FRIDAY RODSERVATIONS

FUN ODDS ‘N ENDS

* DRESSLER UPDATE: Roughriders Assistant GM Jeremy O’Day confirmed on Thursday that pending free agent Weston Dressler has a workout scheduled with an undisclosed NFL team.  That team’s identity is the most closely-kept secret in recent memory.  Weston’s American-based agent Justin Seurer revealed to me Thursday evening that the workout will take place on Tuesday, but declined to disclose the location.  Clearly everyone is taking this matter very seriously and all we can do is wish the Bismarck, ND product good luck!

* NFL OR BUST?: It’s unlikely we’ll hear anything further on this for at least another month.  Dressler’s CFL contract with the Roughriders expires on February 15 and that’s when he’s free to sign with any team in North America.  If things don’t work out in the NFL, those close to Dressler say he’s willing to listen to other CFL teams’ offers but don’t expect him to sign anywhere other than Saskatchewan.  However with each passing day that his name isn’t on a new contract with the Green & White, the anxiety level will rise around here.

* ACTION IN THE IGLOO:  There’s been plenty of speculation regarding the coaching staff of new Edmonton Eskimo coach Chris Jones but the team said there will be no official announcement until the end of January.  While we’ve often surmised that Rider receivers coach Jason Tucker will return to Edmonton where he’s a franchise legend, I’m told that likely won’t happen.  He simply has no history with Jones.

* ONCE YOU POPP, YOU CAN’T STOP:  Many have been waiting for an announcement out of Montreal confirming that Jim Popp will return as head coach with the Alouettes in 2014 but perhaps that’s unnecessary.  The Alouettes’ recent news releases quote “Head Coach and GM Jim Popp” so perhaps it’s a foregone conclusion that he’ll be back in the dual role.  However Als play-by-play man Rick Moffatt floated the rumour on Twitter this week that Popp may be considered for the Miami Dolphins’ vacant GM position.  Interviews for the job are scheduled to begin on today.

A CFL source told me Popp “badly wants to coach in Montreal” but if that’s the case, it begs the question: Why did Popp hire Dan Hawkins to replace Marc Trestman in the first place?

* THE BANK: Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group reached a deal with TD Bank Group this week for the naming rights to the RedBlacks’ stadium which will be known as “TD Place”.  The deal is reported to be worth $1,000,000 per season.  If that’s the case, Mosaic Potash is getting a huge bargain with its current naming rights deal for Mosaic Stadium which is set to expire in a few years.  It’s rumoured to be around a third of the Ottawa deal.

* A BUDDING RIVALRY: The RedBlacks haven’t even played a game yet and their fans already hate the Saskatchewan Roughriders.  Why?  Because the Riders vetoed their motion to call their expansion franchise the Ottawa Rough Riders and football fans in the nation’s capital are still hopping mad.  I’ve been receiving plenty of hostile reaction on Twitter from Ottawa supporters.  Jealous of the Roughriders?  Get in line.

* THE HANK: Hamilton Tiger-Cats Coach & GM Kent Austin stated on Thursday that the team has had no contract talks with pending free agent quarterback Henry Burris.  Read into that what you will.

“Right now, coming out of the holidays, we’re still finalizing our plans at each of the positions and we’re looking at a lot of different avenues because it could go a lot of different ways,” Austin told reporters. “Once those get finalized, and the plans are solidified, then we’ll have substantive discussions with the appropriate agents and players.”

* SO MUCH FOR THAT: The Saskatchewan Roughriders have often been compared to the NFL’s small market, community-owned Green Bay Packers in many ways.  Over the past few years when the Riders were booed at home, we’ve heard “Packer fans would never boo their own team at Lambeau Field”.  However you can throw that out the window.  After three unsuccessful running plays in their first series of last weekend’s wildcard playoff game, the offense was booed off the field.  Maybe we’re more alike than we think.

* THE BUCK STARTS HERE:  BC Lions quarterback Buck Pierce, one of football’s all-around great guys, is now on Twitter.  Give him a follow at @pierceQB11.

* KEEPING US ACCOUNTABLE: The American broadcasting watchdog website www.awfulannouncing.com compiled an impressive list of mistakes made by NFL play-by-play men.  The announcers who make the most mistakes?  Chris Myers and Dan Dierdorf.  The broadcasters with the fewest mistakes, not surprisingly, were Joe Buck and Chris Collinsworth.  This includes player identification, rule comprehension and the like.  Thank God they don’t do it for the CFL.

