20 WEEKEND RANDOM THOUGHTS

Truth and Rumours …

1 – Day 52! Or something like that. Peoples’ patience has long worn thin and a lot of society is in a state of what Mental Health professionals refer to as “Chronic Stress”. (No end date). I appreciate readers tolerating my glib comments about the pandemic over the past few weeks. In our house our children are grown, our parents are gone – unfortunately – and we’re still working. As situations go, there are millions worse off than us. However that doesn’t mean we haven’t heard the horrible stories, and I completely empathize (we’ve been through our own crises the past few years, well ahead of this). But the show must go on, and we continue to try to provide a distraction in this space.

2 – Few things have been as polarizing in the news than the CFL asking for an immediate $30-million from the Federal government to deal with the affects of Coronavirus. That figure could swell to $150-million if there’s no season in 2020. It’s ruffled a lot of feathers from coast-to-coast and I’ve been advised not to pick a side. However that’s not what I’ve built a career on. One question: Did you actually think the CFL was flush with cash? Think again.

3 – Easily attainable figures show the Roughriders generate $82-million in economic spin-off in Saskatchewan on a yearly basis. For instance, home games can easily generate $100,000 per restaurant per year alone. (I know, I owned one). Also think about hotels, gas stations, shopping, you name it. This year’s Grey Cup will be the first to surpass $100-million and that will be injected directly into our economy. Compared to these figures, the “ask” seems like a pittance.

4 – On the other side of the argument, I’ve seen several well thought-out newspaper columns and social media posts from people saying, “I have to dip into my cash reserves. Why shouldn’t they?”, or “My staff and I took a paycut. Why didn’t the leaders of the CFL?” That’s tough to argue, but I refer to Point 3 and what CFL teams mean to their local economy. That’s to say nothing about the civic pride it instills. Plus those guys are all my friends. However the way this news came out was fumbled and once again, for a league that’s so hyper-sensitive about its image, it isn’t a good look. Yet we remain staunch supporters of the CFL. We love it and frankly, it doesn’t have much to apologize for.

5 – On the positive news front, Atlantic Schooners co-owner Gary Drummond of Regina was incredibly optimistic in his interview on The RP Show this week regarding the future of his expansion project. (And the construction of the necessary stadium). In the interview Gary dropped the tidbit that they thought they had a General Manager in place, but that fell through. It’s my belief that GM was Eric Tillman (that’s why E.T. left the Ticats). However if this franchise ever does come to fruition I believe the first GM will be Brendan Taman.

6 – The buzz in football circles is that the recently out-of-work Marc Trestman (thanks to the folding of the XFL) was kicking tires around the Schooners. Would you be surprised? There are more football guys than there are jobs at the moment and for a guy like Trestman, the chance to run a pro franchise from scratch would be spine-tingling. It would be for anybody!

7 – NLL News: The NLL is sitting, patiently waiting for word on a resumption or conclusion to its 2019-20 season. Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz told The RP Show they’ve considered a year-end, one venue tournament to determine the 2020 champion however that was weeks ago. I’m told the NLL can’t do much planning because many of their arenas are shared with NHL and NBA teams and those franchises will get first dibs on dates. 

8 – The Commissioners or Presidents of the WHL, SJHL and WSHL have all told us their plan is to begin their seasons on schedule in the fall. This is all subject to change of course, and remember the UFC’s Dana White had to change course on his plans this spring despite bold proclamations otherwise. However it costs nothing to be positive. 

9 – Here’s a startling jolt. We’ve been in a holding pattern for 52 days. The worst could be yet to come in the form of how we get back to business, and people jumping ahead of each other in line. This pandemic has truly shown a lot of peoples’ true colours, and drained the swamp in terms of peoples’ character, finances and care for their fellow man. I continue to maintain this won’t end until people smarten up, and/or adequately learn a lesson.

10 – SJHL Notes: The Estevan Bruins are getting close to naming their next Head Coach & GM. There were dozens of applicants to replace Chris Lewgood, and none of them were named Brad Herauf (the former Bruins captain and current Assistant Coach of the Regina Pats). Perhaps that’s not a surprise. The Pats are now a preferred destination for players and staff, and not a revolving door. It feels great to be a season ticket holder, and proud alum.

11 – SIM: Thousands have tuned in for the SJHL’s Playstation 4 simulation of their 2020 Canalta Cup Playoffs. If you don’t understand what it is – forget it – you never will. However the computer-generated games have whittled it down to the semifinals: Flin Flon vs Melfort (Mustangs lead the series 2-0) and Battlefords vs Yorkton (Series tied 1-1). A survey showed the majority of viewers are in the age range of 31-49, which I wouldn’t have guessed. I’ll be at the microphone for some of the league final, a.k.a. the Canalta Cup.

