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Drew Tate hasnt yet fully arrived as a CFL quarterback. But the 27-year-old Texan certainly appears to have all the tools and intangibles to become the answer to the never-ending quest for the CFLs next great arm. Theres a lesson in Tates emergence in taking the No.1 job away from Henry Burris, one thats well-established throughout recent CFL history about how the league gets its best quarterbacks. They arent NFL journeymen or guys who once were first-round picks looking for redemption, or college stars who are handed the keys when they cross the border. Study the list of the greatest 25 quarterback of the past 30 years and youll find a remarkable similarity in their stories. (Doug Flutie being the exception, but then Flutie is the exception to dozens of rules in professional football). They are players who are overlooked by the NFL, asked to bide their time in the CFL as backups, learn the three-down game by watching from the bench and then, after much patience, got their chance. "Five years isnt too quickly," said Tate, whose start Friday night against Saskatchewan was his first since leading the University of Iowa into the Alamo Bowl against Texas on Dec. 30th, 2006. "But to be honest, if I got thrown in the fire sooner, I probably wouldnt have performed the way I did." Drew Tate had a brief stint with the St. Louis Rams in the spring of 2007 before joining the Saskatchewan Roughriders practice roster that same season, taking up the fourth-string role behind Kerry Joseph, Marcus Crandell and Darian Durant. The Roughriders released him at the end of the 2008 season and a few months later he signed with the Stamps, beginning a stint of nearly three full seasons on the bench in red and white. So if fans are wondering why he was able to make his first CFL start looking like someone well-seasoned in three-down football, thats because he is. "I guess you could call it a blessing in disguise," said Tate. "Im a visual learner so its been fun to watch and collect so much information." Of course while much of playing quarterback in the CFL has to be learned, there are other qualities that are just ingrained. And thats where Tates background growing up in Texas as the step-son of an accomplished high school football coach comes into play. Tate was about six years old when his mother married Dick Olin, whom Tate latched onto "like a leech." (See Olin coaching quarterback drills here -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcfV0yfaJgM) Tate would spend hours with Olin learning from him at the fieldhouse and at home, throwing the football and watching film. When Friday nights rolled around, Tate was the ball boy who had a front row seat for his football education. "I was like a little sponge," he said. One of those intangibles Tate developed during those years was a raw confidence which has been abundantly apparent in his play the past two weeks. "You have to be arrogant and confident, I think thats the secret to being good," said Tate. "Its like in the movie Bull Durham where Kevin Costner says to Tim Robbins, thats the secret, you have to stay arrogant. I truly believe that because as soon as you lose confidence, you slow down and your teammates can see it. " So with all that confidence, why did Tate decide to re-sign with Calgary at the end of last season, instead of hitting the free agent market where he surely would have had suitors and perhaps a better shot at starting sooner? "First of all, Calgary were the ones to give me an opportunity to play and I felt it was a special situation between them and me and I felt the responsibility to respect and repay," Tate said. "Second, I love Calgary. I really like this city, a fun place, a beautiful place with pretty people. And with Dave Dickenson as a play-caller its tough to leave something like that." "And I hadnt done much. I wasnt like this guy who was ready to take over an organization, I wasnt quite ready. I still had a lot to learn about this game and myself." If youre wondering what happened to the arrogance of Drew Tate as it pertained to his future last fall, well that part of his personality he chooses to leave on the field. "The only time Im a prick is in between the sidelines," said Tate. "Thats the only time Im an arrogant guy and my teammates dont like me sometimes. Its Batman and Bruce Wayne, to be honest. Its totally different." "I was watching 60 Minutes about Steve Jobs and they said he was an asshole, kind of. But when youre in the business of trying to win, youre