More news from Portland

Boy, are things-a-hoppin' in my old home town these days!

From the Portland Tribune:

http://www.portlandtribune.com/sports/story.php?story_id=122541186260373800

http://www.portlandtribune.com/sports/story.php?story_id=122532423854652600

http://www.portlandtribune.com/sports/story.php?story_id=122532177677836100

In the second linked article, Rob Gagne gets a mention as the team's new equipment manager, a position that has never officially been filled before in the team's history. I got to know "Gags" during the past two USHL seasons, when I was the play-by-play guy for the Tri-City Storm and he was the equipment manager with the Ohio Junior Blue Jackets. Rob is as nice a guy as you'd ever want to meet, knows his stuff (He's worked in the NHL and AHL) and is an outstanding hire for the Hawks. It's a shame that Innes Mackie was let go, as he was well-liked by the fans, as one of the three founding members of the team when it moved from Edmonton in 1976. But adding Gagne, along with Trainer/Strength and Conditioning Coach Rich Campbell, are two moves that will undoubtedly pay dividends in the future, as the franchise moves back towards the respectability it once had.

Riders top Argos in thriller to wrap up regular season finale

The Saskatchewan Roughriders pulled off another one of their amazing 4th quarter comebacks Thursday night, scoring 28 points in the final frame, for an exciting 45-38 win over the Toronto Argonauts in front of 28,654 fans at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.

Toronto opened the scoring in the first quarter, as Kerry Joseph threw a 42 yard touchdown passs to Arland Bruce III. Mike Vanderjagt's convert with 1:11 gone put the Argos up 7-0. Saskatchewan tied the game as Michael Bishop scored on an 11 yard run and Loca Congi converted 3:04 later. Toronto went back on top with a 20 yard scoring strike from Joseph to Andre Talbot and a Vanderjagt convert with 8:48 remaining, then a Joseph 9 yard touchdown pass to P. K. Sam and another Vanderjagt convert with 3:20 remaining, putting the Argonauts up 21-7.

Congi kicked a 9 yard field goal for the Riders 1:36 into the second quarter to cut the gap to 21-10, but Toronto responded with a 14 yard field goal from Vanderjagt with 8:04 remaining in the half, restoring the 14 point lead at 24-10. Bishop's second rushing touchdown of the game, this one from 20 yards out, plus the Congi convert with 2:29 remaining for Saskatchewan, reduced the Argos lead to 24-17. Toronto gave the ball away, but took it right back on an interception in their own endzone late in the half, and the score stayed 24-17 into halftime.

The Argos regained the two-score lead 4:57 into the third. Joseph threw his fourth scoring pass of the night, finding Talbot again, this time from 12 yards away. Vanderjagt's convert put Toronto on top 31-17 after three quarters.

The Argos punted from their own goal line on the final play of the third, setting the Riders up with good field position to open the final quarter. Saskatchewan took advantage, driving deep into Toronto territory, scoring on a 20 yard dash by Stu Foord. Congi's convert with 13:08 remaining in regulation time, drew the green-and-white to within 7, at 31-24. The Riders' Anton McKenzie knocked the ball loose on the ensuing kickoff with James Patrick recovering, giving Saskatchewan first and 10 at the Argos' 19. Neil Hughes scored two plays later on a six yard run. That score, combined with the Congi convert, tied the game 31-31 with 11:57 remaining. To their credit, Toronto drove from their own 35 yard line for the go ahead score on their next possession. Joseph threaded a pass through the arms of the Riders' Omarr Morgan to Reggie McNeal from 12 yards out. Joseph's fifth touchdown pass of the night capped a 10 play, 75 yard drive. Vanderjagt's convert with 6:23 to go, putting the Argos back on top, 38-31. Congi missed a 42 yard field goal with just under three minutes remaining, but Toronto went two and out, giving Saskatchewan the ball on the Argos 53, with 1:47 left in regulation time. Bishop, under heavy pressure, connected with Rob Bagg to the 1 1/2 yard line on the first play. Foord was stopped on the next play, but Toronto was called for offside on the play. Bishop tried to sneak in from the one, but after a long delay while the pile was unstacked, the play was ruled a touchdown. Congi converted, tying the game 38-38 with 1:25 left in regulation time. Toronto took the kick out to their own 39, but went two and out, then amazingly turned the ball over on a fumbled fake punt, giving the Riders one last chance, starting at the Argos 40. Foord went 7 yards on the first play and 5 yards on the second play. Bishop threw an incomplete pass to Andy Fantuz, but Toronto interfered, giving Saskatchewan first and goal at the two yard line. Hughes scored from there, his second score of the quarter, Congi converted with 12 seconds remaining and the Riders held on from there for the 45-38 win.

For Saskatchewan, Michael Bishop was 18 of 32 passing for 292 yards with 4 interceptions. He rushed 8 times for 58 yards and three touchdowns. Neil Hughes carried the ball 4 times for 18 yards and those two fourth quarter touchdowns, while Stu Foord had 8 carries for 65 yards and a touchdown. Andy Fantuz led the receiving corps with 8 catches for 98 yards. Tad Kornegay and Sean Lucas led the defense with 7 tackles apiece. For Toronto, Kerry Joseph completed 25 of 38 passes for 307 yards and 5 touchdowns. A Bruce caught 6 passes for 93 yards and a touchdown, Andre Talbot had 6 passes for 79 yards and two touchdowns, P.K. Sam had 6 catches for 42 yards and a score and Reggie McNeal had 3 catches for 33 yards and a touchdown. Jamal Robertson had 12 carries for 97 yards and on defense, M O'Shea had 7 tackles.

The Riders, defending Grey Cup champions, finish the regular season with a 12-6 record.

This is the final week of the CFL's regular season. Division semi-finals take place next weekend. For Saskatchewan to host the first playoff game against B.C. in Regina, the Lions must lose at Calgary this Saturday. If B.C wins, then they'll host the Riders in the West semis in Vancouver. Wherever the game is played, it will take place on Saturday, November 8th, beginning at 3:30p.m. Central time on http://www.620ckrm.com/. The Grey Cup playoff finals are held on November 15th, with the Grey Cup title game being played at Montreal's Olympic Stadium on November 23rd, at 5:00p.m. Central time.

