Allin Spares Defensive Blushes and Steals Brannagan's Limelight

There is no better way to spend a Labour Day Monday than watching a 100+ point CIS football game that is decided by a last second 37-yard-field-goal. Of course Queens coach Pat Sheahan may disagree considering the defense on supposedly the eighth best team in Canada (newly ranked seventh) gave up 49 points to a rather unheralded Guelph side.

Guelph who finished 4-4 last season also gave the Gaels a tough run out in their previous meeting in which Queens came out on top 41-30. Despite first-year kicker, Mike Petranovic (filling in for the injured Dan Village) kicking the winning field goal after a game which started disastrously for the rookie the story was undoubtedly Jimmy Allin's three special teams touchdowns.

Fifth year Jimmy Allin was given a pass by the CFL and returned to Queens for a final season. The Bellville native ran back two punt returns for touchdowns both over 65 yards and scored a third off a 105 yard kickoff return. The blocking on the two punt returns was very good, but the final run back off the kickoff was his own as he was alone on the edge of the sideline with three Guelph defenders closing in on him, all of whom he beat. Allin finished with 439 total return yards in what has to be the most impressive performance of his career to date.

On the offense side Danny Brannagan quietly amassed a career high in passing yards with 495 in the game. This came despite several dropped passes during key drives. Brannagan deserves credit for the Queens final drive in which he took the Gaels within field goal range 36 seconds after a Guelph touchdown. Brannagan looked as if he has not lost a step all off season with the majority of his passes leading on receivers perfectly, albeit with the help of some rather suspect Guelph coverage.

The biggest concern for Queens has to be the defense which gave up an astounding 49 points at home. The last time queens gave up that many points was a 50-29 loss to Western in the 2005 season. Over recent years Queens has never been known to have one of the best defenses in the province, but they have always seemed to do their job and rarely jeopardize a win like they did against Guelph. Guelph quarterback, Justin Dunk was finding all sorts of holes in the Queens coverage and was exposing usually reliable safeties. Worst of all was when there was nothing available down field and Dunn was given the time to run for up to fifteen yards on multiple occasions.

After a twenty-nine point second quarter for the Gaels the game looked over with the score 29-11 at the half. The game opened right up in the second half and made for a very nervy fourth quarter for the crowd of 7,422 (well more like 3,000 after the student's side had their traditional halftime exodus). On a side note it was very nice to see the students side full, for a half at least even if they aren't really interested in the football.

GoldenWatch 2008: Koreen & Mirtle on board

The tide is slowly turning against the marketing honchos at Queen's Athletics, as local and broader media sources have begun to, as the technical term goes, grow a pair, and stop their mindless obedience of the department's wrong-headed naming approach.

Fresh off the department's claim that it hasn't actually changed the team's name from Golden Gaels to Queen's Gaels, and is instead deliberately referring to the team by an incorrect name in its press releases, the Kingston Whig-Standard has corrected the mistake that the department refuses to; the phrase "Golden Gaels" now dots every university athletics article in the community's leading fishwrap.

Sports Editor Mike Koreen, whose awesomeness has already been buoyed by his revolutionary policy of quick updates to the paper's website after big games, as well as his readership of this very blog, has finally made the right decision and evidently isn't looking back. Quoth the ed himself in last Saturday's Whig: "isn't it great to say that name again?"

It sure is, Mike -- even for those of us who never stopped.

On the national level, Globe and Mail OmniBlogger James Mirtle has given the issue some much needed attention on a site that gets (slightly) more traffic than this one.

His treatment seems to echo a lot of what we've already seen around these parts, strangely. Getting Jock Climie's take on the issue? The Queen's Journal did it. Mr. Climie comparing it to the Toronto Maple Leafs suddenly calling changing their name?

"Would people be upset if they became the Toronto Leafs instead of the Toronto Maple Leafs?"

Sounds like:

"Imagine the fallout if MLSE started referring to its hockey division as the Toronto Leafs. There would be a huge hullabaloo." -- N. Sager (no, wait that's far too obvious -- let's say Neate S.), August 29

Indeed, while Neate correctly predicted the emerging hullabaloo -- and is such a fanboy that he can only be flattered that one of his Golden Gaels heroes used his line [preceding line was inserted by Mr. Sager, for the record - TK] -- it's still well played by Mr. Mirtle to correctly identify the reasons for that hullabaloo. It also demonstrates the awesomeness of OOLF, but then I'm biased.

