STACKHOUSE’S 10 THOUGHTS

1 – FAJARDO NEEDS TO BE BETTER – I’m as big a Cody Fajardo fan as the next guy but for the second straight game, he almost cost his team a win with a fourth quarter interception and while he did throw a clutch TD pass to Duke Williams late to seal it, he also was let off the hook earlier in that drive by bad officiating as he threw another interception on a play that was ruled pass interference even though the replay shows it was a very generous call.  His 130 yards passing would have surely resulted in another loss had it not been for his rejuvenated running game that resulted in two majors. This is how he needs to play going forward. 

2 – FANS NOT CONFIDENT – Despite the Rider win, I don’t get a sense there is a lot of confidence from the fans in the team’s ability to come out of these next four games (two against BC, two against Winnipeg) with a five hundred record. Stranger things have happened but the Lions and Bombers are the two best teams in the league and it’s not even close for third and the Riders aren’t third anyway. In order for Saskatchewan to earn, at least, a split in these next four games they’ll need better play from the quarterback (possible), heavier reliance on Jamal Morrow’s run game (I’m skeptical), the receivers (doubtful), the offensive line (no chance), and improved discipline (I’m laughing).

3 – REASONS FOR DECISIONS – The financial reports coming out of various CFL front offices indicate the situation isn’t nearly as bad as one would think with fewer games, make goods to fans for the canceled season, and diminished crowds … however you have to wonder if the league isn’t, subtly, positioning itself in a favorable light in the event of needing a federal government bailout. Still requiring media to wear masks inside and stadiums going cashless are two things the Trudeau/Singh Liberals would look favorably upon and both are being done in various locations. These things won’t endear teams to attract more fans but I’m convinced more than ever they don’t want more anyway. Especially this move towards cashless sports events.  It’s a test run to see if society goes for it or not.

4 – TATIS DRUGS – San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis, who has missed most of the season because of injury, has now been suspended 80 games for performance enhancing drug violations. Tatis claims to have a skin disorder and took the wrong drug by accident. Uh huh. Just goes to show you can be as talented an athlete that the world has ever seen but that doesn’t give you a brain. I’d have more respect for the guy if he simply owned it and came clean. But, this is 2022 and taking personal responsibility isn’t really a thing.

5 – WORLD JUNIORS – The World Junior Hockey Championships in Edmonton are an epic failure as far as attendance goes although, as you would expect, the numbers are improving the deeper into the event we go. There is a shopping list of excuses as to why people aren’t coming out but I’m hoping the single biggest reason is ticket price. At $180 a hit to watch major junior hockey, it seems like it’s overpriced by about 5 times over. I did a quick Google search of how much Regina Pats tickets are this season, but that wasn’t easily uncovered. I’m going to suggest tickets for the World Juniors should not exceed $40 a head. Remember, most of the teams Canada plays aren’t as good as a typical WHL team anyway and since Russia isn’t allowed to be there, the overall product on the ice is that much worse.  

6 – SPORTS TICKETS – My hope with sports tickets in Canada, generally, is that we are seeing a little bit of a market correction. It’s more expensive to see the Roughriders today than it was even a couple of years ago and the Winnipeg Jets are also constantly raising ticket prices despite putting an inferior product on the ice at the same rate at which the prices go up. Some fans are on to this. Look at it from an entertainment perspective. Do you want to go see your favorite musician’s tribute band and pay the same price as if it was the actual musician himself/themselves? Nobody does that, so why pay MORE money for a sports team that isn’t as good as they were three years ago?  

7 – RUSH PENNEY – The National Lacrosse League free agent season opened up on Monday but the Rush jumped the queue by re-upping on goaltender Eric Penney for two seasons. Penney was inconsistent after being acquired from Philadelphia midseason, but he did have some stellar performances and his overall numbers ran middle of the pack league wide so the team could do much worse. Prospect Cam Dunkerley could factor in as his backup and so could local product Laine Hruska. Adam Shute began last year as the starter and he’s been given a qualifying offer by the Rush. Two free agents on defense that would be big losses if they choose to go elsewhere are Chris Corbeil and Kyle Rubisch, but the Rush have done a pretty good job at bringing along younger players. I think they need to make a splash with one or two scorers as Jeff Shattler is retiring and they failed to adequately replace Ben McIntosh, who was moved last offseason.

8 – NCAA CANADA – Simon Fraser’s football team has moved all but one home game to Blaine, Washington this season because of our crazy country’s Covid rules. Simon Fraser is the lone Canadian school that competes in the NCAA so it’s problematic for unvaccinated students to come here. A non-conference game against Montana State-Northern was canceled and one game against Central Washington for September 17 will be played on campus but the rest of the team’s home games are headed to Blaine. Athletic Director Theresa Hanson has no real interest in pushing for her students and lives in an alternative universe than the rest of the planet based on her quote. “We are all looking forward to a time when the impact of the global pandemic will be behind us.”  In Canada, that time is WAY forward.

9 – NHL VACCINES – The NHL likes playing woke games too. They’ve passed a new policy that says teams can suspend unvaccinated players unable to participate in club activities. Of course, this policy completely ignores new guidance from the CDC that says vaccinated and unvaccinated people should be treated equally when it comes to covid infections. I mean when discrimination is this fun and you can get away with it much to the delight of the majority of the people, why not just continue with it? I wonder where the union is in all of this, but we live in crazy times and things that should be grieved aren’t, and things that shouldn’t are.

10 – TERRIERS EXODUS – The Yorkton Terriers have taken a couple of hits to their season and Rookie Camp hasn’t even started. Goalie Kael DePape and defenseman Parker Jasper are headed for the Junior ‘A’ ranks in the US in the hopes of further developing as players and eventually moving on to the NCAA. This is where I have a philosophical difference of opinion with a lot of my SJHL coach friends who are focused on scholarships. If I was a Director of Player Development, I’d try to have strong relationships with the WHL and be a bit of an older team. If I could carry 1-2 players that a WHL club wants to watch for a year, I’d definitely do that but in return I would want help securing the services of veteran players who end up playing Junior A when their major junior options expire. Easier said than done and I don’t envy the job of an SJHL coach tasked with putting a competitive team on the ice knowing these types of curve balls often come at the worst of times.

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