not going to make everyone happy. Its the same in football. Its not personal. Its the game and you cant take it off the field." Now some other thoughts on Week 17 in the CFL and the look ahead to Week 18: --- Assuming Drew Tate hangs onto the No. 1 job in Calgary, its impossible that Henry Burris will be back with the Stamps next season, just on the basis of pure economics. Burris, who earns between $350,000 and $400,000 per season, will be 37 next year but many believe hes in the kind of shape that would allow him to play until at least age 40. The question is where? And would any team in the league take on that contract or does Burris have to take a step back, not unlike the way players such as Kevin Glenn, Khari Jones or Kerry Joseph have done, playing without a guaranteed starters role and having to earn playing time on an incentive-laden contract. Here are the top 4 most likely destinations for Burris next season. 1 – Toronto – Through seven starts, Steven Jyles still has a lot to prove. While he demonstrated some success last week against Edmonton, he needs to show it during a time when a game isnt all but out of reach. Head coach Jim Barker has given Jyles a strong endorsement as the teams quarterback of the future. If he sticks to that, would Barker be willing to take on a 37-year-old Burris instead? Or does Burris make more sense as an insurance policy in Toronto, with a salary based on the number of starts he makes, and an opportunity to battle Jyles for the top job? 2 – Hamilton – Theyve got a two-quarterback system right now, which suggests the Cats arent totally sold on either Kevin Glenn or Quinton Porter. Another disappointing ending to another .500 season could lead to winds of change blowing through Hamilton in some dramatic ways. Would the Cats want to go with their current tandem for another season after another disappointment or would they dump one in favour of Burris as the starter? 3 – Montreal – This one only makes sense if Anthony Calvillo retires and everyone around the Als seems to believe he is coming back. Even if Calvillo does surprise everyone by calling it quits, the Als have Adrian McPherson in the wings. 4 – Winnipeg – They love Buck Pierce but the offence still sputters and his health remains a source of concern. Pierce is a free agent, but having made Winnipeg his year-round home, theres every sense hell be back next season. If hes not, Burris might make some sense but not at his current price. --- With 964 rushing yards and two games to play, Edmontons Jerome Messam is virtually assured of becoming the first Canadian to rush for 1,000 yards since Sean Millington in 2000 and just the second since Orville Lee hit that mark in 1988. The Esks have certainly benefited from having a Canadian running back with such size and speed, giving them a great backfield presence and some ratio flexibility as well. However, Esks fans may not want to get accustomed to seeing Messam in the backfield, as he will be high on the list of CFL players who will draw interest from the NFL this off-season. (Messam signed his deal before July 26th, 2010, making him among the few players who can still pursue the NFL while entering the option year of his CFL contract, which was eliminated in the current CBA.) Interesting that Messam, who is the odds-on favourite to become the leagues top Canadian this season, was not taken among any of the 36 selections of the 2008 CFL Draft. --- Its a delicate process but Hamilton head coach Marcel Bellefeuille seems to have made a successful late-season adaptation to a two-quarterback system for the Tiger-Cats. Kevin Glenn and Quinton Porter combined to go 17 of 28 for 232 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions, in a 42-point outburst against B.C. on Saturday night. But maybe just as significant was the handshake and embrace between Glenn and Porter before the start of the second half when Porter was about to enter the game. Bellefeuille has made sure to be up front with both quarterbacks about where they stand and exactly how theyll be managed. And that includes two rules – that neither quarterback will be sent into the middle of a game for one series. And neither quarterback will face a quick hook, meaning they dont have to play with the fear that a single mistake will result in being yanked to the sidelines. Bellefeuille is committed to using both quarterbacks through the final two weeks of the regular season so that both are ready to contribute to the Tiger-Cats playoff chances. Neither has been promised the starting role and