In both the East and the West semifinals, the better team won. With Montreal, Jonathan Crompton did what he has done so successfully all year, moving the ball along while depending on others as much as himself - and that is a skill. If you have a quarterback too wrapped up in the all mighty I - as in, I want to do this I want to do that - then there is truly a chance youre going to get a quarterback that makes as many game changing mistakes as game changing plays. Johnathan Cromptons greatest asset may be an absence of ego. He is simply one of the guys on the field and part of the team, not the quarterback leading the team. I thought the Eastern semifinal game changed in the opening drive of the third quarter, when Montreal took the ball and drove the ball 78 yards on nine plays to increase their lead from 15-3 to 22-3, taking over five minutes off the clock in the process. Yet, it was the way they drove that changed the game as well. Driving with good, sound running plays on a Lions defence that is as good as any up front. Tom Higgins, Jeff Garcia, Ryan Dinwiddie and all on the offensive staff should be congratulated on the Allouttes turnaround. But offensive line coach Kris Sweet stands out after the play of his group on Sunday. Sweet is not everyones cup of tea as a coach because of his intensity and history in Edmonton, but he is excelling in Montreal. When you are starting your fourth running back in Brandon Rutley and your team rushes for 207 yards, you know everything came together up front throughout the game. Kevin Glenn had a tough day but in his defence, many quarterbacks have had tough days against Montreal - especially at McGill. Nonetheless going completing just 4 of 15 passes in the first half is a bad outing. The strength for Montreal as they return to Hamilton to avenge their 29-15 Week 20 loss is the rationalization the reason they lost was due to the mistakes they made and not so much what Hamilton did. And that is the right approach to have because it puts in the mind of the team that if we control what we can to control, we will win. Which is true, as long as long you play that way. The sequence of football success is always the same. First, avoid. Avoid game changing mistakes, turnovers, penalties and mental errors . Second, create. Make things happen as individuals and groups of individuals. Execute the basics and fundamentals first and then make the spectacular happen. Third is force. Force the opponent into mistakes by creating everything theyre trying to avoid. Good teams have a force my will on you mentality and, if sustained long enough and with enough intensity, it will happen. Fourth, capitalize. If your opponent makes a mistake, especially if it is unforced, then capitalize on that mistake. Sudden change is extremely significant and when sudden change happens for you, you need sevens to appear as fast as possible. If you can make those four things happen, you will have success. Edmonton followed that recipe as well as any team in the regular season, but entered the post-season limping at quarterback. I have to agree with the masses that if Darian Durant was 100 per cent, the final of 18-10 for Edmonton may have been 18-10 for Saskatchewan. Edmonton, despite all the turnover assistance could not put Saskatchewan away. And based on all that assistance, they should have easily. This week will be about a foot, Mike Reillys foot to be exact. Is it better is it worse, what is it saying, how is it feeling, can he practice on it? Bottom line is, over the next six days it will heal a bit, nothing so dramatic that Reilly will be running again at top speed, but he should be better. Calgary caught a break in the broken bone of the Edmonton quarterback and they know it. I expect Mike Reilly to play but I dont think he will be 100 per cent. There were a lot of game changing moments in the West semifinal but when it was all over, the Saskatchewan Roughriders ran for 47 yards while Edmonton rushed for 150. The lack of a good running game put too much pressure on the quarterbacks, which allowed the Eskimos to create pressure with a blitzing defence. In both the East and West finals, there will be big advantages for home teams; physically rested and mentally sharp. For the visiting teams, both will come into their games playing tough and battle tested. There is little conclusive statistical evidence as to which previous experience is more advantageous, mostly because there are benefits to both. Eventually, it all comes back to avoid, create, force and capitalize. Four of the most important words for football player and in any football game. If theyre evident on Sunday for your team, then youre on your way to Vancouver for the 102nd Grey Cup. If not, time to warm up the TV. The former is much more gratifying than the later, and I speak from experience. Air Max 90 Uomo Saldi . Their 9-19 record remains identical to the crosstown rivals in Brooklyn and trails both Toronto and Boston in the Atlantic Division. Raymond Felton, their declining point guard, is back on the sideline nursing his third injury of the season. Air Max 95 Italia . -- Raiders wide receiver Jacoby Ford made it through a third straight practice without any setbacks and expects to play in Oaklands regular-season finale against San Diego. http://www.airmaxscarpescontate.it/scarp...zo-basso.html.C. -- Only two Syracuse teams have won their first 20 games, and C. Nike Air Max 270 Saldi . Its been two seasons in one for both parties and neither will look back on the first 18 games fondly. "I think I took the fall for a lot of things," said Gay, reflecting on his short time in Toronto ahead of Wednesdays game against his former club. Nike Air Max Vendita Online .Morse gets a $1 million signing bonus and salaries of $7 million next season and $8 million in 2016 under the agreement announced Wednesday.BEAVER CREEK, Colo. -- Lindsey Vonn is injured and unsure of her plans heading into the Sochi Games. In years past, that very thought might send a very cold shiver through the U.S. speed team. At least this time, the Americans are loaded with depth in downhill and super-G. Julia Mancuso, Stacey Cook, Leanne Smith and Laurenne Ross are the skiers the Americans could be counting on for medals in Russia if Vonn, the reigning Olympic downhill champion, cant compete after hurting her surgically repaired right knee again. All of them made the podium at least once last season and all of them were top 16 in the downhill standings. Add Alice McKennis, who won a World Cup event last season but is still recovering from a shattered right leg, and its an even more dynamic mix. This also creates quite a few tough decisions for womens coach Alex Hoedlmoser, since there are only four race spots available in Sochi in the downhill and again in the super-G. That means someone well-deserving could be left out of the starting gate. "One of the best traits of our team is everyone has the understanding that if you get beat out for that spot, its not somebody elses fault. Its probably something you did or your own fault in some way," said Cook, who had the fastest time in downhill training on Wednesday. "Theres not a lot of the blame game that you might see typically." Vonn remains unsure just how much her latest knee injury will affect her Sochi hopes. In an interview on NBCs "Today" show Wednesday, the four-time overall World Cup champion was asked whether her knee can withstand the pressure of training for the Olympics. "To be honest, I dont know," Vonn replied. Vonn crashed during a downhill training run in Copper Mountain last week and partially tore a reconstructed ligament in her knee. She skipped the events in Beaver Creek, but is hoping to be ready for the upcoming races in Lake Louise, Alberta. "I dont know exactly where shes at (in her recovery), but she doesnt sit still easily," Cook said. If Vonn is only 50 per cent fit by the time Sochi rolls around, and someone else is completely healthy, just who gets to race? "Were still gooing to bring the potential medallists down to Sochi," Hoedlmoser said.dddddddddddd "We can put more people in training runs and then make a decision before race day." There are plenty of chances between now and Sochi to stand out, beginning this weekend on the new course at Beaver Creek created ahead of the 2015 world championships. "You are in control of your results," said Smith, who was 14th in training on Wednesday, 1.21 seconds behind Cooks top time. "If youre skiing well and have the right mentality, its going to work out just fine." The recent success in speed events has a lot to do with the presence of Vonn and Mancuso. Training alongside those two icons over the years has elevated everyones performance. "To see them get on the podium, week in and week out, was obviously very inspirational for someone like me, who was just scrapping down these courses to try and get World Cup points," said Smith, who had two downhill podium finishes last season. "You learn and you figure out what it takes. You compete with your teammates. All of a sudden, you are in a situation that were in, where everyone is super competitive and you still have those two girls that are leading the pack. "Its just fun, good pressure for everyone else. Its something to aspire to." For years, Cook didnt believe she had the ability to keep up with Vonn in a race. But last season in Lake Louise, the 29-year-old had a breakthrough, finishing runner-up to Vonn in two races. It showed Cook she was on the right path. "Its really become a challenge to myself, to believe that I can compete with her," Cook said. "Ive really accepted that over the last few years instead of hid behind it. "It takes perfection for me to beat her. That is the absolute challenge, to reach perfection going 80 mph (129 kph) on two planks." Mancuso sees a renewed confidence in the speed team, a definite camaraderie, too. "Were all leaning on each other. Thats nice," said Mancuso, a three-time Olympic medallist . "Just all of us together trying to go fast. Everyone is cheering for each other and thats always fun." ' ' '