THROWIN’ ELBOWS WITH BRENDAN MCGUIRE

1. RIDERS COVID CRISIS: A 7.5-million-dollar loss covering a season wiped out from the coronavirus, as revealed in last week’s Annual General Meeting. Hardly a surprise and actually not nearly as bad as the 10-million-dollar estimate being kicked around last fall. The Riders have spent as much as 50% more than other CFL teams since moving into the new park on things like high-priced coaches, gameday experience and lots of donations to other non-profits, too. That’s what a community-owned team is supposed to do. We’ve heard a lot of criticism for how the Riders overspend, but you won’t hear it from me.

2. LaBATTE TAKES ANOTHER YEAR OFF: Hard to imagine a 35-year-old lineman returning in 2022 after playing only a half dozen games over three seasons. I don’t blame anyone for opting out in the current environment but it sounds like Brendon LaBatte isn’t all that passionate about playing for the Riders anymore. That could change once he starts watching games from his living room but one would think he already had time to do plenty of that in 2019. I would bet against ever seeing seeing him play again.

3. PAXTON LYNCH SIGNS WITH RIDERS: The younger me would have salivated all over an ex-NFL can’t miss quarterback coming to Regina. The approaching middle-age Brendan is yawning over this. Forgive my negative attitude but I’ve been burned by this act before. Does anyone remember the name Vince Young? At best, Paxton Lynch will likely end up a serviceable backup. At worst, another Vince Young.

4. BIGGEST CFL RETIREMENT SO FAR: Ottawa Redblacks receiver/emergency quarterback, Brad Sinopoli. Guy brought a real IT factor to three down ball in our nation’s capital and I’m struggling to see how they will re-build on the fly, even with offensive genius and all-around good guy Paul LaPolice at the controls, without Sinopoli.

5. SINGLE GAME SPORTS BETTING BILL: As Jamie Nye on CJME radio very apty pointed out last week, many American states have already taken this measure to allow for single-game sports betting to try and recoup tax revenues lost to off-shore gambling sites. And most of these states, to date, have failed to do so. This legislation won’t bring peanuts to the CFL until they either ban online access to these offshore sites or partner with the U.S. government and some giant conglomerate to create a superior product. I’m not holding my breath on either scenario happening and neither should you. Saskatoon MP Kevin Waugh views this as a historic “game-changer” for Canadian sport. Although I like Kevin Waugh very much and enjoyed our visits at the 2006 Vanier Cup and value his contribution to my Saskatchewan NHL Blues radio documentary, I worry he is over-selling this and creating false expectations.

6. RE-DOING OTTAWA FOOTBALL STADIUM, AGAIN: I promise not to make this week’s column too Ottawa-centric, if I haven’t already. But a story out of that city about calls to demolish the north-side stands of Lansdowne Park caught my eye. Apparently, there’s mold and other problems with the 54-year-old Civic Centre hockey arena down below. It seems like they just re-built that park and now they want to tear half of it down? Get on with it, I say. Those new seats can be re-installed easily and mold isn’t something to mess around with. Just when it seemed like football was finally strong again in Ottawa!  

7. STANLEY CUP FINALS: Here’s the deal: Tampa can have this championship series so long as Montreal gets to turn the Tampa Bay Rays into the Montreal Expos by 2028 when the Rays lease at the Trop expires. Seems like a fair trade-off to me.

8. AMERICAN HOCKEY COMMENTATORS ON CANADA’S COVID RULES: I heard more than one big-mouth beaking off about Canada’s public health measures being overkill and how it would prevent the Montreal Canadiens from beating the Vegas Golden Knights in the conference final because Vegas got a home-ice crowd while the Habs did not. Excuse us for living in a country that values public health over winning some meaningless trophy. Of course, it was all poppycock and Montreal prevailed.   

9. SEDIN TWINS ADVISING CANUCKS GM: This means absolutely nothing but a great press release for an ownership group in the doghouse with its fanbase. I expect Daniel and Henrik to have as much involvement in the decision-making of the Canuck front office as Wayne Gretzky had for the last few years with the Oiler front office: Not very much at all.

10. WEEKLY YOUTUBE PICK: Some of the very first Montreal Expo on TSN broadcasts with Tommy Hutton and Ken Singleton from 1985. A glimpse back to when baseball was right. Games last under 3 hours and there’s actual bunting and strategy going on. A good baseball fix in a summer the Blue Jays just aren’t doing it for me.

(Follow Brendan on Twitter at @brendanhowardmc)