This and That

It's Friday and that means another set of thoughts running through my muddled mind and as always, they are in no particular order

--The Riders are ready to play Ottawa at Mosaic Stadium on Saturday night and when the green and white take the field, it will be Kevin Glenn at quarterback.  While I do think it would serve the team better if Brett Smith continued as the starter, head coach Bob Dyce is thinking now and not the future. Dyce told reporters on Tuesday when he made the announcement he is the best option for the team and winning is always the goal with the team still having a shot at the playoffs despite what the media and fans think. You have to play your best cards until you no longer have a chance and Dyce, who is trying to show the Rider brass that he has what it takes to lead this team going forward, wants to field the best lineup possible until those playoff chances have completely evaporated. It is a call many will debate, but for the moment it is the right one.

--When did Brett Smith's popularity take a 180? Everyone was in his corner when Corey Chamblin pulled him in Ottawa saying they backed his fire for showing his disgust and now when he says he is disappointed not to be starting, everyone starts to rail on him for being selfish. What the hell? Can you blame the kid for not wanting to play? Everyone wants that chance to play and even Smith himself when asked what his future might hold after the Labour Day win told everyone he knows this is Darian's team and it is Kevin Glenn's team.  You either get on board with what this kid has done or you don't, but don't sit there one week and praise Smith for his attitude and then start criticizing him  the next week when his attitude hasn't changed one bit. Any player who wants to sit on the bench and accept a demotion willingly is someone that may not have the competitive fire you want. 

--What is Glenn's future in the CFL? Would the Riders ask him to come back as an insurance policy for Darian Durant again and if it does, how does it harm the development of Smith and Keith Price. Could Glenn be enticed to be a quarterback coach? Would he want to be one or does he still feel he can help a team out. I think Kevin would be a tremendous quarterback coach to the young guys and to Darian Durant. He needs that buffer as was seen in 2013.

--There is talk the Riders are kicking the tires of free agent LB Henoc Muamba. While he would improve the football team, he would also come at a price. I don't know where the team stands when it comes to the salary cap, but one would think Ben Heenan will be back here at a six figure salary and if the team doesn't make an offer to Brett Jones than they are fooling themselves and that offer will have to be lucrative as well. The Riders can't afford all 3 and it is as simple as that. If they are going to add those three or even two of the three, it means some big ticket guys have to go. Who would you like that to be? In a province full of armchair GM's, it would be interesting to hear who would go and who would stay.

--Riders defensive back Marshay Green was fined this week for "an aggressive tourist hit". What the hell is that?  Football Saskatchewan's Mike Thomas tells me it is a hit on a player who is just standing around and gets hit for no reason. If that is indeed the case, the CFL needs to dumb it down and tell us that instead of looking dumb.  An aggressive tourist hit would be if some guy bumps into you on the sidewalk when you are gawking while looking around on holidays. I'm guessing there are quite a few of them in Times Square. 

--I have been told by some that the Riders weren't laughing very hard when Regina Pats coach John Paddock took a good natured jab at the football team this week saying his team was the most entertaining and exciting team in town, but they should be because Paddock didn't try to start anything. Sometimes you have to laugh at yourselves and the way the Riders season has gone, perhaps a dose of laughter will ease what has been a very difficult and trying time at Mosaic Stadium.

--The Regina Rams and Saskatchewan Huskies will meet tonight in Saskatoon as Mike Gibson gets his first taste of the provincial rivalry on enemy turf.  I am guessing Huskies fans will be as ready for Mike as they were for Frank McCrystal. I don't know if Mike has the hate for Saskatoon that Frank had and I don't know if he will have the quotes that Frank had, but I am sure it will be an experience for him as the two 0-2 teams look for their first win. If the Huskies go 0-3 to start the season, there will be a lot of angry people in Saskatoon. 

 --Speaking of the Rams, their alumni will honor former coaches Bernie Schmidt and Rick Seaman in what should be a great night of "socializing". The event goes October 3 at the Turvey Centre and will cost 50 bucks. Get a hold of Marco Ricci at the Boston Pizza in Emerald Park and he will set you up.

--One can not put into words the emotions and feelings that are being felt not only in the town of Blairmore, Alberta, but across Canada after word of this week's tragic events. I have no idea why anyone would feel they have to kill an innocent two year old girl who went to bed that night with a whole life in front of her and likely not a problem in the world.  Part of me hopes the person responsible for this horrific crime is left with some inmates at whatever institution he rots in and is "tuned in". Yes, I admit that probably isn't the right approach to take, but it is the way I feel and I think there are others who are in the same boat as me.  When you hear these stories, you just wonder why and now we have had three of them in Western Canada alone as this can be added to the tragedies earlier this year in Tisdale and in Calgary.

--TSN needs to find more commercials for Monday Night Football. The opening week doubleheader must have resulted in Canadians seeing the "What is Chris Schultz going to name his fantasy football team" wayyyyyyyyyyyyy too many times. This just in. We don't care!

--Week 2 NFL Lock of the Week (1-0 this year) ----Steelers over Niners
   Week 2 NFL Upset of the Week (0-1 this year) ---Bills over Patriots

--The two best teams in the NFC meet in what should be a ring a dong dandy Sunday night when Seattle goes to Green Bay. Both will be 1-1 at night's end.----at least I hope so.

--I don't know who decided at the Global TV head office in Toronto to "centralize" the 10 o'clock news package, but it is a decision which needs to be reversed. People like Whitney Stinson, Tiffany Lizee and Derek Meyers know this town and know this province. They know what people want because they know how this place ticks. Having someone in Toronto give me the news, weather and sports with no local talent is so wrong on so many levels and is the start of a very dark future for local television news content.  I can only hope the suits see how wrong this is and right what is a brutal wrong.

--I know I'm late to the party on this one, but I had my first experience at the Great Canadian Brewhouse in Harbour Landing Thursday night as I checked out the Chiefs-Broncos game there. Let's just say it won't be the last time and let's just say if I am a lounge or sports bar in south Regina, business may not be that good for a while because everyone is at the Brewhouse. What a great atmosphere to watch a game that had a very bizarre ending.

Speaking of endings, that's it for me. Have a great weekend and GO RIDERS!! While we're at it, GO SEAHAWKS!!