Linebacker A.J. Gass, left, will be in the Edmonton Eskimos lineup for Monday's Labour Day Classic at Calgary after an arbitrator overturned his one-game suspension for throwing Stampeders offensive lineman John Comiskey's helmet. (Jason Scott/Canadian Press)"

Edmonton Eskimos linebacker A.J. Gass had his one-game suspension overturned by an arbitrator after CFL commissioner Mark Cohon upheld the initial punishment meted out by the league. Gass was disciplined for ripping the helmet off Calgary offensive lineman John Comiskey and hurling it downfield in an Aug. 4 game. What do you make of the arbitrator's decision?

GF: At the time of the incident, I said on our post-game show that if I was commissioner, I would have given him a fine and kicked him out of the game, so I can't say I'm surprised by the arbitrator's decision.

Ultimately, the CFL wants to make a firm stance on this type of conduct. They don't want to encourage poor sportsmanship, so they want to come down harsh and make a statement.

Every [major sports] league has an arbitration process. I'm just not sure why players in the CFL have two opportunities to defend themselves. They can defend against the commissioner and his decision and defend themselves against an arbitrator. In the other leagues, the player will wait until a decision is made and the first defence by the player is upon an independent arbitrator.

The argument from the Eskimos is that it wasn't a dangerous act because [Gass] deliberately threw his helmet down the field where there weren't any players. But a precedent needs to be set.

I guess if a guy takes his helmet off or that of an opponent and throws it in the crowd then it's a dangerous act. But if he throws it down an empty field, then he is kicked out of the game and fined but not suspended. That's the precedent set and hopefully it's consistent going forward.

Marc Boerigter's return to Calgary lasted just six games after the wide receiver was released on Aug. 26. He missed the team's 30-18 loss in Montreal on Aug. 9 due to a knee injury and was a healthy scratch for the 45-45 tie against B.C. on Aug. 17. Boerigter, who dropped some catchable balls, caught only 16 passes for 246 yards and a touchdown. He reportedly signed a contract worth $178, 000. Was this simply a move to save money under the salary cap?

GF: From what I understand, $123,000 of his $178,000 salary has already been paid to him [$80,000 signing bonus and $43,500 of his $98,000 base salary], so this is not a salary-cap issue. They definitely expected more production from him for what he was being paid.

What frustrates me from what I'm seeing in the Calgary Stampeders camp is their attempting to motivate players by holding job security over their heads. That's not the way to motivate players. If they think it is, I think they have the wrong players. Creating an atmosphere of negativity and making it as obvious as they have is counterproductive.

The question you have to ask is, 'Was Marc's specific skill set getting utilized the right way and [for] what they needed in their offence?' Maybe the other receivers [Jeremaine Copeland, Nik Lewis, Ken-Yon Rambo, Ryan Thelwell and Brett Ralph] were just better than Marc.

So where will he end up? I'm thinking about [Edmonton offensive co-ordinator] Jacques Chapdelaine and B.C. coach Wally Buono. Those two guys understand what Marc's skill set is. Wally also understands a bargain when he sees it more than anyone in the CFL. Financially, what does Marc Boerigter need? They could sign him for whatever amount. I think he would also be a great signing for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Having already become the CFL's all-time touchdown leader this season, Winnipeg Blue Bombers slotback Milt Stegall is closing in on the all-time receiving yards record. He is 656 yards shy of former Calgary Stampeder Allen Pitts (14,891), meaning he would have to average 70 yards in each of Winnipeg's final 10 regular-season games. What is the likelihood he accomplishes this feat while staring retirement in the face?

GF: I think it's very possible if he keeps having games like he did last week against Toronto [nine catches for 151 yards], the team keeps playing well and [quarterback] Kevin Glenn stays healthy.

It would be a great story to continue to celebrate the top receiver in 2007. He's a fantastic player and a clutch receiver. When the team needs him most, he'll make the play for you.

The argument is obviously you want to go out on top. If he has a fantastic rest of the season and wins the Grey Cup, the decision to retire is enhanced more than questioned.

