Sheets Update From Oakland

We know what is being said about Weston Dressler in Kansas City, but its been tougher to find news on Kory Sheets.  However, here's an article on the Riders running back trying to crack the Raiders. Click here to read

CFL Players Of The Month For July

The Canadian Football League announced today that Mike Reilly, John Chick, Swayze Waters and Andrew Harris were named the CFL Players of the Month for July.
The monthly awards include all games played from Week 1 to Week 5.
The four players were chosen by a panel of judges that includes former Canadian Football League players Matt Dunigan and Duane Forde of TSN, and Pierre Vercheval of RDS.

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Edmonton Eskimos quarterback Mike Reilly was named the Offensive Player of the Month for July. Through the first month of the season, Reilly passed for 1,142 yards on 110-for-173 passing (63.6%) and threw for nine touchdowns to help lead the Eskimos to a 4-1 start, currently good enough for a share of first place in the West Division.
Reilly also impressed with his legs by rushing for 221 yards on 28 carries (7.9 yards per carry), the most by any quarterback and seventh most in the CFL.
Reilly, a Kennewick, Washington native, had his best performance in Week 3.The product of Central Washington threw for 256 yards and three touchdowns in Edmonton’s 27-11 win over the Ottawa REDBLACKS.
Against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Week 4, Reilly had his best rushing game, running for 96 yards while also throwing a touchdown in the Eskimos’ 26-3 win.
Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive end John Chick was named the Defensive Player of the Month for July. Chick recorded six sacks, 11 tackles, one forced fumble and three tackles for a loss during the opening four games of the Roughriders’ 2014 campaign.

Chick has opened the season with at least one sack in each game and on two occasions, he notched a pair of sacks to catapult himself into the league lead.
The native of Gillette, Wyoming and product of Utah State was named Defensive Player of the Week for Week 5, in which he sacked Ricky Ray twice and added a tackle in the Riders’ dominant 37-9 win over the Toronto Argonauts.

Toronto Argonauts kicker and punter Swayze Waters was named the Special Teams Player of the Month for July. Waters went 13-of-14 (92.9%) kicking field goals to open the season, as well as boasting the league’s highest punting average at 46.8 yards.
The native of Jackson, Mississippi matched a career-high in Week 2 by making five field goals against the Calgary Stampeders, including a 51-yarder, equaling his career long.
The single season record holder in points at the University of Alabama-Birmingham is currently third in kicking points with 50.
BC Lions running back Andrew Harris was named the Canadian Player of the Month for July. The Winnipeg, Manitoba native has collected 579 yards from scrimmage and has recorded three touchdowns to begin the 2014 season.

Through five weeks, Harris leads the league in rushing yards with 311 on 56 carries (5.6 yards per carry) and is ranked fourth in the league in receiving yards with 268 on 18 receptions (14.9 yard average).
Harris’ best performance came in Week 3 when he took home Offensive and Canadian Player of the Week honours after rushing for 138 yards on 18 touches, scoring a touchdown and recording a team-high 65 receiving yards, in the Lions’ 26-13 win over the Roughriders.
Harris was also named Canadian Player of the Week in Week 4 after rushing for 72 yards, adding four receptions for 78 yards and scoring a touchdown.
Harris is second in the league in combined yards with 646 yards.

Rider News

Saskatchewan Roughrider defensive end John Chick and linebacker Sam Hurl have each been named a CFL Gibson's Finest Player of the Week.

 

Chick was named Defensive Player of the Week after a dominating performance in Saturday’s 37-9 victory over the visiting Toronto Argonauts. The 31-year-old Wyoming native recorded two quarterback sacks, one forced fumble and one defensive tackle.

 

For the season, Chick has 11 defensive tackles, three tackles for loss, one forced fumble, and a league leading six quarterback sacks. This is the third time in five CFL seasons that Chick has picked up Defensive Player of the Week.

 

Hurl was named Canadian Player of the Week after an equally impressive week five performance. The 24-year-old Calgary native registered a single game career high seven defensive tackles, while also adding a fumble recovery.

 

The three year CFL veteran currently sits fourth in the league with 21 defensive tackles. It is the first time Hurl has picked up Player of the Week honours.

 

It is the third and fourth time this season that a Rider has earned Player of the Week honours after Ricky Foley picked up double recognition to open the season.     

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The Saskatchewan Roughriders today announced international wide receiver Korey Williams and international defensive lineman Chancey Aghayere  have joined the teams practice roster. 

 

Williams (6’ – 185) will be in his second CFL season after originally entering the league in 2013 with the B.C. Lions. Last season the NorthWest Oklahoma State product registered seven receptions for 112 yards and one touchdown, while adding one rush attempt for 41 yards in 15 regular season games. The 27-year-old also had 15 punt returns for 56 yards and six kickoff returns for 64 yards.

 

 

Aghayere (6’4 – 265) joins the Riders after attending off-season workouts with the Seattle Seahawks. He had previously signed with the team as an undrafted free agent in April, 2013.

 

Previously, the Texas native played four seasons at Louisiana State where he collected 44 defensive tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and two quarterback sacks in 43 career collegiate games.   

 

 

 

Something To "Mitch" About

Well Rider Nation, you can breathe easy this week. It seems as if the team got their you know what together during the bye week as they really took it out on the Argos. Who's kidding who, that game was over 5 minutes in. The defence came to play and I mean they came to play. If they can play at that level and that intensity for the rest of the season, it will be tough for teams to beat the green and white. I fully realize that likely won't happen in the remaining 14 games, but it was a sign that when this team wants to play ---especially on defence---they are pretty damn tough.

Just some thoughts

  --Who had the better game John Chick or Tyron Brackenridge? Am I the only one saying today after watching Chick's play that he is playing at the level he was when he won the defensive player of the year award before bolting to the NFL in 2009. He's been a beast!

 --Has the wheel of running backs stopped on Will Ford? He certainly deserves the start against Ottawa.

--With the way the offensive line runblocks, is it safe to say there are a lot of people out there who could run for at least 60 yards behind them.

--Dan Clark looked great in his debut. Head coach Corey Chamblin says he didn't notice anything bad and that's a good sign.

--While the passing game continues to struggle, one wonders if those struggles end when Chris Getzlaf gets back into the lineup.

--Durant only completed 9 passes. There aren't many quarterbacks who complete just 9 passes while seeing their team score 37 points with none of the points coming directly from the defence.

Lets see if the team can take this new-found attitude and energy and do it again in Ottawa. Two games in five days will be tough, but they should be able to go to Ottawa and win even though the REDBLACKS are better than your usual expansion team. The Winnipeg game will be a definite test.

