This And That

What a great shot of the old girl. I took this the morning 620 CKRM announced they had come to an agreement on a rights extension with the football club to keep doing the play-by-play. It was a picture perfect morning and you felt like grabbing a football and throwing it around.  I'll confess I wish I was there on a day-to-day basis right now watching camp. I fully underst   and the team's reasoning for going to Saskatoon and its great the team is in Saskatoon, but selfishly with the labour unrest going on, I don't know when I'll be over there to watch practice or a game. I don't think I'll be seeing the planned REDBLACKS exhibition game on the 14th and right now I don't know if I'll be there for the second pre-season game against Edmonton. Like many of you, I just want this to get over so we can concentrate on the game and not the backroom dealings.

Just some other thoughts running through my muddled mind in no particular order....

  --The story coming out of Moncton is just chilling. I can't imagine what it would be like here if something like that were to happen. It gives you an appreciation of the job police officers do and how really they put themselves at risk with every call they attend to. You just never know what is going to happen and I am guessing no one in that quiet city figured something like what happened would happen. As one person put it, the lead story on the 6 o'clock news the night before was Canada Post concerned because one of their carriers got bit by a dog.

  --Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final was outstanding----particularly the final few minutes when the teams went up and down the ice with numerous scoring chances at the end. I didn't think the Kings and Rangers could give us what L-A and Chicago gave us, but maybe they can.

  --620 CKRM's morning gal Gloria Evans thought Wayne Gretzky was looking rather withered in his interview with Ron McLean before Game 1. I thought he looked great. It still baffles me how arguably the greatest player in the game isn't working for the league in some capacity or working with one of the teams. I still think he should be working for the Oilers in some manner, but that isn't going to happen anytime soon.

  --If you haven't heard, a witch doctor from Ghana says he is responsible for the knee problems Portguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo is having. Those problems could keep him from playing in the World Cup. The witch doctor says he wants Ghana to get through unscathed from group play at the World Cup and putting some kind of voodoo on one of the world's best soccer players helps that out. I am wondering if this guy would be available to do something to Jon Cornish. WHAT??????

  --Yes, the Riders have lost a lot of talent this year and they lost a lot of depth, but I still believe they are the top team in the West going into the season. Despite the losses, they still have a lot of good football players kicking around which is a great testament to what Brendan Taman and Corey Chamblin are doing. It also shows us just how good that 2013 team was. I wonder if we will ever fully appreciate just how good that squad was as the years go by.

  --While I have not seen one second of camp, I am hearing the best overall player in the first week might have been linebacker Brian Peters. I ask those of you who have been there if that's accurate or not? I am also hearing former Thunder receiver Mitch Thompson is showing he belongs. I would love to see that kid get a spot on the roster somewhere. He can play!

 --Congratulations to Kerry Joseph. If you didn't know, the former Rider and CFL quarterback is going to be a guest coach with the New Orleans Saints.  I think K-J will make an excellent coach and I hope someday he winds up back in Canada. Selfishly, I'd love to see him back here.

  --I guess its out of the bag now so I can announce Rider Radio 620 CKRM has added to what already is a star-studded lineup. Recently retired Riders linebacker Mike McCullough will be joining our team joining the likes of Scott Schultz, Luc Mullinder, Chris Szarka and Matt Dominguez.  That's a pretty damn good team if you ask me. If we can find a QB, we would have a great six man team---damn you Marc Mueller for leaving for Calgary.

   --Why are the Brandon Wheat Kings going to be good for the next few years. Take a look at this from Alan Caldwell's "Small Thoughts At Large" blog and you will get your answer.

 --Eugenie Bouchard certainly had this country talking with her play at the French Open and for good reason. She has certainly emerged as Canada's best female athlete and she is doing good for the sport of tennis in this country. The same can be said for Milos Raonic, but it seems he can only get so far and isn't one of the big boys yet.

  --A belated congrats to former co-worker Patrick Book. He is Mayor Michael Fougere's right hand man now having left his post behind at CJME. I watched him come in as a wet behind the ears reporter and become maybe the best reporter the city had until leaving---he was when it came to tweeting the goings-on at council meetings which is perhaps a reason why the city snagged him. Its good to see him earning real money.

  --If you've been listening to the mighty 620 this week, you have been hearing my voice during the morning run and not the usual afternoon gig. I'm not really that big a fan of crawling out of bed early in the AM and driving the mean streets of Regina. While no one can see what you look like on the radio, the same can't be said for TV so it makes me wonder just how the morning show gangs at Global and CTV can do it while looking sharp, alert and bright-eyed. Do the likes of Heather Anderson, Chris Hodges and Kent Morrison waive goodbye to their audience at 858 each morning and take a quick nap at 903. God knows I would be.

 --Is Jays first baseman/designated hitter Adam Lind trying to win a Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart look-alike competition. He's got my vote!

  --Jim Hughson seems to be the only guy that no one has a problem with when it comes to the four men who will call hockey on Rogers next year as they start their 15 year agreement with the NHL. There is mixed feelings out there towards Bob Cole for reasons I understand, there are mixed opinions for Dave Randorf and there are mixed opinions for Paul Romanuk. Count me in as a guy who isn't big on Romanuk. I never was big on "Romy" when he was at TSN and I'm certainly not changing my opinion now. I think Rogers had a chance to make a real splash and bring some fresh blood into the equation and they failed. There are many out there who deserve to be doing NHL hockey and aren't for one reason or another or people doing regional games who could be bumped up the ladder. I would much rather have a Dennis Beyak than a Paul Romanuk.  I think of all the talent in the WHL like Jon Keen in Kamloops and Regan Bartel in Kelowna along with my good friend Les Lazaruk in Saskatoon. There's RJ Broadhead at Sportsnet, there's Rod and there's Loubardias who aren't calling hockey games for anyone and I am sure there are many guys in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes who are top notch broadcasters.  Will these guys ever get a call and if not, what does it say for the business they are in.

  --In Monday's "Something To Mitch About", I opined about Regina needing an Outback Steakhouse, or a Fuddruckers or a Papa Johns Pizza. Someone whom I have a great deal of respect for informed me via e-mail that a Fuddruckers may be coming sooner than I think. I can only hope that is the case. I think many others would welcome that news as well.  How many of us go to Saskatoon and make a Fudds stop at some point before coming home? (HAND RAISED)

  --There is a bacon festival in Kipling this weekend! Kipling could be bigger than Regina on Saturday afternoon. After all, what's not to love about bacon? Am I right fellas?

  --That's all I got. Have a great weekend. Hopefully I'll catch some of you at the Red Sox games this weekend as they meet Weyburn and Yorkton at Currie Field in 705 starts.  Remember this as you head out for whatever this weekend.....Ladies, guys are like dogs. We're excited to see you and we have no idea what you're upset about!