Changes begin in earnest in Portland

The long-rumored installation of Mike Johnston as Head Coach/General Manager of the Western Hockey League's Portland Winter Hawks has taken place.

From the Portland Tribune:

http://www.portlandtribune.com/sports/story.php?story_id=122524344017069500

From the Western Hockey League:

http://www.whl.ca/news/?id=10394

Jimmy is five months old!

Yesterday was Jimmy's 5 month birthday! Can you believe it? Here is his update in his own words:

Hewwo evwybuddy! My name is Jimmy. I is 5 mumfs owd now. I is getting weawwy big an' I is eating wike a widdle bawacooda (watevew dat is), at weest dat's wat Mommy sez. I is now wowwing ovuw bof wayz fwum my bak to my tumee an' fwum my tumee to my bak. I is pwaying in my exursawser now. It's fun! I wuv to waff an' smiyul wots.

Mommy haz startud a noo job (watevew dat is) so I is staying home wif Daddy wen hez not doing hokee stuff. Day aw wooking fow a baybeesitur fow me fow wen Daddy haz to go owt uv town. Dere is a wady at chuwch dey aw gonna ask.

I is vewy, vewy exsitud! I is geting baptizeded on Sundee! My Ant Deedee is fwying up hewe fwum Fworda (wer Mommy is fwum) cuz her is my godmuvuw! Her huzbun Unka Wic cant com. We is gonna hav wots of fun! Is is gonna get to bewong to Jeezuz fowevew! I weawwy wuv going to da chuwch. Aw da wadies wuv me!

Daddy tooked me an' Mommy to a hokee game wast Fwidee nite. We went bak to dat pwace cawed Gween Bay. We seed dese gize fwum da weeg Daddy usta wuwk in. Dey wuz cawed da Gween Bay Gambwers an' da Fawgo Fowce. It wuz fun! Daddy seed sum kidz he nowed fwun da teem he usta wuwk fow. I weawwy wike hokee!

Dat's aw fow now. Daddy hasta take Mommy to wuwk so I gotta go get dwessed. I wuv aw uv yew!

Wuv,
Jimmy

The latest from Portland

The sale of the Western Hockey League's Portland Winter Hawks is expected to be finalized in the next couple of days. Here's the latest from the Portland Tribune:

http://www.portlandtribune.com/sports/story.php?story_id=122513063359412300

From oregonlive.com:

http://www.oregonlive.com/hawks/

More to come on this situation. Stay tuned.

Riders blast Edmonton 55-9

The Saskatchewan Roughriders played tough defense and ran up and down the field, blasting the Edmonton Eskimos 55-9 Saturday night in CFL action, in front of 30,945 fans at Regina's Mosaic Stadium.

Saskatchewan opened the scoring early in the first. After turning the ball over themselves, the Riders got it back and got on the board, as Kitwana Jones scooped up a loose ball and returned it 54 yards for a touchdown. Luca Congi converted, to put Saskatchewan up 7-0 with 11:59 remaining in the first. The Eskimos crawled back into contention, getting a 33 yard field goal and a 71 yard punt single from Noel Prefontaine, then a safety touch in the final minute, to trail 7-6 after one quarter.

The Riders blew the doors off the game with 26 points in the second quarter and 15 more in the third. Congi kicked a 41 yard field goal, Renauld Williams scored on a 51 yard interception return, Corey Grant caught a 3 yard scoring pass from Steven Jyles, Wes Cates ran one in from 10 yards out and Prefontaine gave up a safety touch. Congi converted after each touchdown, to put Saskatchewan up 33-6 at the half. Weston Dressler caught a 41 yard touchdown pass from Michael Bishop, Congi converted, J Boreham's kickoff resulted in a 71 yard single, Cates hit paydirt from a yard away and Congi converted, putting Saskatchewan on top 48-6 through 45 minutes.

Bishop tossed a 6 yard touchdown pass to Andy Fantuz, with Congi converting, to open the 4th quarter scoring 53 seconds into the period, putting the Riders up 55-6. Edmonton rounded out the scoring, with Kevin Challenger getting credit for a safety touch and Prefontaine getting a 75 yard punt single, resulting in the final score of 55-9 in favor of Saskatchewan.

For the Riders, Jyles was 7 of 13 passing for 99 yards, a touchdown and two picks, while Bishop, who came on at the start of the second half, went 9 of 10 for 198 yards and 2 scores. Fantuz caught 4 passes for 62 yards and a score, Dressler 3 catches for 83 yards and a score and Cates ran the ball 16 times for 48 yards and 2 touchdowns. For the Eskimos, Ricky Ray was 10 of 18 for 99 yards with 2 interceptions and Jason Maas was 6 of 16 for 57 yards. Kamau Peterson caught 5 passes for 53 yards and Calvin McCarty had 11 rushes for 62 yards.

Saskatchewan improves to 11-6 for 22 points, good for second in the West. Edmonton slips to 9-8 for 18 points, 4th in the West. The Riders wrap up their regular season schedule on Thursday, October 30th in Toronto against the Argonauts, while the Eskimos host Montreal on Friday, October 31st. For Saskatchewan to get home field in the West semis, they must win at Toronto, while the B.C. Lions must lose to either Toronto at home tonight, or at Calgary on Saturday, November 1st. The Riders regular season finale from Toronto can be heard with Rod Pedersen (http://rodpedersen.blogspot.com) and Carm Carteri calling the action on http://www.620ckrm.com beginning at 6:30p.m. Central time next Thursday.

This book will look AWESOME on your coffee table!!!!

If you're looking for an early (or on time, if you don't shop early) Christmas present for the football fan in your home, you can't go wrong with Green Magic, the story of the Saskatchewan Roughriders' 2007 CFL Grey Cup championship season. Written by the Voice of the Riders, Rod Pedersen, (http://rodpedersen.blogspot.com/) you'll get the entire story of the Riders and their exciting march to the Grey Cup championship last season.

Rod is the radio voice of both the CFL Roughriders and the WHL's Regina Pats, has the #1 sports blog in all of Canada, reports sports for CKRM Radio in Regina and can tell a story with the best of them. Besides, he likes dogs, so what's not to like about ol' Roddy?

