SCRUFFY’S THIS N’ THAT

Welcome to Friday and the usual thoughts running through my muddled mind.  As always, they come in no particular order”

–The wait ends tonight. Whether you are gathered around the TV to watch the proceedings at McMahon on TSN or you are listening to Derek Taylor and Luc Mullinder on 620 CKRM, Riders football is back. It is pre-season so it doesn’t matter but after hearing about guys like Paul McRoberts, Jamal Morrow and others over the last couple of weeks it is time to see what they can do.

Zach Collaros won’t play and either will many other regulars. I am torn on the Collaros decision. Part of me feels he needs to get out there with the number ones to start getting some chemistry, but another part of me doesn’t want to see him get folded up like he did last pre-season because we know how that ended. Head Coach Craig Dickenson says David Watford and Cody Fajardo will split the first half with Isaac Harker and Ty Gangi getting the second. To those who have seen camp in Saskatoon, is Watford making a bid to be the number two guy?

–While cuts are a long ways away, is it possible to keep either Harker and Gangi around. You need to start developing that young quarterback so why not keep one as a practice roster guy. I guess we will see what the plan is.

–I don’t know how the NBA Final will turn out, but if we can get more games like Game 1, get your popcorn ready. The Raptors and Warriors went at one another in what was a highly entertaining game.  It looked like Golden State kept getting ready to make a run and then Toronto would punch back. Great stuff.  Hopefully we see more in Game 2 and beyond.

–How much Raptormania is there in Regina? Back when the Blue Jays got to the ALCS a few years ago, there were a lot of people wearing Jays merch. Not so much now it would seem. Good on Cineplex striking a deal with theatres across the country to have viewing parties. I am guessing and hoping a lot of basketball fans went to the Galaxy Theatre in the Normanview Mall to check out Game 1. I just wonder what you would have gotten if you put up a big screen in Victoria Park and invited people to come watch.  It’s not like the weather didn’t co-operate. What a great way to get people in the downtown core. Maybe its just me.

–The U of R got put into a rather awkward position this week when some trophies, medals and plaques were found in a dumpster—artifacts that belonged to the former wrestling team.  I’m disappointed at how this was handled on both sides.  I can understand the University’s argument that once it became apparent the artifacts which were in a former coaches office weren’t going to be collected that something had to be done.  What should have been done is something Dean of Kinesiology Harold Riemer admitted should have been done is donate them to the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame.  Yes, the trophies were replaced by plaques and the medals were never handed out, but let the SSHOF decide if they want it and if so what to do with it.  You can’t just throw it out with the rest of the trash.

This is something former wrestlers find to be insulting and they claim to have been disrespected.  I understand that thought process.  I also think a big mistake was made—not only in axing the program completely but in making sure that any pieces of history were accounted for.  It took a year for this decision to be made?   I think I would have been making the demand to clean offices out well before now.  With artifacts in there that had some value, some of the former wrestlers should have been called in to see if what was in there was worth anything or not and if so, what to do with it.  If the wrestlers recommended it be dumped so be it.  As said, the blame has to be shared on this one.

–Bill Buckner should not go down as the man that cost the Boston Red Sox a World Series.  He should go down as one of the game’s best hitters.  On the day before Buckner died, 16 major leaguers struck out at least three times in their game.  Buckner never did that once in his 22 seasons.  Buckner’s defensive faux-pas–perhaps the biggest in baseball history is what many remember him for.  Why John MacNamara still had Buckner in the game for that fateful bottom of the 9th at Shea Stadium will forever be a mystery.

–Garth Brooks is coming to Regina, but in true Regina fashion some have to bitch, whine and moan over the fact he is coming here on the same weekend as the Regina Folk Festival.  Just stop it!  This city is big enough to handle both. Yeah, it sucks to be those associated with the Festival, but I didn’t hear any complaints when the Brier was held on the same weekend as the USports women’s basketball championship and both were supported very well.  The same thing will happen here.  Maybe the folk festival people can work with EVRAZ in some kind of deal that will benefit both.

–The Victoria Square shopping centre says they are stopping the Rider Transit service at their location. The reason being tenants say there are reduced sales on game day.  REALLY???  People aren’t thinking about shopping on a Rider game-day?  Shocking!  This just in, go to a Walmart or a Costco on a Rider game-day and you have very little problems with the crowd  Vic Square adds some are upset because they have a tough time finding a parking spot when trying to pay a visit.

This just in. It doesn’t matter if there is a Rider game or not, you can basically roll a bowling ball down the hallways of Vic Square and not hit a soul.  I’ve said several times in the past that I don’t know how the place stays open as a whole because there is very little traffic in it.  All the mall has done is alienate those from White City, Balgonie, Emerald Park etc etc along with those from East Regina who now have to go elsewhere to catch the bus.  Can the old Costco parking lot be used for something?  At the end of the day, I think the decision by Vic Square is very short-sighted.  I don’t think I’m alone with that statement.

–That’s all I got.  Have a great weekend!

(Follow Mitchell Blair on Twitter at @ScruffyRegina)