After taking the Canadian Football League by storm, Derel Walker is getting another shot at the NFL.
On Thursday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced that they have agreed to terms with Walker, the former Texas A&M wide receiver who recorded 198 catches for 2,699 yards and 16 touchdowns in two seasons (2015-16) with the Edmonton Eskimos.
The Buccaneers also announced the signing of guard Jarvis Harrison – coincidentally another former Texas A&M standout – to a reserve/futures contract for the 2017 season.
As a senior at A&M in 2013, the 6-1, 188-pound Walker was second only to Mike Evans, his new Tampa Bay teammate, with 818 receiving yards on 51 catches. Evans was selected seventh overall in the subsequent NFL draft while Walker signed as an undrafted free agent with the Tennessee Titans. Walker was released by the Titans at the end of the 2014 preseason.
In 2015, Walker headed to the CFL, landing first on the Eskimos' practice squad. In the first game after being promoted to Edmonton's practice squad, he caught 10 passes for 125 yards against Montreal, followed the next week by an 14-catch, 183-yard outing against Hamilton. He finished his first CFL campaign with 1,110 yards and six touchdowns on 89 receptions.
Last year, Walker finished second in the entire league in receiving to his Eskimos teammate, Adarius Bowman, hauling in 109 passes for 1,589 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Harrison (6-4, 330) first entered the league as a fifth-round draft pick by the New York Jets in 2015. He split his rookie season between the Jets' practice squad and active roster but did not see action in a regular-season game. Harrison went back to training camp with the Jets this past summer but was waived at the end of the preseason.
(Tampa Bay Buccaneeers)
----
Former BC Lions linebacker Adam Bighill and former Ottawa defensive back Forrest Hightower have signed contracts with the New Orleans Saints.
The 28-year-old Bighill recorded 108 tackles with one interception and one sack over 18 games with the Lions in 2016, his sixth year with the club. Bighill has 489 tackles, 33 sacks and eight interceptions over 99 career games in the CFL.
The four-time All-Star won a Grey Cup with the Lions in 2011.
Hightower, 24, had 48 tackles and a couple interceptions over 14 games for the Grey Cup champion Redblacks in 2016. It was just the second year in the CFL for the San Jose State product.
The Montreal Alouettes announced on Wednesday that international slotback Nik Lewis will return with the club in 2017 as he has signed a two-year deal.
Lewis (5’10”, 240 lbs.) continued rewriting the CFL record book in 2016, having finished first on the team with 102 receptions and 1,136 receiving yards. This marks the second time in his illustrious career that he reaches the 100-reception plateau in a single season, his total being the third highest in the CFL this past year. His 1,136 receiving yards were good for eighth best in the CFL. For his great season on the field, Lewis received his first East division All-Star nod. He had previously been elected a Western All-Star on five separate occasions while playing for the Calgary Stampeders.
«Signing Nik Lewis was a priority for our organization. Nik plays a key role in both his performances on the field and his contributions as a mentor with our younger players in the locker room, stated General Manager Kavis Reed. Nik’s role in our offensive strategies has made us a better team since his arrival in Montreal. We are convinced that Nik will be an important component to our offensive success.»
Always difficult to tackle, the 34-year-old veteran stretched many short catches into long-yardage plays, as 621 of his total receiving yards came after making catches, which is the second highest total in the CFL. He also finished tied for first with 40 second-down catches that he converted into first downs. His remarkable season in 2016 allowed him to climb up to fourth all-time in the CFL with 977 receptions and eighth all-time with 13,129 receiving yards.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders have signed three players to contracts on Tuesday. The three are import running back Daniel Thomas; Canadian defensive back Jordan Reaves and Canadian receiver Kelvin Muamba
Thomas (6’2 – 225) played 52
regular season games through four seasons with the Miami Dolphins after
originally being selected by the team in the 2nd round (62nd
overall) of the 2011 NFL Draft. Along the way the Florida native picked up
1,480 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on 409 carries while adding 412 receiving
yards and three touchdowns on 55 receptions.
