THURSDAY RODSERVATIONS

2 – G.J. IN THE YQR:  It’ll be a quick turnaround as CFL Director of Officiating Glen Johnson will host a presentation at Mosaic Stadium at noon on Thursday to go over the 2015 rule changes in the league and I plan to be in attendance.  The key question I have for him is: How confident are you officials will stick to the 5-yard no-contact rule on receivers?  Optimism abounds amongst CFL offensive types that the game will be more wide open than ever before — in fact Darian Durant is predicting a 6,000-yard passing season.  However I’m leery that the league will be back to the habitual mauling and molesting of receivers by Week 5.  I’m sure Glen has full confidence that his officials will call it by the book but again, I’m hesitant.

3 – NOAH’S ARK, ERRRR, ARM:  It was a great feeling to see the Roughriders’ news release on Wednesday that the club has extended a training camp invitation to U of R Rams quarterback Noah Picton.  Of course the neatest story of it all is that Noah’s father Dean Picton – the star Rams quarterback of the 1980’s – was afforded a tryout by the big club back in 1988.  As one CFL coach wrote via text last night, “Will be a good experience for him.  The apprentice program is a good idea by the CFL.  Lots of people, including agents, don’t understand it or its differences from being a guy actually on the team.”  Noah was quick to point out on Wednesday that this is NOT a tryout for the Riders.  He will simply be in Saskatoon to learn but he’s excited to throw with Darian Durant and Kevin Glenn to Weston Dressler, Chris Getzlaf, et al.  I’m sure once the CIS season begins, the game will have slowed down exponentially for Noah.

4 – TIME MARCHES ON:  As if the graying hair and failing vision weren’t enough, Wednesday’s news that Noah is joining the Roughriders was another stark reminder that I’m getting up there in years.  When your kids’ friends start getting pro sports opportunities, it tells you that you aren’t a kid anymore yourself.  As excited as Dean Picton is that his son is going to be practicing with the big boys, I’m sure his mother Donna Rae is worried her son will be snapped in half.  Rest easy — it’s unlikely Noah will get any reps with live bullets flying.

5 – NO HANGOVER THIS YEAR:  One year ago at this time – coming off the 2013 Grey Cup championship season – Rider fans were still sleeping off the party.  In fact the Grey Cup hangover lasted until about Labour Day.  However in the spring of 2015, the Rider Nation is wide awake.  You see the parapharnelia everywhere and not just in Regina.  I saw a guy in a Rider T-shirt standing on the side of the road in Chamberlain, SK Wednesday evening and a guy in the hotel elevator here in Saskatoon was wearing a Rider cap.  I haven’t seen this much excitement around Canada’s Team since … since … April of 2013!  It just feels right.

6 – THE LATEST WITH TAJ:  We learned on Wednesday that a trial date has been set for Roughrider receiver Taj Smith.  The aggravated assault trial will begin on Dec. 14 and is expected to last three days.  The case will be tried by judge alone.  If there’s a silver lining in this, Taj will be able to concentrate on football for the entire season and not have to deal with this on a daily basis.

7 – THE WILD, WILD WEST:  Just to clarify a comment I made on the SportsCage about my not liking the contract extension of Edmonton Eskimo GM Ed Hervey, it’s because it’s not good news for the Roughriders.  In his short time at the helm, Hervey has established the Evil Empire as a force in the CFL West.  His hiring of Chris Jones as head coach was astute.  The Eskimos haven’t appeared in a Grey Cup since 2005 and not coincidentally, the Roughriders’ rise to prominence began around the same time.  Alberta will be Death Valley again for visiting CFL teams and the Riders will be in tough to get back to the Grey Cup, let alone hosting a playoff game.

8 – THE GETZLAF FACTOR:  Rider receiver Chris Getzlaf correctly predicted that his brother Ryan’s Anaheim Ducks would sweep the Winnipeg Jets in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.  On the SportsCage this week, the elder Getzlaf was at it again predicting a six-game Anaheim series win over the Calgary Flames in Round 2.

