DuPont’s 10 Things
Oh baby do we have a lot to get to today. Fill your coffee and let’s go!
1. Catching up – A few things came down right around the time I submitted this column last week.
Congrats to Jordan Eberle on being named the second captain in Seattle Kraken franchise history. Without Google, can you name the first?
Robert Saleh fired in NY with the Jets. The team was 2-3 and falling short of lofty expectations. I saw Aaron Rogers mentioned as a coach killer last week. I’d go into this more but with Jerry Jones fighting with radio hosts and Davante Adams’ news coming down on Tuesday, the Robert Saleh firing is so far in the rear view mirror we have to keep it moving.
Aaron Sluchinski has left his team to join Kevin Koe for the season. Sluchinski’s remaining three posted this on the @TeamSluchinski twitter page:
“Aaron has decided to part ways with the team in order to pursue other opportunities.
Dylan, Kyle, and Jeremy will continue to explore their options going forward.”
Ouch. Feels like a gut punch to those three. Remember, this is the team that WON Alberta and represented the province at the Brier last year. It felt like they were just emerging and now this. But, I’ll give Aaron Sluchinski the benefit of the doubt. Alberta is a tough province to win and Kevin Koe has a resume most can only dream of. Onward and upward.
The biggest curling news saw EJ Harnden out of team Gushue and replacing him with Brendan Bottcher.
The move set our curling group chat on fire promoting one member to message “Now I really hate team Gushue”. One thing is certain, they’re going to continue to be very good.
Now that we’re all caught up, let’s move on.
2. NHL OPENING WEEK – Dustin Wolf made 31 saves as the Calgary Flames knocked off Chicago 3-1 Tuesday night to remain a perfect 4-0. Who honestly saw start coming for either Alberta team?
Nashville, San Jose, Colorado, and Vancouver are all still looking for their first wins. Outside of San Jose, that is SHOCKING. It took a goal in the final five minutes for the Oilers to force overtime against Philadelphia Tuesday and eventually pick up their first win of the year in overtime. How bad was that needed?
I’m not panicking if I’m any fanbase and I’m not celebrating too hard either. That said, the party in Utah is off to a great start! Love that this league is back.
3. GOALIE INTERFERENCE– Speaking of the Oilers, their fans were quite upset with the NHL command centre coming out of the weekend and maybe with good cause. The Oil had a pair of goals called back after video review and it’s created quite a controversy.
I’ll be honest, the goaltender interference looked SOFT. Just by looking at the replay everything looks clean to me. The goalie had a chance to reset and any interference had long passed. But, in listening and reading analysis in the days after I’d have to agree that we shouldn’t be surprise with the call. The league has become fairly consistent in that when a player enters the crease on his own (not pushed in, not hit) and makes contact with the goalie at any point, the goal is usually called back. I don’t like it, but I get it. I could see this getting looked at down the road.
4. CFL PLAYOFFS – The playoff teams are all locked up with two weeks remaining but there’s still a little positioning for grabs which makes things a little interesting. The West isn’t solidified yet and the Green and White still have a shot at first place and the bye. Second in the East is also in limbo as Toronto has overtaken Ottawa for the time being.
In the case of Saskatchewan, it’s the classic tale of rest vs rust. What side are you on? I’m on the side of you play to win every game and let the chips fall where they may. Saskatchewan has finished first just three times since 1970, winning 2/3 West Finals but 0/3 on Grey Cups. The 1966 Roughriders are the only Saskatchewan team to finish first in the West and go on to win the Grey Cup. Saskatchewan is 6-3 in home playoff games since 1988.
Grey Cups:
2013- finished 2nd
2007 – finished 2nd
1989 – finished 3rd
1966 – finished 1st
Does any of this matter?
5. VA GETS THE CALL – The BC Lions are home to Montreal on Saturday and Rick Campbell is going back to Vernon Adams Jr at QB. This is the right move. The team needs a spark in a big way after limping towards the playoffs winning just once in their last four games. There are plenty of factors that have contributed to this situation and many fingers being pointed for sure. For Rourke, he’s bounced around to so many organizations and cities it’s easy to understand if he’s not quite himself. The other incredibly difficult part is that VA was injured so Nathan was thrown in right away. If VA had been healthy we might not be talking about this.
