Monday, August 31, 2009

Monday Morning Meissnervations











It's Monday morning. Let's see what's happening....

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The Saskatchewan Roughriders enjoyed a week off before getting back into action this Sunday, with the first of two straight games against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Riders lost at Montreal 34-25 in their last game, while Winnipeg pounded BC 37-10 in Vancouver(The Bombers were also off this past weekend). The two teams play each other in 4:00pm EDT kickoffs this coming Sunday in Regina and the following Sunday in Winnipeg.

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The two games that were played in the CFL this past weekend both went down to the wire. Calgary scored a touchdown in the final minute to send Toronto to it's 10th straight home loss, while a last-minute field goal helped Edmonton beat Hamilton. The Eskimos are now on top of the West at 5-3 for 10 points, 2 points ahead of the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Calgary Stampeders, both at 4-4 and 4 points ahead of the 3-5 BC Lions. In the East, Montreal is 7-1 for 14 points, Hamilton slips to 4-4 for 8 points, Winnipeg is 3-5 for 6 points and Toronto is 2-6 for 4 points.

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Rider fans are everywhere. I met this gentleman in the concourse of the St. Pete Times Forum at Lightning Fanfest on Saturday. He's in town on assignment for Mosaic, the agricultural chemical company who holds the naming rights to the Roughriders home stadium in Regina. He did tell me of another encounter he had that day, where a father said to him: "Go Bombers!" but the father's son said "Go Riders!" then shook his hand. A little family rivalry there, eh? It was fun talking CFL football with an actual fan, who just also happens to be a Riders season ticket holder.

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Speaking of Lightning Fanfest:











There were lots of games, autograph opportunities and chances to buy game-used equipment for those who attended. The hi-lite was a game between the Tampa Police hockey team and a team made up of former and current Lightning players, to benefit slain Tampa Police Corporal Mike Roberts. All players on both teams wore number 12, the same number Roberts wore as the Police squad's goaltender. The crowd was great and very supportive of the event.











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The weekend was loads o' fun. Friday night, we went to watch the Tampa Yankees play the Brevard County Manatees in Florida State League Baseball at Steinbrenner Field, spring training home of the New York Yankees.












Saturday at Lightning Fanfest, my wife prodded me into the WDAE "You Make the Call" booth, where I got to make the call of a exciting moment in Lightning history. We also discovered that day, that Jimmy's 7th tooth has come in on the right side of the upper gum line.





















Jimmy continues to "have a thing" for older women. At Fanfest he met Mallory, who is 15 days older. Could wedding bells be ringing in another 18 years? (That's a bit scary to think about!) Seriously though, it's fun to watch Jimmy socialize with other kids his age(or thereabouts). And he's doing just fine at getting along with others, whether it's at our library's weekly Mother Goose Story Time(Miss Sam is awesome!), in the nursery at church, or at a hockey game. Our Jimmy is a very sociable little guy. It's too bad that someone we viewed as a friend tried to impose their will on us as to how to raise our son and now doesn't talk to us because we wouldn't give in to their "expectations." What counts is every pediatrician that has seen our little guy is quite pleased with his development and so are we. We sure do love our little guy!











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Oh, is it still baseball season? I guess it is. Tampa Bay Rays have traded Scott Kazmir, one of their best pitchers, but a guy who they might not have been able to hold on to for financial reasons anyway. And, with a chance to really make a move into the wild card race, their bullpen lets them down big time. But, on the other side of the US of A, San Francisco, who got smacked around a bit in Denver, came home and swept Colorado, to tie for the NL Wild Card lead. Yesterday, the Giants were down 5-2 in the 7th, then got a grand slam from Edgar Renteria on the way to a 9-5 win and the three-game sweep. You know, the Rays were last year's surprise team, maybe this year, it's the Giants turn. I hope so.

In the National League, the Dodgers lead the Giants and Rockies in the West by 6 games. St. Louis tops the Central by 10 games over the Cubs and 12 games over Milwaukee. In the East, it's Philadelphia by 8 games over both Florida and Atlanta. As mentioned earlier, San Francisco and Colorado are tied for the Wild Card lead, with Atlanta and Florida 3 1/2 back.

In the American League, the Yankees lead the East by 6 over Boston and 11 1/2 over Tampa Bay. In the Central, Detroit leads Minnesota by 4 1/2 and the White Sox by 6. And in the West, the Angels lead Texas by 5. Boston leads Texas by 3 1/2 in the Wild Card race, with Tampa Bay slipping over the weekend to 5 1/2 back, while Seattle is 8 1/2 behind.

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Oh, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers continued their NFL preseason this past Thursday, losing to Miami 10-6. Perhaps the most exciting thing all evening, was a thunder/lightning storm that deklayed play in the second quarter by 45 minutes. Few things continue to be more boring than preseason NFL games. Yick! Compound that by having to listen to Joe Buck try to fill all that time and you'll find yourself running to your local dentist, because you'd find a double root canal easier to take.

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And before I go, I would be remiss(whatever that means) in not mentioning that the Oregon State Beavers open the college football season this Saturday, with the cream puff on this season's schedule, a match-up with the Portland State Vikings. In another indication of how TV controls sports these days, after waiting forever to get a start time for this game, a check of the schedule shows that this Saturday's game kicks off at 11:30am PDT. That's am, as in MORNING. (Say what?)Not even high school games start before noon. Beaver athletic director Bob De Carolis said on oregonlive.com: "The early kickoff, which is imperative for television coverage, also will hopefully give the fans of both programs an opportunity to take full advantage of the Labor Day weekend." Whatever Bob.

Oh well, finally, I see a benefit to living in the East, as the game starts at 2:30pm at my house. Anyway, the Beavers are looking prepared for another exciting season(they finished '08 ranked #18 and are ranked #25 to start this season), while Portland State(4-7 last season) still tries to find their way under the leadership of Jerry Glanville, who decided to mess with the run-and-shoot offense, forcing Mouse Davis into retirement. The Beavers and Vikings have met just twice on the football field, with the Beavers taking a 51-14 win in Portland back in 1983 and 41-14 in Corvallis in 2005. (I took a date to that 1983 game. We missed the first half of the first quarter trying to find a parking space. When we got inside the stadium, the Beavers already had a 21-0 lead.)

I would expect the outcome this Saturday to be one-sided, perhaps even approaching that 1983 margin. All I know is, I am excited that Beaver football(the only team I like more than the Saskatchewan Roughriders) is ready to go for another year.

