DAYTONA HOMES FRIDAY RODSERVATIONS

WHO’S EXCITED?:  It’s almost GAME DAY!  The Saskatchewan Roughriders take on the Ottawa REDBLACKS Saturday at 4:00 pm at Mosaic Stadium in the preseason debut for both football clubs.  Apparently tickets for the game have been discounted by 15% due to slow ticket sales.  That seems to be a bit of a head-scratcher as this is Rider fans’ first chance to welcome their Grey Cup champion team back to Mosaic Stadium for the first time since November’s title win.  However there are several factors working against the Riders in this one, including the fact the game is televised and the forecast calls for 5-10 mm of rain.  The great thing about football though is that they play rain or shine and head coach Corey Chamblin is eager to see how his players adapt to tough conditions.

WHO TO WATCH?: Darian Durant will play against Ottawa however it remains to be seen how much.  I think the plan earlier in the week was to sit him out but the offensive coaching staff has had a change of heart and would like to see him get in there to knock some rust off.  It has nothing to do with selling tickets.  In fact Darian played last year in the preseason opener in Edmonton but it was rookie quarterback Tino Sunseri who won the game.  You’ll see a different Tino when he gets into Saturday’s game.  He’s more polished in his second year and has a great command of his huddle.  The battle for the #3 quarterback job could be settled as well as two former NFL’ers, Adam Weber and Seth Doege, will try to prove who’s ahead.

The offensive line spots are spoken for but there are two starting receivers spots vacant as well as running back.  Defensively it will be interesting to see what rotation they use at the interior linemen positions and what trio of linebackers is put on the field at any given time.  You’d think the starting five in the secondary is locked down too but they’re being pushed by the likes of Macho Harris, Paul Woldu, Marshay Green, Troy Stoudemire and Greg McCoy.  They will also be auditioning punt returners as well so it’s going to be a lot of fun to watch.

WHERE DA HYPE?:  I go back to what John Chick said last week about training camp.  He said, “This year there’s no hype” and he was referring to himself and the euphoria around him returning to the Riders from the NFL just in time for that historic 2013 season.  But he might as well be talking about the 2014 Roughriders and the lack of hype around the team.  I see it and sense it.  Last week a friend of mine said, “I haven’t even opened my season tickets yet.  I’m waiting until I feel it”.  He might be waiting a long time however perhaps Saturday’s game will kickstart people’s interest.  It’s likely the Grey Cup hangover.

SATURDAY TRIPLE-HEADER:  In the CFL tonight B.C. is at Edmonton while on Saturday there’s a triple-header beginning with Montreal at Hamilton (1:00 pm), Saskatchewan at Ottawa (4:00 pm) and Winnipeg at Calgary (7:00 pm).  Of those, I’m not certain which ones are televised.  TSN could do a better job of promoting their preseason broadcasts.  They just started promo’ing the start of the season with some well-done ads but there’s been very little in the way the exhibition games.  Believe me, I’ve been in a hotel for two weeks with the sports networks on 24/7 and there hasn’t been a ton of CFL coverage.

REPEAT?:  If you genuinely take a look around the West Division there’s no reason to expect the Roughriders can’t earn a spot in the 2014 Grey Cup in Vancouver.  Edmonton’s an unknown, I’m not sure who Calgary’s #1 quarterback is and in B.C., Travis Lulay is injured.  Winnipeg’s now in our division but they’ve got a long ways to go after a 3-15 season.  Our CKRM analysts predict great things for the Riders.  John Lynch figures it will be a Saskatchewan-Hamilton Grey Cup final this year while Luc Mullinder predicts several more Grey Cup victories under Corey Chamblin.  This is still a very good team even if they’re not the juggernaut of 2013 which roared out to a 5-0 and 8-1 start.  Don’t expect that to happen this year, but they will be there in the end.  In fact Saskatoon broadcaster Les Lazurak forecasts a home playoff game for Saskatchewan this year which would be great.

“I’M GOOD”:  I love taking these little informal polls of Rider fans from time to time.  In Saskatoon I roamed through the stands at Griffith’s Stadium and asked people how they thought the team would do this year.  One guy, Jeffrey, said “Hey my team won the championship in their own stadium and I was there to see it!  I’m good now for four or five years”.  I’m sure that’s something the Riders would love to hear but it would drive a lot of people nuts!  In a way however, I feel the same way.  But the Drive for Five (Cups) is on and this is going to be a lot of fun.

DRESS REHEARSAL:  The reports we’re getting out of Kansas City regarding Weston Dressler have been staggering.  Earlier this week he was running with the “1’s” and was catching passes from top pivot Alex Smith!  Then, he went down with a hamstring injury which sounds severe.  The first thing I thought of was Weston over-trained.  We’re working on getting a reporter on the SportsCage to provide us an update.

SPEAKING OF THE BLADES:  Newly-named Coach and GM Bob Woods is putting his staff together on Saskatoon’s junior hockey team.  I’m told Woods has had talks with Steve Young (P.A., Moose Jaw) about an assistant coach’s position while long-time trainer Steve Hildebrand is poised to be named the team’s Assistant GM.  It will be more of a business role and Steve would be a great fit for it.

NO STRIKE:  It was a relief to get a news release from Deanne Mitchell with the CFLPA Thursday evening stating that CFL players have voted in favour of ratification of the new CBA offer from their bosses.  What a fiasco this whole thing has been but fortunately it’s behind us.  I should take this opportunity to point out I wrote here three weeks ago that there would be no strike even though no one agreed with me!!  There’s something pristine, yet blue-collar, about the fact there’s never been a work stoppage in the CFL in over 100 years of existence.  Not many pro leagues can say that.  Thankfully the crisis was averted and we’ll have football this summer.

EVER SEE A LION STRETCH?:  Hilarious story from Rider training camp in Saskatoon courtesy Dan Plaster.  One of those track athletes who “practiced” after the Rider workouts challenged cornerback Tristan Jackson to a race in the 100 m.  T-Jack said, “Let’s do it right now”.  The guy replied, “I’ll need 20 minutes to stretch first”.   Tristan said, “Forget it”.

STANLEY CUP FINAL:  The Stanley Cup has to be handed out in L.A. tonight doesn’t it?  It would be the capper to perhaps the best Stanley Cup Playoffs ever however if the Rangers should pull it out, things would get very interesting.  I don’t think anyone’s ready for the hockey season to end just yet.  New York put all its moping aside and came out looking like a hockey team in Game 4 on Wednesday.  We’ll see if they’ve got anything left in the tank but it’s exciting to know their goalie Henrik Lundqvist has not lost an elimination game this year.

NBA FINALS:  Why is it the Stanley Cup Final but it’s the NBA Finals?  Either way it’s been fun to watch the Spurs master the cocky Miami Heat to take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven.  The only I don’t like about it is Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.  He seems like such a jerk and because of him, I can’t cheer for San Antonio.  He always gives those sideline reporters a rough time and I asked Sportsnet’s Arash Madani – who does his fare share of sideline interviews – what he’d ask Popovich if he ever had the chance.  “I have no idea,” was his reply.

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THAT’S ALL FOR TODAY .. HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!
RP
@sportscage