CFL Swami Vs. - 20.11 Week 22 Grey Cup Results

The final game has been played and it came right down to the wire but the 2011 CFL Swami Vs. Champion is Prime Time.  Prime walks away with the championship belt which I am sure he will be wearing non stop until somebody takes it away from him.

photo: credit


Here are the results and a recap of the big game:

PRIME TIME: 1 - 0 (44 - 33 overall, .571 percentage)
ACE: 1 - 0 (43 - 34 overall, .558 percentage)
SWAMI: 0 - 1 (42 - 35 overall, .545 percentage)
KARMA: 0 - 1 (37 - 40 overall, .481 percentage)


Winnipeg 23 at BC 34

It wasn't a classic, by any stretch, and it got off to a bit of a slow start but by the time the final gun sounded most fans watching the 2011 Grey Cup had to feel they were treated to a decent game.  Many expected a BC blow out and early on it looked as though they might be right.  However, after allowing the Lions to open the scoring with a touchdown around the mid way point of the first quarter, the Bombers defense bent but did not break in surrendering a couple of BC field goals over the rest of of the first half to keep things tight.  The Lions held a 11-0 advantage after the first quarter and 14-6 at the half.

The Bombers were able to close the margin down to five points, at 14-9, in the third quarter but the rest of the second half belonged to BC.  The Lions scored to make the lead 31-9 half way through the fourth quarter and seemed to have the game in check, until Winnipeg staged a frantic comeback attempt in the late stages to make the game interesting.  However, Lions' kicker Paul McCallum sealed the Bombers fate with just over a minute to play extending the lead to back 11.

Prime Time and Ace picked the Lions to win while Swami and Karma chose the Bombers so not only was Prime Time able to keep first place in his grasp as Ace was able to claim sole possession of second.

Congratulations Prime Time.

CFL Swami Vs. - 20.11 Week 22 Grey Cup

The 99th Grey Cup is here and this year's match-up features the home town BC Lions taking on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.  From a distance it looks as though the party in Vancouver has been terrific and if it is anything like the 2005 Cup, also hosted on the West Coast, fans from all across Canada had a blast this week.  There's a reason that the festivities are called the Grand National Drunk

Without further ado the final picks of the year are in and the 2011 CFL Swami Champion will be decided today. With a BC victory, Prime Time will be our undisputed champ but if the Bombers come through then he will have to share the "belt" with Swami.  We may have to come up with a tie breaker.

The Grey Cup picks are:

PRIME TIME (43 - 33): BC
SWAMI (42 - 34): Winnipeg
ACE (42 - 34): BC
KARMA (37-39): Winnipeg

CFL Swami Vs. - 20.11 Week 21 Finals Results

And then there was two. BC and Winnipeg were the Division Final victors and they will square off on November 27 for the Grey Cup in Vancouver's BC Place Stadium.  Prime Time and Ace successfully predicted both of the Grey Cup participants which means that Prime Time has regained sole possession of first place while Ace moved back into a tie for second with Swami.  Swami and Karma earned a split.

Here are the results and a recap of the Division Finals:

PRIME TIME: 2 - 0 (43 - 33 overall, .566 percentage)
SWAMI: 1 - 1 (42 - 34 overall, .552 percentage)
ACE: 2 - 0 (42 - 34 overall, .552 percentage)
KARMA: 1 - 1 (37 - 39 overall, .487 percentage)

Hamilton 3 at Winnipeg 19

As great as Hamilton's semi-final win over Montreal was...this game was almost the exact opposite.  Admittedly the Hamilton-Montreal game from a week earlier was going to be very hard to top so it was no surprise that this game did not measure up in comparison.  Taking Winnipeg's stifling defense and their less than stellar offense into account it is hardly a surprise that a grand total of only 22 points were scored in the entire game (Hamilton and Montreal put up 38 in the fourth quarter alone a week earlier).  If Hamilton wasn't going to light it up on this frigid day then nobody was going to because Winnipeg has won on the strength of its defense all year.

