10 WEEKEND THINGS

1 – WALLY’S TOUGH TALK: Wally and Christie Buono were fantastic speakers at the Regina Thunder Dinner of Champions on Thursday but the CFL career wins leader delivered some ominous news for the CFL. Buono referred to the league as “stagnant” right now and says it “won’t survive” unless it evolves and expands with its business. That’s why he’s such a big fan of Commissioner Randy Ambrosie and his CFL 2.0 initiative. However as far as the larger markets go, Buono feels the CFL is in for a rough ride due to competition for the sports and entertainment dollar.

2 – MORE WALLY: Buono’s address was insightful … This is the first CFL training camp season he’s missed since 1968! …  Wally referred to Doug Flutie as the best player he ever coached but that’s as much due to his leadership attributes as it was to his athletic prowess. Buono ranks Stampeders pivot Bo Levi Mitchell in Flutie’s class, and feels Bo is special. … Wally’s most-cherished Grey Cup victory? The 2001 CFL title game in which his underdog Stampeders upset Dave Ritchie’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers. … And Buono is a champion of player safety. He feels the CFL has never been in better shape than it is now with the way it’s coached, played and officiated, relating to the safety of the players.

Thanks to Paul Drouin and IKS Media for inviting us to the Thunder banquet.

3 – THE R.P. SHOW: On Friday we announced details of The Rod Pedersen Show which will debut on Monday, June 3 on a variety of media platforms. More information will be unveiled next week. The interviews we taped on Friday were incredibly revealing, like the fact Wally Buono would’ve liked a chance to coach the Saskatchewan Roughriders before his career was up. Meanwhile 2013 Grey Cup MVP Kory Sheets admitted he attempted to end his life over the past few years, and was institutionalized for five days. These are going to be must-see shows! Thanks to these gentlemen for obliging us with their time.

4 – PLAYERS GIVING BACK: Nice to see former Rider OT Ben Heenan on the coaching staff of the Regina Thunder, along with former CFL official Brett Strong who’s coaching the RB’s. Meanwhile former Rider DT Marcus Adams is a guest coach with the Blue Bombers and the great Wes Cates is a guest coach with the Roughriders.

5 – FOR THE W: Many pundits have installed the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as the top team in the CFL at this point, and likely for good reason. Bomber LB Adam Bighill says it’s the best group of talent he’s ever seen assembled. However I’ve learned over the years that a team doesn’t win on talent alone. As Rider great Don Narcisse is fond of saying, “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard”. Fortunately for the Bombers and their long-suffering fans, these guys won’t cheat head coach Mike O’Shea with their work ethic.

6 – NFL IN THE PEG: We learned on Friday that Winnipeg’s IG Field will host the Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers in a preseason game in August. It appears there will be several football fans from Saskatchewan making the trek to the 204 to witness their first-ever NFL game. Have fun! I’d love to go but plan on working Touchdown Atlantic in Moncton between the Alouettes and Argonauts that same weekend.


7 – STANLEY CUP FINAL: Game 1 of the NHL championship series goes Monday night at TD Garden with the Boston Bruins home to the St. Louis Blues. Boston is favoured to win the series. I’ve got St. Louis taking it in 6!

8 – SASK BLUES: Much has been made – and rightfully so – of the three Saskatchewan kids on the Blues: Brayden Schenn (Saskatoon), Jaden Schwartz (Wilcox) and Tyler Bozak (Regina). When you throw in alumni and long-time Blues broadcasters Bernie Federko (Foam Lake) and Kelly Chase (Porcupine Plain), you can see why Saskatchewan is going somewhat Blues crazy right now. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch asked me which of those players is Sask’s favourite, but I said we love and admire them all equally. That story will be published Sunday in the Post-Dispatch courtesy writer Tom Tinnermann.

9 – OILERS COACH: Reports on Thursday suggested Oilers GM Ken Holland and free agent head coach Dave Tippett were meeting in Vancouver, presumably to iron out details on a lucrative contract. However on Friday we learned from TSN’s Bob McKenzie that the two parted without reaching a deal. Should the Oilers land Tippett they’d be getting, in my opinion, one of the top 3 coaches in the NHL (Mike Babcock and Joel Quenneville being the others).

10 – RANDOM THOUGHTS: This week, Sirius/XM Radio ranked Garth Brooks’ Friends In Low Places as the #1 country song of all time. Sorry guys! I still go with Amarillo By Morning by The King, George Strait. … I’m primed to eat my words from a week ago on the Toronto Raptors. As sportswriter Steve Simmons wrote, “Where did these guys come from?” … I’ve been buying more Leader Post newspapers in the past week than I have for 20 years. An outstanding source of Rider coverage! The clerk at 7/11 said the LP boosted their price by 20 cents this week to $2.85. Well worth it! … The host Halifax Mooseheads will face the Rouyan-Noranda Huskies in Sunday’s Memorial Cup Final on Sportsnet. … Junior hockey is my favourite hockey. … Congrats to Michael Ball (aka Ballsy) on being given the Murray Sawa Lifetime Achievement Award by the Regina Thunder on Thursday. Way go Ballsy! I guess that means you’re old! 🙂

Y’er welcome,
RP
@rodpedersen