This And That

 

 

A weekly collection of thoughts running through my muddled brain in no particular order

 

 

--I think its safe to assume that barring any miracles the Regina Pats are going to bow out of the playoffs after the first round again. This will not leave a good taste in the mouths of Regina hockey fans who desperately want this team to advance to the second round if not further. After soiling the linen in Games 1 and 2, it is my only hope they can push the series to five games and give it a solid effort win or lose in that game. Some have mentioned its time for a long-rumoured sale to finally become reality. I can't argue that.

 

 

--Give Regina goaltender Dawson McAuley some credit. It couldn't be easy for the young man to face the sharks that are the Regina media after some less than stellar play in Games 1 and 2. He stood there and answered every question though. Compare that to Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf who ran out of Air Canada Centre after a loss to the Blues this week without answering questions. Yes, Phaneuf finally did answer the media's questions by phoning up the Tim and Sid show on Sportsnet, but really phoning those two up is like hearing a tree fall in the forest. Did anyone of substance really hear it? He then admitted he made a mistake when speaking to reporters on Thursday. I'm sure he had been well-rehearsed before going out there.

 

 

--For those bemoaning the Pats fate, relax. Its just another year where Saskatchewan teams sit idly by and watch Alberta teams compete in the 2nd round. Swift Current may get there, but once again the Alberta teams dominate the WHL final four in the East. Wouldn't it be great to see a Saskatchewan final four one year with say the Pats, Warriors, Blades and Raiders as the final four teams from the East. Once again, its been far too long since the WHL final paid a visit to our province.

 

 

--Unexpectedly there was a lot of good baseball talk on the Sportscage Thursday. I think there's a real market for baseball in this town, but people just don't talk about it enough. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact you can see the Riders and Pats close up and there are guys from here that you can watch on a nightly basis in the NHL, but there is no connection to Saskatchewan amongst MLB. There's a lot more golf fans in Saskatchewan now that Graham DeLaet is doing his thing. I will be interested to see how the Mets-Jays exhibition series goes in Montreal this weekend. There is a definite appetite for the game to return to Montreal, but I just don't see it happening anytime soon. There is still a lot of bitterness with many for the fact the Expos were robbed of what some perceive to be a World Series title in 1994 when they were the best team when the strike hit. As I said on the Cage Thursday, there is no guarantee the Expos win the World Series. None whatsoever.  The 2001 Seattle Mariners won 116 games and didn't win it all. You can make the argument all you like, but the reality is no one knows whether Montreal would have won it all that year or not.

 

--The CFL's decision to review pass interference is dumb, but I will say its not as dumb as some of the moves being considered in the NFL like making the convert a 35 yard kick. I'm not sure what Roger Goodell is doing, but moves like that and the one in which players can no longer dunk the ball over the goal-post is just done.

 

--Jennifer Jones has indicated her rink isn't ready to call it quits after winning the Olympics. Does this mean we are going to see a Jones-Rachel Homan rivalry over the next few years. I wouldn't doubt it.  On the mens side, the Kevin Martin rink has broken up and it appears the Jeff Stoughton and Glenn Howard ones are also. The tides are changing on the mens side. Can it change enough so that a Saskatchewan mens team wins the Brier?

 

--I will not be disappointed if the Leafs don't make the playoffs.

 

--Scraping the windshield in late March is not cool!

 

--I'm hoping "Mitchigan" can make it to the Final 4 again, but it will be tough. The game against Tennessee doesn't scare me as much as the game against the winner of the Kentucky-Louisville match-up.

 

--I hope there is a special place in hell for those who roar past me and then get into my lane just so they can turn thus delaying traffic while Douchebagus Extraordinarus moves along.

 

--Who allowed Arsenio Hall to come back to TV. Who?

 

--When I wave winter goodbye, which finger will I be using?

 

--Have a great weekend!