DAYTONA HOMES (TUESDAY) MORNING GOALIE
Better late than never! Here’s a photo-blog from the weekend road trip to Vancouver plus a Top Ten thoughts to start the week. Hopefully it makes you feel like you were along on the trip.
B.C. Place is so big you have to go a block or two away just to get the whole facility in a photo. It’s the nicest stadium in the country for sure…
The Rider locker room. $500-million in renovations and yet those rickety lockers remain the same as when the place opened in 1982!
Wait, could it be? Is that guy in line ahead of me at Starbucks the new coach of the Vancouver Canucks, Willie Desjardins?
Why yes it is. And the Climax, Saskatchewan product can stroll the streets of downtown Vancouver anonymously for the time being. My advice to Willie is this: enjoy it now! Within a few weeks his face will be plastered all over every TV screen and newspaper in town.
I’ve never figured out the significance of this statue but it makes me feel at home…
Game day … and the grounds were populated by the Rider Nation outside B.C. Place…
Anybody know this guy? #00?
The “Moj” … Bob Marjanovich … hosting the pregame show on Vancouver’s Team 1040 Radio..
Lions President Dennis Skulsky and kicker Paul McCallum greet fans before the game …
—
TOP 10 TUESDAY THOUGHTS
1 – Well here we go. The Weston Dressler Sweepstakes are underway and just about every team in the CFL has purchased their lottery ticket. Reps from B.C., Saskatchewan, Winnipeg and Ottawa have all told me they will be making significant offers to the popular slotback who was released by the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs on Monday.
From those close to Weston, I’ve heard everything from he wants to play in the Labour Day Classic and will sign by Wednesday to he wants to field all offers and could very likely sign elsewhere. I know the Riders have a budget and will not spend through the roof. Having said that, they won’t low-ball him either and their offer will be very fair. There are many good things going for Dressler here and hopefully he recognizes them.
However if he doesn’t return to Regina, things will heat up on the S.J. Green front. There’s only so much money to go around. It’s been discussed.
2 – By thinking positively, good things will happen. By thinking negatively, bad things will happen. Improve your life by thinking positively!
3 – I live by that creed but it didn’t work out for Lions President Dennis Skulsky on the weekend. On the right is the poster Corey Chamblin had produced and tacked up all over the Roughrider locker room in advance of Sunday’s 20-16 win at BC.
From what I can piece together, Skulsky was livid at the Riders purchasing billboard space outside B.C. Place Stadium, plus throwing a pregame pep rally which was attended by 800 or so fans.
One Lions person told me Skulsky was “salty” about the bold Rider moves and that’s what prompted his zany guarantee. Frankly that’s fine, because he accomplished his goal of getting everyone in Vancouver talking about the game. But it was a hollow guarantee and in the end it unfortunately made him look foolish.
Strangely, Skulsky maintained after the game that he’d “do it again”. His team failed to deliver on his guarantee and the Riders ripped their heart out. Several guys in our CKRM pick pool changed their picks after Skulsky’s guarantee because they knew this would motivate the Riders.
But if you wanna do it again, be my guest. However I liked the line of Rider defensive lineman Trevor Guyton after the game: “He picked the wrong team to make a guarantee against”.
4 – There are still 10,000 tickets left for the 102nd Grey Cup in Vancouver this November which is puzzling to this blogger. You’ve got the nicest stadium in the country and you’re guaranteed mild weather in the most beautiful city on the continent. And the way it looks, the Riders have an excellent chance of being in it.
5 – John Chick admitted to being mildly disappointed that he didn’t record a sack in Sunday’s game however clearly he was elated at the emotional victory. That knocked him off his torrid pace but he’ll get back on track in Sunday’s Labour Day Classic. I asked him his NFL aspirations and he said, frankly, he hasn’t thought about it. If the situation presents itself again, he’d look at it but for now he’s just having fun. John also said he’s got nothing left to prove to anyone. What a great outlook.
6 – Receiver Greg Hardin challenged Weston Dressler’s receiving records at UND and for that reason he was placed on the Roughriders’ negotiation list this winter. Over the weekend he was released by the NFL’s Denver Broncos. Perhaps he’ll be on his way north however it’s unlikely he could unseat Brett Swain or Ryan Smith in the roles they have now.
7 – Next up are the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Labour Day Classic XLVIII on Sunday at 2:00 pm. That’s Labour Day Classic 48. The Riders are 31-16 all-time against the Bombers on Labour Day Weekend. This is the start of “Bomber Week” on our TV and radio shows and today’s SportsCage features Bomber great Troy Westwood while tonight’s In The Huddle features Rider and Bomber alum Mike Abou-Mechrek. This week is one of the highlights of the year!
8 – The Regina Pats held their annual Blue & White Intrasquad game Monday evening with the Whites prevailing 5-4 in a shootout over the Blues. Rookie phenom Sam Steel had three points plus the shootout winner. He’ll be the best player in the WHL at the age of 18. Perhaps even sooner. The Pats will hold a preseason tournament beginning Thursday and that night the Moose Jaw Warriors come to town for a game in the Cooperators Arena at Evraz Place. 620 CKRM will carry it live but we’ll see you there.
