Something To Mitch About

 

--There are many adjectives one can use to describe the performance of the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday night in BC and none of them are positive in nature. You can't sugar-coat that effort in any way or shape possible,  After putting in what I thought was their best overall effort of the year against Montreal, the green and white put in what was their worst overall effort in Vancouver losing 46-20 while making Jonothon Jennings look like the 2nd coming of Roy Dewalt in just his 2nd professional start.  I had a bad feeling right off the start when Kevin Glenn fumbled that it could be perhaps one of those days and it was as the offence was horrible, and the defence was horrible.  Just some thoughts

--Technically, the Riders can still make the playoffs, but even though that window was very small going into last week, it is now over. The time for next year has arrived. While I am sure Bob Dyce will put the best lineup he can on the field Friday in Hamilton, it is time to see more of Brett Smith. We know what Kevin Glenn can do, but it is time to get Smith some more reps. As I have stated before, I believe Glenn should be retained in the off-season because of Darian Durant's achilles injury, but we need to see more of Smith and get Keith Price warmed up in the bullpen because he needs to see some reps as well.

--It is not a condemnation of Tristan Jackson, but small defensive backs just can't play the game they want in the CFL because of the big receivers and the new rules. Jackson just looked lost on the field Saturday night and his size didn't help the situation any.  Jackson was not the reason this team lost this one as the rest of the guys on the field can take just as much blame, but the spotlight was certainly on him.

--The Brett Jones/Ben Heenan talk is increasing and it should be after watching the o-line play like they were on roller skates. I think Heenan will be back here next season as I can't see him playing anywhere else but Saskatchewan. It may be tougher to get Jones and if they do, it will likely mean a big salary goes, but there are a lot of big salaries out there that can be taken off the board.

--I am all for the adage of stopping the other team no matter what the situation is, but I thought the touchdown pass Jennings caught was an extreme "douche-like" move on the Lions part. You can run that play in the first half if you want and you can run passing plays and running plays the way you normally would, but I thought reaching deep into the bag of tricks in a game that at the time is 33-5 was something that wasn't needed. Some said after the game perhaps that was George Cortez sending a message to the Riders and if it was, message sent.

--It was asked going into the game if a victory could help Bob Dyce in his quest to have the interim scratched off the head coaches door. If that was the case, how much does that performance hurt that quest. While he still hasn't come out and said that he wants to be the guy moving forward as far as I know, I have to think he does.

--Now that that is out of the way, lets talk about some other football-related matters and there is no doubt that Lirim Hajrullahu is on thin ice in Winnipeg. In fact, he may not be the Bombers kicker by the time you read this. He had perhaps the most nightmarish game I have seen from a kicker since ----well since Josh Scobee in the Pittsburgh-Baltimore game Thursday. Hajrullahu has not been Mr. Automatic during his time in Winnipeg and her certainly wasn't on Saturday as his misses were a big reason in Edmonton winning that football game. While Hajrullahu hung his team out to dry during the game, he also did it after as he was not offered to Winnipeg reporters looking for a comment. Sorry, you can't play like that and then have your teammates and coach talk about your performance, you have to. Glen Suitor did it in 1989 and many others have as well. That's very-----well yes, it's very Winnipegish!

Henry Burris is 40 years old and he is throwing for 500 yards to lead his 2nd year team to a victory. This my friends has Smilin Hank sittin atop the Most Outstanding Player ladder as far as I am concerned and he will likely beat Bo Levi Mitchell in the final balloting. Is it any coincidence these two are the only quarterbacks who have not been hurt this year. Knock on wood!

Once again, the Calgary Stampeders won a football game by 5 or less points on Friday night in Hamilton. The good teams find a way to win, but this Stampeders team isn't even close to being as good as the team that won the Grey Cup last year, however they may be more fortunate. One of these times they won't make the play or get the bounce they need, and I think they could be bounced by Edmonton in the Western final.

--Speaking of the Eskimos, they are putting getting a little ahead of themselves and a little full of themselves it would seem. The Edmonton Sun's Terry Jones had an article in Saturday's paper where he says not only are the Eskimos talking about being the champs this year, but being multiple champs. Mike Reilly said this team is not built to be a "one year wonder".  The Eskimos are a good football team, but let's not go overboard here guys. You're not Calgary Dinos football good and there are a lot of other teams out there who can say they have just as solid a chance as you going into 2016 and beyond.

