NACHBAUR NAMED CHIEFS HEAD COACH

The Spokane Chiefs have named Don Nachbaur, ninth on the WHL's all-time coaching win list, as the organization's 11th head coach in franchise history.

Nachbaur has won 431 games in 12 seasons, six each in Seattle and Tri-City, as a head coach in the WHL and is a two-time winner of the Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy for the WHL's Coach of the Year (1995-Seattle, 2008-Tri-City).

The contract between Nachbaur and the Chiefs is a five-year agreement.

"I always appreciated the fact that Spokane was a strong, well run franchise," Nachbaur said. "When coaching against Spokane I thought they were always one of the toughest teams to play. The word professional comes to mind. It is a great building, Spokane has good teams and you always want to be a part of something like that."

WEDNESDAY SPORTS CAGE AUDIO

It was a busy show on the eve of the 2010 CFL season. In hour one we heard from Alouettes broadcaster Rick Moffatt, Rider coach Ken Miller, Alouettes players Anthony Calvillo and Anwar Stewart and Rider quarterback Darian Durant. And as always, calls and texts from the Rider Nation. Download the show here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?jimyjcm1gix

Hour 2 - The Belmont Tire Rider Coaches Show with Coach Ken Miller:
http://www.mediafire.com/?mzleqynziu1

WEDNESDAY STUFF

The Roughriders held their day-before-the-game walk-through at Mosaic Stadium this morning. The Alouettes don't arrive until early Wednesday afternoon, and won't practice. They'll hold a media session at their Regina hotel.

Here's the audio from coach Ken Miller's news conference today:
http://www.mediafire.com/?tviomjgmy1j

Today in the Sports Cage from 4-5pm MT we'll hear from Alouettes play-by-play man Rick Moffatt, replay coach Miller's news conference audio and check in with Rider defensive back Lance Frazier.

The Belmont Tire Rider Coaches Show makes its season debut from 5-6pm on 620 CKRM. Coach Miller will join us live by phone, and talk your calls and texts.

Talk to you then,
RP

THE CFL'S 10 BURNING QUESTIONS

By: Herb Zurkowsky
Montreal Gazette

Here are 10 questions we hope will be answered over the coming months.

1 - Who needs tickets? With 5,000 additional seats now available at Molson Stadium, what potentially happens should the Als start losing? While we've never put much stock in exhibition games, you probably noticed attendance against Toronto was almost 2,000 short of capacity.

2 - Has any team lost more? The Calgary Stampeders fell short in their bid to repeat as Grey Cup champions -with the game at McMahon Stadium. And now they've lost Sandro DeAngelis, in our estimation the most-reliable field-goal kicker in the league, who signed with Hamilton as a free agent, along with highly-respected offensive coordinator George Cortez, who went to the University of Buffalo after growing tired of waiting to be named a CFL head coach.

3 - What happens with mighty Casey at the plate? We're still not sure what to make of quarterback Casey Printers. He was the league's outstanding player in 2004, with British Columbia. He wasn't during his two seasons with the Tiger-Cats. Now he has returned to the Lions and Wally Buono, where he led the team to a semifinal upset at Hamilton. One week later, against the Als, he completed only 50 per cent of his passes, and his team lost by 38 points.

4 - What does he do for an encore? In his first head-coaching gig, Edmonton's Richie Hall didn't exactly set the league on fire; the Eskimos going 9-9. Now Hall has decided to add the defensive coordinator's title to his portfolio. How will that work?

5 - Is Saskatchewan the CFL's next dynasty? Quietly, the Roughriders have been in two of the last three Grey Cups. They defeated Winnipeg in 2007 and should have won last year's game against Montreal. They would have, except they squandered a 16-point fourth-quarter lead.

6 - How many fingers do you see, Buck? We'll give new Winnipeg head coach Paul LaPolice credit for this much -he identified Buck Pierce as his starting QB early and backed it up through training camp and exhibition games. But how long will it be before the frequently-concussed former Lion gets cold-cocked? When that occurs it'll be the Bombers who develop the headache.

7 - Can the Argos win a game? They have no experience at QB, running back and kicker. Otherwise, Toronto looks strong. Insert punchline here. Hamilton went 1-17 in 2003. That futility streak could be in jeopardy.

8 - Can the Ticats take the next step? Hamilton was 9-9 last season. If the Ticats can win two or three more, and if the Als lose two or three more, we just might have an honest-to-goodness race in the East Division.

9 - You think you're confused? Hopefully, David Braley keeps two sets of cheque-books, because he's the proud owner of two franchises -Toronto and B.C. Certainly there's no conflict of interest there. And if things fall apart in Hamilton, will Braley, a resident of Burlington, Ont., assume control of a third team?

10 - Who will be the first player to fail? The new four-year CBA will include a drug-testing policy -the first in the history of the league -although it is unlikely to begin before 2011. And this goes beyond the smoking of joints. Does the CFL have a steroid problem? Not even league officials are certain.

© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette

PRESS BOX HAS RIDER TICKETS

Once again the Press Box Sports Bar is offering a great package for Rider home games including tomorrow's Canada Day season-opener between the Riders and Alouettes at Mosaic Stadium.

$55 gets you a ticket to the game (westside, lower grandstand), transportation to and from the game from the Press Box, a Pilsner and a burger or hot dog.

See the Press Box for details, and ask your server!

PATS DRAFT BLIDSTRAND

Regina, Saskatchewan – The Regina Pats are proud to announce the selection of Swedish defenceman Ricard Blidstrand with the 46th pick in 2010 CHL Import Draft.

The Pats moved up in the draft by sending their 6th round 2012 WHL Bantam Draft pick to the Lethbridge Hurricanes in exchange for the 46th overall pick. 

Blidstrand, who hails from Stockholm, Sweden was a 7th round pick by the Philadelphia Flyers in the recent 2010 NHL Entry Draft. With AIK J20 in Sweden this past season, the big defenceman had 2 goals and 6 assists in 33 games. He also played for Sweden at this past spring's U-18 World Championships in Belarus.

D – Ricard Blidstrand
Shoots: Left
Hometown: Stockholm, Sweden
Born: April 20/92 6'2" 205lbs.
Draft: 7th Round Philadelphia Flyers

Regina Pats General Manager Chad Lang commented, "Blidstrand is a big, solid stay at home defenceman who has a great first pass and will adapt well to the North American game. He also gives us some depth at defence and fills a hole we have in the 1992 age group. We welcome Ricard to the Pats family and can't wait to see him at training camp in August." 

Blidstrand joins fellow Swede, Hampus Gustafsson as the 2 Pats import players. This is the first time in franchise history that 2 players from Sweden will play for the blue and white in the same season.

SPORTS CAGE TUESDAY AUDIO

HOUR 1: Jordan Hendry of the Chicago Blackhawks and these folks - Chicken Man, Heather Hodgson and Trevor Douglas from the Heart of the Rider Nation gallery exhibit at Cumberland Art Gallery in the Legislature:
http://www.mediafire.com/?umneyn2mmjy

HOUR 2: Weston Dressler, Jeremy O'Day and "who's your most-hated sports figure?":
http://www.mediafire.com/?ijkzwimvyyj

TUESDAY UPDATE

Roughrider coach Ken Miller told reporters that he told the team after today's practice that he'll post the 46-man roster for Thursday's game in the locker room tomorrow at 8:00 am. Sooooooo, let the debates rage until then.

We'll be pretty much wall-to-wall Riders today in The Sports Cage from 4-6pm MT on 620 CKRM. However at 4:35pm we'll be joined by Jordan Hendry of the Chicago Blackhawks, the pride of Nokomis, Sask.

See you then!

RIDICULOUS

I slipped on an Alouettes 2009 Grey Cup ring during today's In The Huddle taping at Access. It's the BIGGEST ring I've ever seen.

VICK: MOST HATED ATHLETE

MICHAEL VICK may have put the whole dog-fighting controversy behind him, but most Americans haven't. According to Forbes magazine, the NFL star tops a list of the most-hated people in sports. To qualify, each person must currently work as a player, coach, manager, agent or owner and be known by at least 10 percent of the 1,100 people over the age of 13 who took part in the poll.

