The Monday Morning Goalie For SUDS
TRUTH & RUMOURS FOR SUDS CAR WASH
1 – DOWN WEEK III: All is not lost, but try telling that to a Rider fan. The Saskatchewan Roughriders dropped a 37-31 decision to the rival Calgary Stampeders Friday at Mosaic Stadium for their third straight loss. And how monumental it was, as the Riders (8-7) remain third in the CFL West but have now lost the season series to both BC and Calgary. The good news for the Green Guys is that their three final games include a back-to-back with Montreal – who clinched first in the East on Saturday – and then against Edmonton in Game 18 which also likely won’t mean anything. If you look at Sask’s track record under head coach Corey Mace, they always go through a Fall swoon but right the ship in time for playoffs. He knows how to prep his team on and off the field, although as one Rider insider told me this weekend, Mace is feeling the heat for really the first time of his tenure. As for Calgary, for years under head coach Dave Dickenson, they don’t turn it on till the final third of the regular season and here’s more evidence of that. The most exciting football is yet to come!
2 – THE REST: In other Week 18 CFL games, Ottawa dropped to 0-15 with a 34-16 home loss to Hamilton on Friday. I don’t believe the RedBlacks will win a game but believe it or not, there is reason for optimism. They should have some good news to announce around Grey Cup time, from what I’m hearing. … On Saturday, the BC Lions remained the hottest CFL team since Week 8. They’ve gone 8-1 since, including a 24-17 victory at Toronto which went right down to the wire. Argo QB Chad Kelly was out due to injury, but was backup Nick Arbuckle’s biggest cheerleader on the sidelines. Great game IMO, and the Argos will be heard from again this season. … In the week finale, I’m not even an Alouettes fan but their 80th season celebrations got me right in the feels this week, as a long-time CFL lover. The Als had a gala and Hot Stove earlier in the week in Montreal, and seeing the greats from Larry Smith to Ben Cahoon to Jim Popp & Marc Trestman warmed the heart. Then they went out and beat the brakes off the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 37-10 on Saturday to clinch first place in the CFL East with three games to go. … As for the Bombers, the window is closed and they’re going to finish last. Sorry to say, but I predicted they would. Most troubling? The fact that Dru Brown isn’t showing that he’s the Next One to replace the injured Zach Collaros as early as next year. The question now is: how quick will the rebuild take?
3 – CFL MEDIA: Some of us sit back and calculate where this is going. Football coverage in Vancouver and Toronto is at an all-time low, yet attendance is up. The game in Montreal Saturday night was soldout. The media in Winnipeg has been gashed yet the Bombers lead the CFL in attendance. Saskatchewan coverage isn’t nearly what it used to be, however attendance is strong there. The point is, the fans are getting their coverage somewhere. For instance, you’re here! … We don’t see TV ratings numbers like we used to, but I’m guessing they’re strong, reflecting the attendance, and they both habitually mushroom in the Fall. Rogers thumbed their nose at the CFL ages ago, so that’s not new and Bell Media (TSN) is holding strong with CFL coverage. And I’ll admit, RP Show numbers have quintupled over the summer for a variety of reasons but I’ll put our CFL coverage at the top of the list. … To sum it all up, CFL coverage isn’t dying, it’s just evolving! And like anything in history, the strongest will survive. … Mull this over: I believe Chris Streveler had a huuuuuuge influence in urging Edmonton fans to buy tickets to a home game earlier this season, giving the Elks their highest attendance in a decade. Strevy’s covering the CFL from Arizona, while moonlighting with NFL duties, and appearing on NBC Phoenix. We’re in a different era now people, and it’s damn fun.
4 – WEEK 19: Gobble, gobble! We’re headed towards a tremendous Fall weekend of CFL football. There’s a doubleheader on Friday featuring Edmonton (11-4) at Hamilton (5-11) followed by Ottawa (0-15) at BC (9-6). EVERYBODY’S gonna have to tune in see if the RedBlacks get their first win, and you can bet the Lions don’t wanna be the first/only team to give it to them. … On Saturday, Calgary (8-8) is at Winnipeg (7-8) in a game which is the Blue Bombers’ Grey Cup, basically. … On Thanksgiving Monday, the Saskatchewan Roughriders (8-7) visit Montreal (12-3) and those of us in the U.S. will get to enjoy it on CBS Sports Network! It’s a real big one for the Green & White.
5 – NFL WEEK 4: From a sheer down-to-the-last-minute, highlight reel perspective, Sunday’s 29-26 Patriots victory at the Bills was the Game of the Day. But there were a lot of other dandies. … Las Vegas lost 30-27 at home to Kansas City in the Clash of the Unbeatens but there is a ton of reason for optimism. Plus, they got jobbed on the last minute fumble call (I thought the ball carrier’s forward progress was stopped before the ball was punched out). The Raiders will be heard from in the end! … Minnesota is the quietest 4-0 team in history. … Dallas won the Battle of Texas, 34-30 at the Texans and that’ll appease the locals for awhile. … Kudos to The Sports Doctor Dave Petrishen of Winnipeg for leading our NFL Pick ‘Em Pool presented by PumpJacks Steakhouse & Saloon for the past two weeks! CFL On TSN lead playcaller Rod Smith is in the Top 10.
