This And That

Its only week 6, but you would think its the Western Final. There is no doubt the game of this young CFL season will go in Calgary tonight when the Stampeders take on the Riders. In talking about the game this week with Rod Pedersen on "Sportscage", he said the way things are going its imperative the Riders finish first in the West if they are going to play at home in the Grey Cup because it will be a lot easier just getting past either the Stamps or Lions then having to beat both of them as would be the case if they finished 2nd or 3rd. I can't disagree, but while RP thinks its the Stampeders that are the team to beat, I still think if any team is going to throw a monkeywrench into the Riders plans of winning the 2013 Grey Cup that it will be the Lions. That being said, it doesn't diminish the importance of tonight's game as the green-and-white can win the season series if they take the two points out of what should be a feverish McMahon Stadium. Hey, the Riders can't win them all and it wouldn't surprise me to see Calgary win this one, but how can you bet against a team that has looked so good at home and on the road in July. It will be a dandy.
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I didn't have a problem with the Stampeders giving out horns to the first four thousand fans wearing red, but I do laugh at the fact they are ONLY giving away four thousand. Why not give 15 or 20 thousand away? You are alienating Rider fans and I understand that, but you are also alienating your own fans! That's some smoooooooth marketing there Calgary. What I do find insulting though is this that I take off the Stamps website.

Every Stampeder fan knows that when the Riders come to town, they are in for a night of one of the most intense rivalries in the CFL.

Friday night, as the Stampeders take on the Roughriders at McMahon Stadium in the Wild West Showdown, Stamps fans will be prepared to do whatever it takes to cheer on the Red & White in our house.

In fact, Stamps fans are already on their A-game and have voiced their opinion on what makes Rider fans so annoying. These are the top 10 reasons they came up with:

#10 – Whiners
It seems as though every time the Riders are in the wrong and take a penalty, it’s the referee’s fault for making an outrageous call. 

#9 – Watermelon prices

When the Riders come to town, the cost of watermelons increases in our grocery stores. Watermelons are for eating, not wearing!

#8 – Green = ugly

Green is a terrible colour for a football team. It’s also annoying that they leave green face paint on everything; door handles, bathroom faucets and all over the stands.

#7 – Poor tailgating etiquette

When the Riders come to town, their green John Deere combines take up two spots in the Stampeder tailgating parking lots. It’s really painful to watch them parallel park.

#6 – It’s a football game, not a drinking contest

The Calgary Stampeder Football Club has to hire more security and police when Saskatchewan is in town because Rider fans have proven they do not know their own limits when it comes to alcohol. This is reiterated again in point number one: everyone knows the Riders have a hard time counting.

#5 – Jersey fouls

They wear Rider jerseys to games when the Roughriders aren't even playing, including hockey games. Their fans are like those annoying grasshoppers in Saskatchewan, there are TONS of them and they are EVERYWHERE.

#4 – Their leader is a giant gopher

It’s common knowledge that gophers ruin crops, so it’s quite ironic that the Riders chose a gopher to represent their province’s football team. What do most people do with gophers? Run them over.

#3 – Why are you here?

They shamelessly promote the province they all moved away from. If you love Saskatchewan so much, why do so many of you live in Calgary and why did so many of you leave?

#2 – Like nails on a chalkboard

Rider fans love to hear themselves talk. They have a complete lack of situational awareness. If we wanted to watch trained seals clap and yelp loudly, we would make a trip to Marine Land!

#1 – Terrible at counting

They are more interested in showing everyone they are from Saskatchewan than what is actually happening on the field. Rather than compliment a great play by an opposing player, they’ll say it was "lucky" or a "fluke.” Not to mention, their team can’t count to 12.

Go home Riders.

Can we show some class?? WOW!!! I think its safe to say that if for some reason Calgary is the team representing the West at the Grey Cup that the Eastern rep will be the crowd favourite. That's taking it just a little too far in my mind. If you wish to respond and give a top 10 reason as to why you find the Stampeders and their team annoying, you know where the comments button is.

Is it safe to say that the Montreal Alouettes have slipped into a state of disarray? That performance against Toronto was ugly. You almost have to wonder if Anthony Calvillo is considering retirement before the season is over and if he is re-thinking the decision to keep going this year.

Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel is under the microscope for some off-season activities----some of those that may jeopardize his eligibility. This just proves again to me how the NCAA are such hypocrites. I remember watching the ESPN 30 for 30 on Michigan's Fab Five when Chris Webber was looking inside a store at a Wolverines basketball jersey with his number on it that he couldn't afford. Michigan and the NCAA are making bucketloads of money off his jersey and others on that team and he can't afford to buy one and if someone gives him one it could be against the law.  Fast forward to now....I wonder how many Texas A and M jerseys were sold in the last year, I wonder how many shirts advertising Manziel and the Heisman were made and sold. The NCAA profits from that so if they can, why can't the player? Yes, you may want to set some limits for a collegiate player but hypocrisy is well and alive in this case.

25 years ago today, sports changed. At least it did for me. I saw the business side of the game and so did many others as the Edmonton Oilers traded Wayne Gretzky to the L-A Kings. I didn't think the game's greatest player could ever get traded. I was in absolute shock. It was a nightmare. Seeing Wayne in another team's jersey wasn't right and it was all because of economics. It nauseated me. In a way it still does, but the business side nauseates me for so many different reasons now. Money had won out in the battle over talent and building of a winner. It  just got worse as the years went on and there is no sign of it getting any better. 25 years later, I wonder what the NHL would look like if Wayne had not gone to Southern California. Would the Sharks and Ducks be around? Would the Kings still be around? Would the NHL had gone into cities like Atlanta, Tampa, Miami, Nashville and Columbus? Would Winnipeg have ever left? These are questions you can't answer, but I sure would love to know how many Cups the Oilers could have won and what the profile of the league would be today.

I get the feeling the last two months of the baseball season will be outstanding. There are so many good teams out there and its impossible to make a World Series pairing right now.

Its great watching NFL football again! Soon, college ball will be happening on both sides of the border and then football will truly be back.

One last thing. Andrew Albers became the latest Saskatchewan athlete to make an impact on the sporting scene Tuesday night when he pitched 8 and a third innings of shutout baseball in his major league debut with the Minnesota Twins. He joins a list of high profile athletes like Graham DeLaet, Mark McMorris and Jon Ryan that call Saskatchewan home. Take it a little further and you have guys like Eberle, Getzlaf, Holtby, Kunitz, Labatte, Pouliot and others that I know I'm missing that are reppin this province like its never been repped before. I love it!!!

What I would also love is another Rider win. Here's hopin!!!  Have a great weekend!!!