The Rookies

Pacman Jones won't be making it rain in Winnipeg any time soon.

Apologies for the delayed edition of The Whole 110 Yards this week; a nasty little thing known as work intervened and killed my blogging time. As always, leave feedback and suggestions in the comments, or send them to me via e-mail, Twitter or Facebook.

There were a couple of interesting CFL games last week, including the Edmonton Eskimos’ thrilling 31-30 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Toronto Argonauts’ failure to kick a game-tying field goal in the last seconds of their 23-20 loss to the Calgary Stampeders. We’ll get to those games in detail shortly, but the most fascinating news of the week actually comes from the “Off-field Story of the Week” department. As SI’s Jim Trotter reported Monday night, cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones (West Virginia), he of the strip club troubles, was set to become the newest member of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. This made sense from a few different perspectives, but unfortunately for both Winnipeg fans and CFL writers, didn’t come true. Winnipeg was clearly very interested in Jones, and their director of player personnel, John Murphy, was quoted by Trotter as saying the deal was all but done. Unfortunately, it looks like management pulled the plug after a few days of speculation, and received plenty of applause in the local media for not signing Jones (but criticism for even pursuing him). I’ll explain why I disagree with that below, but first, won’t someone please think of the strippers?

If you haven’t clicked that last link, do so now. I disagree with Winnipeg Free Press sports columnist Randy Turner on his column criticizing the team for going after Jones, but he more than makes up for it with his piece from Wednesday, where he interviewed local strip club owners about what the Pacman might mean for their business. Robin Skolnik of the S City (formerly Sin City) Exotic Nightclub had the best lines. “Great! When we’re a block away, that’s what we like,” she said. “”I’ll give you the address for him. We’d be more than happy to entertain him in our VIP room.”

Well, at least this situation worked out well for someone. Skolnik and her strip club-owning cohorts may not receive the benefits of Jones’ patronage, but they have received incredible amounts of publicity out of this. Skolnik’s quote has made the rounds throughout Canadian media outlets in all mediums this week, and deservedly so thanks to its hilarity. It’s probably the most attention that Winnipeg strip clubs have ever received from the media. Also, this way, they don’t have to deal with the aftermath of attempts to make it rain with loonies; those could be quite painful.

However, this is quite a loss from a football perspective. For one thing, the Bombers have been one of the league’s worst teams this year, despite an emphatic win over B.C. last week. Their rushing offence is the best in the league, though, and their rushing defence has been acceptable (fourth in both total rushing yards allowed and rushing yards allowed per game). Their passing defence has been as leaky as the post-iceberg Titanic, though. To date, they’ve allowed 101 passing first downs, 2217 yards of net passing offence and an average of 277.1 passing yards against per game, all third-worst in the league. Teams have attempted more passes (297) against Winnipeg than any other team, and they’ve completed more passes (185) against the Blue Bombers than against any franchise other than Edmonton’s notoriously bad pass defence. Jones is very physically talented and could have been a big factor in turning that unit around. He’s only 25, he’s played at a high level in the past, and his release by the Cowboys (and subsequent lack of offers by other NFL teams) appears to have been more due to off-field issues than on-field ones. There’s certainly no guarantee that Jones would have put in the work necessary to make a successful transition to the CFL, and there’s perhaps even less confidence that he would have been able to stay out of run-ins with the law, but the franchise involved does help on a couple of those points. Like any other city, Winnipeg has its seedy elements, but it might have been easier for Jones to avoid them in a smaller city than around the bright lights of Montreal, Toronto or Vancouver. Moreover, the Bombers certainly need help of some sort, so a gamble of this magnitude makes more sense for them than for some of the stronger franchises. If it didn’t work out, they would have only lost some cash; if it had worked, it could have been the first step towards helping them fight their way back into the playoff picture.

