What we learned from Week 9: Nothing that we didn't already know.

I don't boast when going 2-0. I have been at this gambling thing long enough to know that if you go 2-0 one week, it's likely you'll go 0-2 the next. So unlike those gambling tip sites out there, the ones that go through an NFL season at around .500 and scream about how brilliant they are, we won't brag here just because we had a good week.

Besides, the two outcomes in the CFL West in Week 9 were semi-obvious.

Edmonton, a healthy club with a great quarterback and a decent defence, had an easy time with a Saskatchewan team that still had 16 starters on injured reserve. The Eskimos were at home, too, and in a game that had a chance to be close (even though, in the end, it wasn't), homefield is still important.

Yeah, yeah, I know, I said throw out all the theories this week, but in games in which the teams (even with one badly injured team) are solidly matched, home cooking will have an affect on the outcome.

We picked Edmonton to win easily on Thursday and the Eskies won 27-10. No surprise. Nothing new.

Meanwhile, on Friday night, in a game in which we thought Calgary would win by two touchdowns, the Stamps won their second straight road game, this time 36-29 in B.C.

B.C. played better than I expected (especially the defence) while Calgary wasn't as good as I thought. Still the Stamps won a road game by seven points and that's significant.      

Granted, it was the first time the Stamps have won in Vancouver since Aug. 1, 2002 and they did have to put together their winning drive with just six minutes left, but all in all, Calgary has a team that will contend for the Grey Cup — and they won on Friday in front of 34,000 hostile fans.

Stamps quarterback Henry (Brain Fart) Burris hit Brett Ralph with a five-yard TD throw with less than three minutes in reg. and then, to their credit, the Stamps defence didn't choke again — like they did in Winnipeg last month. In fact, former Bomber Wes Lysack picked off a Buck Pierce pass with less than a minute to play to save the game for Brain Fart and the rest of the Calgary cowboys.

The Stamps are now tied with Edmonton at 5-3 (just two points back of first place Saskatchewan) and the two teams will play back-to-back games starting on Labour Day at McMahon Stadium. 

I like the Stamps to win two straight and by the seventh of September they'll be tied with the Roughriders, a team that will be lucky to split with Winnipeg. The Bombers have new life since Kevin Glenn was returned to the starting QB's position and then allowed to call his own plays by his screaming, out-of-control, apoplectic coach. In fact, with Glenn running the offence, it gives Doug Berry more time to yell at his kicker.

Yeah, that should make the Bombers a threat in the East. Swear some more, Doug.

In the meantime, if Brain Fart Burris ever plays an entire 60 minutes up to his physical and mental capabilities, there is no telling how many points he'll put up. Burris has the most talent among quarterbacks in the CFL. It's just that he always does something stupid (or a series of stupid things) to keep opponents in games. 

One of these days, he's going to be flawless — and that day will be scary.