FRIDAY RODSERVATIONS

The sports world's version of Page 6. C'mon let's go:

• The Roughriders head to Calgary on Friday and will hold a noon hour walk-through at McMahon Stadium complete with a Ken Miller press conference. It will be great to see all the Calgary Rider fans there as that city tends to attract the most day-before fans than any other. It's going to be a fun weekend.

• The last forecast I saw for Saturday's game calls for 9 degrees Celsius and rain. The Stamps are favoured by six points.

• The last word on last week's 42-5 loss to BC is this: after all the fighting Ken Miller has done for his players, they let the coach down in that game. End of story. I expect they will respond with a big effort on Saturday.

• The Riders could actually lose tomorrow and still be alive although I wouldn't advise it. If they lose to the Stamps, they can kiss any chance of catching Calgary good-bye. Then the only hope they'll have is overtaking Edmonton. We'll cross that bridge if/when we get there.

• PLENTY has been made this week about Ken Miller momentarily losing his temper with reporters on Tuesday (or more specifically with me). On Thursday Miller said just before meeting the media: "Sorry I was late. I was doing my makeup. I've got to make some stuff up here now.''
Miller was referring to blog and message board suggestions that he set me up to ask that question about being flat so that he could grandstand. Trust me, that wasn't the case.

• My question is, why does Ken care what message boarders are saying? Ever hear the phrase "What other people say about you is none of your business"?

• The only thing that bothers me about that whole deal is that the team seems uptight. It would be better if they were loose and confident. Maybe by now they are.

• Rider Hall of Famer Dale West said on In The Huddle this week "If the Riders miss the playoffs, it's not the end of the world."

I respectfully disagree.

• Much has been made of the Leader Post report on Thursday that Regina has been awarded the 2013 Grey Cup. The fact is Dave Ash of DASH Tours broke the story on the Sports Cage a month ago.

• This weekend will be fun but it won't be a holiday. Friday I'll be live in studio with the Fan 960 Calgary from 3-4 pm on their Football Friday show, and on the Sports Cage at 5:00 for Four Seasons Football Friday. Then it's a meeting with Fan 960 people afterwards.

• Good luck to Paul McCallum who is two consecutive field goals shy of the CFL record of 28 straight. He can set it tonight at home when the BC Lions host the Edmonton Eskimos in the first game in the newly renovated BC Place Stadium.

• Ran into former Rider assistant coach Gary Etcheverry at McDonald's Thursday morning. He was very candid about the way things went down, and is very happy selling electricity for a Connecticut firm out of Regina. He will be back in football one day.

• Former Rider lineman Mike Abou-Mechrek is running his annual online auction with proceeds to Breast Cancer research. You can big on the spectacular items at http://www.abou67.com/.

• Interesting stats from Eddie St. Pierre of the Moncton Times & Transcript: "While Moncton was 820 fans short of a sellout for Sunday's Canadian Football League game between the Calgary Stampeders and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at the Stade Moncton 2010 Stadium, the game outdrew Saturday's Winnipeg Blue Bombers contest at Toronto's Rogers Centre by 1,045. Twenty-thousand, 153 saw the Ticats beat the Stampeders 55-36 here, while 19,108 watched the Argos trim the Blue Bombers 25-24 in Toronto. Meanwhile, a capacity crowd of 20,725 was on hand here last season when the Edmonton Eskimos defeated the Argos 24-6 in the first-ever regular season CFL game played in Atlantic Canada."

• Thursday Lingerie Football League officials announced they've awarded market rights to five Canadian cities for the inaugural season of LFL Canada, set to debut in Fall 2012. Joining Toronto, who currently competes with U.S. teams, the five markets awarded LFL franchises include: Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Quebec City and Montreal.

• Who else thinks the upcoming NHL season is going to be a doozy? We've had suspensions galore in the preseason plus a gay slur and a racial slur. And they haven't even dropped the puck for real yet?

• Free advice, feel free to take it or leave it: Jordan Eberle - save the highlight reel goals for when it matters! And to Winnipeg Jets fans - pace yourselves! I've watched your home games and you're wearing yourselves out.

• Pet peeve: national sports network anchors who STILL refer to Jordan as "Eberlay".

• Physicality does not pass the spell check in my BlackBerry yet it's one of the most-overused terms in hockey these days.

• The Regina Pats shoot for a 4-0 record tonight when they visit the Kootenay Ice at 7:00 on 620 CKRM. Pats historian Ron "Scoreboard" Johnston tells us the Pats are off to their best start since the 1984-85 season when they went 9-0-1.

• Absolutely couldn't care less about CBC'sd Battle of the Blades. Sorry. I actually have some friends in it, but I don't find it entertaining. Good on the guys for doing it, but again, I don't find it entertaining.

• Much was made in the States this week about the locker room scuffle in Philadelphia between two newspaper writers. Punches were thrown. Who would be the first two to throw down in the Regina media? Scruffy and...

• Regina is one of Canada's great hockey towns. Anybody who says otherwise simply doesn't know what they're talking about.

• I love fighting in hockey. Banning fighting because a guy died in a senior game in Hamilton because he hit his head on the ice is like banning elevators because a guy fell down a shaft. Makes no sense.   I'd rather have fighting than headshots and hits-from-behind.

• The Tampa Bay Lightning have sent down former Regina Pat Carter Ashton to AHL Norfolk.

• Helene Elliott of the L.A. Times reported on Twitter this week: "Former SJ assistant coach Trent Yawney (Hudson Bay, Sask) now working for Ducks as a scout. Left SJ to pursue AHL head coach job, instead now scouting w/Ducks"

• What do you use your Ipad for? I bought one on Saturday but don't know where to start. What are the best features?

• In case you're wondering when NHL, MLB, CFL and NFL games start an hour later for us in Saskatchewan, the time change is Sunday, November 6.

• One small critique of the movie Moneyball -- they should have had a picture of A's GM Billy Beane at the end. He looks more like Billy Bob Thornton than Brad Pitt. Quick trivia: What do Thornton and Pitt have in common?

• Breakaway, the hockey movie with Rob Lowe, is not one I'll be watching anytime soon.

• Mind you Tooth Fairy, with The Rock, was surprisingly unexpected.

• Regina is absolutely beautiful this time of year.

• The BlogWorld & New Media Expo is in Los Angeles November 3-5. I would give an appendage to be there. Topics include Building A New Media Empire and Is Social Media Still Relevant To Small Business?

• Need an AM/FM Walkman to listen to the Riders/Pats/Rams? Best Buy has them. Walmart does not.

• I have to stop listening to Howard Stern. I'm picking up his bad habits.

• Friday's Press Box Sports Bar lunch buffet courtesy Chef Trent: Seasoned roast beef, mashed potato, seasonal vegetables and gravy, honey mustard chicken wings, pork cutlets with a vodka sauce, seasonal vegetables, caesar salad, fussili pasta with a cream sausage and mushroom sauce, side garlic bread. Sounds like a winner!

ALRIGHT NOW IT'S OFF TO CALGARY. ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND!
RP
@sportscage

PATS WEEKEND LOOKAHEAD

A three game road trip continues with stops in Kootenay and Lethbridge this weekend.

The Regina Pats began a three game road trip through the Central Division in Medicine Hats on Wednesday night. The blue and white were able to fend off the Tigers for the 5-3 victory. It was the first time the Pats have won in Medicine Hat since January of 2008. The trip will continue with stops in Cranbrook on Friday night and they will open up the newly renovated Enmax Centre on Saturday night in Lethbridge.

Friday, September 30th Pats @ Ice Cranbrook Rec Plex 7:00pm
The Pats have had their hands full with the defending WHL champs over the past two seasons. In 2010-11, the Ice won all 4 games by a combined score of 21-9
The faces of the Kootenay Ice:

G - Nathan Lieuwen
The 20 year old goaltender was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2011 NHL Draft this past spring. He was one of the big keys to the Ice's march to the Memorial Cup last season.

LW - Drew Czerwonka
The big Wolseley, SK product was taken by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2010 NHL Draft and had a solid camp with the Oilers this past summer. Before playing with the Ice, he was a member of the Regina Pat Canadians.

C - Max Reinhart
Reinhart led the Ice last season in points and was second in goals and assists. He is a 3rd round pick of the Calgary Flames in the 2010 NHL Draft

Saturday, October 1st Pats @ Hurricanes Enmax Centre 7:00pm
The Pats will have the honour of participating in the Hurricanes home opener at the newly renovated Enmax Centre. It has gone through a $34 million dollar renovation that includes a new restaurant, sky boxes, dressing rooms and press box location.
The faces of the Lethbridge Hurricanes:

G - Brandon Anderson
The 19 year old goaltender is a signed free agent by the Washington Capitals. He is the Hurricanes #1 goaltender ahead of former Pat Damien Ketlo.

C - Cam Braes
Braes is one half of a dynamic duo of 20 year old forwards with the Hurricanes. He led the Hurricanes in goals with 31 and points with 61 in 2010-11.

