This And That

The weekly collection of thoughts running through my muddled brain

1. Jose Bautista is pissed because the Blue Jays stood pat at the trade deadline. I can't blame him. In fact, I will say on this the last day of July the Blue Jays will not make the playoffs. While Toronto added some bats, what they needed was an arm or two and GM Alex Anthopoulos failed or Rogers Communications failed the fan-base by not letting him strike a deal. Anthopoulos has let it be known the right deal wasn't there. I say BS to that. While I'm sure every team wanted to know about the availability of trading top prospects, every team would want the top prospects of every other team. The Cleveland Indians sent Justin Masterson to St. Louis for an outfielder ranked 8th in their system. I'm sure the Indians asked for OF Oscar Taveras or Stephen Piscotti, but they eventually came to a deal to send James Ramsey to Cleveland. Could Anthopoulos have not done this? That's just one example.  I'm sure Toronto could have struck a deal to get an arm without giving up an Aaron Sanchez or a Marcus Stroman. Toronto needed a starter to improve a rotation that doesn't strike any fear in anyone or some relief.  The Jays won't have a chance like this again for a while. They have methinks let one get away. Perhaps, they can stick around and if they do that's great, but I don't like their chances especially when I see how many games they have against contending teams that did improve themselves like Baltimore, Seattle and the Yankees.  Even the low budget Oakland Athletics realize this is the year to lose the dice and as a result, they gave up Yoenis Cespedes for Jon Lester and Jonny Gomes. If Oakland wins it all, no one will remember Cespedes getting dealt even if he has a Hall of Fame career with Boston.  Jays analyst Gregg Zaun said Thursday night the Jays worsened themselves by not adding anyone. ESPN's Steve Phillips says it was a horrible day for the Jays. I can't argue with them. I know there are some who are fine with what Toronto has done. That's cool, but I question how much they want their team to win it all.

• The WWE network is finally coming to Canada. Excuse me, its finally coming to southern Ontario. It would appear is if the 24/7 wrestling network that many in our province would like to have is only at this time going to be a part of the Rogers network. ?????  Why is it many of these networks come to Rogers first while we wait in Saskatchewan whether we have Access or Sask-Tel? How much longer till we have the option to buy this and other networks we can't get like the MLB Network! At least we can get Sunday Ticket and yes, I will be ordering mine this weekend.

• Its great to see Chris Getzlaf back practicing with the Riders. The offence has sputtered without number 89 in there and it will be great having him back in there against the REDBLACKS doing his thing. Is he the solution to what has plagued Darian and company over the first four games. No he hasn't, but his absence has been noticeable.

• Is Kent Austin still considered a coaching god?

• Have the Bombers announced the date of the Grey Cup parade? If they haven't yet, I'm sure they will next week if they beat the Riders.  Why are the Bombers playing so many Thursday night games?

• After seeing so many Weston Dressler updates, it was refreshing to get some Kory Sheets updates from the Raiders camp. Like Weston in KC, the coaching staff in Oakland appears to like what they are seeing from Sheets. I will ask you this though. If one were to come back, who would you rather have? With all apologies to Sheets, I would say Dressler because we have seen this year that any running back can do his thing behind that Riders o-line. That's no insult to Sheets either because his talents don't need to be described on this page.  Guys like Sheets can be found, guys like Dressler can't be.

• The provincial NDP must be wondering if Christmas has come six months early. I can't believe how badly botched this Saskpower smart meters has become for the government. Brad Wall is saying the right things, but someone has to pay the price for this mess. Who will it be and when?

• Just so I know in advance, what are the popular stuffed animals on the midway at the Queen City Ex this year? I will be attempting to win one of them for my 11 year old this weekend without sacrificing a mortgage payment.

• Did Global weathergirl Tiffany Lizee really do her forecast Thursday night from atop the ferris wheel at the Ex. If so, attagirl Tiff!!! Is the slingshot next?

• If there is a better female news anchor out there than CBC's Jill Morgan, I'd like to know who it is. She's the best on my TV screen and I've got many channels.

• Best news of the week was that of Vin Scully returning for another year to do LA Dodger games. There is no one better and there will be no one better than Scully at any sport doing his thing. I have driven many a road or sat in the backyard many nights with Mr. Scully calling a Dodgers game on satellite radio. He simply is magical when behind the mike.

• A belated congratulations to the Regina team that will go to the Little League Junior World Series in Taylor, Michigan. The group of 14 year old boys will be representing Canada at the event which isn't as marquee as the event Regina went to several years ago in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, but its just as prestigious. Have fun guys and good luck!!!

• Best of luck to the Regina Red Sox as they start playoffs Friday night against the Yorkton Cardinals. The best of 5 affair will see Games 1 and 2 at Currie Field with a 705 start each night. I'm guessing because of the Riders game there won't be a great turnout on Saturday, but lets see if they can get a grand in the park for tonight's tilt.