Order your copy today, as a gift or for yourself. Knowing how well Rod calls a game on the radio, I'll bet this book is a good one and a big seller. Whether you like CFL football or not, this is a book you'll want to read and re-read. Order your copy today, by clicking this link:

http://shop.riderville.com/product_info.php?products_id=869&osCsid=10a4e7a84e34bc857ab57bd9bcdd4e6f

Go Riders!

The results are in

The results are in on the biopsy of the polyp taken during last week's colonoscopy and I get to keep my title.

I am STILL NED!!!!!!!! (No Evidence of Disease)

The 800lb gorilla is in the other room, packing his bags!

Now, perhaps at next Wednesday's follow up appointment, we can start to get an idea of what's going on inside.

Last second miss preserves Rider win over Ti-Cats

A last-minute field goal by Saskatchewan's Luca Congi, plus Weston Dressler's return of a missed field goal on the game's last play, helped the Roughriders defeat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 30-29 today in CFL football at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, Saskatchewan.

Hamilton got on the board first, as the Riders conceded a single point on an 83 yard punt by Nicholas Setta in the opening minute of the game. Saskatchewan tied the game with 11:11 remaining in the first quarter, as a Congi miss of a 34 yard field goal was not run out of the end zone. Quinton Porter put the Ti-Cats in the lead with a 52 yard touchdown pass to Chris Davis. Setta's convert, with 9:05 remaining, put Hamilton on top 8-1 after one.

Saskatchewan tied the game early in the second, as Darian Durant hit Chris Getzlaff from 22 yards out. Congi's convert knotted the game 8-8 with 1:54 gone in the 2nd quarter. Setta kicked a 38 yard field goal for the Ti-Cats with 4:51 gone, then Congi answered for the Riders with a 55 yard field goal with 2:16 left. A Setta 58 yard punt with 32 seconds left in the half resulted in a single, giving Hamilton a 12-11 halftime lead.

Saskatchewan took charge with 9 points late in the third quarter. They stopped Setta for a 16 yard loss and a safety touch with 5:22 left, Steven Jyles, on in relief of Durant threw a 13 yard touchdown pass to Neal Hughes and Congi converted with 2:57 left, putting the green-and-white on top after three, 20-12.

The Tiger-Cats, just 3-12 entering the game, roared back with a pair of 4th quarter touchdowns. Scott Mitchell caught a 40 yard touchdown pass from Porter 15 seconds into the final frame, then Jykine Bradley returned an interception 22 yards for a score, with 1:24 gone. Setta converted both times, giving Hamilton a 26-20 lead. Setta pushed the lead to 29-20 with 9:29 remaining with a 30 yard field goal. The Riders weren't about to send the 30,945 fans home without a reason to celebrate however. Wes Cates, seeing his first action after missing several games with injury, scored on a 15 yard touchdown run. Congi converted with 6:37 left, cutting the Ti-Cats lead to 29-27. Saskatchewan completed the come back on their final possession, as Congi kicked a 36 yard field goal with 51 seconds remaining. Hamilton had one last chance, however. Porter completed six straight passes, to set up a Setta 54 yard field goal attempt on the games final play. The kick missed and Dressler preserved the win by returning the ball 18 yards, sealing the Riders 10th win of the season, 30-29.

Steven Jyles led Saskatchewan, completing 12 of 14 passes for 149 yards, one touchdown and an interception. Durant started, completing 7 of 16 passes for 92 yards and a score, but was lifted after throwing three interceptions. Wes Cates, coming off injury, rushed 17 times for 97 yards and a touchdown, while local product Chris Getzlaff led the receiving corps with 5 catches for 98 yards and a touchdown. For the Tiger-Cats, Quinton Porter completed 26 of 40 passes for 300 yards and 2 touchdowns, Chris Davis and Scott Mitchell each caught touchdown passes and Tre Smith caught 7 passes for 62 yards and rushed 9 times for 63 yards. The Riders had a pretty balanced offense, with 254 yards rushing and 241 yards passing, for 491 yards total offense. Hamilton had 367 yards total offense, on 83 yards rushing and 300 yards passing. Saskatchewan allowed 2 quarterback sacks and turned the ball over 4 times.

The Roughriders advance to 10-6 on the season for 20 points, good for a second place West Division tie with the B.C. Lions. The Ti-Cats slip to 3-13, last in the East Division, 16 points behind first place Montreal. They host West leading Calgary this coming Friday night. On Saturday, Saskatchewan hosts the Edmonton Eskimos, who trail the Riders by just 2 points in the West standings. Kickoff is set for 6:00p.m. Central time. As always, the game can be heard online, with Rod Pedersen (http://rodpedersen.blogspot.com) and Carm Carteri calling the plays on http://www.620ckrm.com. The Riders, defending Grey Cup champions, then wrap up their regular season schedule with a visit to Toronto, for a 6:30p.m. Central time contest against the Argonauts. The CFL playoffs open with the playoff semi-finals on Saturday, November 8th and the playoff finals on Saturday, November 15th. The Grey Cup championship game will be played at Montreal's Olympic Stadium on Sunday, November 23rd, beginning at 5:00p.m. Central time.

Beavers run past Washington

Receiver James Rodgers rushed 3 times for 110 yards and two touchdowns and caught 3 passes for 53 yards and another touchdown, to lead the Oregon State Beavers to a 34-13 Pac-10 win over the Washington Huskies Saturday night in Seattle.

Washinton opened the scoring with 4:54 left in the first, as Jared Ballman kicked a 45 yard field goal. Then, with 2:23 left, James Rodgers went around right end on the fly sweep, scoring from 52 yards out. Justin Kahut kicked the extra point, putting the Beavers on top after one 7-3.

In the second, Kahut kicked a 37 yard field goal with 51 seconds gone, then James Rodgers caught a 33 yard touchdown pass from Lyle Moevao. Kahut's kick with 8:43 remaining in the half, pushed the Oregon State lead to 17-3. Ballman booted a 44 yard field goal with 25 seconds remaining and the Beavers went to halftime with a 17-6 lead.