LW - Austin Fyten
Austin Fyten is the other half of the Hurricanes solid 20 year old forward duo with Cam Braes. Fyten was second in goals, assists and points for the Hurricanes in 2010-11

WHL Firsts:
This has been a quick start for the Regina Pats and a trio of rookies have also been hot, achieving WHL firsts over the first three games:

• Morgan Klimchuk - 1st WHL goal and point (Sept 23rd v/ SC)

• Jack Rodewald - 1st WHL goal, point and multi-point night (Sept 23rd v/SC)

• Dominik Volek - 1st WHL assist and point (Sept 23rd v/SC) 1st WHL goal (Sept 24th @ SC)

• Brandon Underwood and Campbell Elynuik also scored their first goals as members of the Regina Pats this past Saturday in Swift Current. The goal by Underwood was his 3rd of his WHL career, his first ever power play goal. Underwood hadn't seen the back of the net since October 3rd, 2009 as a member of the Kamloops Blazers against the Vancouver Giants.

Quick Start:
The Regina Pats started the season 2-0 for the first time since the 2007-08 season, and the 3-0 start is the best start for the team in over 15 years

Next Pats Action:
The Pats will return home next Friday night to host the Lethbridge Hurricanes at the Brandt Centre. For all your ticket information, head to www.reginapats.com, or contact any Ticketmaster location. The game can also be seen on Access 7 Sports as a part of a 6 game package with the Pats this season.

BISONS AT RAMS PREVIEW

THE GAME:
After a tumultuous 0-3 start, the University of Regina Rams are now right back in the Canada West playoff picture thanks to a big 38-14 road win over Alberta last Saturday. A win for the Rams over Manitoba on Friday night puts Regina into a tie for fourth place in the conference standings with just three games remaining on the Canada West slate. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium and will be broadcast live on Access7, on the web at 620ckrm.com, and via webcast at www.canadawest.tv.
 
THE HEADLINES:
• The Rams have won four consecutive games over the Bisons dating back to Oct. 24, 2008
• Converted slotback Zach Oleynik got the call for the Rams at quarterback last Saturday, becoming the fourth player in as many games to start at QB for Regina this season — Oleynik is expected to get the start at pivot for the Rams on Friday
• Regina's Chris Bodnar remains the CIS leader with an average of 45.2 yards per punt
• After rushing for 165 yards against the Golden Bears, Rams running back Adrian Charles ranks second in both Canada West and the CIS with 503 rushing yards this season and is on pace to become the first player in Rams history to hit the 1000-yard barrier in a single season
• Manitoba quarterback Khaleal Williams ranks second in Canada West with 1160 passing yards this season (just 13 behind UBC's Billy Greene), while receiver Tyson Takasaki is third in the conference in both receptions (18) and receiving yards (299)
 
UNIVERSITY OF REGINA RAMS (1-3):
After a painful 0-3 start, the mood around the Rams' clubhouse has dramatically improved this week following a big 38-14 road win over the Alberta Golden Bears last Saturday.
 
The win was crucial for so many reasons — not only did a Rams offence that had sputtered through the first three weeks of the season finally get going in a big way, but the victory put the Rams just one win back of Saskatchewan and Manitoba in the Canada West standings.
 
Zach Oleynik will get the start at quarterback for the Rams again after a sparkling debut against Alberta. Running back Adrian Charles is ranked second in both Canada West and the CIS (behind Calgary's Steven Lumbala) in rushing yards, while slotback Jared Janotta is tied for third in the conference in receptions (18) and touchdown catches (3).
 
Defensively, Jamir Walker is tied for the Canada West lead with two interceptions (both of which came last week at Alberta) and leads the conference outright with five passes defended. Logan Brooks is tied for the Canada West lead with four sacks and is just two short of tying Sean Brimacombe's Rams single-season record of six (2005).
 
The Rams will have a week off before returning to action with a critical matchup at UBC on Oct. 15.

(Courtesy Cougar Athletics)

THURSDAY SPORTS CAGE PODCAST

Calgary Stampeders broadcaster Dave Rowe and Friends of the Riders Lottery President Tom Shepherd joined us on Thursday's show as well as our Sports Cage WHL Insider Kelly Remple.  You can listen to the show here:
SportsCage 9-29-2011 5;30;48 PM by ridervoice

FANTUZ A NO GO

The high ankle sprain which has kept Rider slotback Andy Fantuz out of the last one-and-a-half games will keep him out of another.  After Thursday's Rider practice, head coach Ken Miller confirmed Fantuz will not be able to play this Saturday at Calgary (2:00 pm on TSN and CKRM).

"He's not gonna play," Miller stated.  "That's until he's able to practice and prepare himself and get ready to go.  We'd like to have him out there because of his athleticism and what he can do but he has to know what we're doing as well.  By being conservative, we know that he'll be ready to go in the coming weeks."

Fantuz said it feels alright but he has not been able to go full speed in practice.  He admitted the injury is nowhere near 100%.

"He's holding himself back a little bit," Miller continued.  "I think he feels good about how he feels but the fact that he hasn't unleashed it yet, I think another week's practice will be good for him.  You don't just hop in our offense and do things as a receiver unless you've been through practice and the timing of what we're doing."

Quarterback Darian Durant said he'd prefer to have Fantuz at his disposal, but they'll make do without him.

"We had a chance to run a couple of routes together today and he's running well, but he's still not a level where we think he can really be productive and be himself," Durant said.  "We've practiced without him all week and we've got some guys in who've got some good work in so we should be okay in his absence."

The Riders are hoping to rebound from Saturday's 42-5 loss to the BC Lions which has put them in nearly a must-win position come Saturday.

"We're feeling pretty good," smiled Rider tailback Wes Cates.  "We had a good work week in practice.  We usually bounce back well from these type of games so I'm expecting a good performance.  It seems like Calgary's struggling a bit with what they want to do so hopefully they stay in that mode and we can go in there and get a win.  There's ups and downs in seasons.  We had a nice little run there but we had a setback but Calgary's had some hiccups of their own.  It'll be interesting to see who can get going early and steal the game."

OIL KINGS/T-BIRDS TRADE

Edmonton, AB – Edmonton Oil Kings General Manager Bob Green announced today the team has traded 19-year-old defenceman Braeden Laroque to the Seattle Thunderbirds.

The Oil Kings dealt the veteran blue-liner and Saskatoon native to the Thunderbirds in exchange for a 2012 Western Hockey League Bantam Draft selection. In 120 career WHL games, all with Edmonton, Laroque tallied eight points and a minus-19 rating.

"We'd like to thank Braeden for his time spent competing with the Oil Kings and we wish him all the best with his new team," Green said of the deal with Seattle.

After a dominant 4-1 victory on Wednesday against the Raiders in Prince Albert, the 1-0-1-0 Oil Kings return to Edmonton for their home opener this Friday against the Central Division rival Medicine Hat Tigers at 7 p.m. at Rexall Place. The provincial rivals play again on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in Medicine Hat.

The team is proud to announce its new season and new pricing, making Oil Kings hockey more affordable than ever. Individual game tickets have been reduced by up to 30%, with tickets starting at just $15, and some of the best side seats in the house are just $20. Also, the first 500 fans at Friday's opener receive a free jersey t-shirt featuring Edmonton Oilers draft pick Travis Ewanyk.

PATS 5 TIGERS 3

The Regina Pats are 3-0 to start the 2011-12 WHL campaign following a 5-3 road victory in Medicine Hat. Against the Tigers Wednesday night, the Pats built up a 3-0 lead, blew it, and then rebounded for a big triumph.

After a scoreless first period, the Pats pounced out to a 2-0 lead in the second on goals by Jordan Weal and Dyston Stevenson. Weal made it 3-0 early in the third frame before the Tigers stormed back with three goals of their own in just over three minutes from Cole Grbavac, Scott MacKay and Emerson Etem. However as they were announcing the Etem goal, Regina's Morgan Klimchuk scored at 12:47 of the third with what would turn out to be the game-winner. The Pats' Chandler Stephenson iced the game with an empty-netter with eight seconds to go.

It was the first Pats' win in Medicine Hat since January of 2008. Regina outshot the Tigers 36-29 while going 0/5 on the powerplay and 4/5 killing penalties. 20-year old Pats defenseman Brandon Davidson chipped in with three assists while Matt Hewitt made 26 saves in goal upping his personal record to 3-0.

