We’ve almost made it! After a long, cold off-season, this is the last MMG before the start of football season. The countdown timer shows we’re just over five days away from the start of Rider training camp but in truth, things begin Wednesday with the start of rookie camp and we’ll be all over it. Congratulations! We’re almost there…
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We’ll start with hockey today however and people are still buzzing about the Regina Pats’ hiring of Chad Lang as their new General Manager on Friday. Lang appeared in The Sports Cage on 620 CKRM Friday afternoon and John Lynch asked him if he’d have complete authority over making a coaching change if he felt that was necessary.
“As far as anything in hockey operations, as of today I have the autonomy to make the decisions I feel are in the best interests of the organization,” Lang explained. “In saying that, I will definitely sit down with Curtis Hunt and the scouting staff and give them an opportunity to say their piece. I think it’s an important to give those guys an opportunity to voice their opinions. They’ve been involved the past few years, and then I’ll put in my two cents.”
“I have a good understanding of the organization from an outsider looking in but to have success there are so many factors that go into it. Sometimes it’s tough to evaluate them from the outside. But in fairness to the process, everyone has to be able to voice their opinions. Then if I feel there are any gaps, I’ll make the necessary changes. I’m comfortable doing that.”
Lang says he’s up to speed on the Pats’ roster, and those of other WHL teams as he attended as many games in Regina and Moose Jaw as he could since being relieved by the Moose Jaw Warriors in May of 2009.
“Maybe having the year off was the best thing for me. I’m fresh and excited to get back at it but it also allowed me to evaluate all the teams from a neutral perspective. There’s definitely some assets within this organization – personnel on the ice – but we need to upgrade in a few areas. But that’ll be a process as well. I don’t proclaim to be a miracle worker and things won’t change overnight.”
“The biggest thing I want to get across to the fans is that my hockey clubs need to compete every night and when you do that you give yourselves a chance. If you don’t, you shoot yourself in the foot. That will be the message and the mandate from day one with this hockey club but in saying that, there will be changes down the road.”
So what do you think think those changes should/will be?
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The Regina Pats are proud to announce that they have signed their first round pick from the 2010 WHL Bantam Draft to a WHL Standard Players Agreement.
Morgan Klimchuk was taken by the Pats 5th overall in the recent 2010 WHL Bantam Draft. He was the Captain of a Calgary Bison squad that won the silver medal at the Western Canadian Bantam Championships. In 28 games with the Bisons this season, Klimchuk scored 33 times and collected 19 assists for 52 points while adding 44 minutes in penalties. He was also a 2009-2010 South Division AMBHL All-Star.
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Who predicted Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals would produce 11 goals with Chicago winning 6-5? The purists love low-scoring, defensive struggles but the majority of the public wants to see GOALS and they’re raving about the game south of the border because of the offense. Sadly I was vastly outvoted Saturday night at the Tsakas family barbecue and had to watch the Lakers-Suns Game 6 instead, making me settle for the hockey highlights later.
Which leads me to wonder why the NHL would want to go up against the NBA playoffs in the States? There were only two games going on this weekend in sports and they started at the exact same time. Something’s wrong with that picture.
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Now to the football. You’ll notice a poll at the top left of the page regarding Roughrider training camp and what position you feel will be the most interesting to watch come Sunday. For me, it’s the defensive end positions vacated by John Chick and Stevie Baggs. Rider great Scott Schultz discussed that in the Sports Cage Friday afternoon.
“No question those two guys were tremendous players and candidates for player of the year,” Schultz explained. “The funny thing was when Chick showed up in town, nobody expected anything from him. It was like ‘who is this goofy looking guy?’ but over the course of time he really arrived. Those players will always present themselves and you have to have faith in the GM to recruit players.”
“I look at it as a player and as a fan I can’t wrap my head around it. I’m just becoming a fan. But as a player, guys now get a chance. Luc Mullinder should be licking his chops and this new guy, the #1 pick (Shomari Williams) will prove whether he’s worth his salt to be a back-up.”
We asked Schultz if he understands why fans are a little nervous at the prospect of replacing those two bookends.