The Bombers' Chris Garrett was the story of the game rushing for almost 200 yards and really carrying the Winnipeg offense on his back.  Not bad for a third stringer on the biggest stage of the season, so far.  Can Garrett repeat his performance in the Cup?  He may be the Bombers best hope at victory.


Swami played his Hamilton gut feeling again and was the only one not to pick this game correctly.


Edmonton 23 at BC 40

Let's just get this out of the way, the score above really flattered the Eskimos.  Like the Bombers earlier in the day, the Lions dominated their opponents and a few points in garbage time enabled the Eskies to make the score somewhat respectable.

The Lions showed that they are the favourites heading into the big game on their home turf.  The Leos special teams didn't hurt them against Edmonton while the offense and defense played at the level that we have been accustomed to since about week 8.  The same will have to happen this weekend for the Lions to drink from Lord Grey's Cup at home.

Midnight struck about half way through the second quarter on the Cinderella Eskimos.  The Eskies couldn't afford to fall behind but could not deliver a punch, knockout or otherwise, to quiet a decent sized crowd at BC Place.  The Eskimos had a great season that exceeded everyone's expectations, except maybe their own, and it will be interesting to see what happens with the 2012 edition.  GM Eric Tillman is never one to stand pat so we can expect some turnover in the off season.

Karma played a hunch on the Eskimos but, like Swami in the earlier game, she was the only one not to pick this game correctly.

CFL Swami Vs. - 20.11 Week 21 Division Finals

A little bit late getting these up but we're down to the nitty gritty as the Grey Cup participants will be decided today.  The Divisional Finals intrigue started earlier in the week when the Bombers released receiver TJ Harris who was promptly signed by the Tiger Cats.  An act of desparation?  Possibly.  We'll see how it all works out in a few hours.


The Finals picks are:

PRIME TIME (41 - 33): Winnipeg/BC
SWAMI (41 - 33): Hamilton/BC
ACE (40 - 34): Winnipeg/BC
KARMA (36-38): Winnipeg/Edmonton

CFL Swami Vs. - 20.11 Week 20 Semi Finals Results

And we're down to four.  Hamilton and Edmonton joined Winnipeg and BC on Sunday in the CFL's version of the Final Four.  The week at CFL Swami Vs. was a mixed bag with everyone except Prime Time earning a split.  Prime Time came up empty for the week and now shares the lead with Swami once again.

Here are the results and a recap of the Semi-Finals 

PRIME TIME: 0 - 2 (41 - 33 overall, .554 percentage)
SWAMI: 1 - 1 (41 - 33 overall, .554 percentage)
ACE: 1 - 1 (40 - 34 overall, .540 percentage)
KARMA: 1 - 1 (36 - 38 overall, .486 percentage)

Hamilton 52 at Montreal 44

Without a doubt this was the game of the year so far in 2011 but unfortunately it took 20 weeks to happen.  The CFL is usually full of these shoot out style matches but this year has been lacking in many respects.  Montreal and Hamilton certainly didn't disappoint on the CFL's biggest stage thus far and for the first time this year overtime was required to determine a winner.

Hamilton actually controlled much of the game and it really should not have been as close as it ended up being.  Kevin Glenn, Avon Cobourne and the Ti-Cats young receivers came up big when it mattered and were able to make the big plays to secure the lead.  Hamilton's defense started out solid but the Alouettes are the two time defending champions and they were not going to go down without a fight.  Once the Als were able to claw their way back into the game both Glenn and Calvillo masterfully traded touchdown drives until there was no time left on the clock.  Had the Tiger Cats lost in overtime we'd be writing off a disastrous season in which many thought they'd challenge for the Cup but now coach Marcel Bellefeuille and general manager Bob O'Billovich may have gained a little bit of redemption.  Had the Cats not won in overtime Bellefeuille likely would have paid the price, especially in light of the missed field goal which was enabled by an unforgivable time count violation that resulted in Justin Medlock having to attempt his game winner from 10 yards further back.  However, in the end, it all worked out for Hamilton and they were able to knock off their rivals from la belle province.

