Monday, December 28, 2009

Monday musings

Idle thoughts while I sit here waiting for my newspaper (two hours late, and counting):

  • Have you caught any of the action at the World Junior Hockey tournament yet? If not, you really should!
  • I've had the pleasure (misfortune?) of calling a couple games with Mitchell Blair for an internet broadcasting outfit from Boston. Mitch and I have become fans of the plucky Austrian team.
  • Team Austria is 0-2, doesn't have a single NHL draft pick on its roster, yet is winning fans over with spirited play and a "never say die" attitude. Well done, boys!
  • Russia and Sweden both look good. Swedish defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson is the real deal. Phoenix did very well to select him with the 6th pick of last year's draft. He skates like Orr and shoots like Hull. He's a keeper.
  • I can see why Russian captain Nikita Filatov causes so much angst in Columbus. The Blue Jackets prospect is exceptionally talented, but his work ethic leaves a LOT to be desired.
  • Meantime, Team Canada opens the tournament with a 16-0 shellacking of Latvia.
  • Hands-up everyone outside of Quebec who had heard of Gabriel Bourque before that game. After his seven point performance, everyone is starting to think the Nashville Predators got a heck of a player with their 5th round selection in this year's draft.
In other news...
  • Despite soiling the sheets against Pittsburgh last week, the Green Bay Packers clinched a playoff berth with a 48-10 victory over Seattle yesterday.
  • What the heck has happened to the Seahawks? Weren't they in the Super Bowl just four years ago? Yikes.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs lose in overtime to the godless Canadians one night, then beat the defending Cup champs the next night. Go figure.
  • Only two more days, and Canadians can start second guessing the picks Steve Yzerman and friends made for the Canadian Olympic hockey team.
  • After watching him play a couple of times, I think Kings defenceman Drew Doughty deserves to be on that team. But he'll be in tough to crack what should be a very deep and talented blueline corps.
  • Time to get back on the treadmill. All those perogies over the past week are catching up to me!

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

SportZone lineup for December 22

Here's the lineup for the Christmas Extravaganza edition of the show, which airs tonight at 9 p.m., tomorrow at 3 p.m., Saturday at 4 p.m., and probably a few more times between now and January 12th - when we tape our first show of 2010. Enjoy!

SportZone Guests for December 22/09
Community Co-Host: Corey Matthews

1. (ENG segment) A profile of the University of Regina women’s volleyball team. Reporter: Brendan Pawliw.

2. (Sport/Leisure segment) A profile of the Regina Speed Skating Club. Guest: Alexandra Sutter (Club President).

3. (Media panel) A review of the past year in Regina sports, and a look ahead to 2010. Guests: Murray McCormick (Regina Leader-Post) & Mitchell Blair (Freelance broadcaster/blogger).

4. (Athlete profile) A Regina athlete celebrates a Grey Cup championship, at the expense of the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Guest: Paul Woldu (DB, Montreal Alouettes).

SportZone trivia: Who was the MVP of last year's World Junior Hockey Championship tournament in Ottawa? Send us your answer for a chance to win a free medium pizza from Panago!

Friday, December 18, 2009

Friday thoughts

Only a few hours to go until a two week holiday. Bring it on!

  • I'd like to thank Peyton Manning and Dallas Clark for combining for 57 fantasy points last night, pretty much guaranteeing my 8 game fantasy football winning steak will come to a crashing halt in the league semi-final. Damn!

  • Honestly, I don't know if anyone in the AFC can touch the Colts. San Diego, maybe?

  • In the NFC, I'd love to see a conference championship shootout between Drew Brees and Brett Favre. That would be some great football!

  • Yes, I realize that would mean the Packers would have to watch their former quarterback in the NFC final, instead of being there themselves. I can live with that.

  • The Regina Red Sox are taking registrations for their winter baseball camp. The camp, for players aged 8-14, runs December 28/29 at the Credit Union Eventplex in Regina. It's $75 for six hours of instruction, and a free Red Sox cap. Heck of a deal! Get on it though, the registration deadline is Monday.

  • What are the odds that Sasktel's Blackberry service would crash and burn on the exact same day I finally get a blackberry? Actually, considering it's me - I'd say the odds were at least 50/50!

  • Are you checking out some of the action at the World Junior Hockey Championships? So far the J-man and I have tickets for two games. And of course we'll be watching Canada on TSN from S'toon.

  • So who will wear the "C" for Team Canada? Jordan Eberle and Colten Teubert of the Pats have to merit some consideration. Still, I believe the honour will probably go to defenceman Alex Pietrangelo of the St. Louis Blues.

  • However, I fully expect Eberle and/or Teubert to be named assistant captains.

