Scruffy’s This N That

1 – GOING THE DISTANCE:  Soooooooo whatcha doin’ tonight? One has to wonder if the TV audience in Canada tonight will be greater than the Four Nations Final and the 2010 Olympic Final? A chance to celebrate went by the board on Friday night after the Blue Jays failed to win the World Series losing a tough 3-1 decision to the Dodgers — one that maybe might have been different had Addison Barger hit a ball either six inches shorter or six inches longer so that it bounced off the wall instead of getting wedged into it. Talk about a crazy play as his ball that would have made it a one-run game got wedged underneath the wall. What a smart play by the Dodgers centerfielder to leave the ball alone knowing the rule and knowing that if he touched it the ball was live. Speaking of Barger, what are you doing?! You simply can’t get doubled off in that situation he found himself in to end the game.  This series has seen a lot of base-running mistakes and that one to this point was the biggest. What does Game 7 have in store? Are Toronto sports fans going to get let down in a Game 7 again? If they do, this might be the toughest one of them all to take and that includes the defeat to the Bruins when they were up 4-1 in the 3^rd.

Vladimir Guerrero tempted fate by wearing an Auston Matthews jersey to Game 7 of the ALCS so maybe he should break out a Kawhi Leonard or Kyle Lowry jersey. How about a Ricky Ray one? Can you imagine if he did that!! 

2 – PLAYOFF TIME: The Bombers play Montreal in the East semi, and the Stamps are in B.C in the West semi as the CFL playoffs get underway.  hat would a Winnipeg/Sask, Calgary or B.C Grey Cup look like, and would anyone care east of the Manitoba border? You know a Bombers/Riders GC at Princess Auto Stadium would have people salivating and make any Labour Day Classic/Banjo Bowl look tame! 

Montreal and B.C are favoured and for good reason, but we know the playoffs are a different story and that anything can happen. For whatever reason, I have the Bombers with that core group finding a way to upset Montreal and B.C to end what has been a great season for the Stampeders.

3 – 1 THROUGH 9 PLAYOFFS: I have advocated for the CFL to scrap East-West and go one division for quite a while. The CFL said it had no interest in an East-West Grey Cup being played when they instituted the crossover.  Even though there is a crossover, you sometimes don’t have the top two teams playing in the GC with the West Final being considered by some as the true GC because of the records. If you had one single division, the final standings would have been 1. SK, 2. Hamilton (tiebreaker over BC) 3. BC, 4. Calgary 5. Winnipeg 6. Montreal 7-9: Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa. 

With the first two teams getting byes, you would have B.C hosting Montreal this weekend and Winnipeg in Calgary. The Alouettes get a home game under the current format, but the Stamps would be at home and not on the road. Having the top two teams get a bye means you could have the top two teams playing for the Grey Cup. If the CFL is going to stay at nine teams, this has to be looked at. Of course, many will say that the CFL may soon be more than a nine-team league because of the proposed rule changes so this might be an argument that can be put in the trashbin, but until that happens this is a change that in my mind, the league really should make. 

4 – ANOTHER REGINA GREY CUP: I received a text from someone who was at the Friday afternoon Rams/UBC game last week if I knew anything about the 2027 Grey Cup coming to Regina. I responded by saying it was the first I had heard of it but reminded said texter that it had just been here so if the CFL was going through the rotation, it was likely a rumour. 

Another person then sent me a screen shot of a posting on an Argonauts Fan Facebook page on Sunday night. It was then I started to go where there is smoke, there is usually fire so I was going to look into it on Monday, but before I could start the announcement had been made. 

Another Grey Cup is coming to Regina, and it will be another great Grey Cup. You can say what you want about REAL, but “the campus” is a perfect one-stop shopping place for CFL fans looking to go from team venue to team venue with all activities being centred around the site of the big game. I still think a Saturday night Grey Cup (5 o’clock kickoff) would be perfect for those going to the game with lots of room to party with activities happening during the game. With everything at REAL, this would be a great chance for the CFL to try it out. 

Bottom line is give credit to Craig Reynolds, the Riders, the City of Regina and the province for getting this done as you know it will be a great week. Let’s just get a decent halftime show this time and let’s make sure we announce it well before the week begins. 

