This And That

Welcome to Friday! Here are the usual weekly thoughts running through my muddled mind, and as always they come in no particular order.

I am going back to the scene of previous horrors this weekend

--Thunderbird Stadium on the campus of the University of British Columbia is a beautiful spot, but it isn't the best spot to do a broadcast from---at least not for this blogger. For whatever reason, it is extremely tough to do a radio broadcast from this venue. I am still emotionally scarred from calling an entire game on my cellphone two years ago, but we will try again tomorrow night as I will bring you the Regina Rams-UBC game on what they say is going to be a very wet night. 

Should I be surprised considering my past history there? Nope! Will this mean that some tuba player that has made life even more miserable by playing right underneath my broadcast location will decide not to bother. I can only hope so!  I don't know why UBC always schedules homecoming against the Rams, but this will be the 3rd straight year they have done so.  

The T-Birds are Vanier Cup champs, and they have to be considered part of the equation again, but if the defense can make some plays and Noah Picton does to the T-Bird D what he did to the Huskies and Bisons, there could be an upset brewing.  Looking forward to it!! 

--The Riders will try once again for that 2nd win of the season against the Eskimos. The defending Grey Cup champs could miss the playoffs. Hey Edmonton, do you miss Chris Jones?  This team seems to be getting closer and some in CFL circles are saying they don't want any part of the green-and-white right now because they see what is going on. I'd love nothing more than to see the Riders get their 2nd win of the expense of the double E.  If Curtis Steele and Eric Norwood suit up, they become a lot better. Let's see what transpires.

--While the return of Steele and Norwood are promising, the news Brendon Labatte and Chris Best would not be back is not. There is talk Labatte's concussion may be career-ending. If the big man doesn't want come back, you can't blame him, but you don't want a career like his going out like that. 

--Many were wondering about the CFL and TV numbers once the NFL got started. The NFL won't outdraw the CFL in Canada some say. The numbers say otherwise. 

 

The CFL can spin it any way they want, but the numbers say more Canadians were watching Week 1 of the NFL. That even surprises me. I'm not surprised at the Blue Jays numbers, and I guess I shouldn't be surprised at the World Cup of Hockey numbers even though I'm not interested in the event at this time, but I didn't think both Western games would be behind the late-day NFL contests.  There is obviously excitement with the NFL season starting, but let's see what the numbers tell us this week.

With the Blue Jays wrapping things up, and the World Cup just getting underway, I see a few more tough weeks ahead for the CFL and TSN. The league can't ignore this anymore. The problem is staring them right in the face, and they need to act on it. Is it time for a post Labour Day two Friday and two Saturday schedule? I don't think that would work in all nine markets.

Now, if the CFL had gone head-to-head with the Rams-49ers game on Monday night, it might have won by default. That game may have been one of the worst Monday niters I have ever seen. God-awful is a kind way of describing that tilt.  L-A football fans waited how long to see that? OUCH!

--Week 2 NFL Lock of the Week ---  Panthers over Niners 

   Week 2 NFL Upset of the Week --- Jaguars over Chargers

--What happened to Chris Schultz? He has vanished off of TSN altogether! If he's been on, I've missed it.

--Some interesting news out of Saskatoon this week as the U of S Huskies are unveiling an initiative that will see 11 people make up a Huskie athletics board of trustees. Their mandate is to provide advice and guidance while growing the brand.  To my knowledge, the review of the U of R Cougar program is still going on. I would highly endorse a Cougar Athletics board of trustees. I will go one step further and say Dick White should head it up. Dick is very passionate about not only Cougar athletics, but CIS athletics.  If it can be done here, I say do it! 

--Back to the Blue Jays. How much confidence do you have in this team right now? They are flailing their way through September, and as you know, could play themselves right out of a playoff spot. If that happens, what does it do to off-season plans?  This isn't the Blue Jays team of 2015, but this is still a team that should be a playoff team. Without a healthy Josh Donaldson, it may be game, set, match for them. 

--Congratulations to Ivan Gutfriend and Matt Dominguez for being immortalized as one of the Rider all-time greats with their induction into the Plaza of Honor tonight.  It is a weekend both have taken part in many times in one role or another, but they are the center of attention tonight, and it is well deserved. 

--That's all I got. Have a great weekend!  GO RIDERS....GO SEAHAWKS!