Here's a look at the most-hated sports personalities, along with the percentage of people surveyed who dislike each:

1. Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback -- 69%
2. Al Davis, Oakland Raiders owner -- 66%
3. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback -- 57%
4. (tie) Tiger Woods, golfer -- 53%
4. (tie) Jerry Jones, Dallas Cowboys owner -- 53%
6. Mark McGwire, former Major League Baseball star and current coach with the St. Louis Cardinals -- 48%
7. Terrell Owens, NFL wide receiver -- 47%
8. (tie) Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees third baseman -- 45%
8. (tie) Allen Iverson, NBA star -- 45%
10. Gilbert Arenas, NBA star -- 44%

**Who would make the list for you?

MONDAY SPORTS CAGE AUDIO

HOUR 1 was a disaster. Click on the link below for HOUR 2, which includes Mike McCullough, Wes Cates and Rob Vanstone and the Chilis Monday Football Roundtable:
http://www.mediafire.com/?jwogwmkodm1

CATES TIRED OF TAILBACK TALK

With the Roughriders still not set on who their starting tailback will be for Thursday's season-opening game against Montreal (5:00pm MT at Mosaic Stadium, TSN, CKRM Network), veteran Rider running back Wes Cates seems to have grown a little tired of the probing questions from reporters about the topic.

"It seems from the way people talk that I have something to prove every week so I'm going to just go out and do my best to prove it," Cates mentioned after Monday's practice. "We'll take it from there. I can only do what the coaches ask. If it's blocking, I'll do that. If it's carrying the ball, I'll do that. If it's receiving, I'll do that. You know, we'll let Thursday come and see how it plays out and you guys can talk good or bad about me based on how you feel."

The Leader Post's Rob Vanstone asked if Wes really feels the media has talked bad about him?

"I wouldn't say you've talked bad about me but the speculation is in the air," Cates answered. "There's good and bad talk so you just take it with a grain of salt. I appreciate the people who talk good about me and whatever to the people who've talked bad about me. That's the way it goes."

The CBC's Dean Gutheil asked what speculation Wes is referring to.

"I mean you guys know, you guys write the stuff!" Cates huffed. "It hasn't come out of my mouth and I don't read the papers and the blogs. I just get third person hear say like 'Cates is this or that' or 'washed up' or 'he shouldn't be the starter'. I'm not worried about it. I'm just out here to be the best player and human being I can be."

To that, I asked Wes what he WOULD like to talk about. The weather, politics?

"Right, this is you guys' job and you're just asking the questions you're told to ask," Cates continued. "I understand that and I think I do a pretty good job of answering them. But it is a beautiful day out, I'd say Rod. It was a little scary and hazy earlier but it cleared up nicely. I hear it's nice to be sunny and warm out the rest of the day so I might warm up the grill or something."

Roughrider coach Ken Miller admitted after the workout that he's leaning towards starting Cates in the match.

"My gut instinct is that it will probably be Wes in this particular game because, in order to replace someone, somebody has to demonstrate that they’re significantly better — not just the same or as good,’’ Miller said.

We'll delve into this on the Sports Cage this afternoon on 620 CKRM between 4 and 6pm MT.

TWO LEGENDS

DUB NOTES

Everett Silvertips Vice President / General Manager Doug Soetaert announced Monday that the Ontario Hockey League's Soo Greyhounds will be joining the Everett Silvertips, Portland Winterhawks, Tri-City Americans, Seattle Thunderbirds and Spokane Chiefs at the annual Holiday Inn Pre-Season Classic, held over Labor Day Weekend from September 3 - 5 at Comcast Arena.

The three-day tournament will mark the first time that Everett has competed against a team outside of the Western Hockey League. The Silvertips will face off against Sault Ste. Marie on Friday, September 3, Tri-City on Saturday, September 4, and will close the tournament against Seattle on Sunday, September 5. All Silvertips games will begin at 7:00 pm.

OIL KINGS ACQUIRE HICKMOTT

Edmonton, Alta- General Manager Bob Green announced today the Edmonton Oil Kings have acquired centre Jordan Hickmott from the Prince Albert Raiders in exchange for Sebastian Svendsen and a 3rd round pick in the 2011 WHL Bantam Draft.

SOLD-OUT

The Saskatchewan Roughriders are pleased to announce that Thursday's game against the Montreal Alouettes at Mosaic Stadium has sold out. 

The regular season home opener will kick-off at 5 pm at Mosaic Stadium. 

With the sell-out, the broadcast blackout has been lifted and the game will be available for viewing on TSN.

THE MONDAY MORNING GOALIE

It's finally here! GAME WEEK! After a loooooooong bitter off-season, the Saskatchewan Roughriders finally begin the road to redemption this Thursday, Canada Day, when they kickoff the 2010 CFL season at Mosaic Stadium against the Montreal Alouettes. We'll discuss that game and other football things in today's column.
---
But first, hockey.

Congratulations to Regina Pats players Jordan Weal (L.A.) and Brandon Davidson (Edmonton) for being drafted on the weekend at NHL Draft festivities in Los Angeles. Congratulations also to the other 41 Western Hockey League players who had their names called.

Of course I wasn't there, but I got the scoop on the Draft from my Dad last night. He was there from Wednesday till Sunday with the Dallas Stars. He reports the Stars would have taken Moose Jaw defenceman Dylan McIlrath with the 11th overall pick if the New York Rangers hadn't. We argued a bit over McIlrath's value (I mean c'mon, Jordan Eberle was #22), but the Old Guy seems pretty sure about McIlrath's first round status.

Warriors coach Dave Hunchak said Friday night that McIlrath going #10 changed the complexion of the entire draft.

---

I've got to stop bashing the Stars! Dad said Marc Crawford was asking about me at the Draft. He also asked "How are your Riders gonna be Jimmy?"

I'll tone it down, but I can't apologize for my dismay at the Stars missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. And did you see who won NHL Coach of the Year?

---

The Swift Current Broncos never had a player from their team drafted for the first time since the club's inception in 1986. That's not a big deal. That's happened to the Regina Pats twice since that span (1994 and 2004).

---

Hockey's first family has grown by one member again. Congratulations to Shaun and Autumn Sutter on the birth of their daughter Saige early Saturday morning. Everyone's doing well!

---

I'm pleased to report former Regina Pats media relations director Nathan Morrison IS alive at the World Cup in South Africa. Here he is with FIFA President Sepp Blatter, who seems quite unsure of how to take Nathan.

Aside from being robbed in South Africa, Nate seems to be doing fine. Hurry home!

---

The Regina Red Sox scored seven times in the 2nd inning en route to a 16-5 pounding of the Weyburn Beavers Sunday afternoon to break a two game losing streak. Eric McKinney and JP Willner had three RBI's each for the winners who are now 13-4 on the season. The Red Sox will be in Swift Current Monday with their next home game coming Wednesday at 705 when Moose Jaw visits.

---

So this is how the other half lives? Rather than attending the NHL Draft in L.A., I spent the weekend enjoying friends and family. We were out Friday and Saturday nights with friends, took Dan Rashovich for breakfast Saturday morning at the Royal Regina Club and Mom for lunch later that day.

Sunday? Rider practice, a bucket of balls, and then coffee on the "patio" at Starbucks.

NICE.

---

Apologies to the staff at the Royal Regina Golf Club for Dan Rashovich and me showing up for breakfast in jeans Saturday. Apparently that's not allowed.

However RAZZ took it one step further, wearing a Hawaiian shirt and cowboy boots as well.

That outfit committed several violations.

---

A note from our sponsors: win a trip to the 2010 Grey Cup through NUClick Web Design! All it takes to be eligible is become a fan of NUClick on their Facebook fan page. Just search "NUClick Web Design" on Facebook and get entered!

---

Did anybody catch the Rogers Sportsnet CFL Preview Show last night? And did anyone, ahem, catch the LEAD story?

Anyways I must have missed something but all FOUR of the panelists picked the Edmonton Eskimos to represent the CFL's West Division in the Grey Cup this year. That includes Guilio Caravatta, Sandy Annunziata, Jim Lang and Willie Pless.

That's GREAT for the Eskimos but should they be UNANIMOUS favourites? That was a shocker.

---

I can't believe this. I've looked at the forecast for Thursday's Rider game four times and received four DIFFERENT forecasts. As of yesterday, they were saying 29 degrees and sunny. As I write this today, they're saying 27 degrees and thundershowers. Hang on folks, it'll change again soon.

---

Kickoff for Thursday's game has been pushed back to 5:13pm local time.

