STACKHOUSE’S 10 THOUGHTS

1 – RIDERS/BOMBERS – The Saskatchewan Roughriders dropped only the second Labour Day Classic out of the last sixteen LDCs on Sunday as Cody Fajardo turned in his worst ever performance since taking over as the starting quarterback.  You can’t be great every week and Fajardo was far from that on Sunday.  Unable to block an excellent pass rush will make quarterbacks look a lot less good than what they are.  I do get a kick out of the fans who clamour for a benching after two and a half quarters.  You just don’t do that to your star player.  Do Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady get benched if they aren’t at their best?  Never.  Fajardo is our Rodgers/Brady.  The game was within reach until midway through the fourth quarter so you stick with him and hope he figures it out and steals a victory.

2 – OTHER CRITICISM – Fajardo didn’t get much help from his offensive line and the few balls he did throw nicely weren’t secured by his receivers so it’s not like Fajardo lost this game on his own.  Plenty of blame to go around.  Even Brett Lauther missed a field goal.  It just wasn’t meant to be.  I won’t even mention the officiating and the ‘roughing the kicker’ penalty.  Oh, I guess I just did.

3 – BOMBERS COCKY – Andrew Harris, Willie Jefferson, and maybe some of the other Bombers had plenty to say before, during, and after the game.  I love the trash talking.  The Bombers are the champs, they’ve earned it.  They also just waltzed into Regina and won quite easily.  If the Riders don’t like it, there is one real good way to make it all stop – win.  Harris, for me, is a very easy target when whacking his gums.  The guy was suspended for performance enhancing drugs and, in my opinion, no subject is off limits if you are going to talk smack.

4 – CFL POWER RANKINGS – With that effort on Sunday, I have the Bombers now entrenched in top spot overall.  The Riders come in at number two but they may have some company if Hamilton continues to improve.  The Ticats have been impressive the last two games since making the QB change.  I’ll give BC fourth even though they were off last week.  Edmonton is fifth, Toronto sixth, and Montreal seventh with Calgary and Ottawa bringing up the rear.

5 – NFL PLAYOFF TEAMS – The NFL regular season kicks off this week and here’s who I have in the playoffs in the AFC:  Buffalo, Baltimore, Tennessee, Kansas City, Cleveland, LA Chargers, and Indianapolis.  I think Miami and Cincinnati could surprise in a good way and Pittsburgh in a bad way.  In the NFC:  Dallas, Green Bay, Tampa Bay, LA Rams, Seattle, San Francisco, and Chicago.  I think the Bears may be a big surprise while Washington should also be close.  I’m not sure Arizona will be as good as some think and New Orleans is bound to take a step back too.

6 – HABS VACCINES – The Montreal Canadiens are the latest to announce proof of vaccination will be required to attend their games.  I make no argument either way on teams doing this other than to say this – soon it will be the requirement to go to any form of entertainment where people congregate.  You can love it or hate it.  Ultimately, the number of people who go will be the signal as to whether or not this is the right move and my guess is that we will, eventually, just get used to producing the evidence that we are vaxxed and all this noise will go away.  I guess my difficulty is why are the Habs only limiting attendance to 7500 if they mandate vaccines?  Why are certain venues and organizations stipulating masks in addition to vaccines?  I hear all the usual arguments but then why are we getting vaccinated?  Endless questions with no answers and all I want is for it to make sense.

7 – CROSBY WRIST – Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby will miss six weeks as it was announced he needs wrist surgery.  The Pens say this is not a new injury for Crosby but rather one he has dealt with for a number of seasons.  Yet, he couldn’t get the work done immediately following last season.  Puzzling.

8 – SPORTSNET INSIDERS – Hockey Night In Canada figures to have a new ‘Insider’ this season after it was announced Chris Johnston is leaving Sportsnet for the Toronto Star, which is expanding its sports department.  The number of media people that would be respected enough to have ‘insider’ level credibility is not a large number.  I think TSN uses Pierre LeBrun now that Bob McKenzie is retired so it’ll be an interesting hire.  I suppose Sportsnet could recycle a person they purged a couple of years ago and they may very well do that.

9 – PATS HIRE – The Regina Pats have hired Ken Schneider as an assistant coach.  I got to know Ken a little bit when I lived in Brandon and he is one of the nicest guys you will run across, if you are so lucky.  I hope this marriage goes well and ends up being long term.  Congratulations Ken!

10 – WATCH THE JAYS – The Toronto Blue Jays have 13 games remaining against Minnesota and Baltimore.  They sit two games back of the Red Sox for the second wildcard position and Boston can’t get out of their own way.  The Jays have an extremely formidable starting staff and a powerful line-up top to bottom.  I think they are getting into the playoffs and they are going to be big trouble once they get there.  A Jays-Yankees wildcard game would be awesome and a chase for the World Series (along with a change in federal government) would be excellent medicine for helping Canadians put their divisiveness aside.