* TWEET OF THE WEEK: It’s a heartbreaker from the first-year voice of the Estevan Bruins Jeromy Corrigan (pictured on the right):

@PxPCorrigan:
“Got to love walking everywhere because you can’t afford to fix your car #broadcasterproblems.”

I wrote him back and told him it doesn’t last forever.  But come on Estevan!  Somebody fix this kid’s car.  Perhaps he’ll give you a plug or two on a Bruins broadcast.  Either that, or start a blog and give the repair garage an advertisement on the website.  You’ve got to get creative in this business.

* QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Team Canada GM Steve Yzerman saw his Olympic roster selection dissected endlessly this week and it was clear he was reaching the end of his fuse.  I compared the pressure Rider GM Brendan Taman faces from an entire province to the pressure Yzerman’s getting from an entire country.  CKRM analyst Al Dumba quipped, “Except Yzerman can go to Tampa Bay and get away from it.  Brendan can’t get away from it anywere!”

* THE ‘YAH-BUT’ CROWD IS BACK: They took a month off after football season but the Yah-But crowd is back.  You know the ones.  The naysayers.  After the Regina Pats blewout the Red Deer Rebels 6-2 on Wednesday night in the Brandt Centre, a season ticket holder told me in Gold’s Gym the next day, “Yah but Red Deer’s a crappy team”.  How insulting.  I’ve never bought into that argument.  What would they say had the Pats lost?

By the way the Pats are home to the conference-leading Calgary Hitmen tonight at 7:00 pm on 620 CKRM.  Rider great Scott Schultz and I will be broadcasting the SportsCage live from the Brandt Centre beginning at 4:00 pm.

* THE NHL SCOUTS SAY … : There were a flock of them at the Pats game on Wednesday and we were all huddled around a table in the media/scouts room in the bowels of the Brandt Centre discussing Friday’s WHL trade deadline.  It looked like a campfire gathering.  There were reps from the Capitals, Blackhawks, Senators, Lightning and Kings.  The consensus?  That the Regina Pats should be “sellers” and deal off their prime assets such as Chandler Stephenson, Dyson Stevenson and Boston Leier.   If you’re not contending, sell.  It would be a painful pill for Pats fans to swallow (dropping out of the playoff race again), but it’s like ripping off a bandaid.  It hurts at first, but it promotes quicker healing.  However in the end only Pats GM Chad Lang knows what will go down in a few hours.

* DUMBA TO PORTLAND: The Portland Winterhawks became immediate favourites to repeat as WHL champions this week when the Minnesota Wild sent first round pick Matt Dumba to the Rose City.  The first thing that popped into my mind was, “By going to Portland, does he get a raise?”

WHL blogger Kelly Friesen from Yahoo.ca reported Thursday that the Winterhawks have also picked up Tyson Predinchuk from the Melville Millionaires.  They’re serious about making a run.

* THE AGE-OLD QUESTION: It’s been almost a week since Canada finished fourth at the World Juniors in Sweden but people are still talking about the tournament across the country.  There are people whom I haven’t seen at a Pats game in 20 years who talk like experts when it comes to the World Juniors, and watched every game on TSN.  It always makes me wonder why Canadians go nuts over the World Junior tournament, but won’t pay 20 bucks to drive down the street and watch these kids in their own backyard.  What gives?

* HEWIE’S BACK:  Popular former Regina Pats goaltender Matt Hewitt is back in the Queen City this weekend with his UBC Thunderbirds of the CIS.  They’re taking on Todd Johnson’s Regina Cougars Friday and Saturday night at the Cooperators Centre.  It boggles the mind that this kid from New Westminster, BC never got a pro tryout but he’s still an All-Star person.  Can’t wait to see him at lunch today.

* KEEP YOUR HEAD ON A SWIVEL: In a 24-hour span this week I saw four cars blatantly run red lights.  Are they texting?  Day-dreaming?  Simply in La-La-Land?  Either way keep your head up and look both ways twice when approaching intersections!  Tell your kids if they’re young drivers as well.

* HOT STOVE HUDDLE: Join 4-time Stanley Cup champion Bob Bourne of the New York Islanders, Rider great Bob Poley and me at Rock Creek Tap & Grill (East location) on Friday, January 24 for the inaugural Hot Stove Huddle.  It’s a Q&A session with these two sporting greats and we’ll be taking questions from the crowd over a two-hour period.  Tickets are just $35 and include two pints of beer and dry ribs.  You can get your tickets at Rock Creek by asking your server.

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