Riders Acquire QB From Hamilton

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have acquired international quarterback Jake Waters from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in exchange for a negotiation list player. 

Waters (6’1 – 210) is currently in his first CFL season after signing with Hamilton in April, 2016. The 24-year-old Iowa native has dressed in all three games this season for the Tiger-Cats as a backup quarterback.

Last season, Waters attended training camp with the Seattle Seahawks after signing with the team in August. He had originally signed as an undrafted free agent with the Jacksonville Jaguars in May, 2015.

Before going pro, Waters spent two seasons at Kansas State where he completed 421 of 657 pass attempts for 5,970 yards and 40 touchdowns in 26 collegiate games.

Molleken Returns To Canada As A Major Leaguer

 Dustin Molleken has pitched here before, nearly half a lifetime ago. He was a 17-year-old on the Canadian junior national team, he said, pitching against Team USA. At that point, he dreamed of coming back here as a Major Leaguer.

Fourteen years later, Molleken walked into Rogers Centre on Thursday afternoon as a member of the Detroit Tigers' bullpen, readying for a four-game series against the Blue Jays' formidable offense. And the Rogers Centre crew was ready for him, posting his picture and stats profile on the scoreboard, complete with a Canadian Maple Leaf to denote his heritage.

It's a different part of the country for the Regina, Saskatchewan, native. But it feels like home.
"It's an unbelievable feeling," he said, "especially being at home here. It means so much to me to be at home and throw."

It's a feeling Molleken wasn't sure he'd ever get as he waited for a call from the big leagues. He has spent 13 years and 349 appearances in the Minors, including parts of six years at Triple-A across four different organizations. He went to Japan to pitch for the Nippon Ham Fighters a few years ago, but came back. He nearly quit, but his agent told him not to give up. Far from growing bitter, Molleken picked up a reputation for his kindness, even helping out clubhouse kids doing laundry after a game on occasion.

"You have to pay your dues," he said with a smile.

Molleken made his way to the Tigers' system last fall with help from an old scout. Joe Ferrone originally signed him with the Pirates in 2003, and he remembered Molleken when he joined the Tigers for a second stint as a Major League scout this past fall. When the Tigers were looking for Minor League free agents to stock the system, Ferrone put in a good word for Molleken.

When depth issues challenged the Tigers to look for fresh arms at Triple-A Toledo, the word from manager Lloyd McClendon and the coaching staff was Molleken. He was called up on Father's Day last month for a brief stint but didn't pitch, essentially serving as an extra arm.

When the Tigers called him back up from Toledo on Monday with Jordan Zimmermann going on the disabled list, Molleken didn't have to linger long. He made his Major League debut on Monday at Cleveland and threw two innings, allowing a run on three hits with a walk and two strikeouts. His first Major League strikeout was Mike Napoli.

"My legs felt like jelly," Molleken said. "My heart rate was going, but when I threw my first pitch, I felt normal."

An appearance in Toronto could prompt a similar feeling. He'll have his wife and daughter at the ballpark, and plenty of friends watching on television.

(MLB.com)

Depth Charts For Friday's Riders-Eskimos Game

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.

--Is this the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? This shot was taken by one of the cameras watching the construction of the new Mosaic Stadium and was posted on the Regina Revitalization Initiative Twitter account last week. If it wasn't for those rain drops, this would be a tremendous shot. 

--Its game-day Friday as the Saskatchewan Roughriders are in Edmonton tonight to face the Eskimos as Chris Jones makes his regular season return to the Alberta capital where I am sure the Eskimos faithful will not welcome him back in kind fashion. On paper, the Eskimos should win this game, and I expect them to do that, but I also expect the Riders to give the defending Grey Cup champs a great game. I obviously have no idea what Jones has up his sleeve for his old mates, but I am guessing if Mike Reilly gets knocked on his wallet a few times, the green-and-white will have a shot. I'm also guessing that while the Eskimos want to pin one on their old coach, guys like Kendial Lawrence, Otha Foster and Shawmaud Chambers want to pin one on their old team as well. I'm expecting a good one!