Don’t underestimate the business elements at play here either. As Blue Bombers’ director of player personnel John Murphy told Trotter, this brings plenty of attention to a franchise that could use it. “From a marketing standpoint, a business standpoint and a football standpoint, I could go to 100 NFL training camps and every preseason game and more people will hear and know about the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the next two weeks — from the coverage we’ll receive — than in the last 10 years,” Murphy said. That doesn’t mean that reaction will be uniformly positive, but it does put some national attention back on the team─and for a reason apart from how bad they are. Unfortunately, the business types seem to have nixed this one, figuring that the negative publicity would have outweighed the benefits. It’s possible that bad publicity alone would have hurt the team, but if Jones had helped the team win, no one would have maintained much outrage for long. Winning is a cure-all panacea for what ails most franchises; unfortunately, the Winnipeg business office seems to have rejected it because of the initial harsh taste.

For Jones, this also would have made a lot of sense. The CFL is a known, established league, unlike the UFL. The salaries aren’t huge, but they do translate to more American dollars than they have in a while, thanks to the Canadian dollar currently trading around $0.91 U.S. More importantly, the CFL’s quality of competition is well-known, and most NFL teams have at least one scout keeping an eye on the league. Teams may be paying even more attention to Canadian football these days after the recent success of players like Cameron Wake (Penn State) and Stefan Logan (South Dakota), who made the transition from the B.C. Lions to the Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers respectively this offseason. If Jones can come to Winnipeg, play reasonably well and prove that he’s able to take instruction and stay out of trouble, the NFL will likely come calling. The CFL could very well have been the next step on his road to redemption if he had kept his act clean. Things might not have necessarily worked out, though; a UStream video chat Jones conducted with fans Tuesday night showed he didn’t know much about the league and didn’t appear all that eager to learn, so he might have been a bust in any case. I think the Jones situation was more likely shot down by the team’s business staff than the football guys, especially given the amount of interest they expressed in him earlier, but that video gives them a somewhat plausible football excuse to use.

Even if Jones had been incredible in the CFL, though, it would be foolhardy to think that he could have been the solution to all of the Bombers’ issues. Even if he did turn around their defence, many of their problems have been thanks to an ineffective passing offence, which was partly aggravated by bringing current starting quarterback Michael Bishop (Kansas State) in midway through the season after Stefan LeFors (Louisville) stumbled badly out of the gate. Through eight weeks of play, they rank last in passing touchdowns (four), overall touchdowns (11), passing first downs (62), yards gained per pass (5.5), passes completed (104), net yards passing (1226), average yards passing per game (153.6) and completion percentage (46.4 per cent). The Bombers might have become a decent team if Jones played reasonably well and improves their pass defence, but they’re not going to become a good team or a Grey Cup threat unless they find some passing offence somewhere. Unfortunately, they also seem to have nixed a plan to do that; they were apparently looking at bringing former Detroit Lions wide receiver Charles Rogers (Michigan State) to town, but backed off* as soon as they learned he was still under suspension by the NFL. If they were really interested in him, they might have been able to lobby for that suspension to be lifted, but the lack of effort shows that business concerns may again be taking precedence in Winnipeg.

*Side note: That piece is by USA Today NFL editor Sean Leahy, who, after an extensive investigation by myself, has been revealed as not the same Sean Leahy who writes for Puck Daddy, Yahoo! Sports’ hockey blog. Aren’t you glad I’m around to tell you these things!

The Jones and Rogers situations reminded me of a great piece Joe Posnanski wrote this week on how more sports teams should try being unconventional. It’s a topic I’ve pondered frequently, particularly in its applications to football, baseball and sportswriting. Posnanski makes an excellent point about how teams are too scared to try being unconventional. They’d rather lose and look professional than lose and have a chance of looking ridiculous. To me, that may be applicable to Winnipeg here. Yes, they’d look silly if they brought in Jones and Rogers and they failed, but they’d look brilliant if bringing those guys in led a turnaround of their season. The current model isn’t working, so why not try breaking the mould? The chance of failure may have been too much for them, which is unfortunate, especially considering that head coach Mike Kelly has been willing to innovate in other ways, such as putting the quarterback directly under centre and focusing on the running game. They need to take those innovations further if they’re to have a chance at the playoffs this year; they’ve already proven that they can’t win by conventional methods.