---

Ray Elgaard was adamant on The Sports Cage last week that former teammate Bobby Jurasin should be coaching a defensive line in the CFL somewhere.

---

There must have been a hundred or so people at Rider practice yesterday. It got me wondering why NO ONE goes to Regina Pats practice across the street in the winter.

As Global TV's Derek Myers said yesterday, "if there's someone there, they wandered in by accident."

---

Our good friend Mike Hogan was one of many who got the axe at all sports radio The Fan 590 on Friday. Incidentally the new program director there is Don Kollins, who held the same post at Regina's CJME.

Anyways, Sportsnet's Jim Lang reported on Twitter last night that he expects Hogan to continue his role as Voice of the Toronto Argonauts. As for being a radio talkshow host, Hogie will be on the air again soon. He's far too talented.

---


Joe Hadesbeck snapped that pic on the highway between Saskatoon and Regina. I've never seen it before I don't think.


From Pats equipment manager Leigh Fitzpatrick comes this photo of a Rider themed wedding for the Mouldings near Abernethey, Sask.

---

From Michael David Smith's Sunday column at profootballtalk.com:

Michael Vick hosted a football camp last week and reportedly told the children who attended, "Pick and choose your friends carefully. You just can't put yourself in vulnerable situations."

It's long past time for Vick to take his own advice.

---

Congratulations to CTV's Dan McIntosh for winning a national RTNDA (Radio-Television News Directors Assocation) award for Best Short Length News Feature on a story he did on a fundraising effort in Pangman, Sask.

---

Word is Elin Woods is going to get $750-million in her divorce settlement with Tiger. Just think, she could pay for the new Saskatchewan Sports & Entertainment Centre and still have money left to spare!

---

Okay time to fly. It's the Chilis Monday Roundtable in the Sports Cage this afternoon from 4-6pm on 620 CKRM. Talk to you then and...

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!
RP

SUNDAY RIDER PRACTICE UPDATE

It was the Riders' first official practice of the year after naming their official roster and practice roster over the past few days.

New Canadian receiver Scott McHenry was in pads wearing #9 and looked good. Receivers Obed Cetoute and Aaron Fairooz continued to watch from the sidelines as they recover from injury.

Coach Ken Miller says he has not decided on who will start at tailback when the Riders open the season Thursday against Montreal at Mosaic Stadium.

Rookie DE Brent Hawkins appeared to have injured his hand on an o-lineman's helmet early in practice but quickly recovered and spent his team with the 1's.

The Riders practice Monday 11:00am to 1:00pm.

SUNDAY SPORTS

The Regina Red Sox lost their second straight game as they were beaten 12-4 Saturday at home against Yorkton. The Cardinals jumped on losing pitcher Jacob Genz as they led the game 5-0 after two.

The loss drops Regina's record to 12-4, but they are still three and a half games up on Melville in the WMBL East.  The Red Sox will try and get back to winning ways Sunday as they entertain Weyburn in a 2:05 start.

---

The Toronto Blue Jays put up a better fight against the Phillies. One day after getting hammered 9-0, they homered three times to beat Philadelphia 5-1. The Jays will try to win the three-game series when they send Brett Cecil to the mound today against Jamie Moyer.

---

Hideki Matsui's grand slam put the LA Angels ahead for good in a 4-2 win over the Colorado Rockies. It was Matsui's 150th homer in the majors and 482nd career out-of-the-park shot. Meanwhile, James Loney drove in four runs as the L-A Dodgers beat the Yankees 9-4, and the White Sox won their 11th in a row, 3-2 over the struggling Cubs.

---

African football lives on at the World Cup. Ghana beat the United States, 2-1 in extra time to advance to the quarter-finals.
The Black Stars are the last of six African sides to stay in the tournament. Meanwhile, Uruguay got a win its been waiting four decades for. The former champions beat South Korea 2-1 to move into the quarters for the first time since 1970.

---

The quarter-finals continue at the World Cup with two big matches. First, England is hoping Wayne Rooney returns to form in their game against Germany. The star striker has yet to score through three games at the tournament. Then, Argentina faces off against Mexico in the other knockout match.

---

Another NHL draft has come and gone. Edmonton kicked off the second day by choosing Minnesota State centre Tyler Pitlick, while Boston ended the draft by taking defenceman Zach Trotman with the 210th pick. On day one, the Oilers took highly-touted Taylor Hall with the first overall pick, while the Bruins picked playmaking centre Tyler Seguin with the number-two selection.

---

Cristie Kerr and Justin Rose will be well on their way to winning today before they even tee off. Kerr has an eight-stroke lead heading into the final round at the LPGA Championship, and Rose takes a three-stroke lead into the last day of the Travelers Championship after winning the Memorial just three weeks ago.

SATURDAY RIDER AUDIO

Click on the links to download the interviews from today's practice:

WESTON DRESSLER: http://www.mediafire.com/?miznmdr2itz

CHRIS SZARKA: http://www.mediafire.com/?jzzmjigt3ml

KEN MILLER: http://www.mediafire.com/?3h2xtl3h0jl

PATS' DAVIDSON AN OILER

Regina Pats defenceman Brandon Davidson has been drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in the 6th round, 162nd overall, at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft in L.A.

Davidson joins Pats forward Jordan Eberle in the Oiler organization. Eberle was taken in the 1st round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. Davidson is the second Pat player taken in the 2010 NHL entry draft as Jordan Weal was picked earlier today by the LA Kings in the 3rd round. 

Regina Pat players have had a great history at the NHL Entry Draft. Since 1994, a member of the Blue & White has been selected every year except for one, 2004. During that span a total of 36 players have had their dreams come true by getting selected by an NHL club. Since the inception of the NHL Entry/Amateur Draft in 1968, Davidson becomes the 115th Regina Pat selected in the draft. 

To see Brandon Davidson and the rest of the Regina Pats for the upcoming 2010-11 season, purchase your season tickets now. Adult prices begin at just $199, which averages out to just over $5 per game! For more information, call 522-PATS, click on www.regnapats.com, or head to the Pats office located in the west entrance of the Brandt Centre. 

WEAL A KING

L.A. took Pats forward Jordan Weal in the 3rd round, 70th overall, in today's NHL Draft.

ROUGHRIDER PRACTICE ROSTER

The following players have been added to the Saskatchewan Roughriders practice roster: 

Import DB Willie Byrd
Non-Import LB Christian Houle
Import DL Ikenna Ike
Import DB Ladarius Key
Import WR Cary Koch
Non-Import DL Ryan Lucas
Non-Import WR Scott McHenry

DURANT NAMED A CAPTAIN

Quarterback Darian Durant has been named one of the Saskatchewan Roughriders' captains for the 2010 CFL season.

"I got a great vote of confidence when they voted me offensive captain," said Durant, referring to his teammates. "That's a huge honour for me and it's just a tribute to what I've been doing, trying to build my relationship with the guys as a leader."

Durant is opening the season as the Roughriders' No. 1 quarterback for the second consecutive year. Before the 2009 campaign, head coach Ken Miller asked Durant to be more assertive as a leader, and strides were certainly made in that direction.

"I think I just have to build on what I started relationship-wise with the guys and just continue on from there,'' Durant said.

He also wants to continue to develop as a quarterback following a breakout year in which he was named a West Division all-star. Not only that, he piloted Saskatchewan to first place in the West and a Grey Cup berth.

(Courtesy Canwest News Service)

WAS THERE EVER ANY DOUBT?

Within seconds of the announcement by Oilers General Manager Steve Tambellini that the Oilers had selected Taylor Hall, fans rushed to the Oilers Store to purchase the first available Oilers crested Hall jersey.

Over 6000 fans arrived at Rexall Place tonight to witness a landmark day as the Oilers selected first overall for the first time in franchise history.

Taylor Hall, Oilers President of Hockey Operations Kevin Lowe and Hockey Hall of Famer Paul Coffey were streamed live into Rexall Place for exclusive interviews for Oilers fans in addition to a welcome from Oilers General Manager Steve Tambellini. 

Rather than making the trip to LA, Oilers Head Coach Tom Renney wanted to attend the Oilers Draft Party to participate in the evening's festivities and meet with fans.

With Draft fever at an all time high in Oil Country, this is a great time to be an Oilers fan. The Oilers Store at Kingsway Mall will be stocked with crested Hall jerseys starting at 10:00am on Saturday, June 26.