Before going pro,
Thomas spent two seasons at Kansas State where he was named First Team All-Big
12 in 2009 and Second Team All-Big 12 in 2010.
Reaves (6’4 – 220) returns to
the Riders after spending 2016 with the Green and White where he picked up two
special teams tackles in five regular season games. The 26-year-old Winnipeg
native was deemed a free agent after finishing the season on the team’s
practice roster.
Muamba (6’1 – 210) also
re-joins the Riders after originally signing with the team’s practice roster in
October, 2016 where he remained for the final four weeks of the season. The
23-year-old previously spent three seasons with the Laurier Golden Hawks where
he caught 57 passes for 621 yards and one touchdown.
Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei
Bobrovsky, Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin and Minnesota Wild goaltender
Devan Dubnyk have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the month of December.
FIRST STAR – SERGEI BOBROVSKY, G, COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
Bobrovsky went 12-0-0 with a 1.75 goals-against average and .939 save
percentage to guide the Blue Jackets (26-5-4, 56 points) to a perfect 14-0-0 December
and the top of the League standings. In doing so, Columbus equaled the second-longest
single-season winning streak in NHL history (15) and became just the second team in
League history to win every outing in a calendar month of at least 10 games (PIT: 15-0-0
in March 2013). Bobrovsky allowed two or fewer goals in nine of his 12 December
appearances and also made 30-plus saves five times, including a season-high 37 stops
Dec. 27 vs. BOS. The 28-year-old Novokuznetsk, Russia, native leads the NHL with 24
wins in 2016-17, five more than any other goaltender. He also ranks third in both goalsagainst
average (1.95) and save percentage (.934) in 31 games.
SECOND STAR – EVGENI MALKIN, C, PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
Malkin paced the League with 7-14—21 in 15 contests to power the Penguins
(25-8-5, 55 points) to a 12-1-2 December and second place in the overall NHL
standings. He collected at least one point in 11 of his 15 outings, highlighted by eight
multi-point performances as well as his 800th career point Dec. 27 at NJD, making
Malkin the fourth player in franchise history to reach the milestone (311-492—803 in
682 GP). He also shared the League lead with three game-winning goals during the
month, posting the decisive markers Dec. 5 vs. OTT, Dec. 10 at TBL and Dec. 31 vs.
MTL (OT). The 30-year-old Magnitogorsk, Russia, native tops the NHL with 16-27—43 in
38 appearances this season.
THIRD STAR – DEVAN DUBNYK, G, MINNESOTA WILD
Dubnyk went 10-1-1 with a 1.88 goals-against average, .934 save percentage
and one shutout to backstop the Wild (23-9-4, 50 points) to a 12-1-1 December,
including a franchise-record 12-game winning streak. He yielded two or fewer goals in
10 of his 12 appearances, highlighted by an 18-save shutout Dec. 20 vs. COL – his
League-leading fifth of the season. The 30-year-old Regina, Sask., native also paces the
NHL with a 1.75 goals-against average and .941 save percentage while sharing second
place in the League with 19 victories in 29 outings in 2016-17.
The
Regina Pats have acquired 19-year-old forward Wyatt Sloboshan and a
third round pick in 2017 from Spokane. In exchange, the Pats send
19-year-old forward Rykr Cole and 18-year-old forward Riley Woods to the
Chiefs.
Sloboshan,
in 30 games this season, has four goals and 12 assists for 16 points.
He started the year with the Saskatoon Blades but was traded to Spokane
just prior to the Christmas break. He played in just one game with the
Chiefs. For his career, Sloboshan has 33 goals and 91 points in 146
games.
“Sloboshan
adds skill and leadership to our club,” said Pats Head Coach and GM
John Paddock. “He will be a valuable contributor on our team down the
stretch.”
Rykr
Cole was drafted in the third round of the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft by the
Pats. In 166 games, he has scored 27 goals and has 57 points. Riley
Woods is a list player and has 15 goals and 27 points in 59 games.
“The
entire organization wishes Rykr and Riley success with the Chiefs,” sad
Paddock. “They have contributed to our success this year and we know
they will translate that to Spokane.”
