And it wasn’t without pure and raw excitement. The game was showered with end to end action culminating into an enthralling 54-51 overtime win for the Riders over the defending champs.

Two things about the highlights. One, at about the six minute mark, you will see one of the all-time great catches. Two, Saskatchewan was called for too many men at a critical junction that should have ended the game. Again.

Recall that last year the Grey Cup ended on a bizarre note after the Roughriders were called for, yup, too many men.

Really. Already it was insane when it first happened, but for it to happen again is just plain crazy-insane. The Als, naturally, scored and the game persisted. This time around, however, the Riders prevailed.

Not a bad start to the CFL season. Now to do something about Montreal’s secondary.

Not in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh has standards. I’m not kidding. Eight in ten Pittsburghians (?) want Big Ben disciplined or traded. They don’t mess around in Steeltown. When Ben Roethlisberger escaped formal prosecution for allegedly raping a girl, he probably thought he was in the clear. Instead, he was suspended by the NFL for six games while the Steelers apparently entertained offers from other teams to dump the double Super Bowl chump. After all, this is a franchise and city that sent two-time Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes and his bad attitude (because there really is only one B.A. Baracus)  to the New York Jets.

Saints, pick any of your choice, weren’t exactly keeping an eye out for its football club over the years. Even they, it seems, felt powerless to help a hapless organization moving along in a haze. In 1980, following 14 straight losses  fans were calling their team the Aints and showed their displeasure by pioneering wearing paper bags over their heads.

Since 1967 the New Orleans Saints have compiled a .421 winning percentage during the regular season. Prior to this season, they made just eight post-season trips with a 2-6 record. In a football made state, these weren’t flattering numbers.

But that’s all in the past now. Under head coach Sean Payton, the Saints are 14 games above .500 and most important, have a Super Bowl title to their name following a 31-17 win over the Indianapolis Colts. So much so that all Saints fans can do is but look to the future. And why not? With this core group led by QB Drew Brees, this team (in theory anyway) should be an NFC power for a few years to come. Even in a parity-driven era, it’s possible to carve a dynasty – just ask the New England Patriots – and fans believe their once anemic club can do just that.

In the context of their history, sure, the victory was improbable. But no more improbable than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers winning the Super Bowl. In the context of the last few years and especially this season, there’s nothing to be surprised about. The Saints were the best team in the NFC (although the Minnesota Vikings may want to dispute this) and entire NFL all season long. Indeed, the best two teams in football met in the finals and quite frankly, it was nearly impossible to pick a winner either way prior to the game they were so evenly matched.

This time around the Saints were smiling and sprinkling glory upon New Orleans. And don’t bet against the Colts making another trip to the Super Bowl before Peyton Manning’s career is over. Don’t be deterred by the predictable debates about his legacy and his mediocre playoff record. Manning, truly one of the all-time great quarterbacks has plenty of time to work on that.

Much has been written and said and sung about the plight of the people of New Orleans in the aftermath of Katrina. It really is a remarkable story that rising from the ashes a football team in a sport so revered would signal a renaissance for the city. Mark this victory down for the ages. A team that will go down in traditional sports lore never to be forgotten by a people and perhaps a nation and yes, a continent filled with football fans.

Yet, the Saints must have been doing some hard praying prior to the game. For some reason, Minnesota had a very hard time holding on to the ball dropping it six times (twice by Adrian Peterson; one on a miscue on an exchange with Favre), three of which were recovered by New Orleans. All told, the Vikings committed five turnovers (including two interceptions by the hand of Favre) while their opponents turned it over once. That, as they say, was all she wrote.

Moral of this Minnesota story? Don’t. Cough. The. Ball. Up.

Slippery hands notwithstanding, the weirdest part of the game was when Brett Favre attempted a low percentage pass with seven seconds left leading to an interception. The Vikes were in a long field-goal range position and seemed to commit to the – gulp – run. Then suddenly, the pass from hell.  One thing leads to another, Saints win the coin toss, they march down field, get a lucky break on a completion and then convert a FG for the win. 31-28. Game over.

Of course, it wasn’t all Favre’s fault. 12 men in the huddle that cost them crucial yards? Dudes. Let’s just call them the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

It’s not the first time Favre closes out a playoff game with an INT. Recall, he did the same thing when, as a hurler for the Green Bay Packers, he threw a pick against the New York Giants a couple of years back.