HALL GOES #1

TSN.ca ALERT: Edmonton Oilers select Taylor Hall with first pick in 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Follow all picks on TSN.ca.

A PATS WORKOUT

This photo comes courtesy Pats therapist Greg Mayer. Regina forward Garrett Mitchell, a Washington Capitals prospect, hits the ground at the conclusion of their workout.

Anybody want to try that workout?

FOOTBALL FRIDAY CAGE AUDIO

HOUR ONE: Rider talk, Alouettes colour commentator and six-time all-star Ed Philion:
http://www.mediafire.com/?kjxengmgt4j

FRIDAY RODSERVATIONS

• This weekend belongs to hockey and the NHL. Round 1 of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft goes late this afternoon at Staples Center in Los Angeles and all the focus is on the Taylor vs Tyler debate. Thankfully by supper time, it's appears we'll know who goes #1 to Edmonton. I think they should take Hall.

• Jordan Eberle is in Edmonton for the Oilers' Draft Day Party at Rexall Place today. Here are some of the details:

- Oiler personalities will be there including Sam Gagner, Ladislav Smid, Jeff Deslauriers, Devan Dubnyk, Tom Renney, Eberle and Alumni including Al Hamilton.

- Complimentary BBQ beginning at 3:30pm, followed by the Draft pre-show beginning at 4:00pm and live Draft coverage at 5:00pm.

• The Regina Pats are represented at the Draft by GM Chad Lang and coach Curtis Hunt. Forward Jordan Weal will be there too, expecting to hear his name called. He didn't want to go, but was persuaded by his agent.

• If TSN's Draft Preview is to be believed, Pats fans should hang on to the very end of televised coverage of Round 1. Last night they had Jordan Weal slated to go 30th overall to the Chicago Blackhawks in their mock draft which is the final pick of the round.

• Weal told CKRM one of the crazy questions NHL scouts asked at last month's NHL Scouting Combine.

"If your city was being invaded by North Korea, which family member would you leave behind and why?" they asked.

What is up with THAT?

• Troy Brouwer of the Chicago Blackhawks was on the Sports Cage yesterday, by phone from his in-laws' farm near Milestone, Sask (aka God's country). Troy gets the Stanley Cup July 15 and will be taking it to his home in Vancouver. He also brought up the "Brokeback Brouwer" situation from the old Pats-Warriors days. He seemed to get quite a chuckle out of it.

• Nokomis, Sask product Jordan Hendry of the Chicago Blackhawks will have the Cup in his hometown on Canada Day. There will be festivities that afternoon with a photo opportunity that day from 6:00 to 9:00pm followed by a cabaret.

• For those who download the archives of the Sports Cage from this blog, it sounds better with earphones. With phones, it's clear as a bell.

- Hall of Fame football writer Darrell Davis was on the Sports Cage Thursday and we asked him about the Shivers/Barrett Plaza of Honor debate. He said Shivers should be a candidate, and Barrett should not.

- It's Football Friday on the Sports Cage today. Our guests will include TSN's Chris Cuthbert and Alouettes colour commentator Ed Philion.

- Interesting comments by former Riders Matt Dominguez and Andrew Greene this week regarding the Rider final cutdown. They were never nervous at this time of year as CFL rookies. They knew they were good enough to make the team, and they did.

- CTV Regina is trying to get Dominguez to stop referring to the Riders as "we". He won't, and likely never will. I don't have a problem with that.

- I refer to them as "we" as well, with a slight pang of guilt. But I grew up here as a fan. Why should I stop being a fan just because I'm calling their games? It works in Minnesota for the greatest play-by-play man in the NFL, the Vikings' Paul Allen.

- Sunday night Sportsnet will air its hour-long CFL Preview at 6:00pm Sask time. That's when I'll make my Sportsnet debut. Some numbskull wrote in this week saying "hopefully it's better than your Off the Record appearance."

Hey, we all know I tanked on OTR. But it wasn't easy getting the show topics five minutes before going live on national TV and then being rope-a-doped by insults for the next half hour.

What's it like being on that show? Ask Capitals head coach Bruce Boudreau. TSN's Jay Onrait tweeted about it this week:

From: @JayOnrait

"Bruce Boudreau to @heylandsberg on OTR: "You talk so fast! Nobody gets time to get an answer in before you're asking another question"

Well put.

- CBC.ca had a poll this week asking what the new Rider loonie should be nicknamed. The options were The Roonie, Darian Dollar, The Green Buck or The Looncaster. Sports Cage listeners chimed in and my favourite suggestion was "The Roughie".

- At some point Wednesday morning, this blog hit 3,000,000 all-time unique visitors. It was nice to see.

- Four stars and two thumbs up for The Karate Kid starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith. We caught it this week and it's spectacular. It's a great lesson in discipline and sportsmanship. Take your kid(s).

- It's funny that America's Got Talent is judged by a Canadian (Howie Mandell) and two Brits (Piers Morgan and Sharon Osbourne. I never miss that show, but where's The Hoff?

- What's the worst intersection in Regina? I will submit the four-way stop at Regina Ave and Pasqua St. People seem to lose their brains there.

- That's it for another Friday. HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

RP

THURSDAY SPORTS CAGE AUDIO

HOUR ONE: Rider cuts, Coach Miller, Gary Etcheverry, Dan Plaster from the Pats, UFC Report: http://www.mediafire.com/?gtzjznwmwmw

HOUR TWO: Blackhawks fwd Troy Brouwer, Globe & Mail football writer Darrell Davis:
http://www.mediafire.com/?yvyfg51zvjd

RED SOX RAINED OUT

The Game tonight between Moose Jaw Millers and Regina Red Sox has been rescheduled to July 5th due to the massive rain fall once again.

UPDATED RIDER SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, JUNE 25th
DAY OFF

SATURDAY, JUNE 26th
11:15 am Practice

SUNDAY, JUNE 27th
11:00 am Practice

MONDAY, JUNE 28th
11:00 am Practice

TUESDAY, JUNE 29th
11:00 am Practice

COMMENTS ON THE CUTS

COACH MILLER ON THE RELEASE OF DE JOE SYKES:

"Again, we pick guys because of consistent good play and certain positions and really, in situations where they would have an opportunity to compete on special teams. That would be a strong consideration. So it was consistency, and he was not somebody we would use on special teams."

"It really is disappointing because I had such high hopes for him. Through the camp if you noticed, I looked for good things from him and often mentioned him. We just didn't get the consistent play out of him.

MILLER ON KEEPING SOME OF THE RELEASED PLAYERS ON THE P.R.:

"We're in the process of getting together and signing men to practice roster contracts."

ON PLACING OG KELLY BATES ON THE 9-GAME INJURED LIST:

"He has a kind of a persistent injury. Kelly's worked really hard to prepare for this season so to just jetison him would be a good thing. He provides us insurance down the road in the stretch drive if we need a player. He played well enough in the preseason, but not well enough to be in the top seven."

The full Ken Miller audio is here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?uyvnmmdh2wy

FINAL ROSTER MOVES

ROUGHRIDER TRANSACTIONS 
The Saskatchewan Roughriders have released the following players: 

Import DB Willie Byrd
Import WR Aaron Fairooz
Non-Import LB Christian Houle
Import DL Ikenna Ike
Import DB Ladarius Key
Import WR Cary Koch
Non-Import DL Ryan Lucas
Import DL Josh Miller
Import DL Joe Sykes 

The following have been waived injured: 
Non-Import WR Obed Cetoute
Import LB Kye Stewart 

The following have been added to the 9-game injured list: 
Non-Import OL Kelly Bates

TICATS RELEASE FORMER RAM

The Hamilton Tigercats released three players this morning:

NIP OL Zac Carlson
NIP DL Yahia Dalloul
*NIP DL Stan van Sichem

ALL CFL GAMES ON SATELLITE RADIO

CFL fans will be able to watch or listen to every CFL game from opening kick-off on Canada Day right through to the 98th Grey Cup championship game in Edmonton on November 28, 2010 on TSN television and Sirius satellite radio.

High definition television owners with and HD programming package will be able to watch all 77 games live in high definition on TSN HD while subscription satellite radio operator Sirius will beam the games out nationally on channels 97 and 98.

The CFL regular season begins Canada Day (July 1) with an opening night doubleheader featuring Montreal at Saskatchewan at 5 pm Sask time in a rematch of last year's GREY CUP final, immediately followed by Toronto at Calgary at 8 pm.

