Alouettes battle back for Grey Cup title
It turns out the 13th man was the difference.
Damon Duval got a second chance, and now he has his first Grey Cup ring.
And the Saskatchewan Roughriders have nothing but heartbreak after prematurely celebrating a win.
With a two-point lead in the final seconds, the Riders forced Duval to try a 43-yard field goal for the win.
He missed.
The Riders had 13 men on the field and were flagged for too many men.
On his second try from 33, Duval hit it and sent a crushing blow to the Riders with a in the 97th Grey Cup in front of 46,020 spectators at McMahon Stadium.
Darian Durant threw a eight-yard touchdown Andy Fantuz and had a 16-yard run for a major, Luca Congi hit on field goals of 23, 40, nine, and 44 yards, and the Riders defence forced two turnovers.
Alouettes quarterback threw touchowns to Jamel Richardson and Ben Cahoon, while Avon Cobourne had a rushing TD and Damon Duval kicked field goals of 28 and 33 yards.
The Riders owned the first half, but Durant finally made a mistake fitting a quarterback in his first Grey Cup midway through the third quarter.
In trying to go deep to Rob Bagg, Durant was picked off by Billy Parker, but the Alouettes didn’t get anywhere from their own five-yard line.
On the ensuing possession, Durant ran for 14 yards and Wes Cates had rushes and receptions of eight each to set up another Congi field goal to make a 10-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Late in the final frame, Durant made another horrible mistake, throwing up a prayer at midfield that was picked off by Jerald Brown.
The Als went straight down the field and scored as Ben Cahoon dove into the endzone for a 11-yard touchdown, but the two-point conversion failed and the Riders had a two-point lead.
To start that final frame, the Riders took control with a five-play, 75-yard run that was capped by Durant’s 16-yard touchdown run on a straight draw play.
That put the Riders up 16, but the Alouettes quickly answered as Cavlillo went 71 yards in six plays to set up Cobourne’s three-yard run. The two-point conversion was good and the deficit was eight.
The Alouettes came out in the second half more focused that the first, as Anthony Calvillo put together a nine-play, 74-yard drive and hit Jamel Richardson on a eight-yard touchdown pass to make it 17-10 Riders.
At the end of the half, Fantuz caught a 28-yard pass and stepped out at the one-yard line. It was ruled in complete but Ken Miller challenged and won, so Congi hit on a nine-yard field goal to make it 17-3.
After three straight two-and-outs and a fumble, the Alouettes finally got moving towards the end of the first quarter, putting together a 44-yard drive for a 28-yard Damon Duval field goal to cut the deficit to 10-3.
Montreal had another great drive going, but fumbled away a chance at points. Fullback Kerry Carter had the ball stripped by Riders linebacker Rey Williams and Chris McKenzie at his own 17-yard line.
On the Als fourth possession, and before the East Division champs had a first down, Marcus (Chunky) Adams stripped Calvillo as the Als QB was trying to evade the pressure.
Keith Shologan picked up the ball and rumbled to the eight-yard line, where Durant hit Fantuz on the next play to give the Riders a 10-0 lead.
The Als didn’t get any help from their punter in the first half, as Duval shanked two punts, the second one going just seven yards late in the second quarter that let the Riders get a 44-yard field goal to go up 13-3.
Riders defensive back Lance Frazier nearly had an interception on the Alouettes second possession, as he knocked a pass loose from Jamel Richardson, but that forced a second straight punt.
After forcing a second straight two-and-out to start the game, Saskatchewan took the ball with good field position and then used three Wes Cates runs to set up Luca Congi 40-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.
The Riders made some progress on their first drive, using as 26-yard pass to Cates and a 12-yard run by Rob Bagg to get into position for a field goal.
But Congi missed a 42-yard attempt and Larry Taylor returned it out of the endzone.
The Alouettes won the coin toss and elected to receive, but they went two-and-out after Riders linebacker Mike McCullough made a great tackle on Ben Cahoon to drop him short of a first down.
Saskatchewan town of red paper clip fame readies for movie premiere
REGINA - Actor Corbin Bernsen has learned two things: first, that Saskatchewan in February is a really cold place to make a movie, and second, that his latest film wouldn't have happened without a red paper clip and the people of a small Prairie town.
Bernsen's new movie "Rust," about a priest who undergoes a mid-life crisis of faith and returns to his hometown to heal, was shot in Kipling, Sask., a two-hour drive southeast of Regina.
"It was like shooting at the North Pole," Bernsen says with a laugh.
"It was freezing, but it created a beautiful look for the movie and exactly the feel that I wanted."
Bernsen recalls shooting one day when it was - 45 C with the windchill - his lips froze and he could barely speak.
