Something To "Mitch" About

NEW NUMBER ONE ON CFL LADDER  -- Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, for the past few years there has been no denying the Calgary Stampeders have been the best team in the CFL.  Yes. they aren't the defending champs thanks to Ottawa in last year's Grey Cup, but after what I saw this past weekend, they are no longer atop the CFL throne.  When this week's power rankings come out, I would not be surprised to see the BC Lions atop the pack.

Say what you will, and yes Edmonton may have a claim to that #1 spot as they are the lone unbeaten, but BC is the top team after four weeks if you ask me.  Playing three straight games out east and winning all three of them is huge. To cap it off with Travis Lulay throwing for over 400 yards shows you the Lions can do it with their number 2 quarterback.  It is not known how long Jonathan Jennings will be out of the lineup for after injuring his shoulder, but if he is out for a while the Lions can rest easy knowing Lulay can do the job.

As for the Stampeders, well they showed us a thing or two as well.  First off, let's be clear. This team is not as good as last years. At least not yet.  They were a fortunate call from getting a tie in Ottawa and they didn't deserve to win in Montreal. There is still a long ways to go in this season, and yes they will be in a growly mood when they play the Riders, but we know they don't like playing Saskatchewan in MacMahon because of the tractor factor.  I'm guessing and hoping Chris Jones will be looking at the film of the Alouettes game and the first half of last year's Grey Cup to see what can be done to confuse the MOP.  I'm not calling for the upset, but I like the Rider  chances a little more after seeing what transpired this week.

Those chances might go up a little more if the league decides to hand out some further discipline to Jerome Messam. After getting kicked out of Friday's game for what was a stupid play, would the CFL suspend him? I'm guessing the answer is no, but who knows! This is the CFL after all!


AMBROSIE GETS AN "A" --  CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie showed us Friday he gets it.  Ambrosie was in Winnipeg Thursday night when a PR stunt blew up in the league's face.  The penalty that shouldn't have been called, and resulted in a Winnipeg woman losing one million dollars had headlines across North America. Ambrosie realized this, and he acted.

He, and the league, turned what could have been a PR nightmare into a positive by awarding Karen Kuldys and her family a trip to Grey Cup. It's a small way of saying you're sorry for the officiating and the fact they jobbed her out of the cash she deserved.  The Bombers, the CFL, Safeway and Air Miles also hopped on board to make it better for this woman and themselves.  Without admitting the call was wrong, the league and its partners gave what was a bad story for the league a good ending.  Would Jeffery Orridge had done this? I don't even know if he would have been aware of it if the truth be known.

I like the way this guy is starting out, and CFL fans should too.  He could have taken the "oh well" attitude, but he didn't. He was proactive on what took place, and he should be recognized for that as should Wade Miller and the Bombers.

Some asked if the Riders would do the same thing if they were in that position. Absolutely!  Wayne Morsky and Craig Reynolds might have done something before the CFL did. It likely would have been the same gift as what the Bombers were giving, but they would have done it.  Despite what some have said, the Riders still realize how important its fan-base is and what they mean to this organization. The team does what it can to look after its fans. Sometimes it can't happen, but most times it does.

RUN THE BALL AND GOOD THINGS HAPPEN -   The lone unbeaten team in the CFL are the Edmonton Eskimos.  During Saturday's game, TSN's Derek Taylor, who you can hear every Wednesday on the Sportscage, sent out a tweet showing the pass to run ratio.  The Eskimos are the closest to 50-50 as they pass 58 percent of the time.  Running the football has made Edmonton a little more dangerous.  We saw what happened with the Riders offence against Hamilton when Cameron Marshall started touching the football. Yes, the CFL is a pass-happy league, but "W"s might be more achievable by "pounding the rock"!


CRYING IN YOUR BEER -  I just want to make sure I have this right.  There are one group of Rider fans who are upset over the beer prices at Mosaic Stadium.  There are another group of people upset because they can't drink craft beer.  Is there a group out there that wouldn't pay the high price for a craft beer? You can get Great Western beer at the Brandt Centre during Pats season, but you can't get a Molsons product. Damn you Pats, you don't sell Molson products. How dare you!! The Riders moved to Pepsi this year from Coke. Are Coke fans outraged? I'm not the beer connoisseur that others are, but give me a beer and most times I'm happy.  It can be a Coors, it can be a Kokanee, it can be a Mus Knuckle, something from Rebellion or whatever.

