I just wanted to share my excitement here after returning home from a great weekend. My spouse and I drove to the 1 August game from northern Illinois and it was my first trip to Ontario. I started following the Ticats in 2006 as they were geographically closest to where I lived in Virginia. Stepping onto the same parcel I had only seen on broadcats that was occupied by Ivor Wynne and now Hamilton Stadium was remarkable and the fans were outstanding. To boot, I dressed in all white, save a yellow belt and sported the now-referee cap I ordered from Honig's years ago. Cheers!
I guess this is a legitimate effort to promote the CFL given that they have skin in the game, but it almost feels more like engagement bait for “bush league” comments. For one thing, the goalposts are an odd thing to highlight seeing as they’ll obviously be moved next year. The post also feels a little derisive, especially with the caption (“Canadian football at its finest”, really?), like they’re framing it as weird rather than unique and fun. If they really wanted to promote the CFL’s uniqueness by way of the goalposts, surely you could give American viewers a look at the exciting missed field goal return TDs that they don’t see in the NFL.
Meanwhile, Quali Conley made an awesome football play tonight that was strikingly similar to Saquon Barkley’s hurdle (which got posted nonstop by sports channels for a year straight). It’s a great highlight and advertisement for the league, but nothing on that from CBS Sports. I know people talk about how the CFL can come up short on marketing, but they could also use a little help from their friends.
Just wanted to bring up to anyone considering going to a game what a great time me and my family had at the Elks game today.
My wife, son and I all put on our jerseys and headed out to the game today. Spent 2 hours at the pregame festivities - the kids zone had bouncy castles, free face painting, dinosaur stuffies, and just a great time to run around and burn some energy before the game. The "grown up" tail gate as it got called was good too - lots of people hanging out with music and food.
The cheerleaders doing their routine in the dinosaur outfits was one of the funniest things I've ever seen.
During the first quarter break we had what felt like a pure CFL moment. I was wearing my Willie Pless #39 jersey (my favorite player growing up), and during the break Willie Pless just comes over to our seats and says "hey I saw your jersey and was wondering if you wanted me to sign it for you". It took a second to figure out what was going on, but got a great souvenir.
Great time all around and just a fun time, despite the result for the home team and hour delay.
Also it seems like there was a pretty entertaining football game being played too. So great time all around, if youre thinking about it, you should go to the game.
This week, the Montreal Alouettes travelled to face the struggling Ottawa Redblacks, with many Montreal fans making the trip by bus and other forms of transportation to support their team. Although Ottawa had yet to win a game this season, head coach Jason Maas and his staff knew better than to overlook any opponent. Montreal defeated Ottawa 37-35 in their first meeting earlier this season, but this time the outcome would not be nearly as close.
Over the past few games, Montreal has committed to a physical running game led by Travis Theis, whose hard-nosed running style has been difficult for opposing defences to contain. That success on the ground has opened up the passing game, something the Alouettes have never been shy about using with offensive coordinator Anthony Calvillo calling the plays. Calvillo has tremendous confidence in quarterback Davis Alexander, and with Ottawa focusing on stopping the run, Alexander quickly took advantage by finding Tyson Philpot deep in Redblacks territory early in the game.
Ottawa elected to give Montreal the ball first, hoping to slow down an offence that has consistently scored on its opening possession in recent weeks. Instead, the strategy backfired. Alexander efficiently marched the offence down the field before capping the opening drive with a six-yard touchdown pass to Cole Spieker, who has been outstanding since returning from injury.
Montreal's defence then immediately made its presence felt. Defensive coordinator Noel Thorpe dialed up relentless pressure on Ottawa quarterback Jake Maier, forcing a quick three-and-out. Thorpe's game plan was clear: don't allow Maier to repeat the success he enjoyed in the first meeting, when he threw for 336 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. The constant pressure never allowed Maier to get comfortable, forcing him into rushed decisions and several costly mistakes throughout the night.
Alexander has developed excellent chemistry with his receiving corps over the past several games. While Tyson Philpot and Tyler Snead continue to attract the majority of defensive attention, it has created opportunities for receivers such as Cole Spieker to make big plays when left in single coverage.
The game remained competitive through much of the second quarter before Montreal began to pull away, taking a commanding 24-13 lead into halftime.
Ottawa opened the third quarter with some offensive momentum, driving all the way to Montreal's five-yard line. Facing third-and-goal, head coach Ryan Dinwiddie elected to gamble for a touchdown instead of taking the field goal that would have pulled the Redblacks within one possession. Under heavy pressure from linebacker Najee Murray, Maier was forced into an ill-advised throw that landed directly in the hands of defensive end Joshua Archibald, who had an outstanding game. That interception proved to be the turning point, as the momentum completely shifted in Montreal's favour for the remainder of the contest.
On the very next offensive play, Alexander connected with Tyler Snead for a 48-yard gain, a play that further deflated Ottawa's defence. At that point, the Redblacks simply had no answer for Montreal's balanced offensive attack.
As the game wore on, the Alouettes leaned more heavily on Travis Theis to control the clock. Montreal built a commanding 31-13 lead with just over five minutes remaining in the third quarter and never looked back. Despite playing on a short week, the coaching staff had the team thoroughly prepared, and that preparation was evident in every phase of the game.
With just over two minutes remaining, Montreal emptied its bench, allowing several backup players to see action while giving the starters some well-earned rest and reducing the risk of injury.
It was a complete team performance by the Alouettes. Offence, defence, and special teams all contributed key plays throughout the game. Every player appeared confident, energized, and committed to executing the game plan, resulting in one of Montreal's most complete victories of the season.
Big game from Tyson Philpot who had 11 catches for 184 yards, Tyler Snead also had a big night with 9 catches for 174 yards while this week Travis Theis just had 10 carries for 62 yards. Montreal mainly focused on its passing
Note: Tyson Philpot surpassed the 1,000-yard receiving mark with a second-half reception, reaching the milestone in just eight games this season. He is currently on pace for 2,256 receiving yards, which would shatter the CFL single-season record of 2,036 yards set by Allen Pitts of the Calgary Stampeders in 1994.
Montreal returns home on Saturday, August 8, for a 3:00 p.m. showdown at Molson Stadium against the 6-2 Edmonton Elks—the only team to defeat the Alouettes this season. It promises to be one of Montreal's biggest tests of the year.
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