Stackhouse’s 10 Weekend Thoughts
1 – TOOTHLESS: The BC Lions benched quarterback Nathan Rourke on Friday night so for now I think we have to put the brakes on Rourke being the second coming of Doug Flutie. I think the reality here is that Rourke is showing a lot of rust from not getting in enough game action while he sought out his NFL dream. While he’s the most talented Canadian quarterback the CFL has seen in some time, he’s also not nearly as good as what some people in the CFL media have made him out to be. The question now is whether or not chasing an NFL job has actually cost him the ability to be a CFL star. As an aside Rourke took some criticism for giving a poor halftime interview a couple of weeks ago. I should point out that it is not Rourke’s job to provide content filler at halftime for TSN. True, it doesn’t make him look good but his request to not do those interviews should be respected.
2 – BROWN-NOSING: Saskatchewan Roughrider Miles Brown is taking a lot of criticism for hits that have injured three quarterbacks in 3 weeks. It’s safe to say the hit on Zach Collaros during the Labour Day Classic was questionable at best but the other two hits that have injured quarterbacks are simply a part of the game that have resulted in unfortunate injuries. Brown plays a position that if he does his job well it could result in people getting hurt. Those criticizing Brown haven’t offered an alternative way for him to effectively play that would be any different.
3 – TRACKING 2018: It’s business as usual for Dillon Dube and Michael McLeod, two of the accused in the 2018 London WJC sexual assault case. Both players have signed contracts in the KHL. Meanwhile, another one of the accused, Alex Formenton, is not pursuing a contract at all and is, for now, retired. Formenton is working in the construction industry and given that he’s already two years removed from playing in the NHL, it is likely that his playing career is over and that would become an interesting debate if he is found innocent of the charges. Should you lose your chosen career over accusations? But that’s putting the cart before the horse. Let’s see how this all plays out. I did think Formenton got a raw deal compared to the rest of the accused. He was a restricted free agent, so it was easy for Ottawa to not sign him and for other teams to ignore him. Meanwhile, the rest of the players were under contract and nobody had any issues with them playing. The other two players, Cal Foote and Carter Hart, were released at the end of last season when their contracts expired.
4 – TYREEK HILL: We live in a time where people pit in and pick sides and that is unfortunate in the situation with Tyreek Hill. It is possible that Hill was uncooperative while at the same time police needlessly escalated the situation? I wonder about a number of things when I watch the police video of this. First of all where would Tyreek Hill be if not for football? Unfortunately I don’t have high hopes for him in retirement. Secondly with all of the scrutiny that the police face in today’s day and age, how could it be that not a single officer in that situation had the presence of mind to try and get cooler heads to prevail? Thirdly, let’s pretend that Hill and Calais Campbell are not football players, how would this incident finish?
5 – JUNIOR A INTERLEAGUE: I spent this weekend in Flin Flon and watched a preseason game on Friday night between the Bombers and the MJHL’s Blizzard who have been renamed Northern Manitoba Blizzard from the previous OCN Blizzard. While I’ve been convinced for quite some time that we should see interleague play during the regular season I am more in favor of it now than I ever have been. Even though Friday night’s game meant nothing the crowd was into it and it was a decent size for it being a preseason tilt. I believe it would be good for both the SJHL and MJHL to have their teams play each other especially in situations where the geographical locations are as such that travel isn’t imperative. For example you could almost have an entire division featuring Yorkton, Melville, Virden, Waywayseecappoo, Dauphin, and Swan Valley but I would settle for maybe seeing a two-week period where those six teams played each other exclusively.
6 – NHL EXPANSION: While on the long drive to flin flon from Yorkton this weekend I listen to NHL satellite radio and the topic of expansion came up. The hosts of the show discussed how many teams would it be before it can be considered that the league would have too many? I don’t think either one of them actually put a finite number on it but I feel the league is already there. At what point would you maybe splinter off and have two NHL’s? The consensus seems to be that the NHL will undergo two more rounds of expansion in the near future adding another four teams. Failed markets in Atlanta and Phoenix are definitely going to get another chance. Houston would appear to be one frontrunner as well and then the fourth location it’s up for grabs but neither Quebec city or a second franchise in Toronto would appear to be on the list for serious consideration. Kansas city, Omaha and San Diego all rank ahead of them.
7 – STATE TAX: The Rod Pedersen Show posted a topic on social media this week surrounding athletes paying state tax and how attractive it is for athletes to play in locations where taxation is lower than other centers. On the surface this gives an advantage to teams in States like Texas and Florida and there does seem to be an appetite out there to tax players who aren’t already subjected to the higher tax rates imposed by state and provincial governments. This, of course, is a backward solution. All people, not just professional athletes, want to live and work in places where they get to keep more of their money. As I mentioned last week, Canada is becoming an increasingly unattractive option for athletes and the amount of money they don’t get to keep is one of a plethora of reasons why professional athletes do not want to play here.
