SCRUFFY’S THIS N’ THAT

Welcome to Friday and the usual thoughts running through my muddled mind.  As always, they come in no particular order:

–The Riders need a repeat performance in Vancouver Saturday. The Lions need what is possibly a season-saving win. Did I say “possibly”? The pressure is on the shoulders of the home team when the two teams meet at BC Place tomorrow after a 13 point Riders win last week. A Riders win and they win the season series. Edmonton has already won the season series against the Lions and there isn’t any way they are going to catch Calgary and Winnipeg. The Lions will come out as the more desperate or at least they should.

It’s not often that Game 6 of the season is a huge game when you look at the season, but that is the case for a Riders team that may have gotten its game back on track following the bye week. Those who say a quality win against a team that isn’t a bottom-feeder is needed for them to see that something is developing is a statement that can’t be denied, but you can’t lose to a bottom-feeder either.

–A great question posed by Derek Taylor on Thursday’s Sportscage. Who are the 6 most important Riders for the last 13 games? Not who are the most popular, but who are the most important moving forward. I had Cody Fajardo at 1 simply for the fact that he has shown he can do the job and may very well have to do it again if Zach Collaros doesn’t return or should go down again. Considering the track record Collaros has had in green, one has to believe we won’t be seeing the last of Fajardo this season if Zach comes back as the number one guy. Who are your six?

–Gainer is under heat again for abusing a stuffed animal. OMG!! At some point, can we take political correctness and do with it what Gainer does with the Lion and his stuffed Tiger which will likely make an appearance at the next home game?  That was the biggest non-story of the week that made a lot more headlines than it should have. As I said on Twitter this week, are we in a world where mascot-on-mascot crime is frowned upon.  If so, let me off.

Will the Riders now produce another video where Craig Reynolds is seen chewing out Gainer for his “antics”? Will that video include his stuffed lion being taken away from him. (OHHHHHH NOOOOOOO!!!) The video where Gainer ditched his green contacts was outstanding so hopefully the creative team over there can produce something before the Hamilton home game.

–The Mike Scheper firing from Riderville is a strange one when it comes to timing. There’s more to this story. The timing is very, very odd. 

–There are braincramps and there are Rick Campbell brain-cramps. What was that? I don’t understand his thinking at all at the end of last nite’s game and I don’t think I’m alone. 

–Those were two bad CFL games on Thursday nights. 

–The Flames have a new arena. We all knew it would happen eventually. Where’s the new football stadium though?  We all remember when Ken King and his cronies proudly announced in the first arena deal that was squashed that a football stadium was coming too to replace the archaic MacMahon Stadium.  It would appear as if the Stampeders were forgotten this time around. Surprise, surprise! The Stampeders deserve better.  King and company should either double down and get the Stamps a new building or just sell the squad. The latter might be the better thing for the organization as this shows how much Calgary Sports and Entertainment cares about one of their properties.

–The Jays and Cleveland played a game on Facebook Live Tuesday night. As they were last year, Jays fans were not happy wanting to see the game on Sportsnet. Facebook Live isn’t the platform you want to be on IMO. How many viewers do you actually get?  It can be tracked, and when I checked out the game in the 4th inning, there were just over 3000 people checking it out. If you want highlights great, but if you are looking to watch the whole thing.  No thanks! I am guessing more than 3000 people would be watching the Sportsnet broadcast.  This one is a head-scratcher.

–Why are some in Toronto upset with the fact Kawhi Leonard didn’t give an overwhelming thank you to Toronto and the Raptors as he officially became a Clipper. What more do you want from the guy?  I think he brought you what you were looking for. There really should be no Kawhi-hate at all amongst Raptors fans.  Meanwhile, if you saw Clippers owner Steve Ballman, you wonder just what it is in his medicine closet.  That was weird!

–You are on a road trip with your significant other. You are in charge of the snacks. What three items are you taking?

–Storms like the one that rolled through Regina Wednesday night are just great to watch. Those cloud formations were unreal.

–The stretch drive is on in the WCBL.  Regina has a leg up on Swift Current and Weyburn, but the 57’s and Beavers are right behind.  It’s going to be a fun last couple of weeks and playoffs.

(Follow Mitchell Blair on Twitter at @ScruffyRegina)