Thursday Cheers and Jeers

Really? Has it been a week already? Okay then, let's go:

Cheers

• A website called www.thatsmyticket.com. Lots of cool stuff for sports fans. I picked up a birthday present for the J-man, and an early Christmas present for him as well!
• Gus Giannoutsos massage therapy. If you need to get worked over, might as well be by a sports fan like Gus!
• The Deli Llama. A new takeout restaurant a few doors down from my office on Scarth St. Five different kinds of grilled cheese sandwiches! What's not to love?

Jeers

• The folks who wander around the new Walmart SuperCentre in awe, as if they're visiting Vegas. Or the moon. It's a big Walmart. Get over it.
• Whoever programs the Hits1 station on Sirius/XM. The J-man likes the music, and I swear they have a grand total of seven songs on their playlist! Repetitive much?

Okay, your turn! Oh, and I want to withdraw my criticism of Regina's Ryan Getzlaf from earlier in the week. He has been absolutely money in Team Canada's last two games! I'd like to take credit for the dramatic improvement, but let's get serious...

Riders and Cats swing a deal

Apparently Eric Tillman wasn't the only Saskatchewan Roughrider general manager who can fleece the Hamilton Tiger-Cats! Well done, Brendan Taman. Well done, indeed!

CFL.ca Staff

HAMILTON -- The Hamilton Tiger-Cats announced today that the team has acquired non-import wide receiver Adam Nicolson, a third-round selection in the 2011 CFL Draft and the rights to a negotiation list player from the Saskatchewan Roughriders in exchange for import receiver Prechae Rodriguez.

"With the emergence of a few young receivers last season and the addition of Maurice Mann to our receiving corps, we felt that we could make this move to improve other areas of our team," said General Manager Bob O'Billovich. "Adam is a young Canadian receiver who has the ability to produce if given the opportunity and can also contribute on special teams."

Rodriguez spent the last two seasons with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats after originally signing with the team as a free agent in May, 2008. In 26 games, the Auburn product had 115 receptions for 1,594 yards and ten touchdowns.The 25-year old had a stand out season in his rookie year in 2008 when he had 70 receptions for 1,099 yards and seven touchdowns in 14 games which earned him the acknowledgement as the East Division’s Most Outstanding Rookie.

Nicolson, a 6-4, 223-pound native of North Bay, Ontario was selected in the first round (8th overall) of the 2007 CFL Canadian Draft after a standout CIS career with the University of Ottawa. The 25-year-old has recorded five receptions for 59 yards and one touchdown with the Roughriders and Lions.

SportZone lineup for February 23

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. Only in Regina, you say? Pity!

SportZone Guests for Feb 23/10
Community Co-Host: Carlo Palazzo

1. A preview of the 2010 season at Regina’s Lakeshore Tennis Club. Guest: Randy Semenchuck (Club President).

2. A report on the University of Regina women’s volleyball first round playoff victory over Brandon. Reporter: Brendan Pawliw.

3. A preview of the World Masters Indoor Track and Field championships, coming up in Kamloops next week. Guests: Carol Lafayette-Boyd & Selina Coward (Regina Masters athletes).

4. A post mortem on the 2009/10 season for the U of R swim team. Guests: Jeff Toth (Head Coach) & Mark Thomas (swimmer).

5. The Blair Necessities. Our weekly sports commentary by local sports broadcaster/blogger Mitchell Blair.

6. A post mortem on the 2009/10 season for the U of R men’s volleyball team. Guest: Greg Barthel (Head Coach).

SportZone trivia: Which team/school did the U of R women's volleyball team defeat in the first round of the playoffs last weekend? Send us your answer, and your contact info, for a chance to win a free pizza from Panago!

Monday musings

Here's how the world looks to me at the start of another work week:

• Team Canada's weaknesses (ie: Chris Pronger and Joe Thornton) were absolutely exposed by the Americans in last night's Olympic men's hockey showdown.
• Pronger is a definite liability on defence against a fast team. And Thornton continued his trend of disappearing in big games.
• Regina's Ryan Getzlaf needs to pick up his game as well. His passing was....not great.
• On the flip side, Rick Nash is a beast. Imagine what he could so with any sort of a supporting cast in Columbus.
• It sounds like it was quite a gong show in Brandon Friday night, as the Wheat Kings hammered the Regina Pats 10-2. Rod Pedersen's blog may have set a new record for comments about a junior hockey game in the wake of that one.
• The Pats beat Chilliwack 5-3 the following night, to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.
• The J-man's hockey team took a 12-2 beating Saturday morning. I guess they were trying to emulate the performance of the Pats the night before?
• The Toronto Argos were busy cleaning house this weekend, releasing quarterbacks Kerry Joseph and Cody Pickett and linebacker Zeke Moreno.
• I wonder if KJ is regretting his decision to leave Saskatchewan after the championship season of 2007?
• Granted, it wasn't totally his decision, as he was traded by then-general manager Eric Tillman. But still...
• Do the people who come flying out of grocery store aisles without looking drive their cars the same way they operate their carts? I called two people morons at Sobeys yesterday, and I'm guessing they still haven't figured out why.
• Is it Friday yet?

Friday thoughts

A rare edition of Friday thoughts, straight from the home ice in Dilke:

• We're not exactly owning the podium in Vancouver, are we?
• Still, three gold medals are three more than we've won at the two previous Olympic Games to be held in Canada.
• I seriously doubt the men's hockey team will win gold. However, I'd be delighted to be proven wrong on that one.
• Tiger Woods will hold a news conference this morning, that will be carried live around the world. Alert me when it's over.
• The Regina Pats estimate they need to win 9-10 of their remaining 12 games to sneak into the WHL playoffs. Good luck with that.
• Somebody tell the fat lady to start warming up her vocal cords.
• And, I'd love to be proven wrong on that one too.
• Attention Roger Federer wannabees! Regina's Lakeshore Tennis Club is holding a social next week for current and potential members. Check it out, if you dare! The link to the LTC site is on the list on the right side of this page.
• You know you're getting old when the lumbar support in your new vehicle gives you a backache.
• Gordon Lightfoot may not be dead, but his career is another story...
• Did I ever tell you about the time I almost ran over Gordon Lightfoot while he was playing road hockey with his kid in Toronto? I led a much more interesting life in those days.