The Racer Report

SWEET!!!!!!

2007-11-26T20:40:00.004-06:00

This I must tell you is about the coolest thing that could happen to a kid from SK.... EVER!!!

From The Return 2007

Thank you to everyone who stopped by this year, I know there has not been anything here for a long time and for that I appologize. There were a number of things that happened after the last post on here and I felt I could not do it justice. You the fans of this team desrve 100 % and I wanted to give you no less then that. I appreciate all the kind words and kudos on the blog (I know Phil I should have kept going) It meant the world to me and I hope what was here from time to time made you smile.

What a year!!!

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

2007-09-03T20:10:00.000-05:00

So here ya go :-)

From LDC

The rest can be found here: LDC

A few others can be found here: LDC Vids and here: LDC Vids

Today's Lyrics

"I'm gonna check my scars at home
Gonna cash my chips and roam
Gonna walk before I fade to black"

Damn that was a great gaame!

Play It Safe Day

2007-09-01T14:36:00.000-05:00

Not a ton of pics or vids today but here is a little of PISD at Mosaic.

CH even remembered who I was :-)

The sound is not great on this you have to turn it way up to hear it. Sorry

Today' Lyrics

"Let's show our pride in the Green & White.
We will fight, Green & White.
Sing loud and clear till the game is won.
The best is yet to come."

I was saving these lyrics for a special game! :-)

I Love A Rainy Night

2007-08-27T21:31:00.000-05:00

Actually saw Eddy Rabbit the one and only time I was ever at Craven back in the 80’s; but I digress. Hello everyone : -). No, I have not fallen off the face of the planet. My family and I were on holidays this past week (more on that below), that’s why no TRR for the last bit.

Let’s see…what has happened since we last spoke… Oh ya, there was a hell of a football game at Mosaic stadium Saturday August 18th. It will go down in Rider lore as one of those “Where were you on the night of the storm in 2007?” I will be proud to say I was on the Taylor Field sidelines through it all. I have said it on the air but I will say it here too: I LOVED IT. It was a honour for me to be able to be a part of the team that kept the Rider fans informed and I appreciate all of the kind words for both me and the amazing group of guys I work with at CKRM. Thank you to Willy Cole for being on holidays so I could be a part of it. Man, you guys were insane when the team came back out! I have always been proud of the Rider nation, but I was a little extra proud of you guys that night. As for the game, lots has been said and lots will be said, was it a defining moment for this team this year? We will see. Lets keep rolling and kick a litte Bomber ass this weekend.

Speaking of this weekend, how much do I/we love the LDC? The weekend is always such a great time what with yelling at Bomber fans staying at the Travelodge South, to all the “you suck” drum routines from Spanky in section 25, to the entire atmosphere at Mosaic stadium. I just love it - bring it on!

Let’s see what else happened while I was off. Oh, wait, I remember C-MURDER is back where he belongs… How cool is it to have CH back? For faithful readers and listeners of mine you will know I have never hid my shear admiration for Corey both as a football player and as a man. Much has been written and said about CH over the last while and there will be more in the future. Good to have you home Murder!! I don’t know if it was on the air or not so hopefully I am not speaking out of school, but at some point Corey said to me he wants to finish off his football career here in Sask (I know, not exactly a news flash), and I for one am very glad he will now be able to do that. I could ramble some more but I promised the editor I would keep it kind of short tonight. Does the above count as short?

A few videos and photos from the JJERKS (Joe, Jo, Em, Ryley, Kris) family vacation 2007.

A few videos from our family vacation 2007! We traveled up to McPhee Lake and Prince Albert National Park once again. Aside from the weather, which you will note was horrid; the rest of the trip was amazing. Hard to believe you are in Saskatchewan when you are hiking through forests along side roaring rivers and babbling brooks or along the shoreline of the mighty Waskesui Lake.

And here is the entire collection.

And a few pictures

From Vac Pics 2007...

From Vac Pics 2007

And here are 2 slideshows of all the pictures. I sat through all of it (ran both at the same time for awhile) and it look about 40 mins. Get a comfy chair and some strong coffee. Yes, we took way too many pictures with the new camera!

Or you can view them individually here:

Vac Pics 2007

Vac Pics 2007 PartII

Yes the new camera got a very good workout.

JJERK

Results from the most recent TRR poll:

If KK Comes Back Do We Keep Both He And Wes Around?

It Will Be Tough But Lets Make It Work 67% (33 votes)
Nope Were Good Lets See What We Can Get For Him 33% (16 votes)
Total voters for this poll: 49

New one is up! As are the most recent Sportsline and Coachs’ Show podcasts.

Today’s Lyrics

“Well the names have all changed since you hung around,
But those dreams have remained and they're turned around.

Who'd have thought they'd lead ya (Who'd have thought they'd lead ya)
Back here where we need ya (Back here where we need ya)”

Perry Nyhus rocks!!

The Perfect Storm

2007-08-13T21:32:00.000-05:00

A caller to tonight’s Sportsline questioned why people would be saying it better be a sell-out this Saturday night. You can count me as one of them. It’s Edmonton, it’s a Saturday night, and it’s for first place. The team deserves 28.8k there screaming loud and proud. They are on a roll. I am sure there are many other reasons the Riders deserve a sell-out crowd, but I digress. There is no better way to spend a warm August night than watching a darn good football team we all call our team take on the hated (well at least by me and a few others) Eskimos. The caller to Sportsline stated (and I am paraphrasing) that this team should be playing to sell tickets next year, that people are still a little burned, for lack of the proper term, over the last few years. I disagree completely. NOW IS NOW and this team is hot. If you read my second blog entry ever, I stated this team should be selling out all of these early games this year. Heck, they’re even playing great now, so it’s a bonus. This team deserves 28.8 k screaming as they Bring ‘em out, Bring ‘em out, Bring ‘em out. I will be one of those screaming fans!

For the few race fans that frequent the old TRR, I apologize for the lack of content as of late. The chase is around the corner and I am sure my thoughts may turn to it a little more once it is upon us. How bout that Ron Fellows? 4th place yesterday! Way to go Ron. For those not into racing but that have read this far, Ron Fellows is a Canadian driver that in the last two weeks has gotten 4th place finishes in two big NASCAR races. Ron is not just a great racer but also a very nice man and I am very happy for his recent and deserved success.

Today’s Lyrics

“Five-bob job
She gets bubble-gum on her knees
Down between the seats
Sometime she'll pass you the keys”

1-888-4-riders !!!!

Back In Black

2007-08-11T17:30:00.000-05:00

No, I am not talking about the third jerseys. Oh, and in case you missed it - Jim Hopson said retro jerseys soon!! Very cool. Hello, faithful readers of TRR! Sorry for the hiatus, but as you can see I am back.

On July 31st, my mom passed away and the funeral was this past Tuesday so I needed a bit of time off. As many of you know from reading TRR, my Dad had a big influence, as I am sure many others fathers do, on my love of the Riders. With that said, my Mom too was also a big fan as she and my dad had season tickets for, I believe, 25 years when they/we lived in Regina in the 50’s and 60’s. I miss her very much as I do my Dad, but I know they are in a better place and now will always have great seats for any Rider game.

With allof that happening, it sure was nice to see the boys pull off two big wins in that time period. This team, as I have said many times on the air over the past few weeks, really looks like a TEAM! And that is a great thing. Coach Austin has them ready to go for each game and seems to really have them focused; something maybe that has been lacking in the past few years. Part of the team success is the fact that when there has been injuries, there have been more than capable guys to fill in where needed. Again such a great thing. And what about the new guys? Wow - Cates, Flick, Smith, etc., great trades by Mr. Tillman. Not just great football players but good guys as well (from what I can gather in the brief conversations I have had with Flick and Wes). 5-2 looks very good right now and things I hope/feel will only continue to get better. I am sure there is a lot more in my head I could share, but I will not ramble. I don't think it is wrong for me to post this here this is from the CFL's Youtube page. Highlights from Fridays game:

If you have not seen it check out thier entire page, pretty cool stuff.

CFL YouTube

Thank you to all of you who knew what was going on and sent well wishes; on it meant a lot to me. I may not be back full force on here for awhile as work (the one that pays the bills) is still a bit insane right now, but I will try to have something for you as much as I can.

I am so glad to see The Riders succeeding for many reasons – let’s just keep rolling!!

I have updated the most recent Sportsline and Coaches’ show on the right hand side here for your listening enjoyment. I thank Rod and Willy for allowing me to host the two most recent Coaches shows. I do love talking Riders as some of you may have figured out by now. Don’t forget Sportsline Monday (guests to be named later; see Rod’s blog for who that will be) and Coaches’ Show Wednesday (again, see Rod’s blog). If you can’t make it live to the HUGE tilt between the Riders and the Eskimos Saturday at Mosaic, be listening to the mighty 620 CKRM starting at 5:30 P.M for The Touchdown Club with Mr. Poley and me (See my blog later in the week for who our guests will be). I will have an extra duty this game as well as Willy will be missing just his 4th game in 25 years and I will be patrolling the Rider sidelines Saturday night. I don’t get many opportunities to do that but man, I do love it! It is so loud down there, and I have no fear it will be insanely loud again this Saturday night.

The results from the most recent poll…

Does Being A Good Person As Well As A Talented Football Player Matter To You?

Yes 92% (34 votes)

No 8% (3 votes)

Total voters for this poll: 37
New one is up.

Today’s Lyrics
"You thought you'd found a friend
To take you out of this place
Someone you could lend a hand
In return for grace"

1st place baby!!!!!!

Sorry

2007-08-01T22:02:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone

I know I have not had a report for a few days, and I will be on hiatus for a bit but I shall return. I have had some personal things come up, plus it's been crazy busy at the damn pay the bills job. For the faithful readers I will be back soon. Plus I am going to be on the air almost everyday this week, so I am sure you will be tired of hearing from me anyhow :-) Again sorry.

Joe

Saturday In The Park

2007-07-29T11:47:00.000-05:00

SWEET

That was a great way to spend a Saturday at the park don't you think? I am all for a good close game, but man I do love a good butt kicking as well; certainly even a little more when it's my good friends the Edmonton Eskimos. What can you say but domination. All three phases of the game were well executed and there was effort and heart for a full 60 minutes as they say. In a few of my post-game interviews with the Esk's, the recurring theme was that the Riders were ready for this game. In fact, one of the Eskimo players commented that the Riders had momentum even before the game started. You will notice in a few of the videos I will have below the players all hugging and bonding before the game. I am not sure if that's new or I have just never noticed before, but it's kind of cool. They are playing as a team this year even in the losses and it looks like they have come together as a team off the field as well.

Game day started off great as well as the TD club was I think/hope another good one. Roundtable after the game was a different experience as Frenzy was away. For those who did not get a chance to listen, however, I (with the help of Carm at my suggestion) had Danny Mac on the show for the first 10 minutes, along with Carm and Rod. He shed some great post-game insight and it was very cool to have him on. Nice man, very personable, and in the short time I spoke with him I could tell not an arrogant bone in his body. Thank you again to my special guest hosts last night - I really appreciate it. And thanks to you folks for listening. So many individual great plays last night but it was a team win and I am going to give credit to everyone.

Here are a few of the numerous snaps I took yesterday. And the bulk of the pictures can be found here. SK vs Edm

I aslo took a number of videos again, here are a few. The rest along with all the others I have done can individually be found here. Rider Videos or below I have a player which allows you to watch them right here.

Today's Lyrics

"People talkin' about us,
they got nothin' else to do
when it all comes down we will
still come through"

There will be Streakers in the park today!

Dinner with Eric Tillman

2007-07-26T17:50:00.000-05:00

My Dinner With ET

I had the pleasure last night after the Belmont Tire Rider Coaches Show on 620 CKRM to break bread with Eric Tillman. Circumstances being what they were, all my radio peers had to leave so I had ET to myself for 30-45 minutes during supper at The Press Box. It was a real treat as I don’t often get a chance to have a one-on-one conversation with the powers that be as my daytime job and my duties don’t really allow for a lot of time other then on game day. We shared a number of stories both football and non-football related. I did find out Eric is not a racing fan, but I believe he has an appreciation for the sport but is just not a fan. In fact he told me back in the day when he was younger he did go to a race and got such a bad sunburn it left him turned off (for lack of a better word). He has many friends, however, at home that are race fans. There are many things that I took away from my time with Eric, the least of which is how much he and Kent, along with the others, care about this team and winning. I am not blowing sunshine up ET’s butt here, nor am I blowing smoke up yours, if you get a chance to talk to him you will instantly know he cares and he takes this all very seriously. I also took away the fact that he and his family are enjoying themselves here. There have some challenges, sure, but I believe Eric has, as Tom Cochrane put it so very well, “ No Regrets”. I suggest again if you get a chance to speak with Eric to do so. Now he does not need a line-up outside his office a mile long nor does he need everyone and anyone monopolizing all of his time, but he is very personable and approachable. Much like he and Kent and the others look for a combination of a good player and a good person, I think we have found a great football mind and a great person. ET if you are reading this, I thank you so much for taking the time last night and look forward to hopefully another time we can do it again. People, THEY CARE!

One story/bit of information I will share from our chat is I suggest you watch the players during the national anthem. They have been told that the Canadian guys should be proud of the country you come from, and American guys be thankful for the country that has taken you in as a football player (and a part time and, in some cases, full time citizen.) I am not sure if this is a direct quote or not but ET said last year during the national anthem the boys were lined up “more crooked then an Alabama kid’s teeth”. Now you should see a straight line and a team singing for the country they play for. I wonder if Scott sings well? And if Jocelyn sings the anthem in French? One of the small but cool things the new powers that be have brought to this team and us the fans.

The one other thing I wanted to say today is that if there are people out there (and I know there are) that think losing Eddie Davis is not a huge deal, you really need to give the old noodle a shake. Sure they can replace his body with a player and that player can fill his role in regards to the physical play, but at this point no one has the mental ability of ED when it comes to this defence. Whoever fills in will do their best, but it will not be the same without #29 out there. And Yo Murphy was/is also a huge loss too; again some out there are thinking I'm off my nut saying that and that’s fine - think what you may - but it is. The great thing is that we should have both Eddie and Yo back for the stretch run and the playoffs, and that is awesome. And no, as one poster put, it I do not have Eddie Davis Eyes! Many of you know I am a huge ED fan but what I have said above is not admiration for one of my favourites its just the damn truth!

As this post was rolling around in my head I also thought to myself who are the 5 people I would most like to sit down and have a meal and a chat with. Although there really are many, here is the top five I came up with, in no particular order.

1- Robin Williams
2- Robert Deniro
3- Drew Barrymore (yes my editor knows : -) )
4- David Letterman
5- Gene Simmons

Not an earth shattering list, but five people I think would be cool to break bread with. Who are yours?

The results from the most recent poll:

Does Andy Fantuz Need To Sit For A Game?
No 38% (10 votes)
Yes 62% (16 votes)
Total voters for this poll: 26
New one is up now on the right hand side!

Today’s Lyrics

“I asked her why she couldn't make up her mind
She said "You don't understand I'd love to go,
but there's something you should know"
She showed me her wedding band”

Most of what Jo wrote about being a football wife is true… Most! Oh ya, the Belmont Tire Rider Coaches Show on 620 CKRM was awesome last night, if you missed it look for the archived version soon.

On being a Football Widow

2007-07-24T15:51:00.000-05:00

I remember years ago reading the 'B.C.' comic strip and seeing one in which the Fat Broad said something about being a "golf widow". I didn't understand what she meant at the time (and, as an aside, can you even imagine a mainstream, daily comic strip today having a character named the Fat Broad?). Anyway, some 30 years later, I have a greater understanding of the whole "sports widow" theory even if, in my case, it's not golf but football that sucks my man away from us, his devoted and loving family.

To set the record straight right off the top, I am a big Rider fan. I get just as excited or as nervous as the next guy or gal about "our team". I hate the Eskimos too, but not as much as the Stampeders, and I love to watch a game live at Mosaic Stadium. All three of our children are Rider fans too - well, okay, maybe the 10 year old's jury is still out - and they attend games regularly.

My concern is more related to the intensity of the fan(aticism) my dear Joe displays. Watching games on TV with Joe has become somewhat of a chore over the years. Now that he is involved in the sport on a different level than just being "Joe fan", he watches all the other teams' games on TV too. That means Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.....I can blow up the house around his recliner and as long as the new 42" plasma doesn't go with it, he wouldn't notice a thing. I can approach him and say a complete paragraph of information with a question at the end and he will say, "Huh?". Oh, nothing dear, I just decided to come in here and talk to myself because there is no where else in the house to do it!! Sometimes I believe in order to get his attention, I need the superpower capability to turn myself into a football. But then, footballs can't talk, so I am equally screwed.

Oh, and the language I have heard! I am not saint; in fact, I will swear like a sailor if I whack my head on something, for example, but I don't swear at the TV unless it goes off the air while CSI is on. I mentioned the new plasma TV. (It's an amazing piece of technology I must say. Nick from CSI:LV looks even better on it than the old 29") With the plasma, we upgraded to a PVR from Access Communications, another wonder of technology. Did you know, for instance, that if a ref gets a call wrong you can rewind and yell at him as many times as you see fit? Then, you can press the "Live" button and go back to in-home heckling in real-time. Our 16 year old doesn't even watch games with his dad anymore - he stays in the safety of the basement. Which isn't all that bad really; there's a 52" big screen down there (but it's not plasma!!). For Rider away games, Joey leaves the house at half-time to go do CKRM's Roundtable from the Four Seasons (I love their boneless ribs). He meets John Frenzy down there and they watch the second half together. And, from what I hear, John can be even more intense than Joe about watching the Riders play. When he leaves the house, I open the windows and air the place out.

Joe loves his work with CKRM and the Riders. I wouldn't have him change it for the world. Since he was attending games at the age of 5 with his dad, he has admired and cheered for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Being able to do what he does now, is the fulfillment of a boyhood dream (and I don't think I am being overly dramatic when I say that.) That all aside, I am thankful the season last only 5 months and that he is not a NFL fan of much consequence. Between the regular Rider routine, the other CFL action, and his rec football team (The Streakers!), weekends are pretty much shot around here. At least his regular day job no longer includes Saturdays like it did a few years back. And, it would be nice if the Rider's bye-week came earlier than the third week of August so we could take our family vacation earlier in the summer.

In Saskatchewan, we are born with a bit of green DNA in us. It just depends if that green grows into golf green or Rider green, before you know which kind of sports widow you may become.

Respectfully submitted today by Jo

5.09 p.m.
Holy crap, I forgot to add the Lyrics for today:

"All day long, wearing a mask of false bravado
Trying to keep up the smile that hides a tear
But as the sun goes down, I get that empty feeling again
How I wish to God that you were here"
This has nothing to do with the lyric's. I just wanted to put this here for Phil (Joe)

At Least I kept My Shirt On

2007-07-23T22:35:00.000-05:00

Yes Phil at this point it is hot enough for me!

Hello again everyone :-) I know I commented in the first video version of TRR that it would probably be the first and the last, well I lied :-). Ok I didn't lie to you I just was not sure how the first one would go over, and well it went over ok I guess so here is version 2. I apologize again for the quality. I guess if I am going to do this from time to time I should get a better cam, I think my step-daughter has one. Note to self steal E's camera :-) Also please note that I do these in one take, you get what ya see and hear first time round, so if I stumble a few times bear with me :-)And last last thing, The video gets a bit cut off, all I said was "Edmonton is behind us but they are also in front of us so bring em on, and thank you for tuning into TRR.

Today's Lyrics

"When I'm out walkin' I strut my stuff
Man,I'm so strung out
I'm high as a kite and I just might stop to check you out"

I met a guy who won the Stanley Cup tonight, pretty cool. I love my job!

Dammit

2007-07-21T13:22:00.000-05:00

Not a lot can be said about that one. I guess you could break it down into two halves and go back and forth about this that and the other thing but… I am not going to do that. That is all over the message boards and all over the call-in shows, and I know most if not all of you reading this have seen and heard it all by now so I will move on. OK just a few quick ones.

- What’s with Andy?
- Welcome to SK Wes, buy a home stay a while.
- KJ did not play that poorly; in fact I don’t know the stats, but how many first downs did he get us with his legs? More than one. And he had zero turnovers.
- Special teams were called out a bit last week, last night they played great. The one tackle by Lynch was one of the best open field tackles I have seen.
- Where is Kit Jones? I only heard his name once last night. Kit where the heck are you man?
- Matt D can catch the football!
- FRED!!! Nuff said.
- If Luca had had the opportunity at the end, he would have made the kick.
- The thing that annoys me the most about these two losses is that the HATERS are back… Go crawl back under your rocks.

Does that many constitute a few? I will leave it at that.

My question/thought for today is: Why we all care so much? It is, after all, just a game. (I know, sacrilege right?) But count me as one that thinks it is more then just a game. Back to the question… is it the hard earned dollars we spend on this team with season tickets, merchandise, lottery tickets, etc that drives us crazy? I don’t think so. It’s only money right? Is it the fact that you can see the whole mood of the province go up and down based on Rider wins and Rider losses? I think that’s a big part of it, and I can honestly say I see a change in people (to an extent) good or bad after a win or a loss. I think the main reason we all care so much is that we have all put a significant number of our years on this planet cheering for this team. Win, loose, or draw, so many of us have stayed true and will continue to do so. That, I feel, is the reason we all live and die a little more with each win and loss.

For those that have a Riderville membership, this will not be new to you. Eric Tillman takes these losses just as hard as the rest of us. He like many others, was on the message boards with his post-game thoughts and concerns and kudos. He has been there win, lose or draw. He was there to thank us all for coming out in great numbers for the first 2 home games, he was also there to defend his team and give a little insight as to the direction the 2007 Riders are heading. He readily admits there will be ebb and flow in this year but guarantees he will work to improve this team at every opportunity he has. And that is what we want/need from our General Manager. Eric, I really have no idea if you read this or not but if you do, I want to say ‘thank you’ for the things you have done on and off the field so far as the GM of the Saskatchewan Roughriders. You have to love the fact we all CARE!! So folks, tell me please, why do you care so much? What is in it for you?

Dammit I hate the Edmonton Eskimos!

Man my lawn needed that rain!

New Poll Is Up.

Today’s Lyrics

“ I go out seal hunting with my best friend Tarka
But all I wanna do is get into his parka”

Go Argos!!!

I Am Not A Good Looking Man

2007-07-18T21:37:00.000-05:00

There you have been warned, something a little different today. I thought I would give it a try, hope you don't mind to much. I should say this was not done with my new camera it rocks as I have mentioned many times before. This was done with my lousy little quick cam as it directly uploads to YouTube and was way quicker then filming it and posting it.

Todays Lyrics

"I'm through doctor
We don't need your kind
The other ones
Ugly ones
Stupid boys
Wrong ones"

I hope I have not given any of you nightmares!