Oregon State scored two second half touchdowns to take command. Jacquizz Rodgers scored on a 1 yard run, Kahut converted with 8:29 left in the third, then James Rodgers scored on a 55 yard run with 12:52 left in regulation. Kahut's PAT gave the Beavers a 31-6 lead. The Huskies, who hit several plays for considerable yardage throught the game, finally scored on one, as Terrance Dailey run up the middle for 59 yards and Washington's only touchdown of the game. Ryan Perkins kicked the extra point and with 11:59 left in the 4th, the Oregon State lead was 31-13. However, the Huskies could get no closer. Kahut tacked on a 23 yard field goal with 5:20 to go and the Beavers held on from there, for the 34-13 win.

For Oregon State, James Rodgers rushed 3 times for 110 yards and 2 scores, while his brother Jacquizz had 20 carries for 94 yards and a touchdown. Lyle Moevao was 18 of 22 passing for 191 yards a one touchdown. Shane Morales caught 4 passes for 61 yards, James Rodgers 3 for 53 yards and a touchdown, Sammie Stroughter had 6 catches for 51 yards. For the Huskies, Terrance Dailey had 16 carries for 102 yards and a touchdown, Ronnie Fouch completed 17 of 32 passes for 276 yards and no touchdowns, while being intercepted 3 times. D'Andre Goodwin caught 5 passes for 136 yards. The Beavers outgained Washington 421-377, were 4 of 11 on third down to the Huskies 3 of 11 and had 19 first downs to the Huskies 16.

Oregon State is now 4-3 on the season, 3-1 in the Pac-10. Washington falls to 0-6 on the year, 0-3 in the Pac-10. The Beavers have a bye next week, returning to action on Saturday, November 1st for homecoming, as they host Arizona State. The game kicks off at 9:15p.m. Central time and can be seen on Fox Sports Net. The Huskies are home against Notre Dame next Saturday.

It's football weekend

The Oregon State Beavers look to stay in the Rose Bowl race tonight as they meet the Washington Huskies in Seattle. The Beavers are 3-3 on the season and 2-1 in the Pac-10, 1/2 game behind conference leading California. Oregon State rolled to a 66-13 win over Washington State. The Huskies, who had the bye last week, are 0-5 on the year, 0-3 in the Pac-10. The game can be seen on the Versus Network beginning at 6:00p.m. Central time.

In the CFL, the Saskatchewan Roughriders host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats Sunday. The Riders, 9-6 for 18 points, trail West co-leaders Calgary and B.C., both with 20 points, after losing at Calgary 42-5 this past Monday. Hamilton is last in the East with a 3-12 record for 6 points, trailing first place Montreal by 16 points. The Ti-Cats lost 42-11 at Montreal on Monday. The game can be heard on http://www.620ckrm.com/ with Rod Pedersen (http://rodpedersen.blogspot.com/) and Carm Carteri calling the action beginning at 2:00p.m. Central time.

Coaches, staff announced for World Junior A Challenge

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Carly Peters (carlyp@usahockey.org)
Thursday, October 16, 2008

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Hockey today announced that Mark Carlson (Ely, Iowa), head coach and general manager of the United States Hockey League's Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, has been named Team USA's head coach for the 2008 World Junior A Challenge, set for November 2-9 in Camrose, Alta. Carlson will be assisted by Todd Knott (Sioux City, Iowa), head coach and general manager of the USHL's Sioux City Musketeers, and Bliss Littler (Omaha, Neb.), head coach and general manager of the USHL's Omaha Lancers.

All games of the 2008 World Junior A Challenge will take place at the Edgeworth Centre. Team USA begins competition on November 4, when it faces Germany at 6 p.m. EST. Teams participating in the challenge include Belarus, Canada-East, Canada-West, Germany, Russia and the United States.

Carlson, has been the head coach and general manager of the RoughRiders since 1999 and has led the team to eight straight winning seasons and Clark Cup playoff berths. In the 2004-05 season, he led the RoughRiders to their first Clark Cup title in team history and was named USHL Coach of the Year. Prior to his time in Cedar Rapids, he served as an assistant coach at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, his alma matter, and Northeastern University, where he earned a master's degree.

Knott, in his first season with the Musketeers, previously worked as the associate head coach for the USHL's Des Moines Buccaneers for three seasons, including during the team's Clark Cup title in 2005-06. Prior to his time in Des Moines, Knot spent two seasons with the Fargo-Moorhead Jets of the North American Hockey League after playing hockey at Bemidji State University.

Littler, in his first season with the Lancers, previously worked for the USHL's Tri-City Storm, where he was named USHL General Manager of the Year in 2003-04. His coaching career began in the USHL in the 2001-02 season with the expansion Topeka ScareCrows. Before the USHL, Littler appeared in four national tournaments as the head coach for the Billings Bulls of the North American Hockey League. A player and graduate of the University of Wisconsin - River Falls, Littler has coached at USA Hockey Player Development Camps, the U.S. National Junior Evaluation Camp and for the U.S. Junior Select Team in the Viking Cup.

NOTES:
Marc Boxer (Colorado Springs, Colo.), manager of youth and junior ice hockey for USA Hockey, will be the team leader for Team USA, while Darrin Flinchem (Indianapolis, Ind.), in his fifth season as equipment manager for the USHL's Indiana Ice, will be the equipment manager for Team USA. Dr. David M. Peck (Birmingham, Mich.) will serve as team doctor and Todd Kline (Waterloo, Iowa), in his 13th season as team trainer for the USHL's Waterloo Black Hawks, will serve as team trainer ... Carlson and Knott are both USA Hockey Level 4 certified coaches, while Littler is a Level 5 certified coach ... The roster for Team USA will be announced next week ... More information about the World Junior A Challenge can be found here.

Team USA 2008 World Junior A Challenge ScheduleNovember 2-9 - Camrose, Alta. - Edgeworth Centre
Date
Match-Up
Time (EST)
Tue., Nov. 4
United States-Germany
6:00 p.m.
Wed., Nov. 5
Canada East-United States
10:00 p.m.
Thu., Nov. 6
Quarterfinal Game
6:00 p.m.

