10 THINGS I THINK I THINK

2 – HERE WE GO: Even though I’m in Arizona, I did no less than four radio interviews Wednesday on the Collaros trade and one of the questions I got was, “What version of Collaros do the Riders think they’re getting?” It was a good question. They’re not pulling off the lot with a brand new Mercedes. This model has 75,000 miles on it and has been in a few accidents. BUT it still looks great and will get you where you need to go in style. Mark Saskatchewan down as a serious 2018 Grey Cup contender. Zach Collaros was all they were missing.


3 – BURNING BRIDGE: So many fans asked where this trade leaves the popular Brandon Bridge, and if he regrets re-signing with the Riders in December. To me, Bridge was going to be a back-up no matter where he signed but he’s thisclose to being a starter. My guess is Collaros gets the #1 reps in minicamp and training camp but if he’s out-performed by Bridge, the depth chart will change in a jiffy. What a combo!

4 – GO JOHNNY GO: The trading away of Collaros is a serious sign that the Hamilton Tiger-Cats are making room for Johnny Manziel. Johnny Football remains big news here in football-mad USA and it’s pretty clear that all of America is pulling for his comeback. But this isn’t going to be a snap and Ticats coach June Jones did Manziel NO FAVOURS by saying he could be the greatest CFL’er ever. Sheesh! There’s going to be enough pressure on the kid as it is as he battles a wide range of demons. But I’ll give June a pass because he’s a nice man and had good intentions with his comments.

5 – FIESTA, FIESTA: We came down here for the Fiesta Bowl and Regina’s Brayden Dickey (Lenius) was on the losing end of Penn State’s 35-28 triumph over the Washington Huskies at University of Phoenix Stadium. The 6’3″ tightend is the son of former CFL WR Troy Dickey and was raised well by his Mom Shauna. He got onto the field for about 15-20% of the Huskies plays and sprung key blocks on two TDs. He won’t be in the NFL, but he’ll be a surefire high draft pick in the 2019 CFL Draft. Hopefully it’s by Saskatchewan.


6 – GO PATS GO: The Regina Pats won their fourth straight game on Wednesday – 3-2 at home over Brandon – and are coming back to life. I maintain complete faith in John Paddock and expect this whole Memorial Cup thing will turn out just fine. It feels good not to give up on someone or something. Go Pats Go.

7 – HAVING SAID THAT: The Pats have officially pulled the plug on their outdoor game against the Moose Jaw Warriors which was scheduled for February 18. Kudos to QCSEG for dreaming big but as one Regina sports type said to me, “People bitch about paying $20 to watch the Pats now. Why would they pay $100 to watch them outdoors in the cold?” I’m not a fan of outdoor hockey games to begin with so Wednesday’s news was met with a shrug of the shoulders. Next.

8 – I TAKE IT BACK: A few weeks back I wrote that the World Juniors were a snooze fest until the medal games but last week’s outdoor game between the USA and Canada in Buffalo was must-see TV. The game was fantastic but it would’ve been a dandy indoors too and that would’ve eliminated the blizzard conditions and terrible ice. The TSN commentators said, “If this was an NHL game, it would’ve been called.” So … the junior players aren’t important enough? That whole thing bothered me a lot.

9 – HOWLIN’ FOR YOU: It’s very sad that there was no desert rivalry created between the Arizona Coyotes and Vegas Golden Knights. It seemed like a natural. There could’ve been but in this inaugural season for Vegas, the Coyotes have rolled over and played dead. They are dead-last in the NHL standings with not a lot of hope although the notion here in the Valley is “They’ll be good in 2-3 years”. They may be the Houston Coyotes by then. But don’t let that stop you from joining us for the Riderville Arizona Tour IV on February 22 in Glendale!

10 – WASTED KNIGHTS: Nobody in sports wants to give their rivals credit for anything but come on; the fact the Vegas Golden Knights are atop the NHL’s Western Conference in January is nothing short of miraculous. On Dec. 20 I said they were Stanley Cup contenders and people laughed. Some are saying it’s bad for the NHL while others say the expansion rules were bent too much to give them a chance. How about giving Bill Foley, George McPhee and Gerard Gallant some credit for knowing what they were doing? Meanwhile the fact the Knights have the NHL’s best home record shouldn’t be a surprise. Every night is Saturday night in Vegas and that plays into the home team’s hands.

Y’er welcome,
RP
@rodpedersen