5 – REALLY? Mosaic Stadium is ready to play host to its second Western Final. It is a game that shouldn’t have the football team offering promotions to get people inside, but it is. You know what I think about what is happening “Rider Pride” and this only increases my argument – one that many agree with and one that many disagree with. The fact is the level of passion and fandom that this organization has is decreasing. The older demographic and the hardcores aren’t leaving, but there are many of those who just no longer bleed green. They are more invested in football south of the border, they are more invested in supporting other things than football.  They have found there is more to life than supporting the football team which is sad considering where this team was at. Some of them also want to hold grudges by the sounds of it.

To those who have bought tickets, especially those of you under 40, you are the ones needed to keep the light burning bright. To those who craft whatever reason they want not to come to games, especially those within 90 minutes of Regina, don’t complain when the organization does something you don’t like. 

I have heard people say they don’t like Craig Reynolds. He and his staff have worked and are working their butts off to bring you a team you should be proud of, and he has succeeded. He isn’t going anywhere as long as the team is making a profit. The only way he leaves is if he makes that decision himself. 

Some people say they don’t like Jeremy O’Day. He has built this team to the point where they are one win away from being in the Grey Cup and two from bringing the trophy home. He hired the coach that has improved this team and has gotten them to where they are.

Some complain about ticket prices. Co-Op is selling seats for $20. Some complain about concessions. No one is forcing you to buy a drink or food when at the game. Some don’t think the league is in trouble, but the reality is it is thus the changes we are about to see. 

Many of you just don’t care and considering where this team has been and its level of fandom, that is sad, but in today’s society not surprising. Some of the reasons I have heard from people whether it be in person or on my social media are valid, but a lot of them are ones where I just reiterate that Rider Pride is not what it used to be in the 306 and now is the time where it should be bursting at the seams.

6 – NFL WEEK 9:  Here are some tidbits for your information for Week 9 of the NFL season. 

• Pittsburgh quarterback Aaron Rodgers is tied for third in the NFL with 16 touchdown passes, including five games with multiple touchdown passes this season.With two touchdown passes on Sunday against Indianapolis, Rodgers can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (165 games) for the third-most games with multiple touchdown passes in NFL history. Only Tom Brady (204 games) and Drew Brees (173) have more.
• Indianapolis running back Jonathan Taylor totaled 174 scrimmage yards (153 rushing, 21 receiving) and three touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving) last week and joined Gene ‘Choo-Choo’ Roberts (1949 with the New York Giants) as the only players all-time with three touchdowns in four of his first eight games of a season. Taylor can become the fourth player in NFL history with at least three touchdowns in five games in a single season, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers LaDainian Tomlinson (six games in 2006) and Marshall Faulk (five in 2000) as well as Chuck Foreman (five in 1975).
• When the Buffalo Bills (5-2) host the Kansas City Chiefs (5-3) on Sunday, it will mark the ninth matchup, including the postseason, between quarterbacks Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes. The Bills have won the past four regular-season matchups, while the Chiefs have won the past four postseason meetings, including the 2024 AFC Championship game in Kansas City. 
• The Patriots have won five consecutive games entering Week 9 and can win six straight games for the first time since 2021. New England ranks fourth in the NFL in total defense, allowed 18.9 points per game and are one of four teams, along with Houston, Kansas City and Seattle, to allow 20-or-fewer points in six games this season.

7 – RANDOM THOUGHTS:

• The Riders went to social media this week asking what uniform they should wear for the Western Final. The retros seem to be winning out which would be my vote. I have no desire to see the obnoxious, I mean obsidian green.
• FOX is using former MLB ump Mark Carlson to talk about some calls during the World Series. Can someone with TSN or the CFL please tell me why the NFL, NHL, NCAA and NBA all have former officials that do this, but the CFL doesn’t? As you know, I think this is something that should have been done a lonnnng time ago. 
• Who had the Pittsburgh Penguins atop the NHL standings as the calendar hits November? I had the Penguins leading the way in the Gavin McKenna sweepstakes. That looks to be wrong.  Any thoughts of Sid being traded can be put to bed right now.
• Canada West football playoffs happen in Saskatchewan on Saturday as the Huskies are home to B.C while the Rams entertain Manitoba. The Canada West playoffs are always bizarre and wins by the home team are nooooo guarantee. I’ll have the call of the game from Mosaic on SaskTel Max. Should be a great day! 

That’s all I got. Have a great week!