Friday thoughts

The usual assortment of odds and ends:

• Things are coming together quite nicely for the 2009 edition of the RMF Atom Cougars. Thanks to everyone who made it out for a very well-attended parents' meeting last night!
• I can't wait for the administrative stuff to be done, and the real coaching to begin!
• I honestly don't think Dave Ridgway's absence from this weekend's anniversary celebrations for the '89 Grey Cup champs is worth some lame attempt at radio news coverage. And lame it was.
• Call me crazy, but I prefer my football coverage from people who may have actually been in a huddle once or twice in their lives.
• I was going to wade in on the domed stadium "controversy" today, but I'll save those thoughts for next week.
• I hope the east side fans don't trash Richie Hall tomorrow. Despite the fact he coaches the Eskies, Richie will always be a member of Rider royalty.
• Now, if you want to let Mo Lloyd or Kitwana Jones have it, be my guest!
• If the Riders can get some heat on Ricky Ray, they should have a fairly easy time getting past Edmonton. If not, it could be a long afternoon.
• Would Anthony Calvillo's career have gone in a different direction if he signed with the Riders instead of Montreal back in 1998? It almost happened, you know.
• Mind you, the Riders were such a mess back then, it probably wasn't that tough a decision for Calvillo.
• Arland Bruce III is a piece of work. But I don't know if Bart Andrus is much better. That's quite a gong show they have going in Toronto.
• Speaking of the "big smoke", if the Jays don't trade Roy Halladay they might as well resign themselves to also-ran status for the next five years at least.
• The J-man's summer holidays are now half over. How fast did that fly by?