Scruffy’s This N That

1 – IT’S LABOUR DAY WEEKEND: Is summer really over? Well, when you see that WHL camps have started up and we are coming up to the first Sunday in September, the answer my friends would be yes. Another indication of that is that Regina is full of Bombers fans who have come to Regina for the annual Labour Day Classic. Like I have said many times, you can look at the parking lots of hotels that aren’t normally full, see that they are, and know Labour Day weekend is here.

As is the case, the game will be sold out and one has to think the Winnipeg faithful that will be coming will be in a good mood. Hopefully, they leave in a somewhat sour mood. Speaking of sour moods, the Riders and many others are in one after the Stampeders took the green-and-white to the woodshed for a second time this season last weekend and this one may have been worse than the one in Regina. Some say the season starts now. I don’t know if that is truly the case, but there’s something just a little different about the games now.

If you are sitting in a sold-out Mosaic or you are watching at home or a bar or wherever, you probably know that the last three games have been decided by two points including Winnipeg’s 35-33 victory last year. 34 of the previous 59 have been undecided going into the last three minutes. We will likely see the same thing Sunday night as the 60^th edition of the LDC is written in front of us.

2 – BRETT LAUTHER: Brett Lauther is one of the good guys in the CFL. He is a tremendous ambassador for the Riders both during the season and in the winter. That being said, Lauther can not shake whatever is bothering him this season—at least not yet. When he missed a 28-yarder last week, I knew the pitchforks would be coming at him as he is now the whipping boy for a team that is 8-2. 

The debate is on in Riderville about what to do with the long-time kicker. Many say to have faith because he will work it out while others say it is time to say thank you and move on. As I said, Lauther is a great ambassador for the football club, but the Riders aren’t the Kinsmen Club, and you can’t keep good guys around if they aren’t producing. It’s a roll of the dice for Corey Mace whenever he sends Lauther out. He has only made 64 percent of his field goals. That isn’t what you need for a team that can win the Grey Cup. It would be a tough move to make, but a change is needed. He will likely kick this weekend, but if he misses anything inside the 40, you can’t continue and hope everything ends up OK. 

3 – LEAVE THE PLAYERS ALONE: The Riders do a great job in getting players out to meet fans and sign autographs. One of the guys who does that is Trevor Harris. He has no problem in going to these events and meeting the fanbase. A story came out this week about how Trevor and his family were stopped at Costco several times by people reminding him how important the LDC is in these parts. In the words of John Frenzy, “How dumb do you have to be?”. Do you really think Harris doesn’t know this and why are you bothering him when he is on his own time with family? Trevor is obviously not going to tell you to get bent, but would one blame him if he did. Bottom line—leave the players alone when they are on their time. Yes, you can say hi and good luck this week as you move on, but don’t ask for a selfie and just let him do his business with his family. Why is that so hard for people to see? 

A few years ago, before COVID, I remember one Rider telling me how he and a group of others tried to watch a Sunday of NFL football at the Harbour Landing Brewhouse, but they had to leave at halftime because of all the people disturbing them. It’s ridiculous and it isn’t needed. Some will say that the attention is part of being a Rider. I say you are wrong. Players owe you nothing when they are on their own time. Respect their privacy!

4 – SOMEONE NEEDS TO STEP UP:  The Canada West Football season is upon us with Mark McConkey and his University of Regina Rams looking to repeat as Hardy Cup champs in a season where they are hosting the Vanier Cup. The Rams opened things up with an exciting 43-36 overtime win Calgary Friday night. As is the case across the country, Canadian University football is something you can’t find on either TSN or Sportsnet. SaskTel does a great job in bringing the game to our living rooms, but it is time that one of Canada’s sports networks actually starts showing Canadian university sports. The athletes across our country that represent their universities in hockey, football, basketball and volleyball deserve to be showcased. In a world where many CFL fans don’t know the up-and-coming Canadian players, this would be a great way for them to see what the future of the league is. I can guarantee you that not many people know Marshall Erichsen had four TD’s for Regina last night and that’s a shame.

5 – STARTING WITH A BANG: When I hear the verse “We’re coming to your cit-ay, a college football par-tay all day long”, come through my TV, it means the US College Football season is officially underway as College GameDay is on and this week it was made even more special as the iconic Lee Corso put on his headgear for the last time. What a game to kick off opening week as Number 1 Texas takes on the defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes, ranked number 3. Could we say in the 306 that the Longhorns are Saskatchewan’s team? You have former Rider QB’s Steve Sarkisian and Kerry Joseph on the staff.  Add those two to guys like Henry Burris, Kent Austin and Tino Sunseri and there are a lot of former Rider quarterbacks on an NCAA sideline. As a Michigan fan, I hope the Longhorns start with a “W”! GO BLUE!