--Week 4 NFL thoughts

     1) The Atlanta Falcons deserve to be 4-0. They are playing great football!
     2) The Cincinnati Bengals are 4-0 and I can't figure that one out.
     3) The talk of the Arizona Cardinals being a Super Bowl team can cool off at any time
     4) Joe Philbin will be the first head coach fired in the NFL
     5) Chip Kelly might be the second one
     6) It was a bad week for kickers south of the border too
     7) Can we just call them the Dallas Owboys. How many guys have they lost in the first       
         four weeks?
     

--Let me get this straight, the Moose Jaw and District Sports Hall of Fame announces its first ever class on Friday and while the names of Scott Schultz, Mike Mintenko, Clark Gillies and Lisa Franks are deservedly in that inaugural class, the name Kelly Remple isn't.  It is my guess there is not a degenerate wing and it is my guess, the campaigning has already started to get him in the year 2 class.

--With the Blue Jays in the playoffs, are you ready for hockey season Canada? With the season starting Wednesday night, I will be interested how the sports bars treat Game 1 of the ALDS compared to night 2 of the NHL season when many teams will see their first action of the season including the Jets and Oilers. If you are a sports fan. places like the Great Canadian Brewhouse, the 4 Seasons and the Press Box are the place to be right now. It is the best time of year to be a sports fan.

--With the Blue Jays in the playoffs, do the Raptors have any momentum going into this season after what happened last. A good regular season was diminished by a piss-poor playoff outing making me wonder if Toronto fans even remember that the Raptors are getting another season underway. Something tells me come playoff time they will be packing the square outside Air Canada Centre like they have for the past two seasons and something tells me that square will be packed for all Blue Jays playoff games as well.

--Good on the Blue Jays for trying to get Mark Buehrle 200 innings, but starting him?  It turned out to be disastrous as he didn't even get out of the first inning. Why didn't John Gibbons start Marcus Stroman and hope the game (a game Toronto needed to have a chance at having homefield advantage throughout the playoffs) was in their control after 6 and then bring Buehrle on to pitch the 7th and 8th. That would have made a lot more sense to me. It seemed to me as if Toronto once they clinched the division really took their foot off the gas and seemingly didn't care about having homefield. I would rather be at Rogers Centre for a Game 6 and Game 7 of the ALCS than in Kansas City, but some suggest it won't be those two teams in that series and not to worry about that. Regardless, they have to get by Texas first and both teams have been red hot since August 1 so it should be a good best of 5 matchup.  By the way, is there anything Kevin Pillar doesn't catch when it is hit to center field. His play this year has been overshadowed by that of Bautista, Encarnacion and Donaldson, but it has been just as valuable as far as I am concerned.

--A story out of Winnipeg on the weekend says police are now patrolling rinks this winter because of problems with out-of-control parents. Please, please, please tell me that isn't happening here or anywhere in Saskatchewan.

--Have a great week!

Canada West Football Week 5 Recap

For the fourth time in five games this season, the University of Regina Rams put up more total offence than their opposition but still suffered a 34-19 loss to the No. 6-ranked Manitoba Bisons on Friday night at Investors Group Field.

Three second-quarter touchdowns by Manitoba (3-2) proved to be the difference.

The two teams were tied 3-3 after the first quarter, but Manitoba outscored the Rams by a 21-7 margin in the second to take a 24-10 lead at the break. The Bisons' lead reached as much as 24 during the second half, and though the Rams cut that lead down to 15 late in the third they were never able to break through to make it a one-possession game.

The loss by the Rams (0-5) overshadowed a career night for third-year receiver Davin Johnston (pictured), who came into the game with two career receptions but got the start with Mitch Thompson injured and exploded for 13 catches for 203 receiving yards to lead all players in both categories.

For Manitoba, quarterback Theo Deezar completed 21 of 33 passes and was a deep threat all night long with six completions in excess of 30 yards. He finished with 413 passing yards and three touchdown passes, with Alex Vitt and Dustin Pedersen as his main targets. Vitt caught six passes for 182 yards and a pair of touchdowns, including a back-breaking 69-yard reception for a major on the first play from scrimmage in the second half. Pedersen also had six catches, finishing with 131 yards and a touchdown.

