THROWIN’ ELBOWS WITH BRENDAN MCGUIRE

1. WHY WE NEED SPORTS ON TV: One way or another, most of us are stuck at home. Either scratching out a living from our kitchen table, or reaching out to the government in Ottawa for money to keep on living, we’re stuck in our boxes. There’s enough doom and gloom on the news that turning on the TV or scrolling the newsfeed on our phones isn’t really helping all that much. We need to know what’s happening and whether or not we’re flattening the curve. But we also need a diversion from all of this. We need baseball and we need it as much now as we’ve ever needed it. I can’t see a CFL season happening this summer but when it’s time for the NFL to reboot as made-for-TV, we’ll need that too. Both MLB and the NFL can arrange something like this. It isn’t that complicated, guys. Figure it out and make it happen.

2. QUESTIONING THE SHUTDOWN: It’s fine to think critically but every country who tried looking the other way (the United States, Italy, France and Mexico) has done so with disastrous results. COVID-19 isn’t made up. It’s the real deal. The fact we’re beating it as well as we are, tells me we’re doing the right thing. The sooner we choke this virus out, the sooner we can be done with this nonsense and get back to normal. Doing this half-a$$ed would only make the problem worse.

3. HEROES OF THE WEEK: People running Alberta’s healthcare system in finding all of those ventilators and protective gear. Good on them, their Premier and the people of Alberta for making another valued contribution to the rest of our country by propping up our healthcare system. It’s about time we give those folks a bailout. Definitely long overdue! 

4. LOSERS OF THE WEEK: Donald Trump and, …just, …Donald Trump. Seems overwhelmed by all of this at a time when the world needs a leader to navigate.

5. BUILDING THE BROWNS: I feel nauseated in seeing this program over and over, year after year with the same owner and different everyone else. Seeing the enthusiasm on the face of each new coach and General Manager has become comic relief.

6. GREY CUP 2020: Does anyone actually believe this will go ahead? Shouldn’t the conversation be shifted to, whether we get to host in 2021 or 2022 instead?

7. NO MORE XFL: If the ESPN report is true, the XFL 2.0 has failed, just like part 1 did some 19 years earlier. As a CFL fan, I was thrilled to see this competitor for our talent fold up like a cheap suit the first time. This time: not so much. It means the end of a dream for so many great, blue-collar athletes. The players, the fans and even Vince McMahon deserve so much better. I hope Vince will get one more chance to present his championship trophy. It won’t hurt the CFL at all. There’s plenty enough talent to go around.

8. BAD PART OF SHUTDOWN: Probably won’t get to see Cody Fajardo or Jon Ryan play in green and white this summer.

9. BEST PART OF SHUTDOWN: Suddenly the Blue Jays sucking again this summer doesn’t seem to bother us all that much.

10. MORE BINGE-WATCHING FOR SELF-ISOLATION: Rob’s Green Time Machine on the Regina Leader Post YouTube channel is pretty good. Rob’s pretty nerdy on there but that’s kind of the best part and whole point of what sports is supposed to be in the first place.

(Follow Brendan on Twitter at @brendanhowardmc)