THROWIN’ ELBOWS WITH BRENDAN MCGUIRE
1. TSN ALL-TIME RIDER LIST: Good list. What does bother me, however, is how so-called “CFL historians” forget we had some great moments in Saskatchewan during the 1990’s. It was my decade to sit in section 7 row 1 seats 12 and 13 with my cousin, Dustin. His mom made jackets and other stuff for the team (this is before Adidas or Reebok contracts) and that’s how we got tickets. We witnessed Doug Flutie post a losing record in Taylor Field, something he never endured in any other pro football stadium in North America where he played more than one game. We witnessed the great Mike Saunders who was like Wes Cates and Corey Holmes put together, except better. We saw Kent Austin in his prime, the o-line of Roger Aldag, Bob Poley and Vic Stevenson all together, and the greatest Canadian slotback duo in league history with Jeff Fairholm and Ray Elgaard. Don Narcisse at wideout. For linebackers, Dan Rashovich was the longest serving in CFL history, Ray Bernard hit like a truck, K.D. Williams was nuts but oh could he play! Bobby Jurasin had his best decade and Glen Suitor was pretty good for a CFL safety, too. Did I mention Dave Ridgway set the all-time record for consecutive field goals, we saw American teams and had Saskatchewan’s first ever Grey Cup played in Regina. The 90’s weren’t a “wasteland” as one scribe called it. The 90’s was the finest decade of pro football across Canada, including here in Regina.
2. ODDS OF A CFL SEASON: About the same as the coronavirus disappearing before the fall. It’s okay. Our game will come back bigger, better and stronger than ever in 2021 or 2022.
3. JEFFREY ORRIDGE: He tells the CBC he experienced racism as the CFL’s commissioner from 2015-2016. I don’t doubt it at all. The criticism he faced ranged from the new CFL logo to fining the Riders too much for breaking the rules. Huh? He also lobbied the owners hard to allow release for the first licensed CFL video game but the owners said no because it wasn’t quite Madden quality and they didn’t want to pay to get to Madden quality. And that’s it? That’s the worst he did? We kicked him out after year 2 over that? Despite the fact he instituted a serious drug policy? Then Randy Ambrosie gets treated like a Rockstar replacement because “he looks like us and he’s from the same country as us”? How embarrassing for a league that uses “Diversity Is Strength” as a marketing tool to sell merchandise. Barf!
4. JOE McKNIGHT KILLER GETS NEW TRIAL: You might remember the Roughrider running back who happened to be black and was unarmed when gunned down by white man in the states during a road rage argument. And we wonder why black Americans are angry these days?
5. NEW NAME FOR EDMONTON CFL TEAM: Why not the Edmonton Elks? Think of the mascot they would have and the amount of foam antlers they could sell. I’m hearing crickets for support on this but I think the locals in northern Alberta would embrace it just fine and would look back on all of this by saying “All that fuss for us to change was about what?”
6. QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Of the Edmonton Football Club saying the Eskimo name wasn’t offensive to Innu people as they had done their research to prove it, former Roughrider funny man Daved Benefield had this to say, “When did the CFL ever do research. I mean aren’t we the league that signed a dead guy?”
7. U SPORT AGE CAP: Apparently, they’ve come to their senses and reversed this senseless decision to not extend player’s eligibility by a year to make up for a lost season from the coronavirus. Glad they’re getting it right but pretty unbelievable it took public outrage to make it happen. These are the same morons who crushed a Regina Rams season over a technicality that wasn’t even the football programs fault, rather than use any real common sense. And they wonder why Canadian University sports aren’t a thing like they are in the U.S.
8. BEST REGINA PIZZA: Sparky’s, hands down. Western Pizza is awful close. Four Seasons is good but expensive and Juliana’s isn’t bad either. But in the final analysis, Sparky’s takes the trophy and it’s not even close.
9. DON’T BE EMBARRASSED IF: You discover you’re shooting, swinging or golfing the wrong way. Took me 30 years to realize I’ve been golfing left-handed all this time when I should have been golfing right-handed. Happens to the best of us. That’s what I get for teaching myself how to golf out on the farm with dad’s lefty clubs back in the day. Still can’t get any distance worth a damn but it sure is nice to hit it straight, finally.
10. MASK SHAMING: Wear one, don’t wear one. It’s all good. I’m more worried about the Neanderthals not keeping their distance. Please don’t be horning in on other people’s space. In the words of Swift Current 57’s broadcaster Ryan Switzer, “Just don’t be an a—hole!”
(Follow Brendan on Twitter at @brendanhowardmc)
