THROWIN’ ELBOWS WITH BRENDAN MCGUIRE
1. SIMONI SUSPENSION IS FAIR: I’ve watched the replay of Simoni Lawrence’s hit on Zach Collaros a dozen times at least and it doesn’t look all that bad to me. I’ve heard former and even current defensive players like Alex Singleton scream bloody murder over this and that gives the Simoni haters credibility. But most of us don’t work in a profession where we’re paid to jump on someone at high speed unless they fall down first. It all happens in a split second. I support the 2-game suspension but only on the basis that the league realizes you can no longer define intent with these things. We need to get back to playing the game as if no-one wore a helmet and this zero-tolerance is the only way how.
2. ZACH SHOULD RETIRE: He and the Riders both need to get on with their lives. There’s more to life than just football, Zach.
3. DARIAN NOT THE SOLUTION: Give Kevin Glenn credit for walking away and sticking to his guns even though he’s pretty well admitted he would come back for the right price. Some, including the Rider Prider Fan Page’s Jason Fichter, have suggested if the team is reaching out to a 40-year-old Kevin Glenn, then at least a text message should be sent to a 36-year-old Darian Durant. I say, “No way, Jose”. One very reliable source tells me Darian has no real interest in playing again but appreciates the chatter being thrown out there as he would dearly love to cash another signing bonus, just like he did from signing with Winnipeg to retire before last season. The Riders, nor anyone else, should even give this idea a second thought.
4. EXPECT RIDERS TO FINISH LAST: Staring down the barrel of a long, miserable year if they can’t even get a split of these first 2 eastern road games. If the Roughriders can’t beat the weak sisters on the road, which all of the eastern teams still are, then how on earth can we expect them to even compete with the likes of the 4 powerhouse quarterbacks occupying the other teams in the almighty west. I hate to sound cliché-ick but it would be hard to envision a path to victory this season if they drop this next one in Ottawa, too.
5. DID YOU KNOW: Jon Ryan’s punting net yardage was 2nd worst in the league over week 1, only behind B.C.’s Sergio Castillo. The Riders couldn’t make Kevin Glenn a strong offer but blew close to $100k on a punter?
6. RED SOX ARE REGINA’S BEST OF 2019: Despite the mediocre broadcasters on Access Communications Facebook and Twitter pages Monday night, the Sox put on a great show in walking off the Yorkton Cardinals with Ryan Eastburn’s 9thinning homerun pinging off the right-field foul pole to pull out a 7-6 victory at Currie Field. The Pats were awful this year and early returns suggest the Riders might not be much better. But there’s still the Red Sox. 9-1 at home with the 2ndbest record in the league. Instead of competing for attention this summer, I have to suspect the Red Sox will become a welcome distraction from other realities by season’s end.
7. NEW NAME, SAME STORY FOR WCBL: The contenders here in the east are the Sox, Weyburn Beavers and Swift Current 57s. The weak sisters again look like the Moose Jaw Miller Express, Melville Millionaires and Yorkton Cardinals. Out west, the Okotoks Dawgs, Edmonton Prospects, Medicine Hat Mavericks and Lethbridge Bulls are the contenders. The Brooks Bombers and Fort McMurray Giants are the pretenders. Some things never change.
8. WHAT THE RAPTOR WIN MEANS FOR US: Not really a Saskatchewan sport at all but that’s not the point. It connected us with a game we got to experience the best of. I expect the events of the past few weeks to grow the game somewhat around Canada with minimal gains here in the 306, however I should point out that baseball was strong in this country before the Blue Jays won the world series and then later fell into decline. If the Raptors really want to make gains out here, then we need to see at least one of their players make an appearance at a Roughrider game or even a Red Sox game this summer. The Blue Jays went to that kind of trouble and now it’s time for the Raps to do the same.
9. HOW THE RAPTOR WIN AFFECTS THE CFL: It’s no coincidence the Toronto Blue Jays first pennant win in 1985 directly correlated with that city’s erosion of interest in the Argos. And it’s no coincidence the city pushed hard for an NBA franchise, and got it, shortly after the Blue Jays won their first world series in 1992. My point being: The money in that city is always shooting for something bigger. Now that they’ve check-marked an NBA title, expect the push for an NFL team to only heat up. I still don’t expect it to happen, due to the 3-billion-dollar investment (no joke) required to have a team and build a stadium as well as the refusal of government support. But the Raptors winning the NBA championship won’t help the Argos even if they did use the spotlight to showcase S.J. Green and James Wilder Junior with courtside interviews.
10. WEEKLY WISOM: You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. Go for it!
(Follow Brendan on Twitter at @brendanhowardmc)
Your reliable source is an idiot, too. Durant is a competitor. He wants another shot at this because he has unfinished business on the field. Do you honestly think he’s sitting home saying “I need to play with some minds and get me another check” ??
Your column would be comedy relief if not for the blatant BS on it. Let’s see you do an interview with your very reliable source, please.
My best advice to anyone writing an article. If your going to give your opinion on something that has the whole league up in arms. As well as the fan base of the QB who was hit in the head. Plus a league who is trying to clean the game of dirty shots and protect players safety. It’s usually best not to go against the grain in such a delicate subject. Brendan states he’s watched the replay at least a dozen times and dosent feel the hit was that bad??? Boy oh boy, I’m not sure what decade you think… Read more »
It is getting hysterical with the Simoni Lawrence incident. On Rider Rumblings it was called the worst hit EVER on a player. Well, James Bell was paralyzed playing a game @ BC Place, Tom Pate lost his life on the football field. More recently an Argo lineman knocked Gable, I believe, cold spearing him in the head when he was already unconscious on the way down from a helmet to helmet collision. That’s not to minimize the hit on Collaros or, as the QB, the impact to the team. But when you get on a football field these things happen,… Read more »
Dear Zack Collaros,
RETIRE.
Next hit you might not be so fortunate to walk away.
Bomswa
It was obvious in game 1 that the Riders will gave a great defence again this year. No doubt the Riders will have some challenges on offence but great defence teams very rarely finish last. Not gonna happen.
“It’s no coincidence the Toronto Blue Jays first pennant win in 1985 directly correlated with that city’s erosion of interest in the Argos.” What is that based on? In 1982 the Argos average attendance was 38000+ which steadily fell every single year down to 26000+ in 1986. The “erosion” seemed to start long before ’85. One could argue the erosion of Exhibition Stadium itself contributed to attendance decline. The Skydome helped resurrect things…well into the 30000’s the first 4 seasons. Then the Jays took hold, the Leafs were the best they’d been in decades and the Argos went on to… Read more »
Brendan please stick to baseball cause you don’t know anything about football.
The biggest take away from the hit on Collaros is being missed that Lawrence led with his head. Same as he did on Powell later on. If this doesn’t throw up red flags then somebody isn’t watching. Spearing a guy is dangerous. And that is the worst part about this. It could have been any player and they probably don’t get up from that hit. The NFL is outlawing spears or hits that lead with the head. The CFL needs to follow suit.