• Its the last real long weekend of the summer so if you are getting on the highway, play it safe and get to and from in one piece.

Sheets Update From Oakland

We know what is being said about Weston Dressler in Kansas City, but its been tougher to find news on Kory Sheets.  However, here's an article on the Riders running back trying to crack the Raiders. Click here to read

CFL Players Of The Month For July

The Canadian Football League announced today that Mike Reilly, John Chick, Swayze Waters and Andrew Harris were named the CFL Players of the Month for July.
The monthly awards include all games played from Week 1 to Week 5.
The four players were chosen by a panel of judges that includes former Canadian Football League players Matt Dunigan and Duane Forde of TSN, and Pierre Vercheval of RDS.

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Edmonton Eskimos quarterback Mike Reilly was named the Offensive Player of the Month for July. Through the first month of the season, Reilly passed for 1,142 yards on 110-for-173 passing (63.6%) and threw for nine touchdowns to help lead the Eskimos to a 4-1 start, currently good enough for a share of first place in the West Division.
Reilly also impressed with his legs by rushing for 221 yards on 28 carries (7.9 yards per carry), the most by any quarterback and seventh most in the CFL.
Reilly, a Kennewick, Washington native, had his best performance in Week 3.The product of Central Washington threw for 256 yards and three touchdowns in Edmonton’s 27-11 win over the Ottawa REDBLACKS.
Against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Week 4, Reilly had his best rushing game, running for 96 yards while also throwing a touchdown in the Eskimos’ 26-3 win.
Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive end John Chick was named the Defensive Player of the Month for July. Chick recorded six sacks, 11 tackles, one forced fumble and three tackles for a loss during the opening four games of the Roughriders’ 2014 campaign.

Chick has opened the season with at least one sack in each game and on two occasions, he notched a pair of sacks to catapult himself into the league lead.
The native of Gillette, Wyoming and product of Utah State was named Defensive Player of the Week for Week 5, in which he sacked Ricky Ray twice and added a tackle in the Riders’ dominant 37-9 win over the Toronto Argonauts.

Toronto Argonauts kicker and punter Swayze Waters was named the Special Teams Player of the Month for July. Waters went 13-of-14 (92.9%) kicking field goals to open the season, as well as boasting the league’s highest punting average at 46.8 yards.
The native of Jackson, Mississippi matched a career-high in Week 2 by making five field goals against the Calgary Stampeders, including a 51-yarder, equaling his career long.
The single season record holder in points at the University of Alabama-Birmingham is currently third in kicking points with 50.
BC Lions running back Andrew Harris was named the Canadian Player of the Month for July. The Winnipeg, Manitoba native has collected 579 yards from scrimmage and has recorded three touchdowns to begin the 2014 season.

Through five weeks, Harris leads the league in rushing yards with 311 on 56 carries (5.6 yards per carry) and is ranked fourth in the league in receiving yards with 268 on 18 receptions (14.9 yard average).
Harris’ best performance came in Week 3 when he took home Offensive and Canadian Player of the Week honours after rushing for 138 yards on 18 touches, scoring a touchdown and recording a team-high 65 receiving yards, in the Lions’ 26-13 win over the Roughriders.
Harris was also named Canadian Player of the Week in Week 4 after rushing for 72 yards, adding four receptions for 78 yards and scoring a touchdown.
Harris is second in the league in combined yards with 646 yards.

Rider News

Saskatchewan Roughrider defensive end John Chick and linebacker Sam Hurl have each been named a CFL Gibson's Finest Player of the Week.

 

Chick was named Defensive Player of the Week after a dominating performance in Saturday’s 37-9 victory over the visiting Toronto Argonauts. The 31-year-old Wyoming native recorded two quarterback sacks, one forced fumble and one defensive tackle.

 

For the season, Chick has 11 defensive tackles, three tackles for loss, one forced fumble, and a league leading six quarterback sacks. This is the third time in five CFL seasons that Chick has picked up Defensive Player of the Week.

 

Hurl was named Canadian Player of the Week after an equally impressive week five performance. The 24-year-old Calgary native registered a single game career high seven defensive tackles, while also adding a fumble recovery.

 

The three year CFL veteran currently sits fourth in the league with 21 defensive tackles. It is the first time Hurl has picked up Player of the Week honours.

 

It is the third and fourth time this season that a Rider has earned Player of the Week honours after Ricky Foley picked up double recognition to open the season.     

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The Saskatchewan Roughriders today announced international wide receiver Korey Williams and international defensive lineman Chancey Aghayere  have joined the teams practice roster. 