There has to be concern amongst CFL folks about the Ti-Cats and Argos. Who's kidding who, that looked bad Saturday night at McMaster. More people have been at Rams and Huskies games than there were at Ron Joyce Stadium. I know the stadium doesn't seat a lot, but it looked bad. As one person connected with the CFL said Saturday night, they should have looked at going to Buffalo instead of MacMaster. I couldn't disagree. The University of Buffalo stadium would have been a better venue. So would have Rogers Centre.

Could the CFL survive without Toronto if the Argos franchise moved to the Maritimes.  I'm not sure if it could when Corporate Canada is in T-O.

The Geroy Simon retirement ceremony just seemed awkward to me---especially the part of him addressing the team. That one left me scratching my head when Geroy works for another team. Lets just say I couldn't see Kent Austin coming in and speaking to the Riders if the team were to retire his number 5.  Yes, Geroy's role isn't as high profile as Kent's, but you see what I mean.

This was the last Sunday without NFL football until the week before the Super Bowl. I'm OK with that and I know there are many others OK with that as well.

Other non football related thoughts

Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux went into Baseball's Hall of Fame this weekend. Those guys could twirl the ball. They were something special to watch when they were on their game. How the Braves only won one World Series during those years is beyond me.

Graham DeLaet just couldn't carry the momentum from his course record 63 on Friday in the final 36 holes of the Canadian Open. He needed another couple of 67's on the weekend, but he still finished with another top 10. As for Jim Furyk, he needs to have someone come in to close things out. How many times has Furyk had the lead after 54 holes and lose? I thought he was a shoo-in to win it on Sunday, but Tim Clark had other ideas.

Am I the only one wondering who cares if new Leafs assistant GM Kyle Dubas is a specialist in "advanced statistics". Hockey isn't like baseball and Moneyball can't be replicated on the ice the way it is on the diamond. I can't wait to see how this plays out.

When in an NFL fantasy draft this year----don't wait too long to take Buffalo's Sammy Watkins.

I should not be allowed at times to carry an 8 iron in my hand.

Its Queen City Ex time. How much will it cost me to get a "stuffy" for my youngest daughter this year and can I just go to Toys R Us and smuggle something into the grounds.

That's all I got. Enjoy the week!

This And That

Apologies for the lateness of this post. I know its usually up late Thursday night-early Friday morning, but circumstances prevented me getting this thing online until early Friday evening. As usual, these are just the weekly thoughts running through my muddled mind

• One thing that was nice about being away for a week was not hearing the question "What's wrong with the Riders?". It didn't take long for that question to crop up again this week though along with the entitlement of the fan as to what he or she deserves to know.  Riders head coach Corey Chamblin in my mind has told you all you need to know when it comes to Keith Toston and why he isn't playing. He says its a coaches decision.  That is all you need to know and after that its none of your business unless Chamblin or GM Brendan Taman or Toston himself wants to share more information.  Yes, the fact some members of the media know the answer to the question is a sign of trust between organization and person. You can bet your bottom dollar if we blabbed every piece of information we heard on a day-to-day basis that the fountain of info would be shut off extremely quick. I don't make things public at my workplace that I don't think should be made public and either do you. Why do you think this is any different? Don't give me the "We are the fans who pay the salary!" excuse either. You put your money down at several places, but I'm sure if you're favourite teller is gone from the bank or your favourite product is gone from the grocery store, you can ask the question and get an answer but if there is more to the story that they don't want to tell you, they won't. Its as simple as that. Just because you are a fan doesn't mean you get an all-access pass. Some of you know that---actually a lot of you do, but it would seem as if some of you don't.

• I am going to be honest and say the Chris Getzlaf injury is becoming more and more worrisome. What is wrong with Getz? Its something that is being kept hush-hush, but its something where the team won't put him on the six game injury list even though this will be the 3rd game he will miss. I thought he would be ready to go for the Toronto game but he's not. The Rider offence needs number 89 in there.

• I'm disappointed with those who are elated with the fact Jon Cornish is done for the first half of the season. The Calgary running back is done until September after being placed on the six game injury list with concussion symptoms. I fully realize Cornish is public enemy #2 around here behind Henry Burris, but its not good on a league-wide basis to have the league's reigning MVP on the shelf. If fans of other teams were crowing about Darian Durant being lost to a long-term injury, you would be outraged. There is no difference here.

• How would you like to be that 20 year old who won 350-thousand in the 50-50 draw at the Eskimos game. That's an unreal number. How many went to the game to get a ticket and how many went to watch the game---while getting a ticket. Bottom line is the Eskimos had 41 thousand on a Thursday night to watch the game and that's what counts. Could the Argos find someone corporate to put up 20-grand in a 50-50 draw every home game to entice more people out. Yeah, it would probably mean a 50-50 of 22-thousand, but you know what I mean.

 

• For what its worth, I loved the call by Chris Jones at the end of the first half Thursday night, but I questioned the when he did it. That was not the time to run that play and it cost them. Doing that earlier in the quarter and or midway thru the 3rd would have made that play a lot better in my mind win or lose.

  

• A very astute point from my good buddy Rob Vanstone in his Friday column on why there is a need for TSN to keep showing us "That's Hockey" in July. Why? They aren't even the chief network anymore!  How about a daily half hour show on the CFL to maybe pump up some more interest across the league. It can be done so why isn't it?

• Are the Regina Pats ever going to get around to hiring a head coach?

• Has anyone been to the NAIG events in Regina? Many media outlets including mine put up polls asking if people will be going and the answer is an overwhelming no. That being said, I heard the CKHS was as packed for the basketball finals as it was for the CIS National Womens Basketball Championship a couple of years ago.

 

• Let me get this straight. A small child falls out of an ages-old tree in Regina Beach and hurts  himself and now there is a move on to get rid of the tree?  Really??? Are we getting rid of the playground equipment for fear someone will get hurt too? Where did our mentality change? We weren't like this 20-25 years ago and frankly it was rather refreshing compared to what it is now.  Some people just go wayyyyyyyyy too overboard on things and this is one of them.

 

•  This will anger the hard-core NFL fans, but the NFL network is must-watch TV right now as they show highlight films of all 32 squads from last year and take us from one training camp to another. If you are a hard-core football fan, this is a great time of year.

 

• How are the San Francisco Giants managing to stay ahead of the LA Dodgers in the NL West. With the pitching staff the Dodgers have, they should be cruising in that division, but the Giants are finding a way.

