Enough!

First off, sincerest condolences to the Davis family on the passing of Eva. The wife of Football Reporters of Canada Hall-of-Famer Darrell succumbed to cancer on the weekend. I never had the pleasure of meeting Eva - by all accounts she was an amazing woman.

And now, the Rider family is hit with the news that defensive line coach Ron Estay is battling cancer as well. Obviously my best wishes go out to the "Swamp Dog" and his family. All this comes on the heels of the death of Rider legend Ron Lancaster, also because of cancer.

When will we finally be rid of this awful, awful disease? On a personal level, my mom battled colon cancer a couple of years ago (so far, so good), and Jacob's grandmother on his mother's side lost a battle with cancer eight years ago. How many more good people do we have to lose before someone comes up with a cure? Enough!

Monday Musings

A few thoughts while I recover in sick bay. Stupid fall colds.

• The offenses of the Riders and the atom Cougars were almost identical yesterday. Generated plenty of yards, but couldn't close the deal.
• No medals, or plaques or anything for the players at the end of the RMF season? What's up with that?
  
• Coaching minor football is one of the more challenging, yet most enjoyable, things I've done in sports. I highly recommend it.
• I especially recommend it if you're an offensive guru - boy have I got an opportunity for you!
• Michael Bishop isn't the answer. Hell, chances are he'll forget the question!
• The Regina Pats haven't exactly stormed out the gate this season. I wonder which of the three (Rowat, Bosch, Ketlo) goalies will be dealt.
• The Pats' young blueliners look........well, young.
• With Dallas' loss to Washington, are the Philadelphia Eagles the class of the NFC right now? Or is it the Giants?
• Are the Tennessee Titans the best team in the AFC?
• How can someone sleep until 2 pm and still be tired? Stupid fall cold.
  

Friday thoughts

The munchkin and I are both off today, so there's not much time for blogging:

• Anyone know how to inspire a group of 9-11 year olds to play the football game of their young lives? The atom Cougars have been a little..............distracted........of late.
• Cougars vs Eskimos, for all the marbles, Sunday morning at the ungodly hour of 8 am!
• A Rider win in Montreal this week would be a big upset. How many weeks has it been since we called a potential Rider win an upset?
• It would seem obvious that Michael Bishop ain't exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer. Not being able to decipher the plays on his own wristband? Yikes.
• The Pats looked like a pretty good team at their home opener last weekend. Mind you, they looked like a pretty good midget AAA team. Things should look a lot better when the five vets are all back from NHL camps.
• Does anybody still say thank you when you hold a door open for them anymore? I've started bellowing "You're welcome!" to the ones who don't. Chances are the point is lost on them.
• Are we finally done discussing last weekend's Beergate episode at Mosaic Stadium?
• The people who refuse to refer to the facility as Mosaic Stadium should probably extricate themselves from the 1970's. Yes, times were simpler then. Get over it.
• Mind you, they are doing a fine job of propagating the stereotype that Saskatchewan is allergic to change.
• I suppose using a taser probably isn't recommended as a way of firing up the atom Cougars?
  

Pats rookie is WHL's best in week one

PATS’ WEAL NAMED BOSTON PIZZA WHL PLAYER OF THE WEEK

CALGARY, AB. - The BOSTON PIZZA WHL Player of the Week is forward Jordan Weal of the Regina Pats.

Weal picked up five points, scoring one goal and four assists to go with a +3 rating, in two games over the WHL Opening Weekend.

On Friday, September 19^th, the Pats travelled to Brandon to face the Wheat Kings at Westman Place. Weal picked up two assists in his first ever WHL regular season game which saw his Pats lose to the Wheat Kings 5-3. He was also named the games 3^rd Star.

On Sunday, September 21^st, in the second half of the home and home series with Brandon to kick off the WHL’s 43^rd Season, the Pats hosted the Wheat Kings at the Brandt Centre in Regina. Weal scored his first WHL goal and added two assists in a game that saw the Wheat Kings fight back from a 3-0 deficit to defeat the Pats 4-3 in the shoot-out. Weal was also named the games 1^st Star.