Quarterfinal Game
10:00 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 8
Fifth-Place Game
2:00 p.m.

Semifinal Game
6:00 p.m.

Semifinal Game
10:00 p.m.
Sun., Nov. 9
Third-Place Game
TBD

First-Place Game
TBD

The 800lb gorilla is back

After a couple of months or so of not feeling "quite right," I visited a doctor about a month ago. A test of blood given that day(Poor nurse couldn't find a vein in the right arm, so had to go drilling in the left. Fun times!) came back showing elevated liver enzymes. A liver ultrasound a couple of weeks ago showed "fatty invasion." That's a fancy medical term for I'm fat. If my wife weren't such a good cook, I might be able to do something about it.

The Monday following the liver ultrasound, I had a consult with a G.I. doctor (He's a gastroenterologist. Why doctors of his specialty are referred to as G.I. doctors, I'll never know.)who scheduled a colonoscopy for yesterday(October 15th). The procedure(The 4th or 5th time I've had a colonoscopy in the past two years) yielded one small polyp, which has been removed and is now being examined, to look for any signs of cancer.

For those of you new to my blog and unfamiliar with my story, symptoms I had beginning in the fall of 2005, led to a colonoscopy in July of 2006, which revealed one polyp with cancer on the tip and I was diagnosed with stage one colon cancer, from which I was surgically cured on August 21st, 2006. All subsequent tests, including another colonoscopy one year after my resection, showed no evidence of disease.

In cases like mine, a recurrence of colon cancer is very low, percentage wise. I know the numbers are on my side. But still, with results of the biopsy not expected until next week, my family and I get to spend the weekend with that 800lb gorilla(A/k/a worry) looking over our shoulders. Your thoughts, prayers and good wishes will be most appreciated. Once cancer is ruled out, we can then take the next step in finding out what's going on. As always, I'll keep you posted.

WHL approves sale of Portland Winter Hawks

The Western Hockey League has approved the sale of the Portland Winter Hawks to Canadian businessman Bill Gallacher, who currently owns the British Columbia Hockey League's Nanaimo Clippers. With all the trials and tribulations under the current ownership, including the league's worst record the past two seasons, a 1-6 start this season and plummenting attendance, this news will undoubtedly be met with overwhelming approval in Portland and throughout the WHL. Portland, home to the first incarnation of the Edmonton Oil Kings since 1976, was long one of the model franchises in Major Junior hockey, but has fallen hard in the past several years. It will now be up to Mr. Gallacher, expected to take control when the sale closes by the end of this month, to restore the team to it's former high levels, both on and off the ice.

Here's the latest on the sale of the team:

From the Oregonian newspaper in Portland, Oregon:
http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/index.ssf/2008/10/troubled_winter_hawks_sold.html

From the Portland Tribune in Portland, Oregon:
http://www.portlandtribune.com/sports/story.php?story_id=122410811133285900

http://www.portlandtribune.com/sports/story.php?story_id=122418644378226900

From the Western Hockey League:
http://www.whl.ca/news/?id=10296

I have followed the team from the time they came to Portland in 1976 and although I haven't seen them play since 2005, I still consider them my hometown team and still keep up on them each season. This is an exciting time for hockey in Portland and I wish them the best. Now, if only something similar would happen to the Tri-City Storm, I'd be in hockey heaven!

Calgary regains first with win over Riders

The Calgary Stampeders gained sole possession of first place in the CFL West Monday, with a convincing 42-5 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Calgary.

The Stamps took control early, scoring on their first two posessions. After a Saskatchewan turnover, Calgary scored on an 81 yard pass play from Henry Burris to Ken-Yon Rambo. Sandro Deangelis then booted a 42 yard fieldgoal, putting the Stampeders up 10-0 near the midway point of the opening quarter. Jamie Boreham drilled a 56 yard punt into the Calgary endzone nearly two minutes later, putting the Riders on the board via the conceded single.

The Horseys regained the 10 point lead early in the second via a conceded single off a Deangelis miss from 46 yards out. Luca Congi cut into the deficit 4:45 into the second, booting a 51 yard fieldgoal, cutting the deficit to 11-4. However, that's as close as the green and white would get. Two minutes later, Burris hit Jermaine Copeland with an 18 yard touchdown pass, upping their lead to 18-4.

Turnovers continued to hurt the Riders in the second half. A lost fumble by Bishop near centre field, the third Saskatchewan turnover of the game, set up Calgary with a short field. Deangelis booted a 15 yard field goal, putting the Stamps on top 24-4 at the 9:45 mark. Deangelis converted again, after the Riders turned it over on downs. His 43 yard fieldgoal increased Calgary's lead to 27-4. Boreham notched Saskatchewan's final point of the day with a 73 yard punt single on the final play of the third quarter, making the score 27-5 in favor of the Stampeders.

Calgary put the game out of reach with an 85 yard touchdown pass from Burris to Nik Lewis halfway through the fourth quarter. The Stampeders wrapped up the game with a pair of scores with just over a minute remaining. Demetris Summers scored on a six yard run and Deangelis booted a 73 yard single on the ensuing kickoff, making the final score Calgary 42, Roughriders 5.

Henry Burris completed 14 of 28 passes for the Stampeders for 304 yards and three touchdown. Nik Lewis was his favorite target, catching 5 balls for 135 yards and one touchdown. Sandro Deangelis toed 17 points, on 4 of 5 fieldgoals, 4 of 4 converts and 2 singles. Michael Bishop completed 17 of 33 passes for Saskatchewan for 298 yards, but also tossed three interceptions. Weston Dressler had a big day for the green and white, catching 8 passes for a total of 133 yards. He was named the Riders offensive star of the game. Perhaps the deciding factor in the Thanksgiving Day contest, was that Saskatchewan gave the ball away seven times, while Calgary didn't turn the ball over once.