BLOG READER JANELLE COMES DOWN TO SEE RAY

RED SOX AMONG TOP 30 IN N. AMERICA

PG CrossChecker, in conjunction with the summer-league website,www.summercollegebaseball.net, has unveiled its first ranking of summer baseball teams for the 2010 season. Making their first appearance ever in the ranking are the WMBL's Regina Red Sox.

Rank Team League Record
1. Brewster Whitecaps Cape Cod 6-2
2. Chatham Anglers Cape Cod 5-2-1
3. Chillicothe (Ohio) Paints Prospect 14-3
4. Forest City (N.C.) Owls Coastal Plain 16-7
5. Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox Cape Cod 5-3
6. Eau Claire (Wis.) Express Northwoods 12-7
7. Santa Barbara Foresters California Collegiate 11-5
8. St. Cloud (Minn.) River Bats Northwoods 12-7
9. Mat-Su Miners Alaska 10-3
10. Wenatchee (Wash.) AppleSox West Coast 10-4
11. Kenai Peninsula Oilers Alaska 9-2-1
12. Youse's Maryland Orioles Cal Ripken Sr. 12-4
13. Orleans Firebirds Cape Cod 4-4
14. Bristol (Conn.) Collegiate New England Collegiate 8-3
15. Sedalia (Mo.) Bombers MINK 11-3
16. Amsterdam Mohawks New York Collegiate 8-4
17. Winter Park Diamond Dawgs Florida Collegiate 13-3
18. Sanford Mainers New England Collegiate 9-4
19. MLB Academy Barons California Collegiate 10-3
20. Rochester (Minn.) Honkers Northwoods 12-8
21. St. Joseph (Mo.) Mustangs MINK 10-3
22. Haymarket (Va.) Senators Valley 10-5
23. Edenton (N.C.) Steamers Coastal Plain 15-8
24. Licking County (Ohio) Settlers Great Lakes 6-4
25. Danville (Ill.) Dans Prospect 10-5
26. Falmouth Commodores Cape Cod 4-4
27. Bend (Ore.) Elks West Coast 8-4
28. Regina (Sask.) Red Sox Western Major 12-2
29. Staten Island (N.Y.) Tide Atlantic Collegiate 7-1
30. Victoria Generals Texas Collegiate 10-6

WEDNESDAY SPORTS CAGE AUDIO

HOUR 1: Roughriders' career receiving yards leader Ray Elgaard spent an hour with us in the Cage. Check it out here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?qyzmmkczoym

HOUR 2: Regina product Scotty Clark of the Toronto Blue Jays, and reminiscing about Ron Atchison:
http://www.mediafire.com/?yct2ettkbil

UPDATED RIDER SCHEDULE

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23rd
DAY OFF

THURSDAY, JUNE 24th
11:30 am Practice

FRIDAY, JUNE 25th
DAY OFF

SATURDAY, JUNE 26th
TBD Practice

SUNDAY, JUNE 27th
TBD Practice

MONDAY, JUNE 28th
TBD Practice

TUESDAY, JUNE 29th
TBD Practice

ATCHISON PASSES AT AGE 80

Saskatchewan Roughrider legend Ron Atchison has died at the age of 80. A member of the Riders' first Grey Cup championship team in 1966, he was a fixture on the defensive line for more than 15 years after graduating from the Saskatoon Hilltops in 1952.

George Reed was a teammate of Atchison's in the 60s and had these comments this morning:

"If anybody symbolizes the Roughriders from a Canadian standpoint, it was Ron Atchison. He was a big giant who carried himself well and did a lot of things for people off the football field."

"What stands out about him was his fun-loving attitude and all of a sudden you saw this fun-loving guy turn into the meanest guy you ever saw on the football field. I liked that about him. He also wore as many pads as he possibly could and tried to hit you as hard as he could every chance he had."

MORE RIDER CUTS

ROUGHRIDER TRANSACTIONS 

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have released the following players: 

Import WR Dwayne Eley
Import DE Willie Evans
Import DB Brandon Foster
Import WR Jeremy Gilchrist
Non-Import DB Joel Lipinski
Import DB Brandon Register
Non-Import DL Michael Stadnyk
Import RB Marcus Thigpen
Import DB Carlos Thomas

81 IN THE CAGE TODAY

Rider great Ray Elgaard is in town and will join us in The Sports Cage today on 620 CKRM from 4-5pm MT. The CFL Hall of Famer will be live in studio.

Scruffy will ride shotgun with us, and I'm still working on some other guests for hour two.

CFL Notebook

By: Rod Pedersen
Voice of the Riders

COHON TO RETURN TO QUEEN CITY

CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon will be in Regina for the Canada Day season kickoff between the Roughriders and the Alouettes. Although July 1 marks the start of the 2010 season, Cohon has been plenty busy in the weeks leading up to that date.

"There's been a number of different things," Cohon said last week. "I was in Winnipeg a few weeks ago for the ground-breaking of the new stadium, I was in Edmonton for the Grey Cup ticket launch and the game's already soldout, I was in Hamilton last week meeting with city council about the new stadium and the next day I was at Argos training camp. The best part was seeing guys back to playing football. It's keeping me busy I'll tell you that."

With stadium expansion and/or new stadium talk in almost every CFL market, it's clear the league is experiencing a resurgence. Cohon agrees.

"It's interesting. I think I played some small part in it but I know a lot of people played large parts in it," reflected the Commissioner. "Primarily I think first and foremost we have great community-owned teams and great owners. That is very important. Secondly there's a resurgence in pride in Canada and we are benefitting from that. And third, it's a great product! The play on the field is so much fun and people are rallying around that.

"There's a lot of different things that are happening. Our 'This Is Our League' campaign really resonated with people and we're investing back into the game. We're improving the game like the Command Centre and the QB headsets between the coaches and quarterbacks so all those things improve the game."

If there's a blemish it's in the league's largest market, Toronto, where the Argonauts have won a league-worst seven games over the past two seasons.

"There's a confidence level coming out of (new coach) Jim Barker," Cohon reported. "I think adding Jim and new owner David Braley has given the people of Toronto some hope. That's the first step. Jim is working hard with the franchise to rally the troops. One of the reasons the 100th Grey Cup is going to Toronto, and the first Grey Cup was there in 1909 by the way, we're trying to help the southern Ontario franchises. It will be a celebration in Toronto but it should be a celebration for all of Canada.

"I was in Vancouver for the Olympics and what I saw was it wasn't just Vancouver's Games, it was Canada's Games. It'll be a focus of building Toronto, but we want to include the whole country."

LUMSDEN STILL ON THE SIDELINES

With training camps over and the new season just days away, Jesse Lumsden is still looking for a place to play after being released by the Edmonton Eskimos.

The bruising tailback spent almost the entire season last year sidelined by a shoulder injury suffered in Week 1. However he recovered sufficiently to perform in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics with Canada's four man bobsled team.

The former Hec Crighton winner and first round pick has declared himself fit to play, but his injury history seems to have scared CFL teams off. He says though, he has spoken to "a couple" of teams about signing.

"I understand my situation coming into this season," Lumsden admitted. "I know I'm not going to be 'the guy'. That's just part of the business. I need to come back returning kicks and then get the ball handed to me and thrown to me in certain situations if the offense wants me in their schemes. Then I need to get back to doing what I know I can do. It's about gaining trust, earning trust and confidence from a team."

Lumsden has garnered a six figure salary in each of his stops in Hamilton and Edmonton but the Burlington product knows that won't be the case this time around.

"I can be upfront and say that I know any contract I sign will be incentive-based. Until I can prove that I can be a durable running back, that's what it's going to be. I'm not in a position to turn anything down, that's just the way it is."

So who signs him?

NAYLOR NAILS IT

After a winter of hibernation, CFL Insider David Naylor from TSN and the Globe and Mail will be front and centre once the season kicks off. We asked him for a quick breakdown of the league as training camps wrap up.

"You've got teams with holes to fill like every year," Naylor reported. "Saskatchewan does, Calgary does. There aren't many in Hamilton or Montreal.

"The most intriguing thing is right here in Toronto. You've got a new coach in Jim Barker who's come in and cleared the deck. This team was awful last year but if you look at the way Barker did it, he's got an entirely new staff and not one of his quarterbacks has thrown a live pass in a CFL game.