FEDERER -  Roger Federer's legacy grew a little on Sunday as he won his 8th Wimbledon mens singles title.  Federer has to be getting up there as one of the world's greatest athletes if he isn't already there.  He went through the entire tournament without losing a set.  That is beyond impressive.

FLOYD & CONOR - What a circus the hype between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor has been as the two criss-cross the continent promoting their August fight.  It has been entertaining to watch these two snipe at one another, but it was a WWE feel to it because the two are flying from stop-to-stop in the same plane.  The hype is worth following because it gives one a chuckle.  The only chuckle from the fight will be those who pay for it.  I just don't see this being worth the oodles and oodles of cash both are going to get.  I also think McGregor win or lose will want Floyd in his domain and will want another fight in the octagon so both can get another huge pay-day. No thanks!

THE FUTURE LOOKS GOOD -  Team Saskatchewan was oh so close to winning gold at the 2017 Football Canada Cup losing on a last second touchdown to Quebec by a score of 10-7. Saskatchewan has seen many good players move on to the next level with more ready to move after a year of university and college ball.  The future looks good.  One has to wonder though when Rams DC Sheldon Gray (head coach of Team Sask) and Rams OC Mark McConkey are going to get a call to the next level.  That statement probably has Rams HC Steve Bryce going SHHHHHHHHH! Good programs have good people!

That's all I got. Have a great week! Would it be too much to ask for 6-12 hours of rain?

Fan Shafted In Touchdown To Win Contest Going to Grey Cup on CFL's Dime

Canadian Football League Commissioner Randy Ambrosie spoke with Winnipeg Blue Bomber fan and Safeway and Sobeys’ Touchdown To Win contestant Karen Kuldys today and invited her and her family to attend this year’s 105th Grey Cup presented by Shaw in Ottawa as VIP guests of the League.

“We’re all fans and whatever team you root for, we would all love to see a CFL fan win a million dollars. So we all feel for Karen and what she must have gone through last night, and what she must still be feeling today. I was in Winnipeg for the game and I spoke with her today. On behalf of the CFL, I invited her and her family to come to Grey Cup this year as our guests,” said Randy Ambrosie, the CFL’s Commissioner. “I know Karen’s a Blue Bomber fan and her son plays football, so we spoke with Wade Miller, the President and CEO of the Bombers, this morning. He immediately pledged to provide Karen with Bombers season’s tickets for the rest of this season and next season as well. We all know these things can’t compare to a million dollars but we wanted to do something to let her and her family know that we all wished she could have won last night.”

He added: “It was a very tough call made by our official last night, one that could have gone either way. There are tough calls made all the time in our game because these are world class athletes, moving at tremendous speeds, and we ask our officials to make difficult judgement calls in the blink of an eye, and we have to respect their decisions.”

Safeway and Sobeys’ Touchdown to Win Contest, which awards a Visions $25,000 home theatre package to a contest entrant if one kickoff is returned for touchdown, and a million dollars if a second kickoff is returned for a touchdown in the same game, is part of the grocery chains’ partnership with TSN, which along with RDS is the exclusive broadcaster of the CFL. Today, Sobeys announced that, in addition to the home theatre package, it will provide Karen with free groceries for one year at any Safeway or Sobeys.

“We were thrilled that Karen won a $25,000 home theatre package after one kickoff was returned for a touchdown,” said Lyne Castonguay, Executive Vice President, Sobeys Inc. “And while we can’t reverse a referee’s on-field call, we are delighted to be able to offer Karen a year’s worth of free groceries in addition to the great football offers made by the CFL and the Blue Bombers.”

(CFL.ca)

Madani on latest black mark for CFL and its officials

http://3downnation.com/2017/07/14/incapable-officiating-proves-player-safety-not-cfl-priority/

This morning was business as usual for Karen Kuldys. Her alarm went off before dawn at 4:30 a.m. She got up and went to work at A&W.