The Week that Was: Only two games this past week thanks to byes, so this section will be reasonably short. As always, video highlights and stats can be found on the league homepage.

“I always thought that record would stand until it was broken“: The Toronto Argonauts set a club record Friday, but it’s probably one they’d like to have back. Their 23-20 loss to Calgary was their 10th-straight defeat at home, a mark they’d never accomplished previously. Given how bad the Argonauts have been for much of the past few decades, that’s saying something about this year’s team.

However, there were a few bright spots. Most prominently, quarterback Cody Pickett (Washington), who began the year as a backup to Kerry Joseph (McNeese State), continued to prove he’s worthy of the starting spot. In his second straight start Friday, he completed 32 of 45 passes for 311 yards and two touchdowns. More importantly, he wasn’t picked off; Joseph, the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player in 2007, threw nine interceptions and just one touchdown pass over his last four starts, which was the key factor in his benching. It looks like Pickett’s leading the Argonauts for the forseeable future; let’s just hope things turn out better for him than they did for his leadership namesake.

It’s also interesting that running back Jamal Robertson (Ohio Northern) had a decent game despite only picking up 19 yards on seven carries. He was the Argonauts’ leading receiver, making 11 catches for 91 yards. They’ve proven that they can use him effectively on swing passes, slants and play-action calls; now they just need to find a way to get the ground game going.

Calgary wasn’t overly impressive, but they did enough to win. Quarterback Henry Burris (Temple) completed 19 of 28 passes for 260 yards and two touchdowns, but was picked off once. Running back Joffrey Reynolds (Houston) turned in a performance that looked more like the all-star he was last year than the shadow of himself he’s been to date this season, picking up 114 yards on 18 carries (although he did fumble once). With the win, they improve to 4-4, while Toronto falls to 2-6.

The Eye of the Tiger: The Edmonton Eskimos looked the Hamilton Tiger-Cats right in the eye and didn’t flinch Saturday, coming away with a 31-30 win off a last-second field goal by Noel Prefontaine (San Diego State). The win put them in first place in the West Division with a 5-3 record, while the Tiger-Cats fell to 4-4. Edmonton has pulled off several late wins this year, which demonstrates their capacity to get it done late in the game. Of course, it always helps to have one of the league’s top quarterbacks in Ricky Ray (Sacramento State), who completed 25 of 37 passes for 347 yards and a touchdown Saturday. He was picked off once, though, and his completion percentage (67.5 per cent) was below its usual lofty heights (70 per cent on the season). Perhaps more impressive was that the Eskimos finally found a ground game; Arkee Whitlock (Southern Illinois) ran for 65 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries. Edmonton’s second-worst in the league in both net rushing yards and average rushing yards (ahead of only Toronto), and dead last in average gain per rush.

For Hamilton, pivot Kevin Glenn (Illinois State) was good, but inconsistent. He completed 22 of 39 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns, but was also picked off twice. DeAndra Cobb (Michigan State) was typically effective in the run game, picking up 72 yards on 12 carries, but he did fumble once. Hamilton also got 100+ yard games from wide receivers Prechae Rodriguez (Auburn) and Arland Bruce III (Minnesota). They’ve shown that they’re much better than the typical Tiger-Cats team, and they’ll likely be in the playoffs this year as the second seed in the East. They’ll also likely pose a tough challenge for whoever they play in the first round, whether it be a Western crossover team or the least inept among the Blue Bombers and Argonauts.

Player of the Week: Jamall Johnson, Hamilton

Johnson, a linebacker who played his college ball at Louisiana’s Northwestern State University, had a tremendous game against Edmonton this week. He recorded eight defensive tackles, one quarterback sack and a special-teams tackle. Johnson was a productive member of the B.C. Lions’ defence for the past three years, and was snapped up by former B.C. director of player personnel Bob O’Billovich (now the Hamilton GM) this off-season; I’d bet B.C. would love to have him back about now, given the struggles of their linebacking corps.

