Saskatchewan Roughrider losses are becoming as certain as death and taxes. It's getting to the point where the team can't possibly go any further downward. I watched the majority of the game (as much as I could stomach) on Friday night and it was apparent the receivers simply were not earning their paycheques. It's not the fault of quarterback Darian Durant, although he could run a bit more. It's not the fault of offensive coach Doug Berry either. How is it the coach's fault when a receiver drops passes? Further, there has been criticism leveled at Berry for moving players like Chris Getzlaf and Jason Clermont around the field, often times resulting in both playing outside of their regular spots. I would argue this is Berry trying to plug holes by seeing if a couple of talented people can succeed in areas other than what is familiar to them.
I am not a bandwagon fan, but I do question my sanity driving two hours each way to watch a team that looks like they may not be interested in performing to a level where I can say I've been entertained. I don't ask that they win every week, but I do ask they put out a bit more effort. If you are not sure what I mean, just watch the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for a quarter.
CKRM's Mitchell Blair opined on Saturday that Rider fans are not jumping off the bandwagon yet because he saw a lot of green sweaters out in public while he was running errands. I would argue these are the type of people who don't own anything other than a Roughrider sweater.
Speaking of sports sweaters/jerseys, is it ever appropriate to wear one if not going to a sporting event? I'd be interested in your opinion on this as a reader. Personally, I can't think of one.
Working in the promotional products industry, I sometimes run across some rather interesting scenarios that involve giveaways. I experienced one myself at a golf tournament, where I won a shirt. It turns out, the shirt was too small (go figure, lose a few pounds Stackhouse). I ended up giving it away to a buddy, and he was happy. Why not? It was free. I figure in cases such as those, it's best to look at the sponsor and give an appreciative 'thank you' and simply move on and either use the item(s) yourself, or find someone that will. Most companies spend more time than they should on buying promotional swag for the general public and it's an insult to them if you receive something, thumb your nose at it, and throw it in the thrash or leave it in a corner somewhere and never use it.
I stepped back in time last Thursday night at the Queen City Ex in Regina, as I went to see a concert featuring Slaughter, Warrant, and Great White. It was awesome. I paid $13 to see bits and pieces of five bands. You see, Warrant's lead singer is a former Lynch Mob vocalist and Great White's current stand-in is from XYZ. If you know 80s glam metal, you have heard of all of these bands. Slaughter is finished. As Kirk Weinmaster, eloquently, pointed out: Slaughter slaughtered Slaughter. Too bad. Not the way I want to remember them. Women will be sad to learn Mark Slaughter may weigh more than I do. That's not a compliment to either one of us! Warrant still has plenty left in the tank. In fact, I'd like to see some of their old hits re-done with Robert Mason instead of Jani Lane. Great White was also good. I thought they left out some pretty good songs and that was my only beef with them.
I'm not sure many employers will be happy with this, but Dave Zinczenko's tip of the day on Twitter one day last week said, "Every now and then, blow off work for a day, if only to remind yourself who's really the boss."
