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.



--How ya feelin Rider Nation?  You got Doubles back this week (Derek Dennis) and he comes with the Flyin Hawaiian. With Chad Owens in Rider green, are you trading watermelon helmets in for pineapple ones? I think you have to be very satisfied with what Chris Jones and the /=S=/ organization have done in free agency. Yes, there was that excitement last year and the free agent class fizzled tremendously, but I think Jones has learned from his mistakes in year 1 as a general manager and is maybe doing a little more homework as to what is/was out there and who can help this football team moving forward. Then again, it looks like the Vince Young story has legs to it and he may be coming north of the border. Like many of you, I don't really understand that move and don't see a lot of positives in it. 

--I can't help but think Vernon Adams Junior will be a Saskatchewan Roughrider by the time training camp starts. It seems as if he has no future in Montreal, and it seems like he isn't a Kavis Reed guy. Many of you have suggested the Riders have enough receivers and could afford to give one up to get the former Oregon standout whom Montreal acquired for a first round pick from BC last year. I can't see Naaman Roosevelt joining Darian Durant in Montreal and you know Duron Carter isn't going back. It sounds like Armanti Edwards is now out of the equation leaving guys like Ricky Collins Junior and Caleb Holley. If a trade is made, my money is on one of those guys. That being said, Ernest Jackson is now an Alouette so perhaps they don't need another pass-catcher.

--What ever happened to Compete Street? Where's the sign? Questions that need answering.  If anyone knows where that sign is, they should send it over to Michael Ball. It would look great in his backyard!

--If the Edmonton Oilers knew what they were going to get out of Patrick Maroon this year, would they have signed Milan Lucic to the contract they did? Maroon definitely let Brandon Manning know what happens when you mess around with Connor McDavid.  Its not like Semenko with Gretzky, but the muscle is there if needed.

--Who saw Claude Julien coaching the Habs before the season was over after he was fired by Boston?  I don't know about you, but I really want to see a Boston-Montreal playoff matchup now.

--Why doesn't anyone talk seriously about Patrik Laine when it comes to rookie of the year talk. Take nothing away from the Leafs duo of Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, but Laine is right there and is arguably ahead of the pack. For that matter, why isn't Matt Murray involved in the ROY conversation?

--What has happened to the Toronto Raptors? Oh wait, this is Saskatchewan.....not many people care.

--Congrats to Cliff Mapes.  He is back in the WHL working with the Saskatoon Blades as their new VP of business operations. Great hire! If Cliffy could have success in Regina dealing with some bad Pats teams and other factors, he can succeed in Saskatoon.  The Blades imprint on Saskatoon is about to get larger.

--While passing out congrats, one also goes to perhaps the biggest all-around degenerate in Regina, but also an overall good schmuck and that is Josh Shaw.  He has been named  the director of operations at the new Mosaic Stadium.  I'm guessing this means he will have a big office where he will sit in a big chair and do absolutely nothing, but hey why not.  I shudder to think what could play on the big screen late at night though.

--When watching the Scotties this week, remember Penny Barker is representing Team Saskatchewan and Michelle Englot is representing Team Manitoba.  I think many of us will be confused as the week goes on. 

--Canadian tennis star/model Genie Bouchard paid up after a Patriots fan asked her if she would go out with him if New England came back to win the Super Bowl via Twitter.  The two went to a Brooklyn Nets game Wednesday.  C'mon Genie, as a Canadian you couldn't have taken the guy to a hockey game?  Doesn't really matter though as the two are going to go out AGAIN! As one friend has says, it will prompt men to start sending messages via Twitter to models.  Why not! It apparently works!!!

--The stars of "High Impact Wrestling" do their thing at the Hungarian Club Friday night at 7.  What does the monthly meeting of Gronkville have in store this time around? 

--If you haven't read Corey Hirsch's article for "The Players Journal", do so.  It is worth the time you will take to read it.

--Has anyone seen the ESPN 30 for 30 on the XFL yet? I hear it is one of their better efforts. Who scored the first points in league history.  The answer would be Paul McCallum. 

--The Salt Lake Screaming Eagles of the Indoor Football League allowed fans to call their offensive plays via an app Thursday night in a game vs the Nebraska Danger (love that name).  Let's hope the CFL doesn't turn to this to engage the fans.  Oh yeah, as I type this, the Screaming Eagles were losing 63-39.  Did the fans turn on one another for their shoddy play-calling as the game progressed?  I wonder if the Eagles have Vince Young on their neg list? 

--That's all I got. Have a great long weekend!