Obviously, the Golden War is yet to end. Despite cratering media support, the Queen's Athletics Department continues to push the use of an incorrect name for the team (which is not a knock on the hardest working man in sports information, Mike Grobe -- it's not his decision). The Queen's Journal has still conveniently omitted the Golden from its sports section for months on end. Not to mention The Score, but at least they were interview-served when Queen's D-lineman Dee Sterling corrected resident jockocrat D.J. Bennett during one of their brutal on-field interviews. CKWS-TV is still on the wrong end of the issue, though they're used to a lack of editorial independence given their ra-ra-ra work for the OHL's Kingston Frontenacs (more on that in a few months).

But thankfully, the department's allies in this endeavour of outright silliness are becoming fewer by the week. According to Mirtle's piece, the official line is now "We'd prefer you to call us the Queen's Gaels."

And I'd prefer you to call me The Artist Formerly Known as Tyler King. Thank god nobody's doing either anymore.

Though my alter-ego still sounds better than Queen's Gaels.

Bleeding Tricolour: Big Yellow Guys big enough to get by

First things first, no one knows the seriousness of Mike Giffin's right knee injury. The official word is that the talismanic tailback was taken out as a "precaution" after getting nicked up on the first play of Queen's 38-22 football win over Waterloo on Saturday. The bye week before the OUA semi-final will come in handy, needless to say.

It was argued here following the Ottawa game that Queen's offence is much more diverse than it was in 2007. For a change, "it's not about one guy" is not coachspeak. Besides, didn't the '83 Gaels go the Vanier Cup with Larry Mohr on the sidelines?

It is tough to win a football game throwing the ball 40 times, especially in Canada in November when the playing conditions are more unpredictable than Mark Wahlberg when he's watching an episode of Saturday Night Live. A team needs three big earth-movers along the offensive line and a capable tailback or two (or three) to win at the time of year.

Giffin and his mates have two weeks to rest up and get ready for the OUA semi-final on Nov. 1 in Kingston against either Guelph, Ottawa or McMaster (probably the second one, even though it made a task of beating U of T). Saturday, Dan Brannagan threw a season-high 39 times, eight more attempts than he averaged through the first seven weeks. (He had 342 yards.) Depending on whether you're a glass-half-full or half-empty type, that is either ominous -- what happened against Western last fall is still fresh in many minds -- or simply a one-off adjustment. Waterloo no doubt spent all week in practice getting Giffed up to stop the run, so calling for more passes makes some sense.

However, Queen's has more ways to threaten the whole field than it did in 2007, thanks to the Brannagan-helmed passing game. The defence and special teams have also thrived at setting up their mates with a short field. The '07 team would have been lost without Giffin, but this group is much better equipped, although obviously the hope as a fan is that it would not come to that. There was a bit of necessity is the mother of invention last season; this season, Queen's put up more than 700 yards offence against Guelph when it was missing its best inside receiver, tight end Scott Stinson.

As a fan, one prepares for the worst and hopes for the best. Here's hoping this is a minor nick and Giffin will be good to go on Nov. 1 in the OUA semi-final at Richardson Stadium. His backups, Marty Gordon and Jimmy Therrien, could pick up some of the slack. Ultimately, the running game is really more about blocking as a group and calling the right play at the right time -- nothing happens if those elements are absent.

Queen's ended up with the OUA leaders in rushing (Giffin), receiving (Scott Valberg, 1,013 yards), touchdown passes (Brannagan with a school record-tying 24) sacks (Osie Ukwuoma, 9½) and returning punts (Jim Allin, 576 yards). They allowed the fewest rushing yards per game in the OUA, although Western and McMaster had a lower yards per carry. None of that happened by accident.

The bottom line is if Queen's as mature and focused as they say they are, then they can shoulder the loss of one player. This is all worrywartism Giffin's prognosis is known.

