GA Russell

I forgot to mention that as promised, Brandon Bridge started for the Als, and thus became the first Canadian quarterback to start since Giulio Caravatta in 1996. http://cfl.ca/article/bridge-airs-it-out-in-first-career-start-under-centre ***** In regard to the final stats... 1) John Bowman led the league in sacks despite being benched for two games. 2) I believe that at age 40, Henry Burris became the oldest qb to lead the league in passing yards. ***** I was surprised Monday when the Als announced that Jim Popp would return next year as the head coach. http://cfl.ca/article/als-announce-popp-to-return-as-head-coach-next-season ***** On Tuesday the Divisional All-Stars were announced, as chosen by the members of the FRC. http://cfl.ca/article/stars-aligned-cfl-divisional-all-stars-announced http://3downnation.com/2015/11/09/2015-cfl-east-division-all-stars/#comments http://3downnation.com/2015/11/11/2015-cfl-west-division-all-stars/#comments ***** And here are the final power rankings as the teams go into the playoffs. Malcolm Kelly - 11/9 http://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/cfl/cfl-power-rankings-1.3311765 cfl.ca - 11/10 http://cfl.ca/article/esks-lead-the-final-nissan-titan-power-rankings ***** The Bombers announced Tuesday that they will not renew the contract of OC Marcel Bellefeuille. http://cfl.ca/article/bombers-wont-renew-contract-of-marcel-bellefeuille ***** 11/11 Checking Down http://cfl.ca/article/checking-down-division-semi-finals-news-and-notes

2015 Final Standings http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/standings ***** 2015 Final Statistics http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/statistics http://cfl.ca/statistics/list/year/2015

Happy Birthday 2015 Eric!

Both of this weekend's games will be Sunday afternoon, so let's over the next two days catch up on the week's news. Only the Hamilton at Ottawa game affected the standings, so the other three games saw a lot of second-stringers given the opportunity to show what they can do. Toronto 21....Winnipeg 11 http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/game/winnipeg-blue-bombers-toronto-argonauts-20151106/Stats http://cfl.ca/article/argos-snap-skid-and-spoil-davis-debut-with-victory http://3downnation.com/2015/11/06/bomber-thoughts-week-twenty-winnipeg-at-toronto/#comments The Bombers gave Dominique Davis his first start. ***** Ottawa 44....Hamilton 28 http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/game/hamilton-tiger-cats-ottawa-redblacks-20151107/Stats http://cfl.ca/article/sophomore-surge-redblacks-claim-east-crown http://3downnation.com/2015/11/07/the-best-hank-burris-throws-six-tds-as-ticats-lose-44-28-to-redblacks/#comments In only their second year, the Redblacks clinch first place in the East. Chris Milo must feel like the luckiest guy in the league! ***** Calgary 28....BC 7 http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/game/calgary-stampeders-bc-lions-20151107/Stats http://cfl.ca/article/strong-finish-stamps-thump-lions-in-post-season-prep http://3downnation.com/2015/11/07/mission-accomplished-as-stamps-escape-b-c-with-no-major-injuries/#comments These two teams meet again Sunday in the Western Semi-Final. Huff let Drew Tate start the game. ***** Sask 30....Montreal 24 http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/game/saskatchewan-roughriders-montreal-alouettes-20151108/Stats http://cfl.ca/article/thrilling-finale-riders-storm-back-for-ot-win-over-als http://3downnation.com/2015/11/08/alouettes-end-2015-season-in-usual-fashion-with-a-tough-loss/#comments Unbelievable. The Als completely controlled the game at home. I had a number of errands to run Sunday. The Riders scored a TD with eleven minutes to go in the game to make the score 24-14. I decided that I had heard enough, so I turned the game off, and left to do my chores. When I got back home, I wasn't even curious to see the final score. Imagine my shock when I checked before heading to bed and saw that the Riders had pulled it out!

http://youtu.be/hohrGa1DKJI

1) I think that the art form owes its popularity to Jon Hendricks. 2) For a long while (the '70s and '80s), it seemed like Mark Murphy was the only person doing it.

Thanks uli! This looks like it's worth checking out.

Here's a list that should provide fodder for the hot stove league. Was Nolan Ryan really the best athlete ever born in Texas? Can you come up with better examples for other states? http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/more-sports/the-greatest-athlete-of-all-time-from-every-state/ss-AAcW0Vf?FORM=ML12RA&OCID=ML12RA&wt.mc_id=ML12RA

Here are two NBC pieces, one about vinyl and the second about cassettes. http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/why-millennials-are-buying-more-vinyl-records-n458806 http://www.cnbc.com/2014/04/17/cassettes-are-making-a-comeback.html

The Beau Brummels was my first thought as well. I don't think that album sold many copies, but there have been few that received better reviews.

