This And That

The usual weekly assortment of thoughts running through my muddled mind and as always they come in no particular order

I love this city, but there are times I just shake my head and wonder what the hell goes through the minds of some people. Numbers from SGI this week show 47 hundred people were captured by photo radar going over the speed limit in a school zone in the first 17 days of the program. 47 hundred!!! That's just the amount going through photo radar which makes one wonder how many are going through uncontrolled school zones. This really should have the community shaking its head and finding a solution to solve this because if not, we are going to have some dead kids for no reason at all except someone's "hurry" to get somewhere. C'mon Regina, we're just a little better than that aren't we. There are some idiotic drivers out there, but this takes the cake.

OK, back to sports..

The Riders tweeted out on Tuesday the schedule should be here in late February-early March. Can the CFL not just give its fans a date?

I will admit I thought Weldon Brown was a guy the Riders might not keep. Nothing against Weldon because he is a good player, but you have to lose some good ones to keep others at time and I thought Brown would fall into that category. It sounds like he wanted to be back and that he wants to be here for a long time. Nothing wrong with that.

John Fox is out in Denver and it would appear as if there was something about Peyton Manning that he and John Elway had differences over. John Fox isn't going to win that argument thus he is gone. One has to wonder what his problem was with Manning.

Speaking of Peyton, his 9th one and done in the playoffs has a lot of people talking. At his age, is he a guy that can only get it done for three quarters of a season before fading away. While he was hurt. that was the case this year, He's not getting any younger.

Rex Ryan is the new coach of the Buffalo Bills. With Kyle Orton retiring, it leaves him with 3rd year QB EJ Manuel who lost his job. Would Ryan reach out and grab a quarterback he knows---a quarterback that took him to two AFC Championships. A quarterback who is a free agent....a quarterback named Mark Sanchez. Hmmmmmmmm.

Seahawks-Patriots Super Bowl----Lock It Up!!

The Ohio State Buckeyes are champions of US College Football as a "true" championship game was played. Under the old model, Ohio State would never have had a chance to be in a game like that. The NCAA got it right with this formula., Why did it take so long!

If you heard new Riders defensive co-ordinator Greg Quick's interview with Rod Pedersen on Monday, it is fair to say his crew will be a fast and hard-hitting unit. The question for Quick now is what tools will he have to work with and where will those tools be. There is talk of returning Tyron Brackenridge to safety because the team wants a Canadian in that position similar to Craig Butler in 2013. It is this blogger's opinion Brackenridge will be a disruptive force no matter where he is, but safety is where he should be.

Great discussion on the Cage Wednesday as to why the NHL teams closest to us (Oilers, Flames, Jets) don't do a good job in marketing themselves in this province. There are many fans of the three teams in Saskatchewan so why don't the three teams try to capitalize. Are they secure enough in the fact games are sold out so they don't have to. If that is the prevailing attitude, its time to change it.  The three teams should be battling to get hockey fans in this province by some means.

I am shocked to hear the Weyburn Red Wings are in a situation where they may have to fold. If the Weyburn Red Wings can't cut it, how the hell can teams like Nipawin, La Ronge and Flin Flon do so??!! This is coming from someone who worked in the league for a year, I'll just bite my lip on this one, but lets just say it will be interesting to see if the league has anything up its sleeve. I am confident the people of Weyburn will do what it takes to save their team---a team that has had so much tradition over the years.

Macho Man Randy Savage is getting inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Its about time! OOOOOOOO Yeah! 

Locker Talk co-host Pete Paczko and I had the distinct privilege of handing out the 2014 Access Communications Locker Talk Regina amateur athlete of the year to speedskater Kali Christ on Monday night. Kali accepted the award via Skype from Calgary while her proud dad Bill came in studio to talk about his daughter, his son Keegan and the latest goings-on at the Regina Speed Skating Club. Hours before Bill came in. Speedskating Canada named Kali to the Canadian team that will compete at the World Cup in the Netherlands. Congratulations Kali! She joins former U of R runner Kelly Wiebe and Thunder quarterback Asher Hastings as award winners.

The Anaheim Ducks did a first rate job in retiring the jersey of Teemu Selanne. It was no coincidence they did it on a night when they were playing the Winnipeg Jets. The question I have is should the Jets have a Selanne sweater retirement night. Remember. he wore 13 in Winnipeg. I think it would be a tremendous gesture.

Regina's Target store will soon be no more. I don't know what I will miss more---will it be the fine customer service one would receive, would it be complaining to the cashier because the scanner had the wrong price, would it be wondering where all the supply was. Suffice to say, Target's entry into Canada is one of the biggest business blunders we've seen in a long time. The question now is what does Northgate get to put in there. I would suggest they do what Southland has done and get two or three stores into that space.

