Why the start of a bye week is the only reason for Ottawa Redblacks to celebrate an anniversary
Expectations are that Dru Brown will start at quarterback and the coaching staff will be intact when the free-falling Ottawa Redblacks return from their bye week to host the surprise team of the CFL, the Calgary Stampeders, on the last night of July.
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But while it's believed Brown will bounce back from the controversial head shot he received in Sunday's loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, the overall health of the Redblacks is not good.
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Monday marked the one-month anniversary of the team's first, last and only win of the season, a 20-12 victory in stormy conditions on June 21 at Calgary's McMahon Stadium
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Since last season's promising 8-3-1 start, they are 2-11, or 2-12 counting the 20-point beating they took from the Toronto Argos in the East Division semifinal.
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And despite an organizational belief in Bob Dyce, the Redblacks are 15-31-1 since he took over as head coach from the fired Paul LaPolice late in the 2022 season.
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Likely needing to go 7-4 or 8-3 when they return from their bye, Ottawa's chances of making the playoffs are in grave condition after what Dyce termed 'critical errors' that stacked up in their 30-15 loss to the Tiger-Cats.
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He cited three examples:
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Having to settle for a field goal after Adarius Pickett intercepted a Bo Levi Mitchell pass on the first play of the fourth quarter and gave Ottawa the ball on the visitors' 24-yard line while trailing 20-12;
The decision by American return specialist Easop Winston Jr. to run a punted ball out of the end zone, and making it only as far as the Ottawa one, rather than concede a single point;
Allowing Mitchell to find Kiondre Smith for a 63-yard bomb to the Redblacks' three after 'our deep players don't play deep enough' on a second-and-18 situation.
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'We talk about maximizing opportunities … it's the critical situations,' said Dyce. 'I believe we have a talented team, and that's why I'm optimistic about the future. But at the same time, you've got to be able to perform at critical times.'
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Dyce thinks so.
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'It's almost good for them to get out of here and enjoy their family,' he said of the players. 'No different than we will as coaches. It's time for introspection, right? We've got to identify what our challenges are, and they've got to identify what their challenges are. All of us together have put us in this situation, and the only way we're going to get out is with all of us as well.'
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Peter Godber, the veteran Canadian centre the Redblacks signed as a free agent in the offseason, is expected to be among many players returning from the lengthy injury list when the team tries to get it right in its return to action against the 5-1 Stamps on July 31.
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Global News
10 minutes ago
- Global News
‘Big Game' Hunter Lee sizing up opponents in transition from wrestling to MMA career
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Story continues below advertisement Since winning at Unified 62, Lee is coming off a victory by unanimous decision over Chris Choo at a Cage Fury Fighting Championships event in Florida to improve his professional record to an undefeated 4-0. It's something that doesn't surprise Jesse Boldt, a muay thai instructor at Modern Martial Arts Center in Saskatoon where Lee trains. 'We know what it's like to go with Hunter in the gym,' said Boldt. 'So we know his poor opponents, how they're going to feel going against him. When he wins the way he does, it's expected because we feel it in the gym.' Lee's strength comes from a dominant ground game developed over his collegiate career with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies wrestling team between 2017 and 2022, where he'd become a national champion with the program and become an alternate for the Canadian Olympic team. First discovered by coach Daniel Olver with the Huskies' junior program, Lee's progression into the MMA world doesn't surprise the University of Saskatchewan coach one bit. 'It was always something that Hunter wanted to get into,' said Olver. 'We knew that when he was part of the Junior Huskies program and then into the [University of Saskatchewan] Huskies program, this was his end goal here. Story continues below advertisement 'In terms of seeing that success when he was a Huskie now being able to transfer into MMA, we always talk about how excellence is a transferrable skill. He was excellent as a Huskie, he was dedicated to winning and he's transferring that right into MMA. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'I'm not surprised that he's having the success that he is.' For Lee, the wrestling background has allowed him to control fights on the ground more effectively while also having a framework to cut weight once he begins fighting more opponents within his planned weight class of 170 to 175 pounds. Calling himself the 'most ducked professional MMA fighter,' he said it's been a struggle to find opponents who want to go up against his wrestling background. 'With wrestling you just compete against whoever shows up,' said Lee. 'You go to the national tournament and you just sign up, whoever is in your bracket you got to go against them and you can't say no. In MMA, guys can say no and then they'll get a different opponent that's easier. 'I had a lot of problems with that earlier in my career. It's because my grappling level from my wrestling career is so much higher than what they're used to seeing.' Part of that transition to MMA life full-time has been gaining confidence on the microphone after matches, a trait which Lee believes helps market the sport and gain interest in young fighters such as himself. Story continues below advertisement 1:15 USask Huskies star guard Grassick named U Sports Female Athlete of the Year That came to life following his Unified 62 victory, as he called out a list of potential opponents just minutes after winning his match. 'I want to put on an interview that people want to see,' said Lee. 'For my first two fights they didn't let me do an in-cage interview because of the time limit and I was earlier on the card. I was like, 'As soon as they give me the mic, I'm going to make it worthwhile so that they want to give me the mic in the future.' I feel like I did that.' Hoping to one day advance through the levels of MMA and reach the vaunted UFC, they're dreams that were born in his hometown of Flin Flon, Man., and grown in his adopted home of Saskatoon over the past seven years. They're communities that Lee said he fights for every time he steps into the octagon. Story continues below advertisement 'I walk out to The Last Saskatchewan Pirate so I always got those roots,' said Lee. 'Even though technically Flin Flon is a border town, so I feel like I represent Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The Last Saskatchewan Pirate is my walk-out song, I always carry that sort of representation even into the UFC.' Watching the impact Lee has had on other fighters at their gym, Boldt added there's a sense of magic around his story and the paths toward professional fighting that others in the province can take. 'I think it's really cool because it gives the belief in other people from some small town in the middle of nowhere that they can do big things as well,' said Boldt. 'In small communities, it gives them hope where you don't have to be from Vancouver, Montreal or even Saskatoon. You can be from a small town and do great things.' Lee will look to keep his undefeated record intact later this year, as he's looking to fight at a Unified MMA event in Edmonton in October.