Jayden McKoy led the Manitoba defence with nine solo tackles and two assisted tackles, while David Onyemata and Evan Foster both had sacks and Eric Plett registered a key interception in Manitoba's own end zone late in the fourth quarter.

Johnston's 13 catches stand as the second-highest total in U of R history, tied with current offensive coordinator Mark McConkey's mark of 13 set against Saskatchewan on Sept. 18, 2010 but short of the Canada West record of 15 shared by Chad Goldie (Regina) and Jake Harty (Calgary).

Noah Picton completed 35 of his 49 pass attempts for 456 yards and threw a touchdown pass to rookie Ryan Schienbein in the third quarter. Atlee Simon had 79 rushing yards on 16 carries, including a 30-yard touchdown run in the second for his team's first major of the game. Mitchell Picton and Richard Sindani each had six catches, with Picton finishing with 70 receiving yards and Sindani ending up with 59.

Ryan Serbu led the Rams in tackles (5 solo, 1 assisted) while rookie defensive back Polis Koko recovered a fumble on the last play of the third quarter to give the Rams some life heading into the fourth.

The entire conference will now break for a bye week before returning to action in two weekends. It'll be these two same teams meeting again in Regina, with the Rams and Bisons set to kick off at Mosaic Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 17 with a 4 p.m. start time.

(University of Regina)

---

A 39-point second half propelled the University of Calgary Dinos past a pesky Saskatchewan Huskies team Saturday afternoon en route to a 59-19 Canada West football victory.

On a cold and windy afternoon at McMahon Stadium, most of the scoring took place for the team that enjoyed the stiff north wind – until the middle of the third quarter, when the Dinos broke open the game and went on to win going away. No. 1-ranked Calgary improves to 5-0 on the season, while eighth-ranked Saskatchewan drops to 2-3.

Taking advantage of the wind, the Huskies found themselves down just two points midway through the third quarter when Drew Burko found John Trumpy for a 35-yard touchdown strike to bring the score to 20-18 for Calgary, with the Dinos offence sputtering. Second-year returner Will Maxwell provided a spark the Dinos needed, however, returning the ensuing kickoff 72 yards to give Calgary the ball inside the Huskies' 45-yard line. Three plays later, Andrew Buckley found Austen Hartley for a 5-yard touchdown pass, and the Dinos never looked back.

"We knew Saskatchewan would come out strong, and we knew we'd be challenged throughout the game," said Dinos head coach Wayne Harris. "They play a physical brand of football, and the first half was not pretty at all times. The offence struggled, and defensively we gave up a few too many plays. But our guys played a full 60 minutes, and we're starting to just wear teams down."

Turnovers hurt the Huskies' ability to come back as they coughed up the ball on three consecutive drives with a pair of interceptions and a fumbled punt return spanning the end of the third and the start of the fourth. While the Dinos managed just one touchdown off those turnovers, they snuffed out promising Saskatchewan drives – with one of the picks coming on the eight-yard line. Following the Trumpy TD, Calgary outscored the Huskies 39-1 in the final 21 minutes of the game to remain undefeated.

Third-year receiver Hartley had a career outing, hauling in five passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns. His second major was spectacular: with the Dinos backed up to their 5-yard line after a penalty on a punt return, Hartley found an opening in the defence and took a Buckley pass 105 yards to the end zone, tying the school record for longest completion in the process early in the fourth quarter. The game put him in the top five in the conference in receiving, and with two TDs he's second only to teammate Rashaun Simonise in that category.

"I knew Austen was a good receiver, but he's such a tough runner after he catches the ball," explained Harris. "He has the ability to take plays that should be five, 10, 15 yards and turn them into 50, 60-yard plays. He's not easy to take down, and that really inspires our offence."

Buckley finished 22-for-37 for 486 yards and four TDs for Calgary, while Burko completed 15 of 25 passes for 314 yards, two TDs, and three interceptions. His longest completion of the night was to Mitch Hillis less than four minutes into the game, a 78-yard bomb that ended up in the end zone and gave the Huskies an early lead. Hillis finished with 145 yards on five catches, while Julan Lynch hauled in six catches for 105 yards for Saskatchewan.

