Friday thoughts

I think, therefore I post:

• Congratulations and best wishes to CKRM's Willy Cole as he steps away from the microphone at the end of a 33 year broadcasting career. I thoroughly enjoyed working with Willy during my 8+ years with Harvard Broadcasting.
• With Willy packing it in, does that make Z99's CC the dean of Regina morning radio announcers? Go figure.
• Which Regina radio morning show do you listen to? Or are you a morning dial scanner?
• I just ordered a Synergi Sirius receiver to listen to satellite radio at home.
  
• Now, I have to remember not to have Howard Stern on when the J-man is around! I've almost made that mistake a few times while driving around. Not good!
  
• Was the near-death experience in round one enough to propel the Vancouver Canucks through the rest of the Stanley Cup playoffs? I think the Canucks will get past Nashville, but I don't like their chances against Detroit or San Jose.
• Actually, that battle between the Wings and Sharks might be the real Stanley Cup final.
• Would Pittsburgh still be playing if Crosby and Malkin were healthy?
  
• Hey Brian Burke: the Tampa Bay Lightning managed to go from Cup champs, to cellar-dwellers, and back to elite team status in seven years. How's Toronto's 45-year rebuilding plan coming along?
• The Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers took an offensive lineman with the final pick of the first round of the NFL draft last night.
• Investing in players who can keep star quarterback Aaron Rodgers healthy isn't such a bad idea.
• Aaron Rodgers, you complete me.
  
• Brett Favre? Thanks for the memories.
  
• The Major A Orioles open the North Regina Little League season tomorrow morning. Should be interesting, considering we've averaged only six players at each of our practices this week!
• It's the last day for the perogy sandwich special at the Delia Llama. Three guesses what I'll be having for lunch today. Keep the defibrillators on standby!
  

Thursday Cheers and Jeers

The sun has been shining and the snow is finally (almost) all gone. Not sure if there's anything to complain about!

Cheers

• City Wide Security. Guy is a good...well, guy. And I'm looking forward to having an alarm system for my garage. Now if only there was a device that vaporized graffiti artists. I'd definitely invest in that!
• Advanced Auto Cleaning. They're not cheap, but Chris and his crew do a great job. And Chris' son was the star goalie on the provincial pee-wee hockey champs. Trust me, he'll tell you about it!

Jeers

• Judging by the amount of "art" around the city this spring, I would say the city's graffiti bylaw has been a bit less than an overwhelming success.
• London Life. Seriously, when it takes three months (and counting) to process an insurance claim, you have problems.
  

That's it for now. I'll resist the urge to jeer (or cheer) the Regina Pats until I know more about what direction the club is taking in regards to the 2011/12 season. But at this point, I certainly understand the frustration many fans are feeling - and expressing.

Really? That's it?

The Regina Pats offered an olive branch to a disgruntled fan base by canning assistant coach Shaun Sutter and goaltending coach Ryan Cyr today. The move comes in the wake of a third straight non-playoff season for the country's oldest major junior hockey franchise. Presumably, head coach Curtis Hunt has dodged the axe swung today by general manager Chad Lang.

Anyone who expected a major shakeup within the organization probably should have known better. And hey fans - don't forget the Pats early bird season ticket deadline is only two days away!

Thursday Cheers and Jeers

Let's see what we can come up on the eve of a long Easter weekend:

Cheers

• Legends Sports Memorabilia. Trent runs a must-see shop for any die hard sports fan. I picked up some Packers gear last weekend, and can definitely see myself returning. Often.
  
• Air Canada (how often do they get praise?). Thanks for the seat sale, now make sure you get the J-man and I to and from our summer vacation smoothly!
• Press Box Sports Bar. Excellent food and service the past couple of visits.
  

Jeers

• The state of Regina's "roads". Granted, the weather hasn't been conducive to road repairs, but the streets really are in sad shape.
• The grand Regina revitalization plan. I'll gladly cheer (loudly) for this plan, which includes a new stadium/entertainment facility, once you can show me the funding is in place. If it happens, it will be a fabulous thing for this city. But until the funding is secure, it's just a bunch of pretty drawings.
• Whatever has caused my satellite radio to conk out. Until I can get it fixed next week, I'm stuck listening to Regina and Moose Jaw radio. The horror!
  