The Stamps take over first in the West at 10-5 for 20 points. The Riders slip to 9-6 for 18 points, tied for second with B.C. and Edmonton. Next up for Saskatchewan is a Sunday contest at Mosaic Stadium in Regina against the East Division's Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Hamilton enters the game with a 3-12-0 record for six points, last in the East, 14 points behind division leading Montreal, who beat the Ti-Cats 42-11 Monday. Kickoff is set for 2:00pm Central time. As always, you can catch all the exciting play-by-play with Rod Pedersen (http://rodpedersen.blogspot.com) and Carm Carteri on The Home of the Home teams, 620 CKRM, beginning an hour before kickoff. You can listen online at http://www.620ckrm.com.

Beavers pound Cougars

The Oregon State Beavers nearly gave up a 21 point first quarter lead, before regaining their composure and rolling past the Washington State Cougars 66-13 in a Pac-10 conference game Saturday night in Corvallis, Oregon.

Lyle Moevao threw a pair of touchdowns, 30 yards to Sammie Stroughter and 20 yards to Shane Morales, and Jacquizz Rodgers ran one in from 3 yards, to put the Beavers up 21-0 after one quarter.

Washington State rallied with four interceptions in the second quarter. Chantz Staden scored from a yard out and Louis Bland returned an interception 17 yards, bringing the Cougars to within 8, at 21-13. Oregon State did tack on 3 more points, as Justin Kahut booted a 28 yard field goal, to put the Beavers on top 24-13 at the half.

Oregon State put the game out of reach with three scores in the third. Moevao scored on a 1 yard sneak, James Rodgers scored from 17 yards out, then Ryan McCants ran it in from 3 yards, putting the Beavers up 45-13.

Three more scores went on the board in the fourth quarter for Oregon State. Damola Adeniji blocked a punt and recovered in the endzone for a score, Jeremy Francis scored on a 5 yard run and Sean Canfield, seeing his first action since last December's Emerald Bowl, hit Adeniji from 39 yards out to round out the scoring, as the Beavers rolled to the 66-13 win.

Jacquizz Rodgers led the Oregon State offense with 168 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. Moevao played well, despite the four picks in the second, completing 13 of 25 passes for 203 yards and two scores. Justin Kahut kicked a field goal, plus 7 extra points, Matt Barker got a chance late and kicked two extra points for the Beavers. Oregon State, who had eight different players score touchdowns, dominated statistically, getting 30 first downs to Washington State's 9. The Beavers won the rushing battle 307-53 and outgained the Cougars in total yards, 549 to 132. Staden rushed 17 times for 47 yards and a touchdown for Washington State, Marshall Lobbestael completed 6 of 16 passes for 72 yards, before being knocked out with an injury in the second half.

When asked about how often 66 points come in a Pac-10 game, Oregon State Head Coach Mike Riley said "Not enough. Those don't come very often in our league." Riley, talking about the second half effort of his team, said "It was just a terrific effort in all facets of the game." And Riley was very pleased with the defensive effort as well, saying that "Our guys just outquicked them. Our guys looked quick and played quick and dominated the line of scrimmage."

With the win, the Beavers even their season record at 3-3, 2-1 in the Pac-10. The Cougars, who gave up 60+ points for the third time this season, fall to 1-6 on the season, 0-4 in the Pac-10. Washington State hosts 8th ranked USC next Saturday. Oregon State travels to Seattle next Saturday, to meet the Washington Huskies, 0-5 overall, 0-3 in the Pac-10. Washington did not play this week. Game time is 6:00p.m. Central time from Husky Stadium and can be seen live on the Versus Network.

It's the weekend

It's a sports-filled weekend here at the Meissner house. Right now, I've got the Army-Eastern Michigan game on the T.V. (Army is my second favorite team. But, how do they bust a 54 yard run to the EM 5, then settle for a field goal? For criminy sakes. Give the ball to the infantry and let 'em roll over the enemy. Sheesh!) Also peeking in on Oklahoma-Texas. (Why can't the Sooners EVER get a break from the officiating?) At 5:30pm Central time, it's to the computer (No TV around here darn it!) for Oregon State vs Washington State. Now, the record shows that Washington State is a bad football team. But making the Beavers a 30 point favorite is a bit scary. Flash back to 1985, in the midst of 28 straight losing years, when the Beavers were 35 point underdogs against the Washington Huskies at Seattle. People all over Husky Land made fun of Oregon State, with one T.V. weather man giving his forecast, saying "Weather for the game....if you want to call it a game...." Well, the Beavers blocked a late punt, recovered in the end zone and won the game 21-20. Oregon State should win today. But a 30 point favorite? That makes me nervous.

There's also be the baseball playoffs on the T.V. I'm pulling for the Phillies and Tampa Bay. I might even find time to check out the Regina Pats and the Tri-City Americans WHL hockey on CKRM.

On Sunday, there's the NFL. My wife likes the Buccaneers, so we hope we'll get that game on the T.V. here. Then, of course, it's the Packers vs the Seahawks. (Wisconsin shuts down on Packer game days.) Will Aaron Rodgers be able to throw effectively after hurting his shoulder? Can the Seahawks rebound after getting drilled by the Giants? Should be fun.










Then, on Thanksgiving Monday, (Okay, okay, Columbus Day in the States, Thanksgiving Day in Canada) it's the second half of the home-and-home between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Calgary Stampeders. These two teams just don't seem to care for each other. After last week's 37-34 Rider win over the Stamps, several Calgary players got involved with the officials and were punished by the league for their actions. What makes this game even more exciting, is something you'll never see in the NFL. That's the fact that, after Friday's 27-20 Edmonton win over B.C., all four teams in the CFL West are tied for first. Saskatchewan and Calgary at 9-5-0, B.C. and Edmonton at 9-6-0, all for 18 points. Monday's game will be loads o' fun to listen to. Check it out with Rod Pedersen (Who writes the best blog in all of Canada at http://rodpedersen.blogspot.com/) and Carm Carteri on http://www.620ckrm.com/ beginning at 3:30pm Central time. Go Riders!

Enjoy your weekend everybody.

Riders stop Stamps, snap skid

Michael Bishop passed for one score and Neil Hughes ran for two, leading the Saskatchewan Roughriders to a 37-34 upset win over the Calgary Stampeders in CFL West Division Friday night in front of 30,945 fans at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, Saskatchewan.

