The Saskatchewan Roughriders begin the 2012 regular season Thursday night in Hamilton after an 0-and-2 preseason. Exhibition football means absolutely nothing, still I don't think this Roughrider team will be good for much more than six wins this season. Having said that, I think the building blocks are in place to get back to respectability. What I like about new head coach Corey Chamblin is that nobody gets the benefit of the doubt with him. Defensive back Lance Frazier has, justifiably so, been released. Rookie quarterback Drew Willy has elevated himself, deservedly so, into the back-up quarterback position. Running Back Kory Sheets is the new starting tailback with an impressive preseason and training camp. Last year, the offensive line got old in a hurry. This year, there is an influx of youth and it's refreshing.
My initial reaction to the renovations at Mosaic Stadium is a positive one; although the jumbo tron is tough to see from my section 26 seat. Having said that, a smaller (still very big) screen was installed along the top of the covered sections and that alleviates the inconvenience of not being able to easily see the jumbo tron. It wasn't that long ago that there was no video at all for Roughrider games. They've come quite a ways.
Of course, the renovations aren't perfect. Somehow about 20 new seats got busted because they were not welded properly. It's a little funny, but it's also a good thing nobody was seriously hurt. Afterall, seats used as projectiles are worse than beer cans.
I've spent more time than usual in Regina lately, and I have used the opportunity to jog around Wascana Lake. It's a really nice place and I enjoy it there. Monday morning was really hot, so the run was tough but the scenery was terrific. I think I'll run it one more time this Friday before taking a bit of a break. Not from running, but from Wascana as my Regina trips will be scaled back.
I'm going to use this space to brag a little bit about our Mosquito baseball team. When we started in May, we only had 3-4 players who had any experience. By the time we finished on Saturday afternoon we were B side playoff winners after winning our two playoff games in Langenburg. Tanner Hoffman, who doesn't have much meaningful experience in ball and none when it comes to pitching, threw three plus innings in the first game and that allowed us to rally from being down 8-2 to win 11-8. In the second game, Matthew Stackhouse (one of the few with a lot of experience) teamed up with Adam Smith (no experience prior to this year, but a natural) on the mound to win 3-2. That's a pitcher's duel at any level, but especially Mosquito. Dreyden Chyz had a big day with a three run homer in the first game and a two run triple in the second.
It's a big summer for concerts on the prairies. Slash is going to Winnipeg in July, Finger Eleven seems to be the biggest band of note for Regina in early August. Foreigner, Simple Plan, and Collective Soul are headed to Saskatoon in August. I won't get to all of them, but that's a nice line-up. Foreigner, by the way, has a new lead singer who is a dead ringer for Lou Gramm.
A number of us took in Bryan Adams last Thursday, and I went into the concert with modest expectations. While Bryan now looks like Darren from the old television sitcom Bewitched, he still sounds like 1991 Bryan Adams. A few songs, such as Hearts On Fire, Thought I'd Died and Gone To Heaven, and House Arrest actually sounded better than the album cuts. He played for 2 ½ hours and looked like he enjoyed every second of it. He also brought a fan up on stage to sing a duet with him, which I thought was very cool. I have never seen anything like that before.
Ever since the independence of the United States in 1776, the country has been at war for 214 years and at peace for 21.
A recent study indicates people who have a bad day on Monday can best improve their day by engaging in one of three things: having sex, eating chocolate, or watching tv. Wonder how good it would be if you combined all three?
Looks like I am going to have to learn to ride a motorcycle. I've always had an interest in it, but my dad is in town this week and announced to me that he's selling his. When I said I wouldn't mind taking it off his hands, he said he would give it to me. Anyone interested in teaching this old dog a new trick?
Nice person mentions this week to Rae Carlson, Travis Boychuk, Tammy Ruf, and Marty and Amy Sveinbjornson.