The Pats' next action is Friday at Kootenay at 7:00 pm on Saskatchewan's Sports Radio 620 CKRM.
RP

CKRM WEEK 14 CFL PICKS 2011

Last week we introduced a coin toss into our pick pool and it was an astounding 4-0. Let's see if it keeps its perfect record alive in Week 14:

SKED
FRI: MTL (7-5) AT WPG (8-4)
EDM (7-5) AT BC (6-6
SAT: SK (4-8) AT CGY (7-5)
HAM (6-6) AT TOR (3-9)

ANNOUNCER/RECORD/PICKS
ANDREWS 27-21: WPG - BC - SK - TOR
CARTERI 24-24: MTL - BC - SK - HAM
REMPLE 23-25: MTL - BC - CGY - HAM
LYNCH 21-27: MTL - BC - SK - TOR
BLAIR 21-27: MTL - BC - SK - HAM
PEDERSEN 21-27: MTL - BC - SK - HAM
SCHULTZ 20-28: MTL - BC - SK - HAM
COIN 4-0: WPG - EDM - SK - TOR

**Winner gets a $100 gift certificate to the PRESS BOX SPORTS BAR, 909 Albert St N., WHERE LEGENDS ARE MADE!

WEDNESDAY RIDER UPDATE

Slotback Andy Fantuz participated lightly in drills in Wednesday's workout as he continues to make his way back from a high ankle sprain which kept him out of last Saturday's 42-5 loss to BC.  His status is still up in the air for this Saturday's game at Calgary.

"It felt alright," Fantuz reported.  "It's still bothering me a bit but it was nice to get out there and run.  I'm feeling okay on it.  It's still day-to-day.  I'll try it out again tomorrow and make a decision for the game tomorrow."

Rider coach Ken Miller had a similar assessment of the injury and Fantuz's status for the Calgary game.

"Well he tested it," Miller said.  "He wasn't able to cut and didn't have the comfort on it he'll need in order to play well.  We're gonna try it again tomorrow and see how he is tomorrow."

Meanwhile the loss to BC is behind the Riders and they're looking forward to Saturday's challenge at McMahon Stadium.  Games in Calgary are always fun for the Roughriders.

"Oh yeah," said Rider quarterback Darian Durant.  "I smile every time I see this game on the schedule when it comes up.  From not having to always deal with their crowd, we know that our crowd will be there too.  We know that they're gonna have to deal with they have the ball at home.  It's definitely a good place to go play."

The 2009 Grey Cup notwithstanding, the Riders always enjoy a trip to Calgary.

"It's a special place for us as Riders being that half of the stadium is going to be green," Durant offered.  "Myself and Getz have always had a lot of success out there and it's exciting going out there and knowing you're going to get some man-to-man coverage and some chances to make some plays.  It opens your eyes as a quarterback."

Also the fiery comments of Miller after Tuesday's practice caught the attention of the players.  Miller continued to defend his team in spite of their showing in Saturday's 37-point loss to the Lions.

"He is here for us and we are there for him," explained Rider defensive tackle Dario Romero.  "It's a mutual working relationship where he shows us that he's with us and I guarantee you he expects more from us.  Just knowing we have the trust from him and he has the confidence in us and the belief in us as players to get it done, I commend him for that.  That's big."

Rider receivers coach Bob Dyce will be our special guest on the Belmont Tire Rider Coaches Show today at 5:00 on 620 CKRM.

WEDNESDAY PODCAST

Our guest on 620 CKRM's Belmont Tire Rider Coaches Show was Rider receivers coach Bob Dyce. We also aired our Week 14 CFL picks. You can listen to the show here:
SportsCage 9-28-2011 5;10;42 PM by ridervoice

ALS TRANSACTIONS

Montreal Alouettes Vice President and General Manager, Jim Popp, announced the signing of five new players on Wednesday. Wide receivers Donte Davis and Brennan Marion, defensive back Rayshaun Kizer, linebacker Jonathan Woods and defensive tackle James Morehead have been added to the team's practice roster. All five are imports.

MCCAIN FAMILY TALKING CFL

Here's a fabulous article from the Moncton Times & Transcript's Neil Hodge about CFL expansion to Atlantic Canada:

MONCTON, NB -- Scott McCain doesn't pretend to have all the answers when it comes to the viability of an Atlantic franchise in the Canadian Football League, but he has some interesting views.

"I think everybody has to start putting the spin on it being an Atlantic Canada team," said McCain, who's the president and chief operating officer of the Agribusiness Group at Maple Leaf Foods Inc.

"I think it has to be marketed as an Atlantic Canada team because you're going to need to draw fan support and corporate sponsorship from across the region. It would be very difficult for Moncton or Halifax to support a CFL team on its own."

CFL commissioner Mark Cohon is forming a new advisory council that comprises Atlantic Canada business leaders. McCain is part of this council that's designed to help Cohon look into the league's future in this part of the country.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeated the Calgary Stampeders 55-36 on Sunday in front of 20,153 fans at the Stade Moncton 2010 Stadium. It's the second consecutive year the CFL has held a regular season game in Moncton, something that's never been done before in the Atlantic region.

This has heightened interest and renewed talk of the possibility of an Atlantic CFL franchise.

Moncton's stadium has the potential to be expanded to approximately 28,000 seats and a CFL franchise can operate viably with a 25,000 attendance average. This is the only place in Atlantic Canada that has a stadium which can be upgraded to meet league standards.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders are thriving on the business side. That's because they receive fan support and corporate sponsorship from across the province, not just Regina where the team is based.

"Since this whole thing with Moncton started, Mark Cohon has called me a number of times to get my views," said McCain. "He's talked to me at some length over the situation in Atlantic Canada.

"He's trying to pull together some people in Atlantic Canada to see if they can give him some advice on what might work and what might not work. He's forming a council to take a look at this and help steer him with regards to what the league's next steps might be."

McCain, a Maritimer who's now based in Toronto, is also majority owner of the Saint John Sea Dogs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. His club captured both the QMJHL title and Memorial Cup national championship last season.

"I know in junior hockey there are big rivalries between Moncton, Saint John, Halifax and the other Maritime cities that have teams in the league," he said. "I can respect that.

"But we need to get past that city versus city way of thinking when it comes to the CFL in Atlantic Canada. We've got to break down that mentality. If you want a CFL team in the Atlantic region, there's no city that can make it happen by itself. The team name has to have Atlantic in it.

"It would have to be marketed and talked about as an Atlantic team. I think Moncton is where the team should be located because it's the geographic centre of the Maritimes. Moncton is more accessible than Halifax for a greater number of people."

McCain has attended both CFL games in Moncton. He spent three days here last week soaking up the various community festivals and events that were associated with Scotiabank Touchdown Atlantic II.

He's been to six Grey Cups. He was impressed with the party atmosphere that surrounded Moncton's CFL game, saying it was giant event that felt like a mini Grey Cup environment.

"I'm a proud Atlantic Canadian and I like seeing a sporting event like this come to this part of the country," he said. "I think they did a great job with the community festivals and creating a great atmosphere for both CFL games in Moncton."

The Atlantic region has wealthy families such as the McCains, Irvings, Sobeys and Olands. But McCain has told the CFL commissioner that he believes it would be a challenge to get the necessary corporate sponsorship for an Atlantic franchise.

"I know I can speak for companies like McCain Foods and Maple Leaf Foods," he said. "I think they would find difficulty in it because to be honest that's not an area where they usually play. They don't play a lot of sports marketing.

"It's going to take a lot of soul searching to figure out where is there a pocket of corporate sponsorship that will make this thing fly. I'm not sure about that yet. I think that's the bigger piece than the fan base. You'll have to go to Atlantic Lotto, Blue Cross, East Link and these companies that are regional. Regional companies would have to take an interest in it."

The CFL commissioner hasn't yet approached anyone from the Irving family about being part of his Atlantic advisory council. Cohon said that he will probably talk to Robert Irving at some point.

"I know that Robert Irving has no interest in this," said McCain. "Frankly, if an Atlantic CFL team is going to fly it would be really nice to have the Irving family take an interest in it."

The CFL commissioner hasn't committed to having a regular season game in Moncton next year. It's a lot of work to stage a neutral site game and turn it into a major event. Cohon points out the league will be very busy next year with celebrations for the 100th Grey Cup.

LIONS TRACKING TO SELLOUT

(Vancouver) The BC Lions Football Club is pleased to announce that advanced ticket sales for the first event in the newly renovated BC Place have passed the 40,000 mark. The Lions will open Canada's premier sports and entertainment venue this Friday with a crucial West Division matchup versus the Edmonton Eskimos.
 
"Response from Lions fans has been tremendous and Friday is going to be our largest regular season crowd in the past 20 years," said Lions president and CEO, Dennis Skulsky.
 
The Lions last topped the 40,000 mark in 1994 when 40,556 fans passed through the gates at BC Place to see the Lions take on the Calgary Stampeders. The club would go on to claim its third Grey cup championship on home turf later that year.
 
"This is a huge game for the team with significant playoff implications and I'm confident our fans will create a true home field advantage," added Skulsky. "Everyone in attendance at Friday's game will receive an orange pom-pom and we encourage everyone to wear orange to the game."
 
Tickets for Friday's game are going fast and fans are encouraged to purchase in advance and be part of what is sure to be a memorable and exciting evening. 
 
Fans can visit bclions.com for tickets or call 604.589.ROAR.

