10 THINGS FOR FAMOSO PIZZERIA

1- ROUND 8: The Regina Pats take on the Swift Current Broncos tonight at the Memorial Cup in Regina and although it’s not for all the marbles, it’s close. A Pats win eliminates Swift Current from contention for playoff weekend. If the Broncos win, my mind can’t comprehend the logjam of scenarios for Friday’s semifinals. So it’s simple … the Pats MUST win tonight (8:00 pm, Sportsnet/620 CKRM).

2 – MASSIVE GAME: Tonight’s game is in the Top 5 games ever played in the Brandt Centre/Agridome by the Queen City Kids. (Guess the other Top 4: they include the 1980 Memorial Cup, 1984 WHL Final, 2001 Memorial Cup and 2017 WHL Final). How lucky am I to have been at them all? Until tonight.

3 – GET YOUR TICKETS: It’s deflating that the #1 topic at this year’s Memorial Cup is the empty seats at the games, rather than the quality and parity of play. I still don’t have a clear opinion on the matter because I’d pay anything to watch the Pats in the Memorial Cup. ANYTHING. However it’s long been established that I’m far from normal.

Famoso 1881 Scarth St. Regina

4 – GOUGING: Junior hockey brass feel this year’s tournament was over-priced and now everyone’s pointing the finger of blame. Upon further review, it seems $50 should be the top-end cost for a junior hockey ticket. These are the same fans who’d pay ANYTHING to watch the Riders in the Grey Cup. It’s a head-scratcher.

5 – THE RIDERS: There’s no place I’d rather be than in Saskatoon, SK, covering my 20th Training Camp for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Canada’s Team looks mean, lean and hungry. If anything, they’re a tad cocky and Rider boss Chris Jones has mentioned he needs more out of his vets. To me, that’ll be his biggest task this year: keeping the players focused and their eyes on the prize. They’re good and they know it. Fortunately Chris Jones is the perfect man to handle them because he’s been through this before.

6 – THE RING’S THE THING: It shouldn’t be tough keeping Jerome Messam focused. On Tuesday the Canadian RB discussed the agony of losing the last two Grey Cup games with the Calgary Stampeders. At 33 years of age, he still hasn’t won a CFL championship. I asked him on a scale of 1-10, how hungry is he to win it all this year? He yelled, “FIFTY!”

7 – KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES: A quote from Chris Jones on Tuesday seems to have caught fire. I believe it had to do with the players’ casual approach to training camp this year. “We’re here to win a ring,” Jones steamed to reporters. “We’re not here just to be a good football team and collect paycheques. We’re here to try to win a Grey Cup.” That should give the Rider Nation tingles.

8 – JOHNNY FOOTBALL: Like most everyone else, I’m stoked to have John Manziel in the CFL with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and am pulling for him. Everybody loves a comeback. Now plenty of questions open up like: How long will he stay? When will he start? The Ticats visit Saskatchewan in Week 4 on July 5. If he’s changed, he’ll still be on the team by then. If he hasn’t changed, he won’t be.

9 – CONFERENCE FINALS: I’m starting to have some time for anyone who says the Vegas Golden Knights winning the Stanley Cup in Year 1 makes the NHL look bad. What the expansion team is doing is sheer insanity. Their systematic dismantling of the Winnipeg Jets in the Western Final was shocking. Meanwhile seeing the long faces and utter shock on the faces of the Jets and their fans doesn’t provide any amusement for their prairie cousins next door in Saskatchewan. That loss ripped Winnipeg’s heart out, and I truly emphatize with them.

10 – SOCIAL MEDIA: Thanks to everyone who showed up to the 3rd Annual Pedersen Media Inc. Social Media Training Seminar Tuesday evening at Saskatoon’s Parkridge Centre! We filled the room and had a wide range of attendees from the industries of Sports, Construction, Ag, Health Care, Beauty and Service Clubs. Stay tuned for details on our next one, or how we can provide specialized training for your business, organization, league, charity, school, etc.