Trade Winds Keep Blowing At Brandt Centre

With people still analyzing the trade that brings Carter Ashton to Regina and debating whether or not Pats GM Brent Parker gave up too much comes another trade to discuss. Parker is sending goalie Derek Tendler, a 5th round bantam pick in the 2011 draft and the team's first round pick in next year's import draft to the Vancouver Giants for 19 year old winger Cass Mappin, 17 year old defenceman Mitch Spooner and 17 year old forward Mikael Jung.

In making the deal, Parker is hoping some needs for the present and the future have been addressed. Getting Spooner means the team gets a much-needed defenceman for their nine game road trip that starts in Medicine Hat Friday. Mappin is another one of those gritty third line guys that can chip in every now and then on the scoresheet while Jung is a speedy winger who will make more of a contribution next year than this.

Parker is certainly silencing those who say he does nothing. The word "mediocrity" is still being thrown around as these deals certainly don't guarantee a run at the championship. One can't deny though that this team is in a better position to take a run at it now than they were 48 hours ago. These deals are for the now and not the future. If the Pats stumble their way through the 2nd half of the season, the critics will come out full bore and they will have every reason to. If this team does make some noise in the second half and the playoffs and continues it on into next year, those critics will have no choice but to praise Parker. He may have to re-introduce the team to the fans when they get back from that trip with the changes being made.
----
Perhaps it was the many times I had to deal with him when working in Peace River, but I am not a Kevin Martin fan. There's something about him I just don't like---he's just a little too smug for my liking. I will give Kevin credit though because he is one helluva curler and he has one helluva rink. They are one win away from representing Canada in Vancouver at the Olympics after a win over Glenn Howard to end the round-robin at the Roar of the Rings. Chances are those two rinks will meet again in Sunday's final, but I would love to see Jeff Stoughton come out on top. Whether it be Martin, Howard or Stoughton, the Canadian rink in Vancouver will be favoured to win gold. By the way, I still think Martin and the guy that does those Fountain Tire ads are twins separated at birth.

Both Saskatchewan entries are still alive on the ladies side, but that will end today. Krista McCarville will play Stefanie Lawton with the winner of that game playing Amber Holland. Nothing against Stefanie, but I don't want to see two Saskie rinks going at it with the loser going home. I think either Lawton or Holland would be a great rep, but I would love to see Amber get the chance to go to Vancouver. Tell me she wouldn't deserve to have such an opportunity after never really being able to crack through in provincials.

Now that rinks are being eliminated, you have to wonder if we are going to see some of these foursomes stay in tact. Does the Jennifer Jones rink want to keep competing together after their reign of Team Canada comes to an end? Does the Randy Ferbey rink want to keep playing with one another after such a successful career? Those are just two rinks that may want to disband. I'm sure there are others that have been fixtures in their home province for many years that are looking to split up. It might be an interesting winter.
------
I feel bad for Sportsnet's Jamie Campbell. He was living his dream job for the past five years as he was the play-by-play guy for the Toronto Blue Jays. That was until today when Campbell was replaced by former Jay Buck Martinez, who is better known as an analyst than a play-by-play guy. Campbell loves baseball and he loves the Jays. A lot of people gave Campbell some criticism that I thought was unwarranted. Yeah, he wasn't a Vin Scully, but he wasn't a Chip Caray either. A Campbell-Martinez duo would have been nice. It would have been better than the rotating analysts Campbell had to deal with ranging from Pat Tabler(who is good) to Rance Mulliniks (who isn't good). Jamie is a good guy and when I needed some Jays information, I quite often went to him. He told me a story about his first visit to Wrigley Field and what its like at the ballpark that I consider a shrine---a shrine I have never been inside. He painted a picture of what its like in there that it will come as no surprise when I finally get there. He will work for the network in its Olympic coverage and then be re-assigned. Here's hoping he gets a good gig.
For those that don't know, Campbell is a huge CFL fan and pays out of his own pocket to go to the game every year. Back in 2006 when the game was in Winnipeg, I was interviewing Danny McManus when Jamie comes into the room without Danny Mac knowing. In Jamie's hand is a pitcher of ice water that he promptly dumps down the back of a surprised McManus who was on the air. How Danny avoided saying a four letter word is beyond me? When it was over, I put the headphones on Jamie and bugged him that the Goldeyes weren't playing that weekend. That's when he told me about his love of the CFL and the Grey Cup. Fast forward to 2007 and when I hit the Rogers Centre turf for the first time to talk to the Riders. Reporters from across the country are there and who is the first guy to see me and come shake my hand---you guessed it. Jamie Campbell! As I said, I hope his next assignment is a great one and I hope he isn't greatly disappointed over what has happened---but I'm guessing he is.
------
Watching the TV news on Wednesday night, both Global and CTV ran the story of the two young ladies dressed in very little on what was a very cold day. The two ladies were representatives of PETA trying to get their message out. Hey PETA, you talk about cruelty to animals, how about cruelty to humans. How could you have these girls out on the street wearing very little on a very cold day. How humane of you!! You think you got your message across. Here's a message for you...those girls could have been advertising pizza, slap-chops or Blair-necessities.com and they would have gotten attention. Good looking women in scanty clothing will do that you know.
-----
We will have a new Super Bowl champ this year. I think we've known that for a while, but the Steelers basically insured that they won't be playoff bound this year after losing in Cleveland. What happened to the Steelers. They were 6-2 at one time. They are 6-7 now. This is the same team that beat Arizona in last year's Super Bowl, but they look nothing like it. You are the champs and you lose in the same season to teams like the Browns, Chiefs and Raiders. After losing to that trifecta of sad squads, they should be forced to return their Vince that they won last year.CMON MAN!!
They can also give back the one they won a few years ago too since they didn't deserve that one. (Yes, it still touches a nerve and Roethlisberger was not in the endzone)
------
I'm sick of the act that is Chad whatever his name is. It was Chad Johnson before he legally changed it to Chad OchoCinco(85 in Spanish if you don't know) and now it sounds like he is going to give NFL commish Roger Goodell another headache by changing his name again. Word is the Bengals receiver, who gets fined every week for something, now wants to change his name to Chad "Hachi-Go". "Hachi-go" is Japanese for 8-5. BARFFFFFF!!!!
------
I'm looking at the Weather Network's seven day forecast. It says on Tuesday the high will be minus 26 with Wednesday's high being zero!! I'll believe that when I see it! Who are they trying to fool at the Weather Network? Do they think we are dumb. Are they sitting there going make them feel better and tell them its warming up big-time just to get them feeling better. We are so far past the dangling the carrot stage. I'm guessing next Wednesday we will have a high somewhere between minus 10 and 20.
-----
One question for you as you start your Friday on the Tiger Woods story. If he wasn't married, would this be a story? What would his image look like then? He'd be considered in the same light as Gene Simmons and Hugh Hefner. (Can I add Dan Plaster to that list????---not quite yet is what I'm being told by the judges!)
----
After that, I must stop and await whether or not I receive any supplemental discipline from the league office for the last statement.
-----