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That's it for now. Have a great week everyone!

Monday, August 24, 2009

Monday Morning Meissnervations











Happy Monday y'all. Let's see what's happening....

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Jimmy's milestones are coming fast and furious now. Just last weekend, he took his first unaided steps. During this past week, he has stood up, on his own, a bunch of times. And last night, he had two new firsts. While his Mommy and I were watching the movie Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Jimmy, sitting in front of the TV stood up, without support from any other nearby obejcts, and started grooving to the tunes. Our baby boy is getting to be a full-fledged toddler. He'll probably ask to borrow the car next month. We love our Jimmy!

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The Saskatchewan Roughriders lost at Montreal Friday 34-25. Special teams struggled a bit, and the run of nasty third quarters continued, but other than that, the Riders gave the Als, the league's best team, a solid run for their money. Now, it's a well-deserved week off, then a matchup with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Sunday, September 5th in Regina. The Bombers put together an impressive effort Friday night in Vancouver, steam-rolling the BC Lions 37-10. Fred Reid rushed 26 times for 260 yards, with Yvenson Bernard(His father's name is Yven, and he was named after him, so he is Yvenson), the former Oregon State running back, carrying 11 times for 112 yards. Wes Cates of the Roughriders is certainly one of the best running backs in the pass-happy CFL, but the Bombers may have the league's best running back tandem in Reid and Bernard. (Anyone know whatever happened to Ken Simonton?) Game time on Sunday, September 5th, is 4:00pm. I can't wait!

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In the CFL West, Edmonton is 4-3 and Saskatchewan is 4-4 for 8 points, while Edmonton is 3-4 and BC 3-5 for 6 points each. In the East, Montreal is 7-1 for 14 points, Hamilton is 4-3 for 8, Winnipeg 3-5 for 6 and Toronto(the team that has lost 9 straight in a year-long home losing streak) is 2-5 for 4 points.

All the teams who played this past weekend are off this coming weekend, while the teams who didn't play last weekend, play this coming weekend.

Confused? Check the CFL schedule, linked on the right side of this blog.

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Speaking of football, NFL preseason continues. Are there any events more boring than NFL preseason? I watched the Tampa Bay Buccaneers against Jacksonville the other night. YAAAAAAAWN! Besides, the fields are too short, not as wide, and what is up with those teeny, tiny endzones? Not enough players on the field, only one is motion, fair catches allowed and goal posts on the back line. Weird.

Real men play in the CFL.

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The Tampa Bay Rays had a decent weekend against Texas, with two late-inning wins, before losing 4-0 yesterday. They're hanging in there, wild-card speaking.

In the AL East, the Yankess lead Boston by 7 1/2(They hung a 20-spot on the Red Sox over the weekend...in one game!) and Tampa Bay by 10 1/2. In the Central, Detroit leads the White Sox by 2 1/2 and Minnesota(in their final season in the Metrodome) by 4 1/2. In the West, the Angels are on top, 5 1/2 in front of Texas and 12 clear of Seattle. In the Wild Card, Boston leads Texas by 1 game, Tampa Bay is 3 back, followed by the White Sox and Seattle, both 7 1/2 back.

In the NL East, Philadelphia leads Atlanta by 6 1/2 and Florida by 7 1/2. In the Central, it's St. Louis by 8 overs the Cubs, 10 over Houston and 10 1/2 in front of Milwaukee. The Dodgers lead the NL West by 3 1/2 over Colorado and 6 1/2 over San Francisco. In the Wild Card, Colorado leads San Francisco by 3 games, Atlanta by 4, Florida by 5, the Cubs by 7, Hoston by 9 and Milwaukee by 9 1/2.

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Yesterday was, to say the least, a pretty unque day in MLB. John Smoltz, who bombed out with Boston, pitched for St. Louis against San Diego yesterday, and struck out 7 consecutive Padres. Michael Cuddyer homered twice in one inning as the Twins pounded Kansas City 10-3 and Philadelphia's 2nd baseman Eric Bruntlet, who kicked the ball around on two straight plays to keep a Mets rally alive, turned an unassisted triple play to end the game. He grabbed a sinking liner, stepped on second, then tagged the runner coming from first. It was the first unassisted triple play to end a game since 1927 and the second time since 1983(I think) in which one game had both an inside-the-park home run and a triple play. And Eric Reed was the first base umpire in both those games.

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Hockey camps have started. Tampa Bay is having a free benefit game for slain Tampa police officer Mike Roberts next Saturday. It is part of their 2009 Fanfest. It's a great thing for a franchise that is otherwise mired in controversy, with the league strongly encouraging them to solve a rather acrimonius squabble in their ownership group. Fanfest runs from 3 to 8pm this coming Saturday. There will also be chances to get autographs and talk with Lightning players. Let's see if the area's hockey team can pull off the fan relation schtick better than it's baseball team can. I'm thinking they can and will.

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Hurricane Bill missed Florida by a wide margin and is losing strength, but may still bring some nasty weather to the Canadian Maritimes. More storms are already forming behind where Bill came from. The Atlantic hurricane season has started a bit late, but still looks to be busy. Not what I wanted to hear. At least with hurricanes, you know where they are coming from and have some time to prepare. Two nights after our Jimmy was born, three tornados touched down in Kearney, Nebraska, a city that hadn't had a tornado touchdown in nearly 40 years. Kim and Jimmy were hunkered down in the corridor of the hospital with all the other new Mommies, while I was in the basement of our home with Snoopy and Smoke. We lost a couple of shingles and a piece of siding, but it was still a pretty scary night. Those tornados pop up most anywhere, often with little or no warning. Not fun, not fun at all.

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Gee whiz. All those trips to all these doctors, plus 3 or 4 trips to get blood drawn(Where do those vampires learn their trade? The latest trip was more painful than all the others put together), and no one can seem to find much wrong with me. It stinks to be sick and not know what's happening. Well, at least it's nothing serious and I am most grateful that all tests do show that there is no cancer. Once you've had cancer, like I did three years ago, any little twinge gets your attention. BTW: This past Friday was the third anniversary of my surgical cure from stage one colon cancer. Happy Anniversary to me. Also to all of you who have survived serios health challenges as well. It's great to be able to hang on to the exalted title of N.E.D.(No Evidence of Disease.) Hopefully, medical advances will make colon cancer a disease our Jimmy won't have to be concerned with when he gets older.

