SCRUFFY’S THIS ‘N THAT

1 – VANIER CUP:  While at the U of R last Friday, I had a conversation with someone who told me there would be a big announcement coming and about two hours after I put it out there on Twitter or “X” or whatever its called, a big announcement it was.  In something I have wondered about since plans for Mosaic Stadium were revealed, Regina was named the host city for the 2025 Vanier Cup as the Canadian university football championship will be played for the first time ever with the game coming to Saskatchewan for just the second time. Hopefully it will be a lot warmer than it was on the day the game came to Saskatoon.

The pressure is now on Rams HC Mark McConkey and his group to try and get to that game.  This bid wouldn’t have been made if people connected to the Rams didn’t think they could win it all.  It will be a fun week and hopefully the Rams can be there.  It’s a long time between now and then though.  A long time! For what its worth, McConkey will make sure he has a team that can legitimately compete for a Hardy/Vanier Cup when the time comes. He is that good of a coach!

2 – MACE’S PLACE:  The new Saskatchewan Roughriders head coach is Corey Mace. It was between either him and Buck Pierce and I was told Wednesday morning via text from a pretty good source that Pierce had the inside track.  This makes me wonder if he saw or heard something he didn’t like at the end, if Jeremy O’Day had some reservations and pulled back or if the Bombers came through with a last-second offer to keep him in Winnipeg, I guess it doesn’t matter now.  This also reportedly leads to Regina’s own Marc Mueller coming back into the fishbowl that he is all too familiar with. The rebuild can now officially start and I would argue it’s a bigger rebuild than what they had at this time last year.  We all know how that worked out. One wonders how many FA’s in Toronto Mace could lure over. Wouldn’t it be something if he could help AJ Ouellette trade in his double blue silks for green and white ones. As for Mace Place, some have said isn’t that what REAL has been for a number of years. OUCH!

3 – TOUCHDOWN PACIFIC: I had been told that the CFL was going to abandon Touchdown Atlantic to opt for Touchdown Pacific just before Grey Cup week started and that indeed became reality Wednesday when it was announced the Lions will play Ottawa in Victoria.  Is this a sign that the CFL has given up on getting a 10^th team in the Maritimes or is this a chance to explore an 11^th team with a 12^th team perhaps happening in Quebec City as has been rumoured.  I am glad the league didn’t use the Riders to sell the game again like they did when heading to the East Coast, but I don’t know if Ottawa is the right drawing card.  I might have opted to have the Grey Cup champion Alouettes pay a visit.  I have been told by people I know in Nanaimo and Victoria that there is an appetite for the CFL on Vancouver Island and it would be better getting to a game than it is to take the ferry to Vancouver.  A bigger facility will be needed in Victoria but for this game, Royal Athletic Park will be expanded to 14,000 seats.

These games are being done to attract interest and at no time do I think the CFL is looking at Saskatoon for a possible expansion franchise, but I wonder if at some point in the next five years the Riders would give up a home gate to have Touchdown Prairies at the U of S.  I doubt it, but who knows!

4 – COREY PERRY:  The ugly side of social media came out this week when it comes to Corey Perry.  Corey Perry needs help. He said as much in his statement that cost him his career in Chicago and maybe his career period.  I don’t know exactly what happened at a club function that has been reported, but alcohol played a factor.

What is disgusting here is that an organization that I thought had erased the past by getting rid of key members showed they still have the IQ of a sloth.  To say the Hawks were terrible in handling this episode would be an understatement.  When rumours started to come out about what Perry had allegedly done, they did nothing to stop it immediately which is something that had to be done.  While it was good to hear GM Kyle Davidson say the incident that saw Perry get his walking papers had nothing to do with a player or the family member of a player, it was something that had to be said immediately once the rumours started surfacing.  Those rumours did nothing to help the character of the person in question and I am guessing the player can’t be too impressed with what he has seen.

5 – FRASER MINTEN:  The Saskatoon Blades told the WHL they mean business as they added highly-touted Leafs prospect Fraser Minten in a trade with Kamloops.  It will be interesting to see if the Moose Jaw Warriors, who are already very good, make a move to counter this.  Don’t dismiss Prince Albert either.  I have heard that they are very interested in getting the services of Pats forward Tanner Howe who is a Prince Albert boy.  The Raiders have some assets as well so let’s see how interested they might be. 

6 – THE STATE OF THE JETS:   There are many Oilers fans in Saskatchewan and there are many Flames fans.  There are also many Jets fans and that group is smiling these days and why not.  Like many of you I was stunned when the team announced contract extensions for Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck as it sent a message.  That message seems to have been received as the Jets are one of the best teams in the Western Conference through the end of November.  The Kevin Cheveldayoff haters have been silenced for now.  It’s amazing how that happens when a team starts to win.

7 – CANADIAN SUCCESS?:  Thank god I have Sirius/XM Radio.  You can jump to your own conclusions on that, but while I do listen to some local material like Greg Morgan’s morning show on CJME or Teagan Witko on the WOLF while driving home, you can usually find my satellite radio on either NFL, MLB or NHL Radio.  While trying to navigate the slippery streets while out and about Sunday before my usual day of NFL watching, I heard some chatter on NHL Radio that just gets under my skin. I am so tired of the narrative surrounding Canadian teams and the Stanley Cup.  As an Oilers fan, I want that team to win it all. As someone who despises the Flames and Leafs, I am happy when they have been eliminated.  I think a lot of you feel the same way when it comes to your favourite team and rivals.  How many Leafs fans cheered for Montreal when they were in the Cup final a couple of years ago?  On Sunday, whoever was hosting at the time says he wants to see all seven Canadian teams in the playoffs because it is better for hockey in this country right down to the grassroots level. Really? Are we that fragile as a hockey nation that it offends us if Canadians Nathan McKinnon, Sidney Crosby or Brayden Point win a Stanley Cup for an American-based team yet we will embrace an American like Auston Matthews, Quinn Hughes or Connor Hellebuyck win it all on a Canadian-based team? Maybe its an unpopular opinion from yours truly, but while there are teams that I don’t want to see win the Stanley Cup, it is far from a bad thing if one of the seven teams in this country does not bring a championship home. The obsession to have the Cup come back to Canada is ridiculous.  We can have this chat if talking about the Olympics or any other event where it is best-on-best but can we please put this talk on the backburner and turn that burner off. 

8 – STOP IT, JUST STOP IT!  Shohei Ohtani is not resuming his baseball career north of the border.  What is that really going to accomplish for him? The stories suggesting Toronto is in the running are as ludicrous as the Blue Jays trading Bo Bichette before Opening Day.  Neither is going to happen this off-season.  I envision Ohtani being a Dodger, a Giant or a Mariner when all is said and done.

9 – NFL WEEK 13:  American Thanksgiving is over and now the NFL stretch run starts. Here are some things to look for while watching this weekend

• It might be the marquee game of the regular season as the 49ers and Eagles meet in a rematch of last year’s NFC Championship game and a game between arguably the two best teams right now in the NFL. Philadelphia is 10-1 for a second consecutive season, becoming the fourth team in NFL history to win at least 10 of its first 11 games in consecutive years, joining the 1941-42 Chicago Bears, 2005-06 Indianapolis Colts and 1972-73 Miami Dolphins.
• Since entering the NFL in 2021, Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has at least eight catches in 17 games, tied with Anquan Boldin for the second-most games with eight-plus receptions by a player in his first three seasons in NFL history. Only Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson has more with 19.
• Houston rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud ranks second in the league with 3,266 passing yards, the second-most ever by a player in his first 11 career games. With 331 passing yards against Denver on Sunday,, Stroud will surpass Andrew Luck (3,596 passing yards) for the second-most passing yards by a player in his first 12 career games in NFL history. Only Patrick Mahomes has more with 3,912,

10 – TIGER WOODS:  Good on him for getting back on the course but let’s be honest, its time. Tiger wants to play, but his body won’t cooperate, and we see what happens. His first event in seven months resulted in him shooting a three over 75 at the Hero World Challenge which leaves him 18^th out of 20.  He also ran out of gas going four over in the last five holes.  He wants to have one last memory but I just don’t see it happening.  I think many would like to see one weekend of Tiger at his best and competing for a title on a Sunday, but that appears to be just a fantasy now.

That’s all I got. Have a great weekend unless you’re a Cowboys fan! Did I get flagged for pass interference for making that comment.