SCRUFFY’S THIS ‘N THAT

Mitchell “Scruffy” Blair

The weekly assortment of thoughts running through my muddled mind and as always they are in no particular order

–Game 3 of the Jets-Ducks series was one of the best hockey games I’ve seen. What didn’t that game have? It’s too bad it didn’t have the great Don Wittman doing the play-by-play of the first playoff game in Winnipeg in 19 years. That isn’t a shot at Dave Randorf either who I think is a lot better than what many give him credit for.  He’s better than Romanuk!

–I loved the whiteout in Winnipeg as that tradition was brought back, but it loses something when the home team comes out wearing blue? A blue-out?

–I talked last week about wearing a Ducks Selanne jersey in Winnipeg, but with everyone wearing white at the Jets game, you go in a Riders road jersey with Getzlaf on it. That would be a double whammy to the Winnipeg sports fan. I would do that, but I think I would need Brendon Labatte and Ben Heenan with me.

–Stephen Harper has been photographed while wearing a Winnipeg Jets jersey, so why on earth wouldn’t he have packed that for his trip to Winnipeg and Game 4 instead of wearing a Team Canada jersey? SIGHHHHH!!!

–With the Ducks now advancing to play either Vancouver or Calgary in the 2nd round, all I have to say is GO DUCKS GO!!

–The one thing you learn in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. 1) Never count out the Chicago Blackhawks and 2) Never count out the Detroit Red Wings. Many people didn’t expect a lot out of either team going in.

–The Stanley Cup hasn’t even gotten through the first round and the big winner may be the Edmonton Oilers. They’ve already acquired the opportunity to draft Connor McDavid and now it looks like Peter Chiarelli will be joining the club in some role. That’s pretty good if you ask me and others in hockey circles. We now await word on a coach. I would have to think Todd McLellan will be the guy, but could Mike Babcock be tempted? I still think Babcock stays right where he is and the first round job he has done against Tampa cements that. Detroit doesn’t want to let him go.

–Sam Bennett and Connor McDavid will definitely be the faces of “The Battle of Alberta” starting next year. Those two going head to head against one another will be special.

–We know Canadian quarterbacks get the shaft when it comes to the CFL, but what about Canadian running backs? Andrew Harris is the only Canadian running back who did his thing in Canada that is making any kind of noise in the CFL. Is the CIS producing running backs? That could be the answer. There was only one RB in the CIS who cracked the 1000 yard mark last year and that was Laurier’s Dillon Campbell who was almost 500 yards ahead of his nearest competitor. I will admit I have never heard of Campbell. Will he get drafted in the CFL draft? It only asks the question as to why Canadian universities aren’t producing CFL calibre running backs when we are seeing CFL calibre players at other positions. You can’t tell me there aren’t good running backs out there.

–After last week’s offering, I understand the over/under on comments on RP’s blog has been set at 70.5. Take the over and welcome back!

–Darian Durant played Madden with Jon Cornish in Toronto on Wednesday. Let’s all hope Durant put the seed in Cornish’s head right away by registering a one-sided victory. You know the Stamps wanted nothing with the Riders in the West Final last year and they want nothing to do with the Riders with a healthy DD.  Is it June yet?

–The NFL schedule came out and the NFL Network for some dumb reason has decided to prognosticate the schedule and start telling us where all teams are going to finish. ???? Isn’t it a little early for that? Can we have the draft first? Can we start training camps? I realize the network has a lot of programming to fill, but throw some more top 10’s in there. C’mon!

–The Regina Rams have their first spring camp under Mike Gibson this weekend. When are the Rams going to get an offensive co-ordinator? You would think one should be in place before spring camp.

–It would appear as if the NHL and Las Vegas are destined to be partners very soon. I am a little skeptical as to how a franchise in Vegas would work, but owner Bill Foley seems to have the answers to the questions being asked and yes, if I were in Vegas during hockey season, I would want to go a game. The question I have about NHL expansion is why they wouldn’t look at Portland while instead looking at cities like Seattle and Kansas City? Portland is obviously a hockey city as fans there love the Winterhawks. Sadly, they would probably be history if Portland became an NHL franchise, but I think a team there would be a huge success. Seattle wants a team, but they want that team to be a basketball team and not a hockey team.

–Golf courses are open in and around the city. Soon, I’ll be slicing, hooking and cursing at a course and loving every minute of it!

–My thoughts and sympathies are with the people of Tisdale and surrounding area in the wake of this week’s horrific murder-suicide. What a terrible story! How anyone can kill a child in cold blood is just beyond me.

–Congratulations to Rider great Ray Elgaard for getting named to the Gridiron Greats Hall of Fame!

–I don’t know who is doing the Telus Cup games for Hockey Canada, but he must have stocked up on throat lozenges. The guy has done every game of the tournament meaning he has done four games a day. That’s no walk in the park. I did three games a day at the Esso Cup when it was in Regina and by mid-week my voice was gone. I don’t think I’ve drank as much chamomile tea as I did that week. Some woman from Thunder Bay kept getting me some saying it was the best thing for a strained voicebox. I wasn’t going to argue!

–The Regina Red Sox annual sportsman dinner goes Saturday night with former Jays center-fielder Devon White speaking. I won’t be able to get to the event this year, but it will be a great night. If you haven’t got a ticket yet, I think you can still get some.

–The Blue Jays lead the majors in runs and Bautista and Encarnacion are hitting a combined .174. That’s a little hard to believe and just reinforces top-notch pitching is needed to become a contender.

–The New York Mets have 11 won in a row. Are Keith Hernandez and Mookie Wilson back?

–If you are diagnosed with kleptomania, do you take something for it?

— That’s all I got! Have a great weekend!