It was "unbelievably cold" for a "southern California surfer boy," he says. But the effort will pay off Thursday when "Rust" holds its premiere in Kipling. (SCN will air the broadcast premiere of "Rust" on Dec. 5 and will re-broadcast it Boxing Day).
The story of how Bernsen ended up in Kipling not once, but twice, could itself be a movie.
Back in July 2005, blogger Kyle MacDonald used a red paper clip to set off a series of trades in his bid to get a house. The trades eventually landed MacDonald with a limited edition KISS snow globe and then Bernsen, an avid snow globe collector, offered a role in one of his movies in exchange for the snow globe.
The town took the movie role in exchange for a two-storey house given to MacDonald. Bernsen then came to town and held auditions for that role, in his movie "Donna on Demand."
But Bernsen, who is perhaps best known for his role in the hit '80s television show "L.A. Law," was also inspired to return.
"I fell in love with the town and the people there," he told The Canadian Press in a phone interview from Los Angeles. "There's a simplicity there that appealed to me and I think that's really what attracted me to the place."
The town started its own film company and raised about $250,000 after Bernsen promised to come back.
He wrote "Rust" with Kipling in mind. Bernsen's character in the film must make sense of the aftermath of a tragedy - his childhood friend has confessed to burning down a house that has taken the lives of the family within.
The film crew burned down an abandoned farmhouse. "Corner Gas" star Lorne Cardinal, who plays a police officer in "Rust," says it a cathartic moment since the farmhouse was where convicted pedophile Peter Whitmore abused two boys in the summer of 2006.
"One of the victims actually showed up for the burning of it," says Cardinal. "It was palpable energy for sure because everyone wanted to see it gone because it was a blight on Kipling. It was something that everyone knew about but didn't like to talk about."
Beyond the raw emotion, Cardinal says there was "a lot of great magic on the set happening."
Among the locals cast for the film were a mentally challenged man named Lloyd Warner in a key role. People opened up their homes as sets and local businesses donated equipment including heaters.
"I've never seen a town come alive like that before," says Cardinal. "Everybody was involved in it, everyone was doing their bit to fulfil their end and they did great. The on-camera performances were pretty great for people with no training."
Brad Kearns with Kipling Film Productions says he still can't believe it all happened, adding there's a lot of excitement in the community.
"That's a good thing, it's a good excitement," says Kearns, who also portrays the fire chief in "Rust."
"It so easy to have negative publicity on things these days ... this is a positive thing and I think people are really excited and happy. I think it's one of those 'feel good' things. It was a lot of work at the time and you pretty much have to say everybody pitched in some way or another.
"They always used to talk when I was a kid, always talked about the magic of Hollywood. Well, guess what I've seen it now and it truly is."
But Bernsen says it was the community's faith that got the job done.
"This is their movie, they did it," says Bernsen.
"I just offered the opportunity for them. Did I spearhead it? Yeah, but I offered the opportunity. Without the people it wouldn't have come together."
Bernsen would like to work in Saskatchewan again and already has a surprise in mind for Kipling. Ironically, the town where Bernsen shot his movie doesn't actually have a movie theatre and he'd like to change that.
"They used to but it burned down," he says. "That'll be one of the first things that I'm going to suggest they do for themselves and I'll help them design it."
Woods takes blame for 'embarrassing' crash
MIAMI (AFP) – Golf superstar Tiger Woods broke his silence two days after crashing his car Sunday, saying the "embarrassing" accident was his fault, and hitting out at "unfounded and malicious rumors."
In a statement posted on his website, Woods said he was solely responsible for the accident, which attracted worldwide attention and sparked speculation about his private life.
"This situation is my fault, and it's obviously embarrassing to my family and me," Woods said. "I'm human and I'm not perfect. I will certainly make sure this doesn't happen again."
But Woods again declined to speak to Florida Highway Patrol troopers, who had expected to talk with him Sunday afternoon as part of their investigation into the accident.
Officers, who were turned away on both Friday and Saturday, were to meet Woods at his home and discuss how his car came to hit a fire hydrant and then a tree near his two million-dollar home in the suburbs of Orlando, Florida.
Sergeant Kim Montes, a spokeswoman from the Florda Highway Patrol, said Woods' lawyer Mark Nejame informed the patrol that Woods would not be meeting with troopers Sunday afternoon.
"It has not been rescheduled," said Montes, who said the crash remains under investigation.
Woods is not required by Florida law to make a statement to officers investigating a traffic accident. Authorities have already said alcohol wasn't a factor in the crash. Montes said that the investigators had merely wanted to give Woods an opportunity to give his version of events.
The FHP released a recording of a 911 emergency call in which a shaken neighbor of Woods tells dispatchers that a black Cadillac Escalade hit a tree.
"I have someone down in front of my house," says the caller, who is not identified and never mentions Woods by name. "I see him, he's laying down."