 

Williams (6’ – 185) will be in his second CFL season after originally entering the league in 2013 with the B.C. Lions. Last season the NorthWest Oklahoma State product registered seven receptions for 112 yards and one touchdown, while adding one rush attempt for 41 yards in 15 regular season games. The 27-year-old also had 15 punt returns for 56 yards and six kickoff returns for 64 yards.

 

 

Aghayere (6’4 – 265) joins the Riders after attending off-season workouts with the Seattle Seahawks. He had previously signed with the team as an undrafted free agent in April, 2013.

 

Previously, the Texas native played four seasons at Louisiana State where he collected 44 defensive tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and two quarterback sacks in 43 career collegiate games.   

 

 

 

Something To "Mitch" About

Well Rider Nation, you can breathe easy this week. It seems as if the team got their you know what together during the bye week as they really took it out on the Argos. Who's kidding who, that game was over 5 minutes in. The defence came to play and I mean they came to play. If they can play at that level and that intensity for the rest of the season, it will be tough for teams to beat the green and white. I fully realize that likely won't happen in the remaining 14 games, but it was a sign that when this team wants to play ---especially on defence---they are pretty damn tough.

Just some thoughts

  --Who had the better game John Chick or Tyron Brackenridge? Am I the only one saying today after watching Chick's play that he is playing at the level he was when he won the defensive player of the year award before bolting to the NFL in 2009. He's been a beast!

 --Has the wheel of running backs stopped on Will Ford? He certainly deserves the start against Ottawa.

--With the way the offensive line runblocks, is it safe to say there are a lot of people out there who could run for at least 60 yards behind them.

--Dan Clark looked great in his debut. Head coach Corey Chamblin says he didn't notice anything bad and that's a good sign.

--While the passing game continues to struggle, one wonders if those struggles end when Chris Getzlaf gets back into the lineup.

--Durant only completed 9 passes. There aren't many quarterbacks who complete just 9 passes while seeing their team score 37 points with none of the points coming directly from the defence.

Lets see if the team can take this new-found attitude and energy and do it again in Ottawa. Two games in five days will be tough, but they should be able to go to Ottawa and win even though the REDBLACKS are better than your usual expansion team. The Winnipeg game will be a definite test.

There has to be concern amongst CFL folks about the Ti-Cats and Argos. Who's kidding who, that looked bad Saturday night at McMaster. More people have been at Rams and Huskies games than there were at Ron Joyce Stadium. I know the stadium doesn't seat a lot, but it looked bad. As one person connected with the CFL said Saturday night, they should have looked at going to Buffalo instead of MacMaster. I couldn't disagree. The University of Buffalo stadium would have been a better venue. So would have Rogers Centre.

Could the CFL survive without Toronto if the Argos franchise moved to the Maritimes.  I'm not sure if it could when Corporate Canada is in T-O.

The Geroy Simon retirement ceremony just seemed awkward to me---especially the part of him addressing the team. That one left me scratching my head when Geroy works for another team. Lets just say I couldn't see Kent Austin coming in and speaking to the Riders if the team were to retire his number 5.  Yes, Geroy's role isn't as high profile as Kent's, but you see what I mean.

This was the last Sunday without NFL football until the week before the Super Bowl. I'm OK with that and I know there are many others OK with that as well.

Other non football related thoughts

Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux went into Baseball's Hall of Fame this weekend. Those guys could twirl the ball. They were something special to watch when they were on their game. How the Braves only won one World Series during those years is beyond me.

Graham DeLaet just couldn't carry the momentum from his course record 63 on Friday in the final 36 holes of the Canadian Open. He needed another couple of 67's on the weekend, but he still finished with another top 10. As for Jim Furyk, he needs to have someone come in to close things out. How many times has Furyk had the lead after 54 holes and lose? I thought he was a shoo-in to win it on Sunday, but Tim Clark had other ideas.

Am I the only one wondering who cares if new Leafs assistant GM Kyle Dubas is a specialist in "advanced statistics". Hockey isn't like baseball and Moneyball can't be replicated on the ice the way it is on the diamond. I can't wait to see how this plays out.

When in an NFL fantasy draft this year----don't wait too long to take Buffalo's Sammy Watkins.

I should not be allowed at times to carry an 8 iron in my hand.

Its Queen City Ex time. How much will it cost me to get a "stuffy" for my youngest daughter this year and can I just go to Toys R Us and smuggle something into the grounds.

That's all I got. Enjoy the week!