Thanks HBJ, Tom 1960, Jeff, Greg, Dan and John!

Happy Birthday Jeff!

Happy Birthday 2015 Porcy!

Happy Birthday 2015 Tim McG!

Happy 60th birthday, 2015, Neal!

Thanks Michael and Bob! Bob, that's a good excuse! I think we all miss the "new posts" button.

This will be the last weekend of the season. Only one game matters: Hamilton at Ottawa. You never know who the coaches will play when the games don't count for the standings, so the picks are to be taken with a grain of salt. But let's take a look at the news this week. ***** Scott Cullen 11/4 power rankings http://www.tsn.ca/eskimos-rule-cfl-power-rankings-1.387754 ***** Chris Schultz Week 20 picks http://www.tsn.ca/week-20-picks-ticats-redblacks-have-plenty-to-play-for-1.388003 ***** 11/4 Checking Down http://cfl.ca/article/checking-down-drew-tate-to-start-for-stamps ***** Jamie Nye Week 20 picks http://cfl.ca/article/weekly-predictor-week-20 ***** Each team's nominees for the CFL Awards were announced yesterday. http://cfl.ca/article/awards-season-2015-team-accolades-announced http://www.tsn.ca/knox-jr-westerman-receive-three-nominations-for-cfl-honours-1.388545 ***** Don Landry discusses how the Ticats-Redblacks situation of two games/total points to finish the season is reminiscent of the playoffs back in the '50s. http://cfl.ca/article/landry-the-modern-day-anomaly-of-a-second-60-minutes ***** Week 20 preview http://cfl.ca/article/cflca-game-notes-a-look-at-week-20 ***** Tonight's game will be thee Argos' last at Rogers Centre. Mike Hogan lists the top ten football games played there. http://www.tsn.ca/talent/a-farewell-to-the-dome-1.389175 And Dave Naylor adds his thoughts. http://www.tsn.ca/so-long-rogers-centre-1.389382 ***** TSN today released its annual players poll. Once again Mike Reilly has been voted the toughest player in the league. http://www.tsn.ca/tsn-releases-2015-cfl-players-poll-1.387704 http://cfl.ca/article/banks-electrifies-in-tsn-2015-cfl-player-poll ***** The Grey Cup and the playoff games will be streamed free of charge to 150 countries via YouTube! The map suggests that the games will be available everywhere in the world except China. http://cfl.ca/article/cfl-expands-global-reach-youtube-to-stream-grey-cup ***** On Sunday, Brandon Bridge will become the first Canadian quarterback to start a game since 1996. http://cfl.ca/article/canadian-qb-bridge-to-close-out-season-as-als-starter ***** John Hodge revisits three "bold" predictions he made at the start of the season. http://3downnation.com/2015/11/04/three-bold-predictions-for-the-2015-cfl-season-revisited/#comments ***** The league admitted Tuesday that officiating errors may have cost the Ticats the game against the Redblacks last week. http://3downnation.com/2015/11/04/cfl-admits-it-blew-key-calls-in-ticats-loss-to-redblacks/#comments http://3downnation.com/2015/11/05/putting-the-persecution-of-andre-proulx-into-perspective-by-the-numbers/#comments ***** John Hodge Week 20 picks http://3downnation.com/2015/11/06/week-twenty-cfl-picks/#comments ***** Ian Busby points out that because Jerome Messam was traded a couple of weeks ago, he is not anyone's nominee for Outstanding Canadian, despite his fantastic season. http://3downnation.com/2015/11/05/two-offensive-stars-get-left-out-in-stampeders-awards-nominations/#comments ***** Dan Ralph Week 20 picks http://3downnation.com/2015/11/05/two-offensive-stars-get-left-out-in-stampeders-awards-nominations/#comments http://www.thespec.com/sports-story/6081656-cfl-picks-week-20-tiger-cats-turn-to-backup-s-backup-in-ottawa/

Many thanks my friends! My favorite kind of beer is stout, and someone decided that today is International Stout Day. So guess what I did! A nearby bar had 20 stouts on tap for the occasion, and I had a birthday coupon from that bar for one free beer (just to get started!). Today was the first time in many years that I did not receive any jazz CDs for my birthday. However, I did receive two books which you might be interested in... Here and Now - The Autobiography of Pat Martino http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1617130273 and Appetite for Self-Destruction (about the record industry) http://www.amazon.com/Appetite-Self-Destruction-Spectacular-Industry-Digital/dp/1416552154/

Not jazz, but... The Beatles - The Decca Audition - $11.95 + $3.99 http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B0080TDMIK/