THE LATEST

"That's just an awful game.  It's an awful showing in all aspects of the football game.  Offensively you have to be able to move the ball early on to give your defense a break even if they're driving or not.  You know what, we came out real flat and just continued to play that way." - Chris Getzlaf, 5:07 pm, Saturday, Sept. 24/2011.

We can all agree the Roughriders came out flat in their 42-5 loss to the BC Lions on Saturday at Mosaic Stadium, right?  No WRONG!

In a sure sign that the pressure is mounting in Riderville, head coach Ken Miller displayed a rare sign of testiness when I asked him after Tuesday's practice why his team came out so flat - using Chris Getzlaf's words - in the biggest game of the year.

"I'm not gonna tell you they're flat," Miller huffed.  "You watch our game video.  And you see guys playing with frickin' great effort for the duration of the game.  We weren't playing well collectively and I don't know the reason for that.  But you even watch in the final plays of that game both offensively and defensively, we're playing with tremendous effort.  We're not playing like a team that's flat.  For some reason we were just unsynchronized and not playing well together and that's the thing I have to get figured out.  But they played with tremendous effort."

I suppose the term "flat" is an ugly one to hang on a football team and although quarterback Darian Durant never used that adjective, he seemed to have a similar explanation as Getlaf's after the contest.

"We just got our butts whipped in every phase of the game," Durant explained.  "We didn't come ready to play and they did and they gave us a royal butt-whipping.  Why we didn't come ready to play?  I don't know.  You can't put your finger on it.  We just hurt ourselves."

Miller's emotions were escalating before my question on Tuesday.  He was asked how his team can look at the standings and not become dejected at the task which lays before them.

"Because we're looking as just this game," Miller countered.  "Other games don't matter to us.  You have to focus on the game you're playing and if you do well, if we go 1-0 this week we're in good shape.  If we lose then we're not in nearly as good shape.  You have to focus on where you're at and what you're doing and on this particular game.

"It's been suggested that I should look at the big picture and I'd like for somebody to explain to me exactly what the big picture is.  Somebody who can explain to me how this thing is gonna turn out at the end so we know exactly who we have to beat and on what days.  Until then we're gonna play it one game at a time, one play at a time and that's how we're going to approach it."

Meanwhile slotback Andy Fantuz was not present at Tuesday's workout as he continues to recover from a high ankle sprain which kept him out of the BC game.  Miller said Fantuz will test it on Wednesday.  One Rider source told me Fantuz is "iffy" for Saturday's game at Calgary.

ROAST OF WALLY NELSON

Friday night in Avonlea is the roast of Wally Nelson, owner/builder of the Long Creek Golf and Country Club.  Bob Hughes is the emcee and among the speakers is curling legend Sam Richardson.  Tickets are $75 each (which includes a $40 tax receipt).  Tickets are available at Nelson Motors, the Avonlea Co-op, the Village of Avonlea or by calling Darlene Watson at 868-2171 or Janet Day at 868-4939.  Proceeds go to the Avonlea Heritage Museum.

THIS WEEK IN COUGAR ATHLETICS

Athletics – The Regina College Athletics Hall of Fame will be unveiled during a ceremony on Thursday afternoon at the CKHS. Numerous athletes and teams that represented the Regina College from 1910 to 1961 will be honoured on the wall, which is located directly across from the University of Regina Sports Hall of Fame. The unveiling will take place at 2 p.m. on Thursday.

Rams Football – Converted slotback Zach Oleynik lifted the University of Regina’s football team to a big 38-14 road win over Alberta on Saturday. Playing quarterback for the first time in his CIS career, Oleynik threw four touchdown passes and racked up 254 passing yards as the Rams moved the ball efficiently all game long against the Golden Bears’ defence. The Rams are back at home this weekend and can move into the fourth and final Canada West playoff spot with a victory over Manitoba (2-2). Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday night at Mosaic Stadium.

Women’s Soccer – The Cougars lost a pair of 2-0 games to the Manitoba Bisons over the weekend, dropping their Canada West record to 0-5-1 on the season. The schedule gets no easier for the U of R this weekend, as the team hosts No. 5-ranked Trinity Western (4-1-0) and No. 7 UBC (3-1-1) on Saturday and Sunday. Both matches will kick off at noon on campus at the U of R Field.

Cross Country (Men’s CIS Ranking: No. 6) – Running in the top division at the Roy Griak Invitational in Minneapolis on Saturday, the Cougars finished in 20th place out of 24 teams despite being the lone non-NCAA Div. I school in the competition. Kelly Wiebe impressed with a fourth-place finish in the individual standings, finishing the eight-kilometre course in a blistering 23:49. Karissa LePage was the women’s team’s top finisher, placing 17th in the Division II category with a six-kilometre time of 22:58. The Cougars will run in the University of Saskatchewan Open this Saturday in Saskatoon.

Men’s Hockey – The Cougars travelled to Winnipeg last weekend for a pair of non-conference games against Manitoba. They edged the Bisons by a score of 1-0 on Friday night thanks to a goal by Russ Nielsen and a gutsy 49-save shutout by Lucas Gore. The offence got going for both teams on Saturday, with Manitoba taking a 5-4 shootout win to run Regina’s non-conference record to 3-1-2 on the season. The Cougars continue the non-conference schedule with games against NCAA Div. I opponents North Dakota (Saturday) and Bemidji State (Sunday).

Women’s Volleyball – The Cougars finished in third place at the University of Regina Invitational over the weekend, ending the tournament with a five-set win over Calgary in the bronze medal match on Sunday. The team will travel to Winnipeg this weekend to compete in the Lea Marc Invitational, where the Cougars have UBC Okanagan, Toronto, and Winnipeg on their side in Pool A.

Women’s Hockey – The Cougars won two of their three games over the weekend at the 2nd Annual Mandi Schwartz Challenge at The Co-operators Centre, defeating Alberta 4-3 on Friday and Team Saskatchewan Under-18 7-5 on Saturday before losing 3-1 to Balmoral Hall School on Sunday. The team travels east this weekend for three more non-conference games, as the Cougars will face York, Guelph, and Lethbridge in Kincardine, Ont.

Men’s Volleyball – The Cougars open up their 2011-12 non-conference schedule this weekend at the Super 8 Tournament in Brandon. They’ll meet Waterloo and Winnipeg on Saturday and the host Bobcats on Sunday in round robin action before finishing with a playoff round match on Sunday afternoon.

(Courtesy Cougar Athletics)

PATS REASSIGN JUNG

Regina, Saskatchewan - The Regina Pats have reassigned 19 year old forward, Mikael Jung to the Cowichan Valley Capitals of the British Columbia Junior Hockey League (BCHL).

Jung spent one season with the Pats and in 69 games in 2010-11 he had 8 goals and 8 assists for 16 points. Jung also led the Pats in shorthanded points with 3.

Regina Pats General Manager, Chad Lang, "Mikael is a great kid, and we thank him for his contribution to the Pats last season. It was a very difficult decision to make and I wish him all the best in his hockey career."

The Pats now have 14 forwards, 9 defenceman and 2 goaltenders on their roster. Tomorrow night the Pats will make their way west to take on the Medicine Hat Tigers. It's a 7:00pm puck drop, with a 6:35 Press Box Sports Bar pregame show start.

TUESDAY SPORTS CAGE PODCAST

On Tuesday's show we discussed Ken Miller's comments with Global TV's Derek Meyers, and were joined by Regina Pats coach Pat Conacher:
SportsCage 9-27-2011 5;09;34 PM by ridervoice

RIDERS ADD SIX

The Saskatchewan Roughriders announced they have signed import defensive backs Tyron Brackenridge and Justin Wilson, import wide receiver LJ Castile, import defensive ends Roberto Davis and Kenny Rowe and import linebacker Chris Francis to the practice roster.
 
Brackenridge (6'0 – 189 lbs) spent the last four seasons in the NFL after originally signing with Kansas City in 2007. In two seasons with the Chiefs, the 27-year-old played in 14 games and tallied 27 tackles and two forced fumbles.  Most recently the Washington State product spent two seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars and played in 32 games where he had 44 tackles and three forced fumbles. He was waived by the Jaguars in July, 2011.
 
Wilson (5'10 – 194 lbs) played with Southern Mississippi. Last season as a senior he tallied 38 tackles, three tackles for a loss and four pass breakups in 12 starts. He was selected as a 2010 Conference USA Second Team selection.
 
Castile (6'3 – 223 lbs) helped Delta State to the Division II Championship game by leading the team's receiving corps in all categories with 67 catches for 900 yards and 13 touchdowns. Previous to transferring to Delta State his senior year, Castile played his first three years at Houston.
 
Davis (6'2 – 254 lbs) played for Northwest Missouri State and in his senior year he recorded 52 tackles, ten tackles for a loss, seven quarterback sacks and three forced fumbles in 14 starts. Davis started his college career at New Mexico State before transferring in 2009.
 