Former College Star of the Week: Jarrett Payton, Toronto

Payton, the son of legendary Chicago Bears running back Walter Payton, had an impressive college career with the University of Miami (the Florida one, not the Ohio one). He played fullback and tailback and returned kicks on the side. His most impressive year came in 2004, where he ran for 1,018 yards and seven touchdowns. He also was named the Orange Bowl MVP that year. He wasn’t drafted by the NFL, but spent some brief time with the Tennesee Titans and the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe. He signed with Montreal in 2007 and had a solid season, but struggled last year and was released midway through the season. Toronto picked him up, but he hasn’t seen too much action with them; he caught one pass for five yards this week. Still, if Robertson continues to struggle in the ground game, Payton may get more chances to prove himself.

Defunct CFL Franchise of the Week: Memphis Mad Dogs

Memphis defensive back Eric Nelson.

The Mad Dogs started as an attempted NFL expansion franchise named the Hound Dogs (in cooperation with Elvis Presley’s estate!), but they were passed over in 1993. The real FredEx, FedEx founder Fred Smith, then switched his focus to the CFL. Presley’s estate backed out, so the team switched to the Mad Dogs name. They started life in 1995 and drew well initially, but stadium issues made their life difficult and they lost more fans when the college season started. They did feature notable CFL types like offensive coordinator Adam Rita (now the Toronto GM), quarterback Damon Allen (Cal State Fullerton), wide receiver Joe Horn (Intawamba Community College) and defensive end Rodney Harding (Oklahoma State).They finished the year out of the playoffs with a 9-9 record, and folded before the next season.

Game of the Week: Edmonton at Calgary (Monday, 7:30 p.m. Eastern)

This should be quite a good one. Edmonton’s 5-3 and Calgary’s 4-4, so the annual Labour Day Classic will have plenty of implications for the playoff race. It also sets up the teams’ battle the following week in Edmonton, and raises lots of questions. Can Calgary shut down Ricky Ray? Will the Eskimos be able to stop Joffrey Reynolds? This one could go right down to the wire, but I like the edge Calgary’s home-field advantage may bring.

Pick: Calgary

Other games:

Montreal at B.C. (tonight, 10:30 p.m. Eastern)

This one could be interesting. 3-5 B.C. will be looking to recover from their 37-10 pounding at home by Winnipeg two weeks ago, while 7-1 Montreal will be looking to expand their lead at the top of the East Division. Both teams had a bye last week, so we’ll see who’s sharper. Montreal hasn’t won in Vancouver since 2000, but that may change tonight. I’ll be at the game, so I should have some interesting details to pass along next week. The Lions could keep this close and perhaps even pull off an upset, but my gut tells me that Montreal will take the game.

Pick: Montreal

Winnipeg at Saskatchewan (Sunday, 4 p.m. Eastern):

This should be a fun one to watch. There’s always a great rivalry between these teams, and this game is the precursor to next week’s “Banjo Bowl“. Moreover, you can bet Saskatchewan fans will have plenty of Pacman-related taunts to throw at the Blue Bombers. Saskatchewan’s played much better than Winnipeg so far, even though their 4-4 record’s isn’t dramatically ahead of the Bombers’ 3-5 mark. They should be able to take this one if they can shut down Winnipeg running back Fred Reid (Mississippi State) and if quarterback Darian Durant (North Carolina) doesn’t turn the ball over too much.

Pick: Saskatchewan

Toronto at Hamilton (Monday, 4 p.m. Eastern):

The first half of the Labour Day Classic might not be much of a contest this year. Sure, Hamilton’s only 4-4, but many of their losses have been quite close. Toronto, by contrast, is 2-6, and has looked like the worst team in the league. They’re not turning it around any time soon.

Pick: Hamilton

Last week: 2-0.

To date: 9-3.

Thanks for reading! I should be back with another edition on Tuesday this coming week.