Can You Hear Me Now

2007-07-16T23:24:00.000-05:00

From time to time I have heard the comment that this team succeeds in spite of itself; that all they have to do is open the gates and it will all happen. I really do not believe that is the case. We had Jim Hopson on Sportsline tonight to discuss the goings on at Mosaic Stadium this past home game- streakers, Maxtron issues, etc - and he said they do hear us and they are working on it. They will address the Maxtron and Jim also said they had some issues that were a one time thing (not a direct quote but I feel the essence of what he said.) Sadly, you cannot foresee every idiot walking through your gates at a sporting event and therefore cannot quell everything, but when things arise you can work on them and make them better. The Riders are doing that. Plus, in the last number of years there have been comments like: Why do we not have a jumbtron? We do now. Why do the speakers suck? Now they don’t. Why are the bathroom line-ups so long? Well I think they, along with the food lines are, shorter Beer lines I can not tell you as I don’t drink, but I think with the implementation of cans they too maybe have gotten shorter. I think there should be two lines for beer - one for the ones that think the sole reason they are at the game is to drink beer, and another for those that just want to enjoy a few cold ones at the game. But I digress. OK, I don’t completely digress. Don’t get so drunk you’re a complete fool at a Rider game and, good grief, wait for the appropriate time to go get said beverage. I guess the fact that they are going 10 times a game for 2 beers at a pop does not lend itself to a ton of smarts at the best of time. No, all you beer drinkers don’t get mad at me…you have every right to drink as you see fit, and I know none of you reading this are the ones that go to darn muchicus! Semi-Rant off. My game day experience has gotten better and more enjoyable of the last few years and I thank the powers that be for that. Perfect? Nope not yet, but they keep working on it and that all we can ask.

We also had #33 on Sportsline tonight and as always Rod will have a recap on his blog later tonight or tomorrow. Plus, listen for highlights on CKRM in the morning. The players get it. They are as upset as we the fans are and they know they have to come back out and prove they are the team again. Again, that is all we can really ask. Szarka is definitely one of the good guys.

If you go to Joeys Only, I highly recommend the blackened snapper and Cajun shrimp. I like spicy and it was spicy. And very, very good. Thank you as always to Ron and the crew as they do take very good care of us. And as I have said before, Ron is one of the nicest people I know.

Today’s Lyrics

“Preacherman, don't tell me,
Heaven is under the earth.
I know you don't know
What life is really worth.”

For those that missed it I will have a pod cast of Sportsline right here, once it becomes available.

Gene Simmons House of Horrors #1

2007-07-15T23:38:00.000-05:00

Premium pass catchers

The greatest CFL receivers of all time
By PAUL FRIESEN, SUN MEDIA

Milt Stegall may be the all-time touchdown king, and self-proclaimed bestlooking man in the CFL -- but who owns the fairest pair of hands the three-down game has ever seen? Scan the field, and there's no shortage of candidates, not in a pass-happy league like this. From Patterson to Pitts, Evanshen to Elgaard, Gabriel to Greer, pass-catching legends have graced our game for decades. Some of their names have been almost as memorable as their play. There's Mookie and Howdy Doody, Swervin' Mervyn and Gluey Huey, Downtown Eddie, The Sponge and Dirty Thirty.
Full Story

FYI

You knock at the door of the old mansion up on the hill, and who answers? Your host, none other than Gene Simmons, beckoning you inside. The door slams shut. You try to run, but it's too late... you've entered the home of SIMMONS COMICS GROUP and there's no turning back. Gene Simmons House of Horrors kicks of an all-new line of comics created by the rock legend. Up first, this quarterly anthology of tales of terror, all presided over by the man in black, Gene Simmons, who also scripts all his own dialogue for the comic. And to make this launch even more special, the first issue features a cover by... wait for it... none other than fellow legend Todd McFarlane! Horrific chills and thrills await.

Today's Lyrics

"I am the lord of the wastelands
A modern day man of steel
I gather darkness to please me
And I command thee to kneel"

Back to more Rider football related stuff on Monday.

It’s the End Of The World, As We Know It

2007-07-14T11:53:00.000-05:00

Ok not really and we all know it. Last night was pretty hard to watch but as they say, you can't win 'em ell. Overall, there were a few positives I thought, as I stated numerous times on Roundtable last night even with a score of 42-12. I thought the defence played pretty well, not as well as they had been, but there were guys making plays out there and from my vantage point I did not see anyone giving up. So in a defeat like that you, if nothing else, want to see your team play it out until the end and I thought they did. I am not sure about you guys, but even when it was 28-12 I thought we still had a chance. I think this team can come back - they did not last night, but I honestly felt that they did have a chance. Mr Fantuz has been an exceptional ball player there are no two ways about it, but Andy, you have got to make those catches. And in my humble opinion, you need to lay out for those balls that were a bit beyond you. Just my 2 cents; he will bounce back I am certain of it and lets hope it's soon. As for Kerry...what can you say? He played poorly last night, he was not getting a lot of help at times either but he needed to step it up and he did not. Marcus came in and did a pretty good job although that first pick was a bit of a back breaker. Room for improvement in a lot of aspects based on last night game, but we have all seen and will see again this team play the way it can. One caller on Roundtable said last night that the team did not have heart. I cannot tell you if he was specifically speaking of just last night or in general, but I called BS on that right away. I think this team does have heart, and can win the big games. Montreal was a big game, as was the Calgary game and we all saw how those went. I won’t go as far as calling him a HATER but maybe Hater lite? Bring on the Esks next week!

Congrats to all the fans; great turn out on a night when there were a lot of things up against the football game for your entertainment dollar. You came out in full force, good on ya guys and gals. I will say one thing. I did not sit in my normal seats last night, as my editor and I sat in a different section. These were great seats we had last night, but there were a few anoyingis maximus fans where we were which just made the whole thing worse to watch. I think you honestly should be allowed to smack certain (and I hesitate to call them this) Rider fans upside the head. Maybe next time try a few less beers you knob. Rant Over!

Here are a few pictures from yesterday. I did not take a lot but the rest can be found here.
SK vs BC

Today’s Lyrics

“I said " slow don't go so fast,

don't you think that love can last?"

She said " Love, Lord above,

now you're tryin' to trick me in love"

As there were no Thursday Thoughts this week, I just thought I would remind everyone I hate Edmonton : -)

Our Balls Are Bigger

2007-07-12T21:40:00.001-05:00

Well not literally anymore, but I think we still have a superior game to the NFL. Here it’s not about hype or pomp and circumstance. Yes, I know in a number of NFL cities it is not either, but I think a lot of the time it is. I know we are a small league that has really had its ups and downs over the decades, but with the downs the CFL made it through I think is as strong as it ever was. I know the players seem bigger, stronger, faster now, but are they really? Again, sure, there are elite players in the NFL that are the cream of the crop but with that said, they can’t all be superstars. Ricky Williams is a perfect example of that. He was ok here, but if I remember correctly there were thoughts from some Canadian NFL and all American NFL fans that he would get 4000 yards last year. We all know that did not happen, and even if he wouldn’t have gotten hurt, it still would not have happened. For me it’s all about the game itself: wide open, bigger field, the 20 second clock vs. 40 (who in the heck in their right mind thought you should be allowed darn near a minute to get a play off?) Imagine if the NFL ever went to a 20 second clock. My number one reason why we’re better is no fair catch and those that have listened to me or read this blog know I am a special teams fan. Who isn’t really? How can you not be, because when it’s exciting it really is exciting. The players here are great guys, not to say the NFLers are not, but the boys in the CFL are really and truly just working class guys that get to do the thing they love for x amount of months in the summer and fall. Not all games in the CFL are fantastic “too close to call” games but many more are than aren’t, and I for one love it. NFL lover’s flame away, I don’t care, because in the end our balls are better.

As of 2:00 PM this afternoon (Thursday) there were 24.6 k tickets sold, Not bad but not great - get out there folks and talk those non-believers into coming to the game!

TD club will hit the airwaves at 5:30 PM tomorrow with Mr. Poley and me. We have colour man for the Lions, Giulio Caravatta scheduled to be on, as well as Frenzy and a couple of his long time friends and Rider fans including John Lipp (a past President of the Club). He will be on to talk about the Plaza of Honour as he is the Rider executive’s representative on the Committee. Plus, we always seem to have a few unexpected guests stop by, so if you can please tune us in on the mighty 620 CKRM. If you have a chance, stop by the tent on the practise field and say hello.

The Riders leading Receiver In 07 Will Be
Armstead, Jason 20% (5 votes)

Dominguez, Matt 56% (14 votes)

Fantuz, Andy 0% (0 votes)

Flick, D.J. 24% (6 votes)

Total voters for this poll: 25

New poll/question is up

Today’s Lyrics

“I'm rather upper class high society
God's gift to ballroom notoriety
I always fill my ballroom
The event is never small”

As I type this its 5:51 PM got to go watch the glue factory get taken out by the boatmen. (Editor’s Note: That lasted exactly 4.23 minutes and he was snoozing in his recliner)

Somebody call the cops!

2007-07-11T22:56:00.000-05:00

I jokingly said a while ago on Sportsline that Eric Tillman should be careful that he does not get arrested for theft after some of the trades he made this spring. How evident was that after watching #3 on Sunday? I overheard a conversation while in an office today along the same vein; something like: “Eric had sent Hamilton a fruit basket after Sunday to thank them again for Flick.” I had a chance to talk to DJ quickly after the game on Sunday and I asked him, “Happy to be in SK?” - big smile comes over his face and it was a resounding “Yes!” So not only a solid player, but he also wants to be here as well; what more could you ask for. I watched In The Huddle Tuesday and DJ said (not exactly), “The play went my way” in regards to his second touchdown. Good players have a little luck on their side as well. I was waiting for the flag personally, but I guess we will have to settle for the touchdown eh?: -) One more thing I like about D.J. (anyone know what the D.J. stands for?) is the fact he can take a hit and he bounces right back up, plus no dancing crap afterwards, just good play. Mr. Flick, not that you were not always welcome but welcome to the greatest team in the CFL with the greatest fans…

There is that quote again “The greatest fans” Man, I wish there were always 28.8 k of the greatest fans out there, I know, I know, harp harp harp, but it really does piss me off. Why in the world was that game not sold out? And, sadly, why will the one Friday not be either? It will be close, I know the numbers, but the freaking Bombers sold out their home opener! I don’t care if it was because it was possible for Milt to break the record; it was Calgary man - come on! I know I am preaching to the choir here, but if I bitch about it I feel a little better. And no, I don’t care if it’s Craven on Friday night either!! Rant Over.

We had Mike Gibson on The Belmont Tire Coaches’ Show tonight. He, like the others have been, was a great guest. As always, you can check out Rod’s blog for more tomorrow, as well as clips on CKRM in the AM. Glad you guys had a chance to stop by Cathy and Phil : -) I know I have recommended the salt and pepper wings a few times before, I now also highly suggest the Buffalo Ranch wings!

A couple of guys sent me a note on my Youtube page telling me about their Rider page, have a look and see what you think.
http://www.riderpride.tv/

Here is another site I came across tonight.
RiderMotorHome.Com

I give you CJ The Water Cooler Cat!

Today’ Lyrics

“With a flick of my knife
I can change your life
There's nothing you can do”

Another great week for a CFL fan. as again there is something every night. Once I confirm the guests for Friday’s TD Club I will have them here. I have not heard back from T Moore yet; he must be busy.

2007-07-09T20:29:00.000-05:00

Well guys and gals I for one am still pretty darn happy with the 49-8 Rider win Sunday, It was great to see "The Glue Factory" come unglued :-) As I made my way through yesterday I had my handy new camera with me, and I took a number of still pictures, and videos. Kind of the sights and sounds of my game day. The first batch of videos have uploaded, I have not had a real chance to work on the editing together of said videos, so for now I have put them all up individually.

They can be found here: SK VS Cal

Or if you like you can watch them all right here. You can even jump from video to video by clicking on the one you want on the side of the player and you can scroll up and down.

Here is one fun one. This is Spanky part of the Three Man Band that sits in my section, after each Rider TD a lucky opposing fan gets a little message from us in section 25, as does the Esk fan with season tickets in section 26 Spanky starts with him, and rightfully so because well... Edmonton does suck :-)

I will warn you the audio on the comish and Jim Daley videos is poor, as there was a ton of background noise. And please let me know if these are any good, im not looking for compliments but I want to know if this is something you like seeing, if so I will try and do it when I can. And if you like em tell your friends. Please note these for the most part are raw footage, I did a little editing but there are some that are a bit shaky as I was not using the tripod for all of them, and much like the still it gets a bit tough in digital zoom mode to keep it steady.

In case you missed it, here is a link to the 140 still pictures I took yesterday as well. Stills

To see ALL of the videos I have shot recently including some RSFL footage go here: TRR Video

I Like It!!!

2007-07-09T01:26:00.000-05:00

K that was pretty sweet! You do not need a recap from me, there are a lot of those out there.

I thought the boys played fantastic! perfect? nope but pretty damn good. EVERYONE! 15 points given up by the D in 2 games! Bring on the West Coast Kitty Cats... hope they bring their own litter box.

Here are a few of the snaps I took along the way as part of my day on The TD Club, as well as from my seats in section 25 row 50 (thank you again Tim from Radio Center the cam kicks ass!) There are some blurry ones but that was due to distance and my ability to hold the camera steady in digital zoom, or they are the first frame of a video. These are raw and uncropped as well, just so you know in advance. I have 37 video to post at some point as well, once I have them up I will let you know where they are, right here on TRR.

Here is a few of the 140 that I took.

The rest of the pictures can be found here: Riders Vs Stamps

The Transformers was a cool movie!

The Streakers are 9-1 in RSFL play.

Today's Lyrics

" Heavy hung the canopy of blue
Shade my eyes and I can see you
White is the light that shines through the dress that you wore"

Man, what a game!

The New Sheriff Will Be In Town

2007-07-07T13:31:00.000-05:00

Mark Cohon will be stopping by Regina this weekend as he completes his visits to all of the stadiums around the CFL. We will have the privilege of having him on The Touchdown Club @ 3:45 PM tomorrow. Other guests that will be joining Bob and me will be Mark Stephen of QR77 Radio in Calgary to get the Stamps perspective. and we may have a visit from the author of “Rider Pride On The American Side”, The Minnesota Gopher himself. To be honest at times I never know who else may pop by, so make sure you’re listening. We will be live on the practice field starting at 2:30 - stop by and say hello if you get a chance. We do not have the comish on for long on Sunday, but if you would like me to ask him a question, email me at theracerreport@gmail.com and I will see what I can do. If you have a question for Bob and me or Mark Stephen from QR77 you can email that as well. Before Sunday that is, as I don’t have a crackberry so I cannot get email on the fly like we do during Sportsline or the Belmont Tire coachs’ show.

From what I understand there are still some tickets left for Sunday. Let’s all remember my “you tell two friends and they will tell two friends and so on and so on” plan.

If you missed them the first time here on TRR don’t forget to check out the video clips of Scott Schultz from Sportsline last week. You can see them all along with a few other things here if you like: http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=TheRacerReport&p=r
Part 1 seems to be the most popular with 68 views; the others are in the 40’s so I assume some watched one but not all of them. As I mentioned the day I embedded them, they all look the same but are different clips.

Two pretty good games so far in the CFL this week. The Bomber/Al’s game was not to bad on Thursday night but no TD for Milt so the record is in tact for now. I would imagine it will happen next week, but I thought that this week as well. And it is always nice to see the Esk’s lose, plus I picked the Lions in our weekly CKRM radio crew pool so as of today I am 2-2 but so is everyone else. This week it was unanimous between all of us as we picked the Riders, Bombers, Lions and Argos. In my opinion, the refs are still blowing a few of the review calls but I guess it is better then nothing; if you’re going to have review man, you really do need to get it correct don’t you. And although it was not reviewed and TSN only showed the replay once, I thought Clermont did not make the one catch last night - got to love the PVR for your own reviewing purposes.

On Rod’s blog today, he comments on syncing up the radio with the TV broadcast and the difficulties surrounding that happening. What I would suggest for those that have the capability is: If you have a PVR (Personnel Video Recorder) you can pause and even rewind live TV, so if you tune into the game on CKRM on-line, you should be able to pause the TV feed and match it up with the internet as it is always behind due to lag. Try it and let me know if it works for you.

The Home Opener Will Be A Sell-out

Yes 30% (10 votes)

No 12% (4 votes)

Darn Well Better Be! 58% (19 votes)

Total voters for this poll: 33

New poll is up if you like.

KPS has their Street Stock invitational on this weekend, make sure you check it out. Plus if you are in the Estevan area Monday night this will be a great race event.

Mon July 9th @ 7:00 Dacotah IMCA Modified Tour Special: IMCA Modifieds, Hobby Stocks & IMCA Stock Cars

Today’s Lyrics

“Man its a hot one
Like seven inches from the midday sun
I hear you whisper and the words melt everyone
But you stay so cool”

Have a lucky 07/07/07 today. If you win 6/49 tonight don’t forget to share with the blogger who reminded you it was 07/07/07

Stay Cool San Diego

2007-07-06T19:02:00.000-05:00

Yes I know it is "Stay Classy" but what the heck. I have nothing for today guys and gals, my apologies. I hope to hear back from Travis soon on the interview and as soon as I do I will have that up. I may go and do a little video work tomorrow and have it up for your viewing pleasure later in the day.

I give you this for now :-)

I have no idea who to cheer for tonight. I feel the lesser of 2 evils is B.C cause well, you all know my feelings on the Esks!

Today's Lyrics

"How many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?
Yes, 'n' how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?"

I think I lost 10 Lbs today alone.

Hot Legs

2007-07-05T19:44:00.000-05:00

As you have read here on TRR before, I really do not care if it’s Gainer throwing the football as long as the Riders are winning. With that said, I thought Kerry did a great job the other day in Montreal both with his arms and his legs. As I watched the highlights the other night on ITH, there must have been 4-5 times Kerry’s scrambling ability got him out of trouble. The one that stuck out the most was the TD pas to Childs. This is not to say Marcus does not have scrambling ability, but to say that Kerry, when need, has a great pair of legs (things that sound wrong but are not). I also thought Kerry threw the ball well and in fact his numbers could have even been better if it were not for a few drops. The O will come together a bit more I feel, and if the D holds them all to 1 point we’re golden.

It is a shame Yo will be out for a while, but if Cory Grant gets in there as the 5th receiver (still to be seen) I think he will do fine. Cory will drive you crazy making the phenomenal catch one time and then, well, you know. But the “Deuce” is a pretty smart receiver and I assume has taken his time off to learn the new Offence. I think our new receiving crew are great, and I think we’ll be having a big year in 07.

Thursday Thoughts

- A while ago I stated that certain men should not walk around with their shirts off and I stand by that statement. I also think that legally certain women should not be allowed to wear halter tops.

- 28.8 K on Sunday is going to be awesome. Loud and proud baby.

- I have a brother in-law named Gary. I call him Gary. I don’t pronounce it GREE so why is Calgary pronounced Cal-GREE?

- I feel bad for Yo Murphy. Get better man, I wanna see you out there.

- The term “hot enough for ya?” is just as annoying as “cold enough for ya?”

- By the time you read this, Milt Stegal will probably have the record for the most TD’s in the CFL. Congrats Turtle man.

- How many Walkmans with the game playing will people out at Craven be wearing next Friday?

- I am thinking of starting a new video segment called “Rider Rides”. An expose on the cars driven by the boys in green and white. Thoughts? Would anybody care?

- Make sure you watch the game highlights on The Score on Sunday night to see our own Rod Pedersen; he does a bang up job.

- Every weekend needs to be a long weekend!

- Kerry Joseph will be in the top 5 rushers in the CFL this year.

- I saw on CFL Snap last night and an interview with Kevin Glen. In it the hosts mentioned that the Bombers are not getting a lot of respect from the media. Am I missing something? I really do feel the Bombers are going to be the class of the East this year. Would a SK vs Winnipeg Grey Cup not be insane?

- Am I the only one enjoying the fact “The Glue Factory” has quit with the BS dances etc after they score? Hell, they used to even dance after a 10 yard reception. I always felt that made the league look bush. Glad to see the powers that be have, for now, put a stop to it. I feel they may not have a lot of opportunities this Sunday anyhow.

- If you have not read the book “Rider Pride On The American Side” find a copy and give it a read. Terry did a great job on it. I think the Gopher will be in the house this weekend.

- How cool has this week been for a CFL fan. . Sportsline Monday, ITH on Tuesday, Belmont Tire Coaches’ Show and CFL Snap Wednesday, and a game everyday for the next 4 days. (Editors Note:Boy oh boy )

- Will the Global warming crowd be all over the Riders for the amount of gas used this year by Gainer?

- Look for the new Leader Post Mini Maxtron to be up and going this Sunday - two screens no waiting.

- If you own an RV make sure to check out the Riderville RV Park this weekend. More info at Riderville.com

- Edwards caught that ball!!

- Think they will want Westwood back? LOL

That’s good for today.

Today’s Lyrics
“No one heard a single word you said.
They should have seen it in your eyes
What was going around your heart.”

Oh ya I forgot, No I did not : -) I hate Edmonton!

Time for this cat to get his football fix for a Thursday night. Hopefully the drugs the guys at TSN were taking last week have worn off. PEACE Out!

I am A Slacker

2007-07-04T21:25:00.000-05:00

No this is not a refrence to Reggie Slack... Where is Reggie slack? And while we're at it, where is Nealon? But enough of that. I am going to take tonight off guys and gals, so no indepth analysis and witty commentary today (Ya Joe, like we ever get that) I am going to spend a little time with my wonderful editor.

The Belmont Tire Coaches' Show was another great one; Coach Hall was his ussual fantastic self. He is always so cordial and makes for a wonderful guest. Richie has been in SK since 1988 and I, along with many of you I am sure, are glad he has been. He always has a smile on his face and that is great to see. As soon as the podcast is availabale I will have it here for you.

Coach Hall picture courtesy riderville.com

For the racing fans of TRR, I came across this video on Youtube and I thought you may like it. It is some classic footage from KPS here in Regina and was done by Local Cameraman extrodinair Kelly Heisler. Thank you Kelly for always supporting Motor Sports here in Regina.

And for the bird lovers and or nature lovers a few snaps I took with the new camera at the local bird santuary. And a bunny.

And a little humour for good measure.

ABBOTT and COSTELLO Buy A Computer
In today's world, Bud ABBOTT and Lou COSTELLO's famous sketch "Who's on first?" might have turned out something like this....