Weal, a 16 year old from Vancouver, British Columbia, is in his first season of play in the Western Hockey League. He was selected by the Regina Pats in the 4^th round – 79^th overall during the 2007 WHL Bantam Draft and spent last season in the BC Major Midget League with the NW Vancouver Giants scoring 39 goals and 100 points.

Embarrasing performance

No, I'm not talking about the Saskatchewan Roughriders, who lost 27-21 to the B.C. Lions tonight. I'm talking about the idiots masquerading as fans at Mosaic Stadium.

How impressive to have to listen to leather-lunged mouth-breathers shout out pointless drivel during the moment of silence for Ron Lancaster. Yeah, that was a real valuable contribution. Thanks.

I'd also like to thank the white trash teenagers who sat in front of my 9 year old son and I tonight. Thanks for getting up every two minutes for more beer. The folks trying to watch the game behind you in section 26 sure appreciated having to watch your drunken butts stumble down the aisle. But hey, at least you managed to impress my son - and the other young fans nearby - with your awe-inspiring and versatile use of f-bombs every few seconds. Here's a thought; maybe you should go racing up and down McCarthy Boulevard tonight.

And then, let's make sure to thank the multitude of MENSA members who reacted to Dante Marsh's classless decision to fire a ball into section 26 by hurling full beer cans onto the playing surface. I appreciate having to cover my kid's head, in case one of you limp-wristed dolts managed to hit him with your can of liquid courage.

I'm not proud to be a Rider fan tonight. Not a bit.

Friday thoughts

Another collection of random thoughts:

• I look forward to the tribute to Ron Lancaster at tomorrow night's Rider game. Let's celebrate all that he meant to the team, and this province.
• I'm getting tired of fourth quarter comebacks (and almost comebacks). I hope the Riders jump out to an early lead, and keep the pedal down until the final whistle.
• Speaking of which, I'd sure like it if the Atom Cougars did the same thing tomorrow morning against the Lions. Hopefully it's a bad weekend for all teams named Lions!
• AC/DC tickets for the Vancouver concert go on sale in less than a hour. Here's hoping...
• Gold's Gym - nice place, if only they could get a few more posers to join up!
• I think I'll have to check out the Pats home opener Sunday afternoon against Brandon.
  
• I honestly don't know what to expect from the Pats this season. It should be interesting, at least.
• If the U of R Rams lose this weekend, it's next-year country already.
• Sarah Palin may actually make George Bush Jr. look like a statesman. How scary is that?
  

Requiem for a Rider legend

Lancaster dies of lung cancer
By THE CANADIAN PRESS


HAMILTON - Ron Lancaster, a CFL legend known during his playing days as the Little General, has died. He was 69.

He died Wednesday night, a Hamilton Tiger-Cats spokesman said Thursday. A former player, coach and team executive, Lancaster was diagnosed with lung cancer earlier this summer and had been undergoing radiation and chemotherapy to treat the disease.

Lancaster, who survived bladder cancer in 2004, had been working as a colour analyst on Hamilton Tiger-Cats radio broadcasts this season before receiving the diagnosis. He was also serving as the Ticats senior adviser to organizational development.

"As much as I love the game of football, there are some things more important than what happens on the field of play," he said in a letter to fans on the Tiger-Cat website in August in confirming the cancer.
Lancaster was born in Fairchance, Pa., but grew up in the blue collar steel town of Clairton. He excelled as a high school quarterback but due to his small stature was overlooked by the big U.S. colleges. He instead played for tiny Wittenburg University in Ohio and while he was ignored by the NFL, the CFL's Ottawa Roughriders gave him a shot.

His illustrious CFL career began in 1960 in Ottawa where he won a Grey Cup in his rookie year. After the 1962 season, the Rough Riders dealt him to Saskatchewan where he spent 16 years, leading the Roughriders to their first-ever Grey Cup title in 1966.

