This And That

Just a random collection of thoughts whirring through the brain...

--I can't figure out the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. They can look very good one week and very bad the next. I don't think I have to tell you what Tiger-Cats showed up in Winnipeg. Hamilton had problems getting over the hump when Marcel Bellefeuille was the head coach and I don't see it being any better with George Cortez at the helm.

--Where is Marcel Bellefeuille now?

--I have said it before. I think the best QB the Bombers have on their roster is Joey Elliott and it showed on Thursday night.

--I am so sick of the negative talk surrounding Rider quarterback Darian Durant. Durant is not the reason this football team is 3-3. Has he been perfect in the first six games? No. Has he made some mistakes? Yes! Durant did enough for this team to win five of six games played this year. The expectations amongst some members of the fan base when it comes to the starting Saskatchewan quarterback is just a little extreme. What do you want from the starting quarterback whether it be Durant or not because it seems that some members of the Rider Nation just aren't happy with whoever is under centre. They booed Lancaster, they booed Austin, they have criticized every starter. I laughed aloud on Wednesday when John Lynch informed me that on the call-in show after the 07 Grey Cup, some had to voice that Kerry Joseph had played bad. THEY WON THE CUP!!!! What more do you want!!

--Athlonsports.com has come up with a list of the best names in US College Football this year. You have to take a look at some of these beauts....one or two who perhaps could be coming to a CFL stadium near you.

--If you look to your right, you see a button from VISA Canada to cheer on our Paralympians at the upcoming London Paralympics. VISA is giving away to some who cheer a 250 dollar pre-paid card. Give it a whirl. You just never know if you might win. Our paralympians certainly deserve your support and they will see it by clicking on the button and wishing them luck. As great as it is to see our Olympians do their thing, it perhaps is greater to see paralympians taking part in the sports they love because they have had to battle just to have a chance to play a sport of any kind.

--The Hockey News has been running season previews on one team in each conference for the last few days with what team will be last in each conference, what team will be 14th in each conference, etc. etc. etc. From what I'm hearing and seeing out of Toronto, I don't think it will really matter for a few months.

--Could the Regina Pats get Jordan Weal and Martin Marincin back if there is a lockout? If they do, how much better are they especially when you consider that other teams will get their players back as well like Quinton Howden, Emerson Etem, etc. etc.

--TSN's Chris Cuthbert had the following tweet this week. "Is 50 Shades of Grey" a story on the first 50 years of the Grey Cup or the 2nd 50. Thats GOLD!

--The movie "Extreme Rush" looks to be one of those movies where its 90 or so minutes of your life that you wish you could get back but won't. A courier cyclist is biking for his life in NYC? No thanks!

--I was in an NFL fantasy draft this week with some members of the Harvard Broadcasting crew. He wasn't the first quarterback I took, but yes, I did take Seahawks QB Matt Flynn. No, I did not take Terrell Owens however Phil "The Thrill" Andrews did. If I would have known, I would have went and made some microwave popcorn for him. Thanks for the donation Phil and remember there are two "L"'s in Mitchell when writing that first place cheque. By the way, the first QB I took was Matt Ryan although I was a pick or two away from adding Matt Stafford to my first pick of Calvin Johnson. That would have been a sweet double.

--If you didn't hear Thursday's "Sportscage", it was a dandy. Rod and his gang of cronies (Derek Meyers, Trevor Secundiak) were in Yorkton for Jarrett Stoll's day with the Stanley Cup. Amongst the guests Roddie had were two LA King season ticket holders who said they wanted to go somewhere to be with a King who had the Cup for a day to see what it was all about and they decided with Stoll. You gotta wonder what these two guys who live in LA thought about Yorkton and Saskatchewan---you know it would be somewhat of a culture shock. Seeing the pics on TV, it looks like a great day was had by all and that's the main thing. I wonder if Locker Talk movie correspondent and Kings fan Carlo Palazzo went to get his pic taken with the Cup.

--If Aaron Rodgers goes down this year or the Packers sit him because they are comfortably in front or woefully behind, the man under center will be Graham Harrell. The guy that couldn't see the field in Saskatchewan in one year here after a successful college career will be backing up perhaps the best offence in football. Its funny how the game works isn't it.

--Just a couple of more weeks until the kids head back to school. How do ya feel about that Mom and Dad?

--Once again, a huge congratulations to the Regina Red Sox for winning the WMBL title for a 2nd straight year. Gary Brotzel, Bernie Eiswirth, Justin Eiswirth and Rob Cherepuschak along with many others deserve a huge pat on the back for another season well done. These four are committed to bringing Reginans a good brand of baseball and an entertaining brand of baseball and I think more and more Reginans are starting to see that. There are a lot of outstanding individuals that put in a lot of hard work with that team and their efforts are now being rewarded. Here's hoping the momentum of this year can carry over into next when "Mission Threepeat" takes over.

--Still with the Red Sox, a tip of the hat goes to their play-by-play guy Adam Geiger or Vin Scully Junior as I call him. Working with limited resources, Adam does a fantastic job on the Red Sox games and the webcasts including Wednesdays series-clincher in Medicine Hat. I think a lot of people were watching the final few outs and hearing Adam's call not just in Regina, but around North America. He does these games by himself and that's not easy when there is a lot of dead time. If there is someone doing a better job in independent or minor league baseball that isn't affiliated with a radio station, I'd like to see him do his thing.

--Its been one year since former Pats captain Rick Rypien tragically left us. I still find that hard to fathom some days. As I said a year ago, I will never meet someone like Rypien again. He was one of a kind and he was the toughest SOB I know. It was a privilege to cover his Pats career.

--I've taken the Lions to beat the Riders this week. I hope I'm wrong.

--Have a great Friday and a great weekend!