It’s as if Venom (evil Spiderman) overtakes Brett Favre late in playoff games.

Classic case of what could have been for the Vikes.

Where the Vikings failed to seal the deal, the Indianapolis Colts capitalized on their chances and sent the upstart New York Jets back to New Jersey following a 30-17 win. With it went the forced 41 year-old analogy to Super Bowl III.  Good riddance.

We always hear about the apparent lack of running acumen in the Colts offense. Yet, each time they go against a supposed superior running team (both defensively and offensively) they seem to beat them at their own game. You heard it, “the Colts can’t run, they can’t stop the run, the Jets (and whoever else. Chicago Bears in SB XLI anyone?) can run and stop the run therefore…”

Stuff the “therefores.” Just like they outran the Bears in 2004 (191 yards to 111 led by Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai), the Colts spurred the Jets on the ground with 24 carries for 101 yards to 29 carries for 86. Though it should be noted the Jets lost Shonn Greene in the second half – although by that point the Colts were holding their own in the running game.

So. When will Joseph Addai – who chipped in with 80 yards for an average of 5 yards per carry – get his due?

For the next couple of weeks millions and millions of people and pundits alike will be weighing on their thoughts about the Saints-Colts showdown. If someone says the Colts can’t run, run away.

***

Ironic that as a new decade rolls in we witness the possible player of the previous decade Tim Tebow create quite the exclamation point for his career.

In the Florida Gators Sugar Bowl 51-24 throttling of the Cincinnati Bearcats on January 1,  Tebow threw for a career high of 482 yards and three TDs, then ran for another TD and enough yards to eclipse 500 yards of total offense. Games like that truly happen only once in a blue moon, and I wonder if this week’s version may have had a little orange aurora.

From Jeremy Fowler of the Orlando Sentinel, Tebow called prolific ending to a prolific career “better than a dream.”

“I didn’t see this coming as far as that many yards and everything,” Tebow said. “I knew we had a good game plan. I knew we were going to try to spread it out a little bit. We felt like that would be successful. And just coming into the game, we just were hitting and clicking so we kept going with it and ended up obviously throwing for a lot of yards.”

Many (including us shortly) will debate the NFL potential of the Tebow Child, and many have grown weary of the infinite media coverage that the Heisman Pundit calls Tebow Fatigue – fantasy players like to deal in facts, so let us reflect for a moment on the amazing career which can be argued was the finest college football player ever.

NCAAsports.com Tim Tebow, Florida

55 Games | Rushing – 2946 yds, 57 TD |Passing – 9285 yds, 88 TD
Total Offense – 12231 yards, tops in SEC History
2007 – led nation with 55 TD (23 run, 32 pass) (first 20-20 season in NCAAF history)
Two National Championships, One Heisman Trophy

Sure, Dan Lefeveour outpaces Tebow in total TDs and total yards, but that last line makes the difference between a Fantasy Player of the Decade and the best college football player of all time.

A final note on the statistical brilliance of Tebow – his high school numbers at St. Augustine Nease. Tebow finished his high school career with 9,810 passing yards, 3,186 rushing yards, 95 passing touchdowns and 62 rushing touchdowns. So sixteen miles of total offense before he is legally able to rent a car.

And then there is the ministry work…we should all be so productive in our lives.

Kudos to Number 15 for an amazing journey, and best wishes for his new journey in the NFL or wherever it takes him.

The Montreal Alouettes, the best team in the CFL with a 16-3 record, overcame a 16 point deficit with under 11 minutes to go in the 4th quarter to beat the Saskatchewan Roughriders 28-27 earning its 6th Grey Cup title.

Saskatchewan dominated the first half and were in full control of the game both on offense and defense. For Montreal fans, it was a disturbing deja-vu all over again. Another Grey Cup loss was on the way under the Alberta sky. We kept hearing about nerves. But this is a team in its seventh Grey Cup final since 2000! By now one would think they’d be over the stage freight.

Finally. Redemption.