Jeff Mathews will not play this week, because he apparently suffered a concussion the other day. Shall we assume that the Redblacks will finish in first? http://www.tsn.ca/report-ticats-mathews-doubtful-for-saturday-1.387441 http://cfl.ca/article/report-masoli-harris-splitting-first-team-reps-for-ticats ***** The halftime band for the Grey Cup this year will be Fall Out Boy. http://www.tsn.ca/fall-out-boy-headlines-grey-cup-halftime-show-1.387423 http://cfl.ca/article/fall-out-boy-set-to-rock-nissan-titan-halftime-show ***** Week 19 Plays of the Week http://cfl.ca/video/index/id/119131 ***** cfl.ca 11/3 power rankings http://cfl.ca/article/lions-make-leap-in-nissan-titan-power-rankings ***** Week 20 preview http://cfl.ca/article/week-20-playbook-10-stories-to-watch-this-week ***** Malcolm Kelly 11/3 power rankings http://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/cfl/cfl-power-rankings-1.3301767 ***** John Hodge considers who the Bombers need to re-sign. http://3downnation.com/2015/11/03/pending-blue-bomber-free-agents-sign-bargain-or-cut/#comments ***** I had Tommy Joe Coffey's bubble gum card in 1959, when he was a rookie. Here is an article that says that his Ticat helmet from the '67 Grey Cup champions has been returned to him after all these years. http://3downnation.com/2015/11/03/tommy-joe-coffeys-helmet-finds-its-way-home/#comments

I forgot to mention that Jim Popp had a problem with vertigo, and did not make the trip to Edmonton. So the Als were coached yesterday by defensive coordinator Noel Thorpe. http://cfl.ca/article/report-popp-doesnt-make-trip-with-als-noel-thorpe-to-coach ***** The winner of this week's Ticats/Redblacks game will finish first in the East, and the loser second. The Argos will finish third. http://cfl.ca/article/playoff-scenarios-for-week-15 ***** Week 19 review http://cfl.ca/article/cfl-replay-looking-back-at-week-19

Here's more on the Lions/Argos game. http://3downnation.com/2015/10/31/ray-rusty-as-argos-fall-to-lions/#comments http://3downnation.com/2015/10/31/bombers-miss-playoffs-for-fourth-straight-season/#comments ***** Calgary 42....Sask 19 http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/game/saskatchewan-roughriders-calgary-stampeders-20151031/Stats http://www.cfl.ca/article/overpowering-offence-stamps-prove-too-much-for-riders http://3downnation.com/2015/10/31/stamps-stomp-over-roughriders-to-put-pressure-on-eskimos/#comments http://www.tsn.ca/stamps-rout-riders-tied-for-first-place-1.386022 http://3downnation.com/2015/11/02/why-are-there-no-answers-in-saskatchewan/#comments ***** Ottawa 12....Hamilton 6 http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/game/ottawa-redblacks-hamilton-tiger-cats-20151101/Stats http://www.cfl.ca/article/striking-first-redblacks-grind-out-win-over-ticats http://3downnation.com/2015/11/01/ticats-fall-12-6-to-redblacks/#comments http://3downnation.com/2015/11/02/mistakes-cost-ticats-winnable-game-against-the-redblacks/#comments http://www.tsn.ca/redblacks-beat-ticats-move-into-first-place-1.386323 There was a stiff breeze in Hamilton, but I never heard its speed. All of the scoring was by field goals, every one with the wind at the kicker's back. ***** Edmonton 40....Montreal 22 http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/game/montreal-alouettes-edmonton-eskimos-20151101/Stats http://www.cfl.ca/article/walk-ing-on-sunshine-esks-officially-best-in-the-west http://3downnation.com/2015/11/01/the-2015-playoff-dreams-of-the-alouettes-die-at-commonwealth-stadium/#comments http://www.tsn.ca/eskimos-clinch-first-place-in-west-eliminate-als-1.386453 With the victory, the Eskimos clinched first place in the West. With the loss, the Als were eliminated from playoff contention, and thus the Lions clinched third place in the West.

Saints 52....Giants 49 Saints score a touchdown with 36 seconds left, and then kick a 50-yard field goal on the last play of the game.

Robert Palmer - OAS - $11.96 + $3.99 http://www.amazon.com/Original-Album-Series-ROBERT-PALMER/dp/B011Q9HIOE? ***** Roland Kirk - OAS - $11.91 + $3.99 http://www.amazon.com/Original-Album-Series-RAHSAAN-ROLAND/dp/B011Q9HH68

Keith Jarrett - OAS - 8.99 GBP http://www.amazon.co.uk/Original-Album-Series-Keith-Jarrett/dp/B00SIESH1Y