(Mike Stackhouse is a freelance writer/broadcaster. Follow him on Twitter at @Stack1975)

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John Leslie
John Leslie
3 years ago

1) Did you see the netflix documentary about the UHL danbury trashers? Omg it was beyond good and this must be a made into a movie or at least a series. A mobbed up garbage industry associate buys a hockey team for his 17 yr old son. He puts the roster together and with pro wrestling high spot antics, toughness, and getting mike rupp during the lockout they wreak mayhen. Just that equip manager alone needs a show! Lol. ……now tell me that is not resembling the neepawa hawks lol as we had discussed. 2) I printed off my covid… Read more »

tri
tri
3 years ago

if you don’t want to be poked or even have concerns about it then you don’t deserve to be able to go anywhere or do anything. Vaccine passports or proof of vaccination is the beginning of china’s social credit scores and the beginning of the end of your personal freedom…. wake up people before it is to late

Jerry Butler
Jerry Butler
3 years ago
Reply to  tri

Well first off I could just assail you with every insult in the book but I will not do that. Instead this will be a teachable moment. Let’s start on this basis. You guys with your personal freedoms and science insight my guess is you were pretty much lost after Grade 9 algebra. This meant at best maybe a 52% average in any science subject which then in turn makes your humanity subjects like Social Studies about a 60%. Yet you’ll come on a blog and defend your science and social studies report like a 15 year old as you’re… Read more »

SMT306
3 years ago
Reply to  Jerry Butler

Well said Jerry

Jerry Butler
Jerry Butler
3 years ago
Reply to  SMT306

Imagine these guys turning in a science report with “But my uncle had inflammation” – not exactly a split the atom group eh?

Leland
Leland
3 years ago
Reply to  Jerry Butler

Nice try Butler, vaccines are real safe and effective. Ha!!! That’s why cases are higher than last year and we didn’t have a vaccine then. That’s why my cousin had heart inflammation after taking it and also another guy is paralyzed. Oh but those are rare and who cares what happened to those people. It’s all for safety!! Also, those darn unvaccinated losers, they are the scum of the earth. How dare they have a choice with what they put in their bodies. Wouldn’t want choice, because that means you did bad at algebra in high school and if you… Read more »

tri
tri
3 years ago

even if there is 100% vaccine acceptance this will not end. The variants will be promoted, requiring further vaccines and continued destruction of a free society. keep believing the lie…

Leland
Leland
3 years ago
Reply to  tri

Bang on tri, you got it

Chris
Chris
3 years ago

Just have to say just because I don’t agree with someone’s worldview doesn’t mean someone is stupid or uneducated. Having good critical thinking skills may cause messy and difficult conversations but it is good and a sign of healthy democracy. Today we are trained to mimic the moral certainty of ideologues which drives intolerance of divergent beliefs and opinions. If anyonequestions the approved narrative they are labeled stupid or uneducated or worse they are accused of micro aggressions. Virtue signalling coercing someone to take a vaccine is wrong. Terry if I used to big of words for you I will… Read more »

Jerry Butler
Jerry Butler
3 years ago
Reply to  Chris

fyi – chris, leland, tri …..psst…..i do not read your replies. Not worth my time and i am headed for 545 am yoga class. When you boys get into the health and self improvement game maybe you will be worth my time.

As Busey so eloquently stated on celebrity apprentice: “the truth does not have to answer questions”

Free Bird
Free Bird
3 years ago
Reply to  Jerry Butler

Nice try cupcake.

Leland
Leland
3 years ago
Reply to  Chris

You got it too Chris. Nice to see some common sense and yes it’s ok if we don’t agree, but you don’t have to talk down to people when they don’t agree with you. This is what the narrative is about though, they want division and people to fight against each other, then it takes the focus off of what is really going on. Fine, take your vaccine if it makes you feel more safe. Just leave the rest of us alone, trust me we’ll be fine.

Khushpreet Jones
Khushpreet Jones
3 years ago
Reply to  Leland

Well yeah I agree. You’ll all be left alone. You have no events to go to. No job will employ you, and oh guess what? Pimp Daddy J.T that gave out all the CERB, E.I bennnies without any means test that’s out the window in about 10 days time. Welfare and the ‘hood you can go hang out there. The era of idiocy is over. 3% is not going to dictate how 97% lives, and that’s even coming from UNIFOR Prez Jerry Diaz – so when big unions and the business sector are drawing a line in the sand you’re… Read more »

justin
justin
3 years ago

wow jerry what an intellectual powerhouse you are… a quote from celebrity apprentice very deep….but you know science… How about george bernard shaw “those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything”… maybe meditate on that in your yoga class maybe that will help you self improve and think for yourself before you slam someone else