10 WEEKDAY THINGS FOR REALTY ONE

1 – STANDING OUTSIDE THE FIRE: Just like *that*, he’s gone. Roughriders megastar Weston Dressler all-but-announced his retirement on Wednesday courtesy a North Dakota newspaper article that said “Dress” is moving home to Bismarck to work in the Health Services field. No pomp, no flair, and no flashy news conference. It’s low-key, just like the 5’7″ receiver. Sure there’ll be a Weston Dressler Day somewhere down the line but don’t forget, his exit from the franchise was not pleasant and it takes some folks longer to get over these things than others. However his place in franchise history is not in question. Dressler is king.

2 – PAPA LOVES MAMA: It’s not like Dressler won’t be back in the Queen City often. He married a Regina gal and both of his kids were born here. However I’m sure it’s a relief for him to move back home where he can finally be Weston again, and not WESTON! Notoriously private, the Dresslers are likely relishing this next chapter in their lives. In fact his reclusiveness is part of what’s made him so popular. Happy retirement Dress!

3 – UNANSWERED PRAYERS: The Riders are already in Montreal, getting primed for their Week 9 clash with the Alouettes on Friday night. Imagine: first-year starting QB Cody Fajardo is hoping to lead the club to its 4th straight win, and a 5-3 record long after many of us had written them off. Don’t forget in February, the Green & White reportedly wooed free agent QB Bo Levi Mitchell with a lucrative contract rumoured to be in the $750,000 per season range. Now, Fajardo’s the hottest thing and BLM hasn’t played in weeks. As Garth Brooks sings, “Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers”.

4 – WILD HORSES: Week 9 opens with a mouth-watering match-up between a pair of 5-2 teams: the Calgary Stampeders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers at IG Field. Not since 1982 have these two teams met for first-place, this late in the season. The ramifications are huge, particularly for the Blue & Gold who are hoping to avoid a 3rd straight loss. The Stamps want to see if they can knock off a league heavyweight with back-up Nick “Fatty” Arbuckle at QB. Must See TV on Thursday Night Football at 6:30 pm MT on TSN.

5 – THE DANCE: Friday night at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, the 2019 Canadian Football Hall of Fame induction class will be enshrined. The list includes Jon Cornish, Mervyn Fernandez, Jim Hopson, Terry Greer and Ernie Pitts. Again, shamefully, there is no live TV coverage nor livestream of the induction. We’re doing our best to get Hopson’s address for The Rod Pedersen Show.

6 – SHAMELESS: 6-time CFL All Star and 2001 CFL Rookie of the Year Barrin Simpson joined the RP Show this week from his home in Fort Worth, TX where he’s coaching high school football. The Minister of Defense said he’s anxiously awaiting a call from the CFHOF, and that it’s past due. We agree! The same goes for Kent Austin, who’s on the Riders Mount Rushmore for both QBs and Head Coaches. However Hall of Fame Executive Director Mark Denobile has an easy answer for that: neither one has been nominated yet.

7 – RODEO: Attendance was wayyyy up at Queen City Ex (Buffalo Days) this year. Part of that had to be the new addition of the rodeo but something struck me while sitting in the stands at the Brandt Centre — these are some of the top pro rodeo cowboys in the world but few in the crowd realize that! Legendary announcer Bob Tallman was flown in for the week, and the contestants included NFR veteran Tuf Cooper and his 255,000 Instagram followers! Meanwhile a news conference was held to announce 7,596 corndogs were sold on the midway this year. No word on if Cody Fajardo got a commission cheque.

8 – FRIENDS IN LOW PLACES …: Was voted the #1 country song of all-time by Sirius/XM Radio this summer. I disagree. My sentimental vote would’ve been for Amarillo By Morning by George Strait, however my realistic vote would be for On The Road Again by Willie Nelson. An American classic which has to have had more radio play than Brooks’ signature tune.

9 – THE RIVER: When it freezes, you skate on it, right? I’m grasping here. Hockey notes from this past week: The WHL’s Winnipeg Ice has hired Josh Green as Assistant Coach … The PJHL’s Delisle Chiefs did the same with Anthony Radke … The SJHL’s Kindersley Klippers are looking for a business manager and trainer/equipment manager after Tyler Orr was hired by the Edmonton Oilers and Darien Lynch was promoted to the Manitoba Moose, respectively. What endorsements for the SJ! … This past weekend the 2019 SJHL Hall of Fame induction was held in Nipawin and among the induction class were Bruce Thompson, Bob Woods and Wes Smith. Congrats guys! … Kudos to the WSHL’s El Paso Rhinos for raising $10,000 for a community foundation set up to aid families of shooting victims in that Texas city.

10 – AIN’T GOIN’ DOWN: Otherwise known as Random Thoughts: Hopefully you’ve enjoyed my tribute to Garth Brooks, using his song titles in this week’s 10 Things. Alas, we won’t be at the concerts at Mosaic Stadium as we’ll be at a family reunion in Calgary but I’ve seen him multiple times. Have fun! … As Oilers great and former Pats coach Pat Conacher once told me, “You’ll never regret choosing family first”. … The Regina Red Sox host the Moose Jaw Miller Express in Game 1 of the playoffs Thursday evening at Currie Field. … One thumb up from the Monday Morning Goalie for Lion King. If you didn’t see the original, go. If you did, don’t! … Two thumbs down for Yesterday, now playing at Southland Cinemas. B-A-D. I liked it the first time as Hot Tub Time Machine. … When did it become okay to talk during movies? Every flick we go to these days some chatterbox attempts to ruin it. It’s not acceptable now, and never has been! … Rumours abound that the WHL will eventually end its interlocking schedule, and play strictly within its conferences. The West champ will meet the East winner for the Ed Chynoweth Cup, as always. If this will help the viability of the league, I’m all for it!

Y’er welcome,
RP
@rodpedersen