3-0!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First off, I'm so glad the Riders only have to go to Hamilton once a year. Ivor Wynne's gotta be the most irritating stadium in the league. The annoying P.A. announer coupled with the constant "Oska-wee-wee" chant... luckily the game was so good I couldn't shut it off. Final score: 33-28.

Controversy.

First off, the Ti-Cats never should have let Weston Dressler run 60 yards after the catch when they're in a prevent defense. He was off to the races and looked like he'd score, before having the ball knocked loose on the 1 yardline. The ball then rolled end over end through the endzone. The ruling on the field was a touchdown, the booth reviewed the play and overturned it, which was the right call, and they gave the Riders possession on the 1. That's where the debate starts. Tabby's Coach Charlie Taffe was irate, he felt because Hamilton knocked it out of bounds, it should be their ball, and he may have had a case. The officials must have felt Dressler was still the last player to touch the ball before it came loose.

But the thing the Ti-Cats didn't think about, and I'm surprised it didn't even come up on TSN... is the way they called it actually gave Hamilton MORE of a chance to come back. As it stood, Darian Durant handed off to Wes Cates who went in for the touchdown with 32 seconds left... so Hamilton gets the ball back.

If they ruled the Ti-Cats knocked it out... it'd be a safety, 2 points, a one point Rider lead... and because it was a safety, Hamilton would have then had to kick off to the Riders. Yes, they'd probably try the short kick, but assuming the Riders recovered, they'd take a knee twice, and it'd be game over.

But, it's always tougher to go through such scenarios in your head while you're on the air or on the sideline in the heat of the moment, than when you're on your couch like I was.

**EDIT** CKRM just had Officials' Supervisor Ken Picot on the postgame show and he said the officials had the call right on the field. He ALSO said, even if it had been ruled Hamilton knocked it out, it wouldn't have been a safety... I didn't understand the whole thing, he was on a cell phone that was cutting out a little, and I was also typing away... anyway you slice it, the call was right, Riders WIN!!! ***

**ANOTHER EDIT** Joe Hadesbeck just explained the call again on Roughrider Roundtable. The ball was knocked out, and both teams simultaneously touched the ball to knock it out of bounds... in which case it's a dead ball, goes to the offense and it comes to the point where it was knocked loose. In English? Rider ball on the 1.**

P.S. From Pre Game to Play-by-Play to Post Game the boys at CKRM put together a first class broadcast. I honestly haven't listened to any other CFL broadcast from start to finish, but I can't see anybody touching them. Every radio sports guy should strive to put a broadcast together like theirs, and I can pump their tires without getting in trouble because we're sister stations with them now! But 2.5 hours Pre Game for home games, 1 hour for road games, a good half hour post game (at least) then a 45 minute call in show (roundtable)... which is still on. I see I'm getting some hits from Manitoba and Ontario since the game's ended... do check them out at http://www.620ckrm.com/ . And we do pick up their feed for the last half hour of the Pre Game Show, and everything but the round table in the post game on GX94 (940 AM).

What a game! The '08 CFL season has been incredibly exciting so far, and we're only through 3 weeks!

Other notes:

Darian Durant (pictured right) was exceptional, very poised and patient. One play in particular he was surrounded in the pocket and he looked calm and cool as he stepped up and delivered a TD to Dressler. That was just impressive composure and trusting your O-linemen around you.

And, Jesse Lumsden IS the real deal. I hate him, but I'd love him on my team!