Something To "Mitch" About

--Yeah it's late, but better late than never! I was as sick as could be on the weekend, and found out Monday morning I had come down with pneumonia so I am in sickbay for a few days.  However, that doesn't stop this blogger from having a few thoughts on what is going down in the old sports world.

--Give all the credit in the world to Regina's own Ben Hebert. Tuesday afternoon, Rod Pedersen had the Alberta lead in the Sportscage talking about the Brier and at one point in the interview proclaimed his rink would win it all. A very bold statement considering the field, but one he lived up to Sunday night as Kevin Koe beat Brad Gushue to win the Tim Hortons Brier.  The effort that guy gives in getting the rock to where it has to be is something else.  He may be the best in the game at that position. Congrats Benny and go get em in Switzerland.   Next up on the curling landscape is the Ford World Womens which are going in Swift Current with Chelsea Carey representing Team Canada. Swift Current did a great job hosting this event a few years ago, and I know they will do it again.  When does Regina get back into the bidding for a major curling event---Canadian or World? It's about time isn't it?

--I fear an independent arbitrator has opened up a huge can of worms by "reducing" Dennis Wideman's suspension to 10 games from 20.  The decision has angered the officials association and it should. It gives players an avenue they should not have in cases like this. The NHL has to give Wideman back half of his salary, and while the unrepentant player gets back on the ice smiling, Don Henderson is done for the year having sustained a concussion on the play.  Would it be beyond Henderson to take legal action against Wideman for what has gone down? I am not one to go down that avenue, but if Henderson wanted to, he has grounds doesn't he?  What happens next year or the rest of this year when Wideman is involved in any questionable play. The NHL officials, who will tell you they call any game with no malice towards anyone, will have this in the back of their head.  What about when Wideman is on the ice at the same time as Henderson.  This is not a good situation, and it all could have been settled had Wideman just taken his punishment like a man.  Perhaps that was too much to ask.

--Needless to say, this Seattle Seahawks fan was glad to hear Jon Ryan was going to remain a member of the organization for four more years. I will admit there was a part of me wondering when it comes to all the salaries being paid out to guys like Russell Wilson, Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas etc. etc if there was going to be enough room to find some money for the 34 year old and there obviously was. That roster has gone through a complete overhaul since Pete Carroll took over and Ryan is now the lone player left. I think that tells you the impression he has made on both Carroll and GM John Schneider during his time in the Pacific Northwest. Some have openly wondered if Jon would finish his football career punting for the Riders. We can visit that question in four years, but I am thinking when "The Ginja Ninja" has kicked his last ball for the Seahawks, that he will have kicked his last ball in professional football.  Now, he just needs to add to his ring collection.

--Another solid outing for Graham DeLaet at the Valspar Championship, and a lot of TV time as well as  he was prominently figured in the latter half of Saturday's round and Sunday's final round.  David Feherty may very well have had the line of the weekend if not the year when he said the bearded Weyburn native looks like he has swallowed a cat. When did Feherty move to NBC from CBS anyhoo? I missed that one completely which shows you how much golf I have watched this season. When I did watch a couple of events on CBS, I just thought he wasn't around as is the case sometimes. The talk was there that while Graham has everything in the bag to win a tournament, he just can't put everything together on the same weekend to do it. I think he was worst in the field in putting and well, when you lose by a couple of strokes, you know there was likely some putts that could have been made that would have put him in that winners circle. I am guessing the paycheque though might be good enough to get him to Brazil for the Summer Olympics though.

--The U of S Huskies beat the U of R Cougars in the Canada West womens basketball final on Saturday night in Saskatoon and they deserved to. Watching the game on Canada West TV(which is something the conference and the member schools should be applauded for), the girls from Saskatoon were the better team. Both are in Fredricton for the Canadians starting Thursday and it would not surprise me if I turned the TV on to Sportsnet 1 on Sunday morning to see these two teams showcasing Saskatchewan basketball by going for the gold with one more battle.  You know where my loyalties will lie on that one. Sorry Saskatoon, deal with it!

--Chris Jones let it be known at the CFL combine was that he would be apt to trading the number one pick in this year's draft if the offer is right. I say why not?  There are so many variables that go into the CFL draft including whether or not the player is going to be an NFL'er for a few years. It does scare some teams off. If the Riders are looking at a Tevaun Smith or a Josiah St. John, there is no guarantee he will ever be a member of the green and white. If Jones can find a trading partner and move down in that first round while getting some players who can help the 2016 Riders immediately, I say go for it.

--Speaking of the combine, it seems as if a lot more people were interested in it this year because of social media. Alas, the league's rights-holders ignored it again. Did the CFL even approach TSN with some kind of show they could have put on one of their five channels.  As much as TSN gets hacked on for what it does and doesn't do with the CFL, I have to wonder just how aggressive the CFL is with TSN when it comes to marketing the game.

--Who was the bigger disappointment this year---the Winnipeg Jets or the Calgary Flames.  I thought the Jets were going to be a playoff team, but I wasn't sold on Calgary going in and they were who I thought they were going to be going in so the answer has to be Winnipeg.

--I don't know who the Regina Pats are going to play in the first round of the WHL playoffs, but whoever they play, I like their chances----with perhaps the exception of the Brandon Wheat Kings. The last week of the season is going to be fun.

--That's all I got! Have a great week!