There is something about Labour Day in the CFL that just makes the unlikely, likely. . It can make Anthony Calvillo look like he used to when he wore a Hamilton Tiger-Cat jersey all those years ago. It can make the Saskatchewan Roughriders look like the most fired-up football team on the planet. It can make the Winnipeg Blue Bombers look like a team thats lacking for confidence. It can allow an Edmonton team that hasnt been able to score a lick in three games to score 35 unanswered points on the road against a Calgary team that had been red-hot up to that point. And it can allow the B.C. Lions to win a game for once that doesnt result in Wally Buonos hair turning any whiter than it already is. And it can make the Toronto Argonauts look like a team that is deeply struggling for someone who can play quarterback with any degree of consistency. Okay, that last part isnt so strange, although the subsequent release of former starter Cleo Lemon Tuesday morning certainly qualifies as a little mysterious. Head coach and GM Jim Barker wasnt giving away secrets at practice on Tuesday but the thinly-veiled message was that Lemons visible displeasure with being benched at halftime of Fridays loss to the B.C. Lions certainly played a large part in that decision. Its also possible there was salary cap pressure on the Argos as well, with Steven Jyles coming off the nine-game injured list this week. Still, Lemons season-and-a-half in the CFL has to go down as one of the oddest CFL quarterbacking stints of all time. Lemon arrived here as an NFL veteran best known for being thrown to the wolves in the midst of an atrocious 1-15 season for the Miami Dolphins a few years back. He was anointed the Argos probable starter just days into rookie camp last season, won the job despite being outplayed by Dalton Bell during the preseason and received the unqualified support of his head coach throughout the 2010 season, despite the Argos finishing last in the league in passing. This season, with Steven Jyles injured during training camp, the job went to Lemon by default but Barker rarely gave any sense his belief in him was wavering. In fact, when he was pulled after going 11 for 15 (with three drops) against the Lions, it marked the first time in his CFL career hed ever been benched for performance. (Lemon was pulled for one series of a game last season but Barker said that was to give him a chance to watch a series from the sideline, not because he was disappointed in his play.) Somehow that all changed between the end of Fridays game, in which Lemon spent the second half standing by himself on the sideline, and the start of the school year. Barker would neither confirm nor deny whether Lemon walked out on the team, something that seems plausible given that his contract was heavily laden with bonuses for being the starter. But the end result is that Barkers bet on Cleo Lemon failed to pay off and the Argos are no closer to finding their quarterback of the future than they were when Barker took over during the winter of 2010 and cleared the quarterback decks completely. If Jyles works out during the final half of this season, the Argos will have their man for 2012. If he doesnt, its anyones guess what the plan will be. And there will be pressure on Barker to explain to his bosses why the team has failed to develop a starting quarterback through two complete seasons. --- Just one more thought on Cleo Lemon. His struggles reinforce the point that former NFL quarterbacks who lose their role down south almost never succeed in Canada. (Doug Flutie would be the lone exception to this rule, but he is the exception to about a zillion rules in professional football.). If Flutie is the best former NFL quarterback ever to play in Canada, who would be second? Sean Salsbury? Jarious Jackson? The point is that if you put together a list of the top 25 quarterbacks in the CFL over the past 30 years, almost every single one of them came directly out of college with only a training camp worth of NFL experience. The point here isnt that CFL quarterbacks in general are better than NFL quarterbacks. Its the simple fact that quarterbacks who come directly from college are more willing to learn, more willing to put in the time as backups and more prepared when their opportunity comes along. It was a point worth making back when Barker signed Lemon, former Bills backup Gibran Hamden, and former San Francisco 49er Ken Dorsey before the 2010 season. And its a point worth remembering now that theyre all gone and the Argos have turned to the six-year CFL vet in Jyles to right their ship. -- It is indeed hard to rationalize how a Saskatchewan team that appeared so flat under Greg Marshall could look so completely different against the team with the CFLs best record on Sunday. Its one game, and it was Labour Day Weekend, which the Roughriders have traditionally owned in recent years. But theres no doubt the players demonstrated their feeling about the return of Ken Miller to