Calgary Stampeders player Eric Rogers, left, argues with an officiial on an out-of-bounds overtime touchdown call that would lose the game 40-34 in o/t to the Montreal Alouettes during CFL football action in Calgary, Saturday Aug. 17, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Larry MacDougal
The usual mild mannered Dave Dickenson was steamed. His Calgary Stampeders had just lost 40-34 to Montreal in overtime. While he did utter the usual platitudes about the visitors from the east, he also said, “I feel like it was stolen, without a doubt.”
He was referring to pass interference and roughing the passer calls that all seemed to favour Montreal. On one side of the field his linebacker Nate Holley was called for an out-of-bounds hit whereas on the other sideline, similar assaults went unpunished. It was obvious to just about everyone that the Als did not score on third and one at the Stampeder goal line in overtime, a stalwart stand that would have ended the contest in Calgary’s favour. On the last play of overtime, a third down for the home team, Eric Rogers was ruled out of the end-zone when the big screen indicated it was interference. What really bothered Dickenson and legions of CFL fans is the inconsistency of the officials.
When asked about the referees’ performances, he first said, “I can’t really comment or I’ll get fined.” But he went on: “I would expect basically anybody not living in Montreal thinks there were some things that certainly went against us.
“Listen, I don’t understand the rules right now, so I’m going to have to make some calls. I don’t get our first pass interference call against us. I don’t get why they have a 20, 30 minute scrum at the goal line and can’t make a decision. I don’t understand the rules right now and I don’t understand the role of Toronto. I don’t know what the command centre’s doing. It is my job to figure it out, though and not one play or one call can ever change a game but there were numerous calls where we felt we were on the wrong end of it.
“Those were tough calls. That loss is going to sting. It was a game we needed to win to keep pace in the west.”
Roughing the passer calls kept drives alive. In each case, the defender’s momentum carried him into quarterback Vernon Adams, Jr. after the ball was released. But there were no helmet to helmet hits, no hits to the head. After the game, former Calgary great safety Greg Peterson pointed out that he was involved in many a safety blitz and was going full speed by the time he got to the passer.
He also pointed out that quarterbacks are using the concern over concussions to their advantage by holding on to the ball to the very last second, knowing they’re going to take a hit. Maybe there should be a diving penalty like there is in the NHL.
But you can’t blame the league for wanting to protect quarterbacks. Another one bit the dust in Winnipeg last Thursday when Bomber pivot Matt Nichols suffered an injury to his throwing arm. That’s seven and a half starting quarterbacks knocked out of action this season in a nine team league. The half is Lion Mike Reilly who should be done but keeps rising from the turf like Dracula from the grave. The quarterbacks are marquee players but let’s not alter the very nature of the game. Pressuring and sacking the quarterback is a vital part of football. Officials should use some common sense.
I agree with Dickenson about taking so long to make a call. On Saturday it took them nearly two minutes to call procedure on Calgary and then they put the ball in the wrong spot. Are the officials afraid to use discretion in fear of the powers that be in Toronto?
Generally I believe the officials do a good job. We have to remember the calls are made at full speed, the replays in slow motion.
Dickenson said, “We had our chances. I still think we could have won.” Special teams and offence were fine but, “that was the worst tackling we’ve ever had.”
Don’t forget that in the last 1:40, Montreal overcame an 11-point deficit by scoring a touchdown, two point convert, recovering the ensuing kickoff and making a field goal. They then tallied two TDs in OT. The Stamps blew it.
P.S. Montreal has become a very good team.
Graham Kelly has covered the CFL for the Medicine Hat News for 47 years. Feedback for this column can be emailed to sports@medicinehatnews.com.