Bellefeuilles intent to use both players is qualified with the understanding that a hot-hand isnt going to be pulled from a game. --- The Tiger-Cats had a different presence in the middle of their defence against the Lions, thanks to the arrival of former Ohio State Buckeye Rob Rose at defensive tackle. The Cats have had Rose on their radar screen for two years, since they first saw him at a free agent camp in Buffalo during the spring of 2010. Rose spent last season on the Miami Dolphins practice roster. And with the Cats having had such issues creating interior pressure this season, they rushed him onto the field against the Lions just three days after he arrived in Steeltown last week. After making three hits on the quarterback, a knockdown and being tough on the run, look for Rose to become a mainstay on the Cats defensive line. As an interesting aside, Rose is one of the players who spoke on the record to Sports Illustrated about the merchandise scandal under former head coach Jim Tressel, without apologies. "I knew how much money that the school was making," Rose told SI. "I always heard about how Ohio State had the biggest Nike budget. I was struggling, my mom was struggling... It was just something that I had to do. I was in a hard spot... [Other] guys were doing it for the same reasons. The university doesnt really help. Technically, we knew it was wrong, but a lot of those guys are from the inner city and we didnt have much, and we had to go on the best we could. I couldnt call home to ask my mom to help me out." Have to like Roses honesty and his rationale. --- Aside from the 20,153 who watched Hamilton beat Calgary in Moncton on Sept. 24th, the eight smallest crowds in the CFL this season have all been in Toronto. --- Having sold out six consecutive games and with merchandise sales humming, the Bombers should join the ranks of CFL teams that can boast a healthy profit at seasons end this season. --- Fridays loss to Winnipeg was the first outing in which Torontos Cory Boyd rushed for 100 yards and the Argos did not win. --- Barring something unforeseen during the final two weeks of the regular season, Montreal will finish with the CFLs leading passer (Anthony Calvillo), receiver (Jamel Richardson), and running back (Brandon Whitaker). --- To put Winnipegs three interceptions against Montreal into perspective, consider that Calvillo had been picked off just five times all season before Saturdays loss to the Bombers, after throwing just 13 interceptions in 1,112 pass attempts in the two previous seasons. --- The randomness of injuries in football can be a significant factor in the fortunes of any team. And a lot of it is timing. Both the Blue Bombers and Eskimos have had points in the season where it seemed they were losing a player every quarter. (The Esks at one point had four import receivers injured while the Bombers once lost two quarterbacks and two running backs in the same game.) Now its B.C.s turn. The Lions played last week without linebacker Solomon Elimimian, defensive linemen Brent Johnson and Khalif Mitchell, kick returner Tim Brown, special teamer Jason Arakgi and receiver Shawn Gore. Then during their loss to the Tiger-Cats, running back Andrew Harris, receiver Akeem Foster and quarterback Travis Lulay, fullback Rolly Lumbala and long snapper Dan McCullough all went out. --- Football is not a game with a lot of options for recruiting international athletes. But some CFL teams are investigating a trend that has been unfolding the NFL where teams have auditioned punters from Australia. Two NFL teams currently have Australian punters (Washington and Dallas) and earlier this year, there were a total of four on NFL rosters. The bonus for CFL teams is that any player who has never played North American football qualifies as a "Canadian" or non-import in the CFL. Saskatchewan and Calgary are the first two CFL teams to have added Australian punters to their negotiation lists. Check out the guy the Stamps are interested in here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdQMfgNSE78&feature=relatedAnd the guy the Roughriders are hoping to bring in here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zf-1XPG9v0w Cheap NFL Jerseys . If he doesnt blow himself out early trying to test that chin, Jean Pascal stands to claim one of the biggest wins of his career. Thats how the scene is set for what promoters are calling the biggest match ever between two Canadian fighters. Cheap Jerseys . Appleby had 17 saves in a 6-1 victory over the Victoriaville Tigres on Thursday