This morning, the bigger question is how – or if – Ricky Ray slept last night. You’d have to think the Argos medical staff kept him up until their flight in the wee hours of the morning. He had to have suffered some kind of brain trauma on that despicable, ugly blow to the head from Cory Johnson late in the fourth quarter.



A long-time team executive texted me after the play: “One of the worse (sic) cheap shots I’ve seen.”

He saw it, you saw it, Chris Cuthbert called it, hell, Randy Ambrosie couldn’t have missed it from the executive suite a mile above the play. Yet… yet, another game and another series of blown calls affecting the game’s result and the health of a league’s marquee player.

Was there a peep from the CFL office last night or this morning? One of the last Tweets from the league’s PR director came Thursday and it was about his favourite beers, and nothing was posted after halftime. So, then, back to business as usual for the CFL: head in the sand, hoping the furor will go away with a doubleheader on tap this evening.

Will there be accountability for what happened in Winnipeg? For missing the Johnson hit? For screwing Karen out of a million dollars? For not knowing what down it was, or where the line of scrimmage was, after getting another pass interference call wrong in the end zone?

The incapability of CFL on-field officials has reached the point where players are no longer protected on the field, contradicting the longest standing drinking game the league has. Think how tipsy you’d be if you took a sip every time you hear or read someone from headquarters declare: “player safety is paramount to us.”

It isn’t and it can’t be. Not when Ben Major, promoted to referee this season by Glen Johnson, misses not one but two hits to Ray’s head in the final minutes of regulation. Not when the league went out of its way this winter to give the Argonauts the most accommodating schedule possible, putting other teams (see Ottawa) in a dangerous, disadvantageous position (see three games in 11 days in three different cities) that proves player safety is far from paramount to the RedBlacks.

Understand the politics at play here: the CFL demoted Murray Clarke from referee to field judge, in large part because he missed obvious roughing the passer calls. Protecting the quarterback is a point of emphasis at all levels of football these days, after all, and to the league office that just couldn’t be tolerated.

Now enter Ben Major, Johnson’s handpicked selection. What will the consequence be today, Karen’s million dollars missed notwithstanding? If you’re guessing very little, you probably win the prize. Not the pots and pans that Kuldys first thought were coming her way, either.

Thursday was another opportunity for the CFL. With apologies to NBA Summer League, it was the only pro sporting event being televised in North America. This was a chance to showcase what this game was all about. It was a pretty entertaining get together: two CFL neophytes continuing to electrify on kick returns; Justin Medlock cementing himself as the best kicker in the league; Weston Dressler and Andrew Harris continuing their dominance in Winnipeg’s offence.

And yet, by night’s end, there was Ray getting crushed on a hit – that should merit a suspension – where there was no flag thrown; then the kick return touchdown, that could have become the goodwill story of the season, negated by a flag that should never have been thrown.

Ray’s significance to the Argos can’t be understated. So much so that before the game, Marc Trestman told Terry Koshan of The Toronto Sun, “the rest of us are not as important as him.” At the time of this column, the Argos were flying home from Winnipeg. The team had no update on Ray’s status.

Some believed Ambrosie’s first big test as commissioner was providing the proper discipline on Will “Smith” Hill, who grabbed an official during a game last week. In reality, the new commish knows the real crisis in his league right now. He must deal swiftly with officiating and the command centre and what is happening before his very eyes. People’s livelihoods are on the line with wins and losses. Players’ lives are on the line when they get clubbed in the head. At the very least, a flag could be a deterrent.

Kuldys got her 15 minutes of fame, #WhatAboutKaren trending nationally on Twitter. She went to work this morning knowing a $25,000 prize pack is coming her way.

Ray’s health is not as certain. Nor should status quo with the CFL officiating department. Even Karen Kuldys knew that when she left for A&W in the darkness of Friday morning.

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.

