THROWIN’ ELBOWS WITH BRENDAN MCGUIRE
1. CFL COMMISH DOUBTING HIS OWN PRODUCT: Randy Ambrosie doesn’t sound like someone bursting with enthusiasm about what the CFL has to offer these days. The fact he’s allowing rampant speculation to fester about ways to “improve” the game after an abnormally unentertaining 2021 season is disappointing. I expected more from a former player who’s done some great things including his successful efforts to find filthy rich committed ownership for Toronto, Montreal and BC. But this is one episode where the commissioner isn’t doing himself or his league any favors.
2. GENIUS SPORTS AKIN TO MONEYBALL: So, what makes the geniuses at Genuis Sports such geniuses? Is it because they say so? If I call myself a genius or legally add it to my name, does that make it so? Are they geniuses in the same way a young, arrogant J.P. Ricciardi was supposed to be a wiz kid genius taking over the Toronto Blue Jays before he proceeded to run their farm system completely into the ground? If this data-firm raises copious amounts of cash and success for the Canadian Football League, then they will have taught us all something. But until that happens, they’re no more genius than the lubricated crew sitting in Pil Country at the home games this summer.
3. RULE CHANGES I COULD GET BEHIND: Moving the hash marks closer to the centre, as John Hufnagel is suggesting, isn’t a bad idea. The 3-point convert attempt tried by the XFL is intriguing too. Much better and more useful ideas than switching to 4 downs would ever be.
4. ROUGHRIDERS DON’T OWE ANTI-VAXXERS ANY APOLOGY: If you’ve decided to boycott the Riders because they were forced into falling in line with a tough decision put upon them during a once-in-life-time crisis, then you probably never were that big of a fan in the first place.
5. CURLING BREAKUPS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SASK: The team breakup of Kevin Koe, Brad Gushue and Jennifer Jones opens the door for other places like Saskatchewan to move up in the curling world. With change comes opportunity and never has that been more apparent than right now. Saskatchewan’s now going-on-43-year drought at the Brier should appeal to at least a couple of the stars who’ve made up these teams enough to talk about creating a super team for the prairies. If you’re a CFL player or a curler, where else would you rather be?
6. REMINDERS OF WHY WE NEED LIVE SPORT: Thanks to Regina High School Athletic Association Commissioner Aaron Anderson for having me out to Luther College High School (that high school-college name thing confuses me too) to Public Address announce the city high school blue division boys and girls championship games. The atmosphere in that packed little gym was electric and brought so much joy to everyone who was there. A great reminder of how badly we need live sports back everywhere. We always think sports are unimportant until we no longer have them.
7. MARCH MADNESS: I took Arizona to win it all and nearly had my bracket busted Sunday night when they almost blew it against lowly TCU. Then I realized that so many others I’m competing against took ‘Zona too and it might even help my bracket to see them lose. I never truly know who to cheer for in these things but I’m probably no different than all of the other degenerate gamblers with their own brackets. But I’m grateful to have the entertainment.
8. THE RAPTORS: Saw them squeeze out their 6thstraight road win in Philadelphia Sunday night without Freddy All-Star, Fred VanVleet. Gary Trent JR is a stud 6thman in the making and I feel like the Raps are a young up-and-coming bunch who are just one star away from taking a run at it all over again. I don’t know who that superstar will be but Masai Ujiri deserves more respect than ever for guiding the rapid rebuild. A Kevin Durant to Toronto scenario has always sat in the back of my mind and even though he’s 33, I still see a fit there down the road. After all, KD grew up a big Raptor fan in the states before it was even cool to be a Raptor fan in Canada. He’s also expressed enthusiasm in the NBA returning to Toronto this season, too.
9. THE RUSSIANS: Even when the Russians finally admit defeat in this war with Ukraine, no lifting any of these sanctions until Putin steps down or is removed by his own country. Then we can negotiate with the Russians to ensure they hand Putin over to stand trial for war crimes and charge them a tax that will be used to rebuild Ukraine. We’re seeing the rot of what lack of a free society looks like.
10. REGINA RED SOX DINNER: Over the moon to do the Q & A with Jon Ryan and Michael Ball at the Sox Dinner April 9that the Turvey Centre. Jon owns part of a pro baseball team, the Portland Pickles. I’ll be curious to hear what he thinks of his old pal Russell Wilson quarterbacking my Denver Broncos. But I also hear his wife, Sarah Colonna, is quite the comedian and she’ll be doing her thing, too. Get your tickets by checking out www.reginaredsox.com So great to finally have our Sox back!
(Follow Brendan on Twitter at @brendanhowardmc)
You’re a good Egg and thank you for this column. 1) First off – he needs to go end of story. Start with the CFL 2.0, no 2020 season, no changes to the business model. Capping the Football Ops, and then this garbage about 4 downs. He has served his time. You pull the next Commissioner ala Al Davis from a team and you get this thing moving forward. Pinball or Kyle Walters should be neck and neck for that job. 2) Whatever Genious Sports is. Reminds me of the movie Anger Management. They are sitting in a circle and… Read more »
Great post! Thank you!