This and That

 

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

--The CFL draft has come and gone.  How do you get more interest in it?  Well, there are a lot of different things you could do.  Is one of them having the combine earlier and then having the draft at CFL Week where fans could be in attendance.  You need to get the fans interested in the draft so why not?
 
--I find it real sad that more people were talking about whether or not the Riders should continue to use "Bring Em Out" as its entrance music than talking about the CFL draft.  If Duron Carter had said he thinks the Riders should take ________ at pick 5, would that have had people talking about the draft?

--It must be football season in Saskatchewan. Within moments of tweeting out the Riders first selection, someone was criticizing it.  If the team has to wait for Dakoda Shepley, they are obviously willing to do so.  They could have taken another lineman, but they felt highly enough about the UBC product (who is a very good player) that they didn't want him coming back to the CFL and wearing another team's jersey.  Let's see how it turns out.

--It is ludicrous that in this day and age, the WHL final won't be on television for people across Western Canada to see.  You can't tell me the WHL doesn't have the resources to contract it out. If Access could find a way to bring us the final three games of the Moose Jaw-Swift Current series, then surely the WHL could find a way to get its final onto TV across Western Canada.  Sorry, but the WHL in 30 doesn't cut it. The league should be showcasing its product at this time of year and not shying away from it as they are seemingly doing.

--When I look at the final, I see Swift Current winning.  I think on paper they have a better group of forwards and defencemen,  I will give Everett the goaltending edge, but that drop isn't big from Carter Hart to Stuart Skinner.  That being said, a few have told me that Everett is a solid hockey team and that if you are going to discount them the way many discounted Seattle last year having not seen them, you will be making a mistake.

--There are a lot of people shaking their heads and asking some very valid questions in the wake of the decision to cut men's volleyball and both wrestling programs.  I understand the need to cut some sports and going from 16 to 13 will be more sustainable.  However, the way in which this was done was very callous.   Those who know me know I have a soft spot in the old ticker for Cougar Athletics. I always have and I'm not an alumnus.  However, this was botched right from the get-go.  The kids that were affected did not deserve to be blind-sided by this.  They are the ones who are hurt the most over what has happened. Telling them earlier might have given them an option to continue elsewhere this year, but now they have nowhere to go.  That is just wrong.  I'll just leave it at that.

--I am intrigued over the new Canadian Elite Basketball League and the quotes that Western Canadian COO and director of operations Lee Genier is making when it comes to the team in Saskatoon.  Genier is confident he can sell-out SaskTel Centre.  Hey, if he managed to do it with a sport that many knew nothing about when he helped bring and market the Rush to Saskatoon, one would think he can do it with a sport that is established.

Genier has the template in his backpocket so if the appetite is there for the Saskatoon and Saskatchewan basketball fan, it should work.

When I asked him why Saskatoon and not Regina, his answer was Saskatoon has a 15000 seat venue.  I wonder if that will prompt talk of a new arena for Regina again.  It seems as if that chatter has gone away for a while.  I expect it to ramp up soon.

--Where has Kyle Turris gone in the playoffs? He is still a Predator right?

--Canada's goalies at the Worlds are Darcy Kuemper and Curtis McElhinney?  How many calls did Hockey Canada make to goalies before settling on that pair. 


--I didn't think the Toronto Raptors were a championship material team despite the fact everyone said they were this year.  Even when they finished as the top seed in the East, I wasn't sold.  You had to beat Lebron James and the Cavaliers to convince me and while many went "PFFT, the Cavaliers aren't even close to being as strong this year as last, they can beat Lebron."  Ya might to re-visit that thoughts.  When Toronto had a chance to put on their big boy pants and show they belonged, they ran back to the sandbox and cried for Mommy as James and the Cavaliers are in full control of a Toronto team that just isn't ready for prime-time.

If Toronto comes back to win this series, they will deserve it.  If they get swept, it will be a lonnnnnnnnng off-season!  And oh yeah, if Drake gets punched in the face for what he does on a nightly basis than so be it.  You might technically be an ambassador for the team, but you don't play for them so stay off the floor.   Does he think he's the second coming of Spike Lee? If he does then Lebron James can play the role of Reggie Miller.

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