Dave’s Dis N’ Dat to Wrap Up The Week: With A Final Pro Chance For Saskatoon Fans?

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It’s Friday and about time, dare I say, as I am not sure that I can handle any more negativity coming out of Riderville after an oh-and-3 and a subsequent, perceived, blow-up by Rider Head Coach Corey Chamblin.

AND that’s just the tip of the iceberg! Here are my scattered thoughts from the week that was in the world of sports.

Ok let’s start in Riderville and perception has to meet with reality in the Saskatchewan Roughriders oh-and-3 start.

Rider Nation has to realize that two of those losses came in overtime. Yes, the Green and White squandered late leads in both games but in reality the games could have gone either way.

The one concern that I most certainly have within the oh-for start is that the Green and White are oh-and-2 at home which is troublesome especially when you see that Riders road schedule is back loaded.

Staying in Riderville and some are upset that Head Coach Corey Chamblin sounded off about fans and media that were criticizing him. He knows that he has his neck on the line every week, especially since taking over the defense.

However, it should be noted that people who are tired of sports clichés and want raw emotion are the same ones condemning Chamblin for doing just that. You can’t have it both ways and I for one am glad that he spoke his mind.
Oh, and for what it’s worth I predict another nail-biter at Mosaic tonight but look for the Riders to seal the deal in regulation.

In other CFL news for a second week in a row I had to turn a football game off when the penalties reached a ridiculous level. Again, officials are doing their job and upholding the standard set by the league but back-side-of-the-play illegal contact on a receiver penalties need to be considered by the league.

To the Big Smoke and although the Argos and Hamilton are both shut out of their respective homes until the conclusion of the PanAm Games you have to wonder about their relevance in those centres.

Speaking of the PanAM Games can someone tell me why organizers could not strike a broadcast deal by where the events were carried live? TSN and Sportsnet only have 10 channels between them and you could thing something might have been worked out seeing as how the CBC seems reluctant to miss a night of Coronation Street. (Sorry to my family…. HUGE fans)

Bacto the CFL Good move this week by the Argos naming Michael Copeland to their front office. In a number of interactions that I had with him when he was employed by the league he is a solid person with great vision, perspective and ideas.

On a different field, the Toronto Blue Jays open the second half of their season tonight. If there is one thing that is apparent from the first 80+games is that they don’t have the moxy to become a championship caliber team. The team’s inability to hit against quality pitching, inability to capitalize on late game scoring opportunities lack of a bullpen will not allow the Jays to compete for a play-off spot.

So what to do with the Jays? Again I contend that moving Jose Bautista is a must. The return you would get for the slugger is as high as it is going to get. AND being tossed from a game in the late innings in Kansas City for, this is not a recording, arguing balls and strikes is getting old and hurts the team. The return could be great but it may not be able to be done mid-season.

Last one and professional sports are returning to Saskatoon. No, not the American Hockey League! Instead the Edmonton Rush of the National Lacrosse League will announce their relocation at a news conference next week. I had the opportunity to see some of the Rush brass at a recent Saskatchewan SWAT game at Kinsmen Arena. To say that they were impressed by the fans enthusiasm and knowledge is an understatement. The big question is will professional lacrosse work in Saskatoon where so many other “pro” attempts (baseball and basketball, in particular) have gone by the wayside? The one thing that I think is a certainty is that all other professional sports leagues will look at the success, or lack there of, of the Rush franchise in Saskatoon. Is this the last chance that Saskatoon will have to attract any type of pro franchise? I would bet on it.