Rowe (6'2 – 244 lbs) played for Oregon and in his senior season led the team with seven sacks and 16.5 tackles for a loss, had 48 tackles and tied for second in NCAA and first in PAC-10 with five forced fumbles. In 2010, he played in the East-West Shrine game. In 2009, he tied a Rose Bowl record with three quarterback sacks and went on to be named the Rose Bowl Defensive MVP.
 
Francis (6'0 – 229 lbs) played with Baylor and in his senior season in 2010 had 72 total tackles in 12 games. He finished his college career with 159 total tackles, three tackles for a loss, two interceptions and 1.5 quarterback sacks.

LIONS TRANSACTIONS

(Vancouver) The BC Lions Football Club announced today that in accordance with the CFL-mandated period of expanding practice rosters they have added the following players:
 
Chandler Williams – WR – Florida International (Kansas City Chiefs-2011)
Rafael Priest – DB – Texas Christian (Atlanta Falcons-2011)
Shawnbrey McNeal – RB – Southern Methodist (San Diego Chargers-2011)
Amara Kamara – LB – Temple (Kansas City Chiefs-2011)

The next BC Lions home game is Friday, September 30th at BC Place versus the Edmonton Eskimos at 7:30 pm presented by Encana. Fans can catch all the action on the home of BC Lions football, TEAM 1410 beginning with the pre-game show at 5:30 pm.

TICATS TRANSACTIONS

Hamilton, Ontario - The Hamilton Tiger-Cats announced today that veteran Canadian linebacker Ray Mariuz has re-joined the Ticats lineup and will practice with the team this morning.

In eight previous CFL seasons, Mariuz recorded 157 defensive tackles, 157 special teams tackles, six quarterback sacks and 11 tackles for a loss. He was nominated as the Ticats Most Outstanding Canadian in 2008.  His 76 special teams tackles as a Ticat are the sixth-highest total in team history.

The Ticats also announced that import defensive linemen Jerry Brown and Justin Mincey, along with import defensive backs Ryan Jones and Woodny Turenne, have joined the team's practice roster.

BOMBER TRANSACTIONS

WINNIPEG, MB – With practice rosters expanding across the league, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers have signed import receiver Kurt Adams, import defensive end Quentin Davie, import running back Bloi-Dei Dorzon, import quarterback Adam Froman, import linebacker Javon McKinnon, import defensive back Darrell Pasco and non-import running back Nick Fitzgibbon, the team announced today.

CFL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

TORONTO - Montreal RB Brandon Whitaker, Winnipeg DB Jovon Johnson, Hamilton KOR/PR Marcus Thigpen and Toronto DE Ricky Foley were named the Gibson's Finest CFL Players of the Week for the thirteenth week of the 2011 season.

TURN OUT THE LIGHTS, THE PARTY'S OVER

By Bob Hughes For Exit Realty Fusion

Saturday, it was an unusual day. Saskatchewan’s late summer spawned 30 degree plus temperatures with only a whisper of a breeze. The sky was a sheet of bright blue, and there was more of the same on the way.

Ah, yes, more of the same.

In a baking hot Taylor Field on that day in September, it took the stinging words of a B.C. Lions player named Aaron Hunt to bring it all home, to wipe away the makeup and the costume and the makeover. Said the large Lions’ tackle, in words that hurt, perhaps because they seemed so true:

“They are who we thought they were.”

He shouted them at a sideline announcer and they came as the final wrap was being put on the 42-5 humiliation the Lions had given the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

This was a must win game for both teams as they came into it fighting for their playoff lives. How was it, then, that the message never got through to the Roughriders. How could it be such a pathetic performance was inflicted on 30,000 Rider fans when the coach they were said unwilling to play for was long gone and the coach they said they would go through a wall for was still there?

Go figure.

So, maybe it was not the fault of Greg Marshall, who got fired, or Doug Berry, who got fired. If Roughrider logic persists in this argument, then it had to be Ken Miller’s fault because, after all, he is the head coach, and he is the one who decided Marshall and Berry were not doing the job. And, his decision-making processes are now being held up to the day’s bright light. Was it the right thing to hang everything on Marshall and Berry when the same thing, if not worse, happened to Miller on Saturday? Like, how do you lose the biggest game of the season thus far by 37 points at home? And, you could go on and on about coaching decisions that weren’t made during the game. For starters, why was Darian Durant still at quarterback when the second half started?

And, after the loss, there were the usual vague answers and excuses coming from the Roughriders. Obviously, they don’t have the people who are capable of finding the answers because this downslide didn’t start this year. It started firstly with the departure of Kent Austin and secondly with the departure of Eric Tillman.

The Riders have been mostly living off what Austin and Tillman left them. And, they have yet to replace either Austin or Tillman’s records of accomplishment. They have lost two Grey Cup games that can be directly attributed to coaching that wasn’t up to par.

“They are who we thought they were.”

The words chime with a startling clarity.

They are who they have become. Like they say, it is what it is. They lack the talent and they lack the direction and most of all they lack the overwhelming commitment it takes to win a championship. When Kent Austin took over as head coach, he told the players in the very first meeting what was expected of them and what the consequences would be if they failed to measure up. You get the feeling that Ken Miller simply walks into the dressing room every day, drawls Good Morning Riders, and cuddles them.

At the very best, the Roughriders are huge long shots to catch a playoff spot in either the West or East, so deep is the hole they have dug. And the scary part if, they make not have reached bottom.

They had so much going for them. And, now, they have so much against them. It is not pretty. It is sad. And, it is not going to fix itself.

“They are who we thought they were.”

http://www.exitrealtyfusion.com/

MONDAY SPORTS CAGE PODCAST

We looked back at Saturday's 42-5 Rider loss to BC on Monday's show.  Please enjoy responsibly:
SportsCage 9-26-2011 5;08;10 PM by ridervoice

CFL TRADE

By Arash Madani
Sportsnet.ca

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have been talking for weeks with the Calgary Stampeders about defensive back Milt Collins.

Monday, they got their man.

Sportsnet.ca has learned that the Ti-Cats will receive Collins and a late round draft pick in 2013 for the rights to Jadon Wagner and a late round draft pick of their own. The deal was finalized this afternoon, about 24 hours after the Tiger-Cats thumped the Stampeders in the Touchdown Atlantic game in Moncton, N.B.

PATCHAT

Friday Pats 5 Broncos 1
The Broncos took an early 1-0 lead on a power play goal by Taylor Vause, but from there it was all Pats as they scored 5 straight times en route to the 5-1 victory. Chandler Stephenson scored twice and had two assists while Lane Scheidl picked up a goal and three assists. Jack Rodewald and Morgan Klimchuk each scored their first WHL goals

Saturday Pats 4 Broncos 2
It was another slow start for the Pats as they found themselves down 1-0 after a quick 1st period Broncos marker. The Pats scored two late first period power play goals by Brandon Underwood and Dyson Stevenson to take the 2-1 lead. From there, Dominik Volek scored his first WHL goal and Campbell Elynuik added another for the 4-2 victory

Quote of the Week
"We came out and played a full 60 minutes. That’s what we wanted to do. The team did a lot of good things today. We’re going to keep that up for the rest of the season."
-Matt Hewitt after Friday’s home opening win.
Greg Harder – Sept. 24th Leader-Post on-line

Schedule
Monday, September 26th
Practice 2:00 – 4:00pm (Brandt Centre) Media 12:45pm – 1:15pm

Tuesday, September 27th
Practice 2:00 – 4:00pm (Brandt Centre) Media 12:45pm – 1:15pm
Goalie Session – Noon (Brandt Centre)

Wednesday, September 28th
Pats @ Tigers – 7:00pm (Medicine Hat Arena)

Thursday, September 29th
Travel DayFriday, September 30th
Pats @ Ice – 7:00pm (Cranbrook Rec Plex)

Saturday, October 1st
Pats @ Hurricanes 7:00pm (Enmax Sportsplex)

Community Appearances:
The Pats are continuing and expanding their community initiatives in Regina and the surrounding area. Mornings before practice will be spent with many organizations in the city.

Monday
Wascana Rehab Centre
Regina and Area Food Bank
Food For Learning – Coronation Park School

Tuesday
Wascana Rehab Centre
Regina and Area Food Bank
Food For Learning – Coronation Park School
Food For Learning – Al Ritchie

In The Locker Room
- Thursday, the Pats acquired 19 year old defenceman Colton Jobke as well as a 2nd round (2012) and 5th round (2013) WHL Bantam Draft picks from the Kelowna Rockets in exchange for Myles Bell

- There were many firsts this weekend for the Pats. Jack Rodewald, Morgan Klimchuk and Dominik Volek all scored their first WHL goal and picked up their first WHL point. Campbell Elynuik and Brandon Underwood all scored their first goals as member of the Regina Pats

- Matt Hewitt stopped 49 of 52 shots this weekend (.945).

- Lane Scheidl has a goal and 4 assists after this weekend which is good for a tie for 3rd in WHL scoring.

- Morgan Klimchuk has three points this season which puts him in a tie for 2nd among WHL rookie scoring.