COSTELLO CALLS TO BUY A COMPUTER FROM ABBOTT . . . .
ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?
COSTELLO: Thanks. I'm setting up an office in my den and I'm thinking aboutbuying a computer.
ABBOTT: Mac?
COSTELLO: No, the name's Lou.
ABBOTT: Your computer?
COSTELLO: I don't own a computer. I want to buy one.
ABBOTT: Mac?
COSTELLO: I told you, my name's Lou.
ABBOTT: What about Windows?
COSTELLO: Why? Will it get stuffy in here?
ABBOTT: Do you want a computer with Windows?
COSTELLO: I don't know. What will I see when I look in the windows?
ABBOTT: Wallpaper.
COSTELLO: Never mind the windows. I need a computer and software.
ABBOTT: Software for Windows?
COSTELLO: No. On the computer! I need something I can use to write proposals, track expenses and run my business. What have you got?
ABBOTT: Office.
COSTELLO: Yeah, for my office. Can you recommend anything?
ABBOTT: I just did.
COSTELLO: You just did what?
ABBOTT: Recommend something.
COSTELLO: You recommended something?
ABBOTT: Yes.COSTELLO: For my office?
ABBOTT: Yes.
COSTELLO: OK, what did you recommend for my office?
ABBOTT: Office.
COSTELLO: Yes, for my office!
ABBOTT: I recommend Office with Windows.
COSTELLO: I already have an office with windows! OK, lets just say I'm sitting at my computer and I want to type a proposal. What do I need?
ABBOTT: Word.
COSTELLO: What word?
ABBOTT: Word in Office.
COSTELLO: The only word in office is office.
ABBOTT: The Word in Office for Windows.
COSTELLO: Which word in office for windows?
ABBOTT: The Word you get when you click the blue "W".
COSTELLO: I'm going to click your blue "w" if you don't start with some straight answers. OK, forget that. Can I watch movies on the Internet?
ABBOTT: Yes, you want Real One.
COSTELLO: Maybe a real one, maybe a cartoon. What I watch is none of yourbusiness. Just tell me what I need!
ABBOTT: Real One.
COSTELLO: If it's a long movie I also want to see reel 2, 3 & 4. Can I watch them?
ABBOTT: Of course.
COSTELLO: Great! With what?
ABBOTT: Real One.
COSTELLO: OK, I'm at my computer and I want to watch a movie. What do I do?
ABBOTT: You click the blue "1".
COSTELLO: I click the blue one what?
ABBOTT: The blue "1".
COSTELLO: Is that different from the blue w?
ABBOTT: The blue "1" is Real One and the blue "W" is Word.
COSTELLO: What word?ABBOTT: The Word in Office for Windows.
COSTELLO: But there are three words in "office for windows"!
ABBOTT: No, just one. But it's the most popular Word in the world.
COSTELLO: It is?
ABBOTT: Yes, but to be fair, there aren't many other Words left. It pretty much wiped out all the other Words out there.
COSTELLO: And that word is real one?
ABBOTT: Real One has nothing to do with Word. Real One isn't even part ofOffice.
COSTELLO: STOP! Don't start that again. What about financial bookkeeping?You have anything I can track my money with?
ABBOTT: Money.
COSTELLO: That's right. What do you have?
ABBOTT: Money.
COSTELLO: I need money to track my money?
ABBOTT: It comes bundled with your computer?
COSTELLO: What's bundled with my computer?
ABBOTT: Money.
COSTELLO: Money comes with my computer?
ABBOTT: Yes. No extra charge.
COSTELLO: I get a bundle of money with my computer? How much?
ABBOTT: One copy.
COSTELLO: Isn't it illegal to copy money?
ABBOTT: Microsoft gave us a license to copy money.
COSTELLO: They can give you a license to copy money?
ABBOTT: Why not? THEY OWN IT!A FEW DAYS LATER . . .
ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?
COSTELLO: How do I turn my computer off?
ABBOTT: Click on "START" . . .

Today's Lyrics

"Oh You're So Condescending
your Gall Is Never Ending
we Don't Want Nothin',
Not A Thing From You"

Have I mentioned that the Salt & Pepper wings at the Press Box are awesome? as is the poutine. And I did not partake, but the boys thought the brand new Ricards White Ale was awesome!

I Have A Face For Radio

2007-07-03T19:54:00.000-05:00

Hello again everyone.

As some of you have seen over the past few days I have been trying to get some video up here on the old TRR. I have not got it 100 % figured out yet but I do have some to share with you. While doing Sportsline the other night I filmed the first segment with # 96 Scott Schultz below are a few clips from the show that I thought you might like.

I have been playing with a program called Youtube Remixer and have not got it to work completely yet, so for now here they are individually. I assume you don't really care if it all plays in one player, but I was trying to make that happen. I am going to continue to mess with it so this all may look different later.

For now enjoy # 96 he is as I stated before always a great guest, and always have something interesting to say.

They may look like the same clip, but they are all different.

Today's Lyrics

"They took the credit for your second symphony.
Rewritten by machine and new technology,
and now I understand the problems you can see."

Don't forget the latest edition of Casino Regina Turf TV is up at http://www.rodpdersen.com

I Need More Upload Speed!

2007-07-02T23:59:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone

Sorry for the delay. I am trying to put together a video package and the upload is taking forever. I will have more clips later tonight or tomorrow, depending on if these uploads pick up.

Scott Schultz was as always a great guest on Sportsline Monday night,he really is a good guy. Look for info from the show on Rods blog. Tune in to the mighty CKRM for audio clips in the morning. As soon as the podcast of the entire show is ready I will have that here.

For now a little firework action from Canada Day 2007

Today's Lyrics

"Let's make the best of the situation
Before I finally go insane.
Please don't say we'll never find a way
And tell me all my love's in vain."

Get your tickets soon if you do not have them already!

Darn It Is Hot Out.

2007-07-02T11:33:00.000-05:00

I will have more later for you, but for now here is a video of my goofy dog trying to stay cool this weekend.

I hope everyone is having a great Canada day weekend.

Sportsline is a go tonight 6:05 and we will have #96 on with us.

Today’s TRR Is Brought To You By The Letter D and the # 29

2007-06-30T13:01:00.000-05:00

Great win for the Green and White last night in Montreal! The defence was phenomenal and the O played pretty well too. The timing still has to get there a little bit with the O but that will come. I thought Kerry had a pretty good game using both his legs and his arm to his advantage. As I stated on Roundtable last night, I think the game was won during the great play while it was raining and blowing the hardest. The Riders moved the ball well during this time frame and Luca did great in the inclement weather. The recurring theme last night on Roundtable seemed to be congratulating coach Austin; it came up in most of the calls and that’s pretty cool to hear. I really don’t need to break it down much more for you here as you all saw the game and I hope listened to the show. It really was a great win last night to start off 07. If Mosaic is not packed next Sunday then something is seriously wrong.

How about that Old Man Eddie Davis? In case you missed it here is a post from a while ago I did on #29 He is too old, and slow…

If last nights game was played on the Muppet Show:

Kermit = Kerry Joseph. Kermit was always in charge and last night so was Kerry Joseph. The big difference was that for Kerry it was easy being green last night.

Animal = Eddie Davis. Plain and simple he was an Animal out there.

Fozzy Bear = The Refs. As the two calls in the one Al drive were such a joke.

Beaker = Anthony Calvio. As AC looked like he was running around all over the place last night and really had no idea what he was doing.

Dr. Teeth = Fred Perry. Do I need to explain why?

The Swedish Chef = Luca Congi. Because Luca was cooking last night

Big Bird = Ben Cahoon. He was the only Allouette worth mentioning last night; he was big with over 100 receiving yards.

Uncle Deadly = Chunky Adams. Here is one description of Uncle Deadly I came across: Phantom of the Muppet Show. I know AC sure could not see him coming a few times last night.

Flying Zucchini Brothers = Reggie Hunt. Reggie was flying around all over the place last night, and a few times it looked like he was shot out of a cannon. (Editor Note: How can one guy be brothers?)

Snuffleupagus = Ron Robinson. Did not see him much last night, but that’s a good thing because he had his guy covered great all night. You know you’re doing your job as a DB when they are not talking about you.

The Great Gonzo = The Montreal O. Nobody really new what it was.

Miss Piggy = TSN. Miss Piggy always annoyed me on the show; last night so did TSN. How many plays did we miss?

J.P. Gross = Jim Popp. I am not making this Muppet up. He was Scooter’s uncle who owned the theatre. Jim Popp does not own the Al’s, but he does darn near everything else and I hope it bites him on the butt this year.

Sweetums = Scott Shultz. Again, I will give you a description of Sweetums I came across: Big ol' monster. Keep doing what you’re doing Scott; you are a monster in the middle.

Crazy Harry = The D. They blew it up out there last night with great performances by everyone.

Jim Henson = Coach Austin. Jim was the mastermind behind the Muppets and, well, Kent is the mastermind of the Riders.

If you have any comparisons let me know in a comment or an email and I will post them later.

For example, I am missing a Grover, a Cookie Monster (where’s Nate when you need him?), and an Elmo!

Results from the most recent TRR poll

The Riders Will Rush For Over/Under 100 Yards On Friday?
Over 57% (8 votes)
Under 43% (6 votes)
Total voters for this poll: 14

The new poll is up ( I am having problems with the Polldaddy site, I will have a new poll up later)

This is pretty funny. Have a look.

Today’s Lyrics

“So then I went and bought myself a Colt 45
Called a peacemaker but I never knew why”

Time to go do the yard work, have a great Saturday.

Thursday Thoughts

2007-06-28T22:51:00.000-05:00

Well ladies and gentlemen, we have some football to watch tonight and I say WAHOOO! Wrong jerseys on tonight, but I love it all the same. I am a CFL fan and enjoy watching the other games as well especially when it’s an East Vs. West match up like we have this evening, GO EAST! As I am typing this, the old man DA just threw a touchdown pass to Bruce and it is now 10-8 B.C with around 2 mins left in the half. So you’re thinking why the heck are you here Joe and not watching…in 2 minutes I will be… by the time this is up the game should be over, but you are all great CFL fans so you will know the score. I am really looking forward to the Bombers kicking the heck out of the Esk’s tonight as well. Did I mention GO EAST! Tonight anyway.

And now the thoughts.

- Again, I need to reiterate that the person getting off the elevator needs to be out before the other person goes in!!!!

- Reggie Hunt will lead the team and the CFL in tackles this year.

- There is no age limit on people with Rider plates on their cars. I have seen seniors and 16 year olds. Today I counted 27 Rider plates.

- The Streakers (my team) lead the RSFL at the half way point of the season with a record of 6-1

- I have heard the song “Fantasy” by Aldo Nova officially too many times now in my life.

- Last week I said beer would be different at Mosaic this year, and by now you know I meant it would be in cans. What you may not know is that all proceeds from the recycling of cans (I don’t know if its just the ones that make it into the recycle bin or all) will go to Inner City Youth. I can’t recall specifically the charity, but it was on a few signs at the game. Way to go whomever came up with that idea.

- Please hold I need to check something… Yup still hate Edmonton.

- Oh and while I was checking I also found out I still don’t give a rats ass about Paris Hilton.

- Andy Fantuz will lead the Riders in receiving this year, however, Matt D will lead in the unofficial stat of YAC.

- We will have a good running game this year.

- I just saw Paul miss a field goal, and Levingston take it all the way back 129 yards a new CFL record. The return game is back baby, and I say bring it on!

- Matt Kennseth’s NASCAR Sheetrock car will be on display at Winroc on Fleury St. here in Regina Friday from 10-2 PM

- The RCMP will be having their Sunset Ceremony on July 1st at 6:30 PM at the RCMP base.

- Long weekend only 1 day away WAHOOO

- Kerry’s Catch for Kids will make a ton of money this year.

- Congrats to those from the Wolf 104.9 involved in the Sticks On Rose this past Tuesday - they raised over 30K

- Any radio station about to play a Cher song really should have a warning before it comes on. The damn thing was stuck in my head the rest of the afternoon GRRR And please note, I do not listen to a station that song was on, it came on while I was doing a delivery. The same goes for Terry Jacks “Seasons in the Sun”

- It is cool to watch the pilots practice while I am in Moose Jaw

- I bought a new camera today from Tim at The Radio Centre. He was awesome to deal with, very helpful and is a huge Rider fan. So if you need a camera, digital still or video, or a new high def plasma TV,go see him. He will treat you right and you will get great service and price.

- Cat Lovers check this out: http://mr-lee-catcam.de/index.htm

- There better 28.8K fans at Mosaic next Sunday

That is enough for now.

I sent off the questions to Travis Moore last night, hopefully he will get back to me soon and I will maybe have them up for Saturday. If not then as soon as I can.

Today’s Lyrics

“With a flick of my knifeI can change your life
There's nothing you can do”

K going to watch CFL football now: -) it’s a great day.

Fantuztic

2007-06-27T21:54:00.000-05:00

My thoughts on the kid they call TUZ.

I posted a while ago the question: Will Andy Fantuz suffer the sophomore jinx? I can now emphatically say NO. He had a great camp by all accounts, and a great pre-season. What more could you want? The kid can catch the ball if it’s close and once he does, can get you the precious YAC yards we all love (well, I know I love ‘em). I had someone say to me yesterday, “He’s better then Clermont.” Well, he is wearing the right color jersey; I will give him that, but “better than”? I think we will have to wait and see. I have also heard comparisons to Ray Elgaard, and although I see shades of Ray in Andy, I think we may need to see him this full season before we start making that comparison. Does he have the capabilities to be better then Jason and compared to Ray? Sure, as long as he keeps playing the way he is I think both are very attainable. I love the fact the Riders have a legitimate thread over the middle again with both Andy and Matt as it really has been a while since we have been able to say that without hesitation. This kid wearing # 83 has the potential to lead this team in yardage. I just hope he keeps his head on straight and takes full advantage of all that will be thrown at him this year. Get those Fantuz jerseys folks…he is going to be a keeper.

Make sure you check out Andys website if you have not already.

http://www.andyfantuz.com/

I got this email from T Moore today:

Hello Joe

How are you doing? fine I hope. I received your email this morning and would love to do a text interview with you. Just let me know what’s best for you.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Travis Moore

SWEET :-) So look for the interview soon here on TRR.

The Belmont Tire Coaches’ show was a great time again this evening, with Kent Austin being our guest. Kent is very forthright with his comments and is a pleasure to talk with. Rod will have highlights on his blog and, of course, there will be clips on the AM sports on the mighty 620 CKRM. As soon as it is posted, I will have the podcast up here for you to listen to. The Press Box really is a great place and they take care of us very well. I thank them for having us.

Here are the results of the most recent poll at TRR

The Starting Tailback Will Be...

Childs, Henri 46% (18 votes)

Bracey, Shermar 8% (3 votes)

Russell, Fred 8% (3 votes)

Cates, Wes 38% (15 votes)

Total voters for this poll: 39

New poll up now, go and vote.

I counted 20 Rider plates in Moose Jaw today. Way to go Moose Jaw representing the Rider pride.

Today’s Lyrics

“And all this talk of Jesus coming back to see us
Couldn't fool us
For we were spinning out our lines walking on the wire
Hand in hand went music and the rhyme”

I highly recommend the Salt & Pepper wings at The Press Box

For Your Listening Pleasure

2007-06-26T19:52:00.000-05:00

Hey Guys and Gals

I had an insaneo day today at work and my brain is spent, so nothing new today on the old TRR. However, as I promised before, I will try to have something here for you daily. If you're taking the time to stop by (which you are on an average of 100/day) I fell I should have a little something for you. Not so much on game day as really what else/more do you need.

Last night I was going through the files on my computer and along with the racing videos I posted yesterday, I came across some old Roundtables, and a few Sportslines as well, so I thought I would throw a few up here for you to listen to. NO I am not living in the past... just thought you may want to hear what it was like over the last few years so we can all compare it to 2007. Here they are if you like. If you don't get a chance to listen to them today or not all of them, they will be here as all of my posts stay on; I don't delete any.

Riders Vs Argos Postgame July 2/06

Riders Vs BC Postgame Oct 15/05

I will post more later if you like. For those that saw I had the KJ on Sportsline from April of last year and have come back to look for it, I have just come to the realization its 2 MB over the limit on the file service I was using. An hour later I noticed this GRRR I told my lovely wife I was not going to be on here to long tonight... 3 hours ago. If you really want to hear the old KJ one let me know and I will work on it for another night.

Here is where I have the files hosted, pretty cool site if you need some space.

Also Sportsline from Monday June 25th is now on the right hand side.

Plus (I thought I would throw this in for good measure), I am sure most, if not all of you, have seen this but it was such a good game.

Today's Lyrics
"Flashback, 72
Another summer in the neighborhood
Hangin out with nothing to do"

Plaza of Honor Press Conference On June 27/07. Always cool to see who the new POH players are.

A Quick Video Update ( Monday Report Is Below Here)

2007-06-26T00:57:00.000-05:00

I was surfing around on my computer last night looking for some pictures, while I was doing that I found these videos. You saw the pictures a while ago of my one enduro car, here is how it got to look the way it did.. They are a bit choppy, but I thought I would put them up. Found some other old BSC ones as well, maybe another day.

Again as it says in the title, please note the full Racer Report for Monday is below.

The Crash (click pic to view)

And a little more from after. I was not driving my good freind Dave was, he was sore but ok.

Pinballs, Gizmo’s and Turtles, Oh My!

2007-06-25T20:44:00.000-05:00

Is it just me or are there not that many cool nicknames in the CFL anymore? Remember “The Little General” or “The Undertaker” or the above-mentioned? I know there are a few still, but not as many. I know of a few on the current Riders: “Chunky”, “The Reaper”, and “The Doctor” but that’s it; or am I missing any? And are there good ones out there we can start using? I know it really is of no consequence, but help me out here folks, lets come up with some new nicknames. One could be Fantuztic for Andy, and there has to be one for Fred Perry. If you have any good ones post a comment or email me at theracerreport@gmail.com. I just thought of Mookie (although maybe not in the CFL anymore) and Blink for Roberts. I will post what you the great readers of TRR come up with.

The below is from a message board poster calling themselves “Budha” and the bolded part is what I would like to comment on.
Firstly: I heard the post game show. Justine was right. almost every caller after her said that both quarterbacks had over thrown a lot of receivers in the red zone and it cost the Riders 6 points. I am not sure of your real name Ridergirl, but you may have been one of them. This problem has been their for three years you think that they would have gotten over it by now and improved. They did have not, though it is preseason. The person hosting the show was offended that it was not just a big Rider love in after the game. If you want a call in show with people voicing their opinions let them do it whether you agree with them or not. Otherwise shut the lines down and keep the love in with just the commentators.

That could not be further from the truth. For those that have listened to me over the past three years, I would hope you agree that I always let everyone have their opinion. Of course, along with that I get to have mine. It’s always the way I have run the show and will continue to do so. I, personally, said both QB’s did not have a perfect game and that the receivers had to help them out a bit with some great catches. I will leave it at that, and as always, I thank everyone for calling and listening to the shows I do for CKRM.

Quickly, my thoughts on the cuts in Riderville short and sweet. I was not attached to deeply to anyone that did not make the ball club, and I am looking towards a very competitive and talented team this year. Won’t it be sweet if they can find a way to keep all 4 tailbacks currently on the roster here for the year? And way to go Nathan Hoffart!

Sportsline tonight was, as always, a great show. We had Fred Perry and Terrell Jurineack on and they were very cool. Rod will have more of a breakdown on his blog http://www.rodpedersen.com/ tomorrow, and as soon as it is available I will have it here to listen to. Two quick things that stuck out: Fred said AC is not that mobile of a QB (go get him Fred) and I got confirmation that the rims on his car are in fact 22” not 20” as reported earlier.

Did you know this?

From the New Orleans Voo-Doo web site: http://www.govoodoo.com/index.cfm
Wide Receivers Coach: Travis Moore

I am still trying to track down T Moore, I am getting closer.

My fellow Motor Sports fans, in case you missed it, fellow Canuck Ron Fellows ended up 15th in the race yesterday from Infinion raceway. Way to go Ron. Although I doubt he will ever get a fulltime ride, Ron during the times he does race in NASCAR, always does us proud, along with his other racing endeavours. I had a chance to have him on a radio show I used to do called Speed Night and he was a VERY kind and humble man. I think I may try to see if I can do a text interview with him via email and post it here down the road. If you missed the results completely, you of course can go to nascar.com here was the top 5.

POS. DRIVER
1Juan Montoya
2Kevin Harvick
3Jeff Burton
4Clint Bowyer
5Greg Biffle

Congrats to JPM for his first Cup victory.

Today’s Lyrics

“I'll ask polite if the devil needs a ride

Because the angel on my right ain't hanging out with me tonight”

4 more sleeps till the points are for real bring it on.

Deep Cuts The Knife

2007-06-24T11:24:00.000-05:00

Well, today is the day that for some is not a very happy day; for others it is fantastic. Really there is no other news or story for me to talk about today so I wont. I, like you, will be waiting to see who the new players are on this great team we call The Saskatchewan Roughriders, and who we will have to bid farewell to. I will come back later maybe with my thoughts.

From TSN.ca
The Saskatchewan Roughriders have traded wide receivers Thyron Anderson and Jason French to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats for defensive back Tad Kornegay Full Story

For now, all you car guys and gals, here are the pictures I took yesterday out at the Southey Mopar Meet. The pictures are good, not great, as this year (unlike previous ones I have gone to) they had moved most of the cars inside the hockey rink which is not very condusive to picture taking as there was not a lot or room between the cars and my camera is not that great with indoor shots. My goodness there were some amazing vehicles out there! The pictures may not do them justice, so if you are reading this in time ( I believe it goes till 4 P.M. today) and have a chance to go out to Southey, do so as it was well worth the trip.

Here are my top 5. The rest can be found here: Mopar Meet

Today's Lyrics

"When I get lonely, and I'm sure I've had enough

She sends her comfort, comin' in from above"

Glad I am not Eric and Kent today.

In Cates You Had Not Heard

2007-06-23T21:59:00.000-05:00

I am sure many if not all of you know this already but in case not.

'Riders filling running back void'

The Saskatchewan Roughriders, who are trying to fill the running back void left by Kenton Keith who signed with Indianapolis in the off-season, have acquired Wes Cates from the Calgary Stampeders for veteran Canadian offensive lineman Rob Lazeo and a 2009 draft pick, Sportsnet.ca has learned. Full Story

I was in heaven today, here is just one of the amazing Mopar's we saw today in Southey. I will have the rest up tomorrow.

Going to watch a movie now, see you tomorrow.

What A Bunch Of Sellouts :-)

2007-06-23T13:35:00.000-05:00

28,800 fans at Mosaic Stadium (I know you can not see me, but I am giving you all a standing ovation right now) got not a great show last night, but still a pretty good show. Back to the game in a moment. My broadcast day started as it does with The Touchdown Club. I got to the park at around 3:40 to get set up - I like to go early and get prepared and get into the zone. It was such a beautiful afternoon, I was very pleased just to be sitting outside let alone getting to do the first TD Club of the year. Bob was even a little early today (4:20), so I knew it was going to be a good show. Bob and I went through the positions and went over his thoughts on them. I asked him his thoughts on Kent Austin as I said to him, “You know him better then most of us.” He was very positive when he said Kent will be a great coach and he will have a well-coached team and a team that will be a team. We had the Grandson of Fred Ritter, Glen Maddock, on the show. He was visiting from San Diego on a fact-finding mission to learn more about his grandfather. Fred was, for those that did not know, the first coach and one of the players from the 1910 Regina Rugby Club that became the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Glen was very impressed with the amount of information that he was able to find on his Grandfather and also thought Regina was a wonderful place. One comment was that the weather yesterday felt like San Diego here in the beautiful Queen City. The Riders even made him the Alumni of the Game (Brought to you by Memories Fine Dining) and that I thought was very cool. It was awesome to be back in Section 25 Row 50 last night! It felt like forever ago since we were there, but right away it felt like home again. I thought the game was very good. It had shades of a regular season game, but at times was still a pre season game. A few guys that stood out to me were: Sean Lucas # 31 - I thought he played a very good game; Mike McCullough also had a very solid game at linebacker. Both quarterbacks had decent games (again, not great) but were throwing the ball ok and were making good decisions. I, like everyone else, saw they needed to work on their play in the green/red scoring zone (pick which you would like to call it). But, that along with accuracy and timing with the receivers will come. Kent will work with them and things will only get better. If the quarterbacks were a bit off, their receivers made them look very good last night with some spectacular grabs. Andy was Fantuztic : -) and the Doctor showed he is ready to operate this year. I don’t know if YAC yards are an official stat, but if not it should be, as both of the above-mentioned had great runs with the ball after the catch, as did others. One thing I noticed as well is that a lot of the time the receiver was in motion when he got the ball unlike what we have seen a bit in the last number of years. It’s going to be a great year for receivers this year. Can you say 3 – 1,000-yard men? I will even go 4. There, I said it. I think we will be seeing two kickers for the duration this year as both played their roles and did a great job in doing so. The D on the whole played great. Richie has them in fine form already and I think we do not need to concern ourselves with that aspect of the game this year. I know there is a lot more to talk about re the game but there is lots of info on that out there so I will leave it at that for now. Roundtable went well. We had a good number of callers most, but not all, happy with what they saw or heard last night. I say “most but not all” because of Justine (sp) - she was our 4th caller in and actually left me a little speechless for a second or two with her comments. She said that our quarterbacks played horribly, not a direct quote, but the general idea of what she said. If I remember correctly, she said that she has been following this team for three years now and that we have never in that time had any quarterback that could play well. Now, as I said, I thought the boys at the pivot position had good games (not great), but to say that they sucked (again not a direct quote but pretty close) was in my opinion, WAY off base. I asked if she was at the game and she said no. I told her come to the game next time and talk to me then. WOW, I’m not sure if Roundtable is recorded anywhere out there, but if it is, I will try to find it and have a clip up later so you can hear. I do not mind differing opinions - I have stated that numerous times - what I do like to see though is that you at least have some idea of what you’re talking about when you call in. I feel she had no idea, that’s just my humble opinion. The other callers were pretty cool and as always I thank you for calling and or listening.