• The Yankees are loading up trying to make a playoff push. I can only hope this fails. Baseball is much better when the Yankees aren't in the playoffs. Sorry Yankee fans!  By the way, why doesn't anyone in the southern US complain about their name.

That's all I got. Have a great weekend!! GO RIDERS!!

Ford Signing Made Official By Riders

The Saskatchewan Roughriders today announced international running back Will Ford has joined the teams practice roster. 

 

Ford (5’11 – 195) is a three year CFL veteran after originally entering the league in 2012 with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Last season the South Carolina State product was named an East Division All-Star after running for 594 yards and two touchdowns on 113 carries while adding seven receptions for 41 yards and a touchdown in 13 regular season games with the Bombers. The 27-year-old also had 45 kickoff returns for 1,047 yards and two touchdowns including a 100 yard long return. He was twice named CFL Special Teams Player of the Week following performances in week 11 and 15.   

Dressler Talks About Chiefs Main Camp After Day 1

Kansas City Chiefs fans are starting to see in Weston Dressler what Rider fans saw for years. Dressler was interviewed by Kansas City media after day 1 of main camp today. You can take a look at what he had to say by clicking here

Something To "Mitch" About

A few days getting away from it all in the summer-time can be a great thing, but life goes on and so does work. Like the Riders, a brief vacation was taken and like the Riders, it will be back to work Tuesday for this blogger after some time in the good old US of A---in particular Minot.  Its been a long time since I've been to the city and it has grown immensely since the last time I was there. What did I miss while I was away


1. Hugh Charles comes and goes

    I'll be honest with you. I was surprised when the Riders went out and picked up Hugh Charles. When he was here the first time, he couldn't block, he had a problem hanging onto the football and he seemed like a "me" guy with the backflips--I remember one game where the Riders were getting blown out and late in the game he scored and then pushed some teammates away so he could backflip. Yes, Hugh ran for 86 yards in the first half of the loss to BC, but stats don't mean everything. He fumbled and he still showed he couldn't block. What surprised me was the outrage amongst some Rider fans towards Coach C and GM Brendan Taman. Did some think Hugh was the savior? I have had many a Rider fan ask me why Taman can't find a RB. Excuse me?? Taman found THEE running back last year in Kory Sheets---a guy who only got the job remember because Brandon West couldn't hang on to the football. He went out in the off-season and found both Keith Toston and Anthony Allen. It is not Taman's fault that neither man is playing. He gets the ingredients and Chamblin cooks the recipe.  Why Toston isn't playing is a mystery to me, but after last year, I think Coach C proved he knows a helluva lot more football than a lot of us do. "The Mad Scientist" has a plan and he isn't diverting from that plan.

2. Expectations

      A gentlemen told me as I was in the bank waiting to change some Canadian cash into American cash that the Riders wouldn't make the playoffs and would be lucky to win 5 games this year. I laughed at him and asked what his rationale was. He said the team wasn't as close to being talented as last year's team which I agreed with, but I reminded him we are only four weeks into a long season. I think as a fanbase our expectations may have been a little high. I still think this team despite its losses is a very good team, but injuries to Chris Getzlaf and rookie Chad Kilgore haven't helped.  Without Getzlaf in there, it means the loss of Dressler, Simon, Sheets and Getzlaf to that high powered offence. That will hurt anyone. Did anyone think Edmonton would be 4-0 to start the season. How about Winnipeg's great start. Who had Hamilton at 0-3 and Toronto at 1-2. Relax people. There is still a long ways to go. I think our expectations for this team were maybe a little too unrealistic---I'm starting to think that even though I still think this team wins the West again. Lets let this book play out for a few more weeks before we start playing CSI Regina and examine the corpse.

  3. CFL in the USA

       I didn't see every down of football this weekend and I would have liked to seen the first game back in Ottawa, but its great for Canadians like me to have the ability to watch the CFL while in the US. The Edmonton-Winnipeg and Hamilton-Calgary were both on ESPN2 and it was outstanding sitting in my hotel room watching that game after a day in the hot sun. I don't know how many are tuning in down in the states, but they have their own host for the proceedings and he does a good job in bringing the CFL to Americans. They even have a couple of commercials I haven't seen up here. This can only be a plus for the CFL as they try to make household names out of the Durants, Cornishs, Rays and Willy's.

  4. Baseball's all-star game

      I knew baseball's all-star game would be a lovefest for Derek Jeter or Michael Jeter as a tweet from CBS news read (OOPS!!), but baseball should be embarrassed for what happened or what didn't happen at Minnesota's Target Field ( a stadium where I must watch baseball first-hand).  How the game could salute Jeter while ignoring Tony Gwynn was a grievous mistake. Gwynn was just as great an ambassador for the game as what Jeter is today and to not even mention his passing during the game or on the FOX telecast was a horrible, horrible mistake. Both tried covering their tracks by saying there were many who played the game who passed away over the course of the year that weren't mentioned as well. That couldn't have been done at some point? I would have much rather seen that than Erin Andrews looking all flabbergasted when Adam Wainwright told her he didn't groove a pitch into Jeter in the first inning and that comments he had made suggesting that were a joke.  As I said, both MLB and FOX should be ashamed of themselves for this slight.

5. Target Field

      While sitting at a Barnes and Noble in Minot, I started reading a book on Target Field and it said that after a referendum, a slight hike to the sales tax was made in Hennepin County for funds that went towards the construction of the stadium. I repeat "Why couldn't we do that in Regina?" Could we not have a slight hike in the PST or a small stadium tax for goods sold in the downtown core----after all we are revitalizing the downtown with this initiative aren't we. Do this for a year and see what type of money is there for the stadium and other projects to make our downtown better. I'm sorry, but downtown Regina is still not what this city wants it to be and it won't be for a long, long time for a variety of reasons. A variety of reasons I'm not getting into, but reasons I think the smart Reginan knows full too well about. If this can be done, why aren't we doing it or why didn't we do it?  Questions for another day I guess.

6.  British Open

        I realize he is the game, but I heard more about Tiger Woods at the British Open than I did about Rory McIlroy winning the thing and that's wrong. The Tiger luster is gone and its time to start focusing in on the Rorys, the Garcias, the Fowlers and the new group of young guns in this sport. I don't need to see every shot of a guy who barely made the cut and is stumbling his way around the course.

