This and That

It is Friday so here is the weekly set of thoughts running through my muddled mind and as always, they are in no particular order


--There is just one question that has to be asked Saskatchewan.  Are you wearing blue these days or are you wearing green? The Blue Jays have people talking baseball in this country again and I love it because it does nothing but make this sport better and better across the country.  Vince Carter and the Raptors made Canada a better basketball country and with many Canadians playing baseball after watching the Jays 22 years ago, many more will want to be the next Donaldson, Price and Tulowitzki from what they have seen.  Canada, the fun starts after this weekend with the Blue Jays. This past week has just been a warm-up. Enjoy the ride no matter how it ends up and for this blogger, it hopefully ends up with the Cubs celebrating their first World Series title in over 100 years. I hope Steve Bartman is nowhere close to Wrigley Field and I hope every media outlet does not do a "Find Bartman" story. Leave him be! Maybe he is Worksafe Bob?? Hmmmmmmm!!!

--The gruff, but lovable (and still single ladies) Pete Paczko asked me during the weekly "Locker Talk" taping if Bob Dyce has shown the Riders brass something in his four games as head coach to be considered as a viable candidate to take the team into the future.  Under Dyce, the team is 2-2 and if it weren't for a 4th quarter meltdown against Ottawa which we saw too much in the first half of the season, they would be 3-1. If the Riders can go into BC on Saturday and take one from a bad Lions team, that talk will heat up. I can't say he has right now, but I can't say he hasn't.  It would be refreshing to see Dyce get promoted instead of taking someone off the coaches scrap heap as Dyce is a fresh face in the coaching fraternity. The players seem to love playing for him so let's see what happens.

--The CFL needs to stop playing on Sundays once the NFL season has started. You might not like that statement, but its true. On Sunday afternoon at Mosaic Stadium before the game started, every television in the press box was on an NFL game except for one and that one was on the Blue Jays game. During the game, many people were on their laptops or their phones checking out what was happening south of the border and you know many fans were doing the same thing. In fact, the latest numbers show 473-thousand people watched the game from Mosaic, but 510 thousand watched the Seahawks beat Chicago. More Canadians are watching the NFL than the CFL. The CFL simply can't hide its head in the sand on this. I have suggested the CFL needs to do something and the one-day fantasy leagues like Draftkings and Fanduel would be huge for them as more would tune in. It is something new CFL commissioner Jeffrey Orridge must investigate.

--He may never play a game for the Riders, but I love the Randy Richards-Aaron Picton trade. Another talented hometown boy gets to play for the green-and-white, GM Jeremy O'Day adds a Canadian to his offensive line and gives up a player who was seemingly spinning his tires here.  Slowly, Jeremy is starting to work on his vision for the future of the Riders. If he gets the title on a full time basis, I get the feeling he will pull the trigger on something major and make a splash.

--Scott Schultz took some heat for what was a very long speech at the Plaza of Honor dinner. BOO HOO!! From what I understand, the old 96er thanked many people for helping him be the player and the man he is today. It was his moment in the sun and he didn't want to exclude anyone. Being inducted in the Plaza is a highlight for him and perhaps might be the last highlight of his football career unless someday the CFL Hall of Fame comes a callin. This doesn't happen every day so if Schultzie went overboard as some suggested, who cares!

--Hockey drafts are starting up. Where do you take Connor MacDavid? How many points do you realistically think he can get in his 1st year? I have him getting at least 65 and some think I am wayyyyyy under. Time will tell!

--Two thumbs up from this blogger on the new Pats jerseys. They are sharp. The blue ones look great!

--The excitement of the season in Edmonton took a downward turn on Tuesday night when Jordan Eberle suffered an injury that will sideline him for the start of the regular season and then some. Get better Ebs!

--Week 4 NFL Lock of the Week (3-0)  Seahawks over Lions
   Week 4 NFL Upset of the Week (1-2)  Bucs over Panthers

--The NFL goes back to England meaning there is a game at 730 AM when the Jets play the Dolphins. I just don't see me getting up in time for kickoff. Sorry!

--The world needs more stories like Spidermable this week in Edmonton. That little girl doesn't have a lot of time left because she was dealt a terrible hand, but she will never forget her day as a crime-fighter and those who helped her have her moment should be commended with every accolade you can think of.  It was great to watch and it would have been a lot of fun to cover.  I couldn't help but wonder though had the archvillain Mysterio abducted Gary Bettman instead of Andrew Ference if Spidermable would have bothered looking for her. What happened in Edmonton shouldn't be overshadowed by what happened in our backyard at a Regina Minor Football League game as 11 year old Logan Tonge, who has cerebral palsy, managed to score a touchdown late in a game on a play that understandably resulted in many watery eyes. I can not say enough about how wonderful of an endeavor this was with so many coming through to make a moment for Logan's life that he will never, ever forget. A tip of the cap to all involved in what should be one of the best stories of the year in our neck of the woods.

--On Wednesday, I had to deal with some medical issues my Dad is dealing with and all I could think of as I watched the day unfold and see one cluster you know what after another at one of our hospitals was why Regina doesn't have a third one and then remembered that oh yeah we used to have one. Closing the Plains Hospital was such a huge mistake. Thanks to the government of that time for doing that causing a lot of the problems people in Regina and area have.

--I also want to throw good luck to the University of Regina Cougars softball team who are in Moose Jaw this weekend looking to win a league title. Coach Mike Smith has worked very hard over the years in making the sport relevant at the U of R and he has succeeded.  His girls don't get the recognition that other programs at the University get, but that team is just as proud to wave the Cougar banner as every other team. The title would be their first and even if that does not come, they will compete at the nationals so maybe a title can come there.