Cool to meet some of you that I had not met until yesterday. Dave, great to meet you and as always thanks for reading : -) Aaron, it was cool to finally meet you as well. Cathy and Phil as always a pleasure and I look forward to dinner on the 30th. For everyone else, next home game come say hello. I will be the guy hanging out with the headphones attached to his head, sitting with Bob Poley. I gotta tell ya folks, Bob’s a great guy (he really is) and he was awesome on the air yesterday.

There is my take for now. Please feel free to leave a comment. Next Friday should be a very good game for the boys, and the next 24 hours or so should be interesting as well as we wait to see who the cuts are. I do not envy those making the decisions as I feel they will have a number of difficult ones to make.

Results from the latest poll:

Who Would You LIke To See Be The Starting QB For The Riders In 07?

Kerry Joseph 50% (11 votes)

Marcus Crandell 9% (2 votes)

Do Not Care. Just Win! 41% (9 votes)

Total voters for this poll: 22

I have put a new one up.

From the newsreel:

The Winnipeg Football Club's board of directors voted unanimously to transfer ownership of the team to Asper and his company, Creswin Properties. ... Full Story

Time for my weekly yard work and then I think this afternoon we are going to head out to Southey for the annual Mopar Meet. For the car nuts that read TRR, I will hopefully have some pictures up later today or tomorrow.

As I type this I see the little weather plug-in I have on my desktop is telling me there is a Tornado watch out for the city of Regina, so take care out there.

Today’s Lyrics

“One day is fine, next day is black
So if you want me off your back”

If you have no plans for Sunday afternoon and want to see a little touch football, don’t forget the RFSL plays in the meadow behind the Mackenzie Art Gallery. First game is at 4:00 P.M. and there should be some good match ups.

I Shall Return

2007-06-21T18:44:00.000-05:00

Short and sweet tonight as my stepdaughter, Emily, has her Grade 8 farewell tonight.

Many spots have been discussed this pre-season, but one I feel that no one is talking about is returner. I know we have Jason Armstead, but will they use him as a full-time guy? Same goes for DJ Flick. Both are experienced but both will/should be seeing full time duty in the receiving corps, so if they are not has anyone stood out yet to fill the role? I don’t know if this is a position coach Austin is worried about as I’m sure he and coach Smith have many options. It is an important spot as the rules have changed back to the way they were prior to 2006. I will be very interested to see how it plays out tomorrow night.

Thursday Thoughts

- I stated on one of the message boards that I thought the cat in the final episode of the Sopranos was Christopher reincarnated. Today I thought, wait a minute maybe it was Pussy. Discuss if you like.

- I lift over 4,000 lbs a day, I am getting to old for this :- )

- Don’t play golf with Gene Makowski for money! He’s good.

- “It’s a Long Way to the Top if You Wanna Rock and Roll” is, to the best of my knowledge, the only rock song with a bagpipe solo in it. Much to my surprise it sounds pretty damn good. Not a big bagpipe fan.

- I had a great Father’s Day; thank you to my wonderful sons.

- The greens at Deer Valley are in great shape, or at least they look good as you drive by in a big black water delivery truck.

- My goodness, we really do live in a beautiful province. I get to see a very nice part of it every second Thursday as I drive through the Qu’Appelle Valley.

- This weekend is the Southey Mopar Meet. See you Saturday afternoon.

- Izzy Magoo’s serves one big ass burger; not Icehouse big, but big. Soho serves a very good Bison burger.

- Life is better with the love of a dog.

- I hate the Edmonton Eskimoes

- Damn, we play a lot of western teams early this year.

- Friday night is going to be a blast.

- The Riders have had what seems to be yet another banner year as far as the Canadian draft goes.

- What’s Nealon up to these days I wonder.

- Has anyone reading this ever eaten a Daved Benefield taco?

- Eddie Freeman is a BIG dude.

- Kitwana Jones will lead the league in special teams tackles this year.

- Ray Elgard was a hell of a receiver. I still remember sitting near him at a Green and White game in S’toon a number of years ago while he and a fellow player that shall not be named, sat and smoked while they watched the game. Kids: Smoking is bad do not smoke!!

- As mentioned above, my step-daughter, Emily. is having her Grade 8 Farewell tonight and she looks beautiful.

- My favourite Muppet was Animal

- I saw Trooper once and I remember them telling the story of how honoured they were Sesame Street used Raise a Little Hell for a song, changing it to Where’s the Letter L

- There will be a golfing episode as part of the next season of Corner Gas.

- Beer will be different at Mosaic stadium this year. Not the type, but you will see what I mean tomorrow. Maybe :- ) I got a tip from an unconfirmed source.

- I love Jam Jam cookies, and Edith Klemp a lady I deliver to in Pense, makes killer ones, maybe the best ever with no disrespect to my mom.

- Henri “Don’t call me Julia” Childs looks like he will be fun to watch this year. Don’t count Mr. Bracey out just yet though.

That’s Enough

Today’ Lyrics

“So take the photographs, and still frames in your mind
Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time”

One more sleep till game day!

What’s In A Number

2007-06-20T23:08:00.000-05:00

For those that have listened to me over the last year and a bit (I know I have been on longer then that but please hold), you will have gotten a sense that I am a Kerry Joseph fan. Well, I still am. I think he is a very talented QB when healthy, and given the right tools, offensive plan, receivers, time to throw the ball etc. Do I hope he is the starter this year? Sure, I would like to see what he can do with 100 % of the tools above. BUT… I am also a big Marcus Crandell fan as well. I guess I have not been as vocal about that in the past but I truly am. I think Marcus is the better passer of the two, but both men are veterans, intelligent, capable of picking up the offence and running (or passing) with it. Joe do you have a point? is what you’re asking, right? (I bet you ask that a lot reading my little dog and pony blog here.) The answer is yes I do. The point is I do not care who the starting quarterback for the Riders is in 07. I don’t really care which number is on the back of the jersey throwing the rock. Many have stated that this year we will see the best man for the job out there on the field, and if that man falters the other will step in. To that I say, great. Coach Austin really is a smart enough man and wants to win badly enough that a change should never be a problem. Is any of this rocket science? Nope, just my opinion - take it for what it’s worth. I just hope this year the most popular quarterback on the team is not the second string or, maybe a better way of putting it, is the guy not currently on the field. If Gainer can win us some games I say put the boy in! That would be a big helmet wouldn’t it? Vote on the poll on the side as to who you want to be the starter.

We had Jim Hopson on The Coaches’ Show tonight, and I’m sure Rod will have a great breakdown on his blog tomorrow. Make sure you check it out. I asked Jim about the field and he said it is holding together nicely, it drains wonderfully, and it is a little hotter with the black pellets then they anticipated. He also mentioned it will take a little time to settle, but should be great. Friday will be a great test for it.

I found out today that The TD club will again be coming to you live from the practice field. So if you get a chance to, come by and say hello to Bob and me. We are always on 2.5 hours before kick-off and look forward to meeting some of you. Oh, and you should listen to the show as well. Roundtable has a few new sponsors this year as well with prizes that we will be giving away so make sure you tune in after the game for that.

The results of the first TRR poll were

Will The Riders Be Over Or Under 500 In 07?
Over 87% (20 votes)
Under 13% (3 votes)
Total voters for this poll: 23

In case you had not heard/seen this yet, I thought you should.

Today’s Lyrics

“In the back of my cadillac
A wicked lady, sittin by my side, sayin where are we?”

Please note: As soon as The Coaches’ Show is available, I will have it right here to listen to.

Eat ‘Em And Smile

2007-06-19T20:37:00.000-05:00

So this Friday Henry Burris and the rest of the glue factory rolls into town to take on the boys. My question to you is: Are we all done hating on the smiling one? Did everyone exercise the demons last year with the home win and the west Semi? Or will the Burris Sucks t-shirts and the signs be out in full force? I, for one, don’t care. At this point, Hank is just another guy wearing the wrong jersey that I wanna see Reaper knock on his ass (can I say ass). There were circumstances re Hank, but I am not going anywhere near that one because I really don’t care. The Stumps are not a bad team, we all know that, and I think this Friday will be a very good showcase for some new and veteran players to strut/show their stuff. Much like all of you, I am looking forward to it. Again though, I ask is the hate on for Hank still? Post a comment. I should do a poll.

Speaking of polls did you notice TRR (this means The Racer Report by the way) now has a poll on the right hand side? Also, you can now come right here for the podcasts of Sportsline and The Belmont Tire Coaches' Show. Plus, I have a few other things in mind for the side so stay tuned. Do you use the tools on the right hand side at all? I think I have asked before but I would like to know. And if you do use them, is there anything else you would like to see there on the right hand side of the blog?. Please leave a comment or drop me an email with your suggestions and I will see what I can do. I know there are many places out there to get your info, so I just want to make sure I try to help you find lots of it in one place. Yes, I came across a Babe Of The Day Widget, but I did not think that would be appropriate or admired by the female readers of TRR. Do you guys check out the other two blogs that I am somewhat related to - Rod’s and John’s - on a daily basis? The number of hits to the three is quite different. Rod’s blog has the most hits (for good reason; content and length of time he has been doing it) and Frenzy and I about the same. I wonder if everyone here is hitting the other two because obviously not all hitting Rod’s are stopping by here.

We have a new pet.

Do you Facebook? If so, my lovely editor does too. You can add her as a pal/friend whatever they call them on there. No I am not on Facebook as I have enough stuff going on as it is.

Today’s Lyrics

“When she walks, watch, the sparks will fly,

firecrackin' on the fourth of July.

No sad songs tonight, something's in the air”

+30 for Friday Wahooooo

I Mean No Disrespect

2007-06-18T22:15:00.000-05:00

A while ago I said I was going to tell the story of the time I disrespected Milt Stegal. If you have heard it before, sorry for the repeat. For the home games, I help Rod out with his reports for The Score (don’t forget CFL Snap starts this Wednesday) and my part is to go down to the sidelines and try and get some interviews with the players. This is so Rod has clips for his reports that he does later because, he is obviously busy wrapping up the game on the Mighty 620 CKRM. A few years ago, when he asked me if I would help I said, “Sure where do I sign?” Last Labour Day I was doing my thing as usual. I start by trying to grab players on the field right after the game; sometimes I ask the questions and sometimes I just hold the mic in on the scrums. I had got all I could from the field and did what I usually do which is make my way to the opposing team’s dressing room. We usually start there by trying to get the opposing team’s coach and what we can for players. I was running a bit behind the other media guys as, if I remember correctly, I had grabbed a few Riders out on the field too as they tend to be there a bit longer after a win. And due to this, I was not there for the original scrum with Milt. I think I had spoken with Tom Canada or Kevin Glen first and after that I made my way over to Mr. Stegal. Win or lose, Milt is always a Bomber you try and get a comment from. My first question was, “Are you 100 % healthy?” For those that don’t remember, Milt had just come back from some time on the injury list. Well, Milt just SNAPPED! These will not be direct quotes as it was a while ago, but first thing he said was, “Why are you disrespecting me”. Actually before the interview even started, he gave Trevor (Cameraman) and me grief because we had Rider gear on. Actually, I was not in Rider gear as I had my Grey Cup 03 jersey on. So, we explained that Trevor worked camera for the Max tron as well and that mine was actually Grey Cup gear - green and white yes but I digress. After the disrespect comment I got: “You never played football.” and “You have never been on the field” and “If I’m out there, I’m healthy.” Etc., and this actually went on for a few minutes. I wish T had kept the camera rolling, as Milt laid into me pretty good. At some point, I got the disrespect comment again and I said, “ Actually I do have a lot of respect for you.” and I’m sure a few other things including “Sorry” (though for what, I wasn’t sure). I think Milt had a little more for me after that even, and I remember it ended with me saying, “Milt, I apologize if I offended you.” Then the last thing he said was, “It’s ok I guess you’re just doing your job.” I really felt my question regarding his health was a legitimate one due to the fact he just came back from injury, but I guess not. It did not help either that another reporter in the original scrum had asked him the same question I guess. So I am off the Stegal Christmas card list I guess. Oh well : -) It is a good story and the way I look at it is that if Milt’s pissed at me, that must mean the Bombers lost so it’s all good, Hopefully Milt will be in a foul mood again come this post game Labour Day. I am still hesitant to eat one of those chocolate Turtles to this day fearing it will start yelling at me (OK, he did not really yell, but he was a bit ticked off.)

Great player wrong team... Tough not to respect him.

I could not find a clip of Milt getting mad at me on Youtube.

To my fellow race fans, I think we need to start a petition to TNT or, I guess more so, against TNT covering NASCAR races. I swear, not a word of a lie, they must have had 27 commercial breaks during the last 100 laps of the race yesterday. (Editor’s note: Yes, yes, they did and I heard a litany of blue air-type remarks each time). Maybe not that many, but I know for sure it was 5 in the last 40 laps GRRRR. Kyle Petty and the pit announcers are the only saving grace on that broadcast crew (note to self: Joe you will not be getting an announcing gig at TNT anytime soon)

Today’s Lyrics

“Hey, man you disrespecting me
take him out”

R E S P E C T find out what it means to me : -)

Happy Dad’s Day

2007-06-17T18:17:00.000-05:00

Like many of you, I assume, I got my love of the Riders from my dad. We would get to a few games together and watched many on the TV. It was always a wonderful time for me watching football with my dad, and as I have mentioned before, I still miss him but I know on game day he is watching. Many of us including myself, are dads now too and have instilled the Rider Pride in our sons and daughters. That tradition will go on for as long as there is a Rider team I am sure.

Speaking of generations, do you think we have lost a generation of Rider fans as of late? I think maybe to an extent as these days there are so many other things to do as a kid. I know my sons are fans and obviously go to the games with me, but of Kris’s friends not many are season ticket holders nor are many even that interested in the games. Some sure, but not all. So I do wonder to myself if we have lost a generation. I have no stats to back up my pondering, but if in fact we have, is it due to the lack of a championship here for so long? Is it due to the lack of marketing to a younger generation? Can you or should the Riders market to a younger generation? Maybe it lays at the feet of us 30-40 somethings to make sure the Rider tradition continues. Is it those darn video games? Would they rather play a game then watch one? Darn, that almost sounded like an old fart kinda comment eh. : -) I am doing my part and I am sure all of you reading this are doing yours as well. Again, I am not saying that a generation has been lost, but let’s make sure we get it back and continue to build it for the future.

Today’s Lyrics

“I remember blue skies
Walking the block
I loved it when you held me high
I loved to hear you talk”

Love you Dad. Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads out there in Riderville.

Well that’s one

2007-06-16T13:44:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know it was pre-season, but a win is a win. I thought last night’s game shed a bit of light on some of the positions that need to be filled on this team. Ron Robinson will be a starting halfback for the Riders in 07 and I thought that prior to last night, but I think he solidified himself with what sounded like some great play. The other side, however, is still up in the air. Are we set on the d-line? Nope, not yet, but I think we got a little closer to not having to worry about it. Fred Perry seems to be back and ready to rip this year. Watch out Brent Johnson, Fred will be fighting for that sack lead with you again all year. John Chick: who knew? I have said before the linemen cannot really be evaluated until they are hitting a guy with a different colour jersey on. Chick stepped it up last night by the sounds of things. I do not know if we have a solidified starting QB yet. I thought both KJ and Marcus played well and I am sure we will see much more of both next Friday when we will see if someone takes the lead. DD and Tate both played ok too. I really don’t see a clear favourite at the moment, but if forced to pick, I would say DD; again more playing time will bear that out I’m sure. The o-line, much like the D-line, is not set in stone yet but suffice to say I think we should be ok. Tailback could still be an interesting one. Childs had a very good game and Bracey still seems like a keeper. If I was a betting man, I think both will make it and both will get a half on Friday to see what they can do. We need a solidified returner; no one sounded all that great last night, and I wonder if Armstead will be back there on a regular basis. That should be a great battle that we will get to see play out over the next week or so. I realize there are other positions, but these are the ones that stuck out to me, for now anyhow. By the sounds of it, we may have made some pretty solid picks in the draft this year. Carter sounded like he really stood out and McKoy sounds like he will be able to compete. Receiver is not the position you want to play if you’re not comfortable with competition this year is it? Yo Murphy will make this team and be one of the main receivers.

I am looking forward to the first Touchdown Club of the year next Friday. I enjoy doing the show, and Bob, I am sure, will be in fine form. Hope you can tune in. Roundtable was pretty good last night as we came to you live from the 4 Seasons Sports Palace. For those concerned with the fact I let the first caller go on to long, (not that I need to explain but I will), I could not hear the controller back at the station so I assumed we had no other callers. Once I went to commercial, I could hear Adam and away we went. It was my pre-season game too eh : -) A few of the regulars called. Still love to hear some new voices on the other end so don’t be shy, give us a call. I know I have said it before, but I really do appreciate when you take the time to listen, and I hope you enjoy the shows.

Well the yard work is done for the day. Did I mention I hate trimming my hedges, if not now I have. I do not mind doing yard work, to be honest, as it always looks so good afterwards. Then everyone can sit back and appreciate all my hard work.

I had thought of trying to make it up to S’toon tonight for the races but alas we won’t be able to. If you’re in or around Saskatoon, you really should try and get to Auto Clearing Motor Speedway tonight for the Street Stock Invitational. From what I understand there will be a ton of cars, and with that usually comes some really great racing.

Today’s Lyrics
“And every Saturday we work in the yard
Pick up the dog doo
Hope that it's hard (whaf whaf)
Take out the garbage and clean out the garage
My friend's got a Chrysler
I've got a Dodge”

Sorry I did not have anything yesterday. I just thought ‘game day!’ - what else do you need? : -) Have a great day.

Share With Sugar Bear

2007-06-14T21:14:00.000-05:00

Is the share program still on? I believe so as this website is still active Rider Shares but you really don’t hear about it anymore. Did they price them to high? Maybe. Would $100.00 been a more magical number for them? I guess we will never know, but I hope they continue to promote it. I just have not heard much - in fact nothing - about it for quite some time now. Note to self: Talk about shares on Roundtable tomorrow night. If I have not confirmed already, Sportsline is at the 4 Seasons Sports Palace on Arcola. Come by and say Hi to Frenzy and me, and for goodness sakes try the ribs.

Thursday Thoughts

- I can’t drive 55

- Geddy Lee, you are Canadian man; how about a damn full Canadian tour dude?

- I hate the Edmonton Eskimoes

- How come sometime on the radio the bad words are bleeped but other times they are not? Things that make you go Hmmm (that song blew).

- MoLo will be a fantastic middle linebacker this year, or should I say again this year.

- Was the Sopranos ending whacked or cool? Discuss.

- I want to see Luca Congi punting this year. I have no dislike of Jamie, but I wanna see the kid prove many out there wrong.

- What the H E double hockey sticks are the Tragically Hip singing about half the darn time?

- I have seen, both on the lake at Wascana and in the air above, a huge flock of pelicans recently. Very cool. There was also a huge flock in Moose Jaw as well.

- I saw 29 Rider plates today.

- Is it just me, or does the Stanley Cup not belong in any of the last three places it has been? Florida, North Carolina and California. I’m not saying the teams did not deserve it, but that’s just wrong.

- I am officially sick of Aerosmith - still really like the music but good grief they are on all stations all the time. Yes I know not CKRM

- I saw a very beautiful deer near Silton last week.

- Kerry J should have a good year in 07 and, if not, Marcus will be fine. And also, Marcus should get some playtime.

- Does Scott Schultz deserve more acclaim then he gets?

- Ron Estay is a good guy. I like his acting skills and have you seen him lately? He has lost a lot of weight and he looks very fit and trim. Maybe he can fill in for Nate this year.

- Crack is whack.

- Pretty darn tied of hearing about Paris Hilton.

That’s enough for today I guess, there are many more but it’s a long season.

SIR - ACTION PACKED IN JUNE

SAT. JUNE 23rd - Jet Cars, AA Nitro Fueled Altereds; Nitro Harley Bikes

Chuck Haynes' Jet Dragsters (Billings Montana)
Dave Hough & Ron Hope's AA Nitro Altereds (Nevada)
Andy Beauchemin's Nitro Harley Bikes (Edmonton)
AND Saskatchewan's Own: Kevin Therres with his "Bio-diesel" Jet Funny Car
June 23-Spectator Gates open at 1:00 pm.
Jet Cars & Nitro Fueled Altereds: start at 6:30 pm
SIR's Regular Points Racers also testing & tuning in the afternoon, with eliminations starting at 4:30 pm

Living Sky Magazine Martensville 100 Street Stock Invitational (June 10, 2007)

The first of two Street Stock Invitational races will be held this Saturday, with over 30 cars from across Western Canada and the USA expected for the "Living Sky Magazine Martensville 100". Drivers in the many classes of Street Stock racing, from dirt track to paved track, will battle it out over 100 laps for the grand prize, a trip to the Subway 500 NASCAR Nextel Cup race in Martinsville, Virgina on October 21, 2007. Total prize payout is expected to be in excess of $7,500.

To see what Autoclearing Motor Speedway looks like click here for a short video of the track. Courtesy of Global Saskatoon. Video

Today’s Lyrics

“I'm goin' way down south where the big blue agave grow, Takin' a weekend trip down to Baja, Mexico! Where you can drink the water, but don't ya eat the ice, Take your vitamin "T" with salt 'n lemon slice ...”

Wahoo! Game day tomorrow, or today, depending on when you read this.

Cut me Some Slack Jack

2007-06-13T22:48:00.000-05:00

Is that what the pilots flying this ship we call the Riders going to be saying this year? Five games in, 10 games in, 18 games in, not at all, or should they be saying that now? I have not heard that at all from Eric or Kent or anyone involved with the team, nor do I think we should. Or should we? Is this a rebuilding year? How much more can you rebuild from the Western Final? Is this a tweaking year? That’s more like it in my opinion. There is a great nucleus of players still here form last year. I know there are holes to fill but I think there is a number of players who have been here that can fill those holes especially on defence. The loss of Davin and Omar was/is big; however, Ron Robinson has been here for a while now he knows Richie’s D. Sean Lucaas also was here for the duration of last year. The line backing corps is going to be substantially upgraded in my opinion. Again, I know there are more holes to fill but I see them being filled just fine. On O we have a lot of the same players. The O-line is up in the air but the receiving corps is upgraded - running back I think will be fine, and the pivot position should play out ok as well. We may see both, or even three, guys at different times but who cares… just win baby! I don’t have a favourite number…well most of the time anyhow. So back to my original point: Will people, if need be, (and hopefully we have no worries) be cutting the new regime some slack? I think a number will but not everyone that’s for sure. Will the sky be falling with a 2-5 start? I guess we will have to wait and see. There will be high expectations on this team. When isn’t there?

