Ottawa Redblacks Thread

[ArgoRavi]

OV will be over the moon with the news that they are going with Canadian Kienan Lafrance at tailback. Apparently, Brendan Gillanders is returning from injury to back Lafrance up.

[OV Argo]

OV will be over the moon with the news that they are going with Canadian Kienan Lafrance at tailback. Apparently, Brendan Gillanders is returning from injury to back Lafrance up.

An interesting situation with RedBlacks RBs for some time Ravi. Went through quite a few.

Lafrance has been around for 2 seasons, and impressed some with a bit of duty, especially this season - seems pretty good at running, blocking and catching - requirements of a CFL tailback now; when the RedBlacks first 2 RBs this season - Powell & Vann - went down with injury, they could have turned to Lafrance as the starter - but instead they air-lifted in CFL retread Grigsby (who had some decent runs for them), who was selling cars in Florida i think (i.e. had not been in their camp); while I had praised Campbell & Desjardins & co. there for starting 9 NIs and also giving playing time to other young NIs on O & D = non-GOB like, the signing of Grigsby AND handing him the starter job was instead very GOB like and a slap in the face to Lafrance IMO; and Grigsby basically cost Ottawa a win with his fumble down near the goal line late game vs. the Stumps (game ended a tie - no fumble and a win for sure). Not enough faith in Lafrance a few games ago, but now they do ? - I'll believe he is the full game starter at tailback when I see it (and it would be impressive to see Gillanders maybe get some playing time at his natural position to see what he could do too).

Hardly any Canadian tailbacks getting real CFL shots since the advent of Cornish, Messam and Harris as top notch backs a few seasons ago (more like 5 years back now?)- talk then that this was a new CFL change of direction or change of GOB mind-set ? - laughable / not even close. Probably somewhere around 40 or 50 different new or recycled import RBs have got CFL starts and lots of playing time since that time, and ZERO Canadian tailbacks (outside of Matt Walter as an injury replacement for Cornish) have got the call. We shall see.

[Argo]

...since the advent of Cornish, Messam and Harris...

Clearly Canadian RBs must be avoided like the plague! Especially in the Canadian Football League.