What has happened to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers? And doesnt it seem that the Hamilton Tiger-Cats are getting better and better? Those were the two questions I was thinking about while leaving Studio 6 and heading home after Friday Night Football - Hamiltons most recent win and Winnipegs most recent loss. For the Bombers it has been a combination of things coming together at the most inappropriate moments in time. Quarterback, injuries, Canadian talent or depth and leadership are all issues. Trust me when I say being a Bomber is no fun right now in a city that embraces football the way Winnipeg does. While Buck Pierce will be getting another shot, I think Max Hall does deserve another opportunity. His negative plays came at a point in the game that he had to "press" to make plays. But playing the same team again could be beneficial to him and help him get into the flow quicker and gain confidence. His receivers have to step up and catch everything and the defensive backs for Winnipeg must use better technique as there are way too many pass interference penalties. In the big picture, there is something wrong with the scouting system in Winnipeg. Five quarterbacks in 18 months of football and not one is close to dominant. Hamilton has two, Burris and LeFevour, Saskatchewan has two, Durant and Willy, Calgary has three, BC two, Toronto has Ray and Collaros and even Edmonton with Mike Reilly as No. 1 is going to continue to improve. Because with all the quarterbacks in North America, why cant the Bombers find one? Legitimate question. With Hamilton, they are getting there. C.J. Gable and Chevon Walker are being used very intelligently by Kent Austin. Greg Ellingson as a receiver is an immense surprise. But No. 1 to me is the edges of protection for Henry Burris. Brian Simmons, U of 0klahoma. Great feet and technically sound with consistency of performance. Joel Figueroa, U of Miami. More of a mauler as a player but good and getting better. They still do miss Chris Williams and his returns with speed. Speaking of speed on Saturday maybe there was too much of it. I was pretty must astonished when it came to the two games and injuries. Honestly, not much you can do. I dont remember any of the impact hits being dirty or illegal. Just brutal. And for Calvillo it has to be concerning. In 2010 he had a sternum injury that caused him breathing issues. In 2011 it was a Marcus Howard hit that I thought Calvillo would not recover from, remember that one? Last year a shoulder issue affected his play. And now a shot to the head that took him out of the game. Anthony Calvillo is respected by everyone for that rare combination of ability, courage and class being at such extremely high levels. If he were to retire I would almost be relieved. He wont though. The Riders were fortunate to beat Montreal and now play Edmonton next. For a team at 6-1 they need to improve all of a sudden. In BC, the uniform switch was magnificent. Looked good, played good, all good. Some of the players had an extra look of intimidation around them, almost an aura. My compliments to the Lions on an exceptional marketing move which was perfectly executed. All in football noticed and I hope it creates a solid revenue stream for the organization. And they won too! There was Sunday night football to end Week 8, Edmonton at Toronto from the Rogers Centre and both quarterbacks put on a show. I guess we almost expect it from Ricky Ray but still to go 30-of-35 is an astonishing level of efficiency. It was brought to my attention that some of the throws were not that difficult in length and congestion but my response would be, well then why dont other quarterbacks have that type of completion percentage? The answer is because they cant do it as well as Ray can. With Edmonton at 1-6 I realize any positive comment may sound ridiculous but Mike Reilly is getting better and better. Hes more confident and completing more passes for greater distance. Actually it has been fun to watch, enjoyable to see an athlete improve as a season is moving forward. I hope Eskimo fans dont lose patience with the Kavis Reed regime. I do think he is the right man at the right time with the right people. In an eight-team league there is a greater "grace period" to get it together because the playoffs are almost always possible come October. It just becomes disheartening when the team you follow does not have winning success yet sometimes look good while losing. Tough three games for Edmonton also with the Roughriders and then back-to-back with the Stampeders. Week 8 is done moving into Week 9, almost mid-season. Teams know what their strengths and weaknesses are, and now have to maintain their strength, improve the weakness and ask the Gods of football if their team can stay healthy for three more months. Please. Authentic Custom Soccer Jerseys . -- Ken Appleby made 32 saves for his first shutout of the season to lead the Oshawa Generals to a 2-0 win over the Belleville Bulls on Wednesday in Ontario