THE RETURN OF … SCRUFFY’S THIS ‘N THAT

1. WHERE YA BEEN?  So one minute, I’m drinking my morning coffee watching CTV Morning Live and the next minute I get an unexpected text from RP asking if I want to revive my “This ‘N That” column. After asking if he is that desperate for content and getting an answer, I said why not.

As a lot of you in the 306 know, I did that column for quite a few years before putting it into hibernation in the summer of 2020 when I basically ended my blog.   While many follow me on Twitter or X or whatever the h-e-double hockeysticks its called at @mblairyqr, they have gotten my opinions but we will go back to putting those in a longer-form so let’s go.  As for what I’m doing now, semi-retired would be the best way to put it as I’m enjoying life, but still seeking an opportunity if interested.  A lot of you know the backstory as to why I don’t make a daily commute into downtown Regina anymore so I won’t rehash that.  Let’s just say that a few weeks ago I ran into a former co-worker who just looked at me and said “You got done dirty by a few people!” No kidding.  Oh well. All that happened was it elevated my departure as my plan was to leave after Grey Cup. One can only take so much ya know.

2. GOOD OR BAD?  Where are we on the Saskatchewan Roughriders? With or without Trevor Harris, they are about where I thought they would be as we approach the midway point of the season.  As I said before the season started, I wasn’t sold on Harris as the veteran quarterback hasn’t gotten to the promised land as others have and while he does have a Grey Cup ring, that is thanks to what Henry Burris did in 2016. They are 4-4 with the backup quarterback in there and while I am still not a Mason Fine believer, this is a team that as Fine grows should be able to finish third in the West. I’m not going any further than that, but if they get there, it will be an improvement from a horrific 2022. Will it be enough to save the jobs of Craig Dickenson, Jeremy O’Day and Craig Reynolds? I have never had a problem with all three and they have treated me fairly, but all three do have to take blame for what we have seen on and off the field for a while.  At this time, there are arguments for and against. Debate can heat up again after the Grey Cup is presented, but until then just buckle up and get ready for the second half.  Get some snacks and beverages before buckling in though.

Meanwhile, there was more proof this week that you can’t please an entire fan base. During an outing earlier this week, I had conversations with two Rider fans. The conversation centred around the quarterback (surprise surprise) and should the team inquire about the services of former CFL quarterback Chris Streveler who was recently released by the New York Jets? One said it has to happen while a few minutes later, the other said Jeremy O’Day can’t be stupid enough to bring him in. You can’t please everyone folks. FWIW: I think the CFL has seen the last of the Strevolution and if he should come back, it will be with Winnipeg.

3. CODY’S REVENGE?  You can’t tell me Cody Fajardo hasn’t been waiting for Friday night since signing with the Montreal Alouettes.  Fajardo, who went from darling to villain during his time in Saskatchewan, gets his first and only shot this season against the Riders. However, at the time of writing this he is said to be a game-day decision due to injury. The Alouettes are a team that I have a tough time getting a good read on.  They are finding a way to get it done and I am guessing Fajardo and Jason Maas will be waiting to welcome their former team to Montreal. They are favoured at the time I write this by 4.5. That’s a good number and while I don’t know if Saskatchewan comes out with a victory, I think they can cover in a game that should be low-scoring and tight. It wouldn’t surprise me to see them win outright, but the defence will have to be on top of their game again as they were against Ottawa. It’s a shame that both Fajardo and Maas can’t come out of the visiting tunnel to get a leather-lunged greeting from Rider Nation, but blame the stupid CFL schedule for that. It’s so dumb that each team doesn’t play in each city, but hey the CFL has never done anything dumb before right?

4. OFF TO WILLIAMSPORT:  Congratulations to the North Regina Little League. On Thursday afternoon, they defeated Little Mountain BC 4-3 to win the Canadian Little League Championships. It is the first time in 20-some years that a Regina team will wear the Canadian jersey in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. This team lost their three games of the tournament, but they got on a roll to get into the semis where they had a walkoff win over Quebec leading to the victory in the final game. Good luck in Williamsport kids! While that tournament ends in Regina, another big event is just getting underway as the best 17 and under players in Canada are competing at the Canada Cup. There were a lot of scouts watching the proceedings the last time this event was held a few years ago in Regina and with more and more Canadians making an impact in baseball, I am expecting to see a few more.

5. 35 YEARS ALREADY?  My views on professional sports changed 35 years ago. It was on August 9, 1988 that the Edmonton Oilers announced they had traded Wayne Gretzky to the LA Kings. When the news first broke, I couldn’t believe it. How could the greatest hockey player in the world be traded? It showed me that sports is indeed a business and that anything can happen. Looking back at it now, I wonder where the NHL would be had that move not been made. The trade made the NHL relevant in California and the US and we see what has happened today. I am guessing if that trade isn’t made, the Stanley Cup certainly wouldn’t be residing in Vegas and the Knights certainly would not have played Florida in the final this year. Other teams likely wouldn’t be around either and the US national teams wouldn’t be as advanced. As an Oilers fan, that day was a hard one to take, but in the end, I think it worked out alright.