For the first time since 2007 the Alouettes will not represent the East in the Grey Cup and now the questions begin.  Will coach Mark Trestman be back or will some team south of the border make him an offer that he cannot refuse.  Will Anthony Calvillo be back to lead the Al's vaunted offense?  Calvillo earned all the passing records he sought in 2011 and has nothing left to prove, furthermore it has not even been a year since he revealed his battle against Thyroid cancer.  Montreal also has many other veteran players who may either retire or be pushed out the door.  Is it the end of an era in Montreal?  If Trestman leaves, expect offensive coordinator Scott Milanovich to assume the reigns in Montreal.  If Trestman stays, Milanovich will be a sought after head coach candidate elsewhere.

Swami played a gut feeling and was the only one to win with the Tiger Cats.


Calgary 19 at Edmonton 33

It was hard to follow up the game of the year and unfortunately the Eskimos and Stampeders could not maintain the pace of their Eastern counterparts.  The game itself was mildly entertaining and it did come with some interesting subplots.

There are so many parallels between the 2011 Edmonton Eskimos and the 2007 Saskatchewan Roughriders that it boggles the mind.  General manager, Eric Tillman, has been on the job for not quite a year and a half in Edmonton and has his new team on the verge of being in the Grey Cup for the first time since 2005.  Tillman needed a year and a half to win a Grey Cup in Saskatchewan.  The 2007 Riders hosted a home playoff game for the first time in 19 years while the 2011 Eskimos had not hosted a home playoff game in 7 years until Sunday afternoon.  Both the Riders and Eskimos played, and defeated, the Stampeders to win that home play-off game then travelled to Vancouver to play in the West Final.  Will the Eskimos, like the 2007 Riders, be able to knock off the first place Lions and advance to the Cup?  If they do, this Eskimos squad may be a team of destiny which will make most Rider fans want to toss their cookies.

Like the Alouettes, there are a ton of questions surrounding the Stampeders heading into this off-season.  Although he saved his worst performance for the playoffs, Drew Tate will be the starter in Cowtown in 2012 which means that Henry Burris will be taking his Jekyll and Hyde show to a new Canadian destination.  Tate channeled his inner Frank Burris when he inexplicably dropped the ball in the backfield, which was subsequently recovered and returned by the Eskimos Domaso Munoz for a game changing touchdown.  Tate's fumble was the turning point from which the Stampeders were unable to recover.  The Stamps also have many veterans in addition to Burris, especially on offense, who will consider retirement or be shown the door in the coming months.  Offensive coordinator Dave Dickenson will garner a lot of attention from teams seeking a head coach but may end up on the sidelines in Calgary next year, if John Hufnagel decides to focus solely on his duties as general manager.

Ace and Karma evened up their marks for the week with the Eskimos victory.

CFL Swami Vs. - 20.11 Week 20 Semi-Finals

Round one of the playoffs have arrived and we can only hope that the two games on the Sunday table provide us with the usual excitement of a Canadian Football League game and not what we saw for much of 2011.  According to the Globe and Mail ratings are down significantly in 2011 and much of the decline can be attributed to a lot of crappy games plus the dismal seasons of the Argonauts and Roughriders.  As the Globe article mentions there are some issues with how the ratings are measured in Canada but Toronto and Saskatchewan are important television markets for CFL football (I don't think the ratings increase and the resurgence of the Argos in 2010 were a coincidence).  Unfortunately any momentum that the Argos were picking up in the Toronto market was squelched by their dismal performance in 2011.  The Riders are always a strong draw but when things are going really good, like they were from 2007 to 2010, then interest goes through the roof and that is good for the League.

Here's hoping for some entertaining games on Sunday!