--The bye week is upon us. The green-and-white are not in action this weekend. With Country Thunder happening in Craven that is probably a good thing as many of the 18-35 demographic that are country music fans are probably wondering more about what is happening at the annual country music festival than the goings-on of their favourite football team----at least for the weekend.  As of Monday though, the team will be back and the talk will start for their game Saturday in Calgary. 

--The win over Hamilton has seemingly quieted some of the critics.  That win validated the team was a good one and that the two tough losses to open the season were ones where lessons were learned. It won't be easy facing Bo Levi Mitchell and crew on their own turf where they are so good, but the green-and-white have showed us what type of football team they intend on being this year.  Some believe this is a playoff team.  I still stand by my statements at the start of the year that the best they can hope for is 3rd behind Calgary and BC as they will have to beat the Edmontons and Winnipegs and they have already lost one to the Bombers.  Let's not go overboard here!

--With the season now three games in, here is a question for you Rider fans, Did you buy a new jersey this year or are you thinking of getting one? If so, whose name and number goes on it if you do that?  I am guessing some dusted off their old Kevin Glenn jerseys, but I am guessing some new ones have been purchased.  I am sure Mark Habicht at the Rider Store could give me what I am looking for, but I would have to think there are a few people walking out with Willie Jefferson jerseys, a few who have decided on a Duron Carter uni, and some who have now decided to sport a Naaman Roosevelt shirt. While I have not been in the Rider store since it opened at the new facility, I will ask this.  Can Rider fans and CFL fans in general get t-shirt jerseys? The NHL has them and I am guessing shirts like "Bagg 6" "Glenn 5" and "Roosevelt 82" would be as big here as a "Mitchell 19" would be in Calgary, a "Reilly 13" would be in Edmonton and a "Dressler 7" would be in Winnipeg....and arguably here too. You saw the Canada 150 shirts with "Reed 34" on the back.  How about adding a Lancaster, a Ridgway, and an Aldag to the repertoire. You can't tell me those wouldn't sell. 

--One has to wonder if new CFL commish Randy Ambrosie has had a "chat" with director of officiating Glen Johnson yet. If he hasn't, he might want to after a great football game between the Argos and Bombers was spoiled by one horrific call and one questionable non-call.  

Karen Kuldys of Winnipeg is getting her 15 minutes of fame today, but for all the wrong reasons. Kuldys should be going to a Safeway or Sobeys in Winnipeg tomorrow to get a cheque for one million dollars. Thanks to the buffoonery Johnson leads, all Kuldys is getting is a what if....a big what if.  Riders PR man Ryan Pollock may have summed it up the best on Twitter Thursday night when he said "in the past, no one could put a value on a bad call----turns out its 1 million dollars".  Yup!  A terrible call not only negated a Toronto TD, but took a million dollars out of the hands of a fan.  Safe to say she has every right to bitch about the officiating.  Yes, bad calls are going to be made, but they are magnified in situations like this. Add to that that Ricky Ray was the victim of a blatant head shot on his game-ending interception yet no flag flew on this one.  This is why CFL fans hate what they see from the stripes. 

On a night where the CFL could have made headlines for all the right reasons including what was another fantastic game, they will make headlines for all the wrong reasons as their officiating will be put under the microscope yet again.  One can only wonder if Bo Levi Mitchell thought of tweeting something and then decided not to after his controversial fine for making a comment about a call in the Riders-Hamilton game. 

As for the game itself, Toronto seemed to take a step back while Winnipeg seemed to take a step up.  That isn't good news for the green-and-white in what is once again a very competitive Western Conference. 

--When the sports world brings you one negative story after another no matter the league, all it takes is watching 3 hours of the ESPY's to make you realize why sports is so great! Once again, the four letter knocked it out of the park with its broadcast Wednesday night.  The stories they tell leave many with a lump in their throat. Peyton Manning also did a great job (as expected)as host.  Kevin Durant might not think so, but he did. Get over it KD!

--The Toronto Maple Leafs are seeing what Pats fans have known for a while.  That being Adam Brooks is a player! The former Pats captain is turning a lof of heads at the team's development camp and is being considered as one of their top talents. GM Lou Lamierello has told Toronto media Brooks will likely start his season with the AHL's Toronto Marlies, but a trip to the NHL is there. It will take some time, but Lou isn't saying how much time.  If Brooks does what I think he can, I wouldn't be surprised to see him take a good shot at cracking the main roster for the 2018-19 season.

