Two Als Avoid Suspension

Montreal Alouettes linebacker Shea Emery and defensive end John Bowman will be a little lighter in the wallet, but will be allowed to play in Saturday’s game against Edmonton. The CFL fined both players for incidents surrounding last week’s win at Saskatchewan.

Emery, who has now been fined three this season, might consider himself lucky to avoid a suspension. With two minutes remaining before halftime, he punched guard Brandon Labatte in the groin during a break in action. Emery was flagged for rough play and ejected from the game. “I was acting out of my mind,” Emry told reporters after the game. “A lot was going on. Things happen. Some stuff gets called, some stuff doesn’t. Of course, I regret it. It put the team in a bad light. I’d like to take it back, but I can’t.”

War of Words

While it was Labatte who took the shot from Emery, the Alouettes claim Saskatchewan center Dominic Picard was at the root of the issue. “Picard is the dirtiest player in the league,” Bowman told The Montreal Gazette. “They basically tried to break (Emry’s) leg. Somebody had (Emry) low and Picard chopped him. “I don’t want to get fined here, but the refs are letting stuff go. It’s got to be self-preservation on the field.” Bowman was fined an undisclosed sum for those comments.

Meanwhile, Picard still claims that Bowman called him a “frog” during the game. Bowman defended himself Wednesday. “I guess he needed a little excuse for why he hit me … punched me,” Bowan told reporters. “I would never disrespect the Quebec province or the French-talking people. I love it here. I would never do anything to disrespect my team. I just learned what that word meant, last year.”

If Emery or Bowman were suspended, it would have been a big blow for the Als. The 26-year-old Emery is tied for the team lead with 78 tackles and is in the squad’s best bet for the CFL’s top Canadian award. Bowman has 31 tackles and six quarterback sacks this season. The Alouettes, who have clinched top spot in the East and a first-round bye in the playoffs, host the Edmonton Eskimos Sunday afternoon. Montreal has won each of its last five meetings with the Eskimos and has covered the spread in seven of the last eight matchups between the two squads. The Als are pegged as 5-point favourites for Sunday’s game.