The Pats return to action Tuesday night in Medicine Hat against the Tigers. Puck drop is at 8 p.m. Regina time on 620 CKRM.
--
The
Regina Pats are pleased to announce Toronto Blue Jays Outfielder
Ezequiel Carrera will be at the January 6 Regina Pats Blue Jays Night
when the team hosts the Calgary Hitmen.
Regina
will be wearing special Blue Jays themed jerseys. The game worn
sweaters will be available to fans through an auction that night.
Proceeds from the sales are being donated to the Jay’s Care Foundation
which supports vulnerable youth across Canada.
Born
in Guiria, Venezuela, Carrera signed as an amateur free-agent in 2005
with the New York Mets. He made his major league debut as a member of
the Cleveland Indians in 2011. The outfielder joined the Toronto Blue
Jays in 2015, appeared in 201 regular season games, for the Jays, over
the last two years. In 2016, he batted .248 with six home runs and 23
RBIs. He also had seven stolen bases. In last season’s post-season
with Toronto, Ezequiel batted .303 adding one home run and three RBI’s
in nine games.
As
a reminder, on Regina Pats Blue Jays Night, the Pats have partnered
with Bennett Dunlop Ford to collect used sports equipment at the game.
The used gear will be donated to the Ehrlo Sport Venture Library which
loans equipment, free of charge, to families in the North Central
Neighbourhood.
The
equipment must be clean and in good, usable condition. Donations will
be accepted for hockey, baseball, football, soccer, basketball and any
other sport.
The first 500 fans who bring equipment to the January 6 game will receive a coupon for a free wash and vacuum to have your vehicle professionally cleaned at Bennett Dunlop Ford.
For tickets to the game visit www.reginapats.com, the Brandt Centre Box Office and all Regina Safeway locations.
2017 is underway! It may be a few hours late, but here is the first "STMA" of the New Year and it comes just before another marathon of football. YAYYYYY!!! Hey, just like you, I'm taking advantage of the holiday before the Monday-Friday routine begins again,. It is only a four-day work week though which is fine and it's a four-day work week before I take a week off so that's OK too. Without further adieu, here we go.
CANADA NEEDS CONNOR - No, not that Connor! The Canadian junior team needs Connor Hobbs. I was somewhat flabbergasted over the fact the Pats d-man didn't get an invite to the Canadian junior team as were many others. The Washington Capitals pick is NHL ready now. Watching the game against the Americans made me see how much Canada could have used him. You can get away with some things when you are playing the likes of Slovakia and Latvia, but in a game where it was real competition, Canada's defence let Connor Ingram down several times as the U-S won the pool and deservedly so.
Hobbs provides a physical presence, and a hard shot from the point that Canada seemed to be lacking against the U-S. I expect Canada to win their quarter-final game today, but then it's a coin-toss because there are some very good teams in this event. Like I have said before, just showing up no longer guarantees gold at this event.
72 SHOTS?! - Would one have blamed Prince Albert Raiders goalie Nick Sanders if he curled up into the fetal position on the bus ride home from Regina Monday afternoon and asked to be left alone. It certainly sounds as if he was when on the ice. Part of me wanted to take in the New Year's Day Pats game against the Raiders, but after seeing Regina hang an 8-0 beating on the Raiders Friday and knowing the Pats had blasted the Raiders 12-2 in their last visit to the Brandt Centre, I said no. Upon seeing the final, I wasn't surprised, but then I saw the shots on goal. 72.....72!!!! JEEBUS! Were they playing NHL17? Tell me the next few months at the Brandt Centre won't be fun!
(Courtesy Keith Hershmiller Photo)
By the way, are the Pats now wearing white for the remainder of the season at home. I noticed they wore white against Brandon the other night too. I'm all in favour of it if the answer is yes. I like both unis, but the white one stands out for me.
While the Pats are playing well, I have to wonder if some guys are on pins and needles wondering if they will be around for the playoff run and the possible gold at the end of the rainbow. With the trade deadline in just over a week I am guessing one or two moves will be made by Regina. I still wonder if Moose Jaw thinks they have a chance and if they will add a blueliner to try and slow down that group of talented Pats forwards. That being said, what will Medicine Hat do?