Calgary took the opening possession 60 yards in 11 plays, getting a 25 yard fieldgoal from Sandro DeAngelis to take a 3-0 lead. The Riders quickly struck back on their first possession, hitting a couple of big pass plays to set up Neil Hughes' 3 yard touchdown run. Luca Congi kicked the convert, putting Saskatchewan up 7-3. The first quarter fireworks continued on the Stamps next possession, as quarterback Henry Burris quickly led Calgary deep into Rider territory, rolling right for a 1 yard touchdown run, his third rushing score of the season. DeAngelis kicked the convert, putting the Stampeders up 10-7, with 1:24 left in the opening quarter. Calgary added a single on the ensuing kicking, increasing their advantage to 11-7.

Saskatchewan came right back with a Congi 47 yard fieldgoal early in the second quarter, drawing the green and white to within one, at 11-10, just under two minutes into the period. Then, after forcing the Stampeders to punt for the first time on the night, the Riders regained the lead with a lightning-quick march down the field, ending with a 9 yard touchdown pass from Michael Bishop to Chris Getzlaff. Getzlaff's first career CFL score, along with Congi's convert, put the good guys back on top 17-11, with 9:21 left in the half. Calgary scored again with 1:58 left in the half, after recovering a Saskatchewan fumble. The Horseys went 60 yards to score, as Burris hit Kenyon Rambo with a 19 yard pass on a post pattern. DeAngelis added the convert, putting the visitor's back up by 1 at 18-17, with 1:58 remaining in the second. The Riders took the next possession and moved quickly into Calgary territory, but the drive stalled at the 26. Congi was able to boot a 33 yard fieldgoal, putting Saskatchewan back on top 20-18, with just over a minute left on the first half time clock. The Stampeders elected to take the ball at the 35, instead of having the Riders kick off. Aided by a couple of penalties for objectionable conduct, Calgary got another chance to score. Saskatchewan stiffended defensively, forcing a DeAngelis 14 yard fieldgoal. The kick put the visitors up 21-20 at the half.

In the third, Burris fumbled on the first play from scrimmage. Kitwana Jones scooped up the ball and ran 15 yards for the score. Congi tacked on the convert, putting the Roughriders back on top again, at 27-21. DeAngelis kicked a 39 yard field goal for the Stamps with 8:55 remaining in the third, cutting the Saskatchewan lead to 27-24, an advantage that would last into the 4th quarter.

A DeAngelis 30 yard field goal, his third three pointer of the game for Calgary, knotted the score at 27-27, with just over 13 minutes left in regular time. The Roughriders regained the lead with 7:39 left, as Hughes bulled his way to paydirt on third and goal from the one, shortly after a Calgary turnover. Congi's convert put Saskatchewan on top by 7, at 34-27. The Riders forced a punt, then took the ball downfield on their most important possession of the game, winding precious time off the clock and setting Congi up for a 34 yard field goal attempt. The Simon Fraser grad kicked it home, putting Saskatchewan up 37-27, with 2:22 remaining on the Mosaic Stadium score clock. The Stampeders scored with 1:15 left, as Burris hit Ryan Thelwell from 33 yards out. DeAngelis kicked the convert, cutting the Riders lead to 37-34. Calgary attempted an onside kick, but the ball bounced out of bounds without being touched. Saskatchewan was awarded possession and was able to run out the clock, holding on for the 37-34 win.

Michael Bishop led the Riders, completing 20 of 27 passes for 242 yards and one touchdown. Weston Dressler caught 7 passes for 128 yards, Chris Getzlaff had 5 catches for 47 yards and a score. The ground game was paced by Neil Hughes, who had two scores. Henry Burris completed 29 of 45 passes for 311 yards and two touchdowns the Stamps. He also threw an interception. Kenyon Rambo caught 12 passes for 94 yards and a touchdown. Ryan Thelwell caught a touchdown pass, while Burris rushed for a score. Luca Congi was 3 of 4 on field goals and 4 of 4 on converts, scoring 13 points for Saskatchewan. DeAngelis scored 15 points for Calgary, going 3 for 3 on field goals and 4 of 4 on converts.

The win snaps the Riders three game skid and ties them for first in the West with the Stampeders and B.C. at 9-5 for 18 points. B.C. also tied for the top spot in the West Friday night, with their 24-20 win at Toronto.

The Riders and Calgary meet again on Monday, October 13th at McMahon Stadium in Calgary, Alberta. Kickoff on http://ww.620ckrm.com is set for 3:30p.m. Get more news from Rider Nation by logging on to http://rodpedersen.blogspot.com.

Riders look to snap skid Friday

The Saskatchewan Roughriders look to break a three-game skid that has seen them fall into a second-place tie in the CFL West, when they host the Calgary Stampeders at Mosaic Stadium in Regina Friday night.

The Riders, the defending Grey Cup champions, have fallen on hard times recently, after starting the season 6-0. Injuries have contributed to the slide, which has seen Saskatchewan drop 5 of their last 7 games. Calgary has won 4 straight to move into first in the West with a record of 9-5 for 18 points, 2 points ahead of both the Riders and BC and 4 points ahead of Edmonton. Saskatchewan won in Calgary 22-21 back on August 2nd. The Stamps won in Regina 30-25 five days later.

Wes Cates, who has battled injury problems in recent weeks, hopes to return to the lineup with a big effort on Friday night, his 29th birthday. Cates has rushed for 1,055 yards and 9 touchdowns this season for the Riders. Friday's contest is the 183rd meeting between the two teams since 1950. Calgary has won 95 times, Saskatchewan 80. There have been 8 ties.

Kickoff Friday night is set for 9:00p.m. Central time. The live broadcast, with Rod Pedersen (http://www/rodpedersen.blogspot.com) and Carm Carteri calling the action, can be heard online at http://www.620ckrm.com. The two teams meet for the fourth and final time this season on Monday, October 13th at 3:30p.m. Central time in Calgary.

Last second kick trips Beavers by 3

Louie Sakoda kicked three field goals, the last from 37 yards with no time remaining, to rally 15th ranked Utah from an 8 point deficit with 2:18 remaining in regulation, to a 31-28 win over the Oregon State Beavers Thursday night at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Each team got on the board via the field goal route in the first quarter. Justin Kahut kicked a 37 yard field goal for Oregon State 3:13 into the game, then the Utes Louie Sakoda kicked a 33 yarder 6:24 later.

