Not how Calgary Drew it up

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Jeff McIntosh / the canadian press archives Stampeders quarterback Drew Tate was expected to practise Thursday � until tests revealed he has a fractured forearm. (CP)

CALGARY -- The Calgary Stampeders' soap opera of a week took another dramatic turn with the news quarterback Drew Tate is out for the rest of the season with a fractured forearm.

Kevin Glenn will start for the Stampeders in Sunday's West final in Vancouver versus the B.C. Lions.

Tate was sidelined 14 of 18 regular-season games because of a shoulder dislocation.

In just his third game back, Tate fractured a bone in his throwing arm during the third quarter of Sunday's division semifinal versus the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

The 28-year-old finished the game and threw a 68-yard touchdown pass to Romby Bryant with 20 seconds to go for a 36-30 win. But Tate says he felt pain in his arm prior to that drive.

Tests confirmed a broken bone in his lower right arm.

"I guess 2012 just wasn't my year," Tate said following Thursday's practice at McMahon Stadium.

"One door closes. Another opens and the opportunity is now Kevin's. Kevin will take advantage of it and I think our team will respond."

Glenn went 9-5 when Tate was sidelined during the season.

"We won 10 out of the last 12. Kevin started eight of those wins so we'll just move on," Stampeders coach and general manager John Hufnagel said.

It's been one thing after another for the Stampeders this week.

Tate's head and not his arm was the issue after Sunday's game.

When the quarterback said during post-game interviews he couldn't remember the first half, that sparked fears he'd suffered a concussion.

The quarterback issued a statement the following day saying he'd been misunderstood.

An X-ray on Tate's arm earlier this week didn't show cause for alarm, but he didn't take any snaps Wednesday.

Hufnagel had expected Tate to participate in full practice Thursday, but tests conducted later Wednesday found "a small fracture" that will take five to six weeks to heal, the coach said.

Tate wore a cast Thursday and says the injury occurred in the third quarter when he was tackled by Saskatchewan's Tyron Brackenridge.

"Brackenridge shoelace tackled me kind of rolling to our sideline and I just went down on it," Tate explained. "It didn't really bother me until before the last drive of the game."

Hufnagel had signed Tate to a three-year contract extension and jettisoned Henry Burris to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the off-season.

Tate was going to get his first shot as a starting quarterback in the CFL, but Hufnagel smartly acquired a seasoned backup in Glenn in the Hamilton trade.

Glenn led the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to a 10-7 record and wins in both the East semifinal and final in 2007.

Glenn couldn't play in the Grey Cup game, however, because of a broken arm he suffered in the fourth quarter of the East final. The Bombers lost to the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

"Shoot, I've been in that same situation where I was that guy, so I understand exactly what (Tate) is going through," Glenn said. "At the same time I've got to focus on the task at hand and that's winning the game."

-- The Canadian Press

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 16, 2012 C7