Defensively, Connor McGough had an outstanding outing for Calgary with seven solo tackles and a pair of sacks, while Micah Teitz added 7.5 tackles. Tanner Doll had six tackles and an interception, while Robert Woodson hauled in a pair of picks for Calgary. Saskatchewan's defensive leader was linebacker Dane Bishop with 7.5 tackles, while Brett Boechler added seven more while Justin Filteau picked up 6.5.

Both teams will enjoy the Thanksgiving bye next week before returning to action in a repeat engagement, this time in Saskatoon. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. MT Friday, Oct. 16 at Griffiths Stadium, live on Shaw TV and CanadaWest.tv.

(University of Calgary)

---

The biting Edmonton cold was a factor on Saturday afternoon at Foote Field, but it wasn't enough to stop a dominant performance from the UBC Thunderbirds. The T-Birds were excellent on both sides of the ball, and nearly doubled up on the Alberta Golden Bears, winning by a 39-21 score line.

The Thunderbirds' rushing attack was relentless all afternoon, piling up 278 total yards on the ground. Fifth-year senior tailback Brandon Deschamps (Prince George, B.C.) led the way for the T-Birds, posting 86 yards and a score on 16 carries. Receiver Will Watson (Surrey) was also a huge contributor in the running game, adding 72 yards to go with his team-high 55 through the air.

Quarterback Michael O'Connor (Orleans, Ont.) managed the ball well through the air, hitting 21 of his 32 passes for 203 yards and two touchdowns. The freshman also showed off his athleticism on the ground with 45 rushing yards.

On special teams, Quinn Van Gylswyk (Victoria) was his usual, efficient self, drilling four of five field goal attempts amidst some vicious winds, with a long of 39-yards.

As good as the offence was for the T-Birds, their defence might have been even better, making several key stops on third down situations, and forcing a couple of key turnovers. Free safety Taylor Loffler (Kelowna) and linebacker Mitch Barnett (North Vancouver) tied for the team lead with seven tackles apiece, with Loffler adding a forced fumble and Barnett tagging on a sack. Defensive tackle Dante Vagini (Coquitlam) also added a crucial pick for the T-Birds in the late stages of the contest.

For the Golden Bears, Kopczynski finished 10-of-15 for 109 yards, while Baker went 14-of-25 for 142, a touchdown and an interception. Ilnicki ended the contest with 92 yards on the ground via 18 carries, to go with two receptions for 18 yards and the score. Receivers Tylor Henry and Jimmy Ralph brought down six balls for 91 yards and eight balls for 70 yards, respectively, with Ralph adding a garbage time touchdown.

Next week marks a league-wide bye week for Thanksgiving, but the Thunderbirds and Golden Bears will complete their home-and-home series, with the Canada West playoffs on the horizon, on Saturday, October 17. Kickoff is set for 2:00 p.m. (PT) at David Sidoo Field at Thunderbird Stadium.

(UBC)

Bartman Says Thanks, But No Thanks

Steve Bartman will not attend the Chicago Cubs' first playoff game in seven years despite a campaign designed to raise money to get him there.

A GoFundMe page started by Keque Escobedo was more than halfway to its goal of $5,000. Reached Friday, a longtime spokesman for Bartman said thanks, but no thanks.

"It's nice of these people to think of Steve, but he won't be taking advantage of the offer," Frank Murtha said. "He's perfectly capable of attending the game on his own, though he has no intention of being at the wild-card game."

Bartman hasn't spoken publicly since becoming part of baseball lore in October 2003. With the Cubs leading the Marlins 3-0 in the eighth inning of Game 6 of the NL Championship Series, Bartman was vilified for putting his hands on a foul ball that appeared to be a potential catch by Cubs left fielder Moises Alou. The Cubs went on to lose the game and blow a 3-2 series lead, and they haven't won a postseason contest since.

The wild-card game is likely to be played in Pittsburgh, though there is still a chance the Cubs could host it depending on the outcome of games this weekend.

Either way, Bartman will not be there.

