Somehow, Rusty is at 5-2 - putting him three games above .500 and two ahead of A-Rad. The over .500 mark won't last; the other will.

Rusty's Picks:

Calgary at Toronto

It's unfortunate that a lot of the focus this week has been on the two backup quarterbacks and not on the play of Mike Bishop last weekend. Given that this has the chance to really hurt the chemistry in the locker room, I think it's time for an unsubstantiated rumour to make the rounds to take the pressure off for a bit.

You didn't get this from us, but the Argos have found a loophole in the rules to allow Ricky to join the team after week 5.  Shhhhhh! 

Pick: Toronto

Edmonton at Winnipeg

Problem: Having moved to the East division, some of the rivalries the Bombers had with their old western foes are waning.

Solution: Have Edmonton sign Mike Pringle and use him on every goaline situation for the rest of the year to keep him ahead of Milt Stegall. Or George Reed. Whoever, really.

Pick: Winnipeg

BC at Saskatchewan

In what I can only assume is an attempt by the Regina Police to get more drunk and disorderly arrests at Taylor Field, the Riders have slashed the costs of "Thunder Mugs" to $2. These, of course, would be mugs that can be used as a megaphone after you're finished with your beverage, which is perfectly practical.

Yup, it's the best game of the week, and I'm writing about a product that shares its name with the slang term for a cup that's used as a toilet substitute on long road trips. Actually, given the number of Rider fans that drive long distances to the games, maybe this isn't as ridiculous an item as I thought. 

Pick: BC

Montreal at Hamilton

As part of the "Hammer Time" festivities at Ivor Wynne, linebacker Jojuan Armour ran out with a sledgehammer last Saturday and started pounding the turf during the introductions. We can all agree that we need more players running out on the field with props. But for this particular game, it might be more appropriate for both teams to run on to the field carrying newspapers to help deal with the bird and cat droppings. 

Pick: Montreal

A-Rad's's Picks:

Calgary at Toronto

According to Mike Bishop, he wasn't focused in his early years in Toronto because of "culture shock: You want to get out there and explore the city, you see lots of beautiful women."

Funny...that's exactly the same problem Jason Maas has had in Hamilton.

Pick: Toronto

Edmonton at Winnipeg

The bad news for Little Hawk? He seems to be on the verge of being done as the Bombers' kicker. The good news? He'll soon be able to invest the time and effort needed to knock off the hated Harlequin II as Winnipeg's top music act. Which means that the next time the Grey Cup is in Winnipeg, the post-game party will be even more kick-ass than it was last year.

Pick: Winnipeg

BC at Saskatchewan

Apparently, gophers are so detested by Saskatchewan farmers that there's some fear for Gainer's safety. The executive director of the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation insists the beloved rodent is safe, since he's "the chosen one." (I'm not making this up.) But if I were Gainer, I'd still be concerned. After all, there's been a perfectly good hedgehog lurking around the stadium lately just waiting to take over mascot duties.

Pick: Saskatchewan

Montreal at Hamilton

Let's put this in early-'90s hip-hop terms the Ticats can understand.

You can get with this, or you can get with that. You can get with this, or you can get with that. You can get with this, or you can get with that. I think you'll get with this, cuz this is where it's at.

Who's the black sheep? Maas the black sheep.

Pick: Montreal

Bonus pick: 

All of the Argos have been injured in practice, leaving Pinball to play the Stamps by himself. Hot off the Calgary Stampede, his hated rivals have brought with them a bull and issued an edict that Pinball cannot play them until he's ridden it across the field. How does Pinball do?*

Boatmenblog pick: Pinball (plus bull) 1,712, Stamps 0. (Not only does Pinball successfully ride the bull; he also charms it into joining him for the game. With the bull blocking, Pinball scores at least two additional touchdowns on top of what he'd normally get.

* = Everything we need to know about football analysis, we learned from early '90s SNL sketches.