--I wonder if those in Quebec City are asking what it will take. It looks as if the Carolina Hurricanes will be staying in Raleigh as they are about to be sold. That will end any rumours of the Hurricanes relocating in Quebec City and becoming the Nordiques 2.0.  Where do they look now? Florida?

--Are the Dallas Stars the most improved team in the NHL? They have added a solid defenceman in Marc Methot, they have added scoring punch in Alexander Radulov and Martin Hanzal and they hope to have solved their goaltending woes by getting Ben Bishop.  Add this to Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, John Klingberg and the re-emergence of Ken Hitchcock behind the bench and Dallas appears ready to once again worm their way into the Western Conference playoff battle. 

--The news from MLB commissioner Rob Manfred that once Oakland and Tampa get ballpark situations resolved he will look at Montreal as an expansion team. How about just moving the A's or Rays if it doesn't work Rob? Yes, I know there's a lot more to it than that, but Montreal fans shouldn't have to wait for two other teams to sort out its problems.  In the meantime, those who want to bring MLB back to Montreal need to keep working. I wonder if Manfred would change his tune a little if plans for a ballpark were announced.  Apparently, the land is there somewhere near the Bell Centre.  Waiting and staying patient won't work here. Being aggressive and continuing to show baseball you want a team whether it be expansion or existing is the way to go. 

--Best of luck to new U of R Athletics Director (or director of sport as they want to call it) Lisa Robertson.  She has many positives to work with when it comes to Cougar Athletics, but she will have some issues that need to be worked on. One of them which was indicated in the review of the athletic program was engaging the University population with the Cougars no matter the sport.  I have some ideas, and I have shared some ideas in the past as to how to get more students at games. There are ways to do it.  I am sure Robertson has the background and the expertise to get it done otherwise she wouldn't have been hired. She ticks off all the boxes the hiring committee was looking for so let's see what happens. Those who know me know I'm a big supporter of U of R athletics and I would love nothing more than to see these teams and these tremendous student-athletes do their thing at home in front of some decent crowds. Yes, that expectation may be too much in some areas, but there is no reason why the CKHS shouldn't have good crowds for basketball, the Rams should have better crowds for footbal and the hockey teams should have more attendance as well.  

--The NBA season hasn't even started yet and I've had enough  of Lonzo Ball and his old man!

That's all I've got. Enjoy Country Thunder if you're there and have a great weekend! 

Oops!! CFL Officiating Costs Winnipeg Woman 1 Million Dollars

A controversial call prevented Karen Kuldys of Winnipeg from becoming a millionaire on Thursday.

Kuldys was the contestant for Safeway’s Touchdown to Win contest — which pays $1 million if two kickoffs are returned for touchdowns in the same game — and looked to be well on her way toward putting the money in her pocket after Ryan Lankford of the Blue Bombers took the opening kickoff 105 yards for a score and Martese Jackson of the Argonauts added a major of his own late in the second quarter after an Andrew Harris touchdown.



But, before Jackson crossed the goal line after his 109 yards return, out came a penalty flag.

The call was an illegal block on Argos receiver Llevi Noel, who appeared to be run into by Mike Miller of the Blue Bombers.

Miller fell to the ground, but the flag came out anyway, even though Jackson was already past Miller and on his way to the end zone.

The Bombers won the game 33-25.

(Winnipeg Sun)

U of R Hires New Director of Sport

University of Regina Faculty of Kinesiology & Health Studies dean Harold Riemer announced Wednesday morning that Lisa Robertson has accepted the role of Director of Sport, Community Engagement & Athlete Development.

Robertson, who will start in the role effective Sept. 1, most recently worked as an Associate Director at the Olympic Oval in Calgary and was responsible for leading marketing, communications, events and competition teams.

During her two years at the Oval, Robertson worked to align with the five-year strategic plan and led an organizing committee that managed the 2016 ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating competition. Robertson also led the Oval through a brand refresh and assisted in developing a new governance model for the teams she oversees.