"It looks like they'll go with Cleo Lemon who has a lot of NFL experience but none in Canada. He's 31 years old and the history of the guys who come up here at that age isn't very good. And you can understand why; most guys come at 22 or 23, they learn the game and they're groomed and they learn. Darian Durant is a great example. He didn't show up and they handed him the ball and expected him to play. They're asking a lot of Cleo Lemon.

"The most intriguing thing is down in Hamilton. Last year Quinton Porter came in as a the starter and Kevin Glenn took it away. This year it's still a competition but the order is reversed. The guy who starts the second preseason game starts the regular season and that's what happened with Kevin Glenn this year."

NOT EVERYONE LIKES LEMON

From profootballtalk.com:

The good news for former NFL quarterback Cleo Lemon is that he finally has earned a full-time football starting job, albeit in Canada. The bad news is that not everyone in Toronto thinks that he should be the starting quarterback of the Argonauts.

Our buddy Warren McCarty has been tracking the story all the way from his ESPN Radio gig in Amarillo, having a couple of Toronto columnists on McCarty's weekday show to discuss the situation. McCarty characterizes the reaction to the decision to go with Cleo Lemon over Dalton Bell as "utter disbelief."

"Cleo Lemon did not win the quarterback job by any stretch," McCarty said. "He was absolutely awful in preseason. He simply was handed the reins because he's making the most money and he has an NFL name. Fans are going out of their minds up there right now. I had two columnists from Toronto papers on my show this morning . . . they are all in utter disbelief."

Case in point: Lemon completed 10 of 26 passes for 99 yards, one interception, and no drives resulting in points in the preseason. Dalton Bell, on the other hand, completed 18 of 26 passes for 341 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions, and 29 points scored. (The third-stringer is former Browns quarterback Ken Dorsey.)

The decision to go with Lemon possibly arose at least in part from financial considerations. David Braley, who already owned the B.C. Lions, became owner of the Argonauts earlier this year, giving Braley possession of 25 percent of the league's eight teams. McCarty says only 12,000 showed up at the Argonauts' home preseason game. So maybe Lemon's NFL connection will get more people into the stadium.

HENDERSON JERSEY FETCHES OVER A MILL

MONTREAL - Paul Henderson's legendary hockey jersey fetched well over US$1 million at auction early Wednesday following a late surge of interest in the historic cloth.

The winner bid of US$1,067,538 was submitted by Mitchell Goldhar, the owner of SmartCentres, a private real estate development company
based in Vaughan, Ont., north of Toronto.

TUESDAY SPORTS CAGE AUDIO

HOUR 1: Talk of Rider cuts, coach Ken Miller, discussion about the Rider loonie, and Pats forward Jordan Weal:
http://www.mediafire.com/?wgyojntyjyd

HOUR 2: Former Rider and CFL lineman of the year Andrew Greene, Ottawa Senators scout Bobby Lowes:
http://www.mediafire.com/?trmmyjny2zz

RIDER CUTS

K Elaschuk
OL Neufeld
OL Rempel
DL Riddick
WR Waldie
LB Wallace

GIVE IT A READ

OILERS GET NEW COACH

TSN.ca ALERT: Pat Quinn steps down as coach of Edmonton Oilers to take advisory role, assistant Tom Renney to take over.

SPORTSNET IS ALL OVER THE CFL

TORONTO (June 22, 2010) – Rogers Sportsnet is beefing up its lineup for the 2010 CFL season as former CFL All-Star Willie Pless and two-time Grey Cup winner Sandy Annunziata join Sportsnet Connected as CFL analysts starting with the 2010 CFL Preview Show on Sunday, June 27 at 8 p.m. (ET)/7 p.m. (MT)/(PT) on all Sportsnet channels and Sportsnet HD channels.

Jim Lang will host the hour-long preview show with Annunziata and former B.C. Lion Giulio Caravatta providing analysis in-studio, as well as Pless, from Edmonton.   Pless was an 11-time CFL All-Star linebacker with stops in Toronto, B.C., Edmonton and Saskatchewan.   Offensive guard Annunziata won Grey Cups in 2004 with the Toronto Argonauts and in 2005 with the Edmonton Eskimos.   

Pless, Annunziata and recently retired Montreal Alouette centre Brian Chiu, also a multiple Grey Cup winner, will appear weekly on Connected over the course of the CFL season to preview and review league games. 

Reporter Rod Pedersen joins Connected to cover the Saskatchewan Roughriders while Bryan Munz will file Connected reports on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers throughout the season.   

Caravatta and current Lions defensive end Brent Johnson will continue to discuss the Leos with host Don Taylor for Pacific Connected. 

The preview show will also include in-depth reports on all eight teams:
∙         Reporter Louis Jean sits down with Montreal Alouettes general manager Jim Popp to discuss his future in Montreal and the CFL's champion's chances of defending their championship and whether he could be heading south to the NFL.
∙         Jim Barker is the fifth Toronto Argonaut coach in the last two-and-half seasons and inherits a team that has been an absolute mess on the football field over the past two years
.   Reporter Arash Madani discusses with Barker about righting the ship for a franchise that the league needs to be successful.  
∙         Madani also goes one-on-one with Hamilton Tiger-cats QB Kevin Glenn about the expectations of the team after their playoff appearance last season.
∙         Lang looks at the Winnipeg Blue Bombers who have brought in one of the most sought after young coaches in the league in Paul Lapolice. 
∙         Rod Pedersen checks in with the Saskatchewan Roughriders as they recover from a bitter defeat in the Grey Cup last season.  The team looks to ride the offence after losing four defenders in the off-season.
∙         Will the Calgary Stampeders contend for the Grey Cup once again after falling short in the West Final last season?  Roger Millions reports on whether Ken-Yon Rambo can recover from an ACL injury in 2009 to return as the league's best receiver this season.
∙         Reporter Jamie Thomas gets acquainted with Edmonton Eskimo's head coach Richie Hall who will take over defensive coordinator duties for a team that struggled at times on the defensive side of the ball.
∙         After failures in Hamilton and the NFL, QB Casey Printers is back with the B.C. Lions where enjoyed his most professional success.  Reporter Craig MacEwen examines what will be different for Printers this time around. 

In addition, sportsnet.ca has CFL columnist Perry Lefko's team previews with the East Division featured on Wednesday, June 23 and the West Division on Thursday, June 24.

ANDREW GREENE ON 'IN THE HUDDLE' AND SPORTS CAGE TODAY

The former Rider and CFL lineman of the year will be with us on In The Huddle on Access tonight at 7:00 across the province and tomorrow night at 7:00 on Shaw.

Andrew's with Kidsport and tomorrow there's a huge bbq and X-Box competition for inner city kids at the CBC building. We'll discuss that and Rider football today in the Sports Cage between 4-6pm MT on 620 CKRM.

KINGS HIRE SASK KID

The Manitoba Moose, the AHL affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks, are pleased to announce Equipment Manager Jay McMaster has been hired by the National Hockey League’s Los Angeles Kings as their Assistant Equipment Manager.

McMaster will be working with Darren Granger who spent time as a volunteer Equipment Assistant with the Manitoba Moose in 2005. McMaster just completed his third season as Moose Equipment Manager.

Jason came to the Moose from the Memorial Cup champion Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League. A native of Plenty, SK, McMaster joined the Giants in 2005 and spent two seasons in Vancouver. Prior to that, he was an Assistant Trainer with the Lethbridge Hurricanes for one season in 2004.

SHERIDAN RETIRES

Calgary Stampeders offensive lineman Matt Sheridan has announced his retirement from football. 

"Matt has decided to retire, return to his home in Winnipeg and work diligently towards the goal of getting in better condition which would allow him to return to the game sometime in the future," said Stamps head coach/general manager John Hufnagel. 

Sheridan signed with Calgary on Apr. 29, 2010. He was originally drafted by Winnipeg in the sixth round (40thoverall) of the 2000 CFL Draft. He spent eight seasons with the Blue Bombers and was twice named Winnipeg's most outstanding offensive lineman. He was out of football in 2009.

FORMER STALLIONS OWNER BACK IN FOOTBALL

NEW YORK, NY – The United Football League board has granted conditional approval for Norfolk, Virginia, to host the league's sixth team that will commence play in 2011.