Locker Talk lineup for April 19

Here's the lineup for this week's extravaganza. This week's show aired last night at 9 p.m. and will hit the Access 7 airwaves again Thursday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 3 p.m. Enjoy!

Locker Talk Guests for April 19/11
Co-host: Carlo Palazzo

1. An update on the WCP Cup indoor soccer tournament. Guest: Gladwin Henry (Organizing Committee).

2. A preview of the 2011 Credit Union Queen City Marathon. Guest: Doug Russell (Race Director).

3. Our Man Carlo. Locker Talk movie reviewer Carlo Palazzo takes a look at another sports cinema classic. This time: The Mighty Ducks 3.

4. The Pilot Butte Storm return from the Keystone Cup western Canada junior B hockey championship with bronze medals. Guest: Chris Lewgood (Head Coach).

5. A preview of the 2011 season for the Regina Red Sox baseball club. Guests: Rob Cherepuschak (Red Sox Manager), Tyan and Kael Cherepuschak (young Red Sox fans).

6. A preview of the 6th annual Oskana Cup hockey tournament. Guest: Shelley Lavallee (Oskana Minor Hockey Development Inc.).

7. The Blair Necessities. Mitch’s weekly sports commentary.

Monday musings

Just another manic Monday (whoa, whoa). You're welcome for planting that Bangles song in your head for the rest of the day!

• The Chicago Blackhawks are going to bow out of the Stanley Cup playoffs with little more than a whimper. Go figure.
• Actually, it's not that hard to figure out. They're up against an excellent opponent, and this year's Hawks have none of the grit that carried the team to the championship last year.
• Speaking of bowing out with a whimper, what is going on with the Boston Bruins? The Montreal Canadians have owned the B's in the first two games of their series, with the next two being played in Habville.
• Carey Price is starting to look like a championship-calibre goaltender. So is Roberto Luongo, for that matter.
  
• Could there be a chance of two Canadian teams meeting in the Cup final? Wouldn't that be something.
• Early prediction for Canada's goaltender lineup for the next Winter Olympics. Luongo, Price and Marc Andre Fleury.
  
• Chunky Adams as an Edmonton Eskimo? Weird.
• So, if the Riders cut Gainer - will Eric Tillman sign him too?
• Is there going to be an NFL season this year? I hope so, but if not, that just means the Packers will hang onto their title a little longer.
• Memo to members of the sports media: please learn the difference between a strike and a lockout. The current situation in the NFL is a lockout. The two words are not interchangeable.
• The J-man will wear the colours of the Orioles in the 2011 North Regina Little League season. The poor O's will be stuck with yours truly as an assistant coach.
• For those keeping score at home (as if!), Jacob and I are going for our third straight league title this year. The pressure is on!
  
• I finally entered the doors of Legends Sports Memorabilia on the weekend. I can see me returning many times. Trent has a pretty fine set-up, with something for every sports fan!
• Looking for a little slice of heaven? Try the perogy sandwich at the Deli Lama. I don't even want to know how many calories were in that thing!

Friday thoughts

Maybe some random blogging will get the synapses firing today. Nothing else seems to be working!

• There's only one thing worse than the Toronto Maple Leafs missing the playoffs, and that's the Montreal Canadians winning playoff games. C'mon Bruins!
• The Chicago Blackhawks just aren't the same team this spring. It looks like Vancouver will finally get past the Hawks in a playoff series.
  
• The J-man's baseball season would normally be starting in a couple of weeks. I wonder if that will have to be pushed back this year?
• Leave it to the winter of 2010/11 to try to hang around way longer than it should!
• With this much water around, how bad do you think the mosquitoes will be this year? That could be scary, actually!
  
• Less than two months to go until the start of CFL training camps. Football season can't get here soon enough, quite frankly!
• With Andy Fantuz in NFL limbo, who becomes the Riders' go-to receiver on 2nd down? Chris Getzlaf is a possibility.
• On the subject of go-to receivers, there are still spots open for Don Narcisse's football camp on May 7th. Check out Narco's website for more information.
• The Lakeshore Tennis Club is taking registrations for the 2011 season. Wanna play?
• Former Regina junior star Denise Fernandez is the new club pro at the Lakeshore. I've already dared her to try to improve my backhand. If she can, you'll know she's good!
  