Baseball is instituting a pitch clock at Double A and Triple A games this year.  I don't like the idea of it, but baseball needs to find a way to keep games from going so long. Pitchers standing on the mound forever is one way to turn a 9 inning game into a marathon. I'm guessing this will find its way to the majors for 2016.

Reality TV needs to get a hold of Kurt Busch and his former girlfriend. They sound like a lovely couple. If you don't know what I'm talking about, click here.  (Cuckoo..Cuckoo)

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

New Atlanta Falcons Stadium Looks To Be A Dandy

I'm not sure why the Atlanta Falcons  need a new stadium when the Georgia Dome isn't that old, but the Georgia Dome will soon be no more as the NFL team gets a new stadium and by the looks of this video, it may be one of the NFL's best....

Riders Re-Sign Weldon Brown

 

 

The Saskatchewan Roughriders announced today that international linebacker Weldon Brown has signed an extension to remain with the team. As per club policy, financial details of the contract were not released.

 

Brown (5’10 – 185) will be entering his sixth CFL season and third year with the Roughriders after originally signing with the team as a free agent in February, 2013. Last season, the Louisiana Tech product registered 54 defensive tackles, three tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries and a quarterback sack in 14 regular season games. He added five defensive tackles and an interception in the Western Semi-Final.   

 

Brown originally entered the CFL in 2010 when he signed with Edmonton as a free agent. He spent three seasons with the Eskimos before joining the Riders ahead of the 2013 season. The 27-year-old has started 67 of 75 regular season games he has played, totaling 235 defensive tackles, eight interceptions and seven quarterback sacks. He won his first Grey Cup with the Riders in 2013.      

 

NFL Conference Championship Previews

Its down to 4 teams in the NFL. Either the Colts or Patriots will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl while Seattle or Green Bay will represent the NFC.

A preview of the AFC conference championship can be found right here

A preview of the NFC conference championship can be found right here

DeLaet Ready For 2015 PGA Season

Somehow, some way, Graham DeLaet got old. Not old as in 'ready for the old folks home,' but old as in he's not a wide-eyed kid on the PGA Tour anymore. 

The Canadian will turn 33 in a couple of weeks and is at the start of his sixth season on the big tour. It's easy to say he's hitting his prime as a professional golfer. 

He'll tee it up for the first time in 2015 next week in Hawaii at the SONY Open and is hoping to play four of the first five stops on the west coast, missing only Pebble Beach.

"It's so funny," DeLaet reflected on his veteran status. "I'm amazed at how fast it's all gone by. When I first got out there everything was so new and now I feel at home."

As DeLaet has found, one of the issues with getting older is that you start to feel the aches and pains a little more. Year after year of swinging and swinging, and swinging again add up. 

That was the case at the end of last year when he was forced to withdraw from two big events in Asia with a neck ailment. He attributes that to the relentless schedule he had leading into those stops, playing seven of eight weeks from the British Open through the BMW Championship.

"It really takes its toll," DeLaet stated. "You get to the end of the year and everyone is pretty banged up - hips, knees, backs. You don't think of golf as an impact sport but it is."

Yet with time off and lots of rehab, the Saskatchewan native who has battled a long list of aches and pains in his career, declared himself fit and ready to go.

"I've been playing golf six days a week in December and January with no problems," he said. "Really I'm healthy, or at least as healthy as I'm going to be."

Goal No. 1 is to get himself back into the top 50 in the Official World Ranking, which opens up a lot of doors to tournaments such as majors and World Golf Championship events. 

Withdrawals from the CIMB Classic and the no-cut WGC-HSBC Championship in China led to the drop for DeLaet. As a result, he's currently not in the field for the 2015 Masters. 

"It was a bummer not getting that invitation in December," said DeLaet, who played Augusta National for the first time last year. "I feel like I'm playing well enough right now so I'm hopeful."

If he can climb into the top 50 (he's currently 58th) prior to the year's first major, he'll get into the field. 
If the top 50 is goal No. 1, then getting on the International Team for the Presidents Cup is a close second. 

After his maiden run with the team in 2013 where he was among the stars of Nick Price's squad, he's anxious for another try. 

Another thing to add to that list would be his first win, something many felt would have happened by now. 

"I'm not worried about it," DeLaet said. "I've been close a lot of times and been one shot out of a playoff a bunch of times. I know I'm playing well enough and I feel like it's going to happen. I don't feel any pressure and in the past when I've won I know that you can't force it. 

"It's just going to take the right week when you get a break or a putt drops or something goes your way. It's not easy. Even opposite field events or quote-unquote weaker field events are hard to win. There aren't too many guys out here who can win when they don't have their best stuff."