WELL DONE SWIFT CURRENT - December 30, 1986 was a day no one in this province will forget. Dare I say, no one in the Canadian hockey community will forget. It was on that day that four members of the Swift Current Broncos died in a bus crash while on their way to play the Pats. I was going to school in Lethbridge at the time and was relishing a chance to see some WHL action seeing the Broncos had moved from Lethbridge to Swift Current. Some friends that I went to school with were from Swift Current and we planned on going to the game. The horrible news came out late in the afternoon. I don't have to explain the rest. On the way back to Lethbridge, I went to the memorial service at the rink. As you can imagine, it was horrible. 30 years to the day at the spot of the tragic crash, a monument was unveiled.
It took a long time for something like this to be done, but it has been. The WHL has never forgotten Scott Kruger, Trent Kresse, Brent Ruff and Chris Mantyka and the people of Swift Current never will either. A tip of the hat to all involved in getting this accomplished.
SEE YA RONDA - I will be completely honest. I thought Ronda Rousey was going to step back in the octagon and destroy Amanda Nunes on Friday night. Uhhhhhhh No! It was Rousey who got her face caved in again as she didn't last a minute with the Brazilian. Like it was against Holly Holm when the aura that was Rousey was first shattered, she can't stand there and take punches. She took several punches to the face and that was it. I'm now surprised she hasn't announced her retirement. Has she been heard from since stumbling out of the cage. If she has, I haven't heard it.
MORE ALUMNI GAMES - I understand the allure of the outdoor games for the NHL, but this Canadian isn't sitting down to watch. I caught the end of the Centennial Classic as Auston Matthews made Gary Bettman and the league smile by delivering the game-winner in overtime to win the game against Detroit, but that was it. I was more interested in watching the alumni game Saturday and the alumni game between Chicago and St. Louis yesterday which precedes today's game. The same could be said with the outdoor game in Winnipeg earlier this year. Yes, its the old-timer in me, but I love watching the guys I grew up watching on a nightly basis get back out there. Yes, they are a step or two slower, but hey, so am I.
NAMING RIGHTS, SHNAMING RIGHTS - While driving to work last week, I was listening to Sirius/XM NHL Radio and they were promoting the Centennial Classic at Exhibition Stadium. ????? The game was being played at BMO Field, not Exhibition Stadium. Upon further review, it didn't take me long to see it was the "Scotiabank" Centennial Classic and obviously you couldn't have that at BMO Field.....or could you? What did BMO pay for naming rights? Should they not be allowed to have their name on the event? In this case, the answer was no!
THE FORGOTTEN FALCONS - The NFL regular season ended Sunday night with the Packers beating Detroit to win the NFC North. Green Bay ends the season on a six game win streak and a lot of people are now putting them in the Super Bowl discussion. That is understandable. Dallas is obviously in that conversation as well, and there are some who believe Seattle can shake off some late-season problems and make a run. It would seem though as if everyone is forgetting about the Atlanta Falcons. Matt Ryan could very well be the MVP and the Falcons might be the best team in football right now outside of New England.
They have been unstoppable over the last few weeks. They will be a tough out. There isn't a lot wrong with that team. In a game between the Cowboys and Falcons right now, I would take Atlanta.
By the way, who has the money in Atlanta? The win over New Orleans yesterday was the last regular season game played at the Georgia Dome. The Georgia Dome opened in 1992 and it is now being taken down for a new facility after just 24 years. Meanwhile, the Braves are about to move into a new stadium as they get out of Turner Field which was built for the Atlanta Olympics. Yes, the Braves played a whole 18 seasons in that park. Those facilities are costing a lot more than what we have. I can only imagine what would be said in 2037 if someone said it was time to build a new football stadium in Regina. That's just disgusting as far as I'm concerned. As I said, where is the money coming from for these projects?
IS HE RELATED TO MARTY? - Its a college football marathon today as its one football game after another. I am obviously OK with that. If you are watching the Rose Bowl, pay attention to Penn State's quarterback Trace McSorley. He is on the Riders neg list. He may never ever be a Rider and he may not even know where Regina is, but he is Rider property if he ever decides to try his luck north of the border. He threw for 33 hundred yards and 25 TD's this season for a Nittany Lions team that comes into the game ranked #7.