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That's it for this week. Have fun everybody!

Friday, August 21, 2009

4th quarter comeback falls short for Riders at Montreal









The Saskatchewan Roughriders battled hard all night long, but once again it was a poor offensive third quarter that hurt the most, as the Montreal Alouettes were able to hold their precarious halftime lead, on the way to a 34-25 win Friday in front of 20,202 fans, the 90th straight sellout in tiny Percival Molson Stadium in Montreal, Quebec.

The teams traded quick possessions to start the game. The Riders went 2-and-out, while Montreal, after one first down, got a 51-yard punt single from Damon Duval to take a 1-0 lead 3:56 into the contest. Saskatchewan went 2-and-out on their second possession and punted to the Als' Larry Taylor, who ran it back 73 yards for the major score, his second punt return for touchdown this season. Duval converted and with 8:56 to go in the first, Montreal had an 8-0 lead. The Riders responded on their next possession and moved quickly into scoring possession. Darian Durant hit Weston Dressler twice, the first for 52 yards. Dressler was interferred with in the endzone later in the drive, giving Saskatchewan 1st-and-goal at the 1. Two dives over the middle by Hugh Charles were stopped cold and on 3rd-and-goal, Wes Cates was stopped for a 2-yard loss, leaving the Alouettes with an 8-0 lead and 5:00 left on the 1st quarter clock. The Riders did get on the board moments later however, as Duval conceded a safety touch with 4:07 left in the first, making it 8-2, after Saskatchewan had held Montreal to a 2-and-out at their own 3.

Montreal took a 9-2 lead, as they opened 2nd quarter scoring, with Duval hitting a 61-yard punt single 2:06 in. The Riders tied the game on their next possession, moving quickly into Als territory once again, this time reaching the endzone on a 75-yard drive in 4 plays, ending with a 26-yard scoring strike from Durant to Rob Bagg. Congi's convert with 4:12 gone tied the game 9-9, then Jamie Boreham blasted a 94-yard kickoff single to put Saskatchewan on top 10-9. Duval booted an 18-yard field goal to get Montreal back on top 12-10, with 5:18 left in the half. The frenetic pace continued, as both teams scored once more each. Durant hit Gerran Walker with a 43-yard touchdown pass and Congi converted with 2:34 left, putting the Riders back on top 17-12. The Alouettes answered, with 34 seconds to go. Ben Cahoon caught a 9-yard pass from Anthony Calvillo and Duval converted, giving Montreal an 19-17 halftime lead.

After a Saskatchewan turnover, the Als had to move just 33 yards for a major score. Chris Leak hit Kerry Watkins with a 2-yard touchdown pass on 3rd-and-goal, to open 2nd half scoring with what turned out to be the only points of the 3rd quarter. Duval converted with 5:07 left, putting the lead back to 9, at 26-17.

Montreal's 4th takeaway of the night, an interception by Chip Cox that he returned to the Rider 22, led to the first points of the 4th quarter. Avon Cobourne caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Calvillo and Duval converted, giving the Als a 33-17 lead, with 6:01 left in regulation. Saskatchewan came right back, with a 4-yard touchdown run by Charles. Durant escaped a sack and hit Chris Getzlaf for the 2-point conversion with 4:07 to go, cutting the deficit to 33-25. The Riders had another crack on offense, but a Durant scramble to the Alouettes' 53 on 3rd down was short of the yard to gain, giving the ball back to the Montreal. The Als went 2-and-out, but Duval's 50-yard punt ended up in the endzone after the returner failed to catch the ball, giving them one more point and the 34-25 win.

Montreal was led, as usual, by quarterback Anthony Calvillo, who was 19 of 28 passing for 170 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Chris Leak got on the field for one pass, which he completed for a 2-yard touchdown. Ben Cahoon, Kerry Watkins and Avon Cobourne caught touchdown passes, while Damon Duval had a field goal, 4 converts and 3 singles. Cobourne rushed 19 times for 101 yards. For Saskatchewan, Darian Durant was 19 of 31 passing for 326 yards and 2 touchdowns, but also suffered 3 costly turnovers. Rob Bagg and Gerran Walker caught touchdown passes, while Weston Dressler caught 8 passes for 179 yards. Hugh Charles scored a rushing touchdown, Luca Congi had a pair of converts and Jamie Boreham a kickoff single. The Riders had 400 yards total offense, while the Als had 265. Turnovers were critical, with Saskatchewan turning the ball over 5 times, while not taking the ball from Montreal once.

With the loss, the Riders slip to 4-4 for 8 points, still tied with the idle Edmonton Eskimos for first in the CFL West. The Alouettes improve to 7-1 for 14 points, moving 6 points ahead of second-place Hamilton.

Saskatchewan, who have week #9 off, returns to action on Sunday, September 6th, with a 4:00p.m. EDT home game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Montreal, also off on week #9, play again on Friday, September 4th in Vancouver against the BC Lions.

Hi. I'm N.E.D.














Today, August 21st, 2009, is the third anniversary of my surgical cure from stage one colon cancer.

My story: In the fall of 2005, I started feeling "oogily." Repeated doctor visits, test, hospital trips, yielded nothing more than a case of acid reflux(Which often times can mimic heart problems.). Finally, in July of 2006, my doctor sent me to a gastroenterologist for a colonoscopy, since I was already past the magical age of 50(I was 51 at that time). One polyp was found, removed and sent for testing, even though the doctor said "It looked fine." A week later he called and said they had found cancer at the tip of the polyp. A month after that, I had a colon resection, where my sigmoid colon and any possible cancerous sites were removed.

Since then, I have had several "scares," with the most recent one being a week ago. But, I have passed all tests and remain N.E.D., cancer survivor talk for "No Evidence Of Disease." I am a great example of how, if caught early, colon cancer can be defeated.

If you are 50, get tested. If there is a history of colon cancer in your family, get tested. (The rule of thumb there is, you get tested at 10 years of age younger than your relative's diagnoses age.) Lots of people don't listen to their bodies, or don't push their doctors for further testing, if they don't like the answers their doctors give them. Remember, the doctor works for you, not the other way around. If you feel the need to, push your doctors to keep looking from every possible angle, until all possibilities are exhausted. Colon Cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. but is also easily defeatable.

I am several things. A husband. A father. A friend. And, without being N.E.D. I wouldn't be any of those. Get tested. The life you save may be your own. Trust me. And, call me N.E.D.

