Penton: Has Rourke resumed role as CFL’s best QB?
By Bruce Penton
When Nathan Rourke returned to the Canadian Football League after two years of trying to make his mark in the National Football League, was he automatically the CFL’s No. 1 quarterback?
Not necessarily, even though most CFL fans expected him to pick up where he left off in 2022, a season in which he was named the league’s most outstanding Canadian and led the B.C. Lions to a 12-6 record and a spot in the Western Conference final,
Rourke’s 2022 stats were amazing. In 10 games, he threw for 335 yards per game, tossed 25 touchdown passes and had only 10 interceptions. He got little more than a quick look with three NFL teams before he realized the NFL grass isn’t necessarily greener, although the money certainly was. He earned more than $500,000 while serving on various teams’ practice rosters.
Upon his return to B.C., his numbers were only so-so in his first four games: four TD passes, seven interceptions and a 2-2 record.
The Lions now have two highly-paid quarterbacks: Rourke and veteran Vernon Adams, who hurt his knee in Week 9 but is now back. With Rourke and Adams — that expensive duo is unlikely to stay together in B.C. — the Lions have undoubtedly the best 1-2 QB combination in the league.
The Blue Bombers’ duo of Zach Collaros and Chris Streveler would rank as the second-best QB pair while close behind in a one-two punch ranking would be Edmonton’s McLeod Bethel-Thompson and Tre Ford. Every other team in the league has one fairly solid quarterback.
Individually, Cody Fajardo of the Grey Cup champion Montreal Alouettes would rank behind Collaros and Rourke, while the rest of the CFL QBs might follow in this order: Trevor Harris of Saskatchewan; Bo Levi Mitchell of Hamilton; Jake Maier of Calgary, Cameron Dukes of Toronto and Dru Brown ion Ottawa.
Meanwhile, a quarterback controversy is percolating in Edmonton. Bethel-Thompson was the Elks’ starter to open the season, and went 0-7 before winning his first game. Ford, meanwhile, was given two starts and won them both. The Elks are playing much better football these days and with Ford suffering a rib injury, Bethel-Thompson got back on track, leading Edmonton to a Battle of Alberta victory over Calgary on the Labour Day weekend, 35-20. The Elks remained last in the tight West Division, but a 4-8 record after the ugly 0-7 start is indicative of their improved play.
The week after Labour Day, only B.C. and Winnipeg were above .500, at 7-6, with Saskatchewan three points behind. Edmonton had 10 points and Calgary eight. Things weren’t quite as tight in the East, as the Alouettes won 10 of their first 12 games.
The West race should be fun to watch, though. The Elks have been resuscitated, the Bombers are rounding into form after a slow start and Rourke is eager to show CFL fans he still has what it takes to shine north of the 49th parallel.
New York Post reader Ken Mortenson, after a graphic near the start of the North Carolina-Minnesota football game on Fox said a key to the game was for UNC to ‘Play Complimentary Football.’: “Apparently victory for UNC is based on saying only nice things to the Gophers during the game.”
Comedy writer Alex Kaseberg: “Charles Barkley ripped the WNBA for their jealous and petty response to all the publicity Caitlin Clark is getting. Apparently the WNBA stands for women nasty, bitter, antagonistic.”
Comedy writer Torben Rolfsen of Vancouver: “Lake Mary, Florida won the Little League World Series in the most Little League way imaginable: A walk-off bunt that scored the winning run on an error. The losing team was probably distracted by an ice cream truck.”
Another one from Rolfsen: “Starting lineup payrolls: Yankees $182 million, Tigers $8 million. So one team had the budget of Kong: Skull Island and the other of Little Miss Sunshine. Miss Sunshine won the series 2 games to 1, by the way.”
Janice Hough of leftcoastsportsbabe.com: “Just heard the SF Giants are hitting .195 with runners in scoring position since the all-star break. Worst in baseball. Yes, including the Chicago White Sox. Does this team need a hitting coach or a psychologist?”
RJ Currie of sportsdeke.com: “Major League Baseball recently suspended six players in Toronto's farm system for using PEDs. The Blue Jays immediately investigated to see who had been corrupting their minors.”
Another one from Currie: “A CBC commentator said a cornerstone of Buddhism is learning to live with disappointment. It’s also a cornerstone of being a Chicago White Sox fan.”
Headline at the onion.com: “Man Starstruck To See Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever At Greyhound Bus Station”
Fark.com headline: “Even David Beckham’s son can’t bend it like him since he’s apparently traded in his soccer cleats for Fashion Week.”
Headline at fark.com, taking a shot at a particular brand of beer: “Bud Light to offer custom cans and bottles for cities with NHL teams. In other news, beer and hockey fans continue to wait for an actual beer and hockey tie-in.”
Care to comment? Email brucepenton2003@yahoo.ca