6 – A BLUE JAYS “BO”NUNDRUM: As the Toronto Blue Jays march to what looks to be a playoff spot, one has to wonder if the Bo Bichette era is coming to an end. Like many others, I did not think Toronto would be in this position and that Bichette would have been traded to a contender at the all-star break. That obviously didn’t happen as Bichette has arguably been Toronto’s best player this season. Now what? With the season he is having, his value is going up. Can the Jays, who found a way to keep Vladimir Guerrero Junior, find a way to keep their shortstop and if so how much will it take. I just get the feeling Bichette wants to go elsewhere. I don’t think he wants to go to Colorado to do there what his dad did because of their putrid record, but what if they decide on a huge overpay, and yes that scenario has been thrown out there. I could see Bichette in a number of different unis next year including the Yankees which would make Toronto fans cringe. Is an 8-year deal in the 220-250 million range enough to get it done? MLSE may have to use the same playbook they did to get Guerrero under contract to get Bichette under one as well.

7 – CONNOR’S CONTRACT: The Connor McDavid contract extension should be coming very soon with NHL training camps about to start. The Oilers captain doesn’t want this story to be a distraction as Edmonton tries to get to its 3^rd straight Stanley Cup. Leon Draisaitl signed his contract extension in early September last year and I expect that will happen here too. Many (the Toronto media) think it will be a short deal so that he can assess the team’s window of winning and get out if he has to, but I think whether it be optimistically or not that he is there for as long as Leon is. He won’t come at the same AAV though. I just wonder if number 97 is willing to leave some money on the table so that the Oilers have some money to play with seeing they are under a salary cap squeeze.  Part of me says he will, but another part of me says he won’t.  What I do know is Oiler fans can relax knowing this should be ending soon.

8 – PEERING INTO THE CRYSTAL BALL: At this time next week, we will have seen the opening night NFL contest between the Eagles and Cowboys and awaiting Sunday’s full slate of Week 1 contests which closes off with a dandy between the Ravens and Bills. Is the year that Lamar, Josh or Joe knock Mahomes off the AFC throne? I think it is. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit to see the winner of the Sunday night game between the Biils and Ravens hosting the AFC championship game with the same two teams playing. It also wouldn’t shock me if Cincinnati got back to the Super Bowl or if the Chargers got there. In the NFC, it will be hard to beat Philadelphia. I think Detroit takes a step back having lost their OC and DC and I think Green Bay takes a step up as does Washington. Will the Steelers and Aaron Rodgers make the playoffs? I can’t see it, but who knows. Who will be the team to take Arch Manning if he goes pro after this season. That might be the biggest question of all. It’s a long time between now and February but put me down for a Ravens-Eagles Super Bowl which I think is what I called last year too.  However, the Micah Parsons trade to Green Bay has sent shockwaves through the NFC and the NFL. How many eyes will be on Sunday Night Football in a few weeks when Parsons returns to Dallas? Jerr-ah will regret this one.

9 – REMEMBERING CRAIG SMITH: The Canadian Football community lost a great one this past week as long-time scout and personnel man Craig Smith succumbed to a mighty battle with cancer at the age of 69. Many have told stories of Craig over the past week and I’m about to be another.

Craig knew I was a huge Chicago Cubs fan, and we had had many chats about the team while at a Rider practice. He knew I was planning to go to Wrigley Field when he approached me on the sideline one day.  With one hand behind his back, he said in a rather serious tone that I had to do him a favour.  He then said he had found this hat (a Cubs hat) at Wrigley Field and that I had to get it back there as he gave it to me with a big smile on his face. On that magical day when I arrived at baseball heaven, there were pictures taken outside the legendary Haray Caray statue and the bleachers. I posted them on Facebook and one of the first likes was from Craig with a text that soon followed saying “You made it”.  Putting a smile on someone’s face was what Craig specialized in and I don’t think he ever failed—at least not with me.   With the College Football season starting, I look back at text exchanges we had about games, teams and players. I will miss those chats. RIP Craig! I hope the Riders publicly acknowledge you at some point on Sunday. I am confident they will because they know how much you meant to the organization and the football community that you embraced. 

10 – RANDOM THOUGHTS:

• Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said upon returning to Toronto from Milan on an Air Canada flight this week that the pilot said “Welcome to Toronto, home of the future Stanley Cup champion Leafs”.  I thought WestJet was the airline that told a joke upon the plane landing. 
• If Macho Man Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth could get married in the ring at Summerslam 1991, then why can’t Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift get married at halftime of this year’s Super Bowl? (ducks from flying objects being thrown at him) I can only imagine the comments that would be made from the many who are triggered at the mere sight of her at a football game. 
• Why would the NHL schedule maker have the Florida Panthers in Edmonton on a Thursday night? Wouldn’t this be a prime candidate for the early Hockey Night in Canada game?
• How many in Saskatchewan, particularly Regina, had flashbacks to Brooke Henderson winning the Canadian Open at the Wascana when she accomplished the same feat this past weekend in Ontario? That was a great week with a great ending!

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