.ca)
As we all know, things haven’t gone as projected for the Tiger-Cats so far this season. Bo Levi Mitchell landed on the six-game injured list after just his second appearance in his new colours. While the offence has shown improvement in the three weeks that Matthew Shiltz has taken over starting duties, he has had his share of trouble out West. Tonight marks his 11th career start and he stands at an even 5-5. Those five wins have all come against East opponents. He is 0-5 against West Division teams.
While Hamilton boasts an intimidating defence that’s managed 11 sacks this season (good for fourth in the league), they meet an Edmonton offensive line that despite giving up a league second-worst 16 sacks, pitched a shutout against the Riders. If Cornelius can get good protection, he may be able to show more of that dual threat ability that led to the team signing him to an extension last season. Cornelius, for what it’s worth, had been taking good care of the ball up until the conclusion of last week’s game. He had gone 74 passes without an interception, before Nic Marshall stepped up and made the game-sealing play at Mosaic.
And wouldn’t it be something if C.J. Sims — who let the go-ahead rouge roll into the end zone last week — made up for it this week with a return touchdown for the Elks? He’s been close, showing glimpses of what he might be able to do in his CFL debut game in Week 3 against the Argos, where he had 181 yards on six kickoff returns and 101 yards on three punt returns. Were he able to find the end zone, he’d snuff out another longstanding streak, giving Edmonton its first return touchdown since the 2015 season.
Losses like the one that the Elks took last week can go one of two ways. The negative can dwell and pull a team down, or they can in a strange way bring a room together. The sun came up last Friday morning after that crushing loss, and the clouds are set to part tonight over Commonwealth Stadium, where the Elks have a shot at putting a tiring narrative to bed and taking the first step in gaining control of their season.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
