THROWIN’ ELBOWS WITH BRENDAN MCGUIRE

1. DON’T PLAN THE PARADE YET: Feels like an UP week everywhere, which is great, but a sweep over a 1-6 team does not a season make.

The BC Lions are dismal. We all know that. We’ve all known that since week 2.

So, it was a fun win to watch Saturday night but can’t we all acknowledge the good time we had while admitting this team still has a long ways to go to prove anything?

Let’s see Cody Fajardo do it against someone whose not a joke before we start declaring that he’s better than Bo Levi Mitchell, shall we?

2. IS DURON A CANCER? : I don’t think so. But there’s an awful lock of rhetoric out there suggesting he is since the Riders did so much better after he left last year and the Lions are doing so poorly with him this year.

The truth: The Montreal Alouettes didn’t do any better after Duron left and neither have the Toronto Argos. Duron has enough talent that he doesn’t have or need the work ethic most players do, but so what?

Neither did Nate Davis or plenty of other guys who saw more to life than just football.

Duron is a treasure and we were lucky to have him in green and white. It’s unfair that he be scapegoated for the Leos early troubles.

3. DANE EVANS THE REAL DEAL: The Ticats won’t be a free spot on the bingo card with this kid at the controls. If the Riders pull out the win, I’ll turn into a believer about the playoffs. If not, then Cody Fajardo will still be a journeyman backup who has yet to prove anything.

4. REDBLACKS GAME LOSING SAFETY: Was never wild about Rick Campbell as a coach from the very beginning. Was especially not wild about Rick Campbell when his Eskimo defense gave up that incredible game winning touchdown to Milt Stegall in 2006 on a play Mike Abou-Mechrek very nearly scuttled by almost allowing Kevin Glenn to be sacked by Joe Montford (true story, watch the tape).

The Thursday Night Football gaffe where Campbell gave up a safety which ended up costing the Redblacks the win against Calgary in week 7 reminded some of us of that fateful night in Edmonton so many summers ago.

But Campbell has proven to be a winner since then. The Redblacks will bounce back against an inferior east division.

The Stamps, on the other hand, don’t look so hot.

5. AGAIN, QB NOT SO IMPORTANT: The BC Lions signing of Mike Reilly is turning out to be a real dud, Vernon Adams Jr keeps winning in Montreal and the Stamps keep winning without Bo Levi Mitchell. Again, it’s a great sign to see teams winning WITHOUT an elite QB and perhaps we’ll see quarterback salaries drop and the pay for everyone else go up in the years ahead as a result.

And that would be fantastic!

6. REGINA RED SOX PENNANT RACE: Never have I had so much fun at the ballpark in one summer. This team is dominant at home, losing just twice in 24 games at Currie Field. Their starting rotation of Michael Batten (ERA of 1.57), Austin Alarid (5-0), Branden Redfern (took a no-hitter into the 8 inning a week ago Sunday) and closer Jackson Cofer (7 saves) are worth the price of admission on their own.

My biggest worry for this juggernaut is the Swift Current 57’s who have whittled the Sox lead for first place down to 1 game and a half. Speedy Creek (where the locals are not swift, nor current) handed the Sox their only 2 losses at Currie Field all summer.

Pennant races aren’t what they used to be, but with that home record and playing so-so ball on the road, I’m thinking the Red Sox need this one like they’ve never needed one before.

7. GRIFFIN KELLER: Seems like the Red Sox have one home-grown star each year a la Mitch MacDonald, Jordan Schulz and now it’s Pilot Butte’s Griffin Keller. The 1^stbaseman has been an RBI machine in what was supposed to be a throw-away year due to injury.

I’m thinking if he’s healthy by training camp next year, they just might need to find a way to injure him again so he can produce like this in 2020.

8. SOX NEW BALLPARK: General Manager Bernie Eiswirth and I mulled the different locations for the new park to be built during Saturday night’s Access 7 broadcast. We both favour a downtown location on the Dewdney strip but if that doesn’t happen, I could live with re-doing the park right where it is.

UBER can fix the no bussing issue and it’s easy to get to from ring road.

Just love that place.

9. MARCUS STROMAN: He’s so much fun to watch and loved/loves Toronto and Canada. Most prospects never turn out anyways. If I was chief for a day, I would’ve kept Stro and got rid of dumb and dumber, team President Mark Shapiro and General Manager Scott Atkins, instead.

10. WEEKLY WISDOM: Best advice the old man ever gave me: Nobody ever made it anywhere in life by fitting in. Stand out. Do your own thing.

(Follow Brendan on Twitter at @brendanhowardmc)