12 – Please don’t laugh or scoff. All Saturday afternoon, TSN aired the exact same thing in the form of MLB The Show 2020 with announcers from MLB Network calling the video game. By the way, the SJHL simulation is being broadcast out of IKS Studios in Regina, the same facility which houses The Rod Pedersen Show, The Recovery Hour, a First Nations program, and many more production/advertising services. It is owned by media magnate Paul Drouin who is building, as he calls it, “PSPN” (Paul Sports Network). I LOVE IT.

13 – The Regina Pat Canadians have signed Blake Heward, the son of Regina Pats great and NHL veteran Jamie Heward. Please Baby Hockey Jesus, let Blake one day skate for the Pats and wear #19!

14 – Happy birthday this weekend to Roughriders alum Jerrell Freeman and Sandro Deangelis plus my good buddy Clint Malarchuk, the famed “Cowboy Goalie”. An alumni article in the Las Vegas Review-Journal this week told the story of when Clint was playing for the IHL’s Las Vegas Thunder in the early 1990s, he was offered a contract with the Boston Bruins. However he elected to stay in Vegas and his signing bonus was a horse!

15 – These are curious times in the NFL. In Green Bay, QB Aaron Rodgers has yet to speak about the team drafting Utah State QB Jordan Love in Round 1 of the NFL Draft and pundits say it’s because Rodgers is steaming. Meanwhile in Cincinnati, the Bengals drafted LSU QB Joe Burrow at #1 overall and franchise great Andy Dalton packed his bags, waved “Thanks for the memories” and headed home to the Dallas Cowboys for $3M. (By the way the Cowboys now have the best 1-2 QB tandem in the NFL). Meanwhile the Patriots didn’t draft a QB and don’t have much of a plan to replace Tom Brady. Who could’ve predicted this?

16 – Who’s more popular in their hometown of Katy, Texas – Andy Dalton or Bo Levi Mitchell? It’s a fair question. Dave Dickenson is FARRRR more popular in Great Falls, Montana than Ryan Leaf.

17 – The BCHL (BC’s Junior A league) has added it up and says the cancellation of their season cost them collectively $3-million. They’ve asked the BC government for same.

18 – TSN is listing the Top 21 players of all-time for all seven Canadian NHL teams. To me, there’s not much exciting about that. Try pruning it down to SEVEN players per team. Here are my Top 7 for my two favourite teams: Edmonton Oilers – Fuhr, Gretzky, Messier, Kurri, Coffey, Anderson & Lowe. (Connor has to win something first. If he suffered a career-ending injury tomorrow, would the Oilers retire his jersey? NO!). Vegas Golden Knights – Fleury, Karlsson, Marchessault, Engelland, Smith, Pacioretty and Reaves.

19 – This is how hockey has changed for the WORSE! The classic game re-broadcasts on Sportsnet have been terrific. After Game 5 of the 1987 Stanley Cup Final in Philadelphia, Oilers Coach Glen Sather got into it with a fan behind the bench. Cameras clearly caught Sather mouthing, “You’re an a–hole! Kiss my ass!” These days, Sather would be fined thousands of dollars. Meanwhile after Game 2 of the 1988 Smythe Finals in Calgary, right after Gretzky went bar-down on Mike Vernon with the shorthanded OT-winner, Sather turned and gave a fist-pump to the Flames fans. As Slats famously said in the documentary Boys On The Bus, “I’d rather have an arrogant guy working for me than a guy who’s a wimp.” LOVE THAT MAN.

20 – RANDOMS: From former radio man Scott Nicholls on Twitter, “Nothing good has happened since Don Cherry was fired. Just sayin’.” … David Ayres would disagree … Under-the-radar move of the week: QB Jameis Winston to the New Orleans Saints. … Beginning Tuesday, people in the Deep South can hear my daily commentary on Cat Country 98 FM at 9:50 am and 5:20 pm. Thanks for the opportunity Hurricane Huber! This is the start of a beautiful relationship. … Golf is the heroin of sports. “Just try it,” they say. Then you’re hooked and it gets really expensive. … People Tweeting at Trudeau and Trump remind of the dog barking in the window at passersby. They can’t hear you. … How does Tim Hortons NOT screw up your order when there are two lines of dozens of cars funnelled into one? … TSN’s Jay Onrait told the RP Show this week that Regina has the best pizza in Canada. I completely concur and could eat it everyday. In fact I did, and gained 30 lbs. … AND HOW WAS YOUR WEEK?

RP
@rodpedersen