9 – The George Reed Foundation Charity Golf Classic goes Monday, September 15 at Regina’s Wascana Golf Club and they’re still looking for a few entries. For information, email Joe Gunnis at jgunnis@emjmarketing.com. We’ll be broadcasting the SportsCage from the Wascana that day and I’ll be emceeing the supper.
10 – And this week marks the final run of the popular RiderGirl show in Regina to celebrate Labour Day Classic events. Here’s the poster in case you want to take in the show:
Thanks for the update and pictures. While it would be nice if Weston signs here, I fully understand if he wants to make more money elsewhere. But, he has to remember, that there is a future for him here after football. Go Riders!
sorry rod,the "entire" rider season is a highlight for me!luv the photos rod…u treat your readers well!…jus wonderin if u talked willie in2 buyin u a coffee! any news on darian injury,as we will only go as far as our "fearless leader" takes us!!
I can't imagine weston playing for another cfl team. The riders have the cap space and he would fit nicely back into our lineup. Regina is his second home, he will back in green!
YOu go ask every ex Rider what type of future Saskatchewan holds for them. The second that uniform comes off they are just another guy. If anything employers take advantage of them.
That's why so many ex riders still live here eh….go give your head a shake
The 00 guy looks like Rompin Ronnie Hawkins and those Felions look as good as Hooters Girls. As for Weston, its always nice to go for the money, but when you are the Crosby or Ovechkin of receivers you have to expect you are going to be pounced upon everywhere you go. Lets face it Geroy came here cause he wanted to play in a ravenous climate of crazy football fans. He could have chose to play in front of 6500 fans in Hamilton or Toronto or played in a place where football is a dirty word sports wise. Look… Read more »
Rod
Thanks for the great pictures. Any idea what is happening with the Podcasts? I am missing my Sportscage fix.
Sam Steel the best player in the dub by 18 or sooner? Lofty goals for a player who's going to have to play a pile of games against Nolan Patrick and Tanner Kaspick. Speaking of which, both those players outplayed Steel at this summers U17 camp and the Western U16's last year.
The bull is outside the building that formerly housed the Vancouver Stock Exchange. Meant to bring bull markets to traders. Didn't really work.
The guy in the picture with the white beard is none other than Obama
No it is Obama's mother
Hi Woz,
You know someday my friend I am going to meet you. I am going to walk right up to you and introduce myself.
If Rod knows who you are he is more than welcome to let you know who I am and you are more than welcome to contact me to arrange a meet.
I'd be very interested to see what your reaction to me would be, and my guess is you wouldn't say a peep.
Y'er Welcome
Obama
Weston Dressler, a North Dakota guy born and raised… Never wanted to leave his State, his homeland, even to go to university… Will he really want to leave Saskatchewan? A Province that mirrors North Dakota in every way? Sooner or later they all want to play at or near home. Dressler knows this is his home (North of the border). Do you really think he will leave his new home in Regina where he can actually hop in a car and drive to North Dakota on a whim? Check Butler, check Fantuz, check Labatte… Sooner or later they all go… Read more »
To the guy who wrote the following:
"jus wonderin if u talked willie in2 buyin u a coffee!"
Can someone please translate that into English please!
Kel
Anyone know why DA released?
If Ottawa is willing to make Dressler the highest paid receiver in the CFL by far as they claim, then no reasonable person will begrudge his decision to go out east. The Riders must not shell out an excessive amount to get him back because John Chick needs to be signed for the future and is the #1 impact player in the CFL. Our O-line is up for contracts to i.e. Heenan, so we need cap space for the next couple of years. I trust that Taman will make a wise decision, mindful of the need to sign other players… Read more »
weston is tired of yokels hounding him constantly while he tries to live a normal day to day life away from the field. he is not coming back.
Obama – threatening comments like that are exactly why people do not want to give their names on here. Whackos would get the person's address and come to their house with manure or threaten their families, etc. And these whackos will do that not because they said a guy looked liked their mother but because they disagree with someone's point of view. In the new world of blogs anonymity has to be the way to go. If Rod were to somehow know my name and release it to anyone then he can expect a call from my lawyer. In fairness… Read more »
@Kel in Victoria, You haven't the slightest idea what you are talking about. Dressler is a grown man, and grown men go where the opportunity is. If you asked a person in a new city what are the people like, the response back would be, "What are the people like where you came from?….the same I suppose." You're environment is what you make it and for the record North Dakota is in no way resemblant of Saskatchewan. I frequent North Dakota regularly as I do making regular trips into the United States. It could not be more different. It resembles… Read more »
SJ Green … laughable and insulting to Jim Popp.
Hey Obama, I'm going to take your mother, Mrs. Obama, out for a nice seafood dinner and NEVER call her AGAIN!!
Y'er welcome.
Champ Kind, Channel 7 San Diego
PS I took Wes Mantooth's mom out and all she talked about was how upset he was that Rustie Dean was leaving Global and how some day he'll take the #1 Regina sports spot away from some guy named RP…