  • Meantime, the Pats continue to lurch around on their extended road trip. They take a five game losing skid into Calgary tonight. The Hitmen are a mere 17 points ahead of Regina in the standings right now. Good luck with that, I guess.

  • I've decided to see what all the fuss is about, and start watching Dexter. My mom is geting me (although she doesn't know it yet) the first three seasons on dvd as a Christmas present. This should be interesting!

I imagine the blogging will be sporadic over the next couple of weeks. I'll make sure to post the lineup for the Christmas Extravaganza episode of SportZone (scroll down and answer the trivia question for this week, please!) and assorted other goodies between now and January 1st. Later!

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Thursday Cheers and Jeers

Holy crap, is it really Thursday already? Time flies at this time of year. Let's see who deserves a little pre-Christmas salute, or a perhaps a one-fingered one?

Cheers
  • Jersey City (Cornwall Centre). Helped me decide on the last couple of presents for the J-man. Always great service.
  • Prairie Mobile Communications. Shea Paisley and company gave me some outstanding service yesterday, as I finally entered the world of Blackberry users.
  • Capital Ford. Their Fastlane service was....fast. Just the way I like it.
  • Innovation Auto Sports. They fixed whatever was wrong with my car alarm in seconds flat! I'm impressed.

Jeers

  • Canadian Tire (latest in a series). I needed a replacement gas cap for my vehicle. I had to serve myself, as per usual, and the gas cap the manual said was right for my vehicle wasn't even close. Nice.

Alright, let's see your lists!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Eberle and Teubert make the grade

No huge surprises this morning, as Hockey Canada announced the final 22 player roster for Team Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championships. Both Regina Pats veterans made the squad for a second straight year, and will help Canada shoot for a record sixth straight gold medal.

Here's the story from TSN.ca:


Canada's junior hockey team made its final roster cuts on Wednesday morning, releasing forwards Philippe Cornet, Cody Eakin, Scott Glennie and Louis Leblanc, defencemen Tyler Cuma, Shawn Lalonde and Dylan Olsen and goaltenders Matt Hackett and Olivier Roy.
With Wednesday's final releases, the official 22-player roster is now set for the 2010 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship, which begins Dec. 26.

The cuts at forward mean that Windsor's Taylor Hall, Greg Nemisz and Adam Henrique will be wearing red and white over the holidays, with the likelihood of all three Spitfires playing on the same line. Hall, 17, is considered by many as a front-runner as the first overall pick at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

London Knights centre Nazem Kadri, selected seventh overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in June, is also on the roster and is expected to be the team's second-line centre, skating with Regina's Jordan Eberle.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

SportZone lineup for December 15

Behold! Below is the lineup for this week's show, airing tomorrow (Wednesday) at 3 p.m. and Saturday at 4 p.m. on Access channel 7. Oh, and for chrissake, would somebody please answer last week's trivia question (scroll down)? Who the hell doesn't like free pizza?

SportZone Guests for December 15/09
Community Co-Host: Corey Matthews

1. (High school segment) A profile of the Luther Lions senior boys basketball team. Guests: Drew Hunter (Head Coach) & Andrew Henry (Player).

2. (Event preview) The final countdown is on to the World Junior Hockey Championships in Regina and Saskatoon. Guest: Al Ford (Assistant General Manager, 2010 WJHC).

3. (ENG segment) A report on the 2010 Balfour Classic high school basketball tournament. Reporter: Brendan Pawliw.

4. (Sport/Leisure segment) It’s time to get a jump start on those New Year’s fitness resolutions. Guest: Tracy Hagan (Owner, Energize Health and Fitness Services).

5. (Sport/Leisure segment) A profile of the Regina Ski Club. Guests: Judy Young & Al Poulton (RSC Executive).

SportZone trivia: Heading into this year's tournament, how many gold medals in a row has Canada won at the World Junior Hockey Championships? Send us your answer, and your contact information, for a chance to win a delicious medium pizza from Panago!

Monday, December 14, 2009

Monday musings

Your weekly dispatch from the frozen flatlands:

  • It's getting a little challenging to keep a positive outlook about this place with windchills in the -40's. Definitely not an "I heart Regina" scenario!
  • Team Canada is practicing in Regina for the World Junior tournament. The J-man and I will check out Canada vs the Czech Republic in pre-tournament action on the 23rd. It's an early Christmas present for my young associate.
  • Nothing against the Pats, but it's going to be tough to go back to watching regular season WHL games after the World Junior tournament. Really tough.
  • Hopefully the Pats re-tooled lineup can start posting some wins. They've been outscored 21-8 in their last three games, and visit Red Deer tomorrow night.
  • Don't look now, but the Toronto Maple Leafs have won 7 of their last 10 games. Go figure.
  • If all it took was for me to dump the Leafs for another team (Hawks), I should have bailed out years ago!
  • I wonder if the Riders will announce any more player re-signings before Christmas? The list of potential Rider free agents is down to 14, and you have to expect at least 3-4 of those players won't be back in 2010.
  • I can't stop watching Criminal Minds on A&E. It's becoming a borderline obsession.
  • I can't wait until Wednesday night, and the annual St. Gregory school Christmas (not holiday, Christmas!) concert. It's one of the highlights of the December social calendar.
  • Do you know how long it takes to load almost 200 pictures onto a digital photo frame? Did I mention about half of them had to be scanned first? And then most of the 200 had to be cropped afterwards? Mom better be lovin' her Christmas present this year!
  • Is it just me, or is it really tough to get out of bed in the morning when it's minus 2 zillion outside? Bloody hell!

Friday, December 11, 2009

Friday thoughts

The following pass for lucid thoughts at this time of year:

  • Half-naked PETA protestors. In December. In Regina. Those young ladies are tougher than I am, that's for sure.
  • Thankfully, there's no truth to the rumour the cattle industry is going to respond by trotting out a half-naked Mitchell Blair (and I wait for the inevitable email on that one).
  • I would say Brent Parker has put the Jordan Eberle and Colten Teubert trade rumours to rest rather effectively, hasn't he?
  • Parker obviously feels the Regina Pats can contend this season. I suspect he may have 1-2 more deals up his sleeve. But if not, he's certainly improved his lineup in the past couple of days.
  • Now I can't help but wonder if the goaltending is going to be the weak link on this team? Is the tandem of Damien Ketlo and Dawson Guhle ready to steal a few games down the stretch and - more importantly - in the playoffs?
  • Goodbye Stevie Baggs, and thanks for the memories.
  • It seems obvious that Baggs is intent on cashing in (literally) on his one (so far) good year in the CFL by testing free agency. That is certainly his prerogative, and I assume the Riders will start the search soon for a replacement at defensive end.
  • Unless of course Eric Tillman empties his wallet to re-sign Baggs. But I just can't see that happening.
  • Tomorrow night is hockey night in Bethune for the T3 Blackhawks, but the J-man has a "previous commitment". Is that what they're calling it these days?
  • Oh well, I guess I'll check out some UFC action at the 4 Seasons instead. Sometimes, the crowd is more entertaining than the fights!
  • Have a great weekend, and stay warm!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Thursday Cheers and Jeers

Seasonal salutes, and consumer warnings. It doesn't get much better than that!

Cheers
  • Dysart Co-op gas station. Sure, they closed early on a Saturday (for their Christmas party), but then cheerfully re-opened long enough for a "city slicker" to fill up for the trip back home. Small town hospitality. Gotta love it!
  • Darrell Davis and Drew Hincks. Who doesn't love SportZone guests that bring along swag for the hosts/viewers? The Regina Pats book and the skateboard will surely go to good homes. Thanks guys!
  • Dysart Arena - home of the Big Blue, the tastiest darn rink burger I've ever sampled. And yes, I've sampled a few.

Jeers

  • Authors who appear on a tv or radio show to promote their book, and don't provide the hosts with a copy. Fortunately, that almost never happens!
  • Sears Canada. I've been trying for a week to obtain an owner's manual for a Sears treadmill that I bought "almost new" from the previous owner. This shouldn't be that difficult.
  • LL Bean. Some of their merchandise is incredibly poorly made. Which explains the excellent prices, I suppose.

Alright readers, who or what is on your list this week?

Tuesday, December 08, 2009

SportZone lineup for December 8

Here's the lineup for this week's show, airing tonight at 9 p.m., tomorrow at 3 p.m. and Saturday at 4 p.m. on Access channel 7 in Regina:

SportZone Guests for December 8/09
Community Co-Host: Corey Matthews

1. (Amateur sport spotlight) A Regina team represented Saskatchewan at the recently completed national mixed curling championships. Guests: Jason and Colleen Ackerman (Team Saskatchewan).

2. (Sport/Leisure segment) Just in time for Christmas shopping! A review of Junior Hockey’s Royal Franchise, a new book on the history of the Regina Pats. Guest: Darrell Davis (Author).

3. (ENG segment) An update on the exploits of the Regina Pat Canadians and Notre Dame Hounds midget AAA hockey clubs. Reporter: Brendan Pawliw.

4. (Event profile) A preview of the 2009 Alpine Saskatchewan provincial Learn to Ski day. Guest: Terry Hooper (Alpine Sask President).