Additionally ...

• Ottawa and Guelph deserve each other.
  
  The Gee-Gees have not been a good road team, for whatever reason. The Gryphons got a home playoff game by running the table against the four non-playoff teams, although they were only a couple points from being 6-2. They're both basket cases -- when they're on, they're on, but they've each been off rather frequently.
  
  The Gee-Gees hope to have some injured receivers back, including Ivan Birungi and Marc-Andre St-Hilaire. QB Josh Sacobie also needs to heal after taking a whack on his passing hand Saturday. They are also a turf team who will be playing on the grassy knoll that Guelph calls a home field (Birungi played in the Atlantic conference before Acadia and St. Francis Xavier anted up for new surfaces, so he's used to bad fields.)
  
  Guelph has potential ... they're good enough in all three phases of the game to win. They could be 6-2 with a little luck, but their actions say they're 4-4.


• Whig-Standard sports editor Mike Koreen's early impressions of Kingston is that Richardson Stadium fans are too quiet.
  

  "Clint Walper, our Gaels beat reporter, told me it was 20 times louder at the Regi-Holy Cross Friday night (high school) game than it was at the Gaels-Ottawa Gee-Gees game the next day (Saturday, Oct. 11). Some fans don't like the elevated volume of the music -- it is ear-splitting near the press box -- and some of the new promotions, but, still, that shouldn't stop fans from being the 13th man."

  Former Laurier receiver Andy Baechler, who's now writing for The Score's website, also listed Richardson Stadium as the toughest place to play in the OUA. The bottom line is there's no reason not to be loud a week from this Saturday.


• The CIS Blog is in full swing with game capsules and such.


• Andrew Bucholtz has posts up at Sporting Madness.


• How about a hand for the women's hockey Golden Gaels? They were three skaters short and fell behind by three goals, but came back to beat U of T 4-3 Saturday. If you have read this far, you are thus obligated to pay attention to the Tricolour teams that are obsessed over the round ball and rubber disc.

GoldenWatch 2008: K-Rock gets it right

An update in our ongoing quest to get the Kingston media to return to referring to our beloved Golden Gaels by the name that the Athletics Department itself admits is its official name:

This morning, K-Rock 105.7's morning newsman Tony Orr began referring to the team as the "Golden Gaels", remarking that it was, in fact, their actual name, and that the phrase had not become as verboten as the rest of the media might have you think.

I, for one, welcome the legendary Kingston broadcaster to the ranks of the rational in Kingston. One down, the rest of them to go.

The Whig-Standard unfortunately has taken a step backwards. Fresh off of reporting that the team's official name was Golden Gaels, the paper has continued to refer to them as the Queen's Gaels. So they're referring to them by a name they themselves reported was not the actual team name.

Baby steps, I suppose.

Nothing to see here...move along

The tale of the missing Golden just keeps getting more confusing. It seems that southeastern Ontario's finest degree granting institution was only sort of serious about its recent name adjustment.

My position is well established, so I'll leave readers to decide for themselves what to think of today's latest offering on the subject as published in the Kingston Whig-Standard.

Oh, *that*'s what they were playing!

Adding to the list of "better things to change than the team name"...

I Be-Leaf! Oh yes I do!!

FREDERICTON—Seeing that I’m writing this from beautiful Fredericton, New Brunswick it’s only fitting that I talk about Toronto sports. What? Yes, I do think my current hometown is the Centre of the Universe ™, what’s your point?

Anyway…before I left the province at some ungodly time this morning I noted that the T.O. sports media was already working itself into a frenzy over Larry Tanenbaum’s comments a couple days ago that the Leafs would rather build a team that was good for the long run, rather than winning the Stanley Cup once then sucking for a bunch of years.

Tanenbaum suggested that MLSE would like the Leafs to be like the Detroit Red Wings. That’s great. I’d like to have Stephen Brunt’s job too.

Ok, here is the thing. As the grumpiest hockey writer on the planet, Damien Cox, pointed out today this latest proclamation from Leaf Land should be taken with an ample helping of salt. Sea salt even. MLSE says whatever MLSE thinks it should say to convince the delusional masses that this time they know what they are doing. Found that GM yet?

