I didn’t see any of the Riders’ first exhibition game against the Lions in Vancouver on June 13. Since the score ended up 44-10 for B.C., that’s just as well. Of course, the Lions are the defending Grey Cup champs, while the Riders are in the initial stages of a rebuilding program after last season’s disastrous 5-13 fourth place finish in the CFL West.
With the Riders set to start the 2012 CFL season on the road against the Hamilton Tiger Cats on June 29, you can expect the team to dress and play most of its projected starters for a good chunk of the game. For that reason, plus the fact that Calgary isn’t as good as B.C., I expect tomorrow’s tilt, which goes at Mosaic Stadium at 7 p.m., to be considerably more competitive than last week’s debacle.
Following the game, the Riders will trim their roster to get down to the 46 player limit. As we did last year, Dog Blog will be periodically presenting a Rider Fan Forum with Earl Camembert, Ron Mexico and Cal Corduroy. You can look for the first one on June 29.