--Speaking of Chambers, I loved the "There will be more Rider fans than Eskimo ones at Commonwealth" comment he gave this week. Talk about taking the focus off of Chris Jones and putting it on himself. That simple comment got the Eskimo fanbase off their rocker. It doesn't take a lot to get them off their game it would seem.

--If you watch WWE, you have seen a tag team known as Enzo Amore and Big Cass make their presence known in recent weeks. The 7 foot tall Big Cass calls out his opponents saying they are "SAWFT". He might also be talking about Matt Sewell.  The old saying is "When the going gets tough, the tough get going". For Sewell, it might be when the going gets tough, I just quit. The offensive lineman acquired in the Shawn Lemon trade doesn't want to come to Saskatchewan and has retired. Does he not like the Prairies? Is he afraid of walking down the Dewdney strip? Did he see what the Riders o-line looks like and said to himself, this isn't worth the fight? Whatever it is, it doesn't look good on Sewell as far as I'm concerned. He was faced with some adversity and quit. I don't know if the Riders can get something else from Toronto in this deal or not, but I don't really care.  Unless we hear otherwise, it seems to me as if Sewell, much like Shawn Lemon had a character we don't really need in Riderville. I am hoping Rider fans see that---or at least the majority of them.

--I will comment on all the CFL games in Monday's column, but I have to bring up play in Thursday's BC-Toronto game. In the 4th quarter, Ricky Ray was sacked by three Lions, but a very questionable roughing the passer call was made. Replays showed nothing to indicate that such a penalty had taken place, but even after Wally Buono challenged it, the call stood much to the disbelief of TSN's Glen Suitor and others who watched. If what was seen was roughing the passer, you can simply put a flag on the QB from now on. It was also a call that head referee Dave Foxcroft should have had to answer to after the game, but we know that will never happen because it doesn't in any league. Getting an explanation from Foxcroft as to why that call was made might not make the situation better, but perhaps CFL fans would understand what goes into the decision. One can only wonder if Glen Johnson would dare to give us an explanation on that play and tell CFL fans if it was right or wrong.

--Why does the CFL play games on Thursday night and Friday night when there is no competition, but when NCAA and NFL football start, they will go head-to-head against them. I don't understand. Do they?

--The sports world is humming over the fact Kevin Durant has left the Oklahoma City Thunder---one of the few teams in the NBA that could compete with the Golden State Warriors to join Klay Thompson, Steph Curry and crew.  Golden State will arguably trot out the best starting 5 in NBA history as they try to duplicate their 73-9 regular season and add one more win to their playoff total from this past season. I can't decide if this is good or bad for the league as a whole. The good is the interest in this team will be immense as fans tune in to watch them whenever they get a chance---especially when they are battling the Thunder. The bad is they could make a mockery of the NBA if they roll through as expected. It will make for compelling theatre. Some have asked if the Warriors starting 5 could beat the USA team that will compete at Rio. Seeing Thompson, Draymond Green and Kevin Durant are on that team, I will say no, but take those three off and it would be a great tilt.

--An elderly lady got my attention at the downtown Tim Hortons this week telling me I am so negative when it comes to the Riders, that she is no longer listening to my show and I should act as professional as Rod Pedersen does on his show. I informed the old gal I worked with Rod at CKRM. To make a long story short, she thought I was someone who worked for another sports show in this town. All I could do was laugh as I walked back to CKRM headquarters. I really should have bought her coffee for her though for making me chuckle.

-- Congratulations to Dustin Molleken for finally throwing a major league pitch.