Escobedo's GoFundMe page, which was created Monday, read: "Lifelong Cubs fan wants to make amends for 2003, let's make it happen. First we need to find him to get him to the big game. If anyone knows where he is at, tell him we are looking for him. The money would pay for his expenses including his ticket, hotel room, flights and a little spending money.

"If he cannot be found by time of the big game all the proceeds raised will be donated to the Alzheimer's Association."

Murtha said Bartman is happy to hear the money would go to charity.

"Steve is glad the money will go to a good cause and will be cheering on the Cubs as always," Murtha said.

Depth Charts for Saturday's Riders-Lions Contest

 

Moose Jaw Sports Hall of Fame Announces Inaugural Class

The Moose Jaw Sports Hall of Fame is inducting 5 individuals and one team in its first ever class.

Going in are former Olympic swimmer Mike Mintenko, Saskatchewan Roughrider Scott Schultz, New York Islander, Stanley Cup and Hockey Hall of Famer Clark Gillies and the 1984-85 Moose Jaw Generals along with special Olympics athlete Lisa Peters and wrestler Justin Abdou.

The official induction ceremony will go Friday, November 6 at Mosaic Place.

The Moose Jaw Sports Hall of Fame will be on the 2nd level (Mezzanine) of Mosaic Place.

This and That

It is Friday so here is the weekly set of thoughts running through my muddled mind and as always, they are in no particular order


--There is just one question that has to be asked Saskatchewan.  Are you wearing blue these days or are you wearing green? The Blue Jays have people talking baseball in this country again and I love it because it does nothing but make this sport better and better across the country.  Vince Carter and the Raptors made Canada a better basketball country and with many Canadians playing baseball after watching the Jays 22 years ago, many more will want to be the next Donaldson, Price and Tulowitzki from what they have seen.  Canada, the fun starts after this weekend with the Blue Jays. This past week has just been a warm-up. Enjoy the ride no matter how it ends up and for this blogger, it hopefully ends up with the Cubs celebrating their first World Series title in over 100 years. I hope Steve Bartman is nowhere close to Wrigley Field and I hope every media outlet does not do a "Find Bartman" story. Leave him be! Maybe he is Worksafe Bob?? Hmmmmmmm!!!

--The gruff, but lovable (and still single ladies) Pete Paczko asked me during the weekly "Locker Talk" taping if Bob Dyce has shown the Riders brass something in his four games as head coach to be considered as a viable candidate to take the team into the future.  Under Dyce, the team is 2-2 and if it weren't for a 4th quarter meltdown against Ottawa which we saw too much in the first half of the season, they would be 3-1. If the Riders can go into BC on Saturday and take one from a bad Lions team, that talk will heat up. I can't say he has right now, but I can't say he hasn't.  It would be refreshing to see Dyce get promoted instead of taking someone off the coaches scrap heap as Dyce is a fresh face in the coaching fraternity. The players seem to love playing for him so let's see what happens.

--The CFL needs to stop playing on Sundays once the NFL season has started. You might not like that statement, but its true. On Sunday afternoon at Mosaic Stadium before the game started, every television in the press box was on an NFL game except for one and that one was on the Blue Jays game. During the game, many people were on their laptops or their phones checking out what was happening south of the border and you know many fans were doing the same thing. In fact, the latest numbers show 473-thousand people watched the game from Mosaic, but 510 thousand watched the Seahawks beat Chicago. More Canadians are watching the NFL than the CFL. The CFL simply can't hide its head in the sand on this. I have suggested the CFL needs to do something and the one-day fantasy leagues like Draftkings and Fanduel would be huge for them as more would tune in. It is something new CFL commissioner Jeffrey Orridge must investigate.

--He may never play a game for the Riders, but I love the Randy Richards-Aaron Picton trade. Another talented hometown boy gets to play for the green-and-white, GM Jeremy O'Day adds a Canadian to his offensive line and gives up a player who was seemingly spinning his tires here.  Slowly, Jeremy is starting to work on his vision for the future of the Riders. If he gets the title on a full time basis, I get the feeling he will pull the trigger on something major and make a splash.