Hockey League action. Custom Soccer Jerseys . Speaking to the Chicago Tribune at baseballs Winter Meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, Boras called the former home of the Expos a "tremendous environment" for baseball. http://www.cheapcustomjerseyssoccer.com/ . -- Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson asked his players a simple question during Fridays morning shootaround: How many of them had ever been on a team 14 games over . Cheap Custom Soccer Shirts .J. -- New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz will miss the rest of the season after having surgery on his left knee. Custom Soccer Jerseys China . Numbers Game looks into the Canadiens securing the services of Thomas Vanek in a trade with the New York Islanders. The Canadiens Get: LW Thomas Vanek and a conditional fifth-round pick. South Africa 481 for 8 dec and 105 for 6 (de Kock 50, Southee 2-27, Boult 2-38) lead New Zealand 214 (Williamson 77, Rabada 3-62, Steyn 3-66) by 372 runs Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSouth Africa gained control of the second Test in Centurion after their seamers made light work of New Zealands middle and lower order to bowl them out for 214. On a 13-wicket third day at SuperSport Park, South Africas lead ballooned to 372 despite New Zealands quicks scything through their top order to leave them 105 for 6 at stumps.Kane Williamsons diligent work ethic helped weather a testing period in the morning, but regular breakthroughs meant South Africa ripped through New Zealands largely untested middle order, and took a first-innings lead of 267.Having chosen not to enforce the follow-on, South Africa began their second innings in sprightly fashion after an early tea, with Quinton de Kock hitting five fours and a six off the first 11 balls he faced. But Trent Boult and Tim Southee utilised appreciable lateral movement to nip out three wickets in two overs: Stephen Cook lbw after being pinned in the crease to a Boult inswinger, Hashim Amla caught at second slip off Southee, and JP Duminy playing around his front pad. After five overs, South Africa were 32 for 3.Just like in the first innings, New Zealand persisted by bowling short at de Kock, but he didnt shy away from pulling. He made use of any width on offer and brought up his second fifty of the Test, off 42 balls. But an unplayable bouncer from Doug Bracewell, jagging into the left-hander from around the wicket and rearing towards his head, caused him to glove a catch to gully. By then, though, South Africa were 349 ahead.It looked like Temba Bavuma and Stiaan van Zyl would play out the overs remaining till stumps, but just when they seemed set to achieve that objective, Wagner produced a lovely delivery in the channel outside off to have van Zyl caught behind.In the morning, Williamson displayed exemplary technique - head over the ball, soft hands at point of contact and bat near pad - to quell Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada and Vernon Philander, all of whhom got the ball to move both ways through the day.dddddddddddd Williamson repeatedly left deliveries on a testing line outside off stump, forcing the quicks straighter and then picking them off through midwicket - his modus operandi for most of his innings. He scored 77, his first Test fifty in South Africa.At the other end, South Africa peppered Henry Nicholls with short balls. Despite looking awkward while fending or avoiding the bouncers, Nicholls seemed largely untroubled against the ensuing full deliveries until he missed a drive off Rabada. Umpire Paul Reiffel adjudged Nicholls to be not out but on review, Hawkeye indicated that the ball had pitched in line and would have hit middle stump.The short-pitched plans continued after Nicholls dismissal with a leg gully and short leg in place. Williamson and BJ Watling, two of New Zealands better-equipped batsmen to tackle the bouncer, ducked or swayed out of the line.Steyn persevered and reaped reward when he had Watling fending off his ribs, the ball grazing his glove on the way to wicketkeeper de Kock. A thin spike on the Snickometer resulted in South Africas second wicket of the day, via their second successful review. With Mitchell Santner inside-edging Philander onto his stumps shortly before lunch, and Bracewell and Southee falling within six overs of each other after the break, New Zealand were 169 for 8.Rabada, regularly clocking 150 kph, discomfited Wagner with a series of bouncers, one of which took the edge of his bat and lobbed to second slip via his shoulder. However, replays indicated Rabada had overstepped. Thereafter, Wagner changed tack from wearing blows to all-out attack, and heaved three fours and a six in the space of five Steyn deliveries to hurry New Zealand past 200.He kept playing the pull, and eventually, one took his leading edge on the way to de Kock and Steyn duly directed Wagner back to the dressing room. Williamson was last man out in the next over, top-edging a pull just as Wagner had done. ' ' '