7.  Minot

   

 

I know many of you have been to Minot before, so I won't show you pic after pic after pic. Here's the lion at the zoo though.  She just has that "I want to rip your throat out look".  The Minot Zoo definitely doesn't compare to the Calgary Zoo, but they are still trying to recover from the flood of 2011 that had 20 percent of the town underwater. The Moose River goes right through the zoo so obviously they were hit hard. All the animals there had to be  moved elsewhere and this is really the first summer of a complete operation they have had since 2011. They had to be crossing their fingers after seeing what happened in Saskatchewan and Manitoba a few weeks ago, but it doesn't seem as if flooding will be a problem this time around.

 

A lot of you know what this place is...

 

 

Its the inside of Buffalo Wild Wings in Minot. With all apologies to Kevin and Jason at the Press Box and George at Four Seasons, why doesn't Regina have one of these??? What an outstanding place to watch the game or have some good eats. Those that remember the game QB1 will want to know its located here. People told me there was a Dressler jersey hanging up there. If its there, I didn't see it.

 

 

The North Dakota State Fair was on and the University of North Dakota athletics program---based in Grand Forks---did something I think the University of Regina should do in an attempt to get more people out to their games. They could even do this up in Saskatoon as well.

 

It was UND Day at the Fair on Saturday. Different athletes from the various programs were there to sign autographs, answer questions and all of those in attendance received a 50 percent off ticket to a UND hockey game at the magnificent Ralph Engelstad arena.  The U of R should do that and with kids flocking around, give them a chance to meet and talk to some Cougar athletes and give them the opportunity to see a volleyball, basketball, hockey or football game for a low price. If they drag Mom and Dad along which most will, it could create a better environment in the stands than what currently it has. Its just a thought.

 

 

The ND State Fair is just a little different than Buffalo Days. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with Buffalo Days, but for someone who goes every year, there is that repetitiveness because you know this is there and this is here and that is there. When you are a stranger to the ND State Fair, you don't know what is around the next corner.

 

 

The one thing I will say about Minot is the customer service. People there bend over backwards to make sure your experience in their restaurant or shop is a good one which as I think we know is not  the case at all local businesses and watering holes.

 

One last thing. I was getting set to call it a night and did one last channel check in the room. Just starting on what I think is called the Midco Sports Network was a one hour documentary on the rivalry between UND and North Dakota State. It featured mainly on the football and womens basketball programs. What a great show. I was hoping to see a little Scott Schultz and Weston Dressler in college action, but the documentary was done many years ago. Schultzie informed me the documentary ended in what would have been his first year there so obviously no Weston.

 

And yes, when you wear the /=S=/ in Minot, you hear many "Go RIDERS". I don't know if they are others from Saskatchewan or locals, but it still brings that touch of home.

 

 

That's about all I got. One more day of this brief little vacation and then its back to work tomorrow. See ya!

 



MLB At The Break

OK, Major League Baseball is way past the halfway mark with most teams having around 70 games to go before the season ends. However, Tuesday's all-star game is the unofficial halfway mark with the pennant drive moving at top speed when teams head back.  Here's my look at the first half winners and losers

BEST TEAM: Los Angeles Dodgers --The Oakland Athletics may have the most wins in the majors, but they aren't even as close to being as talented as the Dodgers. Clayton Kershaw is having one of the best years a pitcher has ever had in the majors while Josh Beckett, Zack Greinke and Hyun-Jin Ryu give the Dodgers one of the best rotations that baseball has seen since the days of Smoltz, Avery, Glavine and Maddux in Atlanta.

WORST TEAM: This should perhaps be re-labeled as most disappointing team and that falls squarely on the shoulders of the Texas Rangers. They had won 90 games each of the previous four seasons to go along with two American League Championships. They now have the least wins out of any team in baseball. Its time for this team to start over again.

AMERICAN LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS

•  Cy Young Award ---Felix Hernandez (Seattle)

                   King Felix is dominant. He is the best pitcher in the American League with a record of 11-2, an ERA of 2.12 and just 25 walks compared to 154 strikeouts

•  Rookie of the Year --Jose Abreu (Chicago)

                      The Cuban defector has smacked 29 homers for the White Sox and is a legitimate bet to hit between 45-50 if he stays healthy. How can you not pick this guy!

• MVP  --Robinson Cano (Seattle)

                     The Mariners have the best pitcher in the game and they have one of the top players in Cano as well. The decision to sign him as a free agent could pay off in a playoff spot for a Seattle team currently holding down a wild-card spot.  He doesn't have the power numbers that an Edwin Encarnacion (who might have had this had it not been for his injury) or Mike Trout has, but he is batting 339 and has come up with big hits time after time after time for the Mariners.

NATIONAL LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS

• Cy Young Award  -- Clayton Kershaw (LA Dodgers)

                       The lefty has been lights out. His June saw him go on a scoreless streak of 41 innings. He has thrown a no-hitter. He has an ERA of under 2. There is no better player in the game than Kershaw right now

• Rookie Of The Year -- Billy Hamilton (Cincinnati)

                  The word on Hamilton was if he could hit, he would be special. He has shown he can hit improving his average every month to the point it now sits at 285 with a surprising 5 homers. Hamilton will steal close to 70 bases this year and is a major reason why the Reds are trying to secure a wild-card spot in the National League if not a division title in the Central

• MVP  --Troy Tulowitzki (Colorado)

                   The Rockies shortstop has just continues to get better and better. He is hitting 345 this season with 21 homers. His only problem is the team isn't doing well and voters will likely look at guys on playoff teams like Atlanta's Freddie Freeman or Pittsburgh's Andrew McCutchen

PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS

American League Wild Card  --- Seattle and Kansas City  (This could change to the Blue Jays if they can get themselves a first class pitcher by the end of July)

American League Division Winners  --- Baltimore, Detroit and Oakland

National League Wild Card ---San Francisco and Pittsburgh
National League Division Winners --Washington, Cincinnati and the Dodgers

ALCS  ---Oakland vs Baltimore
NLCS  ---San Francisco  vs   Dodgers

World Series ---Dodgers over Oakland

Something To "Mitch" About

Gainer is even waving his arms in frustration. What an exasperating night for the green and white. Where do ya start?

Hugh Charles ran for 86 yards, but he dropped a TD pass (and yes, he did not have control of that ball in the endzone) and he had a crucial fumble that led to BC's field goal at the end of the first half and was a real momentum killer. He also missed some blocks which was his downfall here his first time around. It was not a stellar debut.

How does the game change if Eron Riley hangs on to that ball early in the 4th quarter with the Riders down 6. Is it safe to say that was the turning point? We don't know if the Riders put the ball in the endzone on that drive, but if they do, do they win that game? I would say yes.

The Riders only took 9 penalties, but they were costly penalties. They were penalties that kept BC drives alive including the one that put the final nail in the coffin when they took a field goal off the board only to score a couple of plays later.