At 27-11, it looked like the Riders were going to win their 4th Grey Cup while the Als were on their way to dropping a whopping sixth final since 2000. Then, the defense led by safety Chip Cox, held the rest of the way. QB Anthony Calvillo suddenly became “money” as he orchestrated two key touchdowns, with the help of Avon Colburne, and a two-point convert (another two-point convert was thwarted by Saskatchewan even though it looked like interference took place) to bring the score to 27-25. In fact, he couldn’t do it alone as the entire offense stepped up and converted big plays. One more drive was needed and he delivered setting up a possible game winning field goal from 43 yards out for kicker Damon Duval.

Solid all year with a sure foot, Duval struggled all night – even shanking a seven yard punt in the first half. It was all on him with seconds to go in the game.

He missed. Jubilation in Saskatchewan! Break out the ‘Corner Gas’ DVD’s! But wait! Flags were hurled all over the field! Penalty against the Riders! Oh no! 10 yard penalty! 13 men on the field!

Duval got a second chance this time from 33 yards. And this time he buried it. Celebration in Quebec!

It was one of oddest ending to a sports final as they come. Sports is filled with heartbreaking, heart-wrenching, gut splitting moments. However, how many ended on such a note to determine a championship? Not many, if any. The closest thing is the infamous “toe in the crease” back in 1999 permitting the Dallas Stars to win the Stanley Cup at the expense of Buffalo Sabres. The Tennessee Titans coming within inches against the St.Louis Rams in the Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000 is another.

Not meant to be

Yet, I don’t think it quite measures up to what we saw on Sunday. I mean, too many men on the field in such a critical moment? It was hard to watch. Listening to shell shocked Riders head coach Ken Miller after the game made clear of the devastation his team was dealing with.

Now the question being asked is whether Saskatchewan lost the game or Montreal won it. The answer is obvious: Montreal won it. They put themselves in a position to win. They never gave up. They responded like champions. Saskatchewan, for their part, went Houston Texans on everyone and failed to seal the deal.

Fret not, Saskatchewan fans. The future looks bright for the Riders. They have a nice young core of players starting with QB Darius Durant and receiver Andy Fantuz. They can, I would think, easily come back to the final next year. The Alouettes have some off season decisions to make. With Anthony Calvillo and receiver Ben Cahoon uncertain to return, Als dominance could be challenged. However, one thing should be kept in mind, manager Jim Popp always has something up his sleeve. He has kept the Alouettes organization the class of the CFL since 1996.

And so ends this classic, if not somewhat tarnished, match. One that will be talked about for quite some times.

Ireland and Riders fans should hook up on message boards and talk about the raw deals handed ot them but in the end, hopefully, they will come to the realization they had destiny in their own hands.

Notes: Head coach Marc Trestman, who’s name was rumored in connection with the job vacancy with the Buffalo Bills, won his first Grey Cup in just his second year as head coach of the Alouettes. He reached the finals in 2009…The Alouettes have been to the Grey Cup seven times this decade winning twice… Saskatchewan are 3-14 in Grey Cup finals…Als receiver Ben Cahoon (the surest hands I’ve ever seen) surpassed former Al Hal Patterson for all-time receiving yards. Cahoon tops the list at 620 yards. The record of 580 yards stood since 1964…Running back Avon Coburne, who caught and ran his way around the field, won a deserved MVP….the game was mentioned on Monday Night Football.

In place of the usual Saturday Morning College Football Breakfast Burrito, let us focus on how Colt McCoy wrapped up the Heisman Trophy this week.

Aiming for the Heisman

I know Alabama RB Mark Ingram was nicked up yesterday, but Texas QB Colt McCoy took the lead in my two man race for the 2009 Heisman Trophy with his huge five TD performance on Thanksgiving Night.

Toby Gerhart, Tim Tebow and CJ Spiller have created stellar seasons, but to me the combo of 2009 stats and team success now tilts strongly in the main Longhorns favor. And with this season’s race for player of the year as tight as ever, the “body of work” vote has to go to McCoy.

If there was ever a time for the 500+ Heisman voters to default to the career numbers when the season’s numbers appear debatable, look at the weight of Colt McCoy’s career numbers:

In addition to breaking the NCAA record for career QB victories (43), McCoy improved his career total offense numbers to 14,172, sixth on the NCAA all-time list.  He also has 12,756 career passing yards (7th in NCAA history), 108 career passing TDs (7th), 126 career TDs responsible for (6th) and his 70.9 career completion percentage ranks as tops in NCAA history. McCoy has led the Longhorns to victory in 24 of the last 25 games (.960). That record includes two bowl-game victories and eight wins over ranked opponents.

