This And That

The usual weekly assortment of things running through my muddled mind in no particular order. Are you ready? Here we go!

--Smart move by the Regina Pats not to dress Sam Steel for Wednesday's game against Swift Current after he suffered some kind of leg injury the night before in Prince Albert. Word is the 16 year old phenom is alright, but why play him in a game which is meaningless when you know you are going to the playoffs. Get the kid healthy and if he misses a couple of more games down the stretch so be it.

--If the Leafs were battling for a playoff spot, would Brendan Shanahan be sitting Nazem Kadri down for two games. If you said yes, you are simply lying to yourself.

--Shanahan said Kadri has some issues but would not spell them out. Corey Chamblin said the same thing about Kory Sheets this week. Are Kadri and Sheets hanging out?

--Ron McLean and Rogers Hometown Hockey comes to Regina on Sunday night with the game to follow being Philadelphia at Ottawa. How many Regina boys or former Pats are on those teams? Why wouldn't you have an Oilers game featuring Jordan Eberle or a Leafs game featuring Tyler Bozak. Oh wait, that's Monday night when Toronto faces Edmonton. That's just bad scheduling.

--The Seahawks have Jimmy Graham. I have just two words for that. OHHHHHHHH YEAHHHHHHHHH!!!

--The Eagles traded Nick Foles to the Rams for Sam Bradford. I have just three letters for that. W-T-F?

 --Someone also needs to explain to me why Julius Thomas would want to leave an AFC powerhouse like the Denver Broncos when you will be catching TD passes from Peyton Manning to going to Jacksonville where you will win 5 games at most trying to catch passes from 2nd year QB Blake Bortles. Bortles might be good at some point in his career, but he's still learning. Thomas like many apparently bow to that "SHOW ME DA MONEY" mentality. I had Thomas in a fantasy league where you can keep three guys. I may be reconsidering whether or not he will be one of my keepers. Then again with the team I have cobbled together over the past couple of years, I don't even think Brendan Taman could get it out of the doldrums.

 --I wonder if Brendan Taman or any other CFL GM play fantasy football. That would be a great charity move to have the 8 GM"s participate in an NFL fantasy football league. I am guessing the trade talk would be a little different than it is in real life.

--Did anyone catch Locker Talk Tuesday night? HIW stars Michael Allan Richard Clark and Mike McSugar were rudely interrupted by Brotherhood thugs Dixie Dragon and Jacob Creed. I think co-host and Brotherhood supporter Pete Paczko was in on the chaos and mayhem which ensued. Look for the Corporation to get revenge at tonight's HIW card at the Hungarian Club. If you've ever wanted to see what goes down and what the citizens of Gronkville are like at this event, tonight is the night to go do it.

--Former Riders coach Ken Miller will be at the Regina Thunder banquet this weekend. It will be good to see Coach. I'm sure the 2009 Grey Cup still haunts him. I will never forget the way he stood up and saluted the fans the day after that soul-crushing defeat at Mosaic Stadium. There wasn't one player who wanted to be at the stadium that day, but Miller apparently told them on the flight back those fans were there for a reason and the players would not let them down even though they had just their heart ripped out. I know I wouldn't have wanted to show up.  For those who criticized Coach, I say he won us a Grey Cup as the Riders were winning when the clock hit zero. You know the rest of the story.

--A lot of talk this week about an all-time Pats team. Dale Derkatch texted Rod Pedersen to say thank you when RP said "The Rat" would be on his team.  Dale would be on that team for many Pats fans I'm guessing and I would likely have him on mine. Perhaps Queen City Sports and Entertainment should have a promotion picking the all-Pats team or perhaps go decade by decade by decade. Could I vote for Jeff Crawford and Marc Centrone? They'd be on the all-tough time behind Al Tuer that's for sure.  For what its worth, my favourite all-time Pats are

1, Dave Michayluk
2. Jordan Eberle
3. Dale Derkatch
4. Josh Harding
5. Rick Rypien
6. Jock Callander
7. Chad Mercier
8. Rhett Gordon
9. John Miner
10. Doug Trapp

If there was an 11, it would be Garrett Mitchell for sure.

Please remember I was a young lad when that team featuring Gillies, Sobchuk, Joly and Staniowski ruled the ice so the guys listed above are guys I watched. I also wasn't in Regina for the Jeff Friesen era as I was doing my thing in Peace River, Alberta where former Pat Kevin Clemens played. Does anyone remember him? Yeah, I didn't think so.

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Between sprinkler heads and bunt drills, it hasn't been a good spring for the Toronto Blue Jays. The Marcus Stroman injury is devastating to them. If the Orioles don't win the AL East again after that, then it will be their fault. 

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Its a long ways to go until the baseball playoffs start, but you might want to put some money down on the Seattle Mariners if you get a chance. I really like the looks of that squad.

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Is it safe to say after a no-cursing in public bylaw was established in Taber, Alberta that there will be no high level mens curling being played there.

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Prince Albert RCMP pulled over a speeding truck on Wednesday and there were 17 people inside it. 17!!!! So many things one could say. Who is that stupid?

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When is the last time Jordan Eberle played in a playoff game? Does he even remember what the  playoffs are?

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What Will Ferrell did on Thursday was simply awesome. Its exhibition baseball so those who think he made a mockery of the game by playing all nine positions and for a variety of teams can go ahead and think it, but I don't think a lot will agree with you.

BTW: I hope that sign doesn't apply to the Cubs by July 1st like it has for the past few years. I think they will be good this year and perhaps have a solid chance at ending the drought in 2016.


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The CFL season is less than 80 days away!

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I've decided cremation is the only way I will have a smokin hot body!

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Have a good weekend!