Known for his on-field smarts, Lancaster excelled in the pass-happy CFL and captured the Schenley Award as the CFL's outstanding player in 1970 and '76. He finished his 19-year playing career with 3,384 passes for 50,535 yards and 333 touchdowns.

Lancaster became Saskatchewan's head coach immediately after the 1978 season but was let go after consecutive 2-14 seasons.

Lancaster then joined the CBC, where he worked as a colour analyst for the network's CFL broadcasts. He also served as a basketball colour commentator at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.

Lancaster returned to football in 1991 as the Edmonton Eskimos head coach. He spent seven seasons there, winning a Grey Cup in 1993.

Lancaster became the 17th head coach in Ticats' history on Nov. 26, 1997 and served as the club's coach from 1998 to 2003. He led the team to Grey Cup appearances in 1998 and '99, winning the latter.

He returned to the sidelines as Hamilton's interim head coach in '06 after Greg Marshall was fired.

During his heyday, Lancaster earned a reputation of being a player's coach. He'd often give his troops the latitude to have fun, but demanded discipline and dedication on the field.

His 142 regular-season wins place him fifth on the CFL's career list.
Popular and respected in CFL circles for his integrity and up-front demeanour, Lancaster was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1982 and the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1985.

Lancaster is the third Hall of Famer to die in recent months. Earl (Earthquake) Lunsford died on Sept. 4 while B.C. Lions president Bob Ackles suffered a fatal heart attack in early July.

He is survived by his wife Bev, three children Lana, Ron and Bob and his four grandchildren.

Monday musings

Thoughts that filter through the haze, as the anaesthetic wears off:

• Thanks to Rod Pedersen for the lift to and from the GH today. Much appreciated!
• Now that that's over, bring on the solid food!
• Aaron Rodgers is helping Packers fans get over the way the Brett Favre fiasco was handled.
• However, I'm still angry at the Packers for dumping Jon Ryan. I wish Jon tonnes of success in Seattle.
• I'm starting to think we've seen the last of SportZone on Access 7. If so, it's time to line up another freelance gig!
• It's back to the drawing board this week for the Atom Cougars, after a 20-0 loss on the weekend to the first-place Gaitors.
• You really have to wonder about a minor football coach who would jump onto the field to celebrate a hit that knocks an opposing player out of the game. Said coach almost got carried off on a stretcher himself.
• Any Gold's Gym members out there? How big a culture shock am I in for, after so many years at Carm's Regina Court and Fitness Club?
• Mike Reich eye gouges Victor Bartley in an exhibition game. And the Pats/Blades rivalry gets turned up another notch.
• The beds at the Delta Bessborough in Saskatoon are the most comfortable. . . ever.
• Dallas vs Philadelphia in the NFL Monday nighter. Can't wait!

Friday thoughts

Back to some semblance of regular blogging:

• Gas prices go up 12 cents /litre because Texas might get hit by a tornado? What a soulless existence it must be to be the CEO of an oil company.
• Far be it for me to advocate violence, but if said CEO were to get hit in the nards really, really hard (like spitting up blood hard), I would laugh. Oh yes, I would.
• The Atom Cougars take a two-game winning streak into Sunday morning's showdown with the unbeaten Gaitors. Time to see what we're made of!
• Young Jacob loves football, despite being stuck on the offensive line for the 2nd half of the season. He's a keeper.
• Apparently Michael Bishop may be a keeper too. Who'd a thunk it?
• Weston Dressler is a fan favourite in his first year. Where are the "experts" who wondered what Dressler had done to warrant making the team after training camp?
• Is this the best Rams team ever? No. No it is not.
• I bid a sad farewell to SportZone producer Terry Bell, who is leaving the employ of Access Communications. Could this spell the end of the line for SportZone as well?
• They sure are going through a lot of people in the production department at Access these days. Yep, they sure are.
• Are the Regina Pats going to be any good this year? I can't help feeling pessimistic. Hopefully I'm wrong.
• Now that my Court Club membership is kaput, I bit the bullet and signed up at Golds Gym today. Pray for me.