YOU CAN'T HELP STUPID - I just had to pass this along because it one of those roll your eyes and shake your head moments. Late on the afternoon of New Year's Eve, I had to run to Wal-Mart to get something. I got to the store 15 minutes before it was closing and got what I needed as the calls came over the loudspeakers that the store was getting ready to shut its doors. I went to a till that looked to be open only to have the girl at the register say she was waiting for someone to return. There were three bottles of "Dove for Men" shampoo on the counter. The person came back with three more bottles of said shampoo and then gave the girl coupons. She then had to explain to the customer the 2 dollar off coupons weren't any good.
There's a reason for that. The coupons were for Pantene and not Dove for Men. The girl actually had to explain this to the customer who didn't like the fact his coupons weren't going to be accepted. He actually said "What's the difference, its shampoo?!" That had me and a woman standing behind me laughing which I don't think the guy liked. I felt bad for the person trying to explain this, but I was thankful for the clerk next to her saying he would take both myself and the woman behind me so we didn't have to wait. YEESH!!
That's all I got. Have a great week everyone! Happy New Year!
Happy New Yeat! 2017 has arrived, and as it does, I want to take one last look at 2016. Here are my top 10 stories of the year.
10. GOODBYE MR. HOCKEY - Two of the biggest stories in Saskatchewan in 2016 happened at the same time. The hockey community mourned the loss of Gordie Howe on June 10. The legend passed away at the age of 88. On the day Gordie left us, country music icon Garth Brooks was performing in Saskatoon and he made sure to pay tribute to Mr. Hockey in Gordie's hometown where a statue sits outside the Sask-Tel Centre where he was performing.
9. THEY DID WHAT? - When Chris Jones assumed control of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, you knew there was going to be a massive clean-up. That clean-up started almost immediately when 19 players were told their services were no longer needed. Sportscage football analyst Luc Mullinder warned Rider Nation there would be change, and some of that change wouldn't be popular.
Those words came to fruition January 15. With about an hour to go until a Thursday afternoon Sportscage, the word came down from the Riders, Weston Dressler and John Chick had been released. WHATTTTTT??? In all my years of hosting sports-talk radio, I never ever had a 2 1/2 hours as I had that afternoon. To say it was chaotic was an understatement as the phones rang off the hook while the text line went crazy. As you know, both moved on to other CFL teams and had good seasons in Winnipeg and Hamilton. Yes, there was a need to go younger and cheaper, but the loss of those two still stings many in Rider Nation today.
8. IS THIS HOW CUTHBERT FELT? - The Keystone Cup Junior B Western Canadian championship was held in Regina in April. Organizers of the event had reached out to me well in advance asking if I could do some play-by-play for them on some webcasts. I told them I would be more than happy to do a couple of games including the 3rd place and championship game. Little did I know what that Sunday held in store for me as I walked into the Co-Operators Centre. I had no wingman with me so it was a solo broadcast going out to god-knows how many.
The bronze medal game featured the host Regina Capitals against the North Peace Navigators. The game went 3 overtimes before the team from northern Alberta won. It obviously led to A) the gold medal game being delayed and B) plans for me to walk over to the Brandt Centre for Game 6 of the Pats-Rebels series which was a 2 o'clock start going up in smoke. The gold medal game featured the Saskatoon Quakers and 100 Mile House BC. At the end of regulation, we were going to overtime. Really? Thankfully, this one didn't last as long as 100 Mile House won. I have done long overtime games before, but never by myself and certainly not two in one day. It was great hockey though, and I was glad to be a part of it.
7. - A KING-SIZED OOPS -
One weekend in Edmonton resulted in two of my top 10 for this year---in fact, they both happened within hours of one another.
On a cold January Sunday in Minneapolis, the Vikings took on the Seahawks in a playoff game. Just a few weeks before this game, the Seahawks had gone to Minnesota and clubbed the Vikings so I was feeling pretty confident. The conditions for this one were much different though. It was a very cold January afternoon and it showed as the two teams weren't able to do much.