6. BRING ON THE NFL!  I know this won’t be popular with some but bring on the NFL! Yeah, my TV has gone back to the NFL Network this week for programming as another season is right around the corner.  Soon, it will be time to get into fantasy football, Sunday Ticket and hoping that a couple of parlays or prop bets can work out. That’s not a slight against the CFL as I love both the three and four down game, but I enjoy my Sundays a lot more when it is wall-to-wall football. There are so many good teams that have a legitimate shot at taking home the Vince especially in the AFC where Aaron Rodgers joins a conference that already has Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert and Trevor Lawrence. The NFC might not have the marquee names at the game’s top position, but there are some very good teams and with Rodgers departing Green Bay it should mean the Lions, Vikings and Bears all have legitimate arguments to being a division winner.  I’m not sure why but I have the feeling Chicago quarterback Justin Fields is going to take a huge step this season. While they had a great ending to last season, the Lions are still the Lions right?

7. WHAT IS FRENCH FOR DUMB?  The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is banning fighting for the upcoming season. I certainly hope the Western Hockey League isn’t considering doing something similar.  Say what you will about fighting in the game, but fisticuffs can play a role in policing what happens on the ice.  Yes, there is no need to drop the gloves against someone who has just delivered a clean hit as what has become the norm in hockey, but if you do this, you are going to increase the stick-work. Kids are going to get two-handed slashes, kids are going to get cross-checked between the shoulder blades, etc etc. Major junior is supposed to get you ready for the pros.  This is not the way to do so.

8. TAYLOR IN TORONTO:  Like it or not, Taylor Swift is the hottest thing on the planet right now as her Eras Tour has had sell-out after sell-out after sell-out across the US. The crying and whining going on this country amongst people with this tour and their desire to see Taylor has gotten to be a little too much. First, Canadians were upset that they had been left out with no Canadian stops being announced. Then after it was announced she would perform six shows in Toronto, many whined and moaned that she should be stopping in other places. I laughed hard at what I think was a CTV Vancouver piece when they asked “Swifties” about her not coming to Vancouver and them voicing their anger. Did these people forget she performed a number of shows in Seattle? Now that she is performing in Toronto, people are whining and moaning that they can’t get tickets. JUST STOP IT!  The level of whining and moaning is a distinct problem in our society today. It is just one complaint after another and it is ridiculous. Many from here went to Seattle, Minneapolis, Vegas and Arizona to watch Swift perform. They found a way. Most of the people complaining probably can’t afford a ticket or is that the next complaint? Enough already, you are only making yourself look bad with your pettiness.

9. CEBL TO REGINA:  The Canadian Elite Basketball League is becoming bigger and bigger in this country. Former CFL’er Mike Morreale has done a great job in building this league up. While Saskatchewan has a team in the Rattlers, someone needs to investigate what it might take to put a team in Regina. A basketball rivalry between Saskatchewan’s two big cities would be great. We have the Thunder-Hilltops, we have the U of R-U of S, the Pats and Blades and soon the Red Sox and the Berries (terrible but oh so predictable name, but great logo) will battle it out on the diamond. Let’s add to that by getting the Rattlers playing a Regina team. Games could be played at the Brandt Centre, the Co-Operators Centre or the CKHS.  This needs to happen and yes, it is a team that I think would be well-supported in the capital city and the great basketball community that we have.

10. BOO BALTIMORE:  The Baltimore Orioles have been one of the many great stories in MLB this year, but they look real bad with the Kevin Brown situation. I just want to make sure I have this right. Brown basically read a portion of what the Orioles had in their game-notes and recited what was on a board that came across the screen. He was stating fact and that fact was something that irked team management so he was suspended. That makes zero sense.

Hey, I understand teams wanting to protect themselves by having their people speak of their organization in a positive light but this is a huge swing and a miss by the Orioles. I wrote articles for the Riders for several years and those articles were all positive, but when I accepted the job, I asked what I do if the team put out a horrible effort and got clobbered. The response was “You can’t sugarcoat a massive pile of s**t, but you can put some sprinkles on it to make it look better.” Whether it be public pressure or not, Brown will be back in the booth this weekend, but if I were him I would be looking for employment elsewhere next season because I would want nothing to do with the team after this.  If that happens, good luck in Baltimore finding someone of quality to replace him because you would know what toxicity you are walking into.

That’s all I got.  Have a great weekend!