Not a lot to say today really, but as I have stated before, if you guys are taking the time to stop by I want to give you something to read. And as Spicoli said “If I'm here and you’re here, isn’t it our time Mr. Hand” Damn, Fast Times was a great movie.

Under a brilliant blue Montreal sky, Terry Labonte – whose grandparents migrated to the United States from the Quebec area – turned the first laps in a NASCAR stock car Tuesday at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve road course in preparation for the NASCAR Busch Series’ foray into Canada on Aug. 4. Full Story

Today’s Lyrics

“I was scared and fearing for my life.
I was shakin like a leaf on a tree.
cause he was lean, mean,Big and bad,
lord,Pointin that gun at me”

I wonder where Reggie Slack is these days?

If The House Is A Rockin

2007-06-12T21:49:00.000-05:00

We have all heard that we are the greatest fans in the country and I do not disagree. However, not all people of Saskatchewan are the greatest fans, ands that’s why other than LD and maybe a few games at the end of the year, sadly there is always a seat or two open on game day. Do the Riders not market enough? I don’t think that’s it, but maybe. Are people disillusioned from the lack of a championship for 17 years, and the lack of a home playoff game for even longer? Maybe. And I'm not just talking the HATERS; I mean the part-timers and others. Is there not a good game day experience? No way! I think overall the Riders have really worked hard to enhance the game day experience. I know I have a great time at each game. Are ticket prices out of whack? Again I don’t believe so, not if you look at what a hockey game costs these days. I don’t have the answers - if I did I would not be slugging water around all day, I would be sitting in my office at Mosaic saying, “Man, we need more seats in this place.” What can we fans do to help? Here is my plan: I want everyone reading this to try to talk at least one person who would not be going to the season opener into going. Don’t find a HATER because they’re beyond help, but get someone. That’s my challenge. I have been getting an average of 150-200 hits per day here (excluding the days I have pictures up - people seem to like the pictures). So let’s say 200 for today. If we each talk just one friend into it that’s not to bad cause maybe they will also talk a friend into it. You tell two friends and they’ll tell two friends and so on and so on. There is no way TF should not be sold out for the game against the Stamps. For that matter, the game against the Lions or Esks either. But will they be? Those are three key games and, you know what, the boys need us there. I realize there is lots going on in the summer to compete for the dollar but if Hamilton (yes I know their population base) can sell out that park with the team they have had on the field over the last number of years, why cant we? Am I off my rocker thinking we can do this? I hope not, because it would be awesome to sell the old girl out three times to start the season.

Is anyone using the newsreel on the right hand to get CFL information? Just wondering.

Earnhardt Jr. likely to join Hendrick Motorsports
The Kansas City Star

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has apparently charted his, and perhaps, NASCAR’s, future.Earnhardt, America’s most popular racecar driver, has scheduled a press conference for 10 a.m. Wednesday to announce his choice as to which Nextel Cup race team he will join next year. Full Story

If this happens it would be pretty cool. Jr has grown on me over the past few years, and I have always been a HMS kinda guy. DW, Jeff, Ken Schrader, Benny Parsons (yes I know Dale drove for him as well) have all been behind the wheel of a HMS car and have all done pretty well, why not Jr. Can you say super team? I will say that Kyle will be the odd man out but I guess time will tell. Holy crap what are the fans who hate or love both JG and Jr going to do if they are on the same team. Hendrick will be able to live off the merchandise sales alone. This one will be interesting.

Today’s Lyrics

" When there's no future
How can there be sin
We're the flowers in the dustbin
We're the poison in the human machine
we're the future, your future"

Not today’s lyrics but it was stuck in my head most of today so here, now it can be stuck in yours : -) your welcome.

Mahna mahna
(ba dee bedebe)
mahna mahna
(ba debe dee)
mahna mahna
(ba dee bedebe badebe badebe dee dee de-de de-de-de)

Game On

2007-06-11T21:31:00.000-05:00

The first pre-season game is this Friday out in lotus land and, to say the least, I am looking forward to it. We will get a chance to see how the new guys are doing (as well as the veterans) on the field with their play and also how they are picking up the new temporarily limited-version offence. Practice is a good time to evaluate the players, but a live game time, albeit pre-season, will weed out the good from the bad a little bit further. 620 CKRM will have the game Friday night starting with Roughrider Warm-up and Countdown to Kick Off at 7:30 PM. Then of course the game and the Point After, followed by Frenzy and I wrapping it up with the first Roundtable of the year. I’m not sure if we will be in the studio or at the 4 Season’s but I will let you know later in the week.

Even better news is that we are drawing ever closer to the day we all get to see some real hitting on Taylor Field. Friday June 22nd the hated Stamps will be in town. Bob Poley and I will be on with the Touchdown Club starting at 4:30 PM on the mighty 620 CKRM. I am, of course, really looking forward to this game, as most of the time the second pre-season game features many more of the starters. Or, as is the case this year, the guys that have possibly won out a spot in camp. I imagine we will see KJ and Marcus a lot that night, along with the top 5-6 receivers and so on down the line. Also, we may get to see a bit more of the playbook than we did in the first game. Got to love a home game. This one usually does well ticket-wise, so if you’re waiting to buy yours don’t wait too much longer.

Another great Sportsline tonight with Rod, John, Carm and me. If you missed it, you can hit the link on my page to get to the archived version; it should be up sometime Tuesday. I really do enjoy doing the shows on Monday nights, If you did not hear the news, the first Belmont Tire Coach’s show of the year will air this Wednesday night and we will be live at the Press Box Sports Bar. We hope to have Eric on for the season kick-off. As mentioned, I really enjoy Sportsline and when we started with the Coach’s Show last year it also became on of my favourite parts of my week. Not that Sportsline is a salad, but on the Coach’s show we tend to get more meat and potatoes, and I say wahooo. Wednesday night 6:05 P.M. on the mighty 620 CKRM or come see us live at the Press Box.

The other thing I have to add today is that this year I never want to hear a fan boo the home team. Honestly, what does that accomplish? Does it make the person feel better about themselves in some small way? Does that person think it makes them look cool? What the H E double hockey sticks makes you want to boo your own team? If they are playing poorly, people can get frustrated (so do I) but I have never even come close to wanting to boo my team. Again, someone needs to tell me what booing your own team accomplishes. Are these one-game fans? Are they season ticket holders for 50 years? I bet a little of both. If you’re that pissed off at the team, leave! Do us all a favour. Speaking only for myself, I don’t want to hear it and others, I imagine, will agree with me. If you are reading this and have actually booed your team in the stands at TF drop me an email theracerreport@gmail.com and please explain to me what you get out of booing your team.

And to wrap-up today, a note to CTV television. If you can find time in your news cast (not on the sports) to show the big crash in the F1 race yesterday, I would think you could at least say in the sports who won the race. Some of us do care about that part as well. Man, this has always annoyed me. Motorsports are not worthy of any press coverage until there is a huge crash, heck the crashes make Plays of the Week, but the great move at the end of the race to win by half a second is not even worthy of mention. If I need motor ports news I have many places to get the information from, so I no longer concern myself with not hearing much of it locally. However, I find it perplexing that they can find room in the cast for the crash. I once had it out on the radio on a call in show with a local sports guy who said he does not care about Nascar. That’s fine, I said, but I bet you will be the first one on with the video of the big crash. He disagreed with me if memory serves me correct. One last note on this. It was a number of years ago now, but I was watching Plays of the Week one Friday and one of the clips was a drag car going out of control and going into the stands. I was appalled as I knew in that crash one of the crowd members was killed by the car. Not exactly a Play of the Week, in my opinion, but, hey, it was the big crash I guess. Rant Over

MONTREAL (CP) — Polish driver Robert Kubica got the green light to leave hospital Monday — a day after a spectacular crash totalled his Formula One car — but he still needs approval to compete next weekend. Full Story

Yesterdays Winners

Today’s Lyrics

“I remember long ago

When the sun was shining”

Note to self: Get new seat cushion for sec 25 row 50 seat 11

Running Back To Saskatoon

2007-06-09T21:27:00.000-05:00

Hey all

As promised, here some pictures from Rider Day in Saskatoon. No real report on the practice as I am sure as always there are plenty of those out there. The day was great. We (Me, RacerKris, Racer Jr - now 10 + a day he tells me - and RK's GF Ashley) started our day hitting the road at about 9:00 A.M. As you will see, we made a few stops along the way, plus enjoyed ourselves while in the lovely city of Saskatoon, while at practice and afterward. Thank you to RacerKris and Racer Jr. for helping me take some of the pictures today.

I hope you enjoy the pictures. As before, I will put a few on the main page and the rest can be found here: Rider Day In Saskatoon

Or the Slideshow:

Plus make sure you check out rodpedersen.com for more on Rider Day In Saskatoon.

I saw lots of digital cameras out today, if you were there and would like me to post some of your pictures please email me at theracerreport@gmail.com and I will put them up.

Gainers new ride.

The Future!

# 4 working the pen.

Starters this year baby!!

The Crue

Please feel free to make up your own joke :-)

# 96 working hard, watch out Henry Scott does not like Red.

10 yards for not having your helmet on :-)

Wolf and Gypsy 2 GREAT friends & 2 GREAT football fans.

Today's Lyrics

"You can bang your head against a brick wall
You can lacquer Humpty Dumpty
But you can’t prevent a fall
Well bang, bang, bang, and there’s nobody home"

What a great day!

It's good to be 10

2007-06-08T19:03:00.000-05:00

Not much to tell you guys and gals about today as I don't have a lot of time. BIG birthday party tonight for Racer Jr the big 10.

The whole Hadesbeck Crew will be heading up highway 11 tomorrow, for Rider day in Saskatoon and I will be taking the camera. I will have the pictures up later tomorrow night or early Sunday, and I imagine there will be some stories from the trip as well. If you see me please say hi.

Have a great evening/day depending on when you read this, and again Photos from S'toon Saturday or Sunday.

The Birthday Boy

Today's Lyrics

"Somebody help me find my t-shirt
I better go I need some time and space
How did I belly flop over
Fly me out of this red-eyed place"

Party on Wayne

All I've Got Is A Photograph

2007-06-07T16:28:00.000-05:00

I have decided to forgo Thursday Thoughts today in order to bring you a few more pictures from TC 2007. These are from Day 5. Below are a few I thought worthy of the main page and the rest can be viewed individually here: http://picasaweb.google.com/TheRacerReport

Or here is a slideshow: The slide show includes Sunday pictures as well.

Please note these are not professional, and are from the stands. They're ok but not great, as I really need a new camera with more zoom. Any photo store owners out there care to sponsor this blog? :-)

If you have some shots you would like me to post, email me at theracerreport@gmail.com and I will try and get them posted. If you have an album of them somewhere, please send me the link and I will add that as well.

K one Thursday Thought

-I hate the Edmonton Eskimoes

Enjoy the pictures.

I sneaked in to Edmonton TC and took a picture of one of thier new DB's

You guys figure out what you're doing, I will be over here.

Scott let me show you how to tape. man.

T.J. Stancil in the hizouse today for sure. (Editor has no idea what a hizouse is, so left it).

Gimmie some love man.
AHHH peace and quiet, man I am gonna show those guys this year.

I am sorry coach were you talking to me?

K boys breaks over, time to get back to work.
I got your Calgary Stampeders right here.

Today' Lyrics

" If you took all the girls I knew
When I was single
And brought them all together for one night
I know they'd never match my sweet imagination
everything looks worse in black and white"

Please note that my editor was busy today, so if it looks bad at all she had nothing to do with it. But she has since come home, read the blog, had her hair stand on end, and repaired things a bit :)

Bring The Boys Back Home

2007-06-06T22:59:00.000-05:00

We know this year there will be at least one game in November at Mosaic stadium, but will there be two? Does there need to be? Do we care? Personally, I don’t care if we have a home playoff game. To clarify, I do care that we make the playoffs and I do care that the team will make extra money from the game being here. And, I do want to see the second home playoff game in my 41-year existence, BUT I am satisfied with just making the playoffs, a home game is just gravy. With all of that said, wouldn’t it be nice to have a home play off game again? 1988 was so long ago, was during my drinking days, and it was so damn cold that day and the game sucked, so I have pretty much erased it from my memory. Still, I faintly remember the excitement leading up to the game. I have said recently I would be concerned/scared that Mosaic would not sell out as many fans would stay home and watch on TV. However, after giving my head a shake, I thought better of that and have no fear when the elusive HPG does occur. In fact, they better have some extra stands at the habitat known as Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field.

I guess I was wrong about Patrick Bugg, never said I was an expert, more on that in another report. I hope the Bugg will be back some day.

One reader asked me to do a bit more on racing so here goes…How the heck Does Dale Earnhardt Jr. leave Earnhardt Incorporated?? That’s like Brett Favre leaving the Packers… wait…that almost kinda sorta happened, didn’t it? Sadly, these days money talks in Racing and Jr is not happy. Is it the money? I have no idea. I think it’s more so that he does not get along with Teresa. Or maybe she is screwing him around, but man, there has got to be a way around that. So again, it goes back to the money and we will never know for sure, but I just do not get that one.

Lots of racing going on around the province from Estevan (both circle track and drag) to Saskatoon (racing this Saturday night for those that may be going to S’toon for the Green and White game). The new track is awesome and if you have not seen it yet, it really is great. Saturday is a special event http://www.legendscars.ca/ which, from what I heard last year, was a huge success. Of course, there’s always Kings Park Speedway right here in Regina too. There have been lots of changes to the track including a new surface, along with many other things. They have also updated their website, so make sure you check it out http://www.kingsparkspeedway.com/

Here are a few pics from my racing days.

One Night In S'toon

The Before (left)

The Before (right)

The After ( I was not driving)

The Other Guy

The Same Other GuyThe above night for Stick Boy Motorsports was to say the least, not good. However we were in the points chase in Regina and raced the following day, we were second and in fact ended up second that year in said points so there was no way we could miss the race. We drove home right after, got in town at 4:00 A.M. slept for 2 hours and then worked on the car all day, we finnanly finished at about 5:00 P.M. drove out to the track and had one of our best nights ever with the # 91.

The Enduro in S'toon

The Before

The MiddleAnd the crushing end (again not me driving)

My good buddy Dave Kirton and me that announced at BCS for umpteen years and I bought this car juist before the Enduro, little did we know how much work it needed. I got to S'toon the Saturday night before the big race at around 6:00 Dave, My Bro Shawn and other's including a young Racer Kris worked on this thing all night to get it ready. We got it out to the track in time and got it in the race, as you can see by the middle picture it did not take long to get broken in. The after picture came about 1/3 of the way through the race, we were determined but there was no way in hell we could get that car back out there. My Bro Shawn busted his hump helping us, it was a great day and a crappy day all in one, I knew I should have drove the first half of the race :-) It was not Daves fault however I should clarify that.

I have no pictures to go along with the story but Dave, Stick (my crew cheif and co-driver of the CASCAR) Terry D, and me did build another car for the Regina Enduro the following year, and ended up third, tons of fun with your pants on I tell ya.

The days when I had just a little more hair. :-)

I thought I would add this one, to prove I do not always wear a hat.
Today’s Lyrics

“I'm fallin' down a spiral, destination unknown
A double cross messenger, all alone Can't get no connection, can't get through, where are you”

I miss racing.

Mosaic Who’s Who

2007-06-05T22:14:00.000-05:00

On today’s episode of the show, we will be highlighting the species known as the Rider Pridicus. This wonderful species, although not limited to it, has a natural habitat of grassland named Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field. You can distinguish a Rider Pridicus by its beautiful green and white coat, and it can be seen migrating to its natural habitat 10 (this year 11) times a year. Below are some of the sub-species of the Rider Pridicus.

The Elvis Impersonatoricus
-This bird of the species can be seen out in the middle of the habitat, but usually resides in its nest in Section 25. Its wonderful song can be heard from time to time within the habitat.

The Gainer Mascoticus
-A large brown rodent like creature, it can be seen roaming the habitat on game day entertaining the fans, and amusing the next sub species below.

The Gainer Watchiticus
-Usually the younger of the species who, at times, are not too concerned with the play on the grassland, but do love seeing the big brown furry animal that we call Gainer.

The Wolf 104.9 Hot Tub Girl Droolovericus
-This sub species can usually be seen donning a pair of binoculars to get a closer glimpse of the Hot Tub Girlicus. This herd has been known to attempt conversation with the Hot Tub Girlicus for the purpose of mating; however, their calls usually are to no avail.

The Super Fan Dressupicus
-The additional plumage that adorns its standard green and white feathers can identify this flock. The leader of this flock is a bird we call RickyG and his plumage has been seen changing from season to season and continues to evolve. Other add-ons include some of the flock adorning watermelon skins on their heads, some paint their faces green, others wear crazy hats, and some even shed their feathers to allow for lettering on their bare skin. Usually, these few can be seen in the same tree in the order of GO RIDERS. This flock is, from time to time, highlighted on the habitat’s SaskTel Max Tron.

The Heckle The Other Teamicus
-Although spread throughout the grassland habitat, a large herd of this sub species can be found directly behind the opposing bench. Not all visitors to the habitat can hear their calls, but they are at times quite humorous. The largest number of these calls can usually be heard when a opposing herd of horses invade the habitat, largely due to one of the horses that wears a 1 on its jersey.

The Bomber Fanicus
-Much like the locust, this pest only comes around at certain times, most noticeably on the Labour Day long weekend. We find them sprinkled around the habitat; however, you will be able to distinguish them by their drab blue and gold coats. Thankfully, after a short period of annoyance they return to their own habitat not to return again for another year.

The Travel from Afaricus
-This sub species migrates many, many miles just to attend a game, and is always a welcome addition to the habitat.

The Go For Beer To Damn Muchicus
-Some question why these animals even attend the games, as much of their time spent at the habitat involves the retrieval and consumption of beer. The part that bothers most other inhabitants of the grassland is the frequency and poor timing of said trips to the watering hole. Other members of the species also refer to them as the Sit The Hell Down Alreadyicus.

The above sub species has two very close relatives:

The Go to Take a Wiz to Muchicus
-Although it is a natural act of nature, some feel they may actually be the above sub species but evolved.

The Streaker Idioticus
-This animal we know for sure is the evolved version of the Go For Beer To Damn Muchicus. It sheds its skin and roams free on the open grassland of the Mosaic habitat. The natural foe of the Streaker Idioticus is the Police Arrestyourassiscus

The Bitch All The Darn Timeicus
-With no real regard for what is taking place on the grassland, this sub species will continue to bitch all game long about almost anything. Other members of the herd may also refer to this sub species as The Sit the Hell Down and Shutupicus.

Similar to but not the same

The Change The Quaterbackicus
-If by chance the team goes three and out twice in a row at the start of the game, you will hear the distinctive and often annoying call of this herd.

Closely related to both of the above, but deserved of its own sub species

The Why Are They Not Using Chris Szarkaicus
-Although at times their call rings true to others of the herd, often the repetitiveness of their call gets on the nerves of other members of the habitat.

The Leave Earlyicus
-Some of this flock may actually have a good reason, but others tend to out migrate with ten minutes left on the clock and the home herd only down by 14. Many of the fellow inhabitants can’t really understand this herd. This flock is also known as the Part Time Fanicus.

The Boo Your Own Teamicus
-One of the most confused members of the species, some hope their numbers actually will become extinct this year.

And finally

The Rest And Most Of Usicus
-Those that are there to take in the habitat for all its glory, in high anticipation of a great win by the home herd, thus sending those that only come to visit the habitat known as Mosaic Stadium at Taylor field back to their own part of the world. Whether it be a mangy pride of lions, a group of pesky nomadic Eskimos, a raggedy herd of horses from the west, a mangy flock of eastern birds, a shipwrecked boat of sailors, a flea-bitten herd of tiger cats, or a derelict group of rag tags with large W’s on their heads, the home dwellers of the grassland are glad to see them all go.

If we have missed any sub species in this report please email us at theracerreport@gmail.com with other sightings you may have encountered at the habitat. For more information on the Rider Pridicus please visit their website at http://www.riderville.com/

Today’s Lyrics

“I spit out like a sewer hole
Yet still receive your kiss
How can I measure up to anyone now
After such a love as this?”

If you by chance do not get the above parody ask someone over 30, they will fill you in.

Bring ‘em on!

2007-06-04T22:20:00.000-05:00

No, I’m not talking about the other teams just yet; we are only two days into training camp. I am speaking of new teams to the league. There was a recent story that expansion may include Quebec City, and I say great, plus bring on an Atlantic Canada team. And, although many may disagree, bring back Ottawa as well. Heck, anyone else want to join the party? I realize many things have gone wrong with expansion in the past, but I feel part of that was the ownership and location of the new teams, as well as the powers that were in charge of the league at the time. Perhaps the league should consider expansion once again. Not immediately, but over the next five years or so. Football is hot (to say the least) in Quebec; take advantage of it while you can. Ottawa will work with the right people. Look at Hamilton: local guy has success, even with a marginally decent team over the last number of years. Look at their record last year, yet they still continued to sell out the stadium. If you build it right they will come. The Atlantic Provinces have been a long time coming…will it ever fly? I have no idea but why not give it a try. Will it give the league a black eye if they try and it fails? This is the part where many will shake their head, but I say try the USA again but only 4-6 teams and the proper research and planning will have to be done. Places like Fargo ND, somewhere in Idaho, Detroit. Yes, I said Detroit; hopefully Windsor and surrounding would support it, plus Detroit has no NFL team (tongue firmly planted in cheek). You get my drift. I think Mark Cohen is a great addition to the CFL, based on his credentials, and could just be the right guy to deal with expansion. Am I off my rocker? Some will think I am, but what the heck, many have thought I have been of my rocker before. Some were even right. The question you may be asking is: Why expand? To be honest, I just think more teams = more competition = not seeing the Riders play (fill in a western team here) four times in a year = good football. Plus a better TV market would follow, which should in turn mean more $$ for the league and upwards and onwards from there. Would Mark Cuban be in any of these plans? New League Or, would we say ‘stay away you crazy man’. Just a few of my thoughts, not new to anyone but there for you to ponder.

We had the big man ET on Sportsline tonight and, as always, he was a great guest. Things I can share include the fact we should not all get carried away with Luca’s punting as of yet. We need to put it in perspective for now, yes, he has been kicking well but there is no rush, and the pre season games will give us all a better idea of how both kickers are doing. I also asked if Chris Best and Drew Tate have too much anticipation hyped on them right now, and not an exact quote, but the answer was ‘yes’. Again, Tillman said to keep things in perspective as they are young and have a lot to learn still, but that they will grow and continue to learn. Also, some of the recent moves are not necessarily for 2007 but for 2008-09 and 2010. Rod will have more on his blog http://www.rodpedersen.com/ and of course on the 620 CKRM morning sports. To listen to tonight’s Sportsline in its entirety, please use the link on the right hand side to get to the pod casts. I’m not sure exactly when it will be up, but keep checking.

I would just like to say thank you so much for stopping by my little dog and pony show here. 531 hits yesterday and over 360 as of 8:42 p.m. tonight. Wow. I appreciate it. I know many were here for the pictures but I hope a few that had not been here before, read a few of the articles as well. I will try and take more pictures on the days I get a chance to get to camp, and will defiantly be taking some up in Saskatoon on Saturday for Rider day in Saskatoon.

Today’s Lyrics

“I cant seem to see you baby
although my eyes are open wide
But I know I’ll see you once more”

Look out Saskatoon, the boys will soon be back in town.