The Seahawks led the game 10-9, but Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater connected with Kyle Rudolph for a big play late in the 4th quarter to seemingly seal Seattle's fate. All Blair Walsh had to do was connect on a 27 yard field goal. As I sat in a Boston Pizza in downtown Edmonton waiting for the Seattle season to end, Walsh missed the kick. HE MISSED THE KICK!! There was bedlam and dismay in the lounge. There was also a very happy Seahawks fan walking down Jasper Avenue back to his hotel room who may have let out a tremendous Ric Flair "WOOOOOOOOO"
6. FAREWELL REXALL!! HELLO ROGERS!! -- Hours after the Seahawks improbable win, I was off to Rexall Place to see the 2nd of two Oiler games I had gone to Edmonton to see. Being an Oiler fan, and one that hadn't been to a game in a few years, I had to make one trek back to a building where I had seen the Oilers win a Stanley Cup, and a building I had been to many, many times.
Yes, the Oilers lost to both Tampa and Florida, but it did give me a chance to meet the Jagrs. These guys were great!
Jagr even gave them a salute as he came out for warm-ups! They apparently make a trek every year to see him play. That's fantastic! A few months later, I was fortunate enough to attend the 2nd ever home game at the new Rogers Place by getting accreditation for the contest.
Attending one of the first games in what is a fabulous venue more than made up for a putrid Edmonton effort against the Buffalo Sabres. If you're an Oilers fan, and you haven't been to Rogers Place yet. GO!! I'll be back there soon to enjoy a couple of games from the seats.
5. THE RESURGENCE OF THE REGINA PATS - Winning hockey is back at the Brandt Centre. Thank god! It has been wayyyyyyyyyy too long since that happened. Thanks to the play of guys like Adam Brooks, Sam Steel, Connor Hobbs, Austin Wagner and others and the hard work put forth by John Paddock and Dave Struch, Regina finally had a hockey team to be proud of again. There was a sense of civic pride in this blogger's heart as he watched Game 3 of the Pats 2nd round series against the Red Deer Rebels. That building was packed, and it was loud. There was a solid belief this team was ready to make a championship run in 2015-16. That ended with a Game 7 loss to the Rebels.
Thanks to Access Communications, we were able to see Game 7 from Red Deer in our living rooms, but while it was great hearing Rod Pedersen call the game, it wasn't great seeing the Pats lose on a greasy one as Adam Musil's goal with about 7 minutes left gave Red Deer a 2-1 win. Everyone knew better times were coming, and you have seen what has happened this year. Are the Pats going to represent the WHL at the Memorial Cup? There is a long ways to go before we can say that, and there are some talented teams out there, but I'm not betting against them.
4. THE RESURGENCE OF THE REGINA RAMS - As the Carolina Panthers were running out of the clock to beat the Seattle Seahawks in an NFC semi-final game in mid-January, my phone was going crazy with texts from "friends" giving me a hard time about the Seahawks loss. That's OK because I did that to Vikings fans the week before. I then received an e-mail from U of R Sports Information Officer (and all around good schmuck) Braden Konschuh that took the sting away from the Seahawks loss. Braden sent out a release saying Mike Gibson had resigned as coach of the Regina Rams after a pathetic 2015 in which the team went 0-8. A few weeks later, the U of R announced former Ram Steve Bryce was the new head guy. Who's kidding who, anyone would be an improvement over what they had, but Bryce had a job to do. A lot of people thought that might take a couple of years, but Bryce wasn't one of them.
From day 1, you could see and feel a different vibe around the football team. That being said, Bryce's debut reminded many of the horrible 2015 season as the defence couldn't make a play when it counted and the Rams lost to the U of S. However, that first game was an anomaly. Two wins over the defending Vanier Cup champion UBC Thunderbirds and a dramatic last second win at home over Calgary on a thunderous hit by Joey Dwyer at the goal-line preventing Dinos quarterback Jimmy Underdahl from scoring the winning TD catapulted the team to a 6-2 record---good for a first place finish. The Rams had never done that in Canada West before.
