THROWIN’ ELBOWS WITH BRENDAN MCGUIRE

1. ROUGHRIDERS, NOT THE PROVINCE, SHOWS LEADERSHIP: Our Premier has done a fantastic job in managing this coronavirus crisis, but Scott Moe’s silence in the “Should there be mandatory proof of vaccinations to attend Rider games?” has been an embarrassment. If this was a football game, the provincial government would’ve played three great quarters, built up a three-touchdown lead, and then doused the coach with the Gatorade shower and walk off the field only to blow a 4th quarter lead in the dying minutes. This isn’t over, yet. And Health Minister Paul Merriman passing the buck by suggesting he hoped the Riders would implement such a policy is equally embarrassing. Creating a vaccine requirement for gatherings over 15 thousand people would not be a reach, given the current circumstances. The Rider organization had the guts and courage to make the right call on this polarizing issue, even when our own elected officials, didn’t.   

2. RIDERS SHOULD BE LABOUR DAY FAVORITES: The Saskatchewan Roughriders have a better winning percentage (barely) than the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, going into Sunday’s matchup. This scenario has played out and ended with a Rider loss on labour day weekend only twice (1997 and 2004) in the past 40 years. I like those odds for Saskatchewan. Pick the Riders for Sunday and what the heck, lean on them to cover the spread, too. By the way, does anyone ever notice we go to the ‘Labour Day Classic’ on a day that’s not really labour day? It’s one of those Saskatchewan things that makes us quaint. Kind of like our refusal to go with daylight savings time.  

3. CFL SHOULD REVAMP KICKOFF: Enough of this removing the kickoff or not having any big plays on it for safety reasons. I get that it needed to change in order to reduce/eliminate concussions but why isn’t both the CFL and the NFL doing more to revamp it in a way that is safe and can be exciting for the fans just like it was in the 80’s and 90’s? I realize Henry “Gizmo” Williams isn’t coming back anytime soon but that doesn’t mean the CFL couldn’t come up with its own new ideas or at the very least, copy the XFL’s brilliant idea of staggering where everyone lines up and restricting movement until the kick returner catches the ball. Just try something, already! The game misses exciting kickoff returns far too much.  

4. FOOTBALL AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE: While broadcasting the Regina Thunder game where they laid a first-half 60-burger on the Winnipeg Rifles game Sunday at Leibel Field on Access Now Sports TV, it hit me like a tonne of bricks: We need football! Seeing smiling faces on a perfect afternoon in a perfect park in front of a perfect crowd is something we just cannot go another fall without. I don’t watch football for the violence. I watch for the strategy, teamwork and camaraderie that it brings. No-one would ever accuse the late David Braley of having the warm and fuzzies, but he said it best at his Canadian football hall of fame induction speech when he said, “That’s what football is all about. Bringing people together.” Damn straight.    

5. JOHN CHICK SHOULD BE DELAYED FOR PLAZA: I’m calling a reverse on this play and I’ve changed my mind. While I still endorse big John’s induction into the plaza as essential at some point, now is not the time. His ridiculous rants about covid vaccine conspiracy theories have made him a lightning rod, powerful enough to draw attention away from what the Plaza event is supposed to be: A celebration of Roughrider legends. As Rob Vanstone of the Regina Leader Post, very eloquently pointed out back in the spring, we need some distance from this covid crisis before we can properly celebrate Chick’s achievements in the ‘306’. The voters, this year, made the right call.    

6. THIS WEEK I’M JEALOUS OF: North Battleford’s Andrew Albers, who will turn 36 in five weeks. Made his first start pitching in the majors on Friday night and went five and a third innings, pitching shutout ball against a very potent Milwaukee Brewers batting order. Albers, who has been known to knock down a few extra bucks in the offseason substitute teaching in Saskatchewan, has pitched lots for Canada and is more proof to the old adage, “We don’t stop playing because we get old. We get old because we stop playing.”    

7. DID YOU KNOW, PART ONE: The Riders and Winnipeg haven’t finished 1st and 2nd in the west, which is how they are ranked right now, since 1976. Saskatchewan got to the Grey Cup in southern Ontario (Toronto) that year, which is the same part of the country it will be played in this year (Hamilton). Hmm. 

8. DID YOU KNOW, PART TWO: The CFL hasn’t played a 14-game schedule, like they are doing this season, since 1951. Saskatchewan finished first in the west and got to the Grey Cup in southern Ontario (Toronto) that year, which is the same part of the country it will be played in this year (Hamilton). Hmm.  

9. CFL’S BORINGEST TEAM: The Ottawa Redblacks by a mile. Good, strong defence and some awful receivers on offence. They’ve looked absolutely dreadful on offence and although he’s taking much of the blame, I really don’t think quarterback Matt Nichols is the problem.  

10. HE SAID IT: “Teams that party together win championships together” —Rod Pedersen to 1999 Grey Cup champion Hamilton Ticat, and current CEBL commissioner, Mike Morreale on The Rod Pedersen Show.  

 (Follow Brendan on Twitter at @brendanhowardmc)