“Well sure but that comes down to a fan’s football IQ and some fans have higher ones than others. The sexy names like Baggs and Chick are going to give way to two new guys who are just as good and popular. It’s just a matter of who will they be and when will they present themselves?”
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Stevie Baggs faces long odds to make that Cardinals team which has him listed at the bottom of their depth chart at outside linebacker. He was on The Sports Cage Friday as well and had a message to Rider fans, and a tip about who might replace him at defensive end.
“I just want to tell all the Rider fans that I appreciate their past and current support,” Baggs said from Phoenix. “Keep me in your prayers as I do you guys. I spread peace, blessings and love to all of Rider Nation. I’m looking forward to seeing coach Miller and coach Etcheverry do a great job this year. And look out for Joe Sykes, man. He’s a beast and he’ll do a great job replacing me.”
Even if Baggs IS cut, don’t expect him back in Green & White unless GM Brendan Taman opens up his wallet. Stevie has made it known that he expects to go to the highest bidder in that eventuality.
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I’d suggest you get to a bookstore ASAP and pick up a copy of Perseverance, Life Lessons on Leadership and Teamwork, a motivational biography written by Montreal Alouettes coach Marc Trestman in which he collaborated with Minneapolis-based sports author and motivational speaker Ross Bernstein.
Trestman is a highly impressive individual.
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Former Roughrider, Blue Bomber, Alouette and Renegade Jason Armstead will be playing pro football in 2010. The wide receiver/kick returner has signed with Jim Fassel’s Las Vegas team in the United Football League.
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Don’t expect Kenton Keith in Green & White anytime soon. I’d heard a rumour the Riders were interested in signing the bad boy running back, but GM Brendan Taman told me Sunday “not as of now.”
Keith has turned down interview requests.
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Great news for football fans from border to border! In The Huddle makes its season premiere tomorrow night at 7:00 PROVINCE-WIDE! That’s right, new Access VP of Marketing Trevor
Derksen reached an agreement with Shaw last week to carry our weekly one hour Roughrider magazine show. So Rider fans in such places as Saskatoon, Swift Current, Moose Jaw and P.A. will now get the show.
We’ve got some big news on tomorrow’s show as well, but I’ll wait a day to preview it.
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A couple of Sports Cage notes, listeners were under the mistaken impression that Mitchell “Scruffy” Blair was under the full-time employ of Harvard Broadcasting when we launched the show two weeks ago. The truth is we were just floating him a handsome stipend for doing two hours on air with us on Tuesdays and Thursdays. So when he was hired to oversee Capital Automotive’s online division last week, nobody could figure out why he’d choose that over the radio. The hours of his new job aren’t conducive to playing radio with us twice a week, but we’re working on it. Scruffy did such a bang up job and the reviews have been so tremendous that Harvard’s trying to find a way to keep him on air.
As a matter of fact, Leader Post hockey writer Greg Harder dropped this on his blog on Friday:
“As a sports fan, it’s a nice change of pace. And keep that Scruffy guy around too. The local airwaves wouldn’t be the same without him.”
Also tomorrow is the 3rd Annual Rider Players Golf Tournament at Deer Valley, organized by the Riders’ Jeremy O’Day and Mike McCullough. We plan to broadcast The Sports Cage live from the golf course from 4:00 – 6:00pm and plan to have the golfers/celebrities come on the air with us as they make the turn after the ninth hole by the pro shop
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If you listened to Friday’s show, you’ll remember we mentioned the deaths of celebrities Art Linkletter and Gary Coleman last week and since these things always come in three’s, we asked for predictions on who third one might be. I had a feeling it would be David Hasselhoff while Lynch predicted Lawrence Fishburne.
Sure enough on Saturday we received the news that Dennis Hopper died at the age of 74. Turns out I had the initials correct, just not the right celebrity.
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I unloaded the Eberle Oilers jersey on Friday. A gentleman in Wetaskiwin, Alberta stepped up to the plate to purchase the priceless piece of sports memorabilia. His name his Clarke Compton, and has ties to Regina. Perhaps some of you know him.
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The Regina Red Sox’ season-opening game at Yorkton was rained out and will be made up tomorrow night. The Sox’ home opener is this Friday night against the Cardinals at 7:00pm at Currie Field…
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