But, even if you do think that Tanenbaum and company are in this for the long haul and have finally figured out that the way to consistently win hockey games is to consistently develop good hockey players, one overriding thought has got to keep popping into even the most stupidly loyal Leaf lover:

No sh crap. That’s some deep thinking there. It’s better to be always in a position to win a championship than to mostly be awful but to win one once.

You know what else is good?

WINNING A BLOODY CHAMPIONSHIP MORE THAN ONCE EVERY 41 YEARS.

I think I speak for most of Leaf Nation (of which I’m a landed immigrant rather than a full citizen) when I suggest that the “deal with the devil” approach would be fine if it ended with a joyous parade up Young Street. That get as good as the Red Wings thing is a good idea too, but, you know…crawl before walking and all that.

In the meantime I’ve recently learned that the Leafs are in fact going to have to play in the NHL this season. There was some hope that they may have been relegated to the ECHL, but evidently they don’t do that in North America. So, we’re stuck with this mess. But, as I sit back and observe the activity at the ACC I can’t shake a funny feeling about this team. Maybe I’ve been slipped some Kool-Aid, but I can’t help but think that Ron Wilson’s humourless, systems-driven coaching combined with some of the gritty, bound to feature prominently on coach's corner “talent” the Leafs have brought in is going to mean two things.

1) – Toronto is going to be a God awful, trapping disaster that’s less entertaining than Bob Saget. And…

2) Against all odds they are going to grind their way into an eighth place finish and first round loss to Pittsburgh (in five. But, that game four OT win will cause riots on the street).

Yes, the Leafs are going to make the playoffs. Barely, and tragically. You read it here first.

NOTES: nothing to do with the topic at hand, but as I picked up the local rag here in Fredericton I couldn’t help but notice that the hockey heroes from a certain university located in south-eastern Ontario are here to play STU. In the advance story on the game, writer Bill Hunt informs his readers that said team’s nickname is…wait for it…the Golden Gaels.

I’m just sayin’

It's time to evoke your inner Dee Snider: Our Queen's is Golden

As I pointed out Friday Queen's alumni are not happy with the decision of the university to drop the name Golden.

Most people can understand the emotional attachment alumni and students feel to the name Golden Gaels. However, from an outside perspective it may not be as obvious why a neutral journalist should give it much thought. Except that it's another example of the PR industry exerting control and the weak willed media just rolling over and taking it.

As a reminder, it was a journalist that put the Golden on there in the first place. But, that was a different time. A golden time for the craft, even. So, it's terribly sad to see the very paper that was responsible for the name, the once influential Kingston Whig-Standard, so completely capitulating to the whims of some Sports Information Officer. Why? What benefit is it to the public for the media to take its marching orders from a PR flack?

Yes, this ultimately is a frivolous issue. It's just a sports team's name. But, it speaks to a larger issue. The PR industry's need to control everything. And the media's lack of a backbone to stand up to it. The loser in all this? The public. People can talk about hidden MSM agendas all they want, but the PR industry doesn't hide what its trying to do. And, its only interest is to its client.

Again, in a time when kids from this country are dying in Afghanistan almost every day, this hardly matters. Except it does. If the media rolls over for something this minor, what is it going to do when the stakes are higher? Anyone that read a newspaper in the United States in the lead up to the war in Iraq might have an idea.

As someone that is passionate about journalism I believe that it is time to take a stand. It's time to take back the craft and to stop letting the flacks control the conversation. And, as someone that is passionate about CIS sport, this issue is the perfect battleground.

It's a small battle, yes, but the only way to regain control of the dissemination of information is to grab it back bit by bit by bit.

It's the Golden Gaels, thank you very much.

Breaking the Golden rule: Queen's alumni speak out against name change

I have a friend who works in the marketing department of a major Canadian brewery. About a decade ago this company ran a very successful advertising campaign where an average guy proclaimed his nationality after listing a bunch of stereotypes about that country that he personally related to. I suspect that most readers are aware of what brewery and brand I'm referring to based on nothing more than my vague description provided above. The campaign was that successful.

Some would even call it iconic.