This And That

Apologies for the lateness of this post. I know its usually up late Thursday night-early Friday morning, but circumstances prevented me getting this thing online until early Friday evening. As usual, these are just the weekly thoughts running through my muddled mind

• One thing that was nice about being away for a week was not hearing the question "What's wrong with the Riders?". It didn't take long for that question to crop up again this week though along with the entitlement of the fan as to what he or she deserves to know.  Riders head coach Corey Chamblin in my mind has told you all you need to know when it comes to Keith Toston and why he isn't playing. He says its a coaches decision.  That is all you need to know and after that its none of your business unless Chamblin or GM Brendan Taman or Toston himself wants to share more information.  Yes, the fact some members of the media know the answer to the question is a sign of trust between organization and person. You can bet your bottom dollar if we blabbed every piece of information we heard on a day-to-day basis that the fountain of info would be shut off extremely quick. I don't make things public at my workplace that I don't think should be made public and either do you. Why do you think this is any different? Don't give me the "We are the fans who pay the salary!" excuse either. You put your money down at several places, but I'm sure if you're favourite teller is gone from the bank or your favourite product is gone from the grocery store, you can ask the question and get an answer but if there is more to the story that they don't want to tell you, they won't. Its as simple as that. Just because you are a fan doesn't mean you get an all-access pass. Some of you know that---actually a lot of you do, but it would seem as if some of you don't.

• I am going to be honest and say the Chris Getzlaf injury is becoming more and more worrisome. What is wrong with Getz? Its something that is being kept hush-hush, but its something where the team won't put him on the six game injury list even though this will be the 3rd game he will miss. I thought he would be ready to go for the Toronto game but he's not. The Rider offence needs number 89 in there.

• I'm disappointed with those who are elated with the fact Jon Cornish is done for the first half of the season. The Calgary running back is done until September after being placed on the six game injury list with concussion symptoms. I fully realize Cornish is public enemy #2 around here behind Henry Burris, but its not good on a league-wide basis to have the league's reigning MVP on the shelf. If fans of other teams were crowing about Darian Durant being lost to a long-term injury, you would be outraged. There is no difference here.

• How would you like to be that 20 year old who won 350-thousand in the 50-50 draw at the Eskimos game. That's an unreal number. How many went to the game to get a ticket and how many went to watch the game---while getting a ticket. Bottom line is the Eskimos had 41 thousand on a Thursday night to watch the game and that's what counts. Could the Argos find someone corporate to put up 20-grand in a 50-50 draw every home game to entice more people out. Yeah, it would probably mean a 50-50 of 22-thousand, but you know what I mean.

 

• For what its worth, I loved the call by Chris Jones at the end of the first half Thursday night, but I questioned the when he did it. That was not the time to run that play and it cost them. Doing that earlier in the quarter and or midway thru the 3rd would have made that play a lot better in my mind win or lose.

  

• A very astute point from my good buddy Rob Vanstone in his Friday column on why there is a need for TSN to keep showing us "That's Hockey" in July. Why? They aren't even the chief network anymore!  How about a daily half hour show on the CFL to maybe pump up some more interest across the league. It can be done so why isn't it?

• Are the Regina Pats ever going to get around to hiring a head coach?

• Has anyone been to the NAIG events in Regina? Many media outlets including mine put up polls asking if people will be going and the answer is an overwhelming no. That being said, I heard the CKHS was as packed for the basketball finals as it was for the CIS National Womens Basketball Championship a couple of years ago.

 

• Let me get this straight. A small child falls out of an ages-old tree in Regina Beach and hurts  himself and now there is a move on to get rid of the tree?  Really??? Are we getting rid of the playground equipment for fear someone will get hurt too? Where did our mentality change? We weren't like this 20-25 years ago and frankly it was rather refreshing compared to what it is now.  Some people just go wayyyyyyyyy too overboard on things and this is one of them.

 

•  This will anger the hard-core NFL fans, but the NFL network is must-watch TV right now as they show highlight films of all 32 squads from last year and take us from one training camp to another. If you are a hard-core football fan, this is a great time of year.

 

• How are the San Francisco Giants managing to stay ahead of the LA Dodgers in the NL West. With the pitching staff the Dodgers have, they should be cruising in that division, but the Giants are finding a way.

• The Yankees are loading up trying to make a playoff push. I can only hope this fails. Baseball is much better when the Yankees aren't in the playoffs. Sorry Yankee fans!  By the way, why doesn't anyone in the southern US complain about their name.

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

Ford Signing Made Official By Riders

The Saskatchewan Roughriders today announced international running back Will Ford has joined the teams practice roster. 

 

Ford (5’11 – 195) is a three year CFL veteran after originally entering the league in 2012 with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Last season the South Carolina State product was named an East Division All-Star after running for 594 yards and two touchdowns on 113 carries while adding seven receptions for 41 yards and a touchdown in 13 regular season games with the Bombers. The 27-year-old also had 45 kickoff returns for 1,047 yards and two touchdowns including a 100 yard long return. He was twice named CFL Special Teams Player of the Week following performances in week 11 and 15.