That changing of the guard in the CFL West?
Sports
‘WE’RE BACK’: Winnipeg Blue Bombers prove they’re still a contender, with a twist
After winning the coin toss, the Leos got a punch in the mouth, instead.
With a chip on their shoulders and a game plan pinned on the arm of Zach Collaros, the Bombers served notice they’re not ready to age out and fade away just yet, throttling the Lions, 50-14, to join them in first place.
Consider that 30-6 loss to the Leos in June avenged — and then some.
“It was an offensive statement that we’re back,” receiver Kenny Lawler said, post-game, after covering 200 yards through the air. “We’re going to be very, very dynamic and we’re going to be a force to be reckoned with.”
Why not, when you’ve got Lawler, Dalton Schoen and Nic Demski running under rainbows?
Pierce didn’t even flinch when his team found itself on its own five-yard line the first time it had the ball.
Collaros to Lawler for 34 then to Schoen for 71, and the 105 yards were covered.
The next time they got the ball — after the defence stuffed a Lions third-and-one around midfield — the Bombers offence took just one play to go the distance: Collaros heaving it some 48 yards in the air with Lawler taking care of the remainder.
“Maybe it’s like a reminder for teams,” running back Brady Oliveira said. “We know in this locker room that we’re the best team in the West. We know that. If you want to call it a redemption game or whatever – we don’t. We just worry about the next team on our schedule.”
But…
“Going out there and putting up as many points as we did does send a message and shows that we have an electric offence,” he added. “Best offence in the league. Best offensive line in the league. Weapons all around.”
The Lions defence had been giving up some 250 yards per game, going in.
“We are who we are,” is how linebacker Adam Bighill put it. “This is our team. We talk about what we try to accomplish… how we want to play football, no matter who we’re playing against. The statement says we executed at a very, very high level on really all three phases.”
They had to.
Because so much hung on this one.
The four-point swing in the standings. The psychological edge for the winner.
Maybe even revenge, although the Bombers refused to embrace that animal in the days leading up to the game.
The salt they rubbed into the B.C. wound as the score piled up suggests something else entirely.
“Most definitely,” Willie Jefferson said. “We didn’t want the revenge story to be what drove us. At the beginning of the week… Coach O’Shea told us if you’re living in the past, you don’t have room to grow. Once he said that, all that revenge talk all went out the window.
“But … when we strap up the pads and go against a team that beat us like they did the first time and they’re back in our house, we had to go out there and handle business, no matter what. Had to. It was a must.”
“It’s a must-have win when you’re playing a team three times,” Bighill acknowledged. “It doesn’t matter if it’s Edmonton, Calgary, it doesn’t matter who it is. You’re playing someone three times, you’ve got to be able to be playing for the season series.
“You don’t where things are going to shake out by November.”
The rubber match is still a long way out, in Vancouver in early October.
“I wouldn’t say we’re back,” Demski said. “Because we never left. We’re here, though. That was a statement game to just prove who we are.”
They’re still a contender.
But, just maybe, with a different way of doing it.
Continue Reading
LONDON – Canada will meet three-time champion Germany in the Davis Cup quarterfinals in Malaga, Spain this November.
Canada secured a berth in the quarterfinals — also called The Final 8 Knockout Stage — with a 2-1 win over Britain last weekend in Manchester, England.
World No. 21 Felix Auger-Aliassime of Montreal anchored a five-player squad that included Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., Gabriel Diallo of Montreal, Alexis Galarneau of Laval, Que., and Vasek Pospisil of Vernon, B.C.
The eight-team draw for the quarterfinals was completed Thursday at International Tennis Federation headquarters.
Defending champion Italy will play Argentina, the United States will meet Australia and Spain will take on the Netherlands. Schedule specifics have yet to be released but the Final 8 will be played Nov. 19-24.
Tim Puetz and Kevin Krawietz were unbeaten in doubles play last week to help Germany reach the quarterfinals. The country’s top singles player — second-ranked Alex Zverev — did not play.
The Canadians defeated Germany in the quarterfinals en route to their lone Davis Cup title in 2022. Germany won titles in 1988, ’89 and ’93.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Canada, fuelled by a 2-1 win over the U.S. and scoreless draw with Mexico, has jumped two places to No. 38 in the FIFA men’s world rankings released Thursday.
Of the top six CONCACAF teams, Canada was the only one to move up. Mexico was unchanged at No. 17 while the U.S. and Panama each fell two rungs to No. 18 and 37, respectively
Costa Rica slipped one spot to No. 50 and Jamaica two places to No. 61.
It marks Canada’s highest ranking under coach Jesse Marsch, who was hired in mid-May when the Canadians were ranked 50th. Since then, the team has climbed to No. 49, 48, 40 and now 38.
Canada has been as high as No. 33 in the men’s ranking, achieved in February 2022 under John Herdman with Canada, named the “Most Improved Side” in 2021 by FIFA, turning heads with an unbeaten run in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying.
The new rankings encompass 184 internationals involving teams from all six confederations including 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Asia, Oceania and South America.
The top 10 was unchanged with Argentina ahead of France, Spain, England, Brazil, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, Colombia and Italy. But the gap at the top is closing with Argentina losing 2-1 away to Colombia and 3-1 at home to Italy.