• Okay, I've gotten back into a routine with jogging on the treadmill. Is it time to take the show out on the road, literally?
• Nah, there are already enough potholes around Regina - we don't need my fat carcass causing more of them!
  
• The Nissan 350z is a fine looking automobile, don't ya think? I'm just sayin'...
  

Thursday Cheers and Jeers

It doesn't matter what we say or do, the world just keeps spinning. Here's a selection of stars and lesser lights from the past week:

Cheers

• Liljyana's Reflexology. I was skeptical about the whole reflexology thing (still am), but the early results have been encouraging.
• Prairie Mobile Communications. Thanks to Shae Paisley for getting my new Blackberry Torch up and running. It is one sweet phone!
• Regina Automotive Warehouse (again). What can I say? Roy, Ken and the crew take great care of me. The summer tires and rims look fantastic!

Jeers

• Petro-Can car wash on South Albert. That's okay, I didn't really need my rear windshield wiper arm!
  
• Novia Diner. Love the food, but the service leaves a lot to be desired. The young lady that serves us might be the grumpiest person in the history of waitressing.
• Mother Nature. Speaking of miserable, she serves up the winter from hell, followed by spring flooding, and now some more snow? Enough, already!
  

Locker Talk lineup for April 12

Here's the lineup for this week's show, airing Thursday at 6 p.m. It's almost like waiting for Christmas morning, isn't it?

Locker Talk Guests for April 12/11
Co-Host: Carlo Palazzo

1. An update on the WCP Cup indoor soccer tournament. Guest: Noor Mitri (Organizing Committee).

2. A Regina rink will represent Saskatchewan at the national mixed curling championships. Guests: Jason and Colleen Ackerman (Team Saskatchewan).

3. A preview of the 2011 season for the Lakeshore Tennis Club. Guests: Terry Tuharsky (Club President) & Denise Fernandez (Club Pro).

4. Looking for a different way to get in shape this year? Why not give the sport of stair climbing a try! Guest: Trevor Folgering (Canada Stairclimbing Association).

5. A review of the 2011 World Men’s Curling Championships. Guest: Derek Boe (Event Chair). (www.seasonofchampions.ca)

6. The Blair Necessities. Mitch’s weekly sports commentary.

7. A couple of young Regina athletes celebrate a successful 2010/11 speedskating season. Guests: Kali Christ & Sarah Piluk (Regina speed skaters).

Thursday Cheers and Jeers

Another week has flown by, and it's time to examine who is worthy of a little recognition, or a little scorn. Allow me to present this week's list:

Cheers

• Phoenix Books. Very helpful folks, especially in helping me determine what my musty old comic book collection (rescued from mom's attic) is worth. Really wish I took better care of those things!
• Regina Automotive Warehouse. Roy, Ken and their crew do great work for a very reasonable price. What more do you want?

Jeers

• A certain workplace that just gets worse with each passing day.
  
• Wrestlemania. Seriously, why do I waste time watching that dreck?
• London Life. Latest in the series. Just some piss-poor service, quite frankly.
  

Locker Talk lineup for April 5

Here's the lineup for this week's show. I believe we're pre-empted by the SJHL finals tonight. Hopefully the show still airs Thursday at 6 p.m!

Locker Talk Guests for April 5/11
Co-Host: Carlo Palazzo

1. A profile of the WCP Cup indoor soccer tournament – Regina’s version of the World Cup! Guest: Mike Collins (Organizing Committee).

2. The Harvest City Reapers celebrate another provincial 1A boys high school basketball championship. Guests: Joel Wells (Head Coach), Habib Habib & Akeem El-kalani (Players).

3. The Leboldus Golden Suns celebrate a city 5A high school girls championship, and provincial silver medal. Guests: Becky Schmidt (Head Coach), Sydney Picton & Sara Hubenig (Players).

4. Our Man Carlo. Locker Talk sports movie reviewer Carlo Palazzo reviews another classic of modern cinema. This time: The Mighty Ducks 2.