The deadline for Heisman Trophy votes is Sunday December 6, the ceremony is set for Saturday December 12.

Also worthy of mention: Three teams would be nothing without them: Houston QB Case Keenum, Nebraska DT Ndumakong Suh and Georgia Tech QB Josh Nesbitt.

Both teams took advantage of the home field edge they earned as the Als reached the finals by crushing the cross over BC Lions 56-18. Meanwhile, Saskatchewan nailed the defending champs Calgary Stampeders 27-17.

Somebody is gonna lose a finger

Here’s an interesting tidbiting (a tidbit worth biting into) stat. In 97 years, this is the first time these two clubs will meet in a final. Remarkable considering the size of the league – average about eight teams.

Equally incredible, to me anyway, is despite Montreal’s net dominance in regular season play since returning to the league in 1996 (if not a .700 winning percentage or more damn close to it. I have to check up on that one of these days), they are a miserable 1-5 in Grey Cup games. This is not a legacy they want to be remembered for I’m sure. Mind you, it’s not like the ‘Riders are burning up the trail with their 3-13 (.188 winning percentage) all-time record in the finals. Les Alouettes are not that much better at 5-11 (.313). That’s a 8-24 record for those keeping tabs at home.

This is the year the Als, who defeated the Riders in both encounters this year, should pull off their sixth Grey Cup in franchise history. They were far and away, head and shoulders above, every single team in the league this year – including Saskatchewan earning a 2-0 head to head record against them in the regular season.

That means little in a one-off game, but it would be quite the stunner if the Als, a nine point favorite with oddsmakers, loses this one.

Blue Rodeo, for those looking for a free concert, will be performing at half time.

Image from TSN.

Fantasy College Blitz

There used to be a top tier of six – I have narrowed it down to Three for this week’s CBSSports.com Blogpoll Top 25.

Rank	Team
1	Florida
2	Alabama
3	Texas
4	Iowa
5	Cincinnati
6	TCU
7	Boise State
8	Oregon
9	Georgia Tech
10	LSU
11	Penn State
12	Pittsburgh
13	Utah
14	Southern Cal
15	Houston
16	Miami (Florida)
17	Oklahoma State
18	Ohio State
19	California
20	Arizona
21	South Florida
22	Notre Dame
23	Virginia Tech
24	Oklahoma
25	South Carolina

Random thoughts after the jump.

I hated doing it, but the three loss teams in Blacksburg and Norman would crush Central Michigan, South Carolina or Wisconsin – so they get the nod.

Southern Cal and Oklahoma State drop precipitously on the heels of bad shows against conference foes. Let this Cowboy representative remind all that they have losses to two ranked teams, and the Longhorns may be the best in the nation.

I cannot believe that Iowa continues to live on the bleeding edge – I wonder aloud what may happen if Iowa plays Florida since God doesn’t want either to lose. The only way they could play is the Citrus or the Outback Bowl, but divine intervention would focus elsewhere if that matchup were to exist.

Where would Boise rate if Oregon were to lose?

Proof that life means you cannot take a week off – Pitt loss to NC State and Houston lost to UTEP. Pitt is one of the few complete teams in all three phases, but the Panthers may spend all of December wondering what may have been if they could close out the Wolfpack. Likewise, imagine a triumverate of BCS-busters if the visit to El Paso had “gone chalk”?

What is your vote?

And this controversy is far more serious.

Turns out, security at FedEx Field confiscated signs by fans fed up with the ownership and direction of the team. Once a proud football team, the storied Redskins franchise and its allegiance of loyal fans have been bludgeoned into insignificance.

How else, some muse, to conclude this is the work of an insecure owner? Looks like Redskins fans have had it with Dan Snyder. Bad owners do have a corrosive impact on their teams and the community at large. Patience is a virtue at this point. What else can they do?  Think Bill Wirtz and Harold Ballard in the NHL who owned the Chicago Blackhawks and Toronto Maple Leafs respectively.  Only once they had passed did those organizations regain some measure of success – if not sanity.

View all the signs here at the Washington Post. Freedom of speech does still mean something to some of us.

Image by: Eric Drooker.