Green Zone News

CFL commissioner Marc Cohon says the league is facing challenges as 2008 comes to an end but he is happy with the way things are right now. Cohon talked about several topics during his state of the league address in Montreal today. He hopes to have a drug policy in place by 2010 when a new collective bargaining agreement is hammered out with the players. He is still confident the league will be back in Ottawa and he is hoping to have some neutral site games at a track and field stadium in Moncton. Despite playoff numbers being down.

Rider receiver Weston Dressler is the CFL rookie of the year in 2008. The North Dakota product easily beat Hamilton's Prechae Rodriguez in the final balloting. Dressler had 22 hundred total yards in 08 splitting it between receiving yards and return yards. He caught 56 passes on the season to be the team's leading receiver--6 of those catches went for touchdowns. Teammate Jeremy O'Day won the Tom Pate award for sportsmanlike play on the field and community work off of it.

The Calgary Stampeders and Montreal Alouettes will play one another in Montreal  for the Grey Cup November 23. The Stampeders won a hard fought Western final defeating the BC Lions 22-18 while the Alouettes beat Edmonton in the Eastern final 36-26. The appearance by the Alouettes in their own stadium on Grey Cup Sunday will be the first time since 2002 when Edmonton did it that a team will play at home in the final. This will be the first time Calgary and Montreal have played for the CFL championship since 1970.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders will end the 2008 season with four all-stars. On Wednesday, we found out Mo Lloyd and Anton McKenzie had been named to the defensive team and on Thursday we found out two Riders cracked the grade on the offensive side of the ball. Gene Makowsky was named an all-star for the 4th time in his career while Wes Cates was selected as a league all-star for the first time. Montreal led all players on the offensive side of the ball with 5 including quarterback Anthony Calvillo. 

Rider linebackers Maurice Lloyd and Anton McKenzie have been recognized for their play in 2008 by being named a CFL defensive all-star. BC led the way with 5 players being selected. Offensive all-stars come out Thursday and it is expected Gene Makowsky will be on it.  

Its something the Saskatchewan Roughriders knew they had to do but they would have liked to do it in two weeks instead of now. The football team gathered for one last time to clean out their lockers and say goodbye to one another after a season that ended Saturday night at the hands of the BC Lions in the Western semi-final. Many players were asked about the move last night to put Michael Bishop on waivers while many others including coach Ken Miller were asked to reflect on the season. To hear from Miller and several players, go to the Green Zone for their comments.