Teams 10 through 15 were also unchanged. But there was movement after that in the form of Japan (, up two), Iran (No. 19, up one) and Denmark (No. 20, up one). Egypt (No. 31), Ivory Coast (No. 33), Tunisia (No. 36) and Algeria (No. 41) all jumped five places while Greece (No. 48) climbed six spots.
The biggest movers were Brunei Darussalam (No. 183) and Samoa (No. 185), who vaulted seven spots on the back of two wins apiece.
Qatar suffered the biggest drop, tumbling 10 places to No. 44.
San Marino remains at the bottom of the rankings in 210th place despite recording its first victory in more than 20 years, San Marino defeated Liechtenstein 1-0 on Sept. 5, ending a 140-game winless run since a 1-0 decision over the same opponent in April 2004.
Liechtenstein fell four places to No. 203.
Canada’s next match is an Oct. 15 friendly against Panama at Toronto’s BMO Field. The next men’s ranking will be released Oct. 24.
—
Follow @NeilMDavidson on X platform, formerly known as Twitter
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
It has been a difficult start to the NFL season for quarterback Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers.
Carolina has dropped its opening two games after Sunday’s 26-3 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. And Young, the first player taken in the ’23 NFL draft, was 18-of-26 passing for 84 yards with an interception while being sacked twice.
As a result, veteran Andy Dalton will start Sunday when Carolina faces the Las Vegas Raiders (1-1).
According to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp., the Chargers’ win was the most accurately predicted moneyline selection by Proline bettors. A whopping 92 per cent of wagers were on Los Angeles beating Carolina with 92 per cent also picking the Chargers to cover -4.5.
In other action that went in favour of Proline bettors: Kansas City edged Cincinnati 26-25 (86 per cent correctly selected the Chiefs to win); Houston got past Chicago 19-13 (81 per cent); the New York Jets defeated Tennessee 24-17 (78 per cent); Pittsburgh beat Denver 13-6 (76 per cent), Washington beat the New York Giants 21-18 (73 per cent); and Seattle toppled New England 23-20 (62 per cent).
However, only five per cent of bettors had the Raiders upsetting Baltimore 26-23.
And there was one winner of Proline’s second week main NFL pool of $407,613.
In NFL futures bets after the second week of the season, the odds for offensive player of the year got shorter for running backs Breece Hall (Jets) and Bijan Robinson (Atlanta) and Detroit receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. But they got longer for running backs Kyren Williams (Rams), Christian McCaffrey (San Francisco) and Jonathan Taylor (Colts).
Quarterbacks Bo Nix (Denver), Jayden Daniels (Washington) and Caleb Williams (Chicago) all had their odds for offensive rookie of the year go up while they went down for running back Ray Davis (Buffalo), tight end Brock Bowers (Raiders) and receiver Malik Nabers (Giants).
Quarterbacks Patrick Mahones (Chiefs), Aaron Rodgers (Jets) and Jalen Hurts (Eagles) all had their odds for regular season MVP go up. But quarterbacks Jordan Love (Packers), Lamar Jackson (Baltimore) and Joe Burrow (Cincinnati) all saw theirs go down.
Kansas City, Philadelphia and Houston had their Super Bowl odds increase while Green Bay, Baltimore and Cincinnati all decreased.
Not surprising, the week’s top events were all NFL games. In order, they were; Buffalo-Miami, Chicago-Houston, Cincinnati-KC, Raiders-Ravens; and Saints-Cowboys.
A Proline retail player cashed in a $26,183 winner from a $10 bet on a 12-leg major-league baseball parlay. Another won $24,602 from a $10 wager on a 12-leg NFL parlay.
A third received $1,737 from a $3 bet on a six-leg NFL parlay.
A digital bettor earned $2,927 from a $25 bet on a five-leg NFL parlay while a second had a $704.35 return from a $1 wager on a seven-leg NFL parlay.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
News55 mins ago
A timeline of events in the bread price-fixing scandal
News55 mins ago
S&P/TSX composite up more than 250 points, U.S. stock markets also higher
News56 mins ago
Quebec premier calls on Bloc Québécois to help topple Trudeau government next week
Media1 year ago
12 Bizarre Things People Did Just To Make Social Media Content
Sports5 years ago
AP source: Bears acquiring quarterback Nick Foles from Jaguars – Sportsnet.ca
Investment5 years ago
dynaCERT Inc. Invites You to Join Us at the Vancouver Resource Investment Conference | INN – Investing News Network
-
News15 hours agoAlberta Premier Smith aims to help fund private school construction
-
Media4 hours ago
Sutherland House Experts Book Publishing Launches To Empower Quiet Experts
-
News4 hours agoQuebec won’t fund graphite mine project tied to Pentagon; locals claim ‘victory’
-
News15 hours agoNurse-patient ratios at B.C. hospitals set to expand in fall, says health minister
-
Economy15 hours agoN.B. election: Parties’ answers on treaty rights, taxes, Indigenous participation
-
News15 hours agoNova Scotia NDP accuse government of prioritizing landlord profits over renters
-
News15 hours agoHealth Minister Mark Holland appeals to Senate not to amend pharmacare bill
-
News15 hours agoSecond-half goals lift defending MLS champion Columbus past Toronto FC