5. (Sport/Leisure segment) A profile of a new indoor skateboarding facility in the city. Guest: Drew Hincks (Owner, 306 Hip Hop SK8 Shop).

SportZone trivia: Who holds the record for the most games played in a Regina Pats uniform? Send us your answer, and your contact info, for a chance to win a free medium pizza from Panago and - this week's special second prize - a custom skateboard from the 306 Hip Hop SK8 Shop!

Monday, December 07, 2009

Monday musings

Why yes, it is actually cold enough for me. Thanks for asking.

  • By all standards of measurement, this weekend's atom tier 3 tournament in Dysart was a great success.
  • The J-man erupted for three goals in the first two games he's played at forward in two seasons. Nice!
  • I did the public address duties for all nine games. I must have done alright, as several people suggested a person with a voice like mine should be on the radio! Oh, how I laughed...
  • Been there, done that. Nobody around here pays enough for me to consider doing it again. Or do they? (dum dum dum!)
  • The day didn't get off to a great start. I pulled up to a gas station on our way out of town, and my gas cap snapped off in my hand! So, I drove off into the early morning darkness with enough gas to get to my destination, but not enough to get back.
  • Thanks to Chad W. for helping me pry the gas cap off in Dysart, and a BIG thank you to the fellow who re-opened the Co-Op gas station in Dysart after the tournament, allowing me to fill up before returning to Regina. Now that's small-town hospitality!
  • Oh, and I'm pleased to report the delectable Big Blue at the Dysart arena is one of the finest rink burgers this correspondent has ever devoured!

In other news...

  • The Pats' Jordan Eberle notches another five goals in two games this weekend. If this kid isn't the player of the year in the CHL this season, I'd like to know who is!
  • If the Pats can post at least a .500 record while Eberle and Colten Teubert are away at the World Juniors, I'd like to see Brent Parker load up for a playoff run.
  • If the wheels fall off while those two are gone, deal them and load up for next year.
  • In other words, it's up to players NOT named Eberle and Teubert to determine the fate of this year's team.
  • Is old man Favre starting to hit the wall in Minnesota?
  • Can the Packers still make a run at the division championship in the NFC North? They'll have to beat Baltimore tonight to have any sort of a chance.
  • You'll notice I haven't weighed in on the Tiger Woods story yet. That's because I honestly can't bring myself to care.

Thursday, December 03, 2009

SportZone lineup for December 1

Here's the lineup for this week's show. It airs tomorrow (Wednesday) night at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 3 p.m. on Access channel 7 in Regina.

SportZone Guests for December 1/09
Community Co-Host: Corey Matthews


1. (U of R segment) An update on the University of Regina women’s basketball team. Guest: Dave Taylor (Head Coach).

2. (Event profile) A preview of the annual Balfour Classic high school basketball tournament. Guest: Glen Fekula (Balfour boys Head Coach), Cooper Toppings & Cam Hinchcliffe (Co-Captains).

3. (High school segment) The Winston Knoll Wolverines senior girls celebrate a high school volleyball provincial championship. Guests: Tom Foster (Head Coach), Haley Williams & Dori Lozinski (Wolverines players).

4. (Amateur sport spotlight) A preview of the 2009 World Junior Racquetball championships, and an update on the sport in Regina. Guests: Ross Richardson (Team Canada Head Coach) & Christine Richardson (Competitor).

5. (Amateur sport spotlight) Members of Regina’s rugby community are traveling the world, helping out the less fortunate. Guests: Karl Fix (Dog River Howlers RFC) & Dick Cornish (Prairie Fire RFC).

SportZone trivia: Which team captured the senior boys’ championship at the 2008 Balfour Classic high school basketball tournament? Send us your answer, and your contact information, for a chance to win a free medium pizza from Panago!

Thursday Cheers and Jeers

It must be getting close to Christmas, because I don't have much to complain about! However, we'll give it a shot...

Cheers
  • All the local businesses who donated prizes in support of the Atom Tier 3 Blackhawks tournament this weekend in Dysart. Much appreciated!
  • Brent Kaminski and his crew at the Southland Mall Safeway for donating snacks and refreshments for all the players taking part in the tournament. Thanks Brent!
  • Regina Rugby Club. A great place to hold a meeting or social event.

Jeers

  • A couple of local businesses (nameless, for the time being) that promised to donate items for the 'Hawks tournament this weekend, and were never heard from again. That's pretty friggin' weak.
  • Regina drivers. Yes, it snowed. Get over it.
  • Those "fans" clamouring to know precisely which Saskatchewan Roughrider was the extra player on the field for the life-changing penultimate play of the 2009 Grey Cup. The people that need to know, do. That's good enough for me.

Okay, your turn!