Scruffy’s This N That

1 – IT’S A WIN, BUT:  The Riders are 11-4. The two-game losing streak is over. They are one step closer to being the host for either the West semi or the West final.  As you know, Saskatchewan beat Ottawa 20-13 Friday night, but if the Riders were playing any other team than a God-awful REDBLACKS team, would they have gotten the W? Those that are concerned about the play of their favourite team should not be resting easy after that performance. 

After an opening drive TD, the Riders sputtered their way through three quarters before Trevor Harris hit Dohnte Meyers with a 66-yard touchdown. All in all, it once again was not a banner night for an offence that should be a lot better than what it has shown over the last month.  

2 – THE GAME-SAVER?: I thought a lot more would be made of what was one of the best CFL plays of the year, but very few are talking about what AJ Ouellette did at the end of the game.  With the Riders comfortably in front and about to go into the endzone for what would have been a game-clinching TD, Trevor Harris was hit with the ball popping up in the air and into the hands of Ottawa’s Bryce Carter.  It looked like we were going to get a big man touchdown, but Ouellette said “not so fast my friend”.  He chased down Carter preventing him from getting a TD that would have put Ottawa within three and given them a major spark.  The Ouellette hustle resulted in Ottawa getting a field goal and perhaps drowning any momentum that might have occurred and giving the /=S=/ the late wake-up call that they needed.

3 – IDLE THREATS:  Why is it so many people are content to allow the CFL to bleed out? Seven of the nine teams are losing money, but people across the country refuse to acknowledge change is needed in an attempt to reverse that.  That is what is happening. 

Change is needed in the CFL and while change is going to be occurring, the game is still three downs with 12 men on a wide field.  The core pillars of the Canadian game are still there even if the look of the playing surface is changing.  Was there this much outrage when the league expanded to Memphis, Baltimore, Birmingham, San Antonio and Sacramento? Was the game still three downs when the league expanded to the U-S occurred?  12 men were still on the field, right?  The rules were still Canadian, right? The field (endzones excluded) was the same, right? There are many that don’t want to acknowledge how many problems the game has right from the on-field product, the off-field product, the television production (on-air personalities excluded), and so much more. 

Something needs to be done and as a guy who had a front row seat to all of this from his days at TSN, Stewart Johnston has ideas.  His ideas could have been thrown out by the board of governors, but they were accepted because teams want to make money, and the league wants to make money.  I would love to have more teams than the current nine and maybe the change in field dimensions will allow a much-needed team in Halifax that can play where the Wanderers soccer team is and yes, maybe just maybe it might mean having some teams playing south of the 49^th parallel. Like you, I wouldn’t like it but if it meant the survival of the CFL, then I’d be like OK let’s see where this goes.  The first American expansion was handled terribly.  “IF” this is the future, this version has to be handled much better and everyone knows that.

You can sit there and act like a small child whose mom isn’t buying him that chocolate bar that he wants when at the checkout stand, but it’s not changing.  You can waste your time signing petitions and you can boast that you are not coming back, but we all know that the hardcore fans aren’t going anywhere.  I heard from so many they would NEVER set foot in Mosaic Stadium again after the Riders enacted their COVID protocols, but a large majority of people who made that claim went back.  There are people who get angered when the price of cigarettes go up, but they keep buying them.  The hardcores are addicted to the CFL and in the 306, they are addicted to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Craig Reynolds and crew know that.  They know a few may decide not to return for whatever reason, but they also know a majority of those who are stomping their feet right now aren’t going anywhere. 

4 – NFL WEEK 5:  Here are some notes as you get planted on the couch for Sunday’s NFL action.

• Lamar Jackson won’t play for Baltimore against Houston due to a hamstring injury.  Baltimore is 4-10 since 2018 when Jackson misses a game while averaging under 17 points a game. 
• Dillon Gabriel will become the 42^nd starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns since 1999 when they play the Vikings in London.  The Chicago Bears are next when it comes to starting QB’s having had 30 under center in that same time frame.
• Since joining Tampa Bay in 2023, quarterback Baker Mayfield leads the NFL with 77 touchdown passes and ranks second with 9,448 passing yards. Mayfield and the Buccaneers are in Seattle this week to play the Seahawks in a battle of 3-1 teams. 
• The Eagles look to go to 5-0 win a win against visiting Denver.  They can become the 8^th reigning Super Bowl champ since 2000 to start a season with that record if they get the win.

5 – NO MORE EXCUSES: Round 2 of the baseball playoffs begin today with Game 1 of the American League and National League Divisional Series.  After watching the wild-card series come to an end, the Blue Jays start their playoff road today as they entertain the Yankees in Game 1 of a best of 5.  Can Toronto handle the moment? We will find out this afternoon.  If Toronto is to win, it is time for their marquee player to become a man.  