Western Canada U16 Tournament:
Pats fans will get a chance to see the some of the best 15 year old players from across Western Canada in October at the Western Canada U16 tournament in Moose Jaw. Many of the Pat prospects will be representing their respective provinces at the tournament.

From the Western Hockey League: The four (4) Western Provincial Hockey Associations – Hockey Alberta, BC Hockey, Hockey Manitoba and the Saskatchewan Hockey Association – in partnership with the Western Hockey League (WHL) and Moose Jaw Warriors are pleased to release the schedule and ticketing information for the 2011 Western Canada Under 16 Challenge Cup.

The Western Canada Under 16 Challenge Cup will be held at Mosaic Place in Moose Jaw, SK, October 27 – 30, and will feature the highest rated players in the Under 16 age category representing the four (4) Western Provinces of Alberta, BC, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The four team round robin tournament format will assist the four Western Provincial Hockey Associations in evaluating these top prospects for future Program of Excellence competitions.

(Courtesy Dan Plaster)

AMS' HUGHESMAN NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK

CALGARY, AB. - The Western Hockey League announced today that Tri-City Americans' forward Adam Hughesman is the WHL Player of the Week.

Hughesman picked up seven points, scoring one goal and six assists to go with a +4 rating, in two games over the WHL Opening Weekend, helping the American's to a 2-0-0-0 start on the season.

BOMBER INJURY UPDATE

WINNIPEG, MB – The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are extremely disappointed to announce that both import running back Fred Reid and non-import running back Carl Volny will miss the remainder of the season with torn ACL injuries.
 
"Losing both of our talented running backs is never an easy thing," said Vice-President and General Manager, Joe Mack.  "Unfortunately injuries are part of the game and we have to move on and look ahead at our other options.  We wish both Fred and Carl the best in their recoveries."

THE MONDAY MORNING GOALIE

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the stretch drive.

At long last the final six games of the 2011 CFL regular season are upon us and in true Canadian football fashion, everyone is alive.  Remarkably all eight teams are mathematically elligible for the post-season with six games to go.

Unfortunately for Saskatchewan and Toronto football fans, their teams are on the outside looking in as it stands today but as we all know, anything can happen down the stretch.  If you notice the Titan Auto poll to the left side of the page, many have written the Roughriders off.  That's okay, because the team needed the kick in the pants after Saturday's 42-5 loss to BC and can use the added motivation the rest of the way.  Here's a collection of hockey and football news and notes, otherwise known as the Monday Morning Goalie:

- If you break the season down into thirds, the Roughriders are getting better.  The Riders were 1-5 in the first six games and 3-3 in the just-completed middle six.  3-3 is respectable but not dominant and when your foes are as hot as they are, it's not enough to get the job done.  Should this team miss the playoffs, Ken Miller has the built-in excuse of the 1-7 start.

- Swaggerville may now reside in BC.   The Lions were 1-5 in their first six games and 5-1 in the middle portion of the schedule.  Their five game win streak makes them by far the hottest team in the CFL.  Are they the best team in the CFL?  It's hard to argue that they're not.

- Saturday was a horrible offensive day for the Roughriders.  During Ken Miller's first three games on the sidelines the Roughriders were +8 in the turnover ratio.  Saturday's loss shattered that, as the Riders lost the turnover battle 6-0.  It gave them no chance at success, and put plenty of weight on defense and special teams.  However it was unreasonable to assume the Riders would go 10-0 under Miller's direction.  That was a loss they could nary afford to suffer, but they're still alive.  However they need to find a way to start more quickly in games.  When is the last time they scored on their opening drive?  Or prevented their opponents from doing so?

- It's easy to see why the Riders have rookie KOR/RB Brandon West on the roster rather than veteran Hugh Charles and that kills me to say because I'm one of Hugh's biggest fans.    West consistently gave his team outstanding field position time after time on Saturday, however the offense could do nothing with it.  Perhaps more impressive was the fact he credited his blockers, rather than himself, for his success after the game.  And don't worry about Hugh.  Although he won't be around next year, he'll be with another team for sure.

- BC Lions defensive tackle Aaron Hunt (#90), seeked out TSN's sideline reporter Lee Jones during Saturday's telecast and had a message to pass along to the rest of the nation.  "They (the Riders) are who we thought they were," Hunt told Jones, quoting former Arizona Cardinals coach Dennis Green from one of his famous rants.   Hunt says they thought the Riders were junk, and they played like it.  Hey, it's all part of it!  The Lions got bragging rights in Week 13 just like the Riders did for back-to-back weeks over Winnipeg.  We'll see who's laughing in the end!

- That was an absolutely horrible week by the way.  I had my wallet stolen, a mountain bike stolen, a Sportsnet jacket stolen and my optimism stolen.  Starting today, we begin getting them all back.

- "They are who we thought they were!"  I love it!

- CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon dropped a bomb at halftime of yesterday's Touchdown Atlantic II game in Moncton (which Hamilton won over Calgary).   He hinted there may be no Touchdown Atlantic III next year as the league is too busy getting ready for the 100th Grey Cup in Toronto.   What a shame.   Perhaps Canada's Team will never get there.

- BC Lions colour commentator Giulio Caravatta is likely my favourite guy in the CFL.   He is also the answer to a trivia question:  who is the last Canadian quarterback to start a CFL game?  It was Giulio, for the BC Lions, Oct. 27, 1996 vs Toronto.  Unlike the '72 Dolphins who don't want their perfect record to be broken, Giulio is pulling for Canadian quarterbacks to make history again and see his name erased.

- The playoffs are highly attainable.  As a matter of fact I don't even want to consider the notion of missing the playoffs.  The Riders haven't missed the post-season since 2001.

- Sports Cage/Sportsnet CFL Insider Arash Madani said the Riders would be for real if they beat BC on Saturday.  As usual, he's right.  They didn't beat BC and that has left plenty of doubters.  Hopefully they don't doubt themselves.

- Arash has literally been all over the world covering sports but more specifically has tracked this contintent reporting on the CFL, NFL, NHL and MLB.  He says the Rider Nation is made up of the most passionate fans in sport.  The Yankees, Leafs and Packers may have more fans, but no fans care about their team more than Rider fans.   How do you like that?

- Arash Madani is Canada's Peter King.

- One thing I noticed about watching Touchdown Atlantic II; when Henry Burris takes sacks, he takes BIG sacks.

- RUMOUR:  Dave Dickenson will be the next head coach of the BC Lions.

- The newly-introduced coin was 4-0 in our CFL pick pool on the weekend.  FOUR AND OH!!  I'm taking the coin's picks from now on.

- What was the most surprising/uplifting story in the NFL on Sunday?  It had to be the Buffalo Bills knocking off New England on a last-second field goal followed closely by Detroit's monster comeback in Minnesota.  The Bills and Lions are both 3-0.  I texted Bills QB coach George Cortez a congratulatory note immediately after the game and George wasn't long in responding.  We're trying to get him on the Sports Cage this week.

- Have you watched the Charlie Sheen Roast?  I did last night.  Wow is that some funny stuff.  Comedian Jeff Ross had my favourite line when he said "Charlie if you're WINNING, there's something wrong with the scoreboard!".  That's my kind of humour, but it doesn't go over too well at the Plaza.

- Rider great Steve Mazurak will MC this year's Plaza of Honour (Oct. 14) and I can't wait to attend.

- I don't know why sports TV network Versus even reveals its ratings for NHL games.  68,000 people watched last week's Toronto-Philadelphia preseason game which puts it on par in the USA with the WNBA playoffs, CFL Football on the NFL Network and non-Premiere League matches on Fox.  However it was only a preseason game.  Mind you the Jets-Blue Jackets game on TSN Jets last week drew close to 500,000 viewers.  Do you think hockey belongs in Canada Gary?

- I assume you all watched Mike Modano - An American Icon on the NHL Network yesterday?  The reporters they interviewed for the show said Michael stands up in Dallas sports circles along with Roger Staubauch, Dirk Nowitzki and Nolan Ryan.

- However Wayne Gretzky said on the show he wishes he had some of the God-given abilities that Modano possesses to which I said to myself "C'mon Waynnnnne!"

- Pat's Pats look fantastic.  Kudos to Pat Conacher for coaching his Regina Pats to a 2-0 start out of the gate.  I was watching Friday's home opener with some hockey types and roundabout the 10 minute of the first period this team forced me to postpone the conversation, sit up and pay attention.  They're exciting to watch.  The naysayers say "yah but it was only Swift Current".   Doesn't matter.

- Big kahunas by Conacher to scratch Jordan Weal for Game 1 after missing a team meeting.  It's nice to see Conacher given complete control which hasn't been the case for coaches in the past.

- Pats owner Russ Parker had some really nice words for me on Friday, which I appreciate.

- One thing became clear again Friday night at the Pats game: kids go absolutely ape over K9.  Holy lick do they love that dog.