Riders in Montreal tonight










The Saskatchewan Roughriders, 4-3 and tied with Edmonton for first in the CFL West, are in Montreal tonight to meet the Alouettes in CFL Friday Night Football.

The Als, expecting their 90th straight home sellout, are atop the East with a 6-1 record and are coming off a dominant 39-12 win last Saturday at Winnipeg. The Riders built a 23-0 lead last Sunday, let it slip completely away, then rallied for 10 4th quarter points to beat the Hamilton TigersCats 33-23 in Regina. Montreal has beaten Saskatchewan once this season, 43-10 at Mosaic Stadium back on July 18th.

Kickoff tonight is set for 7:30pm EDT, with the live CKRM broadcast beginning at 6:30pm EDT. Links are to the right.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Monday Morning Meissnervations











A day late and several dollars short, but here we go again........

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The Saskatchewan Roughriders darn near let another one get away again over the weekend, building a 23-0 lead over Hamilton, letting it slip completely away, then dominating most of the 4th quarter to win against the TiCats 33-23. Hamilton tied the game early in the final period, but the Riders responded with 10 points to pull into a first-place tie in the West with Edmonton. While Darian Durant and Steven Jyles weren't spectacular, they finally gave the team some solid play at quarterback and that was good to see. Wes Cates rolled up 117 yards on the ground, becoming the first Rider to rush for over 100 yards this season and even a fat guy got in on the scoring. Defensive tackle Keith Shologan checked into the game as an eligible receiver in the first half and caught a one-yard touchdown pass from Steven Jyles. As a fellow member of the fat guy society(I was a defensive tackle in high school), I was pretty excited to see that. Riders are at 6-1 montreal Friday night at 7:30pm EDT and that'll be a tough one for sure. The Als beat Saskatchewan 43-13 in Regina back on July 18th. Catch the game on http://www.620ckrm.com with Rod and Carm beginning at 6:30pm EDT.

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The Riders and Edmonton are on top of the CFL West at 4-3, with Calgary and BC close behind at 3-4. In the East, Montreal leads at 6-1, Hamilton is 4-3, while Winnipeg and Toronto are both 2-5.

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Winnipeg is really starting to struggle. In their 39-12 home loss to Montreal Saturday, former Oregon State kicker Alexis Serna provided all the offense with 4 field goals. Former Beaver running back Yenson Bernard saw action again, but fumbled twice. I hope he continues to develope and gets a chance. If the Bombers don't pull the plug on him, Bernard could be a huge star running the ball in a league known for throwing it.

BTW: Toronto continues to stink up the Rodgers Centre. After being shut out for the first time in 30-plus years in Montreal the previous week, the Argos were outscored 22-3 in the 4th quarter Friday, losing by 8 to a BC Lions squad they should have beaten. Toronto has lost 9 straight AT HOME and has not successfully defended the honor of the Rogers Centre turf in over a year. It would be easy to sit here and make fun of them, but then I remember how Oregon State football suffered through 28 straight losing seasons. So, GO ARGOS! They're off this week, then host Calgary on Friday the 28th.

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The Tampa Bay Rays, coming off a disasterous 1-5 road trip, have rebounded to win two straight. Sunday against Toronto, they were tied 1-1 in the 8th when Greg Zaun blasted a grand slam to lead the Rays to a 5-2 win. The team continues it's up-and-down season, but remains in the thick of the Wild Card race. Tampa Bay hosts Baltimore for three games starting tonight, then Texas, one of the Rays main competitors in the AL Wild Card chase, comes to the Trop for three games beginning Friday. Tampa Bay heads to Toronto for three starting Monday, then Detroit for four beginning Friday the 28th.

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The Yankees have widened their AL East lead to 7 over Boston and 10 over Tampa Bay. In the Central, Detroit leads the White Sox by 2 and Minnesota by 6 1/2. In the AL West, the Angels are 4 1/2 ahead of Texas and 11 in front of Seattle. In the AL Wild Card race, Texas is 1 ahead of Boston, 4 ahead of Tampa Bay, 6 1/2 ahead of Seattle and 7 in front of the White Sox.

Over in the Senior Circuit, Philadelphia leads the East by 4 1/2 over Florida and 5 1/2 over Atlanta. St. Louis is pulling away in the Central, leading the Cubs by 6 games and Milwaukee by 9. In the West, the Dodgers lead Colorado by 4 1/2 and San Francisco by 5 1/2. In the NL Wild Card race, Colorado is 1 game ahead of San Francisco(GO GIANTS!), 2 ahead of Florida, 3 in front of Atlanta and 4 in front of the Cubs.

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I always write about Tampa Bay on my blog, because they are my local team. But, I've been a Giants fan for as long as I can remember. My parents met and married there, my older sister was born there and my grandparents lived there. It's amazing to think that the Giants haven't won the World Series since they moved from New York when I was 2 years old. Of course, the Cubs haven't won the World Series in 100 years. But, who cares? I don't. GO GIANTS! They pounded out 18 hits and beat the Mets 10-1 yesterday and are at Cincinnati tonight. The Giants are at Colorado for a huge 4-game set starting this Friday, then host the Rockies for three games beginning Friday the 28th.

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In case you missed the big announcement, Jimmy took his first unaided steps Saturday. And Mommy and I both got to see it! Kim has long said how she hoped to get to see his first steps and she did. I am so happy for her too. It was such a cool thing to see our Jimmy walk, that it brought tears to our eyes. We love our little guy more and more each day!

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The TV weather person is talking about Hurrican Bill right now. Even though it's a long way off shore, it's looking like predictions (at the moment) show it missing the Atlantic Coast. Thank goodness for that. We live one block from one of the many sounds off the Gulf of Mexico. A serious storm surge could bury our house. Time to stock up on supplies and get that evacuation plan finalized.

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One of Kim's co-workers gave her a bunch of toys for Jimmy, that her own child had outgrown. Jimmy really enjoys the musical toys and more and more, the toys he can stand up at. Our baby is really gowing fast.

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In entertainment news, the Jonas Brothers are performing tonight at the St. Pete Times Forum. I simply can't wait to miss that one. (BARF!) Big and Rich are part of the Tampa Bay Rays summer concert series and will play after this Saturday's game. Now, I wouldn't mind going to that. But, no more seats in the right field corner. Those are just horrible. ESPN the Magazine voted the Tampa Bay Rays as the best bargain in sports. Obviously, they didn't talk to us when they were conducting that poll.