Yet, despite its popularity the campaign was abandoned at the height of its success. A new head of marketing was hired at the brewery, my friend explained, and it was understood that he would be creating his own, unique campaign. It didn't matter how well the old one was working. He had to make a change, for no other reason than for change itself. Predictably, all future campaigns have failed to reach same level of success.

When my friend was telling me that anecdote I could not help but think of Queen's recent decision to drop the Golden from its name. Despite an overwhelming lack of evidence that anything was wrong with the name, change just had to be made. A marketing firm had been hired. They had been given a mandate to "update" the image of Queen's athletics. It simply wasn't possible that they would leave good enough alone.

Whether the folks responsible for recommending the change understood just how much fallout there would be from the name change is not known. Actually, it's likely that they weren't aware. Marketers are obsessed with control and branding. They think that "consumers" want to have things spelled out for them. By controlling your "brand's" image you make it easy for people to "consume" it. In Queen's case, they were troubled by the inconsistent use of the name. Lots of people referred to the school's teams as just the Gaels, but Golden would slip in from time to time, especially when speaking about the team. For a control obsessed marketer that just wouldn't do. They needed to have their hand in every aspect of "their" brand.

What these folks didn't realize is, that when you are dealing with a program with as much tradition as Queen's, it wasn't their brand to control. It's the alumni, students and to a lesser extent the community's. And, based on the scuttlebutt that's out there now, those stakeholders aren't happy with losing the Golden.

In an e-mail exchange between Dan Pawliw, a Golden Gael captain on the 1991 conference championship team and 1978 Vanier Cup champion Paul Shugart that was shared with Out of Left Field, discontent with the change was expressed.

Writing that his opinion was shared by many of the former players that were in Kingston last week for a reunion of the '78 team, Shugart said he could not understand why Queen's would make the change.

"Apart from playing with tradition," he wrote, "there seems to be weak justification for dropping the word Golden from the team's name. Queen's Gaels sounds very flat. In fact, on a few occasions during Saturday's game, reference was made to the Queen's Football Gaels during announcements, obviously due to the fact it is more melodic."

Shugart referenced an article written by Andrew Bucholtz for the Queen's Journal that suggested that efforts would be made to continue to use Golden in the context of overall Athletics brand communications efforts. However, he wrote that he did not see evidence of that intent at the game Saturday.

"I never heard the word used once over the course of the day."

Shugart suggested that Queen's football was a tradition that didn't require an upgrade. It is a recognized commodity throughout Canada.

"If other Queen's sports or recreation programs need a promotional lift through the introduction of a new logo (to quote Queens' Athletics), then fine," he wrote. "Let them do so. But don't throw the baby out with the bath water. The Queen's football program, inclusive of its name, look and traditions, has been a major, national promotional pillar for the University for decades. I shudder to think what the reaction would be among Notre Dame or Michigan alumni if their respective administrations were to bring about similar change."

Although Shugart stressed that the decision to change the name would not impact his support of the program ("I will continue to support, watch and cheer loudly for the Queen's Golden Gaels at every opportunity, and wish them continued great success this season and in years to come, re-branding or not," he wrote) he called the change "an unfortunate turn of events."

He's right. It is an unfortunate turn of events when a university of Queen's stature and history turns its back on tradition. A tradition that has been prized at Queen's for generations. It is just a word, but the symbolism behind the change is more than that. At the risk of hyperbole, it's a change that speaks to the very idea of just who the school and the team belong to. Is it a product to be sold by the university? Or a tradition to be cherished by the alumni, community and students?

With homecoming just two weeks away the Queen's community has a chance to tell those responsible for the change just what they think about it—to stand up and reclaim what's theirs.

To stand up and yell "I am Golden."

Hogan's Zeroes

On today's edition of Offsides, Kingston's most listened-to hourlong sports talk program, we had the pleasure of having the pride of Kingston and voice of the Argos Mike Hogan on for a repeat appearance to lend a celebrity voice to the movement against the un-Goldenization of the Golden Gaels. Mike joined other luminaries like Bryan Crawford and Jock Climie in expressing dissatisfaction with the move, and sprinkled in the interview are a few nuggets of fun information - including that Mike reads this blog, and is a fan of both our sole proprietor Neate and his wacky compatriot Duane Rollins, whom Mike casually refers to as "DR." Fantasmic.