Not every defence will make every tackle, but one has to admit it seems as if this defence has forgotten how to wrap up a guy the last couple of weeks.

The lone solace is this is Week 3 and I think a lot of this team as Coach Chamblin has suggested are new to this league and are taking baby steps. Its starting to remind me a lot of the 2012 season when there were a lot of new guys here. I didn't think that would be as big a problem this year because of the veterans left despite the off-season losses, but perhaps I was wrong. I still think there is enough talent on this team for this squad to be right there when the season ends and that end is a long ways away. No one won the Grey Cup after three weeks. No one!!

I wonder if the people of Winnipeg and Edmonton realize you don't win after three weeks. Its funny to hear the crowing coming from those places especially Winnipeg where you would think they would have learned after the Swaggerville disaster. I guess not. If you ask me, the Eskimos are the better 3-0 team. It shouldn't be that surprising to see this team playing well because of the close games they couldn't finish last year, I still think Edmonton gets into the playoffs through the West. I'm still not sold on the Bombers.

Not a big Stampeders fan, but they sent a message to everyone with their beating of the Argos in Toronto. Without Jon Cornish and Nik Lewis, they dominated the Argos one week after they dominated the Riders. It is clear that three weeks in, the Stampeders are the best team in the CFL Once again though, you don't win the Cup after three years.

David Price was dominant in beating the Blue Jays again on Sunday. Price is 15-2 career against the Blue Jays. I can't help but wonder if Alex Anthopoulos noticed the performance Price gave. Can he swing a deal at the all-star break to get this guy in a Jays uniform. If he does, the team can still make the playoffs, If he doesn't or get a pitcher very soon, kiss the season goodbye. It is slipping away from them one day at a time while upper management sits idly by.

Speaking of the Jays, did anyone catch this Munenori Kawasaki interview with Barry Davis on Saturday. It is gold!!!

Watching the futures game on Sunday from Target Field just reinforced the Cubs are slowly getting to a form of respectabilty and slowly getting to the point where they can contend again. Kris Bryant and Javier Baez are going to be stars and from what I've seen of Arismendy Alcantra, that kid can play. Its starting to come together. Can I put a timeline of 2016 and 2017 on it.

Kyle Lowry's return to the Raptors will mean this team will stay relevant. The Raptors had to keep their face of the franchise. The future looks bright for one team that calls the ACC home.

The World Cup is over for another four years with Germany holding the crown ending what was a tremendous display of the sport---a sport that continues to grow globally and a sport that is getting better and better TV numbers across North America. I would love to see Canada in the 2018 event, but sadly I can't see that happening. Expect to see a lot of womens soccer over the next year though as Canada will be hosting the 2015 Womens World Cup. I wish part of that tournament was coming to Regina, but alas it won't  happen. I would have loved to have seen that.

Would soccer be better if they eliminated the offside rule? Would it create cherry-pickers? Could we say there is no offside inside the 30 yard line. I think that would generate a little more offense. There were more goals in this World Cup than any other, but scoreless draws don't do the game a lot of good especially when it comes in a final. I think the world would have been buzzing over a 3-2 game between Germany and Argentina instead of 1-0 game where the only goal was scored in extra time.


I've said it once and I'll say it a million times. There is no better entertainment for your dollar than a Regina Red Sox game at Currie Field. Conditions were perfect for their Sunday night tilt against the Lethbridge Bulls. The Bulls won the game, but that didn't diminish from what was an outstanding night at the park. I know there will never be consistent crowds of 1000 and over, but it would sure be great if more people came to games. Regina is a baseball town, but the Red Sox struggle to get over 600 fans a game until playoffs. I think this city is big enough to get more than that out. Its not like the team doesn't try to get you out as Bernie Eiswirth and Gary Brotzel work hard to get that dollar. If you haven't been, go check it out.

OK Craven fans, who put on the better show? Was it Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley or Keith Urban. My people are saying it was Dierks, Urban and then Bryan and Bryan put on one helluva performance Friday night.

Someone needs to explain to me this IPhone Commercial with "Go You Chicken Fat Go". That song is right up there with "Last Saskatchewan Pirate" when it comes to most irritating. Actually, I think I would rather hear LSP than hear Go you Chicken Fat Go echoing through the speakers at Mosaic.

I am going to go out on a limb and say the Tampa Bay Lightning will be one of the NHL's final four next season.

Can't wait for the season finale of "24" tonight. Who is in the flag-draped casket? They can't kill off Audrey! Will Jack be back? GOD I hope so!

**LATE ADDITION**  Quote of the weekend. A CBC story this morning talks about the amount of debit cards, wallets, phones, etc. etc turned in at Craven and how people should stop by the information booth before leaving if they lost something. Ryan Geni is a worker at the booth and says Although people do come out here and lose their dignity, they also do lose some other things like their phones, their keys and their wallets," said Geni.  People losing their dignity at Craven????!!!!  NOOOOOOOO!!!!!  

This blogger is on holidays until the 22nd and this blogger is getting outta here with the destination being the good old US of A. Later!

Sounds From The Rider Room

Here is what Sam Hurl, Darian Durant and Coach Chamblin were saying after last nite's 26-13 loss to the Lions...

This And That

The weekly assortment of thoughts running through my muddled brain in no particular order

• Its Saturday night football at Mosaic and I can't wait. It is going to be a great night weather-wise and it should be a good game between two Western Division rivals. Here's hopin the old girl will be rockin and that the Rider Nation comes out in full force. Yeah, I'm guessing a lot of you will be in Craven and no, I don't know why the Riders have a home game going up against the Jamboree, but I'm still thinkin we can squeeze 30-thousand into Mosaic for a great night of Riders football

• OUCH!!!  That's all you can say if a fan of Brazilian soccer. Who's kidding who, the Germans turned the host team into sauerkraut with a 7-1 win in the semi-finals. That would be similar to Hamilton coming in here last November and winning the Grey Cup 56-6.

• As soon as Dwight Anderson got traded, everyone started to wonder what he had done in Toronto to precipitate this move. Would the same reaction had been had if it were Tearrius George, Weldon Brown or Dominic Picard?

• Moms should tell their kids that yellow or green beans are yellow or green fries.

• There's no worse sound than the "poof" on the barbecue meaning you are out of propane midway through cooking something.

• For as long as I live, I will never, ever understand the allure of taking the old camper and parking it at Wal-Mart for the night.

• The American Hockey League is tweaking its overtime rule. The overtime has been expanded to 7 minutes. The first four minutes are played four on four with the final three minutes being three on three. I like that idea!

