The CFL releasing its division all-star teams Thursday morning. 9 members of the Riders have made the grade. On offence, recognition goes to Kerry Joseph, D-J Flick, Gene Makowsky and Jeremy O'Day. On the defensive side of the ball, all-stars are Fred Perry, Reggie Hunt, Maurice Lloyd and James Johnson. Luca Congi was named the all-star kicker. The all-stars were selected by the Football Reporters of Canada, the CFL head coaches and the fans through a contest with Future Shop.

Thanks to Scott for e-mailing this to me. Get your kleenex ready!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGqUw7tkw70&NR=1

The CFL has fined Eskimos Sean Fleming, Mike Maurer and William Loftus an unspecified amount of money for comments "disparaging" to the league. This stems from the controversy surrounding the holding call on Maurer which negated a game winning last second kick from Fleming against the Riders Friday.

May the treat you desire come at the end of November and not the end of October

Kent Austin challenged Kerry Joseph this season, and 5 months later, the coach knows his quarterback has made good.

Take a look at a funny letter Winnipeg Blue Bomber Doug Brown wrote to Kent Austin this week through a web-site. Our prgramming specialist(Bomber fan) Gerhard Peters showed me this: 

http://www.ourbombers.com/messageboard/viewtopic.php?t=13441

You know something has happened over the past few weeks. Something that has left me smiling. Its that the Kerry Joseph bashers have finally shut up--although I'm sure there are many of them hoping to get one or two more digs in before the season is over because hey thats the way Rider "fans" are right??

From the time Kerry Joseph arrived here just before the start of the 2006 season, I have preached and preached and preached that the days of the Riders looking for a top notch quarterback were over. I knew Joseph could succeed in the CFL and I'm sure his 2006 would have been a lot better had it not been for a knee injury that really should have sidelined him. I laughed and mocked all the nay-sayers that said Joseph is just a more athletic Nealon Greene or a hybrid of Reggie Slack. The combination of being healthy and working under coach Kent Austin has proven that Joseph is a top notch CFL quarterback and now he is poised to do something that not many Riders have and that is win the CFL's Most Outstanding Player award. I truly believe that with the free-fall the Bombers have been on and the upswing the Riders are experiencing that Joseph will be getting some hardware during Grey Cup Week. I also know that Joseph will say at practice today the piece of hardware he wants won't come during the week but at the end of the Grey Cup game.

So to all the "Kerry-bashers". Move on...find something else to complain about. After all you are a Rider fan or at least claim to be and complaining is really what some of you do best.

A former Rider quarterback or the current Rider quarterback will be the 2007 CFL MVP. The player of the year finalists are Kerry Joseph and Kevin Glenn. Joseph preventing a sweep by the BC Lions in the West as members of the first place Lions took the other nominations. For a complete list, go to the CFL's website at www.cfl.ca

A tongue-in-cheek Tad Kornegay defends the holding penalty he drew from Mike Maurer which helped the Riders win last Friday's game. Listen for Kent Austin hollering orders at Tad while Murray McCormick and I quizzed him about the play.

The Z-train visits with the media for the first time since partially severing his fingers with a table-saw.

Josh Ranek always hoped he would get the call from Eric Tillman.

Kent Austin suggests Josh Ranek may even start Saturday.

Many Rider fans wanting tickets to the November 11th Western Semi-Final were left out in the cold Monday and they aren't happy about that. Rider CEO Jim Hopson tried clarifying some matters on that with us on the Drew Remenda Sports Show Monday night.....