Despite excellent field position, the Toronto Argonauts failed to move the ball deep into Winnipeg territory in the second half of a 15-13 Week 9 loss on Aug. 24 and were outscored 6-3 in the final two quarters. Will the imminent return of injured quarterback Michael Bishop, who has been cleared to practise, make a difference or are there deeper problems with the Argos offence?

GF: I see special teams letting them down. And they have a kicker [Noel Prefontaine] who has a 58.8 per cent success rate on field goals and he misses a 38-yard attempt in a game against Winnipeg that they lost by two points. If Prefontaine is injured, they need to find a way to win the field-position battle to make it a short field and give the offence a chance to score.

They averaged 19 points a game in 2004 and their record was 10-7-1. Now, they are averaging 22 points a game [with a 2-6-1 mark].

What I like about what the Argos are doing is they're not talking about injuries as an excuse. You don't want to give players an excuse to lose.

[Third-string quarterback] Rocky Butler has been a fantastic story. He was unfamiliar with [offensive co-ordinator] Steve Buratto's offence, became the starter after two weeks in the organization and has had success.

Michael Bishop is a fantastic player and it will be a huge confidence boost when he gets into the mix. For an offence to work, you need to have consistent health for at least two or three games, and they never had that.

B.C. Lions general manager and coach Wally Buono has lured Ben Sankey back to the CFL as an emergency replacement with starting quarterback Buck Pierce expected to miss at least one game due to injury. Sankey will likely serve as the No. 3 signal-caller behind Jarious Jackson and Gino Guidugli. He showed considerable promise in 2001 with the Calgary Stampeders, passing for 1,255 yards and 14 touchdowns. Why is Sankey a good fit right now for the Lions?

GF: He's got CFL experience and as an older guy, he has a good perspective on life and football. The question is, does he have the physical tools to get the job done.

He came into the CFL as a young person and is coming back a much more mature player. He'll make sure his game is as good as it can get because this is a second chance for Ben.

The CFL on CBC features a Labour Day doubleheader on Sept. 3 at 12:30 p.m. ET with Toronto visiting the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Edmonton travels to Calgary in the other game (4:30 p.m. ET). The Argonauts (2-6-0) and Ticats (1-7-0) are in danger of missing the playoffs, while the Eskimos and Stampeders (both 3-4-1) are tied for last place in the West Division. How do you size up both contests?

GF: Hamilton scored one touchdown in four meetings [with Toronto] last year and turned the ball over 19 times. I don't care if it's Jason Maas or Timmy Chang in there at quarterback. The Argos have a big, strong defence and they are developing enough offensively to be the favourite in this one.

In the first half, Hamilton is going to work hard, bash heads and the defence will be fired up. But when all is said and done, it will be a low-scoring game that Toronto will be able to pull out.

I don't think [Tiger-Cats tailback] Jesse Lumsden is getting touches recently because he is extremely hurt, not just a little. Since the Edmonton game [on Aug. 11, when he had eight carries for 38 yards], the coaches have minimized his touches. Obviously, Toronto should be mindful of Jesse Lumsden but his [right] shoulder is messed up.

The Ticats need to consistently do the simple thing, the easy and the expected. If they do, they will give themselves a chance to be in the ball game.

As for Edmonton and Calgary, you can win a lot of games with a great defence and an average offence but you can't win with an average to poor defence and a great offence.

These teams are two prime examples of this. [Stampeders quarterback] Henry Burris has thrown for more than 300 yards in each of the last five games and they have one win. Until these two teams' defences come together and perform well, they will struggle against [West rivals] B.C. and Saskatchewan. Calgary's defence isn't stopping anybody.

Edmonton's offensive line played extremely well against Saskatchewan [in a 39-32 loss Aug. 18] and that will go a long ways in what they can do against Calgary. Eskimos linebacker A.J. Gass will play a big role in this game. Edmonton's defence is last in stopping the run, so [Calgary running back] Joffrey Reynolds might get more touches, setting up a battle between him and A.J. Gass.