Also, if you're one of those people who dislikes me (read: everyone), you will absolutely love how he ends off the interview. I was, to use what the kids are saying these days, "owned."

Enjoy.


Download

Meantime, CFRC's schedule of live sports broadcasts, after the jump:

Football
Sat. Sep. 6 @ Guelph 12:30 p.m.
Sat. Sep. 13 vs. Laurier 12:30 p.m.
Sat. Sep. 20 @ Toronto 12:30 p.m.
Sat. Sep. 27 vs. Western 12:30 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 4 @ York 12:30 p.m.
Sat.Oct. 11 vs. Ottawa 12:30 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 18 @ Waterloo 12:30 p.m.

Men's Hockey
Fri. Oct. 10 vs. York 7 p.m.
Wed. Oct. 22 vs. Carleton 7 p.m.
Fri. Oct. 31 @ Ryerson 7 p.m.
Sat. Nov. 1 @ Toronto 7 p.m.
Fri. Nov. 7 @ Ottawa 6:30 p.m.
Sat. Nov. 8 @ McGill 6:30 p.m.
Sat. Nov. 15 vs. McGill 6:30 p.m.
Sat. Jan. 10 vs. Lakehead 1:30 p.m.
Fri. Jan. 23 @ RMC 7 p.m.
Wed. Jan. 28 @ Carleton 6:30 p.m.
Sat. Feb. 7 vs. RMC 7 p.m.
Fri. Feb. 13 @ RMC 7 p.m.

Men's Basketball
Sat. Nov. 29 vs. Windsor 7:30 p.m.
Wed. Jan. 7 vs. RMC 7:30 p.m.
Sat. Jan. 24 vs. Carleton 7:30 p.m.
Sat. Jan 31 vs. Toronto 7:30 p.m.

A(nother) modest proposal

Jonathan Swift ain't got nothing on Out of Left Field. Apparently some readers were unaware that my efforts yesterday were meant to be a satirical poke at Queen's decision to drop the golden from its name.

That's the nature of satire. Not everyone gets it. Which is also why it is an effective way to make your point. It would have been absurd for Queen's to force people not to use the word "Thigh" while singing the Oil Thigh. But, based on some of the school's recent decisions, it was just enough believable for some to take it upon themselves to contact the school and let officials there know just what they thought of the "decision."

Neate already issued the official apology so I won't repeat it here. It wouldn't be sincere anyway. I'm quite happy that the Queen's sports information department had to take a few uncomfortable calls yesterday (and I did label the post satire from the get-go, so...). They should have to answer questions about why they are insisting on being so damn controlling.

Control is what this whole mess (Goldengate??) is ultimately all all about--the modern marketers' pathological need to control every aspect of everything. God help them if they let people, sorry, consumers, think for themselves.

In case you are unaware of the history of the golden in the Golden Gaels, it originated in 1947 when the Kingston Whig-Standard sports reporter Cliff Bowering added the word to his description of the team after it started to wear those wonderfully ugly yellow jerseys that you still see occasionally today (although one wonders for how much longer. They aren't all that modern, after all). So, like many sports nicknames of the time it was of an organic origin.

Organic scares the hell out of suits that believe--I mean really believe--in the concept of branding.

The reaction to the decision has almost universally been negative. Some of that reaction is based on a feeling that it's just wrong to wipe away 50-years of tradition with one press release. But, some, I think, is also a reaction to the act of branding itself. As people we are getting a little tired of being treated like children that need everything to predictably safe all the time. We don't need to evoke our inner Naomi Klein to realize that we like to think for ourselves on occasion.

The bottom line is this: If Queen's wishes to officially drop the golden from its name, fine. It's a misguided decision, but it's theirs to make. However, don't tell me as a writer or a fan what to call the team. They have been golden all my life and they shall remain that way for as long as I am in a position to put pen to paper.

And, I'd put money on Queen's being golden again by Christmas.

From Queen's communications (satire)

I just received this press release from Queen's. I'm passing it on for your benefit.