6 – COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 5: Not gonna lie, it helps to have a reason to watch. Ty Benefield was used sparingly in LSU’s 63-14 laugher over McNeese St. on Saturday. That comes a week after he lead the Tigers in tackles in their big win over Texas A&M last week Reading an article on the #1 CFL Draft prospect this morning, Ty credits his father Daved – a CFL legend – for raising him with a “sense of urgency” on the football field. I’ve got a Texas-Miami national championhip prediction, but wouldn’t hate if LSU got to the Natty. … Daved Benefield should be in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. … Speaking of the Longhorns, they were off this week. … Miami went to 5-0 with a 41-13 rout of Clemson. … We keep tabs on UNLV because the RP Show airs in Las Vegas on Silver State Sports. The Rebels went to 3-2 with a 39-31 win over California.
7 – NHL: Condolences to the family, friends & fans of Lyle Odelein, who passed away on Friday at age 58 from a reported heart attack. I never met Lyle and he was a Warrior, unlike his brother Selmar who was a Pat, but everybody who knew Lyle loved him. The outpouring of grief from the hockey community over the weekend certainly proved that. Lyle certainly left his mark on the game. … The puck dropped on the brand new NHL season on Tuesday and the action has been fast and furious. The Oilers are already 2-0-1 after a home-and-home split with Vancouver and a Saturday home win over Seattle. Talk about must-see TV with Babs there! As Mike will tell you, they’ve earned a point in each game. … Sergei Bobrovksy is 0-2 in Toronto and underfire. The Leafs are gonna miss the playoffs folks, and they’re gonna blame Bob. You watch. … The Florida Panthers placed captain Aleksander Barkov on LTIR after being injured Thursday in San Jose. The rumor going around is that he’ll miss 6-8 weeks. Could be worse. … The Jets are at Detroit on Sunday. That should be an easy first dub. Who among us isn’t pulling for Stuart Skinner? … The Flames are 0-3 and have been outscored 16-3. What’s their over/under on wins? 20? … Watch out for Anaheim. They went into the Fortress on Friday and beat the Golden Knights 4-3. … Welcome The Tap & Aspen Links Clubhouse & Rec Room as our presenting sponsor for daily NHL picks on the RP Show and our digital channels. DISCLAIMER: Picks are for entertainment purposes only and not to be used as betting advice.
8 – DUB HUB: Obviously it caught my eye this week when the WHL and Brandon Wheat Kings trumpeted the story that the Wheaties are the first team in WHL history to fly for regular season games. INCORRECT! The 1995-96 Regina Pats flew to Vancouver and hopped a bus to make the west coast loop. I was on that jet, along with head coach Rich Preston and players such as Chad Mercier, Josh Holden, Boyd Kane, Curtis Tipler, etc. Please check your facts or at least ask around. If I recall – and remember it was 30 years ago – other teams gave the Pats heat for it and we never did it again. You can guess why. … Sportsnet’s Elliott Friedman reported way back in April on Hockey Night In Canada that this was coming. … Remember Hockey Night In Canada? … Speaking of, Kelly Hrudey will join us on the RP Show on Monday. … Four points separate first- and eighth-place in the WHL’s Eastern Conference so it’s wayyyyyy too early to start making any generalizations. However it’s startling to see Red Deer and Swift Current at the top, and Prince Albert near the bottom. … If they’re going to fly on the reg, I might consider making a comeback to the Dub!
9 – WE’RE THE MILLERS: Hearty kudos to Moose Jaw Miller Express first year skipper Michael Gonzalez of West New York, New Jersey for being named Western Canadian Baseball League Coach of the Year for 2026 this week! “Gonzo” guided the Millers to a franchise record 42 wins this season. … Congrats also to 6’5″ gunslinger Westin Walls of Terrell, Texas, who was named WCBL Pitcher of the Year as well. Westin set a league record for strikeouts this season. … Up next, I’m expecting to hear shortstop Thomas Soto will be named league MVP.
10 – RANDOM THOUGHTS: Heavy is the head that wears the crown. … Can we wait till after Hallowe’en to put the Christmas stuff out? … The best sailors adjust their sails to the direction of the wind. Life is the same. … Loved the movie PRIMETIME at Cinemark Theaters this week. It chronicles the life of reporter Chris Hansen of Dateline’s To Catch A Predator fame. Hard to believe that series only lasted three seasons. The movie tells you why. .. $15 for a movie isn’t bad these days. Of course they nail you at the concession. … If we don’t make mistakes, we’ll never learn anything. … A long-lost painting by Chicago artist Gertrude Abercrombie was auctioned for $1.35 million this week after being bought for $30 at a Michigan estate sale. “Alderman Merriam’s Shells,” painted by Abercrombie in 1951, became the most expensive of the artist’s works when Freeman’s Auctions sold it for $1.35 million. Experts determined the painting had been gifted to John Reynolds, a Kalamazoo, Mich., doctor, in exchange for a medical procedure way back in 1952. The painting remained with the family for about 75 years before being sold to a treasure hunter for $30 at his estate sale in Kalamazoo this summer. … AND HOW WAS YOUR WEEK?
Y’er welcome,
RP