It happened Monday night in Cleveland as the 31 year old Reginan came out of the bullpen to throw for the Detroit Tigers against the Indians. Luckily for many of us, the game was on TSN2 so many got to see the performance and they enjoyed it. I spoke with Dusty the day after and he was still tremendously excited saying that run out to the mound was one he will never forget and that he stood there and looked from foul pole to foul pole with legs that felt like jello before realizing "I'm here". What a moment! Many baseball people in Saskatchewan are proud of Molleken and why not! He also becomes the 2nd Regina Pats alumni to have played a game for the WHL club and played in major league baseball joining former Milwaukee outfielder Nyjer Morgan, Many told me on Twitter after I had sent that fact out not to forget about Larry Walker. The former Expo and Rockies great did attend a Pats camp before being released, but he never played a game. 

--Congratulations to former Pats defenceman Chris Schlenker.  The 31 year old, who was named the WHL's top official in just his 3rd year, has been hired by the NHL. He isn't the only member of the stripes with a Saskatchewan tie to get promoted. Lumsden's Peter McDougall is also going to the show after working in the ECHL and AHL.

--I am guessing Jon Jones will never step into a UFC octagon again. As much as I like what Jones does in the octagon, the guy is a tire-fire outside of it. He is the Johnny Manziel of mixed martial arts. Does anyone really believe he isn't guilty of the doping infraction he has been accused of? Does anyone come up with something else than the "I don't know how something got into my system" excuse. I can't imagine how many shades of red Dana White went through when he found out UFC 200 had been blown up just hours before it were to happen. That being said, how cool will it be to hear Brock Lesnar get introduced being from Saskatchewan. If you haven't seen it, this is what his UFC bio looks like on the website.

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

Getzlaf: Friday's Game Is Just Another Game

Edmonton Eskimos receiver Chris Getzlaf said Friday’s contest against the Saskatchewan Roughriders was just another game for him, but it’s hard to see how that is possible.

The Regina, Sask., product played eight years for his hometown Saskatchewan Roughriders before signing with the Eskimos this season.

Friday is the first time he’ll line up against his former team in a regular-season game.

“It’s obviously going to have a tiny bit different feel to it, but I’ve approached it just like any other game this entire week and this is just like any other game,” Getzlaf said following practice Wednesday. “It’s just another chance for this football club to win a game, so that’s all that counts.”

Getzlaf, 33, had a pair of 1,000-yard seasons in Saskatchewan and was one of the club’s most popular players prior to his departure. Last year, he caught 33 passes for 402 yards with four touchdowns for the Roughriders, but was not re-signed by the club.

“I had a long time to realize that I wasn’t going to be there and then I had the opportunity here, I came here for training camp and it’s just a great group of guys with a great coaching staff and I couldn’t be happier.” Getzlaf said. “I’m feeling real comfortable here, it’s a great group of guys, we get along well, we chat, and we laugh every day. The biggest thing is that we all put in the time we need in order to go out and execute on the field. I think we’ve done a pretty good job this week and I think we’re set for the game.”

Getzlaf exacted a small measure of revenge in a preseason contest against the Roughriders, catching a touchdown pass in a 25-11 victory.

Friday’s game, however, is one that actually counts, yet Getzlaf downplayed being motivated by wanting to show the Roughriders they were wrong in not re-signing him.

“I want to show someone every single week, that’s the idea,” he said. “You play this game to win and you play this game because you love it. I’m going to come out and I’m going to leave my heart on the field every time.”

In the Week 1 45-37 overtime loss to the Ottawa RedBlacks, Getzlaf was kept out of the end zone but did make two catches for 30 yards.

The veteran is fitting in well with the Eskimos, who already had a talented group of receivers.

“Chris has done exactly what we’ve asked him to do, he’s learned our offence, he’s smart, he’s a veteran guy, he has a good presence about him,” said Eskimos quarterback Mike Reilly. “He’s great in the locker room, he’s great in the film room, he’s been able to teach our young guys. Most importantly, he’s been in the right spots when we’ve needed him to be there and when the plays have gone to him, he’s made plays and that’s what we expect from him for the rest of the year.”

Reilly expects Getzlaf to be fired up to play the Roughriders, even though he may be downplaying the match-up. Reilly knows something about suiting up against a former club.