One of the big reasons for the Rams success was the play of Noah Picton. The pint-sized quarterback was a giant not only in Canada West, but in USports Canada football as he was making the 400 yard, 4 TD game look routine.
2016 was a great year for the Rams, and I was honoured to be a part of it whether it was doing sideline work for SHAW or doing the p x p on CKRM. Can 2017 be better? I hope so! I'm guessing Bryce, Picton and many others feel the same way.
3. THE NEW MOSAIC STADIUM OPENS - You couldn't have asked for a better day on Saturday, October 1. At that time of year in Saskatchewan, god knows what type of weather you are going to get, but the football gods were smiling that afternoon.
The Rams and U of S Huskies had the honour of playing the first football game at Regina's new jewel and the 278 million dollar facility was the star. Many who had not been in the new Mosaic Stadium marvelled at what they were at. The game did become secondary which was too bad because it was a good football game---one that the Rams won 37-29 in front of a Canada West record 16, 500 fans. Ryan Schienbein had the honours of being the first player to score a touchdown in NMS. It whetted our appetite for what we will see in June when the Riders begin play at their new home.
2. FAREWELL OLD GIRL -
When the Saskatchewan Roughriders finished the home portion of their 2016 schedule with a loss to the BC Lions, the football team held a 30 minute closing ceremony to say goodbye to their iconic home---a home that has meant so much to so many in this province who have made the trek to the 2900 block of 10th Avenue to watch the green-and-white play football. While that game was being played, I was in Winnipeg watching the Rams clinch first in Canada West with a win over the Bisons. I watched the closing ceremony on the bus-ride home thanks to the good people at Riderville.com and I watched it again the day after having PVR'ed the game.
One week after the lights went out, the lights came back on as the Regina Rams tried to give football fans an opportunity to see three more games at Mosaic. Finishing first in the conference meant home field advantage through the playoffs and if they could win the conference championship, Mosaic would host a national semi-final.
It wasn't to be though. After beating UBC twice in the regular season, the Rams could not beat a more experienced and playoff-savvy Thunderbird team as they were upset 40-34 on November 6. As the game started to wind down, something I had thought about leading into the week was coming true. As Marco Ricci and my long-time friend and TV partner Gary "Chop" Bresch sat in the booth with me describing the action online on 620 CKRM, the stark realization came this was it. The names that have done Saskatchewan Roughriders football from that booth are many, but it would be this schmuck who would have the last sign-off from Mosaic. That just wasn't right, but I couldn't change history.
As I hung up the headset and walked down the press-box hallway one last time, I stopped in to where I have spent many years watching many games with many good people over the years as I went to the seat in the press-box where I have watched many a Rider game. While I didn't know what to say as I signed off the air for the last time at Mosaic, I knew what I was going to do before I left that pressbox. I grabbed a Sharpie out of my bag and told the old girl "Thanks for the Memories"
Good and bad, that spot provided many memories for this blogger!
1. CUBS WIN, CUBS WIN, CUBS WIN
Was there ever any doubt as to what #1 was for this guy. It didn't look good when the Cleveland Indians captured Game 5 of the World Series to take a 3-1 lead. Was Cleveland actually going to have the distinction of having the NBA and MLB champions? When the Cubs won Game 5 at Wrigley on a Sunday night, I had confidence they would end their 100 plus year drought. A Game 6 victory set up a Game 7 that may never be equalled. From Dexter Fowler's lead-off homer to Rajai Davis' game tying homer off Aroldis Chapman to Ben Zobrist's winning hit to the final out as Kris Bryant came in from 3rd to grab a weak groundball and throw it to Anthony Rizzo to secure it, it was an instant classic. It was also one that was almost too much for this blogger to take.
CUBS WIN!! CUBS WIN!!! CUBS WIN!! From 100 loss teams to Leon Durham botching a ground-ball in the deciding game of the 84 NLCS to Will Clark hitting everything out of sight in the 89 NLCS to Bartman, this Cubs fan has seen his share of gut-wrenching losses, but on November 2, it changed.
