Something To "Mitch" About

So much for a quiet Saturday! One minute you are doing some stuff around the house and the next minute you are getting a tweet from someone asking what the hell are the Riders doing in trading Ricky Foley. Before much longer, I received the e-mail from Riders media guru Ryan Pollock saying Shea Emry was coming here for the popular defensive end.  It took me a couple of moments to properly comprehend that deal and make sure it was a one for one before going that's a good deal for the green and white albeit at a costly price. The reasons

1. The Riders needed a MLB last year and could not find one. They have now and a damn good one at that.
2. New D-C Greg Quick would have worked with Emry in Montreal when he was there. He knows what the guy brings to the table
3. A Canadian at MLB may mean the team doesn't have to start a Canadian at free safety which may bode well in the efforts to retain Tyron Brackenridge
4. Emry is 27 while Foley is 32

Losing a player of Foley's quality does hurt, but to get quality you have to give up quality and the fact Saskatchewan isn't even giving up a pick which I thought they might because of the age difference swings this ball into the Riders corner. I don't think the salaries would differ all that much but if Emry is making less than Foley, the money saved could be used to retain Brackenridge and Dressler.

UPDATE: Ricky Foley put up a thank you on his Twitter account late Sunday night. Ricky's Twitter address is @Foley4Real and it shows you how the business can suck and how much he loved playing for the Riders. It's not just words being written in this case. You can take this one to the bank as being genuine.

Its my understanding there are three teams besides the Riders who really, really, really want to have Weston Dressler playing for them. Sadly, I think the wishes of those teams(Ottawa, Winnipeg, BC) will be unfulfilled

Its also my understanding the Calgary Stampeders would love to get their hands on Rams WR Addison Richards and are trying to trade up to get him knowing he won't be there when it comes time for them pick at the end of the 1st round. With Marc Mueller and Brett Jones likely bending the ear of John Hufnagel, this doesn't surprise me one bit. I think Richards would be a great fit for the Riders. Do you? If not, what area of the ball are you looking at when it comes time to pick 6th in the 2015 draft.

Has the league given us a date for said draft? If not, why? Its OK CFL, you can tell us,

Could former Riders QB Marcus Crandell be the replacement for Bernie Schmidt as Rams O-C? I heard that over the weekend, but I don't know if I should buy into that one or not.

A weekend without football! Guess we all have to get used to the fact that after next week's Super Bowl that is it until CFL training camps begin and that is a long ways away my friends. By the way, don't say "Scruffy, you forgot about the Pro Bowl". I said football and not some glorified game that doesn't resemble the sport. The same goes with the NHL all-star game. I didn't watch a second of the festivities. I saw Ryan Johansen and Phil Kessel went 1-2 at the draft and immediately thought the Comedy Network must have been doing the draft.

How many years has Sidney Crosby skipped the all-star game? If the game's supposed biggest star doesn't want to play in it, why are we having it?

While Sidney Crosby didn't help his popularity any, Alex Ovechkin sure did. Check this story out if you haven't seen it already. Great move by Ovi and by HONDA as well.

Another World Cup of Hockey is coming. What intrigues me about this event is the under 23 team. Who will be on that team and how well will they perform? Will we as Canadians develop a hatred for the under 23's on the night we play them.

Another enjoyable weekend at the U of R watching the Cougar basketball teams do their thing. I don't know how Dave Taylor keeps doing it with a team that is one short and one player that doesn't see a lot of court time, but they keep getting victories against quality teams. The girls knocked off Alberta twice at the CKHS this weekend and while Saturday's game became a little closer than it should have been, they were by far and away the better team. The mens team lost both of their games to the Bears, but both were close contests before it Alberta's experience came through. Steve Burrows is molding a nice team and I think next year if he gets all his returnees back, they could be very formidable,

Regina--how did you like your new toy? It sounds like the unveiling of the scoreboard at the Brandt Centre and the reaction to it was all positive. Then again, after what we've had, anything above center ice would have been an improvement. The Pats have a while until their next home game and I know I won't be able to make that one. I don't think that clock is going anywhere. I'll see it at some point.

As predicted in "This and That", Roman Reigns wins the Royal Rumble. Those in Philly watching didn't like the fact Daniel Bryan did not win, but one has to think he will beat Seth Rollins for the title somewhere down the road. I'm saying right now Rollins cashes in his Money in the Bank briefcase at WrestleMania by beating Lesnar after he has beaten Reigns. We'll see. Rollins wins the move of the night category for his leap from the ring to the Spanish announce table where he decimated Lesnar begging the question. Why does the Mexican announce table always get squashed at PPVs?

Congrats to Stefanie Lawton and her rink for repeating as provincial curling champs. The Saskatoon foursome will be the home rink for the Scotties in Moose Jaw and its a nice field. Rachel Homan and Jennifer Jones should be the favourites going in, but Lawton and Alberta's Val Sweeting should be right there as well and you have to figure the Ontario rink will be strong as well. Its going to be a good week of curling in Moose Jaw.

Tell me I wasn't the only one who was shifting in the chair a little uncomfortably watching Tom Brady's press conference the other day where he kept talking about how he likes his balls and how he handles his balls. Thanks Tom! They should have brought Gisele in for that one,

Cubs royalty passed away on the weekend as Ernie Banks said goodbye to us at the age of 83. He is one of the best shortstops to ever play the game and his infectious smile and attitude will definitely be missed at Wrigley Field. He seemed to be a regular there. Major League Baseball should honor Banks by having an all-doubleheader day. That would be cool!

Finally, congrats to Mark McMorris. Regina's own (can we call him that or is he Milestone's) won a pair of gold medals at the Winter X Games. I truly don't know how that kid can do what he does. I'd be dead if I tried that now or back when I was his age.