• What is happening with baseball pitchers and arm injuries. There are wayyyyy too many guys having Tommy John surgery and now Japanese sensation Masahiro Tanaka has an arm problem. This wasn't happening in the 70's or the 80's the way it is now and I would think bodies are more conditioned and looked after now.

• Someone needs to explain to me the rationale of Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos. Perhaps Anthopooulos needs to explain his rationale to upper management. This team is in desperate need of a number one starting pitcher or a 2nd baseman. What does Anthopoulos do??? He goes out and gets outfielder Nolan Reimold off waivers. Reimold is alright, but I think Anthony Gose was doing alright in Colby Rasmus' absence. That move was a strange one to me and one that will not get the Blue Jays back atop the American League East. Anthopoulos is slowly letting this season get away from him.

• We NEED this at the new stadium!!! There is no debate on the matter!

• Its National Free Slurpee Day at your 7-11 on which strangely enough is July 11. Who doesn't love the slurpee!! With it being sunny and in the mid 20s today, I'm thinkin a few of the delicious icy drinks will be consumed.

• Jean shorts can be a wonderful thing if you know what I mean guys------and somehow I think you do!!

• How much longer until the new NFL season starts??

• If you want to end your week with a laugh, check this out!!

Have a great weekend!!  GO RIDERS!!!

Ti-Cats Aren't Home Yet

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats announced today that due to construction delays at Tim Hortons Field, the team will host its first two home games – July 26 vs. Ottawa and July 31 vs. Winnipeg – at McMaster University’s Ron Joyce Stadium.

“Today’s meeting with Toronto 2015, Infrastructure Ontario, ONSS and the City of Hamilton has made it clear that it would not be possible to safely deliver a game experience that would meet our standards within the current timeframe. As a result, we will now host our first two home games at Ron Joyce Stadium. After holding our home pre-season game on campus last month, we know that we can deliver an outstanding entertainment experience at McMaster.  In the coming weeks, we will have greater certainty regarding our August 16 game, but the builders remain adamant that Tim Hortons Field will be ready no later than Labour Day,” said CEO Scott Mitchell.

“While we are disappointed our fans will have to wait to visit our incredible new stadium, we know the world-class experience provided at Tim Hortons Field will exceed everyone’s expectations when it is complete.”  

Fans that have purchased tickets to these games will be issued a credit or refund for the full value of each game.  Details about the games at McMaster will be released tomorrow.

2014 Riderville Tour

The Saskatchewan Roughriders announced today the 2014 Riderville Pre-Game Party Tour which will make seven stops in CFL cities, including the 102^nd Grey Cup Festival in Vancouver and the Labour Day Riderville Cabaret in Regina. 

 

Riderville events have been a staple at CFL Grey Cup Festivals for years. In 2013, Riderville pre-game events went on the road to Edmonton and Vancouver. The 2014 Riderville Tour will make pre-game stops at five Rider away games in Ottawa, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Calgary.

 

Sponsored by Tourism Saskatchewan, Riderville pre-game events will welcome fans of all CFL teams and will include music, food, refreshments, special guest speakers and MC’s, door prizes, contests and other giveaways.  Each event will also raise funds for a local charity. In 2013, the Edmonton Burn Treatment Society and Ronald McDonald House of British Columbia benefitted. This year, the first tour stop will be in Ottawa at the Aberdeen Pavilion on August 2. Funds raised at this event will support the Military Family Resource Centre.

 

Riderville tour stops are free to enter and open to all ages and all jersey colours. 

 

“Tourism Saskatchewan values its partnership with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and is proud to play a role in hosting Riderville events,” Interim CEO of Tourism Saskatchewan Mary Taylor-Ash said. “The events are great opportunities to showcase Saskatchewan spirit and hospitality and entice visitors to our province, while supporting worthy causes. We look forward to welcoming Rider Nation and fans of all CFL teams in celebration of this great game and the Canadian Football League.”

 

The 2014 Riderville Tour schedule can be found at:  http://www.riderville.com/2014-riderville-tour-schedule 

D-A Heads To T-O

The Riders have traded Dwight Anderson to Toronto for a conditional draft pick. Head Coach Corey Chamblin will explain the move later this morning when he meets with the media for the first time since Saturday's 48-15 drubbing at the hands of the Argos in a game where Anderson missed several tackles.

Something To "Mitch" About

Thanks to Nicole Tardif for sending me this on Twitter. Its so true!! Some of those that were ecstatic over what happened last week are  demanding instantaneous change this week. CMON people!!! Lets pull it back a little!!!

There's no use even trying to sugarcoat what happened at Rogers Centre on Saturday. It was almost a complete 180 from what we saw at Mosaic Stadium against Hamilton in Week 1. The Riders were just about as bad in Toronto as they were good against the Tiger-Cats.  They didn't seem to have any fire or any energy.  They looked uninspired, yet they were in a position to perhaps win the football game.

The Riders cut the deficit to 10 and had the ball on a 2nd and I'm not sure. Darian got sacked on a play by the Toronto defensive half where Anthony Allen had to choose what guy to block allowing the other one to come through untouched. That play forced the Riders to punt and squashed any momentum they had with Ricky Ray taking over from there. He moved the team down the field for a touchdown and it was lights out.

It had to be a very deflating experience for the green and white, but head coach Corey Chamblin is hoping that experience will be good for them down the road. He didn't suggest the team had some big heads going in, but when he said to Carm Carteri that last week the talk was about repeating (which he said with a laugh) there was perhaps more to that statement than you think even though it was said jokingly. Chamblin said he didn't like their week of practice but admitted you can have bad practices and win and have good practices and lose. Did he see a little of bit of over-confidence creeping into his team after the one-sided win over Hamilton?  If he did, I'm sure he will be letting the team know about it as they get ready for BC Saturday night at Mosaic.

 Just some thoughts about what I saw

  --John Chick has come out of the gate on fire this year. He was the Riders best defensive player by far and is looking like the player that was dominant before leaving for the NFL. That's nothing but good news as far as I'm concerned.

 --Too many missed tackles. Wayyy too many

 --The Durant to Brett Swain combination is working. Those two are establishing a nice little chemistry with one another

--Was I the only one who yelled NOOOOOOOOO as Darian released the pass that Antoine Molden took back 107 yards for a touchdown. I could see that one coming. Give a lot of credit to Ben Heenan for not giving up and chasing Molden down the field. Big men shouldn't be doing that.

