STACKHOUSE’S 10 THOUGHTS
1 – DUB DROUGHT: The Prince Albert Raiders were sent home winless from the Memorial Cup last week, hardly a surprise when you consider the recent track record of WHL teams at this event. Some are suggesting it’s just a league wide slump, but maybe there is a bit more at play. The WHL (players from Saskatchewan, in particular) has been forever known as the roughest and most physical of the three major junior leagues. With rule changes geared towards eliminating a lot of that, I think what you are seeing is the WHL has become the new QMJHL. The Q used to be known for all offense and not a lot of anything else and then when they met up with the OHL and the WHL, the championship teams struggled. I think what’s happened in recent years is the WHL has lots its advantage because the game just isn’t played the same way anymore. It’s just a theory, there’s no concrete evidence to back it up and I’m not sure how you would gather any.
2 – S.J. COMPARISON: The SJHL has experienced similar results, in recent years, when playing against champions from other leagues. The reputation in Junior ‘A’ circles was that the SJHL was rough and the defensemen were just too big and strong for skilled forwards to navigate their way around. With the game moving towards speed and with intimidation getting removed, the SJHL (I feel) is in a bit of a transition phase when it comes to building and constructing rosters.
3 – HIGH SCHOOLS: One of the best kept sports secrets in Saskatchewan is high school sports. I’ve spent the last four years watching my son play basketball and football and I’ve found the entertainment level to be on par with junior hockey, it’s just different sports. For a couple of years I figured it was just because I had invested interest in high school sports, but I soon discovered I was watching tournaments and games my son wasn’t even involved in. If you are a lover of local sports, don’t be shy about finding a football field or a school gym and seeing some of the things you are missing. As an example, I was looking over past winners of the MVP from the Senior Bowl and noticed the names of Neal Hughes and Kennedy Nkeyasen.
4 – RAPTORS MANIA: I don’t know if the Toronto Raptors are going to beat the Golden State Warriors or not; but there is no denying historical sports moments have been made for their fans. Whether it was Kawhi Leonard’s buzzer beater in game seven against Philadelphia or his breathtaking dunk in game four or whether it was the comeback from being twelve points down late in the third quarter of game six. There are also, possibly, some other moments I’ve missed.
5 – PREDICTION: I’m inclined to pick Golden State in a sweep for the NBA Finals, but there is a part of me saying the Raptors have really turned the corner as far as facing adversity and overcoming it. Regardless, I think these are Leonard’s final games as a Raptor no matter what. Enjoy them.
6 – FALL CLASSIC: For me, the best and worst moments come courtesy of the Boston Red Sox. As an 11-year-old boy staying up past his bed time, I was horrified watching Bill Buckner (who passed away this week after a battle with dementia at the age of 69) have a slow roller get by him at first, sending the New York Mets to a game six victory in the 1986 World Series. The Mets would also win game seven and extend the Curse Of The Bambino until 2004, which was when my favorite memories were made. The Yankees had a 3-0 series lead in the ALCS when Boston stormed back to win four in a row. I still recall Joe Buck’s two great calls in a couple of those games. Game Five, 14th inning, “Damon running to the plate and he can keep on running to New York. Game six tomorrow night.” There was also a 12th inning homer by David Ortiz that ended a marathon affair that sparked Buck to end the game by saying “Ortiz into deep right field, back is Sheffield, we will see you later tonight.” Likely no surprise that as a play by play enthusiast, I remember the calls as much as I remember the plays.
7 – SOFT MAJOR LEAGUERS?: Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Aaron Sanchez left yet another start after three innings with a fingernail issue. I just don’t get what’s wrong with these guys. It’s the single biggest position in sports where guys get hurt. If you can’t throw a pitch without ripping off your finger nail, then don’t throw it. Tampa’s stupidity with pitchers hit a new level this week when Yonny Chirinos was pulled from his no hit bid after five innings and 69 pitches, presumably prolonging his career.
8 – RIDER CAMP: I never pay much attention to training camps and preseason games, but I’m seeing the name Cody Fajardo’s name a fair bit and I wonder how long it will take before he becomes the de facto favorite player of Saskatchewan Roughrider fans. If he does, he’d join a long list that includes the likes of Rocky Butler, Tino Sunseri, and Drew Tate as being everyone’s Prodigal Son.
9 – ROAD CONSTRUCTION: I’ve heard many complaints about the road construction and I experienced some of it while traveling around Regina this weekend. There were two or three different stop points on the highway from Yorkton and then there were several other areas within the city getting a makeover as well. I get that we are all in a hurry, but I’m happy to see the work getting done and it’s worth slowing me down in order to have smoother streets and roads to drive on.
10 – POLITICS: Imagine the outrage if Andrew Scheer was Prime Minister and he decided Ezra Levant should sit on a panel to determine who is and who isn’t a credible news outlet in this country. That’s exactly what Justin Trudeau did last week when he named Unifor to a panel that will oversee who’s worthy of a $600-million handout from government. Unifor has taken out ads proclaiming to be Scheer’s worst nightmare, but no worries on their objectivity.
