Starting today, I'll have my fill of football - on tv and on the field - plus spending time with the family and some friends while celebrating my 12th wedding anniversary. Here's hoping you all have as much fun as I will...and I won't even be doing any job searching the next couple of days so you know I will be enjoying things.
That being the case, I'll leave any of you readers (if there are any) with some thoughts and opinions to consider until I return Monday.
The same thing that occurred last season when the winless Eskies walked into Taylor Field (sorry, can't convince myself to call it anything but) and put the Roughriders on their butts won't happen this season. In fact, I'd be surprised if the Esks score more than 20 points tomorrow.
This season's Roughies won't take the Esks for granted (like they did last year) and Edmonton's lack of offensive (and it really is offensive, trust me) finish will hurt in what looks to be a poor weather game if the forecast I've seen is correct.
And no, Ritchie Hall won't be on the chopping block....you'll just see more players in and out in an attempt to find the right mix.
On another CFL note, Barker is beginning to find everything falling into place for the Argos. Calgary is no slouch (granted, they're over-rated too) and the boys in blue showed they have the skills and attitude to fight back and win a tough one in the final minutes. I'm thinking the East might be as tough this season as the West, so the third team in the West may have to look over their should this year, instead of the other way around.
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Okay, I know I wasn't going to dwell on hockey until at least September, but I have to weigh in on what the Oilers have gone and done with their coaching staff this week.
I'll acknowledge right now, I am not and never will be an Oilers fan (they came well after I had been indocrinated into Canadiens folklore, even though I grew up near here).
However, bringing in the likes of Steve "I like to score on my own team" Smith and the return of Kelly "Deja vu - where have I seen this before" Buchberger as assistants to Renney (after bumping Pat Quinn upstairs to a role with likely little to no input - a bad move IMO) will I believe further a similar attitude that persisted prior to the big supposed "change in direction" imposed when Pat and Tom were brought in to look after the young guys upbringing.
This move has all the imprints of Kevin "My look at the future take in the past" Lowe and not Steve Tambellini, as was supposed to be the case when Lowe said he would hardly be involved in the management decisions.
Oiler fans (of which one of my kids is - where did I go wrong?) better hope that Renney can get his assistants to follow his way of thinking and foster the attitude of the future instead of resting on the laurels of the past.
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My heart goes out to the four Fort Saskatchewan Minor baseball teams that will be participating in the provincial playoffs over the next two weekends.
From all accounts, the ones playing starting today may not get in their tournaments due to rain (which is falling today and forecast for Sunday). After such a short season, and dealing with Baseball Alberta's confusing and mostly insane tiering and schedule-making, here's hoping the teams can bring it all to a successful end.
I may have photos to run next week, depending on how things turn out.
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Despite the district that rules soccer in this neck of the woods and their bailing out of all provincials because the board's politics couldn't find the right butt to kiss, it's great to finally see the two ASA factions come to grips with the fact their power squabble was hurting the sport, and most of all the young kids, and let someone else run things while they fight.
As you may have been following with Dan Barnes in the Edmonton Journal, the ASA split has been running for months at a huge cost to both the ASA's bottom line and to the kids. Today it was finally announced that the two court filings - one from each side - have been adjourned until the middle of next week as the lawyers from each side work on an agreement to have an independent third party run the ASA until the dispute is settled one way or another.
It's great, since now that provincials that are left can be run without a debacle (unlike the ones earlier this month). However, it's still going to be a costly fight. Here's hoping the kids and parents don't get hit with an expensive price hike next year simply because the adults weren't the ones playing fair.
Okay, that's all from this side of the fence. Take care and have a wonderful weekend, regardless of the weather.
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