--Anthony Allen can run the football, but he needs to hang onto it as well. Two fumbles in two weeks will not go over well. He sat down for a while yesterday and may have sat down for the rest of the game had it not been for a Neal Hughes injury.  Does Keith Toston or Hugh Charles get the starting assignment against the Lions?

--Its never been a secret that I'm a big fan of Neal Hughes so I love it when he contributes offensively.

If the Riders were the team that took the biggest fall after their Week 1 performance, then Montreal takes the biggest rise. They got their act together at home against BC. They aren't the Alouettes of old by any means, but they showed they can be competitive.

Kevin Glenn has had better starts. His stint with the Lions has been disastrous so far with six INTs in two games. I'm guessing Mike Benavides can't wait for Week 7 when Travis Lulay is eligible to come back onto the roster.

What a 4th quarter implosion by the Tiger-Cats. That was downright ugly seeing the way they handed that game to Edmonton and yet they still had a chance to win it. I hated the QB draw call at the end and think Kent Austin outsmarted himself, but whatever.

I'm not sold on the Bombers yet. It will take a while.

Other tidbits....

  --Moments after it ended Saturday morning someone put on Twitter that Genie Bouchard looked as if she needed a hug. No kidding! That was tough to watch as the 20 year old Canadian who has captured the country's attention got smoked in the womens final at Wimbledon. What a painful learning experience it was. She will be back though! Some are wondering if they should invest some corporate dollars into her and I say why wouldn't you? She is the future of womens tennis and she's easy to look at. Canadian businesses are doing it so get on the bandwagon.

 --I can't help but ask why it is that Stephen Harper hasn't come to our fair province to look at the damages from the mammoth rainfall last weekend. There's no doubt Brad Wall had to do so a-s-a-p which is what he did, but the PM should have been right behind him----especially when he was in Calgary flipping pancakes at the Stampede. It wouldn't have been that big of a trip for him.  The same could be said for Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau who was also in Calgary. Trudeau isn't the PM though, Harper is and I think he really snubbed Saskatchewan by not showing up especially when he checked out the situation in Manitoba yesterday.

 --Jeff Samardzija goes to Oakland, Brandon McCarthy goes to the Yankees. The cards are starting to fall and Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos appears to just sit there and wait. This team needs to make a deal or two as the season is starting to crumble underneath them. In talking to Rogers Sportsnet Jays analyst Gregg Zaun, he says Toronto has to strike now and should offer some top prospects to Tampa for pitcher David Price. You don't get a legitimate shot at the pennant every year so do something Alex. If you don't, you might not have a job next year.

 --How concerned is the CFL about Toronto? The city just won't embrace this team. They are too "big" for the Argos now that they have the Raptors, Jays, Toronto FC and the Leafs. They are back page news and will always be back page news until something changes. I don't know if the best marketing minds out there could get the attitude of Torontonians to change. 18 thousand people on a glorious Saturday afternoon should raise a lot of alarm bells---especially when two or three thousand of those people were likely there to watch the Riders. I still think the CFL needs Toronto because corporate Canada is Toronto, but I don't know what to do. Either does anyone else.

 --Every day I hear a new name come up for the Regina Pats coaching job. I'm sure one of those names will be the new guy, but I am willing to let others comb out that information. Just make the hire and lets move on.

  --Did you see UFC 175? Uriah Hill's toe was certainly the talk for many as was the Ronda Rousey-Alexis Davis fight----if you want to call that one. I've seen better catfights at the bar than what I saw there.  Did you know Lyoto Machida is a guy who drinks his own urine saying it does his body good. Yeahhhhhhhh, no!

  --I guess its safe to say that the cologne or perfume of choice for many for a while will be OFF or Deep Woods Off. We knew it would happen, but man are the mosquitoes bad!

 --I could care less where Lebron James goes in free agency. The same for Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The three are good at what they do, but I'm not a fan of the trio.

--Have a great week everyone!

99 Hopes To Bring The NHL To Seattle

Wayne Gretzky has joined a group of investors hoping to bring a National Hockey League team to Seattle, The Post has learned.
The Gretzky group is one of three looking to bring an NHL franchise to the home of Starbucks, sources said — but each faces an uphill battle in that league Commissioner Gary Bettman has not said the league is ready to expand.
It is not known if the Gretzky group or either of the other two groups are eyeing an expansion team or hope to move an existing team to the Pacific Northwest.
A move to buy a Seattle team would mark at least the second time the 53-year-old Hall of Famer tried to become an NHL owner.
In 2011, Gretzky partnered with Providence Equity Partners, a New York private-equity firm, in a $1.5 billion bid for Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Toronto Maple Leafs and the NBA Toronto Raptors.
However, the NHL rejected the group’s offer because it would have been structured as a leveraged buyout with debt levels higher than 50 percent of the franchise value — which is against NHL rules.
Bettman in May visited Seattle to learn the status of plans to build a new arena. Hedge-fund honcho Chris Hansen has said in the past he is willing to finance a Seattle arena, but only if he is able to snag an NBA franchise to play in it.
The plan to bring NBA action back to Seattle appears to have fizzled when Hansen partner Steve Ballmer dropped out after buying the LA Clippers for $2 billion.
“He needs a team to get the arena off the ground,” a source close to the situation said.
Gretzky declined comment. The NHL did not return calls.

(New York Post)

This And That

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

•  Who does the weekly power rankings at CFL.ca. Calgary at number 1? Is that supposed to be a joke? Hamilton at number 3?? Seriously, did they just pick teams out of a hat? My power rankings after Week 1 would look like this and yes, you can disagree.  1. Sask  2. Edmonton 3. Winnipeg 4. Calgary 5. BC 6. Winnipeg 7. Montreal 8. Hamilton  9. Ottawa

• Congratulations to former Moose Jaw Warriors coach Mike Stothers for climbing up the ladder to the American Hockey League. As "Sportscage" junior hockey insider Kelly Remple informs me, Stothers is the first coach to leave the Warriors to move up to the pro ranks and has not been dismissed or left for another team.

• I can't help but wonder if Malcolm Cameron and Josh Dixon could reunite in Moose Jaw and what that would do to the Highway 1 rivalry. Hey, if Curtis Hunt could go from the Jaw to Regina than Cameron and Dixon could certainly go the other way.

• Harvest Meats recalled a lot of product this week because of "unsuitable" ingredients. Ummmmmmm......what the hell is unsuitable ingredients. I think we deserve an answer to that question don't you?

• What exactly did the Ottawa Senators get in return for Jason Spezza? Alex Chiasson and guys I have never heard of. I would have been trying hard to get Cody Eakin or Valeri Nicushkin if I were Bryan Murray.

