THROWIN’ ELBOWS WITH BRENDAN MCGUIRE

1. PAXTON LYNCH AWKWARD FIT FOR 3^RD STRING JOB: The once upon a time Denver Bronco savior-in-waiting is now in a dogfight for the backup quarterback spot behind Cody Fajardo in Rider camp. If the 27-year-old Lynch loses out to the 25-year-old incumbent, Isaac Harker, how on earth would the former NFL first round draft pick stay interested enough to keep on grinding it out in Regina? Better yet, how could a player of that age not yet good enough to be even the backup interest the Roughrider front office in keeping Lynch around for such a long-term project? I’ll explain. The reported $5 million dollar signing bonus Lynch got from the NFL to start his career should have afforded him the long-term security to pursue whatever passions he chooses, rather than get a real job like the rest of us working stiffs. Even if it takes an extra year or two for him to really catch on to a meaningful role in Regina, he just might stick with it. And if the Riders see any upside with Paxton Lynch at all, there’s a pretty good chance they take an openminded approach and use that roster spot to try and strike lightning in a bottle over the next year or two.  

2. PRESEASON GAMES NOT GOING ANYWHERE: Fans hate preseason games and I’ve even heard some suggest that the absence of preseason games in 2021 will be the final nail in the coffin for such pretend matches. Wrong! These teams will want, at the very least, controlled scrimmages against other teams. The problem with that is that scrimmages don’t generate any ticket sales. Preseason games, despite their imperfections, do. Like em or not—and most of us don’t—preseason games aren’t going away anytime soon. 

3. ARGOS TO XFL: If the Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment brass truly believe that Toronto sports fans will get more excited to compete in some tier 2 league rather than he CFL, then they don’t know Toronto. The biggest issue facing the Argos is the fact the Canadian Football League is not considered big league next to the NFL. Jumping to the XFL, or any other low rent brand of American football, isn’t going to solve that one, either. The Argos leadership—and I use that term loosely with their off-field management team—should focus more of its efforts to connecting with new Canadians then any of this XFL rubbish.

4. ARGOS NEED HOUSING: Sounds ridiculous but it’s true. Housing in the GTA is really tough to come by these days, especially if you can’t/won’t sign a one-year lease. It’s a great opportunity for the boatmen to start its own billet program with its diehard fans. The players save a few bucks and the fans get to know their heroes. Sounds like a win-win.

5. DENNIS WANTING OUT OF EDMONTON: Derek Dennis seems to be the Luc Robitaille of the CFL. Lucky Luc was great with the Los Angeles Kings and a big disappointment everywhere else he went, aside from a Stanley Cup winning 30-goal season with Detroit. Robitaille was meant to be an LA King. Plain and simple. The same could be said for Derek Dennis and the Calgary Stampeders. The offensive lineman was great in Cowtown before signing the big contract to come to Saskatchewan. He was a bust. Then he returns to Calgary only to make the all-star team and win a Grey Cup with the Stampeders. Now he wants out of Edmonton a mere 6 months after signing with the Elks. Good O-linemen are in heavy demand these days. If I was Elks GM Brock Sunderland, I’d play hardball with Stamps GM John Hufnagel in working out a trade.  

6. THIS WEEK I’M JEALOUS OF: CTV weather extraordinaire, Bradlyn Oakes. Already doing commercials in under a year of doing Regina media stuff. I’ve been doing Regina media stuff off and on since 2006 and no sniff of an endorsement. What gives?

7. JAYS RETURN TO CANADA: Proud to live in a country that prioritizes our health over big league sports. Equally proud to live in a country that recognizes we need big league baseball to recover our own sanity. Well, some of us, anyway.

8. FLOURIDE IN DRINKING WATER: Every dentist or dental hygienist I’ve ever chatted with tells me this NEEDS to happen. Don’t buy into the propaganda about it mass medicating the public. It’s all fake news. Flouride in the drinking water will save people’s teeth. Especially children living in impoverished conditions. I’m very passionate about this.  

9. CHEERS REUNION: Did you know the entire cast, other than COACH who died early on in the show’s run, is still alive today? I smell a reunion coming on. Couldn’t be any worse than the FRIENDS one they did.

10. CHECK OUT THIS PODCAST: The 3 DOWN NATION PODCAST has the entire league covered. Justin Dunk and John Hodge go coast to coast with all. The insider talk is the best part.

(Follow Brendan on Twitter at @brendanhowardmc)