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Only one doctors appointment this week. Thank goodness. Do have to get more blood drawn though. Last week's trip to Vampires-r-us took two hours. They may be under paid and under appreciated, but when someone who very apparently doesn't care about their job overlooks you, then checks your name off the list thinking they had already seen you, gets no sympathy from me. If I hadn't complained about the long wait, I might still be there. Fortunately, Jimmy fussed very little.

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Well, time to feed Jimmy and then head to the library for Mother Goose story time. Have a great week y'all!

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Riders survive ugly third quarter to beat TiCats












A strong 4th quarter negated a flat third, as the Saskatchewan Roughriders beat a determined Hamilton TigerCats team 33-23 in front of 30,360 soggy fans at rain-soaked Mosaic Stadiun in Regina on Sunday night.

The first half belonged to Saskatchewan. The Riders took the lead on a trick play with 6:03 left in the opening period. Short-yardage quarterback Steven Jyles rolled right and found defensive tackle Keith Shologan, who had reported in as an eligible receiver, with a 1-yard touchdown toss. Luca Congi converted for a 7-0 lead. After recovering a fumble, Saskatchewan scored again less than two minutes later, as Congi kicked a 38-yard field goal, giving the Riders a 10-0 lead after one.

In the second, Hamilton punter Nick Setta conceded a safety touch for 2 points, then Steven Jyles scored on a 2-yard run and Congi kicked the convert with 8:36 remaining in the half, with Jamie Boreham booting a 92-yard single on the ensuing kickoff, to put Saskatchewan up 20-0. Congi's 12-yard field goal on the final play of the half gave the Roughriders a 23-0 advantage through 30 minutes.

The TiCats caught Saskatchewan flat-footed in the third quarter. After not gaining a first down in the entire first half, Hamilton quickly got back in the game with 16 points. Setta kicked a 41-yard field goal with 13:20 left, Arland Bruce III made a spectacular grab on a 49-yard pass from Kevin Glenn for a major score, with Setta adding the convert with 11:22 to go. Setta tacked on a 43-yard field goal with 8:37 left, then a 32-yarder with 4:32 still on the clock, cutting the deficit to 23-16 after three quarters.

After a blocked punt set the visitors up deep in Riders territory, DeAndra' Cobb scored on an 8-yard run and Setta converted 2:07 into the fourth quarter for the TiCats, tying the game 23-23. That score seemed to bring Saskatchewan back to life. Weston Dressler scored on a 13-yard run around end and Congi converted with 5:57 remaining to put the Riders back on top for good at 30-23, then Congi thumped through a 15-yard field goal with just 2:48 to go, and the Riders held on from there for the 33-23 win.

For Saskatchewan, Darian Durant was 15-of-30 passing for 193 yards, and Steven Jyles was 2-of-2 for 21 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for a major score. Wes Cates rushed 19 times for 117 yards, Weston Dressler scored a rushing touchdown and Keith Shologan caught a touchdown pass. Luca Congi had a solid night kicking with 3 field goals and 3 converts, while Jamie Boreham added a single. Kevin Glenn, in relief of starter Quinton Porter, was 12-of-27 passing for Hamilton for 183 yards and a touchdown to Arland Bruce. DeAndra' Cobb scored a rushing touchdown, while Nick Setta had 3 field goals, 2 converts and conceded one safety touch. Defensively, James Patrick and Mike McCullough had 3 tackles each for the Riders, while Markeith Knowlton had 10 tackles and 1 sack to lead the TigerCats.

With the win, Saskatchewan improves to 4-3 for 8 points, tying Edmonton for first in the West Division. Hamilton slips to 4-3 for 8 points, 4 points behind Montreal in the race for first in the East Division.

The Riders have a short week, as they travel to Montreal for a Friday matchup with the 6-1 Alouettes, who won 43-13 in Regina in week #3 play, back on July 18th. Kickoff is set for 7:30pm EDT, with the live broadcast on http://www.620ckrm.com/ beginning at 6:30pm EDT. Hamilton's next game is a week #9 contest at Edmonton on Saturday, August 29th.

Riders host TiCats tonight












The Saskatchewan Roughriders host the Hamilton TigerCats tonight in week #7 CFL action at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.

The Roughriders are 3-3 for 6 points this season, 2 points behind West-leading Edmonton. Saskatchewan, still looking for more consistant play from quarterbacks Darian Durant and Steven Jyles, have dropped 3 of their last 4, after starting the season 2-0. The Riders looked flat last Friday at Vancouver, scoring just 7 points on three BC turnovers to start the game, eventually losing to the Lions 35-20.

Hamilton is 4-2 for 8 points, 4 points behind East-leading Montreal. Under new Head Coach(and former Saskatchewan assistant) Marcel Bellefeuille, the TiCats have already won more games in 2009 than they did in all of 2008, when they finished 3-15. Hamilton quarterback Quinton Porter passed for 211 yards(26 of 37) and a touchdown and rushed for the winning touchdown with 1:07 remaining in last Saturday's 28-21 win over Edmonton.

Kickoff is set for 7:00pm EDT. The live broadcast, with Rod Pedersen and Carm Carteri calling the action, can be heard on 620 CKRM(Link to the right) beginning at 6:00pm EDT.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

This just in....











Jimmy took his first steps today! I was sitting on the couch, stood him up in front of me(Jimmy has stood unaided several times in the past few days), held his Baseball Tigger in my lap, let him go and Jimmy, without touching or otherwise holding anything for support, took 3 or 4 steps towards me to get his Tigger. And he did it again a few moments later. Small steps for sure, but it's crossing another developmental milestone off the list.

We are so proud of our little Jim-Jim!

Monday, August 10, 2009

Monday Morning Meissnervations











Heydee-ho there good neighbor. It's Monday Morning once again. Here we go....

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The Saskatchewan Roughriders lost to the BC Lion 35-20 Saturday. The team showed flashes of solid play, but flashes won't get it done. When you're away from home, and your opponent turns the ball over on each of it's first three possessions, you'd like to think your chances to win increase IF you can score more than 7 points. The Riders Darian Durant and Steven Jyles had their chances, but just weren't able to get the offense rolling consistantly.

Is it a "down" week because they lost? Yeah, I guess. But to paraphrase Rider broadcaster Rod Pedersen, (link to his blog to your right) you can remain positive when you consider the team is 3-3, tied for first in the West and is in the upper half of the league record-wise.