During the call, a woman yells out in the background "What happened?"
The neighbor responds that he has police on the line to report the accident. Not long after, the poor telephone connection is lost.
Daniel Saylor, police chief of the Orlando suburb of Windermere, has said Woods' wife, Elin, used a golf club to smash out a rear window to help him get out of his Cadillac SUV when she heard the crash from inside their home in the at 2:25 am Friday.
While Woods broke his silence with his website statement, he gave few details, calling the incident a private matter.
"Although I understand there is curiosity, the many false, unfounded and malicious rumors that are currently circulating about my family and me are irresponsible," he said.
Leading the speculation about the crash, the celebrity news website TMZ.com reported that a dispute between the couple was at the center of the accident.
By the website's account, Nordegren confronted her husband about tabloid reports that he was having an affair with a New York club hostess.
"The only person responsible for the accident is me," Woods said. "My wife, Elin, acted courageously when she saw I was hurt and in trouble. She was the first person to help me. Any other assertion is absolutely false."
Woods was treated for facial cuts and released from hospital on Friday.
An initial FHP report that Woods was in "serious" condition in hospital sparked a frantic wave of media coverage. A clutch of reporters have since been camped out near Woods's home.
"This incident has been stressful and very difficult for Elin, our family and me," Woods said. "I appreciate all the concern and well wishes that we have received. But, I would also ask for some understanding that my family and I deserve some privacy no matter how intrusive some people can be."
Woods, a 14-time major champion, is one of the best-known athletes in the world. According to Forbes business magazine, he is the first athlete to break through the billion-dollar earnings mark.
He and his wife have been married for five years and have two children, daughter Sam Alexis, born in 2007, and son Charlie Axel, born in February.
At age 25, he became the first man to win the US Open, the British Open, the USPGA and the Masters on a roll to make him the first simultaneous holder of all four major championship titles.
Woods is scheduled to play his last tournament of 2009 next week, when he hosts the Chevron World Challenge in the Los Angeles suburb of Thousand Oaks, California. The annual event benefits his charitable foundation.
Woods was scheduled to hold a news conference at the tournament on Tuesday, and that schedule had not been revised as of Saturday evening.
"New Moon" shines on record holiday box office
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" rose to the top of movie box office charts for the second straight week on Sunday with a three-day haul of $42.5 million on a record-breaking holiday weekend in North America, according to studio estimates.
Over the five-day U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, the vampire romance starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner took in $66 million, pushing its two-week total in theaters to $230.7 million in North America, said independent studio Summit Entertainment, which backed the movie.
Internationally, the high-profile sequel to last year's monster hit "Twilight," based on the best-selling novels by Stephenie Meyer, has taken in $243 million for a worldwide total just under $475 million in two weeks.
Richard Fay, president of domestic distribution for Summit, said the movie continued to do strong repeat business from mostly teenage girls who are fans of the movies and books, and it was able to expand its audiences to include older women.
Total movie ticket sales for the five-day holiday period in North America reached a record $278 million, beating the old figure of $244 million set back in 2000 when "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and "Unbreakable" were the two top films, according to sales tracker Hollywood.com Box-Office.
Coming in at No. 2, also for the second straight week, was Sandra Bullock football film "The Blind Side" with three-day sales of $40.1 million and a two-week total of $100.5 million. Disaster film "2012" rounded out the top three with $18 million in three days, boosting its three-week total to $139 million.
SEEING "BLIND"
"Blind Side," produced by Alcon Entertainment and released by Time Warner Inc.'s Warner Bros,, played well to all audiences. Bullock helped draw women, sports lured men and the feel-good tale about a woman played by Bullock who helps a homeless boy become a football hero attracted families.
"This is a movie that plays equally to both genders," said Andrew Kosove, co-chief executive of Alcon Entertainment. "A great deal of moviegoing is consensus driven (among families) and we were the consensus movie for the weekend."
Natural disaster flick "2012" also continued to score well. Internationally, its ticket sales now stand at $456 million, boosting its global haul to $595 million, said distributor Columbia Pictures, a unit of Sony Corp.
Among new movies, Disney comedy "Old Dogs" with John Travolta and Robin Williams was No. 4 in North America with $16.8 million on the weekend and $24 million for five days. Warner Bros' "Ninja Assassin" with Korean superstar Rain was No. 6 with $13.1 million and $21 million for the 3-day and 5-day periods, respectively.
Other noteworthy titles include Disney's "A Christmas Carol," which claimed the No. 5 spot with $16 million, pushing its North American cumulative ticket sales to $105 million.
Twentieth Century Fox expanded the release of its animated movie "Fantastic Mr. Fox," widely around the United States and it climbed to the No. 9 spot with $7 million on the weekend.