8 – NFL INJURY SECRECY: It may be time to address the lack of sincerity with which NFL teams are using the injury reports. San Francisco made no mention of Christian McCaffrey being hurt and his unavailability in Week 1 of the season came as a surprise. This week, even though Jordan Love is expected to miss up to six weeks with a knee injury, the Green Bay Packers have listed him as questionable for Sunday’s game. There are many other situations where players are listed as questionable when in fact they are either probable or doubtful for the game in question. I actually don’t mind how Pittsburgh uses the injury report with regards to Russell Wilson. Head coach Mike Tomlin called Wilson questionable for Sunday but then added if he’s questionable to dress obviously he is highly unlikely to start.
9 – TUA TALK: Speaking of injuries Tua Tagavoiloa has now suffered three apparently serious concussions in the last two seasons. With what we know now about brain injuries, it seems risky for his long term well being to go out there and play. Old timers covering the game still don’t seem to get it when it comes to concussions. Play by play announcer Al Michaels stated that the Dolphins have the benefit of a week and a half before their next game and that would give Tagavoiloa a little bit of added time to clear protocol and dress for the next contest.
10 – AND FURTHERMORE: 21-year-old goalie Zach Bourasssa died last weekend, after suffering a heart attack while on the ice at a hockey tournament in Quebec. Bourassa played competitively in the National Capital Junior Hockey League (a border league between Ontario and Quebec that would be similar to what we know as Junior B in Saskatchewan). And one that I missed which happened this Spring involved former Flin Flon goaltender Travis Crickard, who is now a coach in the QMJHL, passing out in the middle of a game and rushed to hospital. Fortunately he’s okay and is back serving as coach of the Saint John Sea Dogs. While I am done arguing with those of you who say 21-year-olds having cardiac events and physically fit hockey head coaches fainting during games has always been normal, I will say it’s definitely more normal since 2021 and the total lack of interest amongst people as to why continues to shock me. Regardless of which ‘side’ you may be on, there is no question that evil people who rule over us are watching closely at the total apathy we have as a society and there will come a time that you will regret being an ostrich.
(Mike Stackhouse is a freelance writer/broadcaster)
Great Stuff I’ve been up since 5:00 am waiting for your column:) You nailed all of it. 1) – Nathan Rourke – as I am an evidence based critical thinker. I can change my mind based on evidence and frankly what my eyeballs are showing Nathan Rourke. – last time I seen a dude like this…..Brandon Bridge and to go even further back due to the hype – Casey Printers and to go even further back – WWF trying to put Lex “The Lex Express” Luger over. Lex Lugdr/Larry Pfohl played for the Montreal Concords You have to get up… Read more »
Social Justice Football players
Add Nathan Rourke to to the Colin Kapernick future – he had a taste of the NFL. – he’s now back in the CFL, has his $600K – probably absolutely hates football at this point so he’s looking for his way out.
From here on in – I’ll refer to BC Lions QB Nathan Rourke as “Throwa Parks” – he thinks he’s a civil rights icon in the same vein as Rosa Parks not giving up her bus seat to go sit at the back.
….what a trooper that guy is.
Covid still rent free in your head Mike??? Buddy, get-over-it! You want to wallow in conspiracy theories the rest of your life? Again, you disguise this “sports article” as your place to rant about vaccines. Why not just skip the first 9 points and get right to the point Mike? We are LAUGHING AT YOU.
Unfortunately you are the one that is being laughed at. Well not really, those who know the truth have our hands in our face wondering how the heck can people still be asleep to what is happening after all of the evidence. Look around and pay attention, it’s not all that it seems
…it’s happening as many 99.8% of you have zero clue about the concept of holistic health. The parents are incredibly unhealthy in mind body spirit. So that trauma is fact based passed down within the uterus. It used to be Gen x their mothers smoked and drank but this generation adding their malignant narcissism – the majority of these women should be tipped over and filled in with cement. Don’t even get me started on the fathers or lack thereof. There is zero nurturing. These kids are wired up to technology from day 1. Add in they are so called… Read more »
The real question is, “Why are you so resistant to getting to the bottom of what’s going on?” I personally know two young men sidelined with myocarditis from my gym. I know of numerous people both directly and indirectly dealing with side effects that Pfizer had to grudgingly disclose. I’ve followed sports all my life and while I recall medical events in the past, it seems exponentially higher now. I don’t think it’s a conspiracy theory to be asking questions especially of a vaccine that was forced on us.
I remember back in SJ (late 90’s) when we would play MJ teams in exhibition. They would usually be fight filled games with no real benefit other than the fans haha. We played dauphin one yr and had 5 guys left on the bench that night.
Also, point #10 it also blows my mind that no one cares or tries to investigate why it is happening so much.
For a year and a half Nathon Rourke was force fed, “You can’t be Nathon Rourke, you have to be like Johnny Unitas.” I hope he gets that NFL poison out of his system soon.