Something To "Mitch" About

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!



If there was ever a better half hour of comedy than that episode of WKRP, I would like to know what it is.

Riders head coach Corey Chamblin put it the best on Saturday night as fans were filing out of Mosaic Stadium after watching their beloved Riders defeat the Edmonton Eskimos 14-9. Chamblin said an ugly win is better than a loss. Amen Corey Amen! Wins don't get you style points in this league or any other league. The bottom line is what team has more points on the scoreboard at the end of the day. You won't hear any apologies coming out of that dressing room as the team stays on-course to host a playoff game which could still be the Western final with a dramatic goal-line stand.

If Marc Cohon should present the Grey Cup to the Riders on that what hopefully will be pleasant Sunday night just a few weeks down the road at Mosaic, will we look back at that play as the season-defining play much like the Kerry Joseph Labour Day run in 07 or the Durant to Getzlaf TD pass in Calgary in 09? I would say yes!

I'm not the fashion police, but the white helmet-green jersey and white pants combo didn't work for me. While I can not confirm this, I am told the Riders went with the white helmets because of Edmonton's green helmets. This only begs the question as to what was done for so many years before the Riders had the white helmets. I digress.

I had no problems with Corey Chamblin gambling on 3rd down deep in Edmonton territory in the 4th quarter. A touchdown and its game over. The defence hadn't been allowing anything. Yes, a field goal makes it a one score game with the two point conversion, but a TD ends it. What I did have a problem with was the play call. Drew Willy has been stopped on 3rd and 1 too many times this season. It seems to me he is too high when he goes into the line. This play needs to be eradicated from the playbook or perhaps Darian Durant should stay in the game.

Mike McCullough always shines when he gets an opportunity. He was joking around after the game about the first play of the game where he made a knockdown on a play where if he doesn't get it, Hugh Charles does and its a touchdown.  Whenever he is called upon, number 45 somehow finds a way to get it done.

While there is no way he will win as you can give the award to Calgary's Jon Cornish right now, I wonder if those who vote for player awards will give the team award for top Canadian to Craig Butler. He certainly deserves it in my mind

I was told on the weekend Alex Hall will be on the Rider ballot for top defensive player. Technically that is the way its supposed to be and technically his 15 sacks and his play in Winnipeg will have to be considered when voting. Is that fair? Someone on the Rider D is going to get the shaft on that and its because of the league.

If I've said it once, I have said it a thousand times. Is there any better reality TV than sports? The Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers proved that in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series. You just can't write scripts for this stuff as David Ortiz sends a grand-slam into the Red Sox bullpen to pull his squad into a 5-all tie when it looked like they were dead in the water. Boston then wins it in the bottom of 9 to even the series at one heading back to Detroit.  It was just another in a long line of great baseball playoff moments and its one that for the Red Sox probably was a top 10 if not higher.

Are the Red Sox players hoping to land a gig on Duck Dynasty? Those beards are just downright nasty! Hockey players should be asking the Red Sox to do something original.

Will U of R Cougar ladies basketball coach (and devoted Red Sox fan) Dave Taylor take a page from his ball-team and grow a beard this season that can be trimmed off at the national championships if they win. CMON DAVE!!!!

The Denver Broncos did not completely demolish the Jacksonville Jaguars as many (including me) expected. In fact, Jacksonville was in the game for much of it and Peyton Manning didn't quarterback both teams. Its probably good for the NFL that didn't happen.

Jon Ryan can't buy a break. Last week. he gets publicized for getting blown up following a blocked field goal and yesterday, he has the chance to kick his first ever NFL field goal since kicker Steve Hauschka was hurt only to have the snap get botched and it ends up being a TD for the Tennessee Titans. Oy vay!!!

The New Orleans Saints approach in the final 3 minutes of their game against New England was atrocious. How many chances do you want to give Tom Brady? You have Drew Brees and you just basically stop playing the game thus giving Brady opportunity after opportunity. He's too good for that. That loss is all on Sean Payton.

10 years ago tonight, the world was introduced to Steve Bartman.

 

 

Would the Cubs have won the NLCS (they were five outs away) and gone on to win the World Series. Many believe they would have had that foul ball not drifted down the left field line. We'll never know. That play to this day is the one that hurts this blogger the most.  The wounds won't ever close on that one. I at least saw the Riders win the Grey Cup so while 09 hurt like hell it doesn't compare to the pain this sports fan felt on that night and the next when the Cubs  lost Game 7. The ESPN documentary "Catching Hell" on Bartman's night is one of the best documentaries I've ever seen. I am convinced that if Wrigley Field had the modern amenities of many other stadiums like a jumbotron that he might not have gotten out of there. More people outside the ballpark knew who he was then those outside. He still hides to this day. I don't know if I can blame him for that.  He never has made a public statement. I wonder if he ever will.

 

 

The season is just two weeks old in the NHL and I don't like the looks of the Edmonton Oilers. Craig MacTavish needs to find a goalie and find a goalie now. Saturday night in Toronto was the last straw for Devan Dubnyk. He has been terrible all season long and while he didn't get some help from his defence on Saturday night. there were simply saves he should have and had to have made. Yes, the overtime goal in a 6-5 Toronto win was the direct result of a penalty at the other end of the ice, but the save still had to be made. In fact, he had to make the save to keep the game from going into overtime, but he made a dumb decision to play the puck instead of freezing it. There are a lot of good young goalies out there and the Oilers have some tools to play with. MacTavish needs to find one and find one soon or else methinks it will be a lonnnnnnng year in Edmonton.

 

PS: This goalie should not be named Bryzgalov!

 

Boston Leier has been a nice addition to the Regina Pats. Its early, but pre-season predictions of Moose Jaw, Regina and Brandon fighting it out for 3rd in the division may be indeed the truth.

 

I'm glad to see the Pats and Warriors didn't take long to renew their rivalry Saturday as there were many fights in the first period at Mosaic Place. I found it somewhat humourous that Jack Rodewald and Carter Hansen each scored in their first game against their old team as well---although Hansen's was just a little bigger.

 

If a league expects you to get information from them by going to a Twitter page or their website, that league needs to re-think its priorities. The same could go for some teams as well.

 

That's all I got. If you haven't stuffed yourself full of bird yet, do so today!