Here We Go

2007-06-03T15:16:00.000-05:00

Training Camp 2007 is upon us, WAHOOOO what else can a guy say. I will let the photos from today be my report for this beautiful and long-time-coming day.

Here are just a few shots from today, the rest can be found here: Opening Day TC 2007 The Bluebird outside TF.

The Doctor doing some stretches.
Kenton Keith and Rods webmaster JA ( I know its far away but it was KK)
Everyones favorite gopher.
Our new punter? Not sure. Luca looked pretty good out there today.
Everything a Rider fan needs for the season.

A few starting linebackers I think.
Good to have the kid back again.
Our new tailback?
This gopher was everywhere.
TUZZZZZZZ

Walk this way.
The line forms here.
Not a lot of contact today, but a little bit.
Some of the gang from Riderfans.com. Yes Greg actually does have a girlfriend.
My man E.D.

Thank you to Racer Jr for taking some of the photos, the Gainer ones were his shots along with a few others.

Today's Lyrics

" You thought you'd found a friend

To take you out of this place

Someone you could lend a hand

In return for grace"

The RSFL calls. Game time is 4:00 P.M. for the league leading Streakers, have a great Sunday.

Another No News Is Good News Saturday

2007-06-02T14:35:00.000-05:00

Hey all

Not much here for today as I, and everyone else in the house has a ton o stuff going on. Racer Jr has a Baseball tournament that we have to get to later this afternoon, and Emily (I am not sure she wants to be this, but we will call her Racerette) has her dance recital later. Also I did my yard work and washed and waxed 2 of our 3 cars, man a guy should go back to work and get some rest.

Here is one of those, in case you missed it stories from the newsreel.

Defensive back Anthony Dorsett, the son of Cowboys Hall of Fame running back Tony Dorsett, has signed with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. CFL players are reporting to training camps this weekend. Full Story

If you’re a dog lover check this out Dogster ( These happen to be our zoo, but check out the whole site) If you’re a cat lover check this out Catster

Todays Lyrics

“Two feets they come a creepin
Like a black cat do
And two bodies are lyin naked
Creeper think he got nothin to lose
So he creeps into this house, yeah
And unlocks the door
And while a man reaching for his trousers
Shoots him full of .38 holes”

Only one more sleep.

It is a Mosaic Kind Of A Weekend

2007-06-01T21:59:00.000-05:00

With the lousy weather we have been having, I must say how much I am looking forward to what they tell us will be a nice weekend. With so much going on in the city, it would be cool if they were right.

A quick 20-minute stop at Rookie camp today again for me. I got to see a little more action then yesterday but still nothing earth shattering caught my eye. Others have probably already reported anything interesting on on the message boards and websites already today anyway. I imagine if you are hitting this blog that you already know about http://rodpedersen.blogspot.com/. If not, make sure you check it out as Rod will always have the lowdown on TC as well as a great wealth of other information, Rider-related and beyond. The one thing I took away from today’s visit to rookie camp is that Drew Tate can also throw a ball. That goes along nicely with my report from yesterday that he can hand off the ball well too.

As mentioned yesterday in Thursday thoughts, I hate the Edmonton Eskimoes. When asked why, my first response is usually, “Because they suck” and sadly it really is the exact opposite of that. No need to go into specifics, but five Grey Cups in a row, x amount of years in the playoffs, the deep pockets, and so on and so on. Those are the real reasons I hate them. Is ‘hate’ to strong a word? Nope. We all have a team we love to hate. For a lot of people around here it seems to be the Bombers. Of course Labour Day helps with that I think, but really there is so much to dislike about the Eskimoes. To add to my distain for the capitol of Alberta, I am also a Flames fan. So needless to say not a big Oiler fan either. I have always said if Edmonton ever got a MLB team I would instantly hate them as well. Does that make me a HATER? (Editor note: Yes, it would appear that way.)

Now if you want to talk about good baseball (nice segue eh), don’t forget the Regina Red Sox kick off their 2007 season this weekend. It will be great baseball in a great park with great atmosphere. No overpaid superstars. Just a bunch of young men playing for the love of the game, so make sure you take in some B Ball this year.

I heard them say that there will be a new Green Day song coming up on the radio today, but unfortunately was out of my truck for it. Anyone hear it? And how was it? It will be pretty hard to top the American Idiot CD.

37 Rider Plate sightings from the old Nimbus truck today, one of which also had the green and white dice hanging from the mirror and I believe even the little Rider Snowman as well. I saw a Gainer in the back window of a car today, and 7 cars/trucks with Rider flags on them. I am sure there will be many more of those out soon.

I would be remiss if I did not mention that this week marks the 40th Anniversary of the completion of the legendary Beatles album, Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Band. If you have never bothered to listen to it, or if you have not recently, and much like I suggested a while ago with The Wall from PF, put it on and listen start to finish. You won’t be disappointed. I came across this fact I will share with you.

- The actual "Recording time," was over 700 hours; over 129 days, compared with "Please Please Me" (Album) which took 585 Minutes!

My editor mentioned to me yesterday I tend to have long posts so just one more thing. For those in Regina it’s Mosaic weekend! It’s always a great time of food, fun, and frivolity, so make sure you take in a bit (or a bunch) of the festival. Mmmmm…I love the food. However, we all know the BEST Mosaic pavilion will actually be at Mosaic Stadium on Sunday when we all get to feast on TC 2007.

Today’s Lyrics

“I was toting my pack along the long dusty Winnemucca road
When along came a semi with a high canvas covered load
If your goin' to Winnemucca, Mack with me you can ride”

Don’t go to nuts at Mosaic this weekend. Remember you will need your strength for Training Camp bright and early Sunday morning.

OK, Now We Need New Drapes

2007-05-31T23:23:00.000-05:00

As mentioned in my brief post earlier, I had a chance to stop by Taylor Field (I know I know Mosaic Stadium) for a few minutes this morning to take in rookie camp. Not a lot to report that has not already been reported very well by a number of posters at both Riderville and Riderfans. Here are my few thoughts on what I saw:

- I want Nathan Hoffart to make this team. He is a great kid (from the few times I have met him) and deserves a shot. Hopefully, last year did not hurt his chances for this and future years.

- WOW does the turf look nice, the old girl looks awesome with the new rug. My thinking is that we now need to paint the stands all the same colour, or at least green and white, so that the new rug will have new drapes to match.

- Drew Tate can hand off the ball really well. They only ran hand-off drills while I was there. I’m sure we will be hearing a lot more and from this kid in the future. I wonder are many planning on going out and buying new jerseys with either Tate or Best on them? These kids sure seem to be pegged as the future. But, if I may say so, NEVER buy a jersey (don’t shoot me Liz) with a new guy on it until at least opening day. Many times the number has changed by then, but after opening day, please go and buy a ton of jerseys (you’re welcome, Liz).

That is really it from my few brief minutes spent at Rookie camp. I am looking forward to Sunday though as I will be able to go and take in the entire practice. I say we all start singing “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles just to give the big orange ball a little incentive to make an appearance for the day.

And now other Thursday Thoughts

- A very unofficial source told me the other day this year’s big concert will be AC / DC. Again, I stipulate very unofficial, but works for me if it is true. “For those about to rock WE SALUTE YOU” Man, you will be able to hear the cannons in Milestone.

- How is Travis Moore? I don’t know, but I should try to find out. I would like to start a where/how are they now on here. Perhaps every Wednesday…but I need to get a few email addresses first, so if you know any former players’ emails, let me know at theracerreport@gmail.com. Hopefully, I can come up with a few and start the where/how within the next few weeks. Stay tuned.

- When you listen to Sportsline do you like my feature,“The Whole 10 Yards”? For those that have not heard it, what I do when we have player guests, is that I ask them 10 questions like Coke or Pepsi? Boxers or Briefs? etc. Let me know if you think I should keep doing it this year.

- Narco, I have decided, was/is my favourite all time Rider. It was truly a pleasure to interview him last year. Willy once commented to me that I was, for lack of the proper word, gushing (and maybe I shouldn’t be) over Ron Lancaster and George Reed when I was interviewing them. And I probably was, but man, these guys are my heroes! I think a little gush is cool. I stayed professional about it, but I’m sure it sounded different than if say Brian Hall interviewed them (we’re not going to get into the Brian Hall debate) or even if Chris Cuthbert did. But, I think its okay if I am a bit biased. I work for CKRM, The Home of the Home Teams, not TSN or a national broadcast. I think a little homerism is no problem. D’OH

- Speaking of Ron and George, another of my fond memories from older days was going to Pick a Pop in Saskatoon to meet and get autographs from them and a few other players. I wonder if I still have those autographs somewhere. I doubt it, which is such a shame. Me and my little notepad getting the boys’ autographs. Very cool. I must have been 9 or 10. I think you even got a free pop that day.

- Will we miss Dominique Dorsey. I know my wife will miss me saying, “Come on double D” before each return…maybe not.

- Make sure to fill out your organ donor info on your driver’s license. My brother had to have a double lung (and almost heart as well) transplant last year. Thanks to someone who did fill one out, my brother is still with us today.

- Whether you are a bird lover or not, make your way to the bird pond near the Centre of the Arts and check out the wood ducks. Those are some really nice-looking ducks. Take bread for the geese or they will hiss at you.

- I really dislike the Edmonton Eskimos

- Someday I will own a Corvette

- It amazes me just how many people drive cars with broken turn signals. Even brand new Mercedes Benz can you believe it. I say citizen’s arrest for these non- signalling knobs.

- Does the fact that I get nothing out of UFC make me less of a man?

- Does the fact I used the word drapes make me less of a man?

- Does the fact I liked the movie Music and Lyrics make me less of a man?

- Godzilla is the greatest movie monster of all time.

- I really do love Regina

And

- Certain people really should not walk around outside with their shirts off. This opens the door to a story about a certain sunburn I got once, but let’s not go there.

That is enough for today.

Today’s Lyrics

“You gotta know happy - you gotta know glad
Because youre gonna know lonelyAnd youre gonna know bad
When youre rippin and a ridin and youre coming on strong
You start slippin and a slidin and it all goes wrong, because”

Please note that my editor/proof reader has been very sick with a cold for the last few days but has still found it in her heart to do this for me, she rocks. *sniff, hack, wheeze*

Sometimes Your The Bugg

2007-05-31T19:01:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note for now till I am done making supper, yes I am actually making it.

I had a quick visit to rookie camp today, and will have a little bit more on that later, not in-depth coverage, but more on that later.

I was only there for about 15 mins (damn work) and really did not get a chance to see to much, one quick thing I noticed was very good footwork by the young receiver Bugg, they were only doing drills at that time so I can not say much more about him. I think I may hang my hat on this kid though, I think he may just stick no real reason why as of yet just a gut feeling. Here is just a little bit more on him.

Bugg (6'5 – 215 lbs.) spent the past four seasons at Eastern Kentucky. The 23-year old receiver dressed in a total of 36 games at Eastern Kentucky and had 112 career receptions for 1,856 yards and 23 touchdowns. He was named First Team All-American by The Sports Network and was a second team AP All-American and a first team All-OVC. More Here

Below were comments made by ET. "Patrick has good hands, sub 4.6 speed and can present a real match up nightmare given his height. The high level of competition which we're going to have at the receiver position in training camp, just became higher."

K supper calls I will be back with Thursday Thoughts after.

What A Great Way To Spend Seven Hours

2007-05-30T21:16:00.000-05:00

Seven hours is usually the air time CKRM devotes to a Riders home game. I am usually involved in 2½ hours of that airtime with The Touchdown Club and Roundtable and, from time to time, I get some sideline work. To say the least, it is 2½ hours I look forward to very much. The Touchdown Club will be back again this season with my ever-popular (and highly knowledgeable) co-host Bob Poley. Bob and I have been doing the show together for two years now, and it has been fantastic. He is a great guy both on and off the microphone, and I am very pleased to have him along. I think we work really well together - me keeping the flow going and posing the questions; Bob providing his insight and stories from his playing days. We have had so many great guests over the years too. From the likes of the good folks at Corner Gas (I know its not a celebrity show, I thought they made for a good radio), to former players that have been in town: Lancaster, Reed, Narco, Jurasin, and many more. As well, Bob and I have hosted media guests from the opposing team’s hometown, which is always cool as you get to see how the other half lives. We try to tee up the upcoming game as well as inform and, hopefully, entertain you as well from time to time. Plus, I hope it makes that drive in to town go just a little more quickly. I really enjoy the TD Club and am looking forward to a stellar 07.

The other part of my duties on game day, and for both home and away games, is Roundtable. John “Frenzy” Lynch and I will be back this year for the after-game call-in show. As of now, all I know for sure is that the away games will once again be live from the 4 Seasons Sports Palace. Come on down watch the game and say “hi”. George has the BEST dry ribs in town, in my humble rib-eating opinion (overworked and underpaid proof reader agrees). What can you say about Roundtable other than it is a game day institution? I have always done Roundtable under the understanding that everyone gets an opinion. You may not agree with all the callers or even with Frenzy and me, but the beauty of that is that you can call and tell us you disagree. Heck, even if us know if you do agree as well. Is Roundtable different than it used to be before me? Sure, some have even said I’m boring or too nice (at least to DB anyhow :-) ). I don’t feel that to be the case, because its not supposed to be the Jerry Springer Show; it is supposed to be a call-in show about football. Plus, there is nothing wrong with being respectful and a good guy. I know some have stated that they would like the show be longer whether the Riders win or lose and, you know what? So would I. But I have no control over that. Maybe it will change and the time allocated will grow. If so, great! As you know, Lynch and I can go on forever talking about this team. However, if the timeframe stays the same that is just what it is. Hey, if you’re a business owner out and want to sponsor the show and stipulate that it always be at least an hour or hour-and-a-half, I’m sure the sales guys could have some pull, so call them at the station.

CKRM really does kick ass (can I say ass) when it comes to game day and overall Rider coverage. I know many of you are listening, and for that I say ‘thank you’ and hope you will be with us again in 2007. I will try to update my blog on days before home games to let you know who will be on when it comes to the Touchdown Club.

On the way home today I switched out the mixed cd in my car and I was flipping through it and low and behold, it had The Last Saskatchewan Pirate on it. Ah, the fourth quarter stretch…it’s a beautiful summer Saturday night, the Riders are up by 14 and they have the wind at their back for the 4th quarter…man, I want the season to start.

Today’s lyrics

"Cover me with kisses, baby
Cover me with love
Roll me in designer sheets
I'll never get enough"

Who went to rookie camp today? and how was it?

What If...

2007-05-29T21:35:00.001-05:00

Racer Jr. (not to be confused with RacerKris) had a baseball game tonight, and by the time I got home and after a busy day at work, I did not have a Racer Report in me. However, I came across this Email I sent to my co-workers the Friday before the Western Division Final in 2003, and I thought I would share it with you.

Subject: What the Riders mean to me....

When I was young, I would always watch Rider games with my dad. It was just one of the ways he and I would spend time together. There were lots of great games between 65 and 76, but the big one came for me with the 76 Riders in the Grey Cup. I remember it like yesterday; sitting on the floor of our house watching the game and loving every minute of it. And, what a game it was right until the end, but we won't speak of the end. Regardless of the outcome, it is still one of my fondest memories...

Then came 1989, and the boys were back in the big game. Dad and I still watched as many games together as we could, but this time he and mom were on holidays on a cruise ship off Florida. Needless to say, the outcome was better this time, and what a game! The second after Dave kicked the winning field goal, all I could think of was how to get a hold of my dad. I started by calling the cruise line to see if there was a way to talk to someone on the ship, but I couldn't get through. They did take a message though, and dad called me the next morning - it was great.

My dad passed away a few years later and I still missed him everyday - a little more on game day. But then I had a son and he and I started watching the Riders and the tradition continued. The next few years were not the best for the Riders, but then came 1997. By now had two sons and in 97 all three of us watched the Grey Cup together. Kris was 6 and Ryley was 5 months old. Needless to say, again, the outcome was not that great, but Kris was now old enough to have this as a memory ... Ryley maybe not :-)

Now its 03 and the Riders have a shot at making the big game again, and this time, in their own back yard. Kris is 12 and Ryley is 6 and we are going to the Grey Cup. Its going to be a moment we will always have to remember.

Its not just me, it's people from all over Canada and the world that love this team. People move away, but if they once were a Rider fan, they will always be a Rider fan. This weekend, I’m sure there will be a huge sea of Green and White from current and former Saskatchewan residents at the game.

I guess what I’m saying is that, yes, it is just football and, yes, it is just a game; but, sometimes its a bit more. People talk about the Bandwagon, and when they do I tell them "Heck, I have been pulling that thing since 1965" :-)

Win or lose, come Monday, I will still have the fond memories of watching football with my dad and I will still miss him. Kris, Ryley, and I will have more games to watch and enjoy together But, just imagine what this province, and all the people from this province that now live elsewhere, will be like after the Riders pull it off on Sunday.

With that said, say the prayer twice this weekend and have fun watching OUR Riders...

(Every Friday I would send out an email at work and I would ask everyone to say the prayer below)

Green is the colour,
Football is the game,
We're all together,
And winning is our aim.
So cheer us on
Through the sun and rain.
Saskatchewan Roughriders
Is our name!

Let's show our pride in the Green and White.
We will fight, Green and White.
Sing loud and clear 'til the game is won.
The best is yet to come.

(Chorus)

Here at Taylor Field we are Number 1.
We're the best, East or West.
We'll give our all 'til the game is done.
Stand up and sing, everyone.

(Chorus)

Today’s Lyrics

“Somewhere she is on the streets trying to make things better
Praying to God and breathing deep gotta break this long obsession”

Go Riders!

I'll be back (in my best Arnold voice)

2007-05-29T18:37:00.000-05:00

In case you did not catch these stories on the Newsreel on the right hand side of the page, I thought I would point them out to you. I will have more later tonight as well, Racer Jr has a baseball game right away.

Bugg Signs Football Contract With CFL Team
Former EKU Tight End To Play For Saskatchewan

RICHMOND, Ky. – Former Eastern Kentucky University football standout Patrick Bugg recently signed a multi-year contract with the Canadian Football League’s Saskatchewan Roughriders. Rookie camp begins on Wednesday, May 30, with official training camp to start on Sunday, June 3 Full Story

And

Jarrett Payton, Son of Walter, to Play Canadian Football
Posted May 27th 2007 10:16AM by Michael David Smith

Walter Payton was a great player on the field and a good person off the field, and that has engendered a great deal of fan support for his son, Jarrett Payton. Full Story

I will be back later with more. Go Grasshoppers!

Christmas In June

2007-05-28T21:28:00.000-05:00

In Calgary last week it was Christmas in May.

(My btoher in-law's yard last week)

June 3rd will be Christmas in June, Saskatchewan style, as it’s the day we all get to see the presents Mr. Eric Tillman has gotten for us good little Rider fans in 2007. I know this is obvious to everyone reading, but I am very excited about this year’s Training Camp. All the new players, all the new coaches, the new scheme, and the new attitude that will be surrounding this team. My eyes will be focused a lot of the time on the receivers in camp. The sheer numbers ensure it will be a fierce battle for the receiver positions on this 2007 Rider team, but there are some great intangibles as well. Will the veterans step up and prove they belong here or will there be a standout rookie this year? Will Fantuz suffer from the sophomore jinx? Where will they all be lining up? Inside, outside, and so on and so on. The hard part may be getting all of them the ball enough to make a fair decision, but we don’t have to worry about that. The coaches do all the worrying, and although it may be a hard task, they too are looking forward to it. So many stories will be coming out during TC it may just be like two Christmases all rolled up into one. I will try and get to as many days as I can, but with work it will be hard. On the days I do get out there, I will give you my perspectives here. Rod will do his usual amazing job and his info will be heard on 620 CKRM and at the pedersenmedia site. Frenzy will probably be in attendance a lot and should have a number of good reports at The Lynch Mob site as well. Also I know there will be many reports at both Riderfans and Riderville, from a lot of different perspectives which is always interesting. With all of that going on, those of you that are out of towners will always be up to date. Heck, I’m sure there will even be a ton of pictures everywhere as well - isn’t the internet a wonderful tool for staying up to date with our favourite team? Even if you live out of province, country or (I see in my stats I had a page view from France yesterday) continent.

Sportsline tonight was another great show, we had on Richie “the minister of defence” Hall and, as always, he was a pleasure to speak with. The one major thing I took away from the interview was the fact coach Hall said Mo Lloyd is penciled in @ number one for middle linebacker, as I stated on the air, I take nothing away from Mike McCullough but I am very excited to see what Mo will be able to do starting in the middle this year. I was so glad when coach Hall was asked and decided to stay with the team for 2007. In my eyes, he has been a great defensive mind for this team for years now and will continue to be. This is a man who went from a great player, to a great part of the community, to a great coach, staying a great man all the time. At times over the past few years there have been some breakdowns on the D side of the ball sure, but really I feel we have had one, if not the best, defence in the league for those said same years. I have stated before that when there have been breakdowns defensively at the end of some games, that you can not solely blame the defence. Numerous times they have got the ball back only for the O to go 3 and out. That, I feel, will change this year. Richie Hall is a stand-up guy, and from what I understand (I hope I’m not telling stories out of school here) can even do a little knitting and or crocheting as well. Don’t forget he has a ring folks, and that matters. If you missed the show you can still hear it again on-line or download it to pod cast it later, the link is in my links on the left hand side of the page.

38 Rider plates today, and one really nice Rider Garden stone as well.

Congrats to Casey Mears on his first Nextel Cup win yesterday in the Coke 600! Good kid, and very cool to see him pick up a win. I was one week off in my prediction J Also congratulations to the seasoned veteran Kyle Petty for a great third place finish. And not that I am unhappy about Casey Mears, I do have to be honest and say I was pulling for both him and J.J. Yeley to run out of gas so Kyle could pick up the deserved win. All in all, great to see a little new blood atop the leader board.

And the Indy 500 goes to Dario Franchitti. The race ended after only 166 laps due to rain. I said Danika had a shot at winning she was as high as third, but she ended up eighth.

And just to round out the racing review on what really is the biggest day in motor sports, The Monaco Grand Prix was won by Fernando Alonso giving McLaren their 150th Formula One victory.

What a great day to be a race fan.

In RSFL news, the Streakers (my team) defeated the 66ers 34-12 to bring their record to 2-1. The score was not really indicative of the good game that it was. The Streakers had some outstanding play by the whole team to pull out the win. Props to Special K (my son) for a great interception of a lateral. That, combined with a fantastic kick return for a touchdown by the other Chris, were the turning points in the game. A great team effort.

Current league standings. (Thank you to Knighthawk for the format)

Racer Jr went 3 for 3 tonight with 1 RBI

Today’s lyrics

“You got your eye on the cheerleader queen

You're walkin' her home from school

You know that she's only seventeen

She's gonna make you a fool”

Can we put up the tree today please?

No News Is Good News

2007-05-27T10:00:00.000-05:00

Not a lot to say today, it's a big race day so I am looking forward to that, plus a little RSFL later, which I always enjoy. And just a great Sunday I hope.

Here is a story I felt worthy of pointing out, even the comish thinks that no news is good news.

A story about nothing... Which is a good thing if you're a CFL commissioner
By ROBERT TYCHKOWSKI -- Sun Media

It's hard to look cool when your house is on fire.

For the better part of two turbulent decades, the Canadian Football League wrestled with that very predicament.

No matter how hard they tried to further their league, broaden their fan base or, in some cases, just make ends meet, it was always against the embarrassing backdrop of a commissioner trying to stomp out another four-alarm crisis.