KINGSTON—Queen’s athletic department is requesting that all references to the word “Thigh” be removed from the song formally known as the “Oil Thigh” effective immediately.

The song will now be simply known as “The Oil.”

Sports information staff noted that the song has increasingly been referred to as just “The Oil” by first year residents at Vic Hall over the past few years. As Queen’s athletics does not wish to confuse the sons and daughters of Rosedale, it is felt that there is no other option to capitulate to the whims of their lazy use of the language.

It’s also been pointed out that changing the name will reduce the possibility of the engineers singing a terribly inappropriate version of the song that is dehumanizing to the young women of Queen’s. There will be no more “passing her down the line” on our watch.

Although we acknowledge that The Oil has been sung following every Queen’s touchdown for generations, and we realize that tradition is one of the cornerstones of Queen’s, please understand that we know best. It’s a new day, after all, and Queen’s athletics will not be stuck in its stuffy past.

It’s The Oil now. Deal with it.

(Editor's Note from Neate, 10:25 p.m.: Obviously, by no means did this come from Queen's University, and I apologize if any readers took it anything other than a satirical jab, and for any inconvenience that resulted.)

Blog blast past: Golden Hawks have a flair for rising to the occasion

... or at least they did in 2007. Last season, both Laurier (alma mater of two Out of Left Field-ers) and Queen's (three grads, two current students) were unbeaten heading into their matchup, which occasioned our own Duane Rollins making his debut on the blog. This time around, some things have been changed -- one of the teams has a loss in the standings, while one has only lost an adjective. Not everything has changed, though, until Queen's pins a L on Laurier.

A few times each CIS football season a team will get a chance to make a statement. With a big win, or even, in some cases, a close loss the team can shut its detractors up.

For Queen's, that's this week. The Golden Gaels are 4-0 and No. 7 in the deeply flawed official CIS rankings, but do not have the respect of informed observers of the CIS game. To those folks, Queen's has had an easy schedule, lacks depth and, mostly, is just a bit too … Ontario to be taken seriously.

Laurier, Queen's opponent this Saturday, is a different story. You can't make a bigger statement than winning a Vanier Cup and WLU's magical run through the '05 playoffs has bought the team all sorts of capital-R respect.

Wrestling legend Ric Flair once said (well, several times, actually), "to be the man, you gotta beat the man." Queen's plays the man this week. If the Gaels can play with Laurier they will earn some of that respect they currently lack. Looking at the results so far, there is no reason to think that they can't.

Third-year QB Dan Brannagan is living up to his hype, passing for more than 1,000 yards already. He's complemented, for the first time in memory, with a running game. Mike Giffin is third in the nation with more than 500 yards rushing.

On defence, Queen's is sixth in the nation, allowing a little more than 300 yards total offence per contest.

Them's some nice little numbers.

What do they mean? Maybe more than they are being given credit for. Queen's hasn't been ripping things up against Toronto and York (who, by the way, play the Toilet Bowl this week). No, the Gaels have beaten Western (who is probably the best 0-4 team in the country), an underrated Guelph, recent OUA power McMaster and Windsor, who, although reeling, have talent.

The Gaels have earned their 4-0 record. Yet, if your local bookie is taking bets on this game, Laurier is likely a 7 ½-point favourite. Truth-be-told, I'd lay the points.

Laurier brings an intangible that makes you believe their stats a bit more (They have the country's No. 1 offence, No. 3 defence and the leading rusher, Ryan Lynch). The Hawks are well-coached and only two years removed from a national championship. After playing in four straight Yates Cup games, winning twice, Laurier has consistently shown that, in Ontario, right now, it is the man.

Is Queen's man enough to beat the man?

We'll see, but I don't think so. Not yet, anyway.

Epilogue: Duane called an 18-point Laurier win (32-14) and the Golden Hawks won by 19 (23-4). That was then, this is now. Please bear in mind last week on our own Tyler King's Offsides (4 p.m., cfrc.ca), the two esteemed members of the Roundtable called a Guelph win, while the guy who brings down the property values took the Gaels. That seemed to work out for everyone who bleeds the Tricolour.