One thing DeLaet is excited about for this year is the expanded company he'll have on tour. Six Canadians – including three rookies – is a sign that good things are happening in Canadian golf, he said.
 
"It's great seeing Adam [Hadwin] and Nick [Taylor] and Roger [Sloan] up there. There's a lot of our guys playing good golf right now. Even the amateurs, with Brooke Henderson and everything. It's a good time."

With his health back and a new year set to start in Hawaii, it's good times indeed. 

(TSN.CA)

Greg Quick Named Riders D-C

The Saskatchewan Roughriders today announced the hiring of Greg Quick as defensive coordinator.

Greg Quick arrives in Saskatchewan with a wealth of coaching experience spanning over 30 years in both the professional and collegiate levels. Most recently Quick was the linebackers coach for the Montreal Alouettes. He spent two seasons with the Al’s after joining the team ahead of the 2013 season.

Quick joined the Northwood University Timberwolves as the team’s offensive coordinator for the 2012 season after spending the 2010 and 2011 seasons as linebackers coach with the Toronto Argonauts.

Quick’s coaching career dates back to 1979 when he was named the defensive coordinator at Emporia State. He then went on to Heidelberg College as offensive coordinator in 1985 before moving to New Mexico State where he was linebackers coach. His first head coaching experience at the collegiate level came at the University of Chicago in 1989, a position he held for five seasons. He was then the head coach at St. Norbert College from 1994 to1999 before eventually holding the same role at Concord University from 2003 to 2008.     

NHL Three Stars Of Week

St. Louis Blues center David Backes, Colorado Avalanche goaltender Semyon Varlamov and Florida Panthers left wing Jonathan Huberdeau have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the week ending Jan. 11.

 

FIRST STAR – DAVID BACKES, C, ST. LOUIS BLUES

 

Backes led the NHL with five goals and eight points in three games, posting three consecutive multi-point performances to power the Blues (26-13-3, 55 points) to a trio of victories. He opened the week by scoring four straight goals in a 6-0 triumph over the Arizona Coyotes Jan. 6. It marked Backes’ second career four-goal game and first in nearly six years (also April 2, 2009 at DET). Backes also became the first player to register four consecutive goals in one game – for any team – since Nov. 11, 2005 (Ilya Kovalchuk) and just the second player in Blues history to accomplish that feat (Red Berenson: Nov. 7, 1968). Backes followed that performance with two more multi-point games: 1-1—2 in a 7-2 win over the San Jose Sharks Jan. 8 and 0-2—2 in a 5-4 shootout victory over the Carolina Hurricanes Jan. 10. The 30-year-old Minneapolis, Minn., native ranks sixth on the Blues with 14-13—27 in 41 appearances this season, including 7-7—14 in his past 12 outings.

 

SECOND STAR – SEMYON VARLAMOV, G, COLORADO AVALANCHE

 

            Varlamov went 3-0-0 with a 1.67 goals-against average, .962 save percentage and one shutout to lead the Avalanche (18-16-8, 44 points) to three consecutive wins. He stopped all 54 shots he faced to earn his 16th career shutout in a 2-0 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks Jan. 6. With that performance, Varlamov set an NHL record for saves in a regular-season road shutout as well as a franchise record for saves in a regular-season shutout. Varlamov made 36 saves in his next start, a 5-2 triumph over the Ottawa Senators Jan. 8. He followed that with 37 stops – his 12th 30-plus save performance of the season – in a 4-3 win over the Dallas Stars Jan. 10. The 26-year-old Samara, Russia, native owns a 10-8-5 record with a 2.77 goals-against average, .920 save percentage and three shutouts in 23 appearances this season, including a 6?2-0 mark since returning from injury Dec. 23.

 

THIRD STAR – JONATHAN HUBERDEAU, LW, FLORIDA PANTHERS

 

            Huberdeau shared second in the NHL with five points (3-2—5) in three outings to help the Panthers (20-11-9, 49 points) complete a perfect three-game trip through Western Canada and move within one point of the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. He opened the week by notching 2-1—3, including the primary assist on Aleksander Barkov’s tiebreaking goal, in a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks Jan. 8. It marked Huberdeau’s fourth career performance of three or more points and first since April 27, 2013 (0-3—3). Huberdeau rounded out the week with 1-1—2 in a 6-5 win over the Calgary Flames Jan. 9 before being held off the scoresheet in a 4-2 triumph over the Edmonton Oilers Jan. 11. The 21-year-old Saint-Jerome, Que., native and 2012-13 Calder Trophy winner ranks fourth on the Panthers with 7-15—22 in 37 contests this season.

(NHL Media)