THE MONDAY MORNING GOALIE

For www.daytonahomes.ca

30 RANDOM THOUGHTS:

1 –  That was a lot of fun in the old ball park Saturday night!  A lot of fun.  So much so that yours truly lost his voice by halftime.  It’s still not back.  But we got through it and by the end the Saskatchewan Roughriders were celebrating a 35-14 victory over the BC Lions, clinching at least second-place in the CFL West in the process.  It was a true joy to be there.

2 – The Riders continue to outdo themselves in the area of their game-day production.  Frankly I have no idea who’s responsible for this, but it was great Saturday evening.  Showing the injured/inactive players on the big screen, rallying the crowd to go insane, was a ton of fun.  Hopefully they didn’t re-injure themselves with all that jumping around!  I liked the taped segments with the defensive line players encouraging the fans to get loud as well.  Loads of fun.  It was a party in there.

3 – For those complaining that they don’t like to be told when to cheer, it’s not about you.  It’s about creating a fun atmosphere, which they did.  I get where you’re coming from because I don’t need all the pomp and flare that goes with WHL and NHL games but it’s about attracting new fans.

4 – The only thing I didn’t like was playing “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” over the loud speakers at the game’s conclusion.  That was rubbing salt in the Lions’ wounds and don’t forget they likely will be back here again this season.

5 – We probably should be satisfied right now but human nature dictates we won’t be this week.  Today the Saskatchewan Roughriders are 11-5 and they’ll be at home in the West Division Semifinal, if not the Western Final.  My preseason prediction, or goal for this team, was an 11-7 record and second place.  However now they’ve got a real shot at 12 or 13 wins, and even first-place.  But everything needs to go their way now to get first.

6 – Most of the Rider players and management admitted achieving first-place was not their primary focus going into the weekend.  They were more focused on beating BC because, as you know, if you take care of the little things, the big things tend to take care of themselves.  Next up the Riders face the Stampeders in Calgary in Game #17 this Saturday and it’s a huge contest.  It’s a tad confusing but the Riders need to win their last two games and hope the Stamps lose their last two in order for Saskatchewan to take top spot.  Head coach Corey Chamblin said after the game Saturday that’s still the team’s goal.  Why wouldn’t it be?

7 – It’s still tough to believe the Stampeders won’t beat BC in Game #18 because the Lions have nothing to play for over their last two games.  They can finish no higher than third while the Stampeders will be charging hard for first.  Expect to be hosting the Western Semifinal with BC coming to town.

8 – My take on the road to the playoffs is this: it wouldn’t bother me then, to lose this Saturday in Calgary.  Why?  Because in 1989 the Roughriders were trounced 49-17 in Edmonton in the final game of the regular season which dropped their record to 9-9.  As defensive line coach Ron Cherkas said at the time, “This isn’t the game in Edmonton we need to win”.   He was right, as the Riders walked into Commonwealth Stadium in the Western Final and upset the heavily-favoured Eskimos 32-21 on the way to the Grey Cup.

9 – They say “Heavy is the head that wears the crown” and it’s tough being the leader sometimes.  The Stampeders can hear the Roughriders coming.  You know they do.

10 – A Darian Durant status update: the Riders filed their weekly injury report to the CFL on Sunday and there was no mention of a cracked/broken rib, as was reported on the TSN telecast.  Nor was there mention of a broken foot.  However the team told me on Sunday that he has experienced discomfort in his foot over the past while, after games, but it hasn’t kept him out of practice or game action.  Perhaps, after this week’s game in Calgary, he can get a week off to rest up for playoffs.  We’ll see what the coaching staff elects to do.

11 – Was TSN’s Farhan Lalji really wearing a pink Lions scarf on camera at Saturday’s game?  I didn’t see it but it was brought up on Sunday.

12 – It was Sunday, I believe, when I was watching Hamilton-Montreal when TSN panelist Paul Lapolice referred to Rider fans as drunks.  At least, according to Lapo, the 40,000 in Mosaic Stadium are.  Initially it startled me for sure.  Then I just shrugged my shoulders.  Saskatchewan does lead the nation in alcoholism.  Whatevs.

13 – Rider President Jim Hopson reportedly said to CKRM’s Mitchell Blair after the BC game that it was “a million dollar win”, in reference to hosting a playoff game.  Jim would know a lot better than me, but with the additional seats plus concessions and merchandise sales, I’d be surprised if it doesn’t net the team much more than $1,000,000.

14 – Have to love the comment from Rider DT Zack Evans on CKRM’s postgame show right after Saturday’s game.  “This is great for the City of Regina!” the Regina product yelled to Michael Ball.

15 – Don’t know what’s gone on between running backs Kory Sheets and Jon Cornish of the Riders and Stamps respectively, other than a heated battle for the CFL rushing title.  Kory is 134 yards behind Cornish with two games to go and when I asked Sheets about facing Cornish next week at McMahon Stadium on CKRM’s postgame show, he responded “Who? Who?”  More fuel to a fire which will burn out of control by next weekend.

16 – There’s a photo of some of the fans the BC Lions brought on their charter flight from Vancouver.  I’m still chuckling over a comment from Canadian Press writer Nick Miliokas from Friday, when these folks strolled into Mosaic Stadium off the bus.  “Well,” Nick huffed.  “The Riders won’t have a problem beating these guys!”

Nick was unaware of the fan component.  Soon after the charter bus with the actual Lions players pulled up to the stadium.  But these fans seemed in awe of our facility, walking around like they were on holy soil and taking plenty of photos.  You’d think they had walked into Lambeau Field in Green Bay.  Sometimes we don’t give ourselves enough credit for what we have here.  What we have is SO SPECIAL!!