Somebody was always on the verge of folding. Somebody was always going broke. Somebody was always playing to a half-empty stadium. Somebody's owner was always doing something ridiculous. Somebody drafted a dead guy.

And sometimes - like in Ottawa - all of the above.

NO NEWS, GOOD NEWS Full Story

There are two types of people who watch racing, a fan. and those who are waiting to see the crashes. Again I am not going to get into the whole is racing a sport debate so for today, fans enjoy the races, for the rest I added some videos above for you.

F1 News

Fernando Alonso’s triumph in Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix gave McLaren their 150th Formula One victory. It was also one of their most dominant, with Lewis Hamilton following Alonso home, their Ferrari opposition more than a minute down the road. Full Story

Todays Lyrics

"And its true we are immune
When fact is fiction and tv reality
And today the millions cry
We eat and drink while tomorrow they die"

Have a wonderful Sunday.

Road Trip!

2007-05-26T13:04:00.000-05:00

It has been a while since I have been on a road trip to a Rider game, as I don’t think driving up Albert street counts. But, I used to go on quite a few back when I lived in Saskatoon. Although I went a few times with family, most of the time the trips were with friends and mostly guys and gals I worked with at the Sheraton Cavalier. We would come down on a regular basis and, needless to say, the trips were always a blast. We were just a bunch of 20-somethings getting out and having fun. I recall one story of the many (some of which I have been sworn to secrecy). This story is pretty tame and really only has one highlight, or lowlight I suppose. It was a Sunday game and looking back I cannot remember who we were playing, but my buddies, Darrell and Warren, and I worked the overnight shift at the hotel. When we were finished our shift, we headed out for Regina. This was a number of years ago back when I still drank, and Darrell and Warren also partook in spirits at the time; however, one of us always stayed sober when we went to the games to do the driving. Anyway, we were cruising along on a great Sunday morning headed to watch our favourite football team play, and maybe have a few beverages along the way. Just outside Chamberlain we got pulled over by Canada’s finest. As mentioned, the driver was not drinking, but myself and the other passenger had maybe had a few beers on the road. Yeah, I know, illegal but I am going to share all the same. So, the officer comes up to the car and I'm sure can smell liquor - we were not hammered but you can smell it - and asked, “ Have you boys got any liquor in the car?” Driver Warren in his infinite and sober wisdom looks at the officer and says, “Not much…” Geeze, quick thinking man! “Not much.” A few sobriety tests on the driver later, and most, but surprisingly not all, of our liquor taken away (he left us the one unopened case of beer we had), we were back on our way. For a long period of time the term “Not much” came up at work and on any subsequent road trips.

I am sure many of you have a story as well. Whether it is a trip to Taylor Field or to an away game, if you would care to share, and it does not involve the harming of farm animals, (or, nudity :-)) e-mail me at theracerreport@gmail.com.

If you have not seen the new Rider adds for 07 yet, go here for a preview:
http://www.thephoenixgroup.ca/television.php
Not bad.

And if you are really bored, here are a few pictures from my modeling days:
http://racer91.fotopic.net/

Because she adds to what already could be the most historic weekend ever for women in auto racing, let's take a second to appreciate the "NASCAR stripper"

Today’s lyrics

“Who's gonna pick you up, When You fall?
Who's gonna hang it up, When you call?”

Finally nice out today, which means I have to go cut the grass. Have a great Saturday.

If I ran the marketing department for the Riders...

2007-05-25T21:54:00.000-05:00

Further to my post yesterday, Rider Day in Saskatchewan, I was thinking on the old Nimbus truck today, am I the only one that lies awake at night thinking of ways to fill the park game in and game out? Because, wouldn’t 28,000 every game be so cool? I bet I am not the only one sleepless in Saskatchewan (yet another thing that makes us all the greatest fans in the country). With that in mind, if you could run the marketing department for the Riders what would your ideas be? Not that I am looking for a job because those in these roles are doing great work, but I just have these thoughts in my head. The nice thing now is I have this blog to let them out - plus my family is kind of tired of me going on about stuff all the time.

With all that said here are my two (for now) ideas:

1. (Your city here) day at Mosaic Stadium. Each home game would be, say, Yorkton and Melville day or Saskatoon day, etc. You could do special events at the game in honour of each city or town, local cheerleaders, and have something on the Sasktel Maxtron about each place. How about special buses running from each of the locations with discounted tickets if you live in the city of the day etc. Have the mayor of each community come to the game and be honoured etc. Lots of logistics, but a great way to involve more of the province at a home game.

2. I think there should be a Rider rep or two for each high school in Regina. It would be nice to do it elsewhere too, but just not feasible. Each school would have two players dedicated to being a part of their school; to attend pep rallies, be involved a bit with the football team, and other such activities. I know there are some players now that help out with this kind of stuff, but I am talking about a dedicated program.

I have other ideas, but that’s good for now. So what are yours? Email me at theracereport@gmail.com and I will post them over the weekend.

Staying with marketing somewhat, today’s Rider license plate count was 45. And yes, I do pay attention to the road while I am looking for these. In fact, I am sure I miss some due to paying attention. If you or your friend/relative/boss don’t have a Rider plate, the Rider Store in the Northgate mall has them. I was in for my weekly visit with the girls today and they pointed out a few new items as well. There are Rider antenna flags, ladies’ makeup bags in a few different colours but all with the logo on them, and also new (or new to me anyway) Rider Golf Balls. Titleist even. Marnie at the store said one person commented “They don’t need to be Titleist; I am not going to use them, they will just be for show.” I am sure some will use them as I think a few Rider fans may also be golfers.

Am I the only person that has thought, “If I won a big enough lottery I would buy the team”. And if that delusional thought wasn’t enough, I also thought I would even put myself in for one play. Special teams in an exhibition game maybe. This Saturday’s Lotto 6/49 is an estimated $27 million. Gotta get a ticket.

Tales from the Truck for Friday:

I was finishing up at one of my deliveries today and the lady said, “May 25th, only seven more months till Christmas.” I snickered a bit and said, “True, but more importantly, there’s only nine days till training camp.” She asked if I was going to be trying out and then we laughed and laughed.

6” pink stiletto high heels, fashionable sure, but good grief! that cannot be comfortable.

Gus at Uplands Pizza bakes fabulous bread, and the pizza is pretty darn good as well.

I deliver to the William Booth Special Care Home, and outside the doors of the residents, they have a small signs with their hand print and a note like: “These hands raised 10 children” or “These hands planted many a garden.” The one that caught my eye was Gladys P because her sign said “These hands have clapped for MANY a Rider game.” Way to go Gladys! Keep it up!

Uplands is the garage sale capital of Regina.

I met a very confused man today. On one ankle is an Eskimo tattoo and on the other a Canadiens tattoo. Darcy, if you’re reading this, you’re a nice guy, but come on man.

I ran into Mitch Blair at his place of employ today. He was down the hall a ways and he shouted “Hey, are you allowed in here?” I said, “Yes, but only if I am carrying 50lb water bottles around……up two flights of stairs. Did I mention I hate stairs?” Mitch is a good guy. I have always gotten along with him, and I look forward to our quick talks on the sidelines at the end of the home games. This encounter reminded me of another story. When I first started working for CKRM, not many media people knew who I was. One day I was in the President’s Lounge at Mosaic Stadium waiting for a press conference to start and I overheard Dan Plaster from Global say to someone (as best as I remember, this was three years ago) “ Did you hear the old guy they have doing roundtable now?” I am pretty sure that’s not an exact quote, but I know the “old” part was in there. I did not take any offence to it; in fact, it was fine by me, because as at least I know he was listening and I appreciate every listener. Dan is also a pretty good guy.

One more thing about me being old. A couple of years ago, my family was having dinner and somehow the topic of me going to turn 40 came up. My youngest son Ryley, 8 at the time says, “Dad, does that mean your going to be a virgin then?” Kids; ya gotta love ‘em.

Today’s lyrics:

“And I don't know where I'm going.
I just want to be left alone.
Well, when this train ends I'll try again,
But I'm leaving my woman at home"

Let the weekend begin!

Thursday Thoughts

2007-05-24T22:26:00.000-05:00

Before I get to today’s thoughts, here is an idea I floated a few years ago. Just thought I would run it up the flag pole again and see if anyone salutes.

Roughrider Day In Saskatchewan

Yes this comes from NASCAR.... Just to clear that up right away.

What does everyone think of Roughrider Day in Saskatchewan? On a specific day, you would be allowed to wear your Rider Gear to work, for a cost of around $3.00 - $ 5.00. This is not a new concept, (We already have dress-down days for other worthy causes) but I don't think its been done with a Rider flare, and it would accomplish 2 things:

1) All proceeds to go to charity. In this case, that charity could be Catch for Kids; or the team could designate another charity for this event.

2) Tons of great exposure for the team. Imagine the day…the media coverage, all the Green and White wear out there, etc.

It would take a bit of logistics to pull it off. You have to find the proper day, the businesses would need to approve it, where to pay, do you do a ribbon or pin type thing once paid, and so on. Having said that, I think it could be done, and would be a great promotion.

Here is how NASCAR is doing it (USA-wide): Nascar Day

Thoughts?

And now Thursday’s Thoughts

- I had a great conversation with Ron from Joey’s only seafood today, and honestly a nicer man you will not meet. Plus, they make darn good food at his restaurant and I am not just saying that.

- Why are there never any female streakers?

- Am I the only person in the world that does the speed limit on Highway s 11 and 1? (Proof reader note: Yes, Joe, you are.)

- Do you think the fans of the Argo’s were as excited as Rider fans when they got new turf?

- Last year’s Rolling Stones concerts were awesome. I was at both and I am really looking forward to finding out who is coming this year. As they have mentioned, there will be another big one at Mosaic Stadium sometime this year. My only question besides who’s coming is why only one concert?

- And the winner of this years American idol is….. Oh wait, I don’t care. Never mind.

- “Heroes” was the best new show on television this year: “Save the cheerleader, save the world.”

- I am really looking forward to the Coach’s Show on CKRM again this year. I enjoyed being a part of it last year and I thought it was always very informative. I hope you are also looking forward to it.

- I think the boys will be making a road trip to Saskatoon for the Green & White game on June 9th. Who else is going?

- I don’t see a lot of Ottawa Senators fans out there. Well, not going by how many flags or license plates there are (or aren’t).

- Today’s Rider plate count: 30. I also saw two plates that said World’s Greatest Grandma (one of them must be wrong), and another plate that said “My tastes are simple.-I like the best”

- In honour of the above plate… “Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you”. Foo Fighters. They rid the world of Foo on a daily basis you know.

- Will Nate Davis have a good year in Winnipeg? I think so, but not for those two days in September.

- Are you as interested in seeing the new RCMP Heritage Centre as I am?

- I love the east side at Taylor Field (yes I know, Mosaic). Section 25 is a great place to watch the game from.

- Why oh why do some friends still have weddings on game day in the summer?

- Bob Poley and John Lynch are great guys and wonderful to work with. I look forward to their company on the Touchdown Club and Rider Roundtable again this year.

- Met another HATER today. I quote, “Oh the Riders are all just a bunch of criminals.” What is criminal is that people like this have no idea what they are talking about.

- Bob and Doug Mackenzie are still funny after all these years. Take off eh! You knob.

- Next time your spouse says that there is no room for a plasma T.V. in the bedroom, show them this. Cool

That’s enough for today.

Today’s lyrics

"Little darlin' it's been a long cold lonely winter

Little darlin' it feels like years since it's been here"

Not too many more sleeps until training camp. I cannot wait!

He is too old, and slow…

2007-05-23T19:29:00.001-05:00

Is what they say about me on the football field in the RSFL (Well, really I just say it about myself.) This same refrain is, sadly and inevitably, something I’m sure we will hear from some (not all) Rider fans again this year about # 29 Eddie Davis. I totally disagree, with this viewpoint. In my opinion, E.D. is and will continue to be, a leader on and off the field for the Saskatchewan Roughriders again this year. Every year it comes up: “Eddie Davis is to old”, “Eddie Davis is to slow”, “Eddie Davis gets beat all the time”. And the beautiful thing is each year he proves them wrong. Maybe E.D. has not played perfectly game in and game out. Who has? Has Eddie Davis been great at his position and a leader on this team all season long? In this fans opinion, YES he has. Every time the name Eddie Davis comes up to a coach of the team (new or old) it is always praise for him. I know your saying, “Well what else are they going to say?” That may be somewhat true, but I have to be honest and say I have never heard a discouraging comment about # 29 from a coach or a team mate in the three seasons I have been on air. If you reach a certain age and play well, you’re a “seasoned veteran”; if you play poorly, you’re just “old”. How much longer does Eddie have in his career? Who knows, probably not even him; however, I feel it will be a few more years at least. Then if we are lucky, he will remain a Rider as a coach for many years past that. Prove the doubters wrong again this year E.D. I love it when you do.

Race Fans

Huge weekend on the way! Down south in Charlotte is the Coke 600 and in Indianapolis we have the Indy 500. Both should be dandies. There will be three females in the field this year for the Indy 500, two of which I feel have a legitimate shot at winning the thing. I have been to Indy - not for the 500 but for the Nascar Brickyard 400 in 1994. It was very cool…it was like Yankee Stadium if you’re a baseball fan, Lambeau Field if you’re an NFL fan, or Taylor field if you’re a Rider fan. The Coke 600, as mentioned, also goes this weekend and is, for those not in the know, the longest race of the year for the Nextel Cup boys. Hopefully they have the tires figured out a bit better then they did for the All-star race, but even if they don’t should still be a great race. I think it’s time for the Home Depot car to win at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, anyone with me on that? Still like to see Tony try the double again.

Today’s Lyrics

He got the voices speak in riddles,
he got the eye as black as coal,
He got a suitcase covered with rattlesnake hide,
and he stands right in the road

Drop the checkered flag, this Racer Report is done.

JC: I am Tired Of Hearing About JC

2007-05-22T18:38:00.000-05:00

I am going on record as saying that I am not a fan of Jason Clermont. Is he a great football player? Yes, but he plays for the wrong team! I have never met Jason, but those I have spoken to that have met him say he is a great guy. I am sure he is, but he plays for the wrong team! Do I hope someday he will be a Rider? Sure, just as much as I wish any other great football player would play for the Riders. But, for now he plays for the wrong team! Do I realize he is a good kid from Regina? Sure, but he plays for the wrong team! Ok I think I have made my point. I hope at some point Jason is wearing the green and white, but until that happens, I am not a Jason Clermont fan. I appreciate his talents but that’s all for now. He not only plays for the wrong team, but in fact has had some pretty good games against the Riders, so that does not help my view of him. I think you know where I am coming from. Jason if you read this, (I wonder if players read these things?) I mean no disrespect. We all know according to Milt Stegal, I am so disrespectful (a story for another day, for those that don’t already know it), it’s not a personal thing; you’re just wearing the wrong colours. For now, I wish Jason the best of luck except when he plays the Riders, and if and when he becomes a Rider (next year) I will welcome him with open arms.

Just a quick note from the RSFL. We had a great game between the Streakers (my team) and the Timberwolves yesterday. It went right down to the end with the T-Wolves coming out on top 28-27. Sucks to lose, but it was a good game for both squads and they are a very good team. The rematch in a few weeks should be a beaut.

Today’s Lyrics

“I cant move my arms
To hold nobodyHold nobody but you
I cant move my legs To chase nobody
To kick nobody but you”

Sweet – it’s already Tuesday. I do love a short work week.

Are You Ready For Some Football?

2007-05-21T10:19:00.000-05:00

No, it is not time for Monday Night Football; however, it is the Monday version of the RFSL Riderfans Summer Football League. It is a touch football league made up of Riderfans that play every week. There are eight teams and we are in our third season now. A lot of fun and not too competitive (although, as soon as you start keeping score things always get competitive). In order to play you have to be over 16 or have played in prevoius years, and you can even be old and slow like me. If you have no plans for later this holiday Monday and want to watch a little football stop by. We play in the meadow behind the MacKenzie Art Gallery and the first set of games is at 4:00 PM.

Below is from Rods blog, I dont imagine anyone reading this one does not read his http://rodpedersen.blogspot.com/ but just in case...and Rod I hope you don't mind.

There will be NO Sportsline tonight on 620 CKRM in observance of the stat holiday. However two of our football features start today on the radio -- The Inside Story runs at 7:50am (today with Kent Austin) and The CFL Report airs at 5:09pm (today with Hamilton coach Charlie Taaffe).Once training camp starts, in 13 days, those features will turn into The Training Camp Report, at those same times all throughout training camp.

Did you see this? It was in one of the headlines on the newsreel (on the right hand side of the page) yesterday.

Colts like two back offensive attack

The Colts found success with a two-pronged running attack en route to Indianapolis’ first Super Bowl championship this year — so much so that coach Tony Dungy is intent on keeping the system despite the free-agency loss of Dominic Rhodes to the Oakland Raiders.

Joseph Addai, the 2006 first-round draft pick, is back and will continue in his role as the Colts’ first-team runner. What’s still in question is who will fill the sizable gap created by Rhodes’ departure.

One option could be second-year pro DeDe Dorsey, who spent most of the 2006 season splitting time as the Colts’ third-string running back and on special teams duty after he was picked up from the Cincinnati Bengals’ practice squad last summer.

Or it could be former Canadian Football League standout Kenton Keith, who is the oldest of the running backs at age 26 but is in his first year with Indianapolis.

The rest of the story

I hope the kid does well.

Do you like the changes I made yesterday? The Newreel, The Video Bars, and Sports Slideshow of the Day. Let me know what you think. I hope they will be useful for you.

Today's Lyrics

"I got ketchup on my blue jeans,
I just burnt my hand,Lord, it’s hard to be a bachelor man.
I got girls that can cook, I got girls that can clean,
I got girls that can do anything in between"

Going out to the Spa for the day, I hope you have a relaxing one too.

Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!

2007-05-20T12:58:00.000-05:00

Welcome race fans… Ok that’s enough of that. But do check out the SIR Season Opener; May 27th http://www.racesir.com/

I added a couple new things to the blog today: The Newsreel searches Google News for your chosen keywords and displays an ever-updating list of their search results. The Video Bar does the same for Google Video and YouTube searches, and even lets you play the videos without leaving your blog! they play above the most recent post. Check them out on the right hand side of the page.

Not a lot to talk about on this dreary Sunday morning. No race to watch today as it was last night, I don’t play football today as we have moved it to Monday due to the long weekend, can’t cut the grass as it’s still pretty wet, so what to do? I guess there is a hockey game on later to watch, but I am not that into hockey. I do enjoy the sport, just not a die hard. And, on top of it, I am a Flames fan so I have not had a ton to cheer about except for the past few years.

One thing I will do today, and that I do everyday, is check out the Rider Fan message boards. Yes, I am a media guy and I read them all the time. Always did before I was on the air, so why would I stop now? I don’t hide the fact I am on there - many people know who I am. I am not going to get into one versus the other because that is a battle that has been waged far too many times and I am not interested in going anywhere near said war. I call it a war, but to be honest it has not really come up in a long time so ‘nuff said. I do enjoy reading a lot of the posters’ comments on the message boards as there are really a number of well-informed, football-savvy people on there. I don’t post a lot myself as I have a few other outlets to share my opinions. There are a few who really seem to have some sort of an agenda or something else going on. Those I just skip over to the next post. Recently others have questioned the anonymity of hiding behind a user name on a message board and, to be honest, I do question it as well. Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, certainly, but what I question is: Would you say the same thing to the person’s face? Would you walk up to Charles Thomas and say, “You suck, you are not even worthy of a uniform” etc. Or would you walk up to Danny Barrett and say…well, I don’t need to get into specifics on that one, nor do I care to. The same can be said for the call-in shows. We do appreciate the calls and love the opinions, but again, I have to ask would you say it to the man’s face?

Back to the message boards. Do I read every thread? Nope. Why? Not sure. Sometimes it’s the topic I am not really interested in, or sometimes it’s the person who started the thread, but hey, to each his own, right? I only have four people on complete ignore because I just got so tired of what they had to say. If you are not a member of Riderville yet you really should pony up the cash (it’s only $25/year). There are lots of very well informed football fans on the site to interact with and, this year there is even a specific “Ask The GM” section where Mr. Tillman answers questions personally. He also posts in other parts of the forum and it really is a treat. So, that plus many other great things, really does make it worth the money to join. In the end, we are all fans and we all have opinions and any outlet to share thoughts and opinions is a good thing in my book. So keep posting Rider fans (And play nice would ya.)

I would like to apologize to all non-race fans who may have taken the time on my advice to watch the NASCAR all-star race last night as it was BORING. If that was your first time, please don’t think that is the best the sport has to offer. It was an OK race just not a good race or a great race like this one has the potential to be. I still say put these guys on a short track and let ‘em go at it. Not that I mind Charlotte, but the all-star race at Bristol or Richmond would be killer in my opinion.

Today’s Lyrics

“Just get me to the airport put me on a plane

Hurry hurry hurry before I go insane

I can't control my fingers I can't control my brain

Oh no no no no no”

Enjoy your long weekend Sunday hope you find something to do today. As I said earlier in the week, get out there and explore this great province of ours. You will enjoy it, I promise.

That Is Just Wrong

2007-05-19T12:25:00.000-05:00

How did that get on there?

Someone needs to explain to me how a Rider logo got put on a horse! Well, horse's head at least. We don’t like horses around here! Animal lovers, do not fret I am only referring to the Stamps not the real, four-legged variety. I am not going to get into likes and dislikes of other teams today as that is a whole topic, or heck, maybe even two topics for another day. But I wanted to ask: What is your most prized Rider item? Is it a collectable like the one above? Is it your jersey with your favourite player's number on it? A photo with you and your favourite Rider? (Proofreader note: You'd think at this point Joe could at least capitalize Rider for me.) What is it? If you have a picture of it, or a story, send it along to theracerreport@gmail.com and I will post them. Rod Pedersen is still asking you to show your pride at his site, so make sure you do that as well.

I would say this would be mine, although truthfully it is my wife's(who is embarrased it's still not properly framed.)
This one is pretty cool as well. (Except for the #1 jersey haha)

Driving Force

Have you been watching the show Driving Force on A&E? If not, give it a view. John Force is one of, if not the, best funny car driver and has always been one to give you a good sound bite or interview. You can now get 30 mins of him, and I think it’s a great show. It’s a reality one where they follow his family around - his daughters are now in the family business as well and its pretty cool to see him try and pass off his knowledge/wisdom to them. It’s in its second season so if you’re at the video store pick up season 1 on DVD. It's on A&E on Tuesday nights; give it a view.

Ashley Force

Courtney Force

Brittany Force

A sponsor's dream or what ?

Short and sweet today for the Racer Report, but as I said before, I will try to have something everyday. If you folks are taking the time stop by, I will make sure there is something here for you to read.

Todays Lyrics

"Skydive naked
From an aeroplane

Or a lady with a
Body from outerspace"

Have a great day, only 15 more sleeps till training camp.