Meeting at the Cornell Club in New York, the board agreed that Virginia businessman Jim Speros will become the provisional Tidewater region team's owner.  Speros was a founding owner of the Baltimore Stallions, the only American-based team to win a Canadian Football League Grey Cup in 1995.

From 1993 to 1997 he was the President and owner of the Stallions and the Montreal Alouettes and was the vice chairman of the CFL and chairman of its US expansion committee.  Speros played college football at Clemson University and was the youngest full time assistant coach in the NFL under Joe Gibbs at the Washington Redskins before moving into team ownership.

Redskins legend Doug Williams, the MVP of Super Bowl XXII and the first black quarterback to win a Super Bowl, will take on the role of General Manager of the Norfolk team.

"I am very fortunate to be able to bring a pro football team to the state of Virginia and especially to the Tidewater region," said Speros.  "There is already a lot of football history in this area and I believe Norfolk will become the shining star of the United Football League.

"Virginia is a great state, but it does not have a professional sports team.  It has the legendary 757 area code that has produced the likes of Bruce Smith and Michael Vick and is truly a hotbed for football.  The fans are knowledgeable, there is a military presence here and I am sure they will all enjoy the opportunity to watch quality football."

RIDER CHEELEADER STEAK NIGHT

To mark the Saskatchewan Roughrider Centennial Celebration, the Rider Cheerleaders, past and present will be participating at this exciting upcoming event.

To kick things off, the Rider Cheerleader Reunion group is hosting a Steak Night. Details are as follows:

Date: Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Location: The Press Box 909 Albert Street

Time: 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM (come and go)

Cost: $20 – includes steak, salad, fries and a beer or soft drink.

There are a limited number of tickets available for this event. Contact me if you are interested in purchasing one, or two, or…..more.

Thank you in advance for your support.

MONDAY SPORTS CAGE AUDIO

HOUR 1: Chili's Monday Roundtable Darian Durant, Broncos broadcaster Jon Keen:
http://www.mediafire.com/?jwtzdyykyhi

HOUR 2: More Roundtable, Red Sox GM Bernie Eiswirth:
http://www.mediafire.com/?nwljzwmmmnm

CANADA CAMP GOALIES NAMED

CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Hockey League, announced on Monday the four goaltenders who will attend Canada’s National Junior Team development camp in St. John’s, N.L., as well as the four goaltenders invited to Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team selection camp, July 30-August 3 in Calgary.

The goaltenders named Monday are:

NATIONAL JUNIOR TEAM
Jean-François Bérubé: Boisbriand, Que. Montreal (QMJHL)
Calvin Pickard: Winnipeg, Man. Seattle (WHL)
Olivier Roy: Causapscal, Que. Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)
Mark Visentin: Waterdown, Ont. Niagara (OHL)

NATIONAL MEN’S SUMMER UNDER-18 TEAM
Robin Gusse: Terrebonne, Que. Chicoutimi (QMJHL)
Liam Liston: St. Albert, Alta. St. Albert (AMHL)
Jeffrey Noonan: Laval, Que. Laval-Montreal (LHMAAAQ)
Tyson Teichmann: Belleville, Ont. Belleville (OHL)

The goaltenders were invited to their respective camps following last weekend’s Program of Excellence goaltending camp in Calgary. Fifteen goaltenders – 10 eligible for the National Junior Team and five eligible for the National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team – attended the four-day camp.

The selection of the goaltenders completes the rosters for the National Junior Team development camp and National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team selection camp.

THE MONDAY MORNING GOALIE

"I don't mind losing, but this was ugly." - Carm Carteri, Sunday June 20, 2010.

That, in a nutshell, summed up Sunday's 41-17 Rider loss to the Stampeders in Calgary. Carm's point was that preseason wins and losses are meaningless but the fashion in which this one went down was unsettling.

All tolled, the Riders were penalized 12 times to the Stampeders' four and the team looked out of sync in quite a few areas.

Coach Miller referred to the "lack of emotion" from his troops, and that they've gotten away from the type of football this team has become known for. Even some of the players noted that the atmosphere was flat from their side all day long.

Carm and I are uneasy with everyone's prediction for a first-place finish for this club given the fact they haven't even played a meaningful game yet. I'm sure coach Miller and his staff will have them tuned in in short order.

---

This was Carm's assessment of the game on the postgame show:

"I think everybody in Riderville expected a lot more from this football team this afternoon, especially head coach Ken Miller. The disappointing thing as we sit here after the game is that we can't talk about anything positive we can get from the game.

"Special teams weren't good, on defense they gave up over 400 yards and offensively they really couldn't get anything going. They scored 10 points in the first half under Darian Durant and nothing happened until late when Cole Bergquist went in and threw that late TD pass to Koch. But other than that, nothing I can say went well for the Riders. Also disappointing was under 40 yards rushing. The coaching staff will now have to sit back and evaluate not only their talent, but what went on here today.

"The first play of the game, the kick return, there was a holding penalty and that set the tone. I just didn't see any sense of urgency out of the Riders this afternoon while the Calgary players were more exciting, jumping and down. I just didn't see any spark out of the Riders and that was the disappointing thing."

---

Was Nik Lewis' touchdown celebration excessive in the first quarter? You can see it on the highlights of the clash. This is what Darian Durant had to say about it:

"That's the way Nik Lewis plays. That's Nik Lewis. I don't have a problem with that. If a guy has a touchdown routine, then so be it. It doesn't really bother me. At the end of the day we know what he did to them last year and they know also. It's a new year so, you know, we have to prove over and over again that we can beat. They beat us today so when we play them we have to show them that we can take care of them."

Darian was asked if the fans be upset at the lopsided loss.

"I don't think it's a big deal," Durant answered. "We went 0-2 in the preseason last year and wound up in the Grey Cup. I really don't think it's too much to worry about. It's just preseason, we're working on some things and we're trying to see what players fit in where so I wouldn't read too much into it."

---

The Riders returned home late Sunday night and will have Monday off. There will be a handful of cuts on Tuesday and the rest will be announced on Thursday. We'll discuss the game this afternoon on The Sports Cage on 620 CKRM from 4:00-6:00pm with our usual Monday Rider Roundtable with Hadesbeck and Lynch. We'll also replay postgame interviews from the players.

---

We had some fun with Stamps quarterback Henry Burris on the pregame show Sunday. I asked him if we'll ever get over the heated rivalry between Burris and the Rider Nation:

"I think it's a love-hate relationship," Burris laughed. "I think once everything's said and done I'll come back to Regina and we'll all sit down and reminisce over some Pilsners or something like that and talk about all the great times and the great games. It's a love-hate thing but off the field it's nothing but love.

"I'm thankful for everything the Rider Nation has done for me in my career. When it comes to game day, I love the excitement and the motivation of going out and trying to beat team in green. It's love-hate but on the field it's definitely hate and I always try to beat them."

Burris was 12/16 for 153 yards and two touchdowns in a half of work on Sunday. On the other side, Darian Durant was 14/18 for 156 yards in the opening 30 minutes.

---

Much-hyped rookie DE Brent Hawkins led the Riders with six defensive tackles on Sunday but never really got near the quarterback. The lone sack in the game was recorded by Rider LB Mike McCullough on Calgary's Zac Champion.

---

Just in time for the regular season, we introduce http://www.cflpickem.com/. It's fairly simple - you pick who is going to win each and every CFL regular season game - no spreads, no handicaps. Just pick who you think is going to win. The entry fee is $10 with the top three finishers getting prize money. Fans have until game time to make/change their picks.

Ryan Campbell sent me the info on the pool. Looks like fun!

---

Message to George Cortez: The Palomino isn't the same without you! Love that place. And I'm glad George introduced me to it.

---

Thank you Calgary Airport for free wireless internet. It allowed me to get plenty of work done Sunday night during our three hour wait for the flight home.

---

I'll have to let Sunday's radio listeners in on a little gag.

Way back in 2005 when the Riders were playing a preseason game in Calgary, I had a momentary brain camp and said "Ryan Johnson will punt the ball for the Riders". Rider PR man Ryan Whippler was doing stats and said "Who is Ryan Johnson?" The fact is there was no Ryan Johnson on the team. I accidentally morphed two names together and never acknowledged the mistake on the air.

So now every year since, in the preseason road game which is never televised, the Rider staff eggs me to mention Ryan Johnson once per game as a joke. I've done it every year since, including yesterday when I said "Ryan Johnson will hold for Luca Congi".

