STACKHOUSE’S 10 THOUGHTS

1 – FOOTBALL ENTERTAINMENT – The NFL has had more games decided in the final minute of play this season than any other season since 1970.  And, if you caught the Chargers-Steelers game on Sunday night, you know what I’m talking about when it comes to fun watching games.  I watched part of a USports football game on Saturday that saw Adam Machart rush for over 250 yards.  It was highly entertaining.  Then you had both CJFL games come down to the final minute.  Meanwhile, the CFL turned out what it turned out and they are asking top dollar to watch it.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.  If you want to improve the actual entertainment level of your product then get a bunch of people in the room who have no incentive to win games and they’ll figure something out because winning and entertainment do NOT go together.  In fact, they often contradict each other and the CFL has reached the point where they need some serious infusion of new ideas to entertain.

2 – WELL RESTED – I hope I’m wrong but it wouldn’t surprise me to see the Saskatchewan Roughriders pay a heavy price for resting starters who, frankly, haven’t looked all that crisp for most of the second half of the season.  Calgary won two of three head to head encounters with the Riders taking the last one.  Saskatchewan has to be the favorite here but penalties have been their downfall and my guess is that’s going to be their achilles heel again.  Whether it’s this game or the next.  As a side bar, watching those backups on the weekend for both the Riders and Bombers should show anyone paying attention that there is no depth in this league anymore.

3 – COACHING/QBs – In most sports, coaching at the pro level can be overrated.  Generally, you are a juggler of egos and your job is to ensure players are in the best position to excel.  But, football is the exception.  Look at these rookie NFL quarterbacks.  Mac Jones has been, far and away, the best of the bunch but is he still the best if he’s the quarterback of the Chicago Bears?  No way.  How much better would Trevor Lawrence be with New England?  Carson Wentz looked finished last year with the Eagles, but reunited with Frank Reich and he’s playing like one of the better quarterbacks in the league once again.  Ryan Tannehill maybe isn’t the answer for Tennessee but he’s been way better with the Titans than he was for the Dolphins and then you have Matthew Stafford (current slump notwithstanding).

4 – SASK HIGH SCHOOL – It was great to see the 4A Senior Girls Volleyball Provincials being shown on YouTube over the weekend but I was stunned when I went to the SHSAA website and there wasn’t a sign of results anywhere.  Years ago when I worked in Manitoba, I can recall getting weekly press releases with rankings, players of the week, and other useful information.  I go to the SHSAA website and I see a survey on social justice, the experience of women coaches, and a curling guide to verify proof of vaccine. Great.  I don’t know if even the organizers know this but when it comes to volleyball and basketball we have two sports that both boys and girls play and, if marketed properly, could attract full gyms of fans (not just moms and dads).  The calibre of play is every bit as good as junior hockey provided you are into the sport and ALL the players are local!  When my son played basketball, I sometimes found myself sticking around to watch the other games in tournaments that didn’t involve his team because it was, simply, enjoyable to do so.  Problem is, nobody outside of those participating are aware of it.

5 – CARDIAC EPISODES – Sergio Aguero a Manchester City soccer legend, who was playing for FC Barcelona is set to announce his retirement at the age of 33 next week.  Aguero suffered from an episode of cardiac arrhythmia earlier this month and was slated to miss three months and now it’s been determined his career is over.  We don’t know why, but there does appear to be more of these types of incidents with elite athletes around the world this year.  A normal year sees 6-9 similar episodes amongst pro athletes worldwide but in 2021 there have been upwards of 60.  I’ve been made aware of one suspected situation in Saskatchewan in recent weeks (elite but not professional athlete) but there has been no official confirmation from anyone anywhere so I’ll just leave it at that.

6 – PENG MISSING – Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai has accused a senior political leader in her country of sexual assault.  She, subsequently, went missing and then when calls around the world came demanding proof that she was safe, a Chinese state tv channel (very reliable) posted pictures and a video to try and quell the concern.  A Chinese government run newspaper also said Shuai would be making a public appearance soon.  I’m sure there’s nothing to see here.  Update – she has appeared and said she wants her privacy.  Uh huh.

7 – BEEFS WILD WIN – I haven’t written about it much and maybe not at all, but my son Matthew has been playing junior football this year with the London Beefeaters and he was part of a miraculous comeback on Saturday that saw the Beefs advance to the Canadian Bowl.  The score was 14-0 for the, previously unbeaten, St. Clair Fratmen with less than two minutes remaining when things began to unravel.  A high snap resulted in Nick Samis falling on a loose ball in the end zone (Matthew kicks the extra point) and it’s 14-7.  A defensive stand results in a 2-and-out and then QB Clarke McCallum hits Spencer Foster for a major and then Matthew kicks the biggest extra point of his life with under a minute to go and it’s 14-14.  On the ensuing kick-off, the Fratmen fumble the ball on the return as it appeared Jacob Mandel punched it loose and then Keyshaun Cuff recovered it.  With no time left on the clock, Leo Centeno punts the rouge through the end zone and just like that the Beefs are defending OFC champions.  They’ll play the Langley Rams for junior football supremacy in Canada on December 4th at City Wide Sports Park in London (although there is some hope maybe this game will be played at Western).  The Rams came from behind being down 14-7 in the fourth to defeat the Saskatoon Hilltops 17-14 on Saturday afternoon.

8 – LOCAL PLAYERS – Sheldon Williams grad Connor Marsh is a receiver for the Beefeaters and Winnipeg’s Gabe Reichert is a rookie defensive lineman on the team.  Other prairie boys include defensive lineman Anthony Geremia and defensive back (special teams stalwart) Tobi Gbobaniyi both of Calgary.  I’m no scout but if you are looking for potential names at the pro level from this team, Codey McRoberts is a heart and soul linebacker that I could absolutely see playing on a CFL special teams unit.  Defensive lineman Jordan Fletcher is the OFC Defensive Player Of The Year and he had 8 sacks.  Rookie running back Geoff Clubine was second in the conference for rushing as part of a three headed monster in the back field and it would seem he has further untapped upside.

9 – GAVIN LAKE – I’ll write a bit more at the end of the season, but the praise I have for Gavin Lake (head coach, London) won’t ever do justice for this man’s character.  He’s a good coach, but what makes him a good coach is his genuine compassion for each of the young men on his team.  I’ll expand on that at a later time.

10 – VANIER/CANADIAN BOWL – Western (London) plays St. FX (Antigonish) in the Vanier Cup semi-final this weekend and if they win you will have two teams from London in national championship football games on the same day.  While this is great for football in southwestern Ontario, it’s bad for those who are fans of both the junior team and the university one.  I don’t think the games are actually competing head-to-head though as one is scheduled earlier in the day than the other.  The Vanier is also being held in Quebec, while the Beefeaters will host the Canadian Bowl.  I’ve been to London twice since late-August and for those who haven’t been there, the best comparison I have for it is a fast-paced Saskatoon.  

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