With the Labour Day Classics now in the books, the CFL schedule makes its midseason turn to the fall. Xavier Williams Super Bowl Jersey . The games get all the more important now leading up to the postseason, but theres just time enough to look back at the first half and award the midseason Most Outstanding Player. It comes down to a three-horse race with two of those horses wearing the green of the first place Saskatchewan Roughriders, but ultimately Toronto Argonauts QB Ricky Ray deserves the most MOP consideration for his outstanding first half. Ray and Roughriders QB Darian Durant have had similarly spectacular starts to the season but what gives Ray the edge is he isnt working with a potential record breaking running back in Kory Sheets (the other candidate for the midseason MOP), taking pressure off the pass game. Ray has missed some time so far this season (and is expected to miss a lot more in the second half) but when hes on the field hes nearly automatic. His 78 percent completion rate is 10 points higher than any other QB in the league and his 15 touchdowns to zero interceptions is almost unheard of. The 33-year-old continues to deliver even with teams keying on the Double Blues passing game. Ray has been without his top RB Chad Kackert for most of the season and Torontos ground game has produced just 718 yards combined on the season, just more than 60 percent of Sheets total alone. Durants stat line (21 touchdowns to one interception) is just as breathtaking as Rays; what Sheets has done in the first half is historic (and we all know how much the league loves record breakers); and the Riders league leading 8-1 record all made the decision anything but easy, but Ray and the Argos passing game has led the team to an East leading 5-4 record with little to no help on the ground. You could argue Durant and Sheets are splitting votes at the time. Durant and Sheets will have plenty of time to catch up by seasons end, and with Ray out for up to the next five weeks now the award is all but guaranteed to go to someone else when the votes count, but for now Rays incredible renaissance in the Big Smoke continues. Fringe candidates to keep an eye on in the second half of the season include last years winner Chad Owens and last years runner-up Jon Cornish, and the leagues passing leader Henry Burris. And if the award could be shared among teammates, the Calgary Stampeders trio at quarterback would deserve consideration as well. The Rouge asks: Who is your midseason Most Outstanding Player? Youve heard what weve had to say, now its your turn. As always, its Your! Call. Bashaud Breeland Super Bowl Jersey .Y. - Rob Manfred was promoted Monday to Major League Baseballs chief operating officer, which may make him a candidate to succeed Bud Selig as commissioner. Harrison Butker Super Bowl Jersey . -- The way Ted Ligety carved into turns looked so easy.SAUCIER, Miss. -- Billy Andrade hasnt played much competitive golf over the past four years. It was hard to tell on Saturday. The 50-year-old Andrade had the low round of the day, firing a 7-under 65 to jump into a tie for the lead with Fred Funk after the second round of the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic at Fallen Oak. Andrade made nine birdies on Saturday, including a stretch of six over seven holes midway through the round. The exclamation point came on the final hole, when he drained a 20-foot putt for birdie. Its the second time in less than a year that Andrade has been in contention to win a tournament in the Magnolia State. He finished fifth at the Sanderson Farms Classic in Madison, Miss., last summer, which was easily his best finish in three starts on the PGA Tour last year. "I have no idea what it is about Mississippi," Andrade said laughing. "But right now, I absolutely love it." Andrade is playing in just his fourth Champions Tour event. His best finish was eighth place at the ACE Group Classic in February. Fred Couples started the day with a two-stroke lead, but fell into a tie for second place after shooting a 71. Jay Haas and Jeff Maggert both had 69 to join Couples one stroke behind the leaders. Andrade has been mostly on the sidelines the past four years, working part time as an analyst for the Golf Channel. Hes started just eight tournaments on the PGA Tour since 2010 and said its been nice to play several events in a row on the Champions Tour since he turned 50 to reggain some consistency. LeSean McCoy Super Bowl Jersey. "It was kind of a swirly, windy day," Andrade said. "We didnt know if the wind was helping us or hurting us on some holes. But I got off to a nice start with a birdie on the first hole and then got into a nice rhythm." Andrade and Funk are at 8-under 136 for the tournament. Funk shot a 67 on Saturday. "I like coming here because its a pretty difficult golf course and I like hard golf courses," Funk said. "When youre playing well, you try to get a little separation, although were not too separated on the board right now." There are 11 players within three shots of the lead. Couples had a good start on Saturday, going 2-under through his first six holes. But he had 11 pars and a bogey the rest of the way to finish at 71, which snapped his streak of 12 straight rounds on the Champions Tour in the 60s. The streak was one shy of Hale Irwins record set in 1999. "It was just a little sloppy," Couples said. "I didnt make a birdie on the back nine, so thats a lot of holes without making a birdie." David Frost was disqualified Saturday after removing a stone in a bunker on Friday, which should have resulted in a two-stroke penalty. A Champions Tour official said Frost self-reported the violation after Saturdays round. Frost was tied for sixth place at 6-under before his disqualification. Because of expected rain, the tee times have been moved earlier for Sundays final round. The leaders are scheduled to tee off at 10 a.m. CT. ' ' '
