It’s getting crowded in here

When I was asked to do this blog I was honored that I was selected over everyone else. That my voice would be the one heard across rider nation and around the CFL. A few days after accepting the privilege I scanned the usual websites and discovered that there were a bunch of guys with blogs. “The Malborough Files”, “In the Trenches with Ed Philion”, and “Corey’s Corner” were the ones I discovered first. Not bad I thought, only Corey Grant is on the team and he’s a receiver so we shouldn’t step on each others toes too much…..Well….last week while Geno Mak and I were assuming our usual positions on the bench during the defense period of practice he tells me that now I am not the only O-lineman with a blog. He tells me that now he has a blog with Sportsnet! Is there enough room on the web for two Rider linemen?

Now fast forward to about 2 hours ago….Marc Parenteau sent me a text telling me he’s just signed on with Riderville to do a blog too….Three? Three linemen with blogs??? Is there enough to write about? Geno already stole my idea about writing about how I attempt to stay healthy during the long, long season. And Marc is bound to steal some of my blogging ideas that I have bounced off him as he is my road roommate. But don’t worry Global Regina fans, you have the original, the first choice, often imitated but never duplicated. I will continue to deliver the whitty commentary, the inside goods from the locker room at Mosaic Stadium to the buffet tables across Canada.

In visiting the other blogs across the CFL I noticed over half the guys came up with what they thought would be the All Star team. Anthony Malborough even put himself on his version of the team. Selecting himself as an all star was met with mixed emotions in our locker room but I say it was a great choice. If you don’t think you are great you’re probably right. So with that in mind let’s start the 2008 Abou All Star projections

OFFENSE

O-LINE

Guards-Mike Abou-Mechrek and…well…who cares who the other guy is!

Center Jeremy O’Day

Tackles Alex Gauthier and Dan Goodspeed (WPG)

RB

Charlie Roberts (WPG), Jesse Lumsden (HAM) -he kinda plays like Cates but not as good

QB Anthony Calvillo (MTL)

REC: Milt Stegal (WPG), Geroy Simon (BC), DJ Flick, Andy Fantuz, RJ Franklin (WPG) and I gotta include Jaime Stoddard (WPG) he does everything

DEFENSE

DLINE Adrian Belli (TOR), Doug Brown (WPG), Scott Schultz, Tom Canada (WPG), Cam Wake (BC), Brent Johnson (BC), #96 from Edmonton is good too but I need another look at him…..i know I can only pick 4 but it’s my blog

LINEBACKERS: Reggie Hunt (MTL), Kevin Eiben (TOR), JoJuan Armour (CGY)

Otis Floyd (BC)-he concussed me during the west final last year and I could only talk in numbers for about 3 minutes and had to sit out a series (but don’t tell anyone because they might not let me play in the Grey Cup).

DBACKS…Corey Banks ???…I have no idea,  they have no direct effect on my life

Also, for the record I just want to say that I wouldn’t give up anyone on our team, the Riders, for 10 Abou AllStars. And for that reason I didn’t include any Riders unless I felt it neccessasry- for example DJ Flick has been my favorite CFL player since he was a rookie, Fantuz is a Western guy, J-O is simply in another league and lets just say I’m glad to be on the “MeatDog” Schultz’s team.

So there it is: the 2008 Abou Projections. I felt I needed to write this blog to keep up with the Joneses, and Grants, and Malboroughs, etc….. But now I need to separate myself from all the pretenders, especially those two new sweat hogs Parenteau and Makowsky. ….. if you don’t know now you know.