5. A preview of the 2011 Kids of Steel Icebreaker triathlon. Guest: Terry Hooper (Organizing Committee).

6. (ENG segment) A preview of the first annual Don Narcisse football camp and celebrity football gala. Guests: Don Narcisse (Camp Director/Rider legend) & Lisa Peters (Event planner).

7. The Balfour Redmen celebrate a provincial 5A boys high school basketball championship. Guests: Riley Wilson & Saldin Spahic (Players).

The highlight of the show - perhaps of my Access career - was the point in the show (keeping in mind we were on location at the Credit Union Eventplex) when a drunk douche bag stumbled onto the set and refused to leave. Classy. Apparently said douche works at Canadian Blood Services. It's comforting to think people like that are in charge of the country's blood supply!

Monday musings

Kind of an uneventful weekend (not that that's a bad thing!), so there really isn't an awful lot to blog about. Or is there?

• Sincere condolences to the family and friends of Mandi Schwartz, a former star hockey player for the Notre Dame Hounds. Her public battle against cancer came to a very unfortunate end this weekend.
• Wrestlemania? Meh! In hindsight, there were many better uses for the $65 investment required to watch that pay-per-view.
  
• The food and company were top-notch though!
• With the World Men's Curling Championships and the WCP (indoor soccer) Cup both underway this weekend, parking was a little dicey at Evraz Place. Still, you won't catch me complaining about having high-profile sporting events in our fair city.
• Nothing against Jim Calhoun and UConn, but I'll be pulling for the Butler Bulldogs in tonight's final of the NCAA men's basketball tournament.
• Memo to the folks at Gold's Gym South: the climate control system needs a little work. I swear it was at least 80-85 degrees in the gym on Friday night. Sweating while working out is good. Sweating while walking between machines and/or standing still? Not so much.
• I decided to give the Petro-Can car wash on south Albert a try this weekend. Big mistake. Now I'm in the market for a rear wiper arm for my vehicle. Nice.
• Was that the last of the snow for this season on the weekend? Given the way this winter played out, I wouldn't necessarily count on it!
• They may not make the playoffs, but I think the Toronto Blue Jays will be highly watchable this season. The J-man and I may need to take in a game during our Ontario holiday, if time permits.
  

Friday thoughts

Some things are just too good not to comment on. So, without any further ado...

• So it's the first day of April. Will spring be making an appearance this month? Dare to dream!
• Former Roughrider Scott Schultz is coming out of retirement to play for the Calgary Stampeders? It's on the interweb, so it must be true!
• The comments section of Rod Pedersen's blog should be mandatory reading for anyone who disputes the negative repercussions of allowing first cousins to marry.
• The Chunky Adams era with the Riders came to an end this week. Good guy, but that's the business of pro sports.
• That's two popular veterans cut loose (Omarr Morgan being the other) by the green and white this off-season. If you believe these things happen in threes, who is next?
  
• For the conspiracy theorists - did Jeremy O'Day escape the ax by accepting a job in the front office? Just a thought.
• Congrats to Regina Minor Football for renaming the bantam coach of the year award the Brian Saip Bantam Coach of the Year award. Excellent decision.
• The bantam Lakers will wear a special patch honouring coach Saip on their jerseys this season. That's also a very fitting tribute.
  
• For the record, I'm not in favour of Team Canada wearing green at the World Men's Curling Championships next Tuesday. However, it's not worth losing sleep over either.
• The P.A. Raiders aren't going to upset the Saskatoon Blades are they? That first round WHL series is tied at two wins apiece.
• For Pats fans who may not understand the previous post - I'm referring to the WHL playoffs.
  
• Are the Toronto Maple Leafs cruelly teasing their fans with another late-season surge that falls just short of the playoffs? Or is this really going to be a team to watch next season?
  
• Let's face it, Leafs fans (myself included) have been fooled before!
• Wrestlemania highlights the entertainment schedule at Casa Paczko this weekend. The upper crust of Regina society will be in attendance.
• The J-man's baseball evaluations are tomorrow. The question is: how many weeks before the ball diamonds are actually playable?
• It always comes back to the weather around here, doesn't it?