17 – Plenty of folks have talked about this idea of fans paying to charter with teams.  The Riders have done it in the past with contest winners and auction bidders.  Frankly, I’m not in favour of it.  It presents a ton of problems to be honest.  I’ve been travelling with sports teams for 20 years and my approach is the same today as it was on Day 1; get on the aircraft or bus, sit down, shut-up, and don’t speak unless spoken to.  If everyone abided by this, it wouldn’t be a problem but we’ve had occasions where fans have asked for photos with the players on flights and it becomes awkward.  After a win maybe but after a loss, NEVER!  Still the players obliged, because that’s the kind of players we have on this team.

It’s fine.  The fans just don’t know any better.  These trips are all business for the team while it’s a vacation for the fans.  Huge difference.  Everybody’s in “the zone” for the entire two or three day span of the trip and not much into visiting.

18 – Rider Hall of Famer Vic Stevenson was at a birthday party in south Regina which we attended Saturday night after the game.  We talked pretty much the entire night, for about four hours and it was fantastic.  He asked what the Riders’ dress code on road trips is and I said players and staff have to wear a suit and dress shirt to the game but should they win, they can wear whatever they want home.  “What is this, kindergarten?” Vic laughed.   I told him that I think it’s absolutely fantastic and whatever it takes to motivate these guys, I’m all for.

19 – Vic went on to say that when he played for Don Mathews with the Argos in the mid-90’s, there was no dress code on road trips.  “We look like we were going to Mexico, wearing sunglasses, sandals, t-shirts and shorts!” Vic recalled.  He said Don’s only team rule was to be at games three hours early and if you screwed up on the field, you were cut.  That’s about it.

20 – Spent Sunday morning with the Milo family from Montreal enjoying brunch.  Real … fantastic … people.

21 – It’s hard to believe but we’re still getting flak from fans across the CFL regarding the slogan “Canada’s Team”.  Some other teams aren’t particularly fond of it either.  Well, consider this — here’s a list of the Top 11 highest-attended games in the CFL so far in 2013:

44,910 – Winnipeg @ Saskatchewan (Sept. 1)
41,868 – Saskatchewan @ Edmonton (Aug. 24)
40,637 – Montreal @ Saskatchewan (Aug. 17)
39,373 – B.C. @ Saskatchewan (Sep. 22)
37,372 – Hamilton @ Saskatchewan (Jul. 21)
37,312 – Saskatchewan @ B.C. (Oct. 4)
36,703 – Toronto @ Saskatchewan (Sep. 14)
35,869 – Saskatchewan @ Edmonton (Jun. 29)
35,637 – Saskatchewan @ Calgary (Aug. 9)
35,579 – Edmonton @ Saskatchewan (Oct. 12)
35,296 – Calgary @ Saskatchewan (Jul. 5)

22 – Love the fact that long-time Calgary Stampeders play-by-play man Mark Stephen (18 seasons and counting) is being inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame media wing at Grey Cup in Regina this November.  However a similar recognition for Carm Carteri would be nice.  The former CFL All-Star linebacker has flawlessly provided colour analysis on Rider Radio broadcasts for the past 25 years.  What a perfect year to induct Carmelo.

23 – Rider GM Brendan Taman doesn’t think much of the rumour that the Alex Hall trade was a set-up to boost up the Grey Cup host franchise.  “Well it’s so bizarre, it’s like you’re in a comedy club or something,” Taman scorned.  “Do I even have to talk about this?  No, but it’s fine.  Every team had been talked to about Alex.  It’s not like Winnipeg and ourselves conspired to make this deal to help us win the Grey Cup.  And I’m sure Winnipeg would really want to do that for Saskatchewan because they basically hate us.  No, there was no skullduggery there.  It was just a lot of activity and discussions.  There were other teams involved in the discussion too but at the end of the day we got something worked out.  But it was no different than any other trade in the league.”

24 – Ticats coach/GM Kent Austin was in a surly mood after their 36-5 loss in Montreal on Sunday.  A reporter started off his postgame scrum by saying, “Thoughts on that loss coach?” to which Kent responded “If you want to ask a question, you can ask a question”.  Sometimes I don’t know what these guys want!  That’s the easiest, softball question you can ask somebody after a game.

25 – That track around the field at Commonwealth Stadium seems downright dangerous.  How long before somebody tears a hamstring, or worse, when his cleats go right out from under him?

26 – No other team in the WHL is hotter than the Regina Pats right now.  The Queen City Kids won their sixth-straight game Saturday in Moose Jaw by a 4-2 score.  Their recent success has propelled them to second in the East Division and fourth in the conference.  They host the P.A. Raiders on Wednesday.

27 – A huge congratulations to the Regina Thunder who won a PFC semifinal 26-17 over the Edmonton Huskies Sunday at Mosaic Stadium.  The Thunder will now visit the Saskatoon Hilltops for the PFC championship next Sunday.

28 – The U of R Rams will miss the Canada West playoffs in 2013.  They fell 46-27 in Calgary on Friday to drop their record to 2-5 and snuff out any playoff aspirations.  The Rams conclude their season Saturday at home to the Saskatchewan Huskies (4-3).

29 – My take from NFL Sunday: Cowboys won (17-3 vs Eagles), Bears lost (45-41 vs Redskins).  A 50/50 day.  A bigger concern for Chicago coach Marc Trestman however, is that quarterback Jay Cutler sustained a significant groin injury.

30 – Don’t miss Monday Night Football at the Press Box Sports Bar!  It’s the Minnesota Vikings at the New York Giants and you can enjoy the game with a full rib dinner for just $7.99.

THAT’S ALL! SEE YOU IN THE CAGE AT 4:00 PM MONDAY
RP
@sportscage