Riders are home to face the resurgent Hamilton Tiger Cats next Sunday. Hamilton, in the first six weeks of '09, has already won more games this season(4) than they did all last season(when they finished 3-15). Kickoff at Mosaic Stadium is 7:00pm EDT, with the live broadcast on CKRM(Links to the right) beginning at 6:00pm EDT.

The CFL West has a three-way tie for first with Edmonton, Calgary and Saskatchewan all 3-3. BC is a game back at 2-4. In the East, Montreal is 5-1, Hamilton is 4-2 and both Winnipeg(Hey, Yvenson Bernard finally got in a regular season game and had 54 yards on 6 carries) and Toronto are 2-4.

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The Tampa Bay Rays dropped 2 of 3 in Seattle over the weekend, losing to the Mariners yesterday 11-2. It just looked like one of those days yesterday. With Boston slumping(they lost to the Yankees again yesterday), the Rays are in the very thick of the Wild Card race.

In the American League, the Yankees lead the East by 6 1/2 over Boston and 8 over Tampa Bay. Detroit leads the Central by 3 over the White Sox and 5 1/2 over Minnesota. In the West, the Angels are 3 1/2 ahead of Texas and 8 ahead of Seattle. Boston and Texas are tied for the Wild Card lead, with Tampa Bay 1 1/2 back, Seattle 4 1/2 and the White Sox 6 back.

In the National League, Philadelphia is first in the East, with Florida 4 and Atlanta 4 1/2 back. St. Louis leads the Cubs in the Central by 2 and both Houston and Milwaukee by 6. In the West, the Dodgers lead both Colorado and San Francisco by 5 1/2 games. The Rockies and the Giants are tied for the Wild Card lead, with the Cubs 2 back, Florida 3, Atlanta 3 1/2 and Houston and Milwaukee each 6 back.

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Kim and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary last Thursday. Friday night, we went to the coolest burger place of all time, Biff Burger. It was classic car night too. The hi-lites were the 1966 Dodge Charger(I used to own a '67) that I had saw previously at a car show in Palm Harbor, and an absolutely gorgeous 1963 Plymouth Valiant, complete with the push-button gear shift on the dash. I owned 4 Valiants in my past, two '63s, a '64 and a '66. Never paid more than $200 for any of them, but I'll bet if the one at the car show had been for sale, it would have brought at least 5 grand. The guy who owns the Charger followed us around the building to see the Valiant and was just as impressed as we were.

The absolute hi-lite of the night though, was being with my Kim. I find myself falling more in love with her every day. She the best. Thanks dear!

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Jimmy is in the other room playing, while I pound out this week's Meissnervations. We are waiting for Gramma Jan to come over to sit with Jimmy, while I go to my latest doctor's appointment. Isn't it frustrating to be sick, know there's something going on, but still no one can find anything? It's sorta like trying to do your own car repairs. You know something's wrong, but you're not sure what. So, you just start removing parts, hoping the next one you replace will solve the problem. Here's hoping today's visit with the gastroenterologist(GI Joe?) will provide some answers this continued feeling of "oogliness" I'm experiencing. Wish me the best please.

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That's it for this week. Have fun everybody!

Friday, August 7, 2009

Who says it rains in Tampa Bay?

This is what we drove through on our way to dinner Friday night.

Can I borrow some lumber for our ark please?

Lions overcome early turnover woes to beat Saskatchewan









The Saskatchewan Roughriders had momentum handed to them on an orange-and-black platter but were unable to build on a second quarter lead and lost to the BC Lions 35-20 Friday night in CFL action at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The game started porely for BC in front of their home crowd, as they turned the ball over on each of their first three possessions. The Riders capitalized after the third one, as Darian Durant threw a 47-yard touchdown pass to Rob Bagg. Luca Congi's convert put Saskatchewan up 7-0 with 4:12 left in the opening quarter. BC would come back late in the first, intercepting a pass and scoring two plays later on a Buck Pierce to Martell Mallett 2-yard scoring toss. Sean Whyte converted with 9 seconds left in the first, tying the game 7-7.

Riders got the lead back as Durant hit Bagg again, this time from 33 yards out. Congi converted to put Saskatchewan up 14-7 with 9:04 left in the half, capping a 6-play, 94-yard drive. Riders Punter Jamie Boreham conceded a safety touch with 4:22 to go in the half, cutting the Saskatchewan lead to 14-9. The Lions drew within 2 with 2:44 left in the half, as Whyte booted a 44-yard field goal, making the score 14-12 in favor of the Riders. BC took the lead in the final minute of the half on an extremely weird play. Saskatchewan's Gerron Walker fumbled the ball on a punt return. BC's James Yurichuk kicked the ball forward, Walker (allegedly) got a hand on it, then O'Neill Wilson picked up the loose ball at the Rider 38 and ran it in for the major score. Whyte's convert with 36 seconds on the clock put the Leos up 19-14 at the half.

Whyte opened 2nd half scoring 4:30 into the third, by booting a 41-yard field goal, to increase BC's lead to 22-14. The Lions once again drove deep into Saskatchewan territory on their next possession, but had to settle for Whyte's third field goal of the game, this one from 18 yards out with 5:24 to go in the third, increasing BC's advantage to 25-14, a lead they would take into the final quarter.

Whyte's 33-yard field goal 48 seconds into the 4th put the Lions ahead by two majors, 28-14. The Riders found a seat on the bench for Durant, replacing him at quarterback with Steven Jyles. Saskatchewan continued to have trouble moving the ball, but finally advanced into scoring position late. Forced into a third-and-10 at the BC 17 with just under three minutes remaining, Jyles threw the ball away, turning it back to the Leos. The Riders got the ball back at the BC 47 with 89 seconds left. After a 35-yard completion from Jyles to Johnny Quinn to the Lions 1, Chris Czarka punched it in from there with 44 seconds remaining. Congi's convert was blocked, leaving the deficit at 28-20. Saskatchewan attempted an onside kick but failed when the kick didn't go the required 10 yards. Rider penalties on a skirmish after the kick set up the Leos for a 13-yard touchdown run by Mallett with 32 seconds left, with Whyte adding the convert for the 35-20 win.