the sidelines with their play. One interesting development was Millers decision to allow quarterback Darian Durant more input into the offence, including calling his own plays. Durant bristles at the notion that he and former offensive coordinator Doug Berry didnt get along. But he admits there were times he came to the sideline with suggestions which he felt were either ignored or implemented too late to have much impact. The win at the very least gives Rider Nation hope that its season will be more than simply playing out the string. Another win this weekend in the Banjo Bowl would go a long way to solidifying that feeling. But any degree of success the rest of the way is going to beg the question of whether Miller, who turns 70 next month, will return for another season? When posed that question this past week, Miller said he thought that was unlikely, but stopped well short of saying he wouldnt consider it. -- Speaking of the Banjo Bowl, too bad former kicker Troy Westwood isnt in for a cut of all the merchandise thats being moved on the Prairies to that theme. It was Westwoods comment to a bunch of reporters one day during the 2003 season that led what was once known simply as the second-half of the Labour Day Weekend home-and-home series to be branded the Banjo Bowl. For the record, what Westwood said was that people in Saskatchewan were a bunch of "banjo-pickin inbreds", which he later followed up with a faux apology, saying "the vast majority of the people in Saskatchewan have no idea how to play the banjo." Westwood, who had a long and distinguished career as a kicker and punter in the CFL, is destined to have the legend of the Banjo Bowl far outlive the memory of any of his kicks. --- There are five players who played during the 2010 CFL season who managed to hook onto NFL active or practice rosters. They are: Emmanuel Arceneaux – WR -- B.C. Lions to Minnesota Vikings (practice squad)Bandon Browner – CB – Calgary Stampeders to Seattle SeahawksTom Johnson – DL – Calgary Stampeders to New Orleans SaintsPhilip Hunt – DE – Winnipeg Blue Bombers to Philadelphia EaglesGarrett McIntyre – DL/LB – Hamilton Tiger-Cats to New York Jets Five is actually a pretty significant number, historically, when it comes to players jumping from the CFL to the NFL. Consider that a year ago, former Saskatchewan defensive end John Chick was the only CFL player from the 2009 season to land in the NFL, and that was on the Indianapolis Colts practice roster. (Chick is still in the NFL but has moved to the practice roster in Jacksonville.) The most impressive of the five whove made it so far was turned in by Browner, who is listed as a starter on the Seahawks Week 1 depth chart, and who played so well during the preseason that it allowed Seattle to trade away a former first-round pick (Kelly Jennings) to make room for him. Browners impact is a bit surprising only because up until this past off-season, he couldnt get a sniff in the NFL. At the end of each season, I put together a list of 10 CFL players most likely to get an opportunity in the NFL the next season. For at least two years, maybe three, I put Browner high on that list. Finally, this past winter, I left him off my list, figuring that if he hadnt got a shot by now he was never going to get one. Oh well … -- High hopes in Saskatchewan that former Roughrider defensive end John Chick would return appear to have been extinguished. For the second year in a row, Chick was offered a spot on the Indianapolis Colts practice roster. He turned that down to accept a spot on the practice roster of the Jacksonville Jaguars. -- Former University of Sherbrooke receiver Sam Giguere is apparently in no hurry to come to the CFL. The 2008 draft pick of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats was cut this summer by the New York Giants. And having spent the past three seasons on NFL practice rosters (two with the Colts and one with the Giants) he is only eligible to be on an NFL active roster. -- The B.C. Lions decision to trade for Arland Bruce a month ago was criticized in many corners as a move of desperation. Bruce, after all, was a non-factor on offence with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and it appeared the decline that sets in on almost all receivers as they reach their mid-30s was beginning to set in. But after an uninspiring debut with the Lions, Bruce has bounced back with 15 catches for 180 yards and three touchdowns the past two weeks. -- Not to take anything away from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 41-point output against Montreal, but it should be noted that the Als entered that game missing four starters on defence – Etienne Boulay, Mark Estelle, Shea Emry and Jerald Brown. -- On a day with perfect conditions for throwing the football, two of the CFLs top quarterbacks – Ricky Ray and Henry Burris – combined for 263 yards passing during Mondays game. -- Edmonton Eskimos did not allow a sack on Monday after allowing 14 in their