before stopping 30 shots in a 6-2 win over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Sunday. http://www.cheapnfljerseybest.com/. -- Former NHL player Rob Ramage couldnt convince a parole board Friday to release him to a halfway house but will get another chance to make his case. Cheap Jerseys From China . Nicholas Thoman, Mark Gangloff, Phelps and anchor Nathan Adrian finished in 3 minutes, 32.06 seconds. Australia, with Hayden Stoeckel, Brenton Rickard, Geoff Huegill and James Magnussen, took the silver in 3:32.26. Germany (Helge Meeuw, Hendrik Feldwehr, Benjamin Starke and Paul Biedermann) won the bronze in a time of 3:32. Wholesale Jerseys . Cleveland signed Bengals slot receiver Andrew Hawkins to a contract offer sheet on Thursday, a Browns spokesman said.(Sports Network) - The St. Louis Cardinals needed some help to reach the playoffs and they got it from their National League Division Series opponent, the Philadelphia Phillies. St. Louis won 16 of its last 21 games and was battling the Atlanta Braves for the final playoff berth in the National League. The Braves monumental collapse concluded with Wednesdays extra-inning loss to the Phillies soon after the Cardinals took care of their own business in Houston. The Cardinals then watched the Phillies, owners of the best record in baseball at 102-60, eliminate the Braves from postseason contention and a celebration ensued. The festivities lasted for only a short while since the Cardinals now have bigger fish to fry with a postseason showdown against the Phillies. It wasnt easy for St. Louis to reach the playoffs for the eighth time since the turn of the century and aspirations werent looking so good towards the end of August. An 18-8 ledger in the month of September turned things around and erased a 10 1/2-game deficit in the NL Wild Card standings since the Milwaukee Brewers ran away with the National League Central title. Instead of dreaming of vacations and relaxing by the pool, the Cardinals remained focused. "Everybody thought you were crazy if you were the one who said we could do it, but we had to keep believing," said Cardinals starter Kyle Lohse, who gets the nod for Game 1 Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park. "Otherwise, it wasnt going to happen." St. Louis overcame many obstacles to get where its at today, dealing with injuries to starting pitcher Adam Wainwright, sluggers Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday, Skip Schumaker and David Freese to name a few. But the Cards kept battling and a lot of help from veteran slugger Lance Berkman, starters Chris Carpenter, Jaime Garcia and Jake Westbrook opened the doors to the playoffs. Even Pujols contract talks subsided on his request when the season commenced and left several wondering if this could be Pujols last hurrah in St. Louis. Whether this is Pujols final year in the Gateway City or not, the Cardinals have the three-time NL MVP ready to go for another postseason run. Philadelphia, meanwhile, probably knew it would be in this position when Cliff Lee decided to join aces Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt in the City of Brotherly Love for his second stint in red pinstripes. Lee and Halladay finished the regular season as NL Cy Young Award candidates and cemented the Phillies rotation as one of the best in baseball. It almost seemed as if the regular season were just an appetizer to the Phillies, who experienced their own ups and downs before capturing their fifth straight National League East title. The Phillies won a franchise-record 102 games this season, something they havent done since winning 101 games in 1976-77, and manager Charlie Manuel registered his team-record 646th regular- season victory. "Weve had a big season, but at the same time, we still have a lot of work to do," Manuel said. "Our ultimate goal is to go to the World Series and win, and I think were sitting in a pretty good position. Its up to us to go get it." The Phils went after it following a season-high eight-game losing streak a week ago and Wednesdays series finale in Atlanta had a playoff atmosphere to it. One would argue Philadelphia wanted the Braves out of the postseason no matter what and much like the Cardinals, it got the job done and will face the NL Central inhabitants for the first time in postseason play. Besides their vaunted rotation, the Phillies made a huge splash before the trade deadline by acquiring right-handed hitter Hunter Pence from the Astros for a few minor leaguers. Pence fit in with the ballclub right away