Robertson will be in charge of directing and developing Athletics at the University of Regina and will be responsible to consider the recommendations outlined in the recently completed Athletic review.

"I am pleased to be able to welcome Lisa to the University of Regina community and look forward to the leadership she will provide to the range of sport and athletics programming offered at the University," Dr. Riemer said on Wednesday. "She will be a strong addition to the Faculty's leadership team and is a dynamic individual who will work very collaboratively to build on positive work that has been done over the last number of years."

Prior to working at the Olympic Oval, Robertson spent 18 years in the Athletic Department at the University of Calgary. Much of Robertson's career with the Dinos was focused on fund development, including time as the Director of Development from 2012 through 2015.

Robertson's experience at the University of Calgary included selling sponsorships, serving as a member of organizing committees for national championships, high-level strategic planning and program execution.

"My family and I are very excited for this new opportunity - I've dedicated my career to sport and this is a great opportunity for me to use my talents in an area that I'm passionate," said Robertson. "After working in varsity sport for 18 years with the Calgary Dinos and being away from it for two years, I can't wait to be back, especially in Canada West."

Robertson played five years with the University of Calgary women's basketball program from 1990 to 1995 while earning a Bachelor of Arts degree. Robertson was a part of a Canada West champion Dinos squad in 1991, was a Canada West first-team all-star in 1994 and was named a second-team Canada West all-star on three other occasions. Following her time at the University of Calgary, Lisa received a Diploma in Radio, Television and Broadcast News from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. Lisa and her husband Chris have a daughter (Sophia) and a son (Jack).

Robertson will be formally introduced at a press conference in early August.

WHL Champion Seattle Thunderbirds Hire New Head Coach

Seattle Thunderbirds general manager Russ Farwell today announced Matt O’Dette has been named the T-Birds new head coach.

O’Dette becomes the 17th head coach in franchise history replacing Steve Konowalchuk, who joined the Anaheim Ducks as an assistant coach on June 28.

“We were lucky to have a very good coach already on our staff and are excited to promote Matt to our head coach,” said Farwell. “He was a huge contributor to our team the last few years and has proven he is ready to take over the head coaching duties.”

“I am honored to be named the head coach of the T-Birds,” said O’Dette. “I want to thank Russ Farwell for the opportunity, as it has been a goal of mine to be a head coach at the major junior level. I am very appreciative of the opportunity Steve Konowalchuk gave me four years ago. We’ve created a winning culture and I look forward to that continuing in front of our amazing fans.”

O’Dette joined the T-Birds as an assistant coach on July 23, 2013, focusing on defense. Under his tutelage two of the last three WHL Defenseman of the Year Award winners have been T-Birds. Shea Theodore was named the 2015 WHL Defenseman of the Year and Ethan Bear was named the 2017 WHL Defenseman of the Year. Theodore and Bear were both twice named Western Conference First Team All-Stars under his guidance.

O’Dette directed the T-Birds penalty kill, which finished third in the league last season and first overall in 2015-16. The T-Birds have been in the top four in goals against the last three seasons, finishing third in 2014-15 and 2015-16 and tied for fourth in 2016-17.

Prior to joining the T-Birds O’Dette was the head coach and director of hockey operations for the Bakersfield Condors of the ECHL for two seasons. Prior to joining the Condors he was an assistant coach and assistant general manager of the Stockton Thunder of the ECHL.

He played 663 professional games over 14 professional seasons in the AHL and ECHL with the Roanoke Express (ECHL 1996-97), Saint John Flames (AHL 1997-2000), Quebec Citadelles (AHL 2000-02), Hamilton Bulldogs (2002-03), Fresno Falcons (ECHL 2004-09) and Falcons/Thunder (ECHL 2009-10). He also appeared in 69 playoffs games and was a member of two Calder Cup Final teams.

O’Dette played 183 career games as a defenseman in the OHL with the Kitchener Rangers and Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. He was selected by the Florida Panthers in the seventh round, 157th overall, in the 1994 NHL Draft.