Things we've learned so far this CFL season

As we head to Labour Day and the traditional kickoff to the Canadian Football League's second half, let's take a look at what we learned through the first eight weeks.

1. It's déjà vu all over again in Montreal (oh, no!)

I've been making little jokes all year about the dreaded playoffs on the horizon for these Alouettes, but in Montreal, it's not funny.

Once again, the Larks are dominating the Canadian Football League, sitting at 7-1, outscoring everyone else by a kilometre, leading seven of the 10 main offensive categories, fielding the best defence in the loop, and on and on.

Football fans in Quebec, however, are among the smartest in the land, and while they're having a good time at Stade Percival Molson, they know their club has appeared in six of the last 10 Grey Cup games and won exactly once. Losing to Calgary at home last year was a special kick in the chops.

The Als are convinced this is the team, and certainly they've shown it so far. Avon Cobourne is second in rushing, Kerry Watkins is leading receiver, Anthony Calvillo is way up on Henry Burris as the best pivot, Larry Taylor is fab in combined yards.

But Als fans must look at November on the calendar with a mix of longing and abject fear. It couldn't possibly happen again. Could it?

2. Fred Reid is the man.

I had to run this number through the calculator three times before I actually believed it. If you take Fred Reid's astonishing 260-yard rushing effort against B.C. out of the equation, the Winnipeg back is still leading the CFL in combined yards. That's running, catching, bringing back kickoffs.

Reid is a little bigger than Pinball Clemons (5-8, 185 pounds compared with 5-6 and 170), but he sure plays with the courage and determination the CFL's all-time combined yardage guy used to.

It took the Bombers a couple of games to get Reid going in the offence, but he's on a roll now, and if the Bombers' defence continues to play superbly, Winnipeg could yet surprise.

Don't tell them that in Montreal.

3. Darian Durant is not only a survivor, he's a quarterback. Really.

Hands up if you thought Darian Durant was a second-year pivot. Yes, you in the back there, I can see you.

You might be surprised to know the Saskatchewan QB completed his first CFL pass in 2006, when injuries pushed the then-rookie into some late-game play against Hamilton.

Since then he's paid his dues (such as dressing for every game in the Grey Cup season and not seeing a single down) and he's come out of coach Ken Miller's doghouse full time over the last few games. Basically he's gone from what have you done for me lately to get out there and do something.

Durant's stats aren't spectacular, but he is running a steady, balanced offence. He's fourth in passing, has his offence third in points scored, second in touchdowns, third in rushing scores. The Riders don't get a lot of first downs, but take good advantage of the ones they produce.

If Durant can keep from getting a sore neck by always looking over his shoulder at the bench to see if his backup is warming, he might be setting up for a long career. One he's earned the hard way.

4. Justin Medlock's left leg is not human. Somebody tell Bart Andrus.

It's been a long time since we've seen a rookie field-goal kicker with this strong a leg and his kind of accuracy. Anything inside 60 yards seems makeable for the UCLA grad, who bombed one from 57 against Winnipeg that hit the left upright half-way up.

Toronto coach Bart Andrus seems unconvinced, however. He didn't think 57 yards against Calgary last week was doable, so Medlock wasn't sent out with five seconds to go. Next time, coach, go with Thunder Thigh.

5. Judy O'Billovich is married to one heck of a player personnel guy.

Those clawless, toothless, hairball-spitting Hamilton Tiger-Cats of recent vintage are suddenly a nice, though young, little football team thanks to the personnel general manager Bob O'Billovich.  

Yep, it's been a bit of a slog, and season one produced just three wins. But there's a new coach in Marcel Bellefeuille, some strong free agent signings including excellent linebacker Jamall Johnson (second in defensive tackles) and veteran quarterback Kevin Glenn, who is both acting as a mentor for Quinton Porter and a great second choice when Porter struggles.

But where Obie has truly shone has been in running back depth.

This year, the Cats lost Kenton Keith in the pre-season, then Terry Caulley and Tre Smith in the opening game. The team reached into the ol' kit bag and came up with Deandre' Cobb off the practice roster. Obie found him in a California tryout camp this spring, and all Cobb has done is run and catch for more than 600 yards, sixth in the loop after the bye weeks.

6. Wally World can't be a fun place right now.

This column continues to be a believer in B.C. Lions' coach and GM Wally Buono, but boy oh boy things are looking scary out there on the coast.

Yes, there have been a lot of changes since last season, but it's the quarterback situation that makes you wonder.

Two-pivot systems often don't work, but Wally has always found a way (see Dave Dickenson and Casey Printers). Buck Pierce (dubbed "The Walking Bruise" by local media) and Jarious Jackson had been struggling as it was this season, combining for 16 interceptions, but with the former on the sidelines with concussion problems, it's up to the latter to carry the mail.

Jackson did well coming back in late against the Argonauts and pulling out a win (anybody notice that if Toronto's defence hadn't collapsed in the fourth quarter, the Lions would be 2-6?), but without Pierce as his foil this could be a big problem.

Travis Lulay and Jackson are not quite so scary a combination.

7. That western dominance seems to have gone the way of the Vancouver Island marmot.

After years of watching the big old boys from the west regularly beat up on Eastern teams not named Montreal, the tables are turning. East clubs are 9-8 against their west of Manitoba brethren, and if you take out Toronto's 0-4 they're 9-5.

Whoever finishes fourth in the west this year may be hard pressed, for once, to steal the cross-over playoff spot from the third-place East team.

8. Mike Kelly is like Vince Lombardi doing standup comedy.

The rookie Winnipeg head coach has been accused by a number of critics of being old-fashioned in his offensive and overall team approach, but he doesn't care. 

Asked by the Regina Leader-Post who might play him in a movie, Kelly went for the guy who played Uncle Festus in the Addams Family. Not sure if he meant Jackie Coogan (original series) or Christopher Lloyd (movie), but both were balder than a cue ball.

Kelly also:

• Suggested anyone who used the shotgun formation should be coaching in Pop Warner football.
• Reportedly put alarm clocks around the Bombers offices, set for 7 a.m., so no-one would be late.
• Told Milt Stegal to go powder his nose when the former Bomber great and now TSN commentator said signing QB Michael Bishop was a stop-gap measure.
• Swears like a Halifax docker when things go wrong in practice.

When the team was struggling early on, this wasn't seen as that funny. Now that they are coming together, he's more of a comic genius. Hope he does well, because the CFL needs this kind of publicity.

9. Weston Dressler is really cute.

If you don't believe us, go to one of the Facebook sites dedicated to Weston watching.