The Semi-Final picks are:

PRIME TIME (41 - 31): Montreal/Calgary
SWAMI (40 - 32): Hamilton/Calgary
ACE (39 - 33): Montreal/Edmonton
KARMA (35-37): Montreal/Edmonton

CFL Swami Vs. - 20.11 Week 19 Results

The CFL regular season is now officially in the books.  Hopefully, what was less a than a stellar season will be followed by an exciting run to the Grey Cup in Vancouver.  Of course, here at CFL Swami Vs. our competition doesn't end until the last game has been played, which means that there are still 5 more games to go.  The final week of the regular season brought about big changes in our little pick 'em competition.   After leading the show for pretty much all of the 2011 season, Ace now finds himself in third after posting a 1-3 mark.  Prime Time assumes the lead after putting up a perfect 4 and 0 to close out the regular season and Swami now finds himself in second.  Karma's 2 and 2 week leaves her unable to finish first but still within striking distance of the others not named Prime Time.

Here are the results and some very brief recaps from Week 19. 

PRIME TIME: 4 - 0 (41 - 31 overall, .569 percentage)
SWAMI: 3 - 1 (40 - 32 overall, .556 percentage)
ACE: 1 - 3 (39 - 33 overall, .542 percentage)
KARMA: 2 - 2 (35 - 37 overall, .486 percentage)

Hamilton 16 at Toronto 27

Okay, Hamilton's road to 9 and 9 was derailed by the two worst teams in the 2011 season.  Back to back losses to Saskatchewan and Toronto left the Tiger Cats with an 8-10 mark to close out the season.  Expectations could not be lower in the Hammer right now but that may end up being a good thing for the up and down Cats.  One would expect that if the Cats are one and done in the playoffs, that head coach Marcel Bellefeuille will find himself on the coach's scrap heap.

Week 17 was the last time an East Division team not named the Toronto Argonauts actually won a game.  The Argonauts won three of their last four with all three victories coming against playoff bound teams.  Was this an anomaly or an indicator of brighter things to come for 2012?

Prime Time was the only one to pick the Argos.

Saskatchewan 20 at Edmonton 23

The Eskimos needed a win to clinch a home play-off game while the Riders were starting second and third stringers in many positions leading one to believe that this game would be over by half time, but it was a lot closer than it should have been.  I am not sure if the result was indicative of inspired play by the Riders, uninspired play from the Eskimos, or both.

Prime Time, Ace and Swami all picked the Eskimos while Karma was gambling on the Riders winning one for the Gipper...er, Miller.


Winnipeg 24 at Calgary 30

For the second week in a row a Bombers victory would clinch first place and for the second week in a row, they came up short when it mattered.  Alex Brink went the distance at QB for the Bombers and didn't look out of place considering that he has been in the League for just two years.

Calgary won its third in a row with Drew Tate at the controls and will lead his team into the play-offs. 

Prime Time, Swami and Karma picked the Stamps.


Montreal 1 at BC 43

Did anybody want to finish first in the East this year?  Winnipeg's loss in Calgary on Saturday afternoon meant that Montreal could finish first in the East with a victory in Vancouver on Saturday night, however, the Als pulled a complete no show on the final game of the regular season.

BC clinched first place in the West by dismantling the Alouettes.  At thius point it's hard to imagine the Lions NOT winning it all on November 27 in BC Place.

Prime Time and Swami picked the Lions.

CFL Swami Vs. - 20.11 Week 19

Argonaut and Roughrider fans rejoice, here it is, the last week of the 2011 CFL season

The week features a rare late season Thursday night game, that is sure to be played in front of friends and family only at Rogers Centre, when the Argos (5-12) host the Tiger Cats (8-9).  The Friday Night Lights will be shining in Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium when the Eskimos (10-7) take on the Roughriders (5-12).  Once again this week, Saturday features double header action when Winnipeg (10-7) heads to McMahon Stadium in Calgary to take on the Stampeders (10-7) while the regular season wraps up at BC Place in Vancouver when Montreal (10-7) visits the Lions (10-7).