For Saskatchewan, Darian Durant was 10 of 19 passing for 189 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, while Steven Jyles was 6 of 12 passing for 78 yards and an interception. Rob Bagg caught five passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns, while Chris Czarka had the only rushing touchdown and Luca Congi added 2 converts. BC was led by Buck Pierce, who was 26 of 34 for 215 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception, while Jarius Jackson threw two incompletions and an interception. Martell Mallett scored twice, once on the ground and once through the air. O'Neill Wilson had a defensive touchdown on the fumbled punt and Sean Whyte had 4 field goals and 3 converts for 15 points.

The Riders actually outdid the Lions in total offense, 348 yards to 345 and had 17 first downs to BC's 22. The difference came in sacks allowed, as Saskatchewan allowed 5 Lions sacks to the Riders 2, while BC, who turned the ball over in each of their first three possessions, coughed it up just once more for a total of 4, while Saskatchewan gave the ball away five times total. The Riders were flagged 6 times for 78 yards, while the officials dropped the laundry on the Leos 7 times for 61 yards.

Saskatchewan, now 3-3 on the year, doesn't play again until Sunday, August 16th, when they host the Hamilton Tiger Cats. Kickoff is set for 7:00pm EDT, with the live broadcast on http://www.620ckrm.com/ is set for 6:00pm EDT. BC, now 2-4, plays at Toronto on Friday, August 14th, with kickoff set for 7:30pm EDT.

Riders at Leos tonight










The Saskatchewan Roughriders, riding the wave of their come-from-behind one-point win at Calgary last Saturday(24-23), at at BC Place in Vancouver tonight for a Friday night battle with the BC Lions.

The Riders enter tonights game with a record of 3-2 and are tied with Edmonton for first in the West. The Lions, 1-4 entering play tonight, are last in the West, after last Friday's 30-18 loss at Hamilton.

Three story lines to watch for tonight, are the return to Vancouver of Regina native Jason Clermont, who spent several seasons catching passes for the Leos; can BC Coach Wally Buone rally his troops after their poor start to this season; and just how much with Saskatchewan Coach Ken Miller use quarterbacks Darian Durant and Steven Jyles.

Tonight's game kicksoff at 10:30pm EDT, with the http://www.620ckrm.com broadcast, featuring the call of Rod Pedersen and Carm Carteri, beginning at 9:30pm EDT.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Happy Meissnerversary!











Today, my lovely wife Kim and I(Am I lovely too dear, or just ruggedly handsome?) commemorate our 4th wedding anniversary. (The actual celebrating starts tomorrow night.) She's my sweetie, my best friend, my other half and she's actually saved my life at least twice already. As that famous philosopher Rod Stewart once said:

You're in my heart, you're in my soul
You'll be my breath should I grow old
You are my lover, you're my best friend
You're in my soul.





















I love you my darling!

Jimmy update











Jimmy is 14 months old now. He hasn't "officially" walked yet, but he's getting real close. He's talking an awful lot too(The little chatterbox!). He can say Daddy and Mommy, and he's also said book and hi. Last week, something caught his attention on TV and he turned around and said "Who's that?" He also has said "I love you" and yesterday, when dropping Mommy at Auntie DeeDee's house, he said to Auntie DeeDee: "Go to work." In the grocery store parking lot, he said "Gramma."

He now has six teeth. Two up and four down. He crawls pretty fast, also stood on his own for a few seconds. He's a champion furniture cruiser and climbs better than Sir Edmund Hillary ever did.

He's getting really inquisitive, meaning that we have to keep our eyes on him at all times and, best of all, he sleeps through the night all the time now. (WOO HOO!)

Jimmy is our little miracle and we love him very much!











"Goo Goo to the hand!"

Colon Cancer Alliance launches Cities go Blue for Colon Cancer












September 26-27, 2009
The Colon Cancer Alliance (CCA) will host the 1st Annual Philly Goes Blue for Colon Cancer on September 26-27, 2009. Philadelphia will kick off the national Cities Go Blue for Colon Cancer tour, created to raise awareness of the importance of colon cancer screening.Register now to participate in the following events:

Seminar: The Philly Goes Blue for Colon Cancerweekend of activities begins with a complimentary educational seminar, Conversations about Colon Cancer, designed to bring patients, survivors and caregivers information on the latest treatment advances for colorectal cancer. The seminar will take place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Philadelphia from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Register now.

Undy 5000 5K Run: On Sunday, the second annual Undy 5000 5K fun run will take place at Memorial Hall in Fairmount Park. Participants in the fun run will receive a pair of race boxers in place of a typical race t-shirt. Register now.

Events Expo: Runners, walkers and spectators can visit the events expo, which will feature the Prevent Cancer Super Colon - an interactive, 8-foot-tall, 20-foot-long, 450-pound replica of a human colon that provides attendees with an opportunity to learn first-hand about colorectal cancer screening, prevention and treatment. In addition, the Please Touch Museum will have their "play patrol" available along with arts, crafts, games and other activities for children.
Saks Goes Blue: Saks 5th Avenue is also showing its support for colon cancer awareness. On Saturday from 11-5 p.m. they will be hosting a Saks Goes Blue event. The event will consist of makeovers, fragrance and skincare consultations & light refreshments. A Tarot Card reader will be available to do readings with any purchase of $75 or more. All guests who register with the Colon Cancer Alliance by 9/22 will receive a 15% off discount coupon that can be used throughout the store on 9/26 (Some Exclusions Apply) and a gift bag provided by Saks Fifth Avenue; please send your name and e-mail address to phillygoesblue@ccalliance.org.

The CCA is working with cities throughout the nation to host future Cities Go Blue for Colon Cancer campaigns with the ultimate goal of all 50 states supporting the event in the years ahead.

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Monday Morning Meissnervations











It's another Monday morning. Really amazing how it keeps coming around at the same time every week. Oh well, here we go again.

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HUGE comeback win for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Calgary Saturday night, scoring with just 77 seconds remaining in regulation on a 65-yard pass from Darian Durant to Chris Getzlaf. I thought Rod Pedersen's jaw was gonna hit the floor of the radio booth in disbelief over the ending of that game. I hate to think what a loss might have done to the Riders season. Oh well, I have no problem at all with not having to worry about that!

Defense made some key stops, especially in the fourth quarter. Durant did alright, as did Steven Jyles, but there needs to be more consistant positive production from the quarterback position. For you Graham Harrel fans, he's on the nine game injured list and isn't available until October. Durant and Jyles will really have to elevate their play between now and then, or coach Ken Miller will have to give Harrel a real hard look before this season is over.