and knows hes just one piece to the puzzle of Philadelphias success. Pence fought off an inside pitch to put the Phils ahead on Wednesday against the Braves. "My main goal was to stay inside the ball and if you do get jammed, hope it finds a hole or something," Pence said. "It was definitely one of those lucky hits, but sometimes miracles can happen." Although it wouldnt seem like a miracle to win the World Series for the heavily-favored Phillies, a little bit of luck can go a long way too. LINEUP The Phillies and Cardinals both possess productive lineups, and Philadelphias addition of Pence gives it the slight edge in this matchup. The Phillies needed a strong right-handed bat in front of slugging first baseman and lefty Ryan Howard, who cracked 33 homers and drove in 116 runs. Outfielder Ben Francisco was expected to fill that right-handed void when Jayson Werth signed a contract large enough to feed a small country in Washington. Francisco never panned out and even rookie Domonic Brown got a few looks. The Pence deal certainly put the Phillies over the top. Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Pence are expected to occupy the first three spots in the batting order, followed by Howard, Shane Victorino, Raul Ibanez, Placido Polanco and Carlos Ruiz. Utley was moved up from his usual No. 3 spot and said the switch doesnt alter his approach at the plate. Utley appears to be at full strength after dealing with knee and hip injuries. Victorino has been bothered by a sore back and doesnt expect to miss any time this postseason, while Polanco and Ibanez have been clutch at the plate lately. Polanco had his fair share of ailments this season and is ready to go against his former Cardinals club. St. Louis has plenty of pop in its lineup too thanks to a trio of veteran sluggers in Pujols, Holliday and Berkman. Pujols led the offense as usual with 37 homers, 99 RBI and 105 runs, and it will be difficult for the fans to watch their hero possibly suit up for the final few times in St. Louis. Pujols will bat third in the lineup in front of possibly Rafael Furcal or John Jay and Allen Craig. Holliday missed two weeks in the middle of the season with a quadriceps injury and was hampered near the end of the regular season because of a damaged tendon in his right middle finger. He will bat cleanup. Holliday had 22 homers and 75 runs batted in to go along with a .296 batting average, his lowest since hitting .286 through 93 games with Oakland back in 2009. The right-handed Holliday did not play in Wednesdays series finale against the Astros, but Berkman did and drove in a run. Berkman batted .301 with 31 homers, 94 RBI and a .412 on-basse percentage, earning himself a one- year contract extension with the club.dddddddddddd Berkman and Carpenter both re-upped with the organization and give the Cardinals some stability if Pujols signs elsewhere. The switch-hitting Berkman will make $12 million in 2012, a 50 percent raise over the one-year, $8 million deal that he inked in December. Freese, batting average leader Yadier Molina and Schumaker round out the rest of the St. Louis lineup. EDGE: PHILLIES STARTING PITCHING The Phillies shocked the world by winning the Lee sweepstakes in the offseason, but they already had a beast on the staff in Halladay. Halladay draws the start for Game 1 and will be looking to duplicate history from last years NLDS, when he threw a no-hitter in Game 1 against the Cincinnati Reds. Halladay registered only the second no-hitter in postseason play -- the first being Don Larsens perfect game in the 1956 World Series. Affectionately known as "Doc", Halladay went 19-6 with a 2.35 earned run average this season. He ranked first in the National League in complete games ( and strikeout-to- walk ratio (6.29), was second in ERA and innings (223 2/3), third in wins and strikeouts (220) and fourth in WHIP (1.04). Halladay is also the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner and was an obvious choice to open the postseason for the Phillies. Lee, meanwhile, will handle pitching duties in Game 2 in south Philly and compiled a 17-8 mark with a 2.40 ERA this season. The lefty won all five of his June starts and did the same in August, while winning seven straight starts from July 30 - Sept. 5. Next in line will be Cole Hamels, who takes the ball in St. Louis for Game 3. Hamels, the 2008 World Series MVP, is another left-hander who brings a solid mix pitches to the bump. Mostly known for a nasty changeup, Hamels was 14-9 with a 2.79 ERA this season -- the most wins since going 14-10 in 2008. Game 4, if necessary, will probably see Oswalt take the hill unless the Phillies decide to go with Halladay again or Vance Worley. Worley will most likely end up in the bullpen but had a fascinating season nonetheless. Oswalt didnt have a standout 2011 campaign, however, going just 9-10 with a 3.69 ERA, in a Phillies rotation that led the majors in wins. Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, who overcame a bad case of shingles this summer, decided to go with Lohse for Game 1 and the right-hander led the club in wins and earned run average by going 14-8 with a 3.39 ERA. Lohse doesnt have overpowering stuff and won six of seven decisions to close out the regular season. Many thought Carpenter would have squared off with Halladay at Citizens Bank Park, but hes expected to open the series at home in Game 3 against Hamels -- a matchup in which the Cards have a slight edge. Garcia or Edwin Jackson could follow Lohse in the second installment of this best-of-five series. Garcia was second on the team with a 13-7 record to go along with a 3.56 ERA, while Jackson compiled a 5-2 mark and a 3.58 ERA. Carpenter could take the mound in Game 3 and shook off a rough start to the season by finishing 11-9 with a 3.45 ERA in 34 starts. He was 1-7 with a 4.47 ERA by mid-June and certainly turned things around. Westbrook could be the odd man out on the staff and tallied a 12-9 ledger with a 4.66 earned run average. Unfortunately for the Cardinals Wainwrights Spring Training setback put a damper on the rotation. EDGE: PHILLIES BULLPEN The Phillies unloaded their bullpen in Wednesdays regular-season finale against the Braves, but dont expect them to use that many in the postseason. Ryan Madson was Philadelphias closer and took over the role from the oft- injured Brad Lidge, who will most likely serve as a setup man and has that mind-boggling slider. Madson made 62 appearances this season and recorded a 4-2 mark to go along with 32 saves and a 2.37 ERA. Lefty Antonio Bastardo will join righties Worley, Michael Stutes, Kyle Kendrick and David Herndon in the bullpen. Right-hander Fernando Salas led the Cardinals with 24 saves and was second in appearances with 68 behind righty Jason Mottes 78 games. Motte then took back the closers role at seasons end. Arthur Rhodes and Mark Rzepczynski are the only southpaws in the St. Louis bullpen, which is expected to have Mitchell Boggs, Octavio Dotel and Kyle McClellan at its disposal. Rzepczynski and Dotel were acquired in the Colby Rasmus deal that landed Jackson and Corey Patterson. EDGE: EVEN BENCH La Russa will have Craig, Patterson, Punto, Ryan Theriot, Daniel Descalso and Gerald Laird to choose from off of the bench. Craig had 11 home runs and 40 RBI and Patterson contributed six homers and 36 runs batted in for St. Louis, which has depth and versatility coming off of the pine. Craig has the most upside since hes fresh from filling in for an injured Holliday. Punto stepped in for an injured Furcal as well. Furcal should be ready for Saturdays game. The Phillies match up well with St. Louis reserves and some may even get a starting nod depending on who is on the mound. John Mayberry could be one of those candidates and cracked 15 homers to go along with 49 RBI this season. Francisco lost his job to Brown and Pence during the season and earned a spot on the bench for Manuels club. Ross Gload, Wilson Valdez, Brian Schneider and Pete Orr are also at Philadelphias call. Brown will most likely be sent home for the winter and never panned out as a top prospect this season. EDGE: CARDINALS PROGNOSIS Phillies pitching coach Rich Dubee had arguably his easiest 162-game season to date with that dominant rotation made up of aces Halladay, Lee and Hamels. Those three arms carried the Phillies to where they are right now and even more pressure will be put upon their shoulders this postseason. The Phillies lineup appears healthy and back in the groove after that eight-game slide, and must get hits at a rapid rate to avoid last years collapse in the NLCS. St. Louis got in by the skin of its teeth and hopes to keep the proverbial gas pedal on the floor. The Cardinals are the underdogs for sure in this matchup with the determined Phillies, but dont tell that to Pujols, Berkman, Holliday or Carpenter. The Cards arent satisfied with barely making the playoffs and would enjoy nothing more than to shock the world by upending the majors best team. They have a slight edge by going 6-3 in the regular season series. Prediction: PHILLIES IN FIVE ' ' '