Vladimir Guerrero Junior needs to produce. It is as simple as that. The 500-million-dollar man had a very underwhelming season and a very lacklustre September as Toronto hung on to win the American League East.  He told reporters this week that he wants to have a Joe Carter-like signature moment. I guess that moment didn’t come when he fell asleep at 2^nd base and got picked off in what was Toronto’s last playoff game.  

Guerrero needs to carry this team on his back, especially with Bo Bichette not playing.  He needs a Robbie Alomar like moment. He simply has not been clutch when it matters.  Now that he is earning the big bucks, that needs to change. As Toronto made its final push, Vladdy hit .172 in the final 15 games with no homers and one extra-base hit.  If that continues this weekend, look for New York to play either Detroit or Seattle in the ALCS.

By the way, it is ludicrous to me that Anthony Santander, who did zero all season long except spend time on the DL, is on the playoff roster.  Guys like Ernie Clement, Davis Schneider, Joey Loperfido, Nathan Lukes and others overachieved this season to get Toronto to this point and now one of them will lose playing time because Santander is on the roster? Sorry, he wouldn’t be on mine. 

6 – ARE WE IN FOR A THREE-PEAT?  The NHL season starts Tuesday with the same scene we saw at the start of last year.  That is seeing the Stanley Cup banner rise into the rafters at Amerant Bank Arena as the Panthers hold one final moment after repeating as champs before embarking on their 3^rd.  Going into last year, the pundits were all over the place when it came to who they thought would win and in the end, it was the same team.  This year, many of those pundits feel the Panthers are more than capable of pulling off the threepeat and I would agree.  Despite losing Sasha Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk, Florida is still to me the team to beat after an off-season where they lost nothing.  Like every other team, they have questions, but they should be at worst one of the final four.  In the West, Edmonton has gotten to the final twice before losing out. I didn’t think after losing to Florida in seven that my team had the horses to get back in a conference that includes Dallas, Vegas, Colorado and Winnipeg but thanks to Jim Hiller and a coaching decision that I still scratch my head at, they did.  If Connor and Leon can lead them to the final for a third straight year, it will be a huge accomplishment because the other teams that are right there in the West got better, and I don’t know if Edmonton did. 

When it comes to teams that will make a jump this year, I think Utah and I think Montreal. When I think teams that will take a fall, I think Toronto, I think Los Angeles.  When it comes to who will have the best chance to take Gavin McKenna at the 2026 draft, I think Pittsburgh and if that scenario plays out, will Sidney Crosby say enough is enough and ask to go to a contender.

7 – SETTLE DOWN:  I was hoping this wouldn’t happen, but it may be.  The Regina Pats have struggled coming out of the gate and both Maddox Schultz and Liam Pue are not seeing their name coming up frequently on the scoresheet.  I heard a couple of people say this week that maybe these two shouldn’t be playing WHL this year because they look out of place.  THEY’RE 15!! 

They are just starting their long, and what should be successful, junior careers.  If you are going to the Brandt Centre expecting these two to light it up every night this season, your expectations are a little too high. Connor Bedard didn’t light it up when he played his first season in the bubble.  By the time these kids hit 19, if they both stay in Regina, they could be 1-2 in scoring like Adam Brooks and Sam Steel a few years ago.  By the way, the dynamic pair have started off with a bang with the Pat Canadians as Schultz has 5 points in two games while Pue has 4. Give the kids a chance folks and they will be just fine.  

8 – SETTLE DOWN, PART TWO: Hockey people were in an uproar this week when during the Cubs-Brewers playoff series, ESPN analyst Ben McDonald said he wouldn’t be watching when asked by p x p man Kevin Brown about the NHL season after a promo ran about the network’s opening night coverage.  Some in the hockey community went off their rocker with ESPN hockey host John Buccigross taking a run at McDonald’s career. 

This just in—NOT EVERYONE LIKES HOCKEY!! This just in — YOU ARE ALLOWED TO ANSWER A QUESTION HONESTLY!!  When I heard the comment while watching as the camera focused on Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar and another member of the Blackhawks, I just laughed.  Others did not. 

I can’t stand NASCAR.  If asked about NASCAR, I will tell you my thoughts on it. I love college basketball, but I have very little time for the NBA. There are many other sports that I have zero time for and the same goes for you. Would there have been the same reaction if Brown had asked McDonald who he thought was going to win the WNBA Final and he said he didn’t care.  McDonald, who is from the hockey crazy state of Louisiana, doesn’t care for hockey.  That’s his right. If you don’t like that, too bad! 

9 – RANDOM THOUGHTS:

• The Netflix documentary “Who killed the Montreal Expos” premieres October 21. I will definitely be checking that one out. 
• Great to see Regina’s Stu Scheurwater get a playoff assignment as he was one of the umps working the Detroit-Cleveland series. 
• “The Score” asked its X followers this week what team will have more wins—the Raptors or the Leafs.  It will be the Leafs, but the gap won’t be as far as what you think.  
• Peavey Mart announced this week that they are making a return to Saskatchewan.  Perhaps there is some hope for the future folks!

That’s all I got. Have a great week!