With the Labour Day Classics now in the books, the CFL schedule makes its midseason turn to the fall. Xavier Williams Super Bowl Jersey . The games get all the more important now leading up to the postseason, but theres just time enough to look back at the first half and award the midseason Most Outstanding Player. It comes down to a three-horse race with two of those horses wearing the green of the first place Saskatchewan Roughriders, but ultimately Toronto Argonauts QB Ricky Ray deserves the most MOP consideration for his outstanding first half. Ray and Roughriders QB Darian Durant have had similarly spectacular starts to the season but what gives Ray the edge is he isnt working with a potential record breaking running back in Kory Sheets (the other candidate for the midseason MOP), taking pressure off the pass game. Ray has missed some time so far this season (and is expected to miss a lot more in the second half) but when hes on the field hes nearly automatic. His 78 percent completion rate is 10 points higher than any other QB in the league and his 15 touchdowns to zero interceptions is almost unheard of. The 33-year-old continues to deliver even with teams keying on the Double Blues passing game. Ray has been without his top RB Chad Kackert for most of the season and Torontos ground game has produced just 718 yards combined on the season, just more than 60 percent of Sheets total alone. Durants stat line (21 touchdowns to one interception) is just as breathtaking as Rays; what Sheets has done in the first half is historic (and we all know how much the league loves record breakers); and the Riders league leading 8-1 record all made the decision anything but easy, but Ray and the Argos passing game has led the team to an East leading 5-4 record with little to no help on the ground. You could argue Durant and Sheets are splitting votes at the time. Durant and Sheets will have plenty of time to catch up by seasons end, and with Ray out for up to the next five weeks now the award is all but guaranteed to go to someone else when the votes count, but for now Rays incredible renaissance in the Big Smoke continues. Fringe candidates to keep an eye on in the second half of the season include last years winner Chad Owens and last years runner-up Jon Cornish, and the leagues passing leader Henry Burris. And if the award could be shared among teammates, the Calgary Stampeders trio at quarterback would deserve consideration as well. The Rouge asks: Who is your midseason Most Outstanding Player? Youve heard what weve had to say, now its your turn. As always, its Your! Call. Bashaud Breeland Super Bowl Jersey .Y. - Rob Manfred was promoted Monday to Major League Baseballs chief operating officer, which may make him a candidate to succeed Bud Selig as commissioner. Harrison Butker Super Bowl Jersey . -- The way Ted Ligety carved into turns looked so easy.SAUCIER, Miss. -- Billy Andrade hasnt played much competitive golf over the past four years. It was hard to tell on Saturday. The 50-year-old Andrade had the low round of the day, firing a 7-under 65 to jump into a tie for the lead with Fred Funk after the second round of the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic at Fallen Oak. Andrade made nine birdies on Saturday, including a stretch of six over seven holes midway through the round. The exclamation point came on the final hole, when he drained a 20-foot putt for birdie. Its the second time in less than a year that Andrade has been in contention to win a tournament in the Magnolia State. He finished fifth at the Sanderson Farms Classic in Madison, Miss., last summer, which was easily his best finish in three starts on the PGA Tour last year. "I have no idea what it is about Mississippi," Andrade said laughing. "But right now, I absolutely love it." Andrade is playing in just his fourth Champions Tour event. His best finish was eighth place at the ACE Group Classic in February. Fred Couples started the day with a two-stroke lead, but fell into a tie for second place after shooting a 71. Jay Haas and Jeff Maggert both had 69 to join Couples one stroke behind the leaders. Andrade has been mostly on the sidelines the past four years, working part time as an analyst for the Golf Channel. Hes started just eight tournaments on the PGA Tour since 2010 and said its been nice to play several events in a row on the Champions Tour since he turned 50 to reggain some consistency. LeSean McCoy Super Bowl Jersey. "It was kind of a swirly, windy day," Andrade said. "We didnt know if the wind was helping us or hurting us on some holes. But I got off to a nice start with a birdie on the first hole and then got into a nice rhythm." Andrade and Funk are at 8-under 136 for the tournament. Funk shot a 67 on Saturday. "I like coming here because its a pretty difficult golf course and I like hard golf courses," Funk said. "When youre playing well, you try to get a little separation, although were not too separated on the board right now." There are 11 players within three shots of the lead. Couples had a good start on Saturday, going 2-under through his first six holes. But he had 11 pars and a bogey the rest of the way to finish at 71, which snapped his streak of 12 straight rounds on the Champions Tour in the 60s. The streak was one shy of Hale Irwins record set in 1999. "It was just a little sloppy," Couples said. "I didnt make a birdie on the back nine, so thats a lot of holes without making a birdie." David Frost was disqualified Saturday after removing a stone in a bunker on Friday, which should have resulted in a two-stroke penalty. A Champions Tour official said Frost self-reported the violation after Saturdays round. Frost was tied for sixth place at 6-under before his disqualification. Because of expected rain, the tee times have been moved earlier for Sundays final round. The leaders are scheduled to tee off at 10 a.m. CT. ' ' '
