This And That

The weekly assortment of thoughts running through my muddled mind and once again, there is no particular order

 --I don't know how it is going to turn out, but I love the Kerry Joseph signing. It doesn't cost the Riders anything and they gain valuable experience at the game's most important position. Yes, he's 41, but he has only been out of the game for less than a year. He also gives the team a better chance to win than what they have with the current two guys. If the team felt they could win with Tino Sunseri and Seth Doege, they wouldn't have gone out to get Joseph. The team knows with Darian Durant they could have repeated and without him they likely don't. Its a gamble throwing Joseph in there, but its one that could conceivably pay off and if it doesn't, it didn't cost them a thing and gives KJ a chance to finish out his career with the team he wants to finish off. He probably didn't imagine when he left the field in tears last year as a member of the Eskimos that he would be back on the Mosaic Stadium turf wearing the jersey he wore when he led the Riders to the 07 Cup. Welcome back K-J.

--If the Riders were looking for an "old" quarterback, I don't know why they had to go out and get Joseph because Leader-Post sports writer Ian Hamilton was right here all along, I keep hearing from Vanstone the guy is an excellent quarterback in their flag football league. If Kerry goes down, I say bring in Hamilton!!

--The NHL is back. The thing people are talking about is the ref-cam. They love it! Its a different look that's for sure, but when we see a guy courtesy of the ref-cam getting crosschecked into the boards and there is no penalty, than what? HMMMMMM!!!!

--Memo to Kevin Dureau at the Press Box. Do the barbecued pig promotion throughout the hockey season. This will guarantee a Scruffy sighting at a place where I really need to get to more. Don't know why, but my visits have been few and far between lately and there's no reason for that,

--Week 6 NFL Lock of The Week----Seattle over Dallas
   Week 6 NFL Upset Of The Week ----Cleveland over Pittsburgh

--Mayor Michael Fougere came through with a promise this week and gave Weston Dressler a key to the city. If Dressler gets a key to the city, what does Darian Durant get? What does Corey Chamblin get?

--What are those things hanging above the ice at the Brandt Centre?

--I just want to make sure I have this right. The Regina Pats have points in their last five games registering nine out of a possible 10 and Head Coach John Paddock is seemingly more concerned over the game's three stars. OHHHHHHHHH-K!! Methinks someone's priorities aren't in the right spot, but hey what do I know. Perhaps the 3 Stars should just be ignored in Mr, Paddock's mind and everyone can go home with their own opinion.

--I'll just consider to this to be a big time OOPS on behalf of the Washington Capitals.

Its an OOPS, but its a damn funny OOPS! I am guessing that logo either isn't there for the next game or Barry will be moving a little bit. 

--Opening night NHL rosters have 155 WHL alumni on them. This proves once again there is no better developmental league in the world than what we are witness to every winter, Its why I ask why crowds are so small across Saskatchewan because they shouldn't be. The future is right in front of us every night if we live in Regina, Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, Swift Current or Prince Albert. Get out there!!

--Who had the Royals and Orioles in the ALCS back in April? I think this has the potential to be a great series with two young teams battling one another. Kansas City is fun to watch with their speed while Baltimore seems to have a little bit of everything.  The NLCS is just another example as to how teams embrace that culture of winning. I don't know if there have been two more successful teams in the past decade than the Giants and Cardinals. St. Louis knows what to do to win. They have a great minor league system and when this player or that player is ready they bring him up. They don't pay big money to keep free agents because they have someone to fill the spot and if they do need a free agent, they don't pay big money for him,  Matt Carpenter, Matt Adams. Kolten Wong, Trevor Rosenthal and Shelby Miller were all doing their thing in the minors and when the time was right, the got the call to the bigs. St. Louis just keeps rolling. It won't surprise me one bit to see them back in the World Series.

--49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick was fined this week because he had the wrong headphones on after a game and his fine was more than the one given to Denver's Julius Thomas for what was an absolute cheap shot chop block on Arizona's Calais Campbell, How is that possible? Someone in the NFL really needs to give their head a shake when a guy gets fined more for wearing something than a cheap action on the field.

--Seahawks punter and Regina native Jon Ryan is getting a lot of love not only in Seattle, but across the league for his run up the middle on a fake punt to keep a drive alive that turned into a touchdown in Seattle's Monday night win over Washington. Jon was with Rod Pedersen and I in the Sportscage Wednesday. I asked him how long he had been lobbying for that and he said he was in the ear of the team's special teams coach all week looking for that. I LOVED IT!! It's great to see Jon along with the other Rams alumni playing well in the NFL

--Sportscenter Top 10's kill me. The latest is the top 10 playoff mishaps and on the list is the Paul McCallum miss in the 2004 West final. McCallum went on to bigger and better, but that was the closest Roy Shivers and Danny Barrett ever got to a Grey Cup, If that kick goes through and the Riders go to the Grey Cup, do they win and if so, how does the Rider Nation look at those two today.

--Should I be concerned when I ask my financial advisor for advice and he says three words---"Play the ponies?"

--Have a great Thanksgiving! Eat lots of turkey, watch lots of football and if driving, keep it between the lines!