The Week 19 picks are:

ACE (38 - 30): Hamilton/Edmonton/Winnipeg/Montreal
SWAMI (37 - 31): Hamilton/Edmonton/Calgary/BC
PRIME TIME (37 - 31): Toronto/Edmonton/Calgary/BC
KARMA (33-35): Toronto/Saskatchewan/Calgary/Montreal

CFL Swami Vs. - 20.11 Week 18 Results

You know its going to be a bad week for picking games when Toronto and Saskatchewan win, then Montreal loses at home.  When those three things happen it means the best mark posted for the week becomes a dubious 1 and 3 which was shared by Ace and Prime Time.  The aftermath of the Week 18 finds Ace back alone in first place with Prime Time moving back up on to even ground with Swami for second.  Karma who, like Swami, put up an O'fer this week still finds herself in fourth.

Here are the results and some very brief recaps from Week 18. 

ACE: 1 - 3 (38 - 30 overall, .559 percentage)
SWAMI: 0 - 4 (37 - 31 overall, .544 percentage)
PRIME TIME: 1 - 3 (37 - 31 overall, .544 percentage)
KARMA: 0 - 4 (33 - 35 overall, .485 percentage)

Toronto 27 at Winnipeg 22

When I first saw the score of the game in the electronics department at Leon's Furniture, it was 17-3 for Toronto.  The first play after that saw Jeff Johnson score to make it 24-3 for the Argos.  By the time I got home it was 24-6 and the fourth quarter had just gotten under way and, in keeping with the CFL's new tagline "No lead is safe" I couldn't help but think, how's Toronto going to screw this one up?

Turns out the Bombers got to within a touchdown but in the end, could not get it done.  The Bombers, or at least one of their players, Johnny Sears, made all the headlines though with his cheap shot on Argos QB Steven Jyles.  If ol' Johnny is in the League next year he had better keep his head on a swivel.

Everyone picked the Bombers.


Hamilton 3 at Saskatchewan 19

If this game was a baby, it would have been one of those babies with a face that only a mother could love.  The Riders out-played the Cats in the first half which lead to a 17-0 halftime lead.  Then nobody on offense showed up for the second half which featured the Tiger Cats outscoring the Riders 3-2.  The Riders two points came off of a couple 70+ yard punts by Chris Milo.  Not that it was that cold out but this game could not end soon enough.

Last week I wondered whether the Cats road to 9-9 would mean a loss to the Riders or the Argos, next week.  Guess Swami is picking the Cats in Week 19.

Prime Time was the only one to correctly gamble on a Rider victory.


Edmonton 20 at BC 29

Both these teams came out ready for a battle and the body count was very high with lots of injuries on both sides.  The Lions were able to stay in contention for first while the Eskimos, like the Bombers, blew the opportunity to secure first place in the division.

Ace was the only one to predict a Lions victory.


Calgary 32 at Montreal 27

With Winnipeg's loss to the Argos, the Alouettes became able to control their own destiny for first in the East, however, the Stampeders stymied those plans.  Now Montreal needs the Stamps to beat Winnipeg next week to have any shot hopes for a first place finish.

It is now probably safe to say that the Drew Tate era has officially begun it Calgary.  It will be interesting to see where Henry Burris ends up in 2012.

Everyone picked the Alouettes.

CFL Swami Vs. - 20.11 Week 18

We are down to the second last week of the regular season which means that there are 13 games left to decide the Grey Cup and CFL Swami Vs. Champions for 2011.

This week features a Friday night tilt between the Bombers (10-6) and the Argonauts (4-12) in Winnipeg.  Saturday gives us double header action when Hamilton (8-8) visits Saskatchewan (4-12) followed by a first place Western battle between the Eskimos (10-6) and the Lions (9-7) in Vancouver.  The weekend wraps up on Sunday when the Stampeders (9-7) head to Percival Molson Stadium in Montreal to play the Alouettes (10-6).

The Week 18 picks are as follows:

ACE (37 - 27): Winnipeg/Hamilton/BC/Montreal
SWAMI (37 - 27): Winnipeg/Hamilton/Edmonton/Montreal
PRIME TIME (36 - 28): Winnipeg/Saskatchewan/Edmonton/Montreal
KARMA (33-31): Winnipeg/Hamilton/Edmonton/Montreal