The
      march
      toward
      the
      Grey
      Cup
     
     
      kicks
      into
      high
      gear
      and
      the
     
     
      Montreal
      Alouettes
      once
      again
     
     
      are
      the
      class
      of
      the
      East.
      They
     
     
      proved
      their
      dominance
      by
      rout-
     
     
      ing
      a
      surging
      Winnipeg
      team
     
     
      this
      weekend.
      The
      real
      action
      is
     
     
      out
      West
      where
      anything
      could
     
     
      happen
      in
      the
      playoffs.
      Barring
     
     
      a
      late
      season
      collapse,
      the
      BC
     
     
      Lions
      secured
      their
      position
     
     
      atop
      the
      Western
      Division
      a
     
     
      week
      ago
      in
      one
      of
      the
      best
      foot-
     
     
      ball
      games
      seen
      in
      years,
      as
     
     
      Edmonton
      failed
      to
      tie
      the
      game
     
     
      as
      their
      51
      yard
      field
      goal
     
     
      attempt
      bounced
      off
      the
      upright
     
     
      and
      fell
      short
      as
      BC
      took
      the
     
     
      game
      36-33
      in
      OT.
      However,
     
     
      while
      BC
      will
      likely
      lock
      up
     
     
      homefield
      advantage
      for
      the
     
     
      playoffs,
      Edmonton
      can
      beat
     
     
      any
      team
      when
      it
      shows
      up,
      and
     
     
      even
      Saskatchewan
      and
     
     
      Winnipeg
      are
      finally
      showing
     
     
      signs
      of
      life,
      but
      I'm
      saying
      that
     
     
      ends
      this
      week.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Both
      teams
      have
      tests
      against
     
     
      big
      guns,
      with
      Saskatchewan
     
     
      meeting
      Montreal,
      and
     
     
      Winnipeg
      visiting
      BC.
     
     
      However,
      in
      this
      exam,
      the
      Als
     
     
      and
      Lions
      will
      make
      both
      pre-
     
     
      tenders
      look
      worse
      than
      Forrest
     
     
      Gump
      writing
      an
      IQ
      test
      as
      they
     
     
      fail
      miserably.
      On
      a
      side
      note,
     
     
      Calgary
      has
      owned
      the
      base-
     
     
      ment
      this
      year
      but
      their
      manage-
     
     
      ment
      sent
      a
      signal
      to
      their
      fans
     
     
      that
      next
      year
      will
      be
      different
     
     
      by
      trading
      for
      QB
      Khari
      Jones.
     
     
      Jones
      had
      a
      bad
      year
      as
      he
      bat-
     
     
      tled
      injury
      in
      Winnipeg,
      but
     
     
      when
      healthy,
      he
      should
      help
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      Stamps
      become
      competitive
      —
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Can
      Only
      Mean
      Foothall
     
     
      By
      Nicholas
      Stewart
     
    
   
   
    
     
      next
      season.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      South
      of
      the
      border
      on
      Sunday
     
     
      we
      have
      the
      Jets
      and
      Dolphins,
     
     
      who
      usually
      pretend
      to
      be
      good
     
     
      until
      December
      when
      _
      they
     
     
      annually
      collapse.
      This
      year
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      collapse
      started
      before
      the
      sea-
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
      son
      did,
      as
      their
      best
      player,
      the
     
     
      now
      retired
      Ricky
      Williams,
     
     
      decided
      he'd
      rather
      smoke
      weed
     
     
      everyday
      than
      play
      football.
      So
     
     
      what
      I'm
      saying
      is
      the
      Dolphins’
     
     
      season
      is
      up
      in
      smoke...
      take
      the
     
     
      Jets.
      Michael
      Vick
      and
      the
     
     
      undefeated
      Atlanta
      Falcons
      face
     
     
      their
      first
      real
      test
      against
      the
     
     
      defending
      NFC
      Champion
     
     
      Carolina
      Panthers,
      but
      once
     
     
      again
      Gump
      shows
      up,
      this
      time
     
     
      in
      a
      Falcons
      uniform
      as
      Atlanta
     
     
      isn't
      for
      real.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Chiefs
      and
      Ravens
      play
      on
     
     
      Monday
      night.
      The
      winless
     
     
      Chiefs
      were
      picked
      to
      be
      a
      con-
     
     
      tender,
      but
      truth
      be
      told,
      they
     
     
      were
      extremely
      lucky
      to
      win
      13
     
     
      games
      with
      that
      joke
      of
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      defense
      last
      year,
      the
      offense
     
    
   
   
    
     
      just
      can't
      be
      expected
      to
      score
     
     
      40
      points
      every
      game.
      Yet
      that's
     
     
      what
      they
      need
      to
      win
      games.
     
     
      The
      Ravens
      have
      looked
      good
     
     
      at
      2-1,
      but
      the
      Baltimore
     
     
      defense
      was
      much
      worse
     
     
      against
      Cincinnati
      than
      the
      23-9
     
     
      score
      showed.
      The
      Bengals
      put
     
     
      up
      good
      numbers
      against
      the
     
     
      Ravens,
      but
      just
      couldn't
      score...
     
     
      perhaps
      I'm
      as
      high
      as
      Ricky
     
     
      Williams
      or
      have
      Gump's
      IQ,
     
     
      but
      I
      think
      the
      Chiefs
      can
      score
     
     
      and
      pull
      off
      the
      upset
      win,
      even
     
     
      with
      that
      shaky
      D,
      as
      they
      need
     
     
      this
      one
      or
      their
      season
      is
      over.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ys@upei
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      4
      weblo
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ry
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      Discuss
      this
      issue
      at
     
     
      weblogs.upel.ca
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Go
      to
      cadre.upei.ca,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      read
      the
      stories
      and
     
     
      follow
      the
      links.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      Cadre
      September
      28,
      2004
      page
      20