9 – TWEET OF THE WEEK:  This one comes from Aiden Wotherspoon (@bushleaguefootb): “Now another Getzlaf will enjoy the rewards of a Calgary playoff choke #ANAvsCGY”   We’ll see won’t we?  Tiger Williams predicted the same result on Wednesday’s SportsCage on 620 CKRM.

10 – WHAT ABOUT BABS?:  The only reason I wanted to see Detroit lose Game 7 in Tampa Bay Wednesday evening was because it would accelerate the Mike Babcock Sweepstakes.  I’ll predict right here and now that Babock won’t be back as head coach of the Red Wings next season.  He’s already turned down multiple offers from Detroit and continues on his quest to be the highest-paid coach in the NHL, which comes with it the added bonus of driving up NHL coaches’ salaries.

Tiger Williams predicted on Wednesday that Babcock will land in Buffalo and command a $5-million per year wage.  He feels the Toronto Maple Leafs will make a similar offer, but the Edmonton Oilers will be scared off by the asking price.

I’ve been told Babcock points to his two Olympic gold medals to up his value, but others contend that has nothing to do with NHL success.  I say they mean he’s a helluva good hockey coach.  Likely the best in the game and when the smoke clears, he’ll be paid like it.

11 – MORE ON THE OILERS:  The unrest continues in the City of Champions however the hiring of Peter Chiarelli as General Manager has appeased some.  The people of our generation still hang onto the glory days of Gretzky, Messier, Coffey, Lowe, Fuhr, etc. but you have to remember there are a lot of young fans who have no idea what that time was like.  They’re mad as hell and won’t take it anymore!  Hopefully better times are ahead because you know the Flames’ success has the Oilers and their fans seething.

12 – GO PATS GO:  The Regina Pats were in the news this week with Monday’s announcement that former GM Chad Lang is moving to an advisory role while Marty Klyne has been hired as the club’s first-ever Chief Operating Officer.  Lang’s tenure in charge of hockey operations with the Pats has been much-debated but I think he can hold his head high.  The team’s playoff MVP this year was goaltender Daniel Wapple and Lang pulled the trigger on that deal.  There’s a banner hanging from his time here.  Did he win all his trades?  No.  But show me a GM who has.  The new Pats ownership simply seems to be systematically installing their own people and that’s reasonable, understandable, and predictable.

Meanwhile the hiring of Marty Klyne came out of the blue but it’s another move by QCSEG that’s caused Regina to sit up and take notice.  The hiring of the former Leader Post publisher, Grey Cup manager, businessman and current all-around good guy gets the thumbs-up from the MMG.  Klyne told us on the SportsCage that his priority will be enhancing the “fan experience” which means Pats games will become a Marty Party.  Great move!

13 – JUST NOTES:  Regina has stepped into the 21st century with the addition of a second full service Starbucks location in the Doubletree Hotel at the corner of Victoria Avenue and Broad Street.  I’m hesitant to divulge the secret, but pass it along as a public service.  You can’t go to a major urban centre in North America without stumbling over a Starbucks on every corner but for some reason Regina’s lagged behind in this regard.  This is progress! … C’mon TSN.  Be better!  Tourism Saskatchewan has taken to sponsoring Sportscentre nightly but the voice-over guy insists on saying “SaskatcheWAWN”.  If I was Premier Brad Wall – or whomever’s footing the bill for this – I’d insist on our province’s name being pronounced correctly rather than the Ontario or American version … Tickets are going fast for the SportsCage’s inaugural Pizza Pigout on May 8 at the Italian Club and about a dozen local pizzerias have entered their masterpieces.   We’re still searching for more restaurants and more hungry bellies.  Trifon’s?  Sparky’s?  We’re looking at you.

620 CKRM will be broadcasting the SportsCage live on location that day and we’ll have plenty of sports personalities on hand to judge Regina and area’s best pizza along with you readers/listeners.  You can purchase your tickets here: https://www.picatic.com/PizzaPigoutYQR

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THAT’S ALL!  SEE YOU IN THE CAGE AT 4 PM
RP
@sportscage
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