--Scott Schultz took some heat for what was a very long speech at the Plaza of Honor dinner. BOO HOO!! From what I understand, the old 96er thanked many people for helping him be the player and the man he is today. It was his moment in the sun and he didn't want to exclude anyone. Being inducted in the Plaza is a highlight for him and perhaps might be the last highlight of his football career unless someday the CFL Hall of Fame comes a callin. This doesn't happen every day so if Schultzie went overboard as some suggested, who cares!

--Hockey drafts are starting up. Where do you take Connor MacDavid? How many points do you realistically think he can get in his 1st year? I have him getting at least 65 and some think I am wayyyyyy under. Time will tell!

--Two thumbs up from this blogger on the new Pats jerseys. They are sharp. The blue ones look great!

--The excitement of the season in Edmonton took a downward turn on Tuesday night when Jordan Eberle suffered an injury that will sideline him for the start of the regular season and then some. Get better Ebs!

--Week 4 NFL Lock of the Week (3-0)  Seahawks over Lions
   Week 4 NFL Upset of the Week (1-2)  Bucs over Panthers

--The NFL goes back to England meaning there is a game at 730 AM when the Jets play the Dolphins. I just don't see me getting up in time for kickoff. Sorry!

--The world needs more stories like Spidermable this week in Edmonton. That little girl doesn't have a lot of time left because she was dealt a terrible hand, but she will never forget her day as a crime-fighter and those who helped her have her moment should be commended with every accolade you can think of.  It was great to watch and it would have been a lot of fun to cover.  I couldn't help but wonder though had the archvillain Mysterio abducted Gary Bettman instead of Andrew Ference if Spidermable would have bothered looking for her. What happened in Edmonton shouldn't be overshadowed by what happened in our backyard at a Regina Minor Football League game as 11 year old Logan Tonge, who has cerebral palsy, managed to score a touchdown late in a game on a play that understandably resulted in many watery eyes. I can not say enough about how wonderful of an endeavor this was with so many coming through to make a moment for Logan's life that he will never, ever forget. A tip of the cap to all involved in what should be one of the best stories of the year in our neck of the woods.

--On Wednesday, I had to deal with some medical issues my Dad is dealing with and all I could think of as I watched the day unfold and see one cluster you know what after another at one of our hospitals was why Regina doesn't have a third one and then remembered that oh yeah we used to have one. Closing the Plains Hospital was such a huge mistake. Thanks to the government of that time for doing that causing a lot of the problems people in Regina and area have.

--I also want to throw good luck to the University of Regina Cougars softball team who are in Moose Jaw this weekend looking to win a league title. Coach Mike Smith has worked very hard over the years in making the sport relevant at the U of R and he has succeeded.  His girls don't get the recognition that other programs at the University get, but that team is just as proud to wave the Cougar banner as every other team. The title would be their first and even if that does not come, they will compete at the nationals so maybe a title can come there.

New Uniforms for the Regina Pats

The Regina Pats Hockey Club unveiled new home and away uniforms Thursday morning.  The redesign comes after almost a year of planning.

“These new uniforms are meant to reflect the new direction for Regina Pats hockey,” said Pats President Todd Lumbard.  “We are working to build a first-class organization on and off the ice and this uniform complements just that.”

The biggest change fans will notice is the colour.  The new design continues to use the red, white and blue colour scheme but the royal blue has been replaced by a darker navy blue.  The navy enhances the contrast with the red and white for a more modern, crisp and impactful uniform.

Other changes include repositioning the red bar along the bottom and unifying the colour scheme between the shoulder and the rest of the jersey.

Maintained from the previous uniform is the Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry’s cap badge and name bar.

According to the Pats’ Todd Lumbard, “In speaking to stakeholders it was clear we needed to pay respect to 98 years of heritage in whatever design we came up with.  In the end, we wanted to create something that is modern without being trendy or edgy.  It also had to be timeless.”

The team debuts the new uniform this weekend during home games against Brandon and Calgary. 

The Neutral Zone Authentic Pats Sportwear has special hours on Friday from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday beginning at noon, until the end of the games, for anyone wanting to purchase a jersey. 

The Regina Pats host the Brandon Wheat Kings Saturday at 7:00 p.m. and the Calgary Hitmen Sunday at 4:00 p.m. at the Brandt Centre.