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Edmonton hung the first loss of the season on Montreal last Thursday, 33-19. Hamilton continued their resurgance with a 30-18 win at BC on Friday, and Winnipeg eked out at 13-12 win at Toronto on Saturday. Former Oregon State kicker Alexis Serna kicked a 46-yard field goal with 4:05 left. Justin Medlock hit a 47-yarder with just seconds left that would have won the game for Toronto, but a penalty for too much time negated the kick. Medlock tried again from 57-yards away, but his kick rang off the left upright and fell to the ground as time expired.

One thing I did learn this past weekend, was how the single point rule applies on kicks. On a kickoff, if the ball goes through the endzone untouched, no point for the kicking team. Same thing if a field goal hits an upright or crossbar. Ya learn something new every day, eh?

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Saskatchewan and Edmonton lead the West. Both are 3-2 for 6 points. Calgary is third, 2-3 for 4 points and BC is fourth, 1-4 for 2 points. (Think Wally Buono might start feeling the heat if the Leos don't beat the Riders next Friday?)

In the East, Montreal remains first at 4-1 for 8 points, Hamilton is second at 3-2 for 6 points, while Winnipeg and Toronto are tied for third, both at 2-3 for 4 points.

Saskatchewan is at BC next Friday. The http://www.620ckrm.com/ webcast begins at 9:30pm EDT.

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The Tampa Bay Rays are 5-5 in their past ten games. Losing 2 of 3 to the Yankees didn't help, but they've rebounded to take 2 of 3 from Kansas City(Losing 4-1 yesterday), with one more game with the Royals this afternoon at Tropicana Field beginning at Noon:08. Whatta ya wanna bet there won't be any chance of missing the "Good seats still available" sign for this one?

And as if the team isn't embarrassed by the weekday attendance(And they've pretty much admitted they are), having their own ballpark sound like Yankee Stadium this past week is an embarrassment the team has suffered with their entire existance. If going to the World Series the previous fall can't change that, it makes me wonder just how much of a baseball town this actually is.

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Going 5-5 in the past ten has been good enough to keep Tampa Bay in the AL East race. The Yankees lead the AL East by a half-game over Boston and 6 over the Rays. In the Central, Detroit's 1 1/2 clear of Chicago and 3 ahead of Minnesota. The Angels top the AL West by 4 over Texas, while Seattle has fallen 10 games back. In the NL East, Philadelphia is 5 ahead of Florida and 7 ahead of Atlanta. St. Louis leads the Cubs by 1/2 game in the Central, with Houston and Milwaukee 4 1/2 back. In the West, the Dodgers are still on top (BOOOOOOOO!), leading Colorado and San Francisco by 7. In the Wild Card races, Boston leads Texas by 2 1/2 and Tampa Bay by 5 1/2 in the American League. In the National League, Colorado and San Francisco are tied, followed by the Cubs 2 back, Florida 3 back, Atlanta 5, Houston and Milwaukee 6 and the Mets 7 1/2.

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With the Hall of Fame ceremonies recently concluded, we have again been "barraged" with the "Reinstate Pete" garbage, with several Hall of Famers supposedly behind Rose. Sorry, but the old, tired argument about the moral character of some of the residents of the Hall is just that: Old and tired. Pete Rose bet on baseball while Manager of the Reds. That's enough to keep him out forever. End of story.

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Speaking of stories, would someone PLEASE tell Jose Canseco to shut up and go away? I remember when he broke in with the Northwest League's Medford A's during the 1983 season. I was with the Bend Phillies that season and actually, I should say that while Canseco was in the NWL that season, I don't really remember him, other than one day when he dropped a moon shot on top of the Albertson's grocery store on the other side of the left field fence. I truly wish he was that forgettable now, you know what I mean?

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It's August. Know what that means? Hockey camps start later this month. Drop the puck already, will ya?

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Speaking of hockey, rumblings are mounting in intensity about Dubuque returning to the USHL and Huntington, West Virginia joining the league as well. Dubuque left the league in 2001, but apparently(If the message boards are to be believed), the same person has continued to own the rights to a USHL team there and wants to resurrect the franchise. The rumor mill also says there may be a new building on the way there too, but if it wouldn't be ready for the '10-'11 season, the old building, known as Five Flags, should be able to house the team until a new building is finished.

Huntington is a pretty intriguing idea. Some people, myself included, have initially thought that it might be stretching the league's footprint a bit too much going that far East, but Huntington is actually closer to the rest of the league than the Youngstown(Ohio) Phantoms, who begin their first USHL campaign this fall. Lenny Sundahl has a pretty neat blog at http://huntingtonhockey.blogspot.com/, detailing the history of hockey in Huntington. (Their last team, the Blizzard, left the ECHL after the '99-'00 season.) If funds are approved for arena renovations there, Huntington could be a go for next season, making the USHL a 16-team league and just two teams away from being able to go to a three-division format, with six teams in each division.

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Kim, a/k/a the "REAL" head of the house, continues to do a marvelous job of taking care of us all. My health isn't the best right now(Nothing life threatening, but enough to get me to make the rounds of several different doctors-and different specialties- recently) and it has kept me from fulfilling some of my house husband duties. (Really dear, I do enjoy mowing the lawn!) But, as she always does, my lovely bride jumps in and keeps things moving. I love her more and more each day.










I love you dear!












Jimmy is really zooming around the house these days. Still not walking, but boy can he move! And he's really into climbing. He's climbed out of his high chair twice in the past several days. One time, Mommy found him on top of the cabinet next to him, trying to get some snackies. The other time, I found him sitting on the floor, under the chair. What a silly little guy!











Snoopy and Smoke(That's Snoopy on the right) just enjoy being dogs. Smoke's goal these days seems to be finding an escape route to the outside world every time we let him out for a romp in the yard. Sunday, while sitting at the computer, I looked out the window and there he was, standing in front of the house. Thankfully, he saw me and came right to the front door to be let in. Snoopy has two goals these days: To nap whenever he can, and to avoid being "petted" by Jimmy.

We sure love our boys!

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Oh, before I forget(Or before I get banished to the couch for almost forgetting, take your pick!), Kim and I celebrate our fourth wedding anniversary this coming Thursday. Believe me when I say I wouldn't trade a minute of the past four years for anything. Is she actually my better half? Sure she is. But I prefer to look at