This And That

What a week!!! Where do we start?? There are so many places to go, but let's start with the Riders and the fact Darian Durant is gone. I'm going to admit Head Coach Corey Chamblin talked me off the ledge this week.

Despite all the off-season losses, I thought the Riders still had the talent to get back to and win the Grey Cup. The team's 8-2 record did not surprise me, but as I said at the start of the season, all bets were off if Darian Durant got hurt and sadly that's what has happened. I didn't think doom and gloom would ensue, but with all due respect to Tino Sunseri, there is a tremendous drop-off and one that could cost the team its shot at going to GC 102.  Chamblin came on Saskatchewan's #1 sports show Wednesday afternoon and told myself and others listening to the Sportscage why they shouldn't be giving up.

"There's no difference in Bo Levi Mitchell to Tino Sunseri, there's no difference in Drew Willy to Tino Sunseri," Chamblin said. All those guys had to start somewhere and Drew was a guy where last year fans went Oh No and now they don't want to face him every week.  If you want to jump fine, but you're going to miss something good. The way I look at it is we just keep trucking ahead." If you are going to compare Sunseri to Mitchell and Willy that's fine with me because those guys are pretty good. I'm off the ledge---THANKS COACH!!

Why would the Riders want Henry Burris? With all respect to my good friend Rob Vanstone who was pining for his services in a much debated column this week, Burris is the last thing the Riders need. It would set them back tremendously. I think Henry is into his last days as a CFL quarterback. This has not been a good year for him and I would not be surprised to see him ride off into the sunset at the end of the year. Go with the youth, look towards the future and don't look back. I know Rob has a love affair with Smilin Hank. but he took it one step too far this week.

If there is one good thing about Durant going down, its the arrival of former University of Washington quarterback Keith Price. A couple of years ago, a CFL source of mine gave me a copy of a neg list going into the US bowl season with the promise that I couldn't start revealing what player belonged to what team. I had seen the Huskies play so I was happy to see Price's name on the list. I then watched him lose a game to Robert Griffin III and the Baylor Bears by a score of 67-56. Price threw for four touchdowns and ran for two others. I actually thought he outplayed Griffin that night. He looked good in his first CFL practice from what I saw and I think if he gets to know this game that he might be the heir apparent to Darian when his days are done and that the dropoff won't be a big one. I will be following his progress with great interest.

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The other big story this week was and is the Ray Rice situation. There's no other way to describe it except for sickening. How Ray Rice is not jail is amazing and how his wife continues to stand by him and defend him baffles me. Some have said you just don't know what she is going through and I guess that is right. I don't know. They both need help if you ask me. Will he play football again? I would say yes because guys like Michael Vick, Ben Roethlisberger, Dany Heatley and Kobe Bryant have run afoul of the law and have played again. There are also many others in many other occupations who have done heinous things and they have found employment. Ray Rice will as well I imagine.

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Week 2 NFL Lock Of The Week ---Packers over Jets
Week 2 NFL Upset Of The Week ---Rams over Bucs
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Some interesting things have come out of the NFL's opening day rosters. The school with the most players in the league is Louisiana State at 37 followed by USC at 36 and Alabama at 35.   Out of the 32 starting quarterbacks, half of them are first round draft picks. 346 players weigh at least 300 pounds while 276 players weigh 200 or less. Chicago has 16 players aged 30 or over which leads the way.  On average, the world champion Seahawks are the lightest team in the league with the average player weighing 242.2 pounds.

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Will the day ever come when a commute from one end of Regina to the other isn't interrupted by a train?
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Memo to Tim Hortons workers. If I want a dark roast coffee, I will ask you for one. In the meantime, just get me my extra large double double and bagel. Thank you!
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Its been a while since I saw some "High Impact Wrestling", but that will change tonight as the grapplers get back at it at the Hungarian Club. This card will not be televised. I am anticipating Access will be doing HIW before the calendar year.
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Speaking of wrestling, I was listening to a wrestling show on satellite radio and they were talking about John Cena and whether or not the WWE would ever have him be a heel because he is the face of the organization. Apparently, there was talk before Daniel Bryan started to voice concern about his neck about Cena fighting Undertaker at WrestleMania and not Brock Lesnar. Cena would win in controversial fashion leading to a heel turn in the next month while Bryan took over all his Make a Wish foundation and appearances. Could WWE afford to have Cena turn heel? That would be interesting.
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If you are looking for a new phone, I highly endorse the new LG3. It has a lot of bells and whistles and is a great phone.
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If you are squeamish, do not look at the injury Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton suffered last nite. Its a little disturbing. Stanton was hit in the face with an 88 mile an hour fastball and it wasn't pleasant---especially when you see it from one angle where you can see ball firmly strike face.
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I don't know who is going to take the 2nd American League wild card spot, but the last two and a half weeks of the season are going to be a lot of fun.
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That's all I got. I've got the Cage on Friday as RP is gone to Hamilton. If its Friday, it means Scott Schultz will be in studio and so will be the man, the myth, the legend----Dan Plaster! Talk to ya at 4.