10 THINGS FOR FAMOSO PIZZERIA

1 – GAME 7: We all know what the City of Winnipeg’s going through in advance of tonight’s Game 7 between the Jets and Predators in Nashville. It’s nauseous anxiety and their butterflies have been fluttering since Monday when the Jets failed to close the door in Game 6, losing 4-0. IMO that was their chance to win the series. The Preds will win Game 7, even though I’m pulling for the Jets and their Saskatchewan-raised GM Kevin Cheveldayoff.

Come down and watch the game at Famoso! I’d join you but I’ll be speaking the Estevan Bruins Sportsmans Dinner Thursday night.

2 – FREE ADVICE 1: I saw on Twitter before Monday’s game where Jets fans were cautioned that – when the Jets win Game 6 – “We’re not Vancouver or Montreal. No rioting.” Ummm … those Tweets are best sent out in the waning moments of A WIN. It should be noted that the Tweet didn’t come from a team account, but rather from one of the thousands of ahead-of-themselves fans.

3 – FREE ADVICE 2: The Swift Current Broncos are one win away from capturing the WHL Championship and advancing to the Memorial Cup. They outlasted the Silvertips 1-0 in Everett Wednesday night to grab a 3-1 series lead. From what I hear, Memorial Cup organizers are literally praying that the Broncos are in the tournament. The free advice? In the inexplicable absence of TV coverage of the WHL Final, the Silvertips or Broncos should be broadcasting the games on Facebook Live. I guarantee you’d be astounded by the amount of viewers, and the team OWNS the broadcast. Y’er welcome.

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4 – 2001: It was a long time ago when the Red Deer Rebels won the Memorial Cup in Regina, beating Val D’or in overtime of the final. That tournament featuring Red Deer, Val D’or, Otawa and Regina wasn’t a “sexy” match-up and yet the Agridome was filled to the rafters. Why is it far from sold out now? Ticket prices? I don’t think $75 per game for a national championship is unreasonable.

5 – GO PATS GO: Pats co-owner and Memorial Cup Chairman Shaun Semple charmed a lot of people and made a lot of sense on the SportsCage on CKRM on Tuesday. The Brandt magnate reasoned that his team lost a 7-Game series by one goal to a team which is likely to win the WHL title. The Pats are good enough. Meanwhile Shaun revealed there’s a special red carpet opening ceremony featuring Brent Butt and other celebrities on the opening night of the Memorial Cup. The 100th edition of the tournament is going to be blow everybody’s doors off. I can’t friggin’ wait for it!

6 – PLAZA: The announcement of the Roughriders Plaza of Honour inductees is one of my favourite days of the year because it illicits so much reaction from the Rider Nation. Jim Hopson and John Terry will be inducted this year and there are no gripes with that. Where the fight begins is with who’s NOT in the Plaza and that includes 2007 Grey Cup champion and CFL MVP Kerry Joseph. He doesn’t fit the criteria? Hogwash. And until K.J. goes into the Riders’ version of a Hall of Fame, it will be incomplete. Period. And don’t get me started on the absence of a media wing.

7 – THE SHIV: My Twitter poll asking if Roy Shivers should go into the Plaza was as polarizing as the former Rider GM himself. The result? 52-48 yes. Anyone who played for Roy in that era from 2000-2006 votes “yes”. I think I do too. He brought this franchise back from the dead and set the table for the Austin-Tillman regime.

8 – A WOMAN: It’s time for a woman to be inducted into the Plaza of Honour. 127 individuals have been inducted into the Riders’ Hall of Fame and all are men. Now … who should it be? My vote would be for Alan Ford’s top aide Jill McDougall.

9 – THE DRAFT: The Plaza debate is infinitely more interesting than the CFL Draft and that’ll always be the case. However we still follow the annual CFL Draft with interest and I like what the Riders did last week. Chris Jones rolled the dice with his first pick, taking OG Dakoda Shepley who many thought might go #1. When you roll the dice, you win big or you lose big. But playing it safe gets you nowhere. Meanwhile the NFL’s NY Jets – who’ve already signed Shepley – posted to their website on May 4 that they waived the UBC product but have since deleted that transaction. This is where it gets confusing.

10 – SO LONG HARVEY: Football maven John Lynch called me in tears on Monday afternoon with the news that our good and long-time friend Harvey Johnson suddenly passed away, not long after the pair had lunch together. John was understandably shaken and my sympathies are with the Johnson family right now. Harvey did stats on Rider Radio broadcasts for 49 years but his claim to fame might’ve been announcing the JFK assasination to Saskatchewan listeners in 1963 over the CKRM airwaves. He had a baritone voice which a lot of Rider fans had fun imitating because “Harvard” would always recite the game stats on our postgame show. I’ve spent A LOT of time with Harvey Johnson over the years and always enjoyed it. He will be missed.