If BC goes onto win this week it will be VA’s team heading into the playoffs. If they lose? Rick Campbell will have some thinking to do and big decisions to make before the West Semi. Should be fun though!
6. BACK IN THE BOOTH – I fly back to Toronto on Thursday and then immediately turn around and fly to Saskatoon Friday to call the U Prairie Challenge between the Saskatchewan Huskies and Regina Rams Saturday afternoon at Griffiths Stadium. It’s been a few weeks off so I’m chomping at the bit to get back in the booth. Should be a good game too. The Rams are badly in need of a win while the Huskies are fresh off handing Manitoba their first loss of the year.
I’ll be staying out West for 8 days and two broadcasts before finally settling back into my own bed. Then it’s home and to the rink for a few hockey assignments. I can’t wait.
7. NCAA MADNESS – Every single week I’m seeing college football analysis with their updated CFP playoff predictions and every week it feels like most of the 12 teams are different. That’s how wild this season has been so far. After a thriller between Oregon and Ohio State on Saturday, we are in for more fun this week. Alabama, who have been less than stellar since that strong opening half vs Georgia three weeks ago visit Tennessee. The Crimson Tide are three-point favourites. Also, Texas are 3.5 point favourites over Georgia in what should be the game of the week.
8. NFL NOTES – What’s the best division in pro football? It’s the NFC North and it’s not even close. That division has been fun to watch but all the headlines are coming out of the NFC East this week (with an honourable mention to the AFC East). Yes, there was plenty of coverage on Tuesday when two big trades broke in the morning transferring pro bowl receivers to New York and Buffalo, but most of the coverage on US networks was around Jerry Jones weekly radio appearance and the Eagles’ Nick Sirianni losing it with fans and telling the media he needs to not get distracted so easily. What can I say? People love watching chaos and there’s plenty of it between those two right now.
9. NFL QUICK HITS – Five rookie quarterbacks started and recorded touchdown passes in Week 6 including Caleb Williams with 4. Meanwhile, Will Levis threw for 95 yards in a loss to Indy 🙄. On Caleb and the Bears, it’s a perfect example of don’t be too quick to jump to judgement.
Jared Goff has recorded back-to-back starts with a passer rating of 150-or-higher becoming just the second ever QB to accomplish that feat. The other? Drew Brees back in 2018.
What do Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Warren Moon, and Joe Flacco have in common? They are the only four quarterbacks in NFL history with eight consecutive games with two-or-more touchdown passes at age 38 or older. 🤯
10. RANDOMS – Congratulations to Rafael Nadal on his retirement announcement. One of the best-of-all-time will retire after next month’s Davis Cup. It was a real privilege to grow up in the era of the “big three”…. What’s the final story on Lieutenant Dan? (If you don’t know, look it up) I was following the story on social as the hurricane was coming and he was staying put on his boat to ride it out. I loved it. His content was good and somewhat inspiring. Then, (predictably) people were coming after him and calling him out for being a fraud. I was out at that point unfortunately. We may have to start treating social media like watching TV or Netflix. Are you entertained? Inspired? Moved? Then block out the noise and don’t let the haters bring you down. ✊… Matt Stanford joined the NFL on Fox crew on Saturday during the Rams bye-week. He was throwing passes to Jimmy Johnson and Michael Strahan and it was fun television. On Saturdays we get Pat McAfee on ESPN college game day chanting to the fans. I always am a fan of broadcasters having more fun and it makes for fun television.
That’s not for now… for those asking, see you Friday on the RP show!
The rams are going to be caved in by the Huskies.
More than just the Rams & Huskies this weekend in Saskatoon. Thunder vs Hilltops on Sunday for the PFC title. What a great football weekend! Weatherman might even cooperate, too.
Thunder are in for a spanking too.