News of Saturday's plane collision near St. Brieux reverberated through the Elgar Peterson Arena in Humboldt during the RBC Cup semi-final game between the Broncos and Woodstock Slammers. It's a puzzling tragedy as collisions like that are extremely rare, especially in prairie skies. Hopefully investigators are able to figure out the what and why. Meanwhile, there is now a big hole for families and friends of the three who died that were from rural Alberta, including an 11-year-old boy. Apparently, the boy's dad needed to grab some farm implement parts from Bourgault and his neighbor offered to fly them instead of watching them drive six hours both ways. The other two who died were a man and woman and we don't know much other than that, except that the plane was headed to La Ronge from Regina.
Speaking of the RBC Cup, it was disappointing to see the Broncos skate through the round robin 4-and-0 and then lose in overtime to Woodstock to be eliminated prior to Sunday's final; but that's why the games are actually played out by the athletes instead of the pundits who sit and analyze for a living. Head coach Dean Brockman commended his players and said he wished he could 'take away some of their pain' that they were feeling. He also had a parting word for the on-ice officials, who disallowed a goal in the second period despite television replays showing the puck was clearly over the line. "I guess when a referee tells me he's always right, I guess he isn't. Maybe they shouldn't be out late partying all week like they have been. I don't know, I'm just throwing that out there." Personally, I was out on Thursday night and when I left at 12:30, there were a number of on-ice officials enjoying themselves. Having said that, I didn't see anything over the top occurring and in the defense of the refs, there were no games on Friday. But, do you think any of the four teams left in the tournament Thursday night allowed their players to party on Thursday night?
Last year, I used this space to hammer on the incompetence of Saskatchewan Roughrider management. I hope I don't have to do that this year. This year's version of incompetence is the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. Can someone explain to me how you can flush $200 million down the toilet the way they have? And, I don't care what level of sports it is, but you can't have people on your team that don't want to be there. Josh Beckett doesn't want to be there. How do you explain being too injured to pitch Saturday and unable to go in a 17 inning game on Sunday, but totally fine to golf that weekend? It sounds drastic, but I'd simply call him and give him his unconditional release if I couldn't find a trade partner. He can be someone else's problem. In fact, I'd run a broom through that entire roster with Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz being the only untouchables. Ortiz deserves a contract for life for his World Series heroics. Pedroia is exactly what teams should want in a player.
A few people have come up to me in recent years and remarked that I should join the world of politics. I can't lie, I've thought about it; but I really don't think I'd get very far. First of all, people would actually have to vote for me! But, furthermore, I am not sure a political party would ever want to take me on. While I may fall in line with a particular party on most issues, I do feel as though a representative should be able to stand up and say, "Hey, I don't agree with my party on this particular issue; but on most things I do and that's why I wear the colors I do." I have been accused (if that's the right word) of being Conservative, but the reality is that Bev Oda should be in jail, in my opinion, her political stripes having no bearing on my opinion. And, Peter MacKay has pulled some stunts that make him come off as shady.
I saw a cool quote on Sunday: "God could not be everywhere, and therefore he made mothers." Hopefully, if you have a mom, you took two seconds out of your day to wish her a good one.
I'm embarrassed for the City of Regina having to put up with some of the kooks who have entered their mayor race. Michael Fougere is going to win with Pat Fiacco like popularity based on what I've seen in some of the candidates. Not enough space to go into it here. Google it if you want a good laugh.
CBS has given the axe to CSI: Miami. The other two CSI's are expected back for the new season. The dude from Cheers (Ted Danson) is now the lead in the Las Vegas version. CSI: New York is the other member of the CSI family. CSI: Miami was on for ten years and I watched it for about four. David Caruso and his over dramatization with the sunglasses got to be a little too much.
Nice person mentions this week to: Rebecca McDowell, Karla Hynes, Curtis MacLeod, and Sandra Nordin.