There Will Be A Doctor In The House

2007-05-18T20:44:00.000-05:00

With the release of two veterans yesterday, I thought this would be topical today. As you all have heard many times, there are still possibly going to be some veterans cut to make room under the salary cap. And, two names that have come up more than once are Matt Dominguez and Reggie Hunt. In my humble opinion, we will not be seeing these cuts. I know you never say never, and no, I have no inside information (Nobody really tells me anything, to be honest.). This is just my gut feeling and here is why: MD is a leader on this team and I think will continue to be for a few more years. His health is good, and he is still one hell of a ball player. I do question his choice in favourite superhero, but I don’t really see a downside to MD being here in 07 and beyond. As for Reggie, he is still one of the best in the league at his position and really is still in his prime. He wants to be here according to his web page http://www.reaper9.com/ and that is a great thing. But, the # 1 reason I think reaper will be here is that if he was let go Cathy (Gypsy) will bring physical harm on Eric Tillman, and no one wants to see that. Again, I want to clarify these are just my opinions not facts so don’t go buying a new 88 or 9 jersey based on this information, but if you already have one, I am pretty sure you will still be wearing it for all to see this season.

As for the vets let go, Charles Thomas and Craig Yeast, I think a large number of people will be happy to see #53 not in green and white again this year. From my perspective, I did not mind CT; he was always a good interview, he liked doing my “Whole 10 Yards” segment on Sportsline. One time he was on and I wasn’t going to do 10 Yards, however he asked if I was going to so I obliged. Plus, not badmouthing a man with brands on his arm I think is just a good way to go through life. Yeast – I never really knew him, so all I can say is I guess we won’t be able to see if he can rise to the occasion. (I know, I know LAME, but that one was for Frenzy as he liked using it, plus now I can plug The Lynch Mob website http://johnfrenzy.blogspot.com/ there is a new piece up there today go check it out.)

Another story has hit my email in response to my query Where did you get your Rider Pride? Here it is and thank you, Phil, for sending it and thank you also for the kind words:
Hey Joe;

Great job with the Blog. You’re a natural in the art of verbal and written communication.

I’d like to share my story of Rider Pride. I’m an old guy, so this may be a bit long.

I guess with any story I should start at the beginning.

In the fifties my parents and aunt were Rider season ticket holders. Unfortunately later in the fifties my aunt moved to Brandon, Manitoba and for various reasons my parents let their season tickets go.

My aunt still cheers for the Riders and least once a year will travel by Greyhound bus to attend a home game. Even though my parents couldn’t attend games on a regular basis they would go whenever possible and remained dedicated Club supporters. They wouldn’t miss listening to a game on the radio or watching one if it was ever televised.

So my Rider Pride stems from my parents and aunt. I was born and raised on the 2100 block Queen St in Regina not to far from Taylor Field. We couldn’t afford to go to very many games, but I can remember sitting outside listening to the games on the radio and hearing the cheers erupt from Taylor Field on a big play. For some reason in the sixties and seventies all I can remember are loud cheers coming from Taylor Field, so there must have been a lot of big plays back then.

As kids we used to play football in the park every chance we got and would pretend to be the Lancaster, George Reed etc, etc

Our family doctor back then was Dr Chapwin (sp) who was also one of the team doctors. So whenever I had to see him from getting banged playing football I’d get to sit in a waiting room with injured Rider players. For some reason the one that sticks out the most in my mind was Tom Campana with his broken arm.

In high school it was cool to wear football jerseys, so every other kid had a green and white jersey. Believe it or not it wasn’t easy to get your hands on a Rider jersey back then. I was one of the lucky ones and managed to find one in the bottom of a heap of stuff at one of the local sporting good stores in Regina.

In the seventies I was transferred to S’Toon with work. I would still listen to games on the radio whenever possible and only get to a game here and there, I’d always wear my Rider jersey that I had back in Grade 10.

Later in the eighties I now had my own family and was transferred back to Regina. Man I’ll never forget how our neighborhood, basically exploded with Grey Cup win in 1989. My wife (Cathy) that came from a very strong hockey oriented family was now also hooked on football and the Riders.

Unfortunately even though I was back in the land of the Green and White I was away more than I was at home with work, so still couldn’t attend games on a regular basis, but that still didn’t stop me from following our beloved Riders. I’m now retired and don’t have to worry about trying to schedule work road trips around Rider home games. If nothing else no matter where I was working in the world I’d have my Rider jersey with me.

Cathy, my dad and I would purchase 10 packs of game tickets and go to games whenever we could. Then in 2003 Cathy and I were finally able to afford to buy 4 season tickets for us, my dad and our son and we still have them to this day. We started up in Section 204 and even shortly after having quadruple heart bypass surgery; my father would walk the ramps all the way up. We have now moved to Section 102, so I can keep up with my 83-year-old dad.

The Riders have become more than a football team for Cathy and me. The games are not just a football game, they are a social event. We go to tailgate parties and some away games. Because of Rider football we have met and made new friends from not just Saskatchewan, but from all over Canada.

To me every game is like a family reunion and with today’s technology (computers & internet) I can keep in contact on a regular basis with my newfound family. Even though we have jumped into the new age of technology with a 52 inch Plasma TV to watch games on I still like to listen to the away games on the radio and talk to other fans over the internet on every play.

I thought as you got older time was to move faster, but the Rider off season doesn’t seem to follow that rule and for some reason seems to get longer and longer every year.

Our daughter is due to have our Grandson any day now and we are hoping we can get another season ticket. That will put 4 generations of fans from our family in the stands at the same time.

Attached is pic of my dad, aunt and myself from last years Labour Day game.

Well I told ya it was going to be a long one. That’s my story and I’m stick’n to it.

Phil Johnson (aka: Wolf)

Great read Phil, thank you.

Today on my delivery route, I decided to count the number of Rider plates I saw. In total, there were 37!! While I was at it, I noticed quite a few SK Centennial ones as well so I started tallying up too and came up with 35. Other plates of note:

7 Canadian Flags
6 I love Regina
1 Playboy Bunny. Now, is this a fan of the magazine? Or a wanna be model? I have no idea, as the car was parked.
1 God is my Co-pilot. That should be one very safe car you would think.
3 Dale Earnhardt Sr.
1 Kurt Bush This had to be his mom, as really, come on who else likes Kurt Bush?
And, not a plate but cool all the same, one sweet Rider mailbox, with green and white flames. And, as you know, everything looks better with flames.

The Rider Store in Northgate was busy today when I stopped to say hi to the ladies. Four other people were there, allwaiting to spend their cash on our favorite football team’s merchandise.
There are at least 3 Blue Jay fans out there still as I spoke with that many today.

And to finish off this great Friday at the start of a long weekend, a little racing info/thoughts. As I mentioned earlier in the week, it is the Nascar all-star race this weekend and I am very much looking forward to it. It is always a good race and usually an interesting one as well. No points, just $1,000,000.00 to the winner. There have been many a great race before, and I expect nothing different out of this one. With no points on the line, I am not as concerned one of my normal drivers I cheer for win the race, I just hope for a good race. Okay maybe there are some I hope don’t win the race! What I think would be kind of cool is if an underdog won - say a Bobby Labontie or a Casey Mears, even Juan Pablo Montoya would be kind of cool. To all of you not in the know, yes JPM is now a full time Nascar guy since leaving Formula One. It all goes down tomorrow night on Speed. Fan or not, I say give it a look.

Today’s Lyrics
“Ain't so funny when things ain't feelin' right.

Then daddy's hand helps to see me through.

Sweet as sugar, love won't wash away.

Rain or shine, it's always here to stay.”

Have a great day.

Thursday Thoughts

2007-05-17T22:09:00.000-05:00

Thursday Thoughts

Thank you everyone for having a look at my Racer ramblings. It’s great to see the hits and makes it all worthwhile. With that in mind, am going to try to do something a bit different everyday. It may not always be Rider-related, which I realize many will be looking for since some of you come from links at Riderville, Riderfans, and Pederson media. Some days it may be racing stuff, or, days like today it may just be random thoughts. Not quite the calibre of Deep Thoughts ala Jack Handy or the ever-popular Rodservations; just Racer ramblings. I thought Thursdays would be a good day to do this (and Thursday Thoughts is kind of catchy). So, with all of that said, don’t expect anything too deep here today - I will warn you in advance.

But first: Yesterday I asked you to send me “"Where did you get your Rider Pride?" via email and one gentleman was kind enough to oblige. Here is what he had to say.

Joe I appreciate your new blog, I can't seem to get enough Rider news so one more source is always good.
Thank you, Norm

Anyway, the question about becoming a Rider fan has two answers for me. It started with my dad who is one of those closet Rider fans, he likes them but by god if we were 18-0 for the season having scored 1000 points and only given up 200 for the year something would be wrong with what the Riders did. Then there was the kick when I was 9 years old, I got to stay up late that night and I still remember cheering for the Riders that game, and running around the house when we won, not knowing how the rest of the province felt, I also remember the paper the next morning with a full page picture of the cup on the front. That was my first real experience watching the team, the next year dad took me to a couple games, and for the next 10 years I went to a game or two a year, eventually going to 8 games in 2002 and finally deciding to get season tickets in 2003, I have been hooked ever since, I check Riderfans and other sources several times a day for Rider news, I tailgate at every home game, go to at least 3 road games a year and the grey cup.Cheers.

Norm Peel

There is just one example folks. If you would like to share your story, please do so at theracerreport@gmail.com and Norm, thank you for sharing.

And now today’s Thursday Thoughts

Why do some people feel they have to mess with other people’s stuff? (Don’t be down with OPP I say) For example, in the last week some Richard Cranium decided he would practice his pitching skills using a rock as a ball and my car as a back catcher. I now have a nice dint/scratch and it was just because some guy felt like being an ass. Also, recently someone decided they would steal the Rider magnet I had on my car. It’s not a dollar thing it’s the principal - and it was a Christmas present! Leave other peoples stuff alone

Did you catch the Snowbirds’ flyby today, that is always cool, and even more so when you have no idea it’s going to happen. I still remember when the jet flew by at Grey Cup in 03 Ryley kind of jumped but then went “Cool”. Then there was the time at the Rolling Stones concert when my wife was in the porta-potty when they flew over. Boy, she was mad!

The May long weekend is upon us WAHOO! And if you don’t have any specific plans yet, may I suggest going out and discovering a part of SK that you have never seen before as an example:

Claybank Brick Plant National Historic Site and Museum

On the way there or back you can stop in at Dog River.

Or

Sukanen Ship Pioneer Village and Museum

Both pretty cool in their own way and worth a trip I believe.

Was the squeegee girl at the corner of Albert and Dewdney with the green hair a Rider fan or just a rebel?

Is it just me or do you also feel you should be able to open the door on the car in which some mean person has left their dog in the 30 degree heat and let the dog run free? Man, I hate that.

I do not understand people who go through life bitchy.

Now I know none of you do this but, here is a tip for using an elevator: Before getting in the elevator, let the person pushing the heavy cart full of water needs out first. Actually, it’s more like anyone in the elevator needs to get out first. Don’t worry its not going to leave without you, I promise. And when you get to the top of the escalator at the Cornwall Centre don’t stand there and gawk – move along, otherwise you get people piling up behind you, smacking into one another.

HD TV is the only way to fly. Sports are amazing on them and everything else looks good as well…. yes, even NASCAR…but it is a sport? Wait, not going there. If you are in the market, go see Tim at Radio Centre. Great, competitive pricing and they will take care of you.

If you need to use your bumpers to parallel park, maybe you should just find a pull-in spot. Not once, not twice, but three times this morning I saw this going on, so if you were parked downtown this morning maybe go check your car’s bumper now.

If you don’t already have one, make sure you find a good person you love spending time with and tell them you love them every day. I did and it’s awesome. Plus, if you ask nicely, they will edit your blog for spelling, grammar, and punctuation so no one really knows how poor you are at all three of those things.

I miss Daved Benefield. He was always a good interview, he was a solid person, and you know what? He was a pretty good ball player as well.

I also miss Corey Holmes; C Murder was one of the good guys. I hope he has a better year in 07 (except against us of course).

I think the fact that Eric Tillman answers questions in a dedicated forum on Riderville.com is a very cool thing. More about Riderville.com another day.

Tom Cochrane is a hell of a good songwriter.

Although as of late I am quite disillusioned about government in general, I will give the NDP in SK one prop. Thank you for the legislation that allowed us all to remove our front plates so we can all sport our Rider pride on our bumper. With that has come a little more $$ in the coffers of the team, and for that I say thank you.

Almost everything taste better when barbequed, and everything looks cool with flames on it.

Stay young, have fun. Hug your mom. Hurricane Huber 104.9 the Wolf

With CT # 53 gone, about who will we have irate callers on Roundtable (win or loose)?

And lastly,
Rod asked me about my favourite racing movies I would have to say # 1 is ( I did not write the following)
Grand Prix (1966). Luscious cinematography and exciting racing highlight the story of four drivers competing for the World Championship. Starring James Garner, Eva Marie Saint, Yves Montand, Toshiro Mifune, Brian Bedford, and Jessica Walter. Garner trained with Bob Bondurant and did most of the driving himself, enjoying the experience so much that he competed in a number of events afterward. Filmed at tracks in England, Europe, and the U.S.

The story was not great but the driving and race scenes were excellent especially for their time. (Proofreader note: This movie was about an hour too long). Rod mentioned Stroker Ace, which is also one of my favourites, although with Burt Reynolds how could you go wrong. Burt did some pretty cool movies in the 70’s…. too many to list. Being a tween to teen in that decade, you almost had to be a Burt Fan - that and a KISS fan, again I digress
For a complete list of racing movies check out this cool site

http://www.library.appstate.edu/stockcar/movies.html#g

And not a racing movie but if you have never seen Bullitt with Steve McQueen make sure you rent it, as it has the best car chase ever in it.

http://www.hottr6.com/triumph/BULLITT.html

Today’s lyrics
“I held up a filling station

Like Id done a hundred times

The kid done like I told him

He lay face down on the floor”

Have a great Friday!

Where did you get your Rider Pride?

2007-05-16T19:52:00.000-05:00

Three Generations Of Hadesbeck Rider Priders !

For the last 2 days Rod Pederson has been asking you to show your Rider Pride (see http://rodpedersen.blogspot.com/ for more), and that got me to thinking: Where did everyone get that pride? How did it start? Some may argue that if you’re born in Saskatchewan it’s just in your blood ,but for me it was my parents. Long-time season ticket holders until we moved to Saskatoon in 1970, they were avid Rider Priders and somewhere along the line it started to rub off on me. Now, sadly, my first real vivid memory is of The Catch… and I’m sure you all know what catch I mean….The ball is going to Tony Gabriel! Who didn’t know it was going to Tony Gabriel??? Grrrr…Oh well, the good ones will get open even if everyone knows its going to them, but I digress. So I have lived and died with this team for 30 years now. There is now a third generation of Hadesbeck that are part of the Rider nation. Kris and Ryley, my sons, have been going to the games with me for a number of years now and, like the rest of us, now bleed green and white. I like to think thats a good thing; others may beg to differ, but the tradition continues. So what was it for you? A family member? A friend? A spouse? Something else? Let me know! E-mail me at theracerreport@gmail.com with your story and I will post them all tomorrow or you can post them in the comment section below.

In my truck travels today I came across a poster for a show-and-shine coming up soon. I don’t have a lot of the details but here is what I know:

The first annual show and shine at the Big Brown Barn on Long Lake, is on June 3rd and will be free to enter. There will be an admission charge of $5.00 to get in, with all proceeds going to charity (What charity I do not know, but if anyone reading this has more information on it please email me) Maybe will we have to take RacerKris’ bluebird out for the afternoon.

The BlueBird

These shows are always a great time. Just last weekend there was one at the Snack Shack in Lumsden (try the monster burger, you will love it), and the boys and I went out for the afternoon had a great time. We got to see a number of great cars, this was our third year going out and we look forward to it each year. The bluebird was even in the show. It’s in pre-restoration mode at the moment but he likes it. Oh, and by the way who the heck buys their kid a 86 Firebird with a 350 in it when gas prices are at $1.20/litre? Oh well, c’est la vie, it’s only money right ? Plus he gets to pay for the gas (he says with a laugh).

If you have not lately, or never, listened to Pink Floyd’s “The Wall”, listen to it start to finish soon. That’s just good music.

Today’s Lyrics

“When the strip shuts down we run `em in the street

From the fire roads to the interstate”

Time for the checkerd flag to fall on another Racer report. Thank you for having a look and please send me your “where you got your Rider Pride” stories. I look forward to reading them and I bet others will as well.

Tales From The Truck

2007-05-15T22:56:00.000-05:00

Hello All

Although a full time radio gig would be cool, it is just not in the cards right now, so I have the day job AKA the make $$ job. I am a delivery guy for Nimbus Water Shops - I am the one in the big black truck, hence “Tales from the Truck” (email me at TheRacerREport@gmail.com if you need a water softener, cooler, or bottled water delivered) With this job comes a lot of interaction with people, and while I am at work I wear my Rider hat so the topic of our beloved football team comes up from time to time. I have talked Riders with everyone from the ladies that run the children’s department at the main branch library, to CEO’s of big companies. A lot of the talk or opinions I have been hearing as of late are cautious optimism; people are both cautious and optimistic about the new regime. And, to be honest I am about the same way. I like the fact there is a lot of experience with this coaching staff and I think Kent has surrounded himself with a good group of men. Granted I have only talked to them on the phone in quick interviews over the last month, but they all seem very enthusiastic to say the least. The word “dedication” comes to mind as well. A good start is paramount as the team plays their Western opponents early and often. I hope all the changes can come together quickly and this team, which will feature a number of new players, can gel. They are going to have to.

Here is a prefect example of my Rider hat being a conversation starter. I was riding in the elevator today doing my route and a lady and gentleman got on. She says to me, “I see the Rider gear is coming out” and I replay “Actually mine is always out.” (Yes, I know things that sound dirty but aren’t) We have a quick 7-floor discussion on what the record will be this year - I say mine; she says hers, and then Mr. Quiet pops up and says “Well I bet they win at least one maybe.” I give him the standard haha and they get of the elevator. I then use some foul language to myself in respect to what the man said but sluff it off as he is one of those guys. You know the kind I mean: One of the HATERS

There are 4 kinds of people who live in Saskatchewan:
1: The Diehards – The ones who win or loose are passionate about this football team
2: The Casual Fan – Start winning and I will pay a little more attention, they are not bandwagon jumpers, they are part time fans
3: The I Couldn’t Care Lesser – These ones are pretty self-explanatory they just don’t care one way or the other. Some of these are even sports fans of other sports but they just don’t care, or are borderline casual fan.
4: The HATERS: these are the people that the Riders can do nothing right for. They have not been to a game in 5-7 years but “Oh the Riders used to suck, they always suck” BITE ME things are not the same as they were years ago. And I don’t mean just this year I mean as of late, so maybe get a clue and then we can talk. I don’t have a problem if people have a legitimate concern but don’t be a HATER just cause.

I will leave you with one last non-football related Tale From The Truck. I deliver to the operating room at the Pasqua and I was in there one day doing my deal and a young boy maybe 5 or 6 gets wheeled in for surgery. They stop near where I am dropping off the bottles to wait for the doc who shows up a few minutes later. He asks the little guy “So why are you here today?” and the little guy in a bit of a scared voice says, “Cause I swallowed a battery.” He was cute little guy and just a little scared but it sounded so cute when he said “Cause I swallowed a battery” I asked the nurses the next week how it went and he came through with flying colours.

As mentioned in my last post, I will from time to time be talking a little motor sports. I don’t have alot today other then WAHOOO it’s the Winston coming up this weekend! Folks, if you never watch racing, this one is usually a pretty good one to watch. The Winston is the all-star race for NASCAR - yes, I know it’s not called the Winston anymore but I’m old school. Again, it’s the all-star race for these guys with the winner getting $1,000,000.00. Not bad work if you can get it. Check it out; it’s this Saturday night on Speed. I am not going to get into whether motor sports is a sport or not debate. I and many others know it is, many don’t think it is, and to each his own, I have had that battle way to many times. Racing is an acquired taste I realize but I love it.

Local Motor Sports events coming up

May 18th Fri. @ 7:00
Round 2
Regular
ELITE
THUNDER
PRO TRK
MINI

Estevan Motor Speedway
Sat. May 19th @ 6:00
Regular Program: IMCA Modifieds, Hobby Stocks & IMCA Stock Cars

Estevan Drag Racing Association (Located at the Estevan Airport)
Season Opener June 10th

Kings Park Speedway Regina

SATURDAY JUNE 23, 2007 MINISTOCK INVITATIONAL

SATURDAY JULY 07, 2007 STREET STOCK INVITATIONAL

SATURDAY AUG. 18, 2007 BOMBER/THUNDER INVITAIONAL

If you have a motor sports event including show and shines or fun runs, that you would like me to promote here, please mail me at TheRacerReport@gmail.com

Racer JR went 1-2 with a double and one assist tonight in his softball league. I was helping coach and I must have said, “Pay attention!” to them about 874 times, but a good time was had by all.

Today’s Lyrics are:

“When I woke up, Mom and Dad are rolling on the couch.Rolling numbers, rock and rolling, got my Kiss records out”

Cathy was the first to get the answer from yesterday which was
Rock and Roll All Nite by Kiss

Today was insane and as you read above I had to deal with a HATER so that’s it for tonight, thank you for stopping by, I may not have a post everyday but please feel free to check.

I just want to talk about football this year

2007-05-14T20:58:00.000-05:00

(Photo courtesy http://rodpedersen.blogspot.com/ )

Hello Riderfans

Recently Rod suggested I join the world of blogdom (is that a word?) and at first I was hesitant as; A) It will be hard to keep up with the quality and frequency of his, and B) I am not that good at putting my thoughts to paper, or in this case computer. I am more of a verbal kind of guy but... I am going to give this a shot, and see how it goes. Don't expect a ton of updates, or a great amount of infinite wisdom, but do expect my thoughts and opinions on the Riders, the CFL, and maybe a few other things. If that sounds fair then here we go!

I am sure those of you that have been listening to me over the last few years have come to realize, I am not big on talking about the off-field goings on when it comes to the Riders. I prefer to stick to football, whether it be a good game, a bad game, what happened at practice, player moves, or football in general that is what I prefer. I don't want to talk about court dates, unless it's to discuss how many there will be for those fans being drunk and disorderly following the Riders Grey Cup win in 07. I don't want to talk about sexual exploits, unless its how the team got screwed by the ref's. I don't want to talk about what happened to people's dogs, unless it's about the half time show featuring the agility dogs (I love the dogs, keep the dogs) And, last and not least, I don't want to talk about black and white, I want to talk about Green and White.

Are all of these other things news per say or topics of discussion? Sure… I don't deny that, but I much prefer just to talk about football, and you know what? That's what I am going to continue to do on the Touchdown Club and Roundtable... Sound fair?

While I am here, I really need to thank Rod Pederson for what he has done for me. This will be my fourth season with CKRM and I have loved every minute of it. If it was not for him giving a relatively unknown a shot that good Friday in 2004, I would still be talking about the Riders all the time, I just would not get a chance to discuss them with as many great fans as I do, and I really want to thank him for that.

2007 is going to be a great year, with ups and downs I'm sure. But I have a feeling it really is going to be interesting either way. I want to thank all of you for listening and I hope you continue to do so. I'm sure we won't all agree on everything, but that’s a good thing I think. And as I have stated before, the way I run my shows everyone gets an opinion (including me) and in the end we all get to talk about football.

There are three things beside family and friends that I have a passion for:
1. The Riders
2. Racing (maybe another day we will get into that discussion)
3. Music

And with 3 in mind, I will leave you with a lyric from one of my many favourite songs. Lets see who the first person is to leave a comment, and correctly guess what the song is at the end of each blog (no prizes, sorry) I will have to talk to Wisers or Joey's Only and see if I can come up with one. No cheating by Googling the lyrics, play fair.

“You keep on saying you'll be mine for a while
You're lookin' fancy and I like your style”

( a pretty easy one to start with)