“No question about it, absolutely, I still get fired up when we play B.C. and that was a long time ago that I played with them,” he said. “He’s a Regina boy, he’s been playing with them a long time and it’s always exciting to play against your old team, emotions always run high. But once that ball is kicked off, it’s a football game and you just focus on your job.”

As much as he would like to have a big night, the most important thing for Getzlaf would be to get the win against the Roughriders. That would be his ultimate revenge. Saskatchewan lost their first game of the season, 30-17, to the Toronto Argonauts last week.

“When you played somewhere as long as he did, there is always going to be motivation to play against that team,” said Eskimos head coach Jason Maas. “But Chris is a professional, bottom line. He’s going to be motivated to play every single week. Does it mean more? It could, especially the first time you play them. But I expect Chris to be motivated every week.”

(Derek Van Diest/Edmonton Journal)

Jon Jones Out Of UFC 200

Interim UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has been pulled from his title unification bout against Daniel Cormier at UFC 200 on Saturday, after the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency informed Jones of a potential doping violation on Wednesday.

UFC president Dana White announced the move during an impromptu news conference at MGM Grand Hotel.

Jones tested positive for a banned substance in an out-of-competition sample taken June 16 by USADA, said Jeff Novitzky, UFC's vice president of athlete health and performance. USADA administers the UFC's anti-drug policy.

A heavyweight fight between Brock Lesnar and Mark Hunt will now headline UFC 200, which takes place on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena.

Jones has the right to appeal any positive test. He has never tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs, but did test positive for traces of cocaine prior to a fight against Cormier in January 2015.

Jones also served a suspension from April to October after his involvement in a hit-and-run accident.

Under the UFC's anti-doping program, which is administered by USADA and went into effect last July, a positive test for a performance-enhancing drug carries a standard 2-year suspension.

White said he'd like to find Cormier, the defending light heavyweight champion, a new opponent, but that would be difficult given the timing.

Cormier, who appeared next to White during the news conference, said he'd put in the work and would accept a new fight if the UFC could find one that "made sense."

(ESPN)

CFL Draftkings Week 3 Picks

QUARTERBACK - TREVOR HARRIS $10600 

Harris is the top-ranked quarterback on the board, but why not! All he has done in a game and a half is throw for almost 700 yards and 6 TD's. He takes on a Calgary defense at home that looked good against Winnipeg, but it was Winnipeg. Ride the hot hand and take Harris. If you want to go cheap, Jonathan Jennings of BC is OK at 7800 as he takes on a Toronto team that wasn't that special against the Riders. 

RUNNING BACK - CJ GABLE $5500 

If going all out at quarterback, you have to save some money at the running back position. The Hamilton running back goes up against a Winnipeg defense that hasn't really impressed anyone in the first two weeks. Gable hasn't found the endzone for the 1-1 Ticats yet this year, but here's hoping he can get in there against the Bombers.  John White and Curtis Steele are also some possible options here. 

RECEIVER - DEREL WALKER $9900  

The Eskimos want to deliver one to the Riders. That isn't a secret. With the green guys starting two rookie corners in Justin Cox and Johnnie Dixon, I am guessing Mike Reilly will want to test those guys on some deep routes and I am guessing he will call upon Walker.  As mentioned in previous columns, stacking is good as you get credit for passing and receiving TD's so stacking Harris with Chris Williams or any Ottawa receiver works here. Considering Williams has hauled in 3 TD passes this year, you can't go wrong in taking him.  A cheap option is Calgary's Joe West who has caught 11 passes in two games but hasn't hit the endzone yet. He is only 4400. Riders receiver Shawmaud Chambers is also going at 3700 and you know he will want to put up a strong performance against his old team.

DEFENCE - HAMILTON $5400 

The Ti-Cats play a Winnipeg team that has struggled mightily on offense. The Ti-Cats have put in a Jekyll and Hyde performance the first two weeks looking good against Toronto, but not so good against BC. That being said, the defence did come up with some turnovers against the Lions and look for that to continue against Drew Willy. 

GOOD LUCK!!