- Last week I asked Hall of Fame Warriors play-by-play man Rob Carnie who was the best junior out of Modano, Sakic and Fleury.   "Ahhhhh Fleury no doubt," Carns responded, not surprisingly.  BUT I think Dale Derkatch was a better junior than them all.

- Here's my assessment of the movie Moneyball, which I went to Saturday night -- it's the first movie I can remember in years where I just couldn't run out for a washroom break during the show.  It was fascinating and I couldn't miss a minute.  The MMG highly recommends you go see Moneyball.  And the last scene - the very, very last scene - was a very important one for me to see.  It really hit home.

- Have you ever called the wrong number and when you try to hang up, the person on the other end of the line wants to keep talking?  It happened to me again on Sunday.

- There's something new which has come to Regina along with the new population/economic boom.  It's called "lineups".   And I don't like them.

- It's Monday and that means All-You-Can-Eat Soup & Salad at the Press Box Sports Bar at lunch today for $7.99.  And don't forget you can get a full rack o' ribs dinner for just $5.99 while you enjoy Monday Night Football.  The Redskins and Cowboys kickoff at 6:30 pm our time.

THAT'S IT! SEE YOU IN THE CAGE AT 5:00
RP
www.twitter.com/sportscage

SUNDAY SPORTS

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats made a statement on the East Coast.  Hamilton dominated the Calgary Stampeders 55-36 in the annual CFL game in Moncton. Marcus Thigpen caught three touchdowns as the Ticats snapped a two-game losing skid. Hamilton dominated the first half and led 27-14 at the half. Just over 20,000 watched the game at the University of Moncton campus. Calgary is 7-5, Hamilton is 6-6.

---

Michael Vick's quick return from a concussion has resulted in a broken hand. The Eagles quarterback suffered the injury to his right hand against the Giants. It was just last week Vick was knocked out of a game at Atlanta with a concussion. Vick had proclaimed himself ready to play despite the injury, before hurting his hand against New York in the fourth quarter. The Giants went on to win 29-16.

---

One step forward for Tampa Bay, one step back for Boston. The Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-2 to claw to within a half-game of the A-L wild card holding Red Sox. Boston stumbled with a 6-2 loss to the Yankees. They can regain a little breathing room when they play the second of a doubleheader in New York tonight.

---

The Pittsburgh Penguins are a step closer to the return of their star captain. Sidney Crosby took part in a controlled scrimmage as he continues his comeback from concussion-like symptoms. Crosby has been off the ice since January. He took face-offs and worked on set plays in his first five-on-five action since training camp opened.  Crosby has yet to be cleared for contact.

---

The St. Louis Blues are getting a boost with the addition of forward David Perron. He's been out since last November with a concussion and will join the team tomorrow. There's eight NHL exhibition games today. Winnipeg plays Carolina, Boston takes on Montreal in Halifax, Edmonton visits Calgary and San Jose is at Vancouver.

---

Pat Burns has been honoured with an arena named after the legendary hockey coach. The Pat Burns Arena opened today in Stanstead, Quebec after the federal and provincial governments pledged two-thirds of the $8-million dollar cost of the building with the remainder raised through donations and charity auctions. Burns died of cancer last November.

(Canadian Press)

LIONS 42 RIDERS 5

REGINA -- The Saskatchewan Roughriders absorbed their worst loss of the season, 42-5 to the BC Lions at Mosaic Stadium on Saturday, and in the process saw their three game win streak come to a screeching halt.

Before an 18th consecutive sellout crowd of 30,048, the Lions took the Rider Nation out of it early building up a 6-0 lead after the first quarter. They took a 30-0 advantage late in the second quarter before Rider kicker Chris Milo stopped the bleeding with 29-yard field goal with 0:03 to go in the half making it 30-3.

Nothing changed in the second half as the Riders had three straight 2-and-outs.  The Lions led 38-3 after the third period.  Ryan Dinwiddie replaced Darian Durant midway through the fourth quarter with the game out of hand.  The Riders lost the turnover battle 6-0 as they dropped to 4-8 while the Lions improved to 6-6, and won their fifth in a row.  They're also four points clear of the Riders for the final playoff spot in the West with six games to go, and have clinched the season series victory.

The Riders' next action is Saturday at Calgary.  Call your postgame comments into the Sports Cage After Hours Hotline at 546-CAGE and we'll replay the best calls on Monday's show.

ARGOS 25 BOMBERS 24

Noel Prefontaine's 47-yard single with 23 seconds remaining led the Toronto Argonauts to a wild 25-24 win over a battered Winnipeg Blue Bombers squad Saturday night. Prefontaine missed a 38-yard field goal try, but Toronto managed to tackle the Bombers' returner in the end zone for the single. Winnipeg drops to 8-4 while Toronto improves to 3-9.
(CP)

PATS 4 BRONCOS 2

The Regina Pats are 2-0 to start the 2011-12 WHL season after a home-and-home sweep of the Swift Current Broncos this weekend. After a convincing 5-1 victory over the Broncos Friday in Regina, the Pats went into Swift Current Saturday night and skated off with a 4-2 triumph.

Dyson Stevenson and Brandon Underwood scored for Regina in the first period after which the Pats led 2-1. Rookie Dominek Volek scored in the second period for a 3-1 Pats' lead after forty minutes. Campbell Elynuik capped Regina's scoring in the final frame.

Matt Hewitt made 27 saves in the Regina goal to up his personal record to 2-0. For the second straight night, the Broncos outshot the Pats including 29-27 on Saturday. The Pats were 2/5 on the powerplay and 3/4 killing penalties.

RAMS 38 GOLDEN BEARS 14

EDMONTON, Alta. – Playing quarterback for the first time in his CIS career, Zach Oleynik threw four touchdown passes for the University of Regina Rams as they defeated Alberta 38-14 on Saturday afternoon in a Canada West game at Foote Field in Edmonton.
 
Oleynik – a 6'4" slotback who rocketed up the Rams' depth chart following injuries to Marc Mueller and Dylan Hart – came out of nowhere on Saturday to complete 14 of his 23 pass attempts for 254 yards, including two touchdown passes to Jared Janotta and one apiece to both Mark McConkey and Brenden Owens.
 
Running back Adrian Charles had a fine game on the ground for the Rams, rushing 22 times for 165 yards and a touchdown. Janotta ended up with seven catches for a career-high 147 yards, including a 69-yard reception in the early in the game which set up McConkey's major.
 
Jamir Walker was a standout defensively, as the fourth-year cornerback recorded two interceptions – both of which set up touchdowns for the Rams offence – to pass Steve Ryan as the school's all-time leader with 11 career picks. First-year linebacker Tyler Mantyak made his first CIS start and tied Justin Edralin for the team lead with six tackles, while Logan Brooks had a pair of sacks for Regina.
 
The Rams (1-3) opened the scoring with a nine-play, 95-yard drive midway through the first quarter that ended with a four-yard touchdown catch by McConkey. Janotta then got in the act, hauling in two touchdown passes in the second quarter to increase Regina's lead to 21-0.
 
Alberta (0-4) got on the board with a minute and a half left in the second quarter on K.K. Sonuga's 14-yard touchdown run, giving the Rams a 21-7 lead at halftime. The Golden Bears drew even closer after a good return was followed by a quick drive resulting in a 17-yard touchdown pass to Brad Quartel from Julian Marchand, cutting the lead to just seven.
 
But it was all Rams from there.
 
Charles put Regina back up by two touchdowns with a 10-yard rumble late in the third quarter, and a 25-yard lob to Owens in the end zone gave the Rams a three-possession cushion midway through the fourth. Chris Bodnar, who punted brilliantly all game long, capped the scoring with a 33-yard field goal late in the contest.
 
Marchand completed 15 of his 29 passes for 196 for the Golden Bears, while Sonuga ended up with 16 rushes for 101 yards. Alberta's leading receiver was Laine Rogers, who caught five passes for 75 yards.
 
The Rams will return home next weekend to square off with Manitoba (2-2) on Friday night at Mosaic Stadium, with the winner taking over the fourth and final Canada West postseason spot. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.
 
NOTES: Oleynik becomes the first Rams quarterback to throw four touchdown passes in a single game since Teale Orban threw five at Alberta on Oct. 18, 2008 ... the Rams now boast a 13-5 all-time record against the Golden Bears ... Charles moves into sole possession of second place on the U of R's all-time list with 10 career rushing touchdowns ... Oleynik moves into a tie with Campbell Antonini for sixth place on the school's all-time list in touchdown passes (4) ... Oleynik and Frankie Gray were used interchangeably at quarterback, as Gray ended up completing 2 of his 3 passes but also rushed six times for 61 yards ... Kahlen Branning also saw some snaps at quarterback for the Rams late in the contest and rushed two times for 23 yards ... Owens needs just 13 yards to pass Chris Bauman for fifth on the U of R's all-time receiving yards list.

