The villains returned home Thursday, Lebron James came back to Cleveland and Dany Heatley returned to Ottawa. I didn't watch the Sharks-Senators game, but I did see the highlights. They no longer love Mr. Heatley in Ottawa. I did want to see what type of reception Lebron would get in his hometown. He ripped the heart out of Cleveland when he left and he didn't have the decency to tell them he was doing so until making his decision on national TV. It was nasty, boos cascaded from the arena several times. Its something he can expect for years. As I saw the reception though, I couldn't help but think that it paled in comparison to the night Chris Pronger returned to Edmonton. I should know cuz I was there. I was amongst the 18-thousand who booed Pronger from the moment he stepped on the Rexall Place ice. That was a nasty, nasty evening as he got it from every which direction. The only thing that was missing was Pronger jerseys being thrown on the ice like the Heatley jerseys that were thrown on the ice in Ottawa. I don't condone throwing things on the ice, but in that case it was funny.
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I will condone throwing things on the ice in Regina tonight--as long as its a stuffed animal. The Pats annual Teddy Bear Toss goes tonight. A couple of years ago, my young daughter ended up in the Pasqua Hospital and she was without a teddy bear. The nurse asked her if she would like one and she of course nodded her head yes. The nurse then asked me to come with her to see what she would like. She took me into this room and there were so many stuffed animals in there that it caught me off guard. I asked her where the hospital gets them and she said a lot come from the Pats and their Teddy Bear Toss. We found a couple and I had a happy kid. She quizzically asked when it was time to go home if she could take the two teddys home because she really liked them. Like the nurses are going to say no! Anyhoo, the message is please take a stuffed animal to tonight's game, because you will make a young child happy if he or she ever needs to be hospitalized.
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I would be taking a stuffy to the Dome tonight(no, I wouldn't recycle one of the teddys my kid brought home), but I would be if I were going, The reason I'm not going is I will be making my way down to Weyburn later today for the annual SJHL showcase. 12 teams play two games apiece starting at 11 this morning. I really should be getting packed instead of typing. Should be a good weekend. Looking forward to it.
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I have no idea who the favourite is to coach the Riders. I know Dave Dickenson's name is coming up, but I don't know if the ex Stamp and Lion wants to come to Regina. I know Richie Hall's name is being mentioned a lot too. We know Ken Miller loved "the men" and Richie certainly wouldn't allow the culture that Kenny has created to change. Richie is a good man, but he never could get that head coaching job here. Does he want to go through another interview knowing he could be on the outside looking in again? The names that I think one shouldn't discount are Montreal's Scott Milanovich and former Rider assistant Mike Gibson who was just let go in Hamilton.
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I'm planning on visiting Wrigley Field for the first time ever. I'll be like a kid in a candy store when I get there. There are a lot of things I want to do and see besides watching the Cubs. One of the things I wanted to do was get a picture if I could with Cubs broadcaster and former 3rd baseman Ron Santo. He is one of the greatest ever Cubs to play the game and listening to him do games with Pat Hughes on my satellite radio is great because he lives and dies through this team. You could hear him whooping it up in a 9th inning rally or you could hear him suffer when a team hit a big homerun against the Cubs. Ron Santo died last night in Arizona. It won't be the same not hearing him on WGN. RIP Ron.
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Gotta run! Weyburn awaits!
6 comments:
I found this on Wikipedia about Coach Berry. Seems the Rider Nation doesn't know it A** from a hole in the ground.
In 1999, Berry began with the Montreal Alouettes as their offensive line coach. During this time Montreal had three players named as the CFL's Most Outstanding Lineman, Uzooma Okeke in 1999, Pierre Vercheval in 2000, and Bryan Chiu in 2002. His O-line helped star running back Mike Pringle win the CFL's rushing title in 1999 and 2000. The Alouettes won the Grey Cup in 2002.
Berry was promoted to co-offensive co-ordinator (with Kevin Strasser) and quarterbacks coach in 2003. In 2003, quarterback Anthony Calvillo posted a career-high 5,891 passing yards and 37 touchdowns. Calvillo set more personal bests the following year with 6,041 passing yards and added 5,556 yards to his career total. Calvillo led the league in passing yards for both the 2003 and 2004 seasons.
On December 15, 2005, Berry signed a multi-year contract to become the 26th head coach in Winnipeg Blue Bombers history. After guiding the team to a 9-9 record in the 2006 CFL season, he took the Bombers to their first playoff game since 2003, but ended up losing to the Toronto Argonauts in the East Division semi-final.
After the 2006 season he was nominated for Coach of the Year, but lost to Wally Buono of the BC Lions.
During the 2007 campaign, Berry's Bombers got off to a hot start, but struggled against division opponents in the closing weeks. As a result, the team finished one point behind the Toronto Argonauts in the East Division, despite leading in the division for much of the year, and did not earn a first round bye. However, the Blue Bombers won each of their first two playoff matchups, and earned a spot in the 95th Grey Cup. The team failed to capture the 2007 title, losing to the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Yup lets heap Sh*t on Berry. Maybe he will leave and we could get Danny Barrett back. Sheesh what a bunch of Macaroons.
'appy bird day Meester Blair!
My pick? Dickenson. My fear? Berry.
Anon I bet your fear was also Tillman, Austin,Miller, Taman.
Scott; wrong, wrong, wrong and right.
Anyone notice the constant progression in Darian's game in the 09 season?
While there were progressions again this year (leading passer @ 5542 yds, and qb rusher @ 618 yds), there would be many spots of regression as well.
Sure, 2 different OC's in his 2 seasons as a starter, different playbook, different rcvr's, OL personnel/coach, etc.
Question is, why?
I know some longtime Rider fans think we should be mute on any decisions made by mgmt, coaches, players and Gainer.
Example; Game 1 vs Als on July 1st. Late in 1st Q, Mtl's D was sitting on top of our run up the gut, or dink and dunk short passing game. Stifling our O.
Some never-coached-football-in-his-life-fan in Section 105 started hollering down to Berry to "stretch them out", "go deep", "it'll open up the world for us".
Now, not that he heard this fan, or maybe he did, but when they went deep in the 2nd Q for the first time it definitely got their D thinking and gave us more room.
Time after that, we scored a long TD!
I've been at Taylor Field since 1980. For any fan to say that no fan knows what they are talking about, is a pretty broad stroke of the paintbrush.
I wish that fan would have been in Edm for the Grey Cup. 1 true deep ball??
Pathetic gameplanning by the Rider OC, and anyone in a supervisory position!! No other way to slice it!!
What I see is this....we have been to 2 consecutive Grey Cups and won neither. 09 never should've come down to the 13 man penalty. Als should've been finished off in the 3rd Q.
This year, we had an OC that reined in the best QB in Canada, in the biggest game of the year. Well, ain't that great!! Who okayed these decisions? Uh huh. 0-2 in the last 2 Grey Cups because of it!!
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