This And That

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

--Say what you will about Chris Jones.  He never makes it dull in Riderville. The Terrell Owens workout is an indication of that. He knows what buttons to push and he pushes them well.   One can only imagine the outcry in Rider Nation if Owens came to Saskatchewan and wore his trademark "81".  That would really anger a certain demographic of the fanbase and it might anger the man who wore "81" so proudly.


--NFL Network host Rich Eisen had a great chat with former NFL head coach and current Hamilton defensive co-ordinator Jerry Glanville this week.  The former Oilers and Falcons head coach was great with Eisen and very candid.  Glanville discussed the Montreal-Hamilton game that Johnny Manziel played and said the defensive gameplan they utilized against him was something he had never seen whether it be at Texas A&M Cleveland or in the CFL.  He adds Manziel has a lot of talent and people shouldn't be giving up on him.  When asked about his famed "NFL--Not For Long" quote that he gave a referee that is seen in NFL Films video, Eisen asked if he has something for what CFL stands for when it comes to the officials.  He said he needs to find something because the officials up here aren't very good either. Do coaches ever like officials? I think I know the answer to that.

--NFL pre-season is here.  The Thunder are getting ready for their first game of the year against the Hilltops, the Rams start camp this weekend.  Football is truly back!  On Thursday's Cage, Arash Madani mentioned the upcoming talks for a new CBA between the CFL and the Players Association and how contentious they will be with many issues on the table.  Could the CFL afford to have a work stoppage? If so, how would you the Rider fan react.  I can't even imagine what it would be like having a summer without the game.  How would you feel if the CFL didn't give you a full season or took a season away because of an inability to get a new deal done.  We all know in some places, it would not mean a thing.  That wouldn't be the case here.

--It has been 30 years since Wayne Gretzky was traded (sold) by the Oilers to the L-A Kings.  It was on that day I realized sports was a business and not just a game. Like many others, I couldn't believe it.  At the end of the day though, the move made the game and the league a lot better.  I am guessing the NHL wouldn't call places like Anaheim, San Jose and Tampa home had it not been for that deal and USA Hockey certainly wouldn't have had the success they have had without that trade being made  At the end of the day, it was a great thing for the sport, but at the time it was something beyond belief.  Even though the Oilers won another Cup after Wayne left and got to another final, the franchise was never the same after that day.

--At what point do hockey people start talking about the Buffalo Sabres and how they could really turn things around this season.  Rasmus Dahlin shouldn't disappoint as the number one pick.  They have a nice young nucleus in Jack Eichel, Rasmus Ruotsalainen and Casey Mittelstadt and now they have Jeff Skinner.  Add what could be a nice little pickup in goal with Carter Hutton. The pieces are coming into place there.  Perhaps Peter Chiarelli needs to come in and screw things up. (OOPS, did I type that out loud)

--Jays GM Ross Atkins says John Gibbons still has a future with the ballclub beyond this season. If you are a Jays fan and you believe that, come see me in January and I'll sell you some ice.  Gibbons must be marking down the days until his tenure in Toronto is up.  His team is terrible thanks to bad work by the aforementioned Atkins and he will be gone likely within 72 hours of the team's last game in just under a months time.  Its obvious the Jays are in a rebuild mode that will take a couple of seasons. Gibbons isn't the guy to be in charge of that rebuild so why keep him.  If you're a Toronto fan and you're a Gibbons fan, enjoy the next month.

--Curl Saskatoon is bidding for the 2021 Olympic Trials.  I had heard rumblings Regina would do the same thing.  Could the two Saskatchewan cities bid against one another for the event? Saskatoon definitely has the bigger venue, but Regina has the facilities around the Brandt Centre like the International Trade Centre and the Eventplex. Both would be great hosts, but what one would generate more $$$$ for Curling Canada.  If Saskatoon has put in a bid, it may mean Regina won't.  Time will tell.  Meanwhile, I am hearing more and more that the Scotties will be coming back to Moose Jaw in 2020.  They did a great job with it a few years ago and Mosaic Place is a great venue.

--Temperatures are going to hit almost 40 degrees in Regina this weekend.  The bye week came at the right time!

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