(Courtesy U of R Athletics)

LIONS AT RIDERS GAME NOTES

THE MATCH-UP
BC (5-6) AT SASKATCHEWAN (4-7)
TODAY, 2 PM, MOSAIC STADIUM, TSN, CKRM
Season Series: 1-0 BC, 24-11 win on Aug 5/11

The last time these two teams met the game was between clubs with a combined record of 1-9, BC had yet to win and Saskatchewan was at 1-4. After that first meeting won by the Lions 24-11 at Empire Field, they were each at 1-5. Since then however they have become the CFL’s hottest clubs with a combined mark of 7-3 in a season with plenty of turnarounds and hot and cold streaks as it’s theme. The Lions have won 5 of their last 6 games and Ken Miller in undefeated since returning.

BC Lions
- The Lions are riding a 4-game winning streak for the first time since October 2008 when they won 5 in a row to rally back to 9-5 after a 4-5 start that season. The Lions last reached 4 in a row on the road during that 2008 stretch as well.

- In the current 4-game streak the club has beaten two teams (Toronto and Calgary) that were coming off wins, and two above .500 teams (Edmonton and Calgary) to get within two games of the West Division lead after an 0-5 start.

- BC has outscored the opposition 125-42 over the last four games and despite being two games under .500 have the CFL’s #2 scoring edge for the season at +48 (292-244 behind only Montreal’s +64).

- Three different receivers have led the club in receiving in the last three weeks (Bruce, Simon and Foster). Over that span, Travis Lulay has thrown 4 TD passes and a single interception in 91 passes.

- The blocked punt by Paris Jackson was the first for the Lions since the one by Andrew Harris Oct 11/10 against Winnipeg.

- In last week’s game at Calgary, the Stamps picked up 129 of their 335 net yards in the final 4:17 of the game.

- The Lions have not been outscored in any of the last 17 quarters by any more than 2 points (and have an actual scoring edge in 14 of them). No opponent has scored more than 7 points in any quarter over that span.

- After 6 games BC trailed Winnipeg by 11 sacks (25-14) but are now just one behind with 34 in 11 games.

- The Lions built 5 sustained offensive drives last week with at least 3 first downs including their 3 TD drives.

Saskatchewan
- The Riders will be looking for their first win over a West Division rival in 2011 where they are 0-4; they are 4-3 vs the East.

- Over their current 3-game winning streak the Riders have outscored opponents 102-50 building leads of 20, 29 and 10 points in those games. In the 2nd half of those games, the scoring gap has been a combined 61-21.

- On the penalty front, Saskatchewan has averaged just 7 for 71 yards in the last 3 games compared to an average of 11.3 penalties for 100 yards over the previous 7 contests.

- Cutting down on turnovers has been another area where the Riders have improved under Ken Miller. Since taking over, Miller’s club has made only 5 turnovers and forced 13 for their opponents. That is a +8 T/O Ratio versus a -12 mark over the first 8 games and just 9 forced turnovers in that initial 8-game stretch at 1-7.

- Saskatchewan is tied with BC for the lead with 14 interceptions. James Patrick is tied for first with 4 and has a total of 13 since 2010. Only Chris Thompson has at least 10 other than Patrick and Ryan Phillips of BC is next with 8 over that span.

- Last week, Darian Durant completed 9 passes of 13+ yds and led only 4 two-and-outs in 15 drives. Yet another first 8/last 3 comparison: Durant’s passing stats: Gm #1-8 – 86.4 with 10 TDs, 9 Ints; Gm #9-11 – 110.9 with 8 TDs, 2 Ints.

- Jerrell Freeman has been Saskatchewan’s all-round leading defender all year with 64 tackles (#2 in the CFL), 3 forced fumbles (#3), 3 sacks (top 16) and 3 interceptions (#5).

- Chris Getzlaf is among three Riders in the CFL’s top 11 receivers to Wk #12 and has scored 6 TDs in his last 4 games.

RAMS AT GOLDEN BEARS PREVIEW

THE GAME
Looking to pick up their first win of the season, the University of Regina Rams travel to Edmonton this weekend for a Saturday matchup against the Alberta Golden Bears. Despite both teams coming into the game with identical 0-3 marks, the winner of the contest will be just one win back of the fourth and final Canada West playoff spot at the midpoint of the conference schedule. Michael Ball will have the call on http://www.620ckrm.com/ and the game will also be available via webcast at www.canadawest.tv.

THE HEADLINES
• With three teams embroiled in a tie for second place in the Canada West standings with 2-1 records and two of those squads (Manitoba and UBC) playing each other this week, there will be at least one team at 2-2 after Week 4 — just one win ahead of the Rams/Bears winner

• The Rams have enjoyed an advantage over the Golden Bears in recent seasons, defeating Alberta in six of the past seven meetings dating back to 2006

• Regina’s Chris Bodnar leads the CIS with an average of 44.8 yards per punt, which is exceeded in U of R single-season history only by Jon Ryan’s 45.9 yards per punt in 2003

• For the second consecutive contest, true freshman Frankie Gray will start at quarterback for the Rams

• Alberta linebacker Jason Hetherington leads Canada West in total tackles (32½), while cornerback Brent Krawchuk and linebacker Duncan Morris are tied for the conference lead in interceptions (2) and sacks (3), respectively

• The Rams also started out the season with three consecutive losses in 1999, 2003, and 2004 — in 2003, they recovered to win four of their last five and made the postseason

UNIVERSITY OF REGINA RAMS (0-3)
Coming off a humbling 51-1 loss to the No. 3-ranked Calgary Dinos, the Rams will need to recover in a hurry if they hope to put their first tally in the win column this Saturday at Alberta.

The Rams received no good news on the injury front this week, as quarterback Dylan Hart won’t be ready this weekend and the team announced that fifth-year pivot Marc Mueller would be shut down for the season due to the shoulder injury suffered against UBC in Week 1.

Adding to the Rams’ injury issues is the loss of linebacker Austin Bates for this game, as the third-year linebacker was handed a one-game suspension for a late hit during Friday’s loss.

There’s a silver lining in the clouds for the Rams, though. Despite the 0-3 start, a victory for the Rams this week will put them just one win out of fourth place in the conference, and their final four games of the season are all against teams that go into Week 4 with 2-1 records. If the Rams can replicate what they did back in 2003 and win four out of their last five after dropping their first three, they’ll have an excellent chance to make the postseason for the sixth consecutive season.

Frankie Gray, the first true freshman to start at quarterback since Teale Orban (2004), will get his second consecutive start at pivot. Adrian Charles added 57 yards to his rushing totals against Calgary and ranks second in Canada West and fifth in the nation with 338 yards. Jared Janotta remains the team’s top receiver with 11 catches for 121 yards.

Akiem Hicks has led the Rams defensively this season, as the fourth-year defensive tackle has a team-high 15 tackles. Defensive end Logan Brooks leads the team with two sacks.

Following this Saturday’s tilt with Alberta, the Rams will prepare for a home game against No. 10-ranked Manitoba (2-1) on Friday, Sept. 30 at Mosaic Stadium.

PATS 5 BRONCOS 1

REGINA -- The 2011-12 season could not have started better for the Regina Pats.  Paced by four point efforts from forwards Chandler Stephenson and Lane Scheidl, the Queen City Kids pasted the Swift Current Broncos 5-1 in their regular season opener Friday night in the Brandt Centre.

The Broncos got out to a 1-0 lead just 3:09 into the game courtesy of a Brad Hoban goal but it was all Pats after that as Chandler Stephenson scored to knot it up at 1-1 later in the period.  It was a 1-1 after one frame and 3-1 Regina after forty minutes.  Stephenson ended up with a pair of goals on the evening while Jack Rodewald, Scheidl and Morgan Klimchuk also found the net.  Matt Hewitt made 25 saves in the Regina goal as the Broncos outshot the Pats 26-23.  Veteran forward Dyson Stevenson was named the Hardest Working Pat for being involved in a pair of spirited scraps.

Regina was 1/2 on the powerplay while the Broncos were 1/5.  The attendance was 5103 and the crowd was loud and rowdy from the get-go.  The Pats looked great and if you consider the club is in its infancy with regards to implementing new coach Pat Conacher's systems, the future certainly looks bright.  The Pats and Broncos will conclude the season-opening home-and-home series Saturday night at the Swift Current Credit Union I-Plex on 620 CKRM.

ALOUETTES 34 ESKIMOS 21

EDMONTON -- With Anthony Calvillo on the sidelines after suffering an undisclosed injury, the Alouettes put together a solid effort, defeating the Edmonton Eskimos 34-21 on Friday night at Commonwealth Stadium.
With less than one minute remaining in the third quarter, Calvillo was hit hard by Edmonton’s Marcus Howard following a fumble. The veteran quarterback needed medical attention, and did not return to the game.

The Esks managed to put six late points on the board, with Ricky Ray connecting with receiver Fred Stamps with 1:20 to go in the final frame.   However, it was too little too late, as the Als improved to 7-5 on the season, with a 34-21 victory.  The Eskimos drop to 7-5 with the loss.

(Courtesy CFL.ca)