previous two games against B.C. and Montreal. [url=http://www.nhlofficial.ca/chicago-blackhawks-brent-seabrook-jersey-canada/]... Seabrook Blackhawks Jersey Canada . Manager Davey Johnson said left fielder Bryce Harper would not be suspended or fined by Major League Baseball for being ejected in Sundays 6-2 win at Pittsburgh. . The value of the contract was confirmed by Brunners agent, Neil Sheehy. Brunner has been attending the Devils training camp on a professional tryout. [url=http://www.officialmlbclub.com/Tampa-Bay-Rays-David-Price-Jersey.html]http:... . That, he hinted, could come Wednesday. Negotiators for the NBA and its players met for only about two hours Tuesday and plan to resume the talks early Wednesday. Stern said that meeting will determine how soon its worth sitting down again. [url=http://www.nhlpenguinshockeystore.com/black-41-robert-bortuzzo-womens-jerse... Bortuzzo Jersey . -- Blaine Gabbert is a sideline spectator again. Nick Markakis Orioles Jersey . The Nets got in some practice time and Johnsons staff looked over recent game film, adding some new plays to an offence that has struggled this season.ARLINGTON, Texas -- Mitch Moreland blasted the first pitch of the bottom of the 11th inning into the upper deck in right field, sending the Texas Rangers to a 5-4 victory over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night. Morelands 10th homer of the year, and his second long homer in as many games, gave reliever Yoshinori Tateyama (1-0) the first victory of his career and handed Houston rookie reliever Enerio del Rosario (0-2) the loss. Teammates flooded out of the dugout before Moreland was even at first base, thrilled by the win and the prospect that this was going to be a really late night. A storm was rapidly approaching, with heavy winds sending debris swirling across the field within minutes of the homer. Josh Hamilton of Texas tied it 4-4 with a homer leading off the eighth, keeping Astros prized prospect Jordan Lyles from getting his first major-league win. Texas also got solo homers from Michael Young and Nelson Cruz. The only manufactured run was when Endy Chavez tripled home Taylor Teagarden in the seventh inning. This was only the second time this season the AL West-leading Rangers have won in their last at-bat. It was the first game-ending hit -- of any kind -- in Morelands career. The Astros, still without leading slugger Hunter Pence (elbow), lost their third straight game. Houston has dropped six of eight, 10-of-13 and 14-of-18. The top of Houstons lineup did all it could to pull this one out, as Jason Bourgeois, Michael Bourn and Jeff Keppinger combined for nine of the clubs 12 hits. Each had three, with Bourn and Keppinger both driving in two runs. Hamilton went 2-for-5, keeping up his incredible success in interleague play. Over his last 17 games against the National League, not counting the World Series, he is 36-for-75 (.480 average) with six homers and 21 RBIs. Lyles, who at 20 is the youngest player in the majors, allowed three runs and seven hits and struck out six in seven innings. [url=http://www.officialmlbclub.com/Philadelphia-Phillies-Greg-Luzinski-Jersey.h... He fanned the last batter he faced, with runners on the corners, to protect a 4-3 lead. Sergio Escalona -- likely in to face only Hamilton -- gave up the tying homer on his fourth pitch as Hamilton swatted it an estimated 401 feet into the seats in right. Escalona hadnt allowed a run in 13 games, spanning 7 2-3 innings, and had never given up a homer in 35 previous career appearances. Lefties were batting only .162 against him over his career. It was Houstons 15th blown save, most in the majors. Texas ace C.J. Wilson (7-4) allowed a season-high 11 hits and four runs in 6 2-3 innings. Tateyama pitched one scoreless inning, walking one. Del Rosario gave up one run and two hits over 2 1-3 innings, with three strikeouts. NOTES: This was the longest game between these teams since the inaugural meeting, June 7, 2001, which was won by Houston in 11 innings. ... Houston has lost five of six to Texas, dating to last year. ... At the end of the sixth inning, all 33,533 fans were asked to put on the sunglasses they were given upon entering as part of a promotion seeking to set a world record for most people wearing sunglasses in the dark. A big cheer went up when team president Nolan Ryan and former President George W. Bush were shown wearing their shades. An authenticator from the Guinness Book of World Records was on hand to verify the feat. ... Keppinger has a nine-game hitting streak. ... Texas signed RHP Kyle Castro, its third-round draft pick. The Rangers have signed their top four selections. ... Rangers 3B Adrian Beltre not only missed a hard-hit grounder by Chris Johnson in the second inning, he jerked his glove hand up so violently that he lost his balance and landed on his back. It was ruled a single. Two batters later, Beltre made up for it with a tough stop to start an inning-ending double play. ' ' '