THROWIN’ ELBOWS WITH BRENDAN MCGUIRE

1. REGINA RED SOX FALLING SHORT: Two straight trips to the finals, two straight long bus rides home from Alberta, empty-handed. The Sox put in a dream season which included a franchise-record 41 wins, a 29-4 home record (including playoffs) and a triple crown winner off the mound the in Ace-of-the-WCBL, Michael Batten.

But in the end, never the bride, always the bridesmaid.

Classic Atlanta Braves syndrome from the early 90’s. A great organization that just cannot grab that ring. The Braves did eventually get theirs and the Sox have nothing to hang their heads about. Truth be told, the game 2 loss in Swift Current during the semi-final round against the 57’s was probably the death-knell as it meant the Sox had to trot Batten out in game 3, just to get to the finals, rather than save him FOR the finals.

Losing their best hitter (Griffin Keller) to shoulder surgery and their best catcher (Willie Estrada) to the Philadelphia Phillies farm system was just too much to bear in the end.

Not sad that they lost as I enjoy the story more than the outcome. Sad for the young men who pour in from all over North America to play for Regina. We should all be so lucky they gave us their summer to try and win a championship for US.

2. RED SOX HALL OF FAMERS: A wild weekend for Red Sox founders Gary Brotzell, Bernie Eiswirth and Sharon Clarke who watched their beloved Sox lose the championship in Okotoks Friday night before their induction into the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame in front of legendary pitcher Ferguson Jenkins at North Battleford less than 24 hours later.

It’s because of these 3 we get the great baseball we do in the YQR every year and our summers wouldn’t be the same without them. I’ve worked around several great organizations over the years including the Estevan Bruins, Windsor Spitfires and Saskatchewan Roughriders. I can honestly say not one of them is run any better than the Red Sox and I’ve never enjoyed camaraderie around the office with any club like I have the Red Sox.

I’m already planning the webcasts for next year.

3. ROY SHIVERS: He led me on a wild goose chase the week he was fired in August of 2006 in my glory days as a beat reporter covering the Riders for CJME radio. Told me to meet him at one location, only to no-show and make a fool out of Brendan. TSN still shows the footage of Adam Hunter and I approaching Roy like he was a bear the day he got the axe. He was rude to me and as a young reporter, he never gave me the time of day.

If anyone has any reason to not like Roy Shivers, it would be me. And even I know that Roy needs to be put in the Plaza of Honour. That should tell you something.

Just because some of the old boys club still resents Roy for the way he left doesn’t diminish his work or the fact he changed the culture of the Riders from defeatist to at least mediocrity. He never got it to that next level we enjoy today but without Roy, the building blocks would’ve never existed.

Costa Maragos was right on The Rod Pedersen Show. It’s time to give Roy his due.

4. TAYLOR FIELD SITE: We don’t need more parking around the new stadium. We need less vehicles. The streets being closed around the stadium gets rave reviews from this guy. So much more bearable getting in and out of that place. And the free bussing works terrific. Time to stop wasting energy on this dumb idea and focus on an actual proper development of this site to clean north central Regina up once and for all.  

5. REDBLACKS SPUTTERING OFFENCE: Dominique Davis exceeded my expectations early in the year and now he’s fallen back down to about where I thought he would be. A dreadful performance against the Ticats over the weekend makes Ottawa prime for a lickin Saturday night. The big winner in all of this: Jaime Elizondo. The Redblacks blocked him from leaving his offensive co-ordinator post to interview for the Rider head coaching job back in February only to watch him somehow wiggle out of his contract to join the XFL.

He stood up to his employer when he felt wronged and now that employer is paying the price.

Sounds like a familiar theme these days.

6. STARS ALIGNING FOR FAJARDO: Had the Riders picked to miss the playoffs and even referred to this new backup QB as “hot garbage” prior to the season. There had been nothing in Cody Fajardo’s time with BC or Toronto that made me think what we’re seeing now was at all possible. He’s proven me wrong and although I still see the playoffs as an uphill climb for this team, it’s looking more possible by the day. Calgary is vulnerable and the Redblacks can’t score points. All means a crossover is still do-able and so is running down the Stamps.

7. VERNON ADAMS JR: Always knew he had the Pinball-esque shifty maneuverability but didn’t think he could throw the ball. He threw the ball pretty well against a pretty god defense in Calgary Saturday night. Chris Jones was always in love with this guy and now we’re seeing why.

Like Fajardo, Vernon Adams Jr. is proving me wrong.

8. BRANDON BRIDGE: My advice to those teams seriously thinking about tapping him on the shoulder to fight through this rash of quarterback injuries: Trying someone you’ve never heard of is like a box of chocolates in that you never know what you’re going to get. Trying Brandon Bridge is like trying a bad box of chocolates you already know all about. And there’s no worse feeling than tasting a bad box of chocolates. I don’t see a Vernon Adams Jr. or Cody Fajardo playing out with this one.

9. JIM SPEROS: Appeared on TSN during the Edmonton-Toronto Friday Night Football game, declaring his Grey Cup win as owner of the 1995 Baltimore Stallions as his greatest accomplishment. Even above winning a college national championship or a Super Bowl ring as he did on Joe Gibb’s staff with the Washington Redskins.

It was the first Grey Cup in Regina and because the Stallions reigned on Canada’s parade, it’s still a game that does not get its proper due.

10. QU’APPELLE SHOULD’VE BEEN REGINA: Vacationing the week away in the Okanagan in my first trip out here ever. And as I hammer out this column from a Kelowna beach, I have to agree with Rod’s comments on this blog that had Regina been built in the Qu’Appelle Valley, like apparently the original plan stated, it would in fact be another Kelowna.

Life is full of would’ve, could’ve, should’ve but if Lord Edgar Dewdney really did block this from happening so he could get rich off the land he owned than I’m all in favor of a petition to rename Dewdney Avenue in Regina.

I don’t really care enough to go the effort of organizing all that but if someone else does, I’m on board. 

(Follow Brendan on Twitter at @brendanhowardmc)