• NHL GM"s don't know what the phrase "fiscal restraint" means after watching another day of big money contracts fly out left and right. There were a lot of overpayments in my mind.

• If Rider receiver Ryan Smith ever falls out of favour here and somehow ends up in Edmonton, he will have to grow a mullet and change his number to 94.

• A win by Eugenie Bouchard or Milos Raonic at Wimbledon would be right up there with Mike Weir winning the Masters.

• If you've been watching "24", are you wondering if Jack Bauer is going to have some "interrogation" with Audrey or Agent Walker like I am. I love Yvonne Strahovski from her "Chuck" days.

• The Ottawa REDBLACKS have shown they won't be a pushover if night one was any indication. They gave the Bombers a battle.

•  We are now into July and the Blue Jays are in a pennant race.  You can start getting excited Canada. That being said, this team is struggling along right now and needs something to get them going again,

• I'm still not sold on Winnipeg two games in, but they are a helluva lot better than last year's team. That's pretty easy to see.

                          

Klimchuk Looking To Impress Flames

Still a teenager, Morgan Klimchuk is nevertheless well versed in hockey’s abrupt curves.
You know, the heavy-handed business of it all.
Twice the Calgarian has seen his junior outfit — the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League — overhaul its coaching staff.
Klimchuk’s introduction to the National Hockey League has been no less educational:
* Drafted a year ago by Jay Feaster, then general manager of the Calgary Flames.
* Signed to an entry-level deal by Brian Burke, interim general manager.
* Assessed in his Abbotsford Heat exit meeting by Brad Treliving, now general manager.
“Yeah, that was exactly it,” says Klimchuk, chuckling at the re-cap. “You have to learn to adjust because it’s going to happen throughout your career. Things like that are definitely out of your control. You take care of what you can and, when you’re on the ice, make sure you’re performing and doing what you can do.”
Which he did with the Pats this past season — 74 points in 57 dates — before making four late-season appearances in Abbotsford.
Which he will soon do here.
Klimchuk is one of the prospects invited to the Flames’ development camp this weekend at WinSport’s Ice Complex.
“I’m really excited for it,” says the 28th pick of the 2013 NHL draft. “Whenever you get a chance to make an impression on anyone in the organization — especially all the new faces — it’s an opportunity. Going into camp, that’s what I’m looking to do — make an impression.
“You can’t make the team out of development camp, but you can definitely show what you can do.”
At last summer’s camp, there had been no Brad Pascall, no Burke, no Treliving.
And no Sam Bennett for that matter.
Or Hunter Smith. Or Brandon Hickey.
So there’s a desire to re-establish the pecking order.
“Whenever there’s new players joining the organization,” says Klimchuk, “you want to see how you stack up. And having Treliving there — he probably hasn’t seen a lot of us play in person lately — that’s something I’m definitely looking forward to ... showing them that, come training camp in September, I’m looking to play a big role.”
One thing for sure — he won’t need a formal meet-and-greet with Bennett, the hotshot pivot drafted fourth overall in Philadelphia.
The forwards skated on the national under-18 side last spring and, in fact, had been roommates on the gold-winning entry at the world championship in Sochi, Russia.
“I know him quite well,” says Klimchuk, a left-winger. “A great person and an even better player.”
So when his employers chose Bennett?
“I was really excited,” he says. “For the Flames to get a guy like that, who I am pretty familiar with? It’s very beneficial because you can skip the introduction.”
Asked for a snapshot of his chum, Klimchuk doesn’t hesitate.
“Real good all-around player — he does it all. He’s someone who doesn’t like to get pushed around. He can contribute on all sides of the puck. Good with the puck. Good away from the puck. It shows why he was the fourth-overall pick. He could have been the first-overall pick — he’s that good.”
For Klimchuk — and his buddy Bennett — this week kicks off a hectic stretch.

Canada’s world junior camp in Quebec in early August. Then, a few weeks later, main camp with their respective junior clubs.
Then rookie camp with the Flames.
Then, if all goes well, main camp in Calgary.
No worries, though.
“Coming into last summer, I was told that these next couple summers are going to be the busiest ones of your career,” said Klimchuk. “You get into that mental mindset. It’s go, go, go, for a while. You get used to it. It’s not bad. It’s good to have all those opportunities. I wouldn’t want anything else.”

(Calgary Herald)

MJ Warriors Need A New Head Coach

Moose Jaw Warriors Head Coach Mike Stothers has been hired by the Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings to be their new head coach of their American Hockey League affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs.

 

Stothers joined the Warriors in the summer of 2011, and was on the bench for their inaugural season in Mosaic Place.  With Stothers on the bench for the 2011-2012 season, the Warriors set franchise records for wins (45), home wins (30), fewest losses (19), and points (98), they also won the teams third East Division title and advanced to the 2012 Eastern Conference Final.  After three years in Moose Jaw, he coached the Warriors in 216 games, he is tied for third all-time in games coaches on a Warriors bench.

 

“This is a great opportunity for Mike with the Los Angeles Kings organization and we wish him all the best,” said Warriors General Manager Alan Millar.  “Mike is a very good coach and an even better person.  His impact on our hockey club and players will be felt for years to come.  On behalf of our Board of Directors, Management, staff, and players, we thank Mike and his wife Judi for everything they have done for our team and community.”

Stothers played his junior hockey with the Kingston Canadians of the OMJHL from 1979 to 1982, in 1980 the Philadelphia Flyers drafted him in the first round, 21^st overall.  From 1981 to 1992 he went on to play 672 games in the American Hockey League and 30 in the National Hockey League.

He began his coaching career in the AHL in 1991 as an assistant coach, he spent 2000-2002 as an assistant coach with the Philadelphia Flyers.  In 2002 he returned to major junior hockey, where he coached the Owen Sound Attack for the next five years.  After spending the 2007-2008 season back in the AHL with Grand Rapids, Stothers returned to the NHL in 2010-2011 as an assistant coach with the Atlanta Thrashers.

Double Honors For Foley

Saskatchewan Roughrider defensive end Ricky Foley has been named a CFL Gibson's Finest Player of the Week.

 

The 32-year-old picked up Defensive Player of the Week and Canadian Player of the Week honours after an impressive outing in the Riders 31-10 season opening victory. The Ontario native led the Green and White defence with six tackles and three quarterback sacks.

 

This is the second time Foley has been named Defensive Player of the Week and fourth time he has picked up Canadian Player of the Week honours during his nine year CFL career. 

 

Others to be recognized by the CFL this week were Winnipeg's Drew Willy (offensive) and Toronto's Chad Owens (special teams)