Some wise listeners noticed the name Sunday and it instigated a thread on Riderfans.com. Now that everyone's on to us, the gag is over.

But it provided amusement while it lasted!

---

Stampeder personnel were quick to remind us of the 13th man gaffe in the Grey Cup this weekend, but they didn't have to. There are reminders everywhere but during Saturday's walk-through one reminder was particularly eery.

That suspended loud speaker over McMahon Stadium casted a shadow six-feet in diameter on the field. When the Riders came onto the turf, defensive coordinator Gary Etcheverry went over and sat under it.

I quipped to Mike McCullough "we haven't had sunshine in a month and now Etch is looking for the shade!"

The Rider linebacker answered back, "I don't think that's what it is. Look where the shadow is."

It was over the right hash of the 43-yard line, precisely where Damon Duval kicked the first wide field goal JUST before the too many men penalty.

That was spooky.

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By the numbers for Roughriders dressed in Sunday's game:

Oldest: OG Gene Makowsky (37)
Youngest: WR Dwayne Eley (23)
Tallest: OT Joel Bell (6'7")
Smallest: RB Dominique Dorsey, SB Weston Dressler (5'7")
Heaviest: OT Jordan Rempel (320 lbs)
Lightest: Dorsey (173 lbs)

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An eleven run 6th inning helped the Regina Red Sox to a convincing 14-5 Father's Day win over Melville Sunday afternoon at Currie Field.

Anthony Rodriguez had four RBIs for the winners with David Fox, Eric McKinney and Josh Hughes having a pair each. The Red Sox are now 11-2 and will be in Swift Current on Tuesday. The next home game is Thursday against Moose Jaw.

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The 2010 NHL Entry Draft goes this weekend in Los Angeles. That's one thing I'll miss about broadcasting Pats hockey; going to the Draft every year. I've been to the draft in Edmonton, St. Louis, Boston, Buffalo, Toronto, Calgary, Columbus and Raleigh but always wanted to hit Los Angeles.

Pats players Jordan Weal and Brandon Davidson will be hoping to hear their names called. The first round is on Friday and all subsequent rounds are on Saturday. We'll have to get those two on the air in the Cage this week.

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There was lots of talk in Calgary about the flooding in the Maple Creek area. The footage on CBC Newsworld of the flooded-out town was disturbing. We'll have to rally to raise some funds for people who've been wiped out. Fine folks in our area ponied up lots of cash for Haiti, but now there's help needed at home.

If there's any plan to do a benefit fundraising sports dinner, I'd be happy to go speak free of charge. We could probably raise some money that way.

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We're also headed for a potential disaster with 10 million acres of farmland going by the wayside this year because of the excessive moisture.

Saskatchewan produces 46% of Canada's canola and 10% of the world's wheat. But not this year.

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I sure got worked over on Friday for being grumpy in my Rodservations column. Perhaps I've been hanging out with the old guys at the Lawson too long! Or maybe I was just grumpy about being away for Father's Day. Oh well, I'm sure there are plenty of dads who would have traded places with me in a heartbeat.

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Speaking of grumpy, did you see Phil Mickelson bark at the gallery on Saturday at the U.S. Open for being too loud?

Why does the gallery have to be quiet anyways? Every other athlete has to perform in absolute bedlam. What if they told the crowd to be quiet during free throws in the NBA?

Just because that's the way it's always been doesn't mean that's the way it always has to be!

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From the newsletter of Saskatchewan Enterprise Minister Ken Cheveldayoff:

"It was a pleasure to be the first guest of the season and speak with Rod Pedersen and John Lynch on the first In The Huddle on June 1st. As Minister of Enterprise I was quizzed about the possibility of a new stadium and home for the Roughriders. Right now the provincial government is working behind the scenes with all the partners - Federal Government, City of Regina, and the Saskatchewan Roughriders to see how we can come together with the funding arrangements to make this happen.

"At the end of the day we haven't made a decision whether to go forward or not. It is a priority and a generational opportunity, but for the Saskatchewan Party government, the top priorities are health care, education and infrastructure."

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There were plenty of questions in Calgary about us getting a new stadium. I think it's going to happen.

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And I'll leave you with this pearl of wisdom from the always-wise Miley Cyrus:

"Life is too short to worry about what other people say."

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HAVE A GREAT WEEK EVERYBODY!!
RP

SUNDAY RIDER HIGHLIGHTS COURTESY CTV REGINA

STAMPEDERS 41 ROUGHRIDERS 17

If Rider coach Ken Miller wasn't happy with last week's 19-17 preseason loss to B.C., he CERTAINLY won't be pleased with this week's 41-17 loss to the Calgary Stampeders.

The Riders took a penalty on the opening play of the game and that was the theme for the rest of the first half. By the end of the game, the Riders had taken 10 penalties to Calgary's three. And for the second straight game, the Riders fell in a hole early as the Stampeders scored a touchdown on their opening drive when quarterback Henry Burris threw a nine-yard touchdown pass to Nik Lewis to make it 7-0.

The hometown Stamps went on to lead 10-7 after the first quarter, 20-10 at halftime and 34-10 entering the fourth. They finished the preseason at 2-0 while the Riders concluded their exhibition schedule at 0-2.

The Rider scoring in the game came from a 5-yard touchdown run by Wes Cates, a 21-yard touchdown reception by rookie Cary Koch from quarterback Cole Bergquist and a 47-yard Luca Congi field goal.

The only nice thing about the day was the weather, because the game stunk!

"I told the team that there were probably some bright spots in the game but we'll have to look at the video to find them," Rider head coach Ken Miller advised after the game. "It's not the type of football we normally play. We let them score first, and we took self-inflicted wounds with bad offside penalties and things like that."

With the starters playing the first half and newcomers for most of the second, it was not a true indication of what the Riders are capable of. Miller said when the veterans played, the game was pretty even.

"It was still a game at halftime, but we didn't play with the kind of effort and emotion that has become part of our team. Each backup quarterback threw an interception, but also did some good things. I thought Darian Durant played well and our offensive line played very well and gave the quarterbacks some time. We didn't run the ball effectively and they did and that's my perspective right now."

The Roughriders returned home right after the game and will now await Thursday's much-anticipated final roster cutdown. The club will make a handful of cuts on Tuesday, with the rest being announced two days later.

The Riders open the season Thursday, July 1, on Canada Day, at Mosaic Stadium against the Montreal Alouettes in a game which is not yet soldout.

HAPPY FATHERS DAY!

The Saskatchewan Roughriders play their second, and final, preseason game of 2010 this afternoon in Calgary (1:00 MT on the CKRM Rider Radio Network). Each team will play their starters for at least the first half. The Riders are 0-1 in the preseason while the Stamps are 1-0.

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The Montreal Alouettes closed their preseason with a 31-23 win over Toronto. Alouettes quarterback Anthony Calvillo played the first two series before handing the ball over to his understudies, Adrian McPherson and Chris Leak. Quarterbacks Cleo Lemon and Dalton Bell each played one half for the Argonauts.

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Dustin Johnson has a three stroke lead after three rounds at the US Open. But Tiger Woods was the story of the day at Pebble Beach, matching Johnson with a five-under-par 66. Woods is alone in third place, five strokes off the pace. Second-round leader Graeme McDowell is three back.

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The Netherlands became the first team to qualify for the round of 16 at the World Cup, beating Japan 1-nothing and then watching Denmark defeat Cameroon 2-1. Ghana tied Australia 1-1 in the other game. Sunday's card opens with Slovakia playing Paraguay, followed by Italy and New Zealand, and Brazil taking on Ivory Coast.

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Former Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Roberto Alomar has been inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. Alomar was a pivotal part of the team that won the World Series in 1992 and 1993. Former Jays reliever Paul Quantrill, late Minnesota Twins owner Calvin Griffith and late statistician Allan Roth were also inducted.

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Aaron Hill's two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning snapped a scoreless tie as the Toronto Blue Jays beat San Francisco 3-0. Jesse Litsch allowed three this over seven innings for the Blue Jays in his second start of the season.

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The Pittsburgh Pirates ended a 12-game losing streak, beating Cleveland 6-4. In Miami, B.J. Upton and Reid Brignac each drew bases-loaded walks in a four-run 11th inning, as Tampa Bay edged Florida 9-8. Colby Lewis pitched a two-hitter as Texas won its seventh in a row, 5-1 over Houston.