10 WEEKEND THINGS FOR GOLF TOWN

1 – CALL TO THE HALL: Kudos to Jim Hopson for his selection to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, announced Thursday. Without him there’d be no new stadium, we’d still be stuck at 2 Grey Cups, and we’d still be broke. Jim Hopson held people accountable in the Rider organization and demanded excellence from everyone, including himself. We butted heads during his era, The Decade Of Decadence (2005-2014), but that’s because I didn’t like being held accountable at that point in my life. Now I’m happy to say Jim and I are closer than we’ve ever been. Congrats Hoppy!

2 – PREDICTIONS: The CFL season is right around the corner and it’s delicious seeing all the predictions come spilling out from the pundits. Here are mine: WEST – Winnipeg, Calgary, BC, Saskatchewan, Edmonton. EAST – Hamilton, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal.

3 – HEAR ME OUT: I picked the Roughriders 4th because it was the simplest thing to do; those are the Vegas odds. Let me be clear: this prediction is not an indictment on the abilities of GM Jeremy O’Day and Head Coach Craig Dickenson, both rookies in their roles. Each was put behind the 8-ball when Chris Jones bolted to Cleveland. However the Riders were unable to land a marquee QB in free agency and people in the league are wondering how long Zach Collaros will last this season due to his concussion history. I’d be shocked if he doesn’t have his bell rung and miss time by the end of July.

4 – THE REST: The reasons for my other West Division picks: 1) Winnipeg – they’ve been building for this moment and are ready to kick the door in. 2) Calgary – because they’re Calgary. 3) BC – the winners of free agency with a young, enthusiastic coaching staff. 4) Saskatchewan – for the reasons noted above. 5) Edmonton – they couldn’t make the playoffs last season with the best QB in the CFL. What makes us think they will do any better without him?


5 – QB BUZZ: League sources tell me that Kevin Glenn and even Darian Durant are content to play the waiting game regarding the 2019 season. The pair would like to play this season, but see no need to go through the rigors of training camp. They are both waiting for a call from a team in need. Could you imagine Darian Durant back with the Roughriders as an emergency injury replacement?! Could happen.

6 – JONES BUZZ: Chatting with Rider fans around the province at these sports banquets has been enlightening. At the event in Sedley where I spoke alongside Ricky Foley and Henry Burris, a fan said afterwards, “I was hoping you guys would’ve ripped Jones!” The simple answer to that is, why? Chris Jones treated me like gold and was the utmost professional anytime I was around him. If people are harbouring any resentments towards him, that’s their problem. He’s having the last laugh with perhaps the hottest young team in the NFL.

7 – CONNECTIONS: The Arizona Cardinals have taken a QB in back-to-back first rounds of the NFL Draft (Josh Rosen and Kyler Murray) and the last team to do that was the Dallas Cowboys in 1989 with Troy Aikman and Steve Walsh. Aikman, of course, led the Cowboys to three Super Bowl titles while Walsh bounced around the NFL. Now, he is the Quarterbacks Coach of your Saskatchewan Roughriders. Meanwhile the Cards dealt Rosen to the Miami Dolphins Friday evening, so there’s that.

8 – STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS: My take on Game 7 between the Sharks and Golden Knights – was the Eakins hit on Joe Pavelski worthy of a 5-minute major? No. Of course not. In a Game 7, anything short of aggravated assault should be 2-minutes and this check might not have been a penalty at all. However why is everyone letting Vegas off the hook for allowing FOUR SHORTHANDED GOALS on the ensuing major powerplay? I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before. Strong teams should be able to overcome bad calls.

9 – BABS: On Tuesday someone asked who I was cheering for in Game 7 between Toronto/Boston. I thought for a minute, and answered “I’m cheering for Mike Babcock because he gets too much crap in Toronto”. Does he have an ego the size of Manhattan? Sure. But he needs it to survive, and thrive, in the centre of the hockey universe. Players decide a Game 7, not the coaches. And there should be more heat on Nazem Kadri for not being available for that game due to suspension. Don’t crosscheck someone in the face in the playoffs. Or, ever.

10 – RANDOM THOUGHTS: The addition of Vladimir Guererro Jr. is enough to get me interested in the Toronto Blue Jays again. … That’s what the insertion of a single player can do to ignite fan interest (see: Ryan, Jon). … Join me at the Sask Rush/Colorado Mammoth game Saturday night at SaskTel Centre as the Rush attempt to secure home field in the playoffs! I’ll be on the mic down on the field in the pregame ceremony. Thanks Rush! … The Rush lead the NLL in attendance. … Also, join me at the Brett Jones Golf Classic on June 22 at the Weyburn Golf Club! The Minnesota Vikings lineman is raising funds for his hometown. To enter your team, contact Chelsea at brettjonesfootball@gmail.com. … This is shaping up to be an amazing summer! … Sam Steel is tied for the rookie scoring lead in the Calder Cup Playoffs with San Diego. For what he did in Regina, they should be naming streets after him. Having said that, he didn’t finish his career in the Top 5 in franchise scoring. There’s a lot of greats atop that list and they’re all hanging from the rafters EXCEPT Jordan Weal. … Want a job in hockey? Both the Humboldt Broncos and Weyburn Red Wings are looking for marketing managers! Check out the SJHL website for details.

Y’er welcome,
RP
@rodpedersen