In the second, Al Afalava, who was considered doubtful for this game earlier in the week, returned an interception 26 yards for a Beaver touchdown. The extra point failed, leaving Oregon State's lead at 9-3 9 seconds into the second quarter. Utah ran the ensuing kick back to Oregon State 15, but the Beaver defense stiffened and held the Utes to a 29 yard field goal by Sakoda 4:30 into the quarter, keeping the lead at 9-6. Utah drove deep on their next possession and Brian Johnson found Freddie Brown in the back of the endzone for a 14 yard touchdown pass. Sakoda kicked the extra point, putting the red-clad Utes on top 13-9, with 7:04 remaining in the half. Utah recovered a Lyle Moevao fumble at the Oregon State 27 3 minutes later and pounded it home from there, with Brent Casteel taking a pitch on a misdirection play around left end for 12 yards and a touchdown. Sakoda's extra point with 2:31 left in the half, put the Utes up 20-9. The Beavers responded quickly however. After two big running play took the ball deep in Utah territory, Moevao hit Shane Morales with a 24 yard touchdown pass with 1:13 remaining. The two point conversion failed and the Utes went into the break with the 20-15 lead.

Utah turned it over at their own 34 on the opening possession of the second half and Oregon State capitalized to regain the lead, striking paydirt in just three plays. Jacquizz Rodgers found a huge hole in the middle and scored from 7 yards out. The two-point conversion failed, but the Beavers were back on top 21-20 just 2:27 into the second half.

Oregon State carried the one point lead into the fourth quarter. The Beavers pushed the advantage to 8, with an 11 play, 80 yard drive that took 6:35 off the clock. Moevao, on third and goal at the Utes 2, rolled to his right and found tight end Brady Camp in the middle and just over the goal line, for his second touchdown pass of the night. Kahut's kick put Oregon State on top 28-20, but most importantly, left Utah just 2:18 to try and tie the game. However, that mattered little to the Utes. Johnson hit wideout Bradon Godfrey from 26 yards out with 1:29 left. After a pass interference call in the back of the endzone on the conversion try, Johnson rolled around the right side for the two-point conversion, tying the game 28-28. The Beavers went 3 and out, using just 15 seconds of game time. Johnny Hekker's 32 yard punt gave the Utes the ball at their own 45, with 68 seconds remaining in regulation. Utah moved the ball quickly downfield, going 35 yards on 5 plays in 40 seconds, advancing to the Oregon State 21 yard line, where they used their last time out with 2 seconds left. Sakoda then calmly nailed the 38 yard fieldgoal to complete the comeback, as the Utes pulled out the 31-28 win.

The Beavers outgained Utah 406 to 337 and had the advantage in first downs 20-18. Jacquizz Rodgers had another strong game, rushing 25 times for 101 yards and a touchdown. He also caught 4 passes for 76 yards. His brother James caught 5 passes for 82 yards, Shane Morales had 4 catches for 61 yards and a score and Brady Camp caught 3 passes for 23 yards and a touchdown. Lyle Moevao completed 21 of 31 passes for 313 yards and the two touchdowns for Oregon State. Brian Johnson completed 17 of 30 passes for 301 yards for the Utes, with two touchdowns and one interception. Brent Casteel had 5 catches for 105 yards, Bradon Godfrey and Freddie Brown caught touchdown passes and Casteel rushed for a score.

The Beavers, 2-3 overall, 1-1 in the Pac-10, return to Reser Stadium on Saturday, October 11th, hosting the Washington State Cougars(2-4, 1-1). Kickoff is set for 5:30p.m. Central time, with the game telecast on Fox Sports Northwest. Utah, 6-0 overall and 2-0 in the Mountain West conference, hosts Wyoming (2-3, 0-2) next Saturday afternoon.






Jimmy says "Go Beavers!










Shane Morales hauls in Moevao pass for a 24 yard touchdown late in the first half.

Beaver football tonight

The Oregon State Beavers, 2-2 on the season and 1-0 in the Pac-10 after last week's huge 27-21 win over #1 USC, hit the road tonight to face a very tough Utah team, ranked 15th in the nation. The Utes, always tough on their home turf, are listed as a two touchdown favorite. Oregon State features the one-two combo of James and Jacquizz Rodgers and the emerging rifle arm of quarterback Lyle Moevao.

Kick off is set for 8:00p.m. Central time. The game will be televised nationally on the Versus Network.

My prediction: Beavers 32, Utah 28.

Go Beavs!

Baseball playoffs on TBS

It's a lazy day at home and I'm enjoying it, by watching the baseball playoffs on TBS. Or, it might be more accurate to say TRYING to enjoy it. The coverage by TBS can be broken down into two categories: Visual and soundical(Look everybody, I invented a new word!). The pictures and graphics they show are just fine. The announcing crews? Well, they're another story altogether.

The studio crew, including Cal Ripken, Jr is lame, at best. No emotion, no sense of excitement for either upcoming or just concluded games. But, I could take that over the game site announcing crews any day. Tony Gwynn has a very annoying voice. Hard to listen to and he seemingly never shuts up. Ron Darling rarely gets a chance to talk. And why do networks (any of them) feel the need to have three guys in the booth anyway? Have a play-by-play guy(But spare us Dick Stockton please!), a color guy and, if they must, a guy at field level. But three in the booth is too much.

But, just when I thought I had heard the worst a TV network has to offer, TBS throws us Harold Reynolds. Holy cow! He feels obligated to run his mouth every time the play-by-play guy shuts his. And he doesn't shut up until it's time again for the play-by-play guy to call the next pitch. And his voice is about as annoying as Gwynn's. It's so bad, that I turned the sound on the TV off and am just watching the pictures. I found it easily more entertaining to turn up the baby monitor and listen to my four month old son Jimmy, as he fusses in the other room, trying his best not to go to sleep for his afternoon nap.

I'm glad the games are on. I just wish we didn't have to be subjected to such horrible announcing.

Oh, before I forget: Go Rays!