Winnipeg Free Press
10 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Ogungbemi-Jackson knows what it takes to make it
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Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. 'It's still an experience that I can say I'll never forget, and not every professional athlete gets to literally play professionally in their hometown. I don't think it went as good or as great as we would have wanted, but that's part of the game,' he said. 'Not every year is going to be perfect, not every situation is going to be perfect. You might not be in a role that you agree with or that you're happy with, but that's part of the game, part of the business. I think experiences like that help me with the business as well and just give me perspective… Yeah, it was a bit challenging, but it helped me grow.' Getting healthy is the priority right now and, once he is, his agent will find him another opportunity overseas for the 2025-26 campaign. He may be a business owner now, but Ogungbemi-Jackson's playing career is far from over. 'If I can go four or five more years, I will,' he said. 'As long as I'm healthy and I feel good and it makes sense for my family and I, I'll continue to play.' Taylor AllenReporter Taylor Allen is a sports reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. Taylor was the Vince Leah intern in the Free Press newsroom twice while earning his joint communications degree/diploma at the University of Winnipeg and Red River College Polytechnic. He signed on full-time in 2019 and mainly covers the Blue Bombers, curling, and basketball. Read more about Taylor. Every piece of reporting Taylor produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
The Province
an hour ago
- The Province
Canada swim star Summer McIntosh primed to take worlds by storm
'I always want more,' McIntosh said. Published Jul 23, 2025 • 2 minute read Canadian swimming star Summer McIntosh. Photo by Manan VATSYAYANA / AFP/File Los Angeles — Three world records in five days put Summer McIntosh in rare company and now the 18-year-old Canadian swimming sensation is primed to take the world championships by storm. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors McIntosh won three gold medals at the Paris Olympics last year and then broke three world records in a breathtaking performance at the Canadian trials in June. The teenager is the first swimmer to set world records in three different individual events since Michael Phelps did it on the way to his glittering eight-gold haul at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. 'Absolutely wild,' McIntosh said of the accomplishment in an interview with Canadian broadcaster CBC. Then she promptly pointed to a litany of things she could improve on in each race, saying the self-criticism is part of her mission to keep testing the boundaries of her sport. 'I don't think there is such a thing as a perfect race, at least I haven't done it yet,' she said ahead of the world championships in Singapore starting on Sunday. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'There's room for more and that's what keeps me going. And I'm also still so young, I have so much more to achieve and I know I can get so much stronger.' That competitive spirit runs deep in the McIntosh family. Her mother Jill competed at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics in swimming and older sister Brooke is a top pairs figure skater who won bronze in 2022 at the world junior championships. 'We're very competitive. This is really in our blood,' Brooke once said. – Wanting more – McIntosh's rapid journey to the pinnacle of swimming has taken her from Canada to Florida, where she trained with the Sarasota Sharks from 2022 and through the Paris Games. After the world championships she will begin training with Phelps's mentor Bob Bowman in Texas, as she builds toward the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In the meantime she has been training since January with French coach Fred Vergnoux and his group in Antibes, crediting his contribution to 'the best meet of my career' despite the relatively brief association. 'I've gone way faster than I ever could have imagined,' she said. At the Canadian trials in Victoria she smashed the 400m freestyle world record with a time of 3min 54.18sec, regaining a mark she had lost to Australian Ariarne Titmus. She also broke the decade-old 200m individual medley world mark and lowered her own 400m medley world record. In between she threatened Katie Ledecky's latest 800m free world mark on the way to the third-fastest time in history. She also clocked the second-fastest 200m butterfly ever, edging toward the record set by China's Liu Zige in 2009. McIntosh launched her Olympic career in 2021 in Tokyo, where at 14 she was the youngest member of the Canadian team. She didn't win a medal but in Paris last summer she took gold in the 200m butterfly, 200m medley and 400m medley, and claimed silver in the 400m free. In Singapore she's expanding her program to include the 800m free and another mouthwatering showdown with Ledecky — one of the swimmers she idolized as a youngster. Now that she has established herself among swimming's elite, McIntosh has no trouble finding new motivation. 'I always want more,' she said. Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Canucks Soccer Vancouver Canucks Sports
