SCRUFFY’S THIS ‘N THAT

Welcome to Friday! Here are the usual weekly thoughts running through my muddled mind, and as always they come in no particular order:

— It’s no secret that I openly question the goings on with the CFL on this blog. I believe this league could be so much better, but they keep doing things to hurt themselves.  Some of them are things I don’t think they have control over, yet they get the blame.  As it is with many things, when the league does something good, they should be recognized for it, and I think they have the potential to have hit a homerun with CFL Week which was announced Tuesday at the Great Canadian Brewhouse in Harbour Landing.

Putting on a showcase event in the middle of the off-season is a great idea. There are many things planned to keep the CFL front and center on the minds of football fans during late March. It will come at a time before the MLB season starts, and the NHL and NBA  regular season will still be on meaning the focus won’t be on the playoffs. The NFL will be done, so there is no worry about that league.

The key now is to make sure there are no glitches and that everything runs smoothly going into year 2. If the CFL can show in the infant year of this initiative that it works and it can be done properly than they have the chance at having something which will be tremendously successful. Of course, this won’t work in all markets (Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal), but I think it can succeed in the West along with Ottawa and Hamilton.  I also wouldn’t mind seeing the league taking its show to places where fans don’t see the CFL up close and personal like the Maritimes, Quebec City and Victoria.

From coaching clinics to autograph sessions to dinners to the combine, it sounds good in theory. Let’s see everything get rolled out. I’m confident this can work if the league puts enough resources into it and its promoted properly including their TV partner.  I didn’t see Sportscentre on Tuesday night. How much publicity did TSN give the event?

— As the head of officiating, how much time does Glen Johnson spend in the Command Centre?

— If TV ratings for the first weekend of CFL playoff games were up substantially from last year, does it mean we won’t see infomercials for frying pans and those two annoying women hawking the 3D Crystal this weekend? I find it atrocious that TSN has to run those ads during CFL games. Are they on during the Sunday or Monday Night NFL games? Are they on Saturdays when NCAA Football is on. I don’t know the answer to that because I’m not paying attention.

— Seems to me as if a lot of people are already saying it is going to be a Battle of Alberta at the Grey Cup. Talk about disrespect to the Lions and REDBLACKS. More so to Ottawa than BC as I can understand most everyone thinking the juggernaut that is the Calgary Stampeders will move on to the big game. I won’t be surprised to see a BC-Ottawa Grey Cup, but I will say that at least one of those teams will be playing a week from Sunday.  Let it also be said, an Edmonton-Calgary Grey Cup will make this Saskatchewan blogger somewhat nauseous.

— Kerry Joseph has gone to Twitter telling the Riders to pay Darian Durant what he deserves, and so has Naaman Roosevelt. Who else is going to put their two cents in the efforts to convince Chris Jones to keep Darian in a green-and-white uniform. I’m still optimistic he is back, but that optimism has waned somewhat.  He is apparently still in Regina though which is a good sign. I thought he would have it high-tailed it back to Atlanta. Perhaps he will once he has put pen to paper.

— The Regina Pats continue to be the talk of the city and for good reason. The play of John Paddock’s proteges have everyone buzzing, Why wouldn’t they as they have completed the first quarter of the season with a “0” in the loss column. They must be playing too well though because there are many who can’t be content with enjoying the ride. They have to find a whipping boy to make themselves feel good, and that whipping boy is apparently Tyler Brown.

 Many feel the goaltending position needs an upgrade. Many need to give their head a shake. No one had a problem with Brown when he helped get the team to Game 7 of an Eastern Conference final. No one had a problem with Grant Fuhr when he was making saves for those great Oiler teams that the current Pats are being compared to. The games will get tougher for Regina as the season wears on and the playoffs will be a battle as Regina attempts to bring home the Ed Chynoweth Cup. I’ll be shocked if the Pats don’t go into those playoffs without Brown and Jordan Hollett patrolling the pipes.

If this team needs an upgrade, and I would just call it a case of making a strong group even stronger, I would find another d-man to compliment Hobbs, Zborovskiy and Harrison. I’n not going to sit here and tell you Brown is an elite WHL tender because he’s not, but he is more than capable of doing the job. By the way, if looking for a d-man, here are three names I will throw out there—Brendan Guhle (PA), Caleb Jones (Portland), Ethan Bear (Seattle). The question is what is the price tag for one of those three. They won’t come cheap, but the Pats have some assets.

— Still with the Pats, they are gone because of Agribition and this year’s event will see usage of the International Trade Centre which still isn’t completely built. Phase 2 of the ITC will mean the demolition of Exhibition Stadium—the first home of the Pats. That is where I saw my first Pats games. Exhibition Stadium has a lot of memories inside it. It isn’t the same as Taylor Field, but before that wrecking ball goes through, someone should take note of some of the activities which occurred in that place. I am guessing you don’t really want to step inside of that place though for fear of having your foot chewed off by a rat or something.

— The Dallas Cowboys are the story of the NFL season at 8-1. The reason for this is the play of quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott. Can one be named MVP and the other named rookie of the year. FWIW, I would put Prescott in the MVP discussion ahead of Elliott.

— Week 11 NFL Lock Of The Week — Seahawks over Eagles
— Week 11 NFL Upset Of The Week — Cardinals over Vikings

— Is it just me or is Tyler Bozak quietly having a good start to the NHL season. The Leafs forward and Regina native is averaging almost a point a game for Toronto.

— If there is a more up and down team in the NHL today than the Winnipeg Jets than who is it? At times, they look a club that could be a playoff team and then they turnaround and look horrible

— The LP’s Rob Vanstone asks when the MLS season ends? I second that. This Toronto FC-Montreal Impact game playoff game has been hyped forever and it’s just a semi-final isn’t it.

— Two thumbs up to the owners of Victoria’s Tavern and the two Leopold’s Taverns in Regina for instituting a free ride program and teaming up with a designated driver service in December, They see what a problem drinking and driving is in Saskatchewan and they are doing something about it. Let’s hope other bar owners follow suit and they make it a year-round thing.

— Safe to say you don’t want to get on Kate Upton’s bad side after her tweets following Justin Verlander getting beat in the American League Cy Young vote. How do ya really feel Kate?

— High Impact Wrestling is at the Hungarian Club tonight. Gronkville assembles for their monthly meeting, How many of them will bathe before attending! I’m guessing at least half, but that may be a little high.

That’s all I got.  Have a great weekend! We might actually get to December without snow!