SCRUFFY’S THIS ‘N THAT

It’s Friday meaning its time for the weekly set of thoughts running through my muddled mind, and as always they are in no particular order.

— There are two games to go in the regular season and the only thing left for the Saskatchewan Roughriders is whether or not interim head coach Bob Dyce is going to explode. He might!

I was told of Dyce holding his tongue in the post-game scrum after the loss to Edmonton on Friday and he bit his tongue again on Tuesday when asked if the Junior Mertile play in that game could be blamed on coaching. ????

Blaming Bob Dyce for that play is like blaming John Gibbons for not getting the tying run across the plate in Game 6 of the ALCS.  Dyce had no clue what Mertile was going to do on that awful play, but to blame that on coaching is a little over the top if you ask me.  I loved the fact Dyce defended Mertile’s play saying no one is perfect, but the fact the defensive back won’t play Saturday in Calgary may be an indication he has seen his last game.  Cutting a player now doesn’t really accomplish anything.

— People have asked me if I think Dyce has a chance at being the head coach in 2016 and my answer is I really don’t know.  He was given the role to try and clean up the mess left behind by Corey Chamblin and Brendan Taman and I’m not sure he really wanted the job in the first place. That may be the deciding factor. Does he want this job and if so, who does he want to retain on the coaching staff and who does he want to replace?

If he does want the job, I am sure he has let Craig Reynolds and company know, but has he publicly come out and stated he wants it. If he has, I missed it.  There are many more questions as well that need to be asked and one has to also look at what candidates may be out there. Does the team want to give someone their first HC experience like they did with Chamblin or do they want to find someone with some games under their belt.

It is one of many questions that needs to start getting answered sooner than later and making the announcement that Jeremy O’Day is the full time GM moving forward right after the Grey Cup is handed out would start us on that process. Once that is done, name a new HC and do it well before free agency so guys who might look at coming here can see what the structure is before they move forward.

— The Riders will finish up their season in Calgary and Montreal meaning they will face Jerome Messam and Kevin Glenn. Are you thinking what I’m thinking? It would only just heap onto the season it has been if Messam and Glenn both have huge days against the green and white and the way that defense has played this year, I wouldn’t bet against it.   Messam said this week he has been practicing against the Riders all year, but now they are going to feel the boom for real. I get the feeling that Messam and Jeff Knox Junior may be renewing acquaintances several times on Saturday.

— The U of R Rams have one last chance to win a football game Friday night as they will take on the University of Saskatchewan Huskies at Mosaic Stadium. It has not been a good year for Mike Gibson and crew as they have not gotten the bounces they need at a crucial time. Do those bounces come their way tonight. You earn those bounces sometimes so we will see what happens.

Game time is 7 o’clock at Mosaic and there will be a simulcast of the SHAW/Access game on sportscage dot c-a as I will have the play by play alongside Luc Mullinder. With Rod on his way to Calgary, I will also host the Friday sportscage live from Mosaic Stadium. A couple of people are upset with the fact that this game is being played at the same time as A) a Pats game just down the street and B) High school football playoffs. To those people I ask, when would you like to play this game. Saturday afternoon wouldn’t work because of the Riders game and Saturday night wouldn’t work because of Hallowe’en and Canada West does not play football games on Sunday. Sorry if your schedule is impacted, but that is the way things go.

Week 8 NFL Lock of the Week  — Carolina over Indianapolis
Week 8 NFL Upset of the Week — Denver over Green Bay

— The hue and cry started the moment referee Rob Martell announced it was no goal Sunday night in Edmonton.

Connor MacDavid appeared to have scored in the dying seconds to send a game against the L-A Kings into overtime, but Martell said no goal.

The instant replay showed the glove over the line which presumably had the puck inside, but because you could not see it, you could not call it.  It has people wondering about goal-line technology.

If curling can have a sensor in the stone to make sure it doesn’t go over the hog line, can there not be a sensor in the puck or would it go off everytime the puck crossed the goal line even if it was in the corner. A camera placed inside both goal posts showing the line wouldn’t have worked in this case. Could a camera be put under the ice on the goal-line? I don’t know the answer to that, but one would think there has to be something allowing for us to tell when a puck has or hasn’t crossed the goal-line completely.

— The city of Halifax is trying to decide if the donair should be made its official food. Cities have official foods? If so, what would Regina’s official food be? Put me down for voting Prime Rib!

— I can’t help but think Alex Anthopoulos wanted the world after he what did for the Toronto Blue Jays and that the organization called his bluff.  A five year contract extension is something Anthopoulos should have jumped at, but he didn’t making one wonder just what more he wanted. He either wanted more and the Jays weren’t willing to give it to him or the organization with Mark Shapiro now in control wanted to inexplicably go in another direction.

Whatever it is, AA is gone because he didn’t think the new situation with new president Mark Shapiro would fit.  Shapiro has had some success as the GM of the Cleveland Indians, but Blue Jays fans will tell you he is starting his tenure in Toronto on the wrong foot and they will wonder if John Gibbons will be back. I’m guessing he isn’t.  The brakes have definitely been applied on the great run of the baseball team, but I think they will be fine.

— Former Phillies and Mets outfielder admitted this week to Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd he hired private investigators to follow around umpires and then used the information he had on them when they worked behind the plate. Dykstra believes this is the reason he led the league in walks for two years. This might also explain why Wally Buono was never ever penalized for walking out halfway on the field constantly when he wasn’t supposed to.

— Does anyone even care that the Raptors season has started? Talk about a team and a league for that matter flying under the radar.

— Have a great Hallowe’en! Here’s hoping the Riders masquerade as the team from 2013 and beat the Stampeders in their backyard. Wouldn’t that be sweet!