Something To "Mitch" About

--I have no idea what Johnny Football is in French, but we are about to get it.  He has never thrown a pass in a regular-season CFL game, but the Alouettes are investing a lot into him as they try to put some life into a team that is as bad as we thought they were going to be if not worse.  I'm just left wondering how long it will take Eric Tillman to stop laughing on this deal.   The Alouettes send arguably their biggest offensive weapon and two first round draft choices to get him.   Montreal doesn't have its 2019 pick after giving it up to get Tyler Johnstone in the supplemental draft and now they don't have picks in 20 or 21. Let's not forget Jamaal Westerman is very good as well.  I hope its worth it for Kavis.  Manziel is unproven having not taken a regular-season CFL snap.  Does he make Montreal better?  I guess we're going to find out.

--It's a move the Ti-Cats certainly didn't have to make, but good on them for doing so. Hours after announcing the trade, the Ti-Cats said anyone with a Manziel jersey can return it to get a complimentary 100 dollar gift card so fans could get a new jersey.  That's a solid move by the Ti-Cats, but one they certainly didn't need to do.  As it is with any player, it is buyer beware.

--Meanwhile, closer to home. the scenario is seemingly the same as it was for the Saskatchewan Roughriders going into Thursday's game against Hamilton.  Despite the fact they are 3-2, not many are giving them a chance against the Calgary Stampeders Saturday night at Mosaic Stadium.  The Stampeders are once again the Stampeders----well actually they are not as they are 5-0 for the first time since 1995.  I digress.  On paper, the Stamps should have no problem in improving their record to 6-0. We all know though you don't play the game on paper.  With the two defences that will be on display at Mosaic Stadium., I get the feeling we are in for a 12-10 game (NOTE: That prediction should translate to a 48-43 contest).  Watching the Stamps play Montreal, it looks to me like Bo Levi Mitchell is far from 100 percent after that shot he took to his knee in Ottawa.  If he is pedestrian in the pocket, it may be bad news for Calgary and good news for Saskatchewan.  We've got all week to decipher that though.

--One can not deny Chris Jones is getting the job done in a very unorthodox and strange manner, but while people still don't want to admit it, Jones is getting everything he wants out of his football team.  That being said, the real test starts now with games against the top two teams staring the green-and-white in the face. A pair against the Stamps and one against the Eskimos will not be easy.   An 0-3 stretch will have those who have been under their rocks during the two game win streak poking their head above earth again.   It's what it is in Riderville right!

--I'm still in awe over the performance of Brendon LaBatte on Thursday in Hamilton. How can you not be? He really does re-define Saskatchewan tough!   He is right up there with some of the all-time greats in this league that have called Saskatchewan home.

--How much longer can the CFL stick its head in the sand and not be concerned about what is happening in Toronto? I am not there so I do not know how aggressive MLSE and the football team is when it comes to marketing themselves, but you can't tell me in a city the size of Toronto, you can only get 11 thousand fans to a game.

Yes, it doesn't help when establishments refuse to put on CFL games or acknowledge the league is a thing in Canada's biggest city, but despite the league's best efforts, fans aren't coming to BMO Field.  Some are saying just embrace what is given and quit focussing on the attendance.  Others say those in attendance are having a great time.  At the end of the day, the Argos are still the weak sister in the CFL and the Alouettes and Lions aren't far behind.  When Canada's biggest cities won't embrace the Canadian game it spells trouble.  I don't know how you fix it.  Someone at a higher pay grade than me can figure that out.

--Where would the Bombers be without Andrew Harris?   The season is just hitting the one-third pole and there is still a lot of games to play, but Harris has to be considered the MOP right now.

--Having been in the Golden Mile for the first time in a long time made me realize how much I miss Tim's Souvlaki.  That place was solid! It needs to come back somewhere.  If it is back, where is it?

--The final round of the Open Championship was must-watch TV if a golf fan.  If you're not a golf fan, you watched because of Tiger Woods and his run at the title.  Let's face the facts, Tiger Woods is not the Tiger Woods he once was nor will he be.  The old Tiger would have had the run he had Saturday to show the field he was back.  The threat of Tiger would be intimidating enough for many to wilt and fade away like his playing partner on Sunday.  That threat is over. The intimidation factor is gone.  Tiger is now no better than the young guns that are making the sport great.  Francisco Molinari was better than Tiger as he played alongside Tiger on Sunday to win it all.  Will Tiger win again? He has the tools to and I wouldn't bet against him, but his biggest strength has disappeared and with it some of his success.

As for what happened at Carnoustie, watching 10 or so guys and Tiger try to get their hands on the Claret Jug was magnificent theatre as Sundays at a major usually are.  If you are a golf fan, you appreciate that and you will be back.  As a Tiger fan, you will wait to see if he plays the weekend or not.


--I wonder how much the Toronto Blue Jays regret not trading Josh Donaldson last winter?

--Former Blue Jays pitcher Dave Stieb turned 61 on Sunday!  61?  Man, I feel old!  If Roy Halladay wasn't the best pitcher Toronto has ever had, it had to be Stieb.  His ball could dance when he wanted it to.

--There's a lot of talk in baseball these days about the designated hitter. Should it stay the way it is now? Should the National League adopt the DH and say goodbye to the pitcher or should the American League say goodbye to the DH and have the pitcher hit.  Why does the DH have to be the sub for the pitcher? If a pitcher can hit and the catcher is hitting .180, can you DH for the catcher?  At the end of the day, I think it should be universal with both leagues having the same rules.  The game to me has more strategy when the pitcher is hitting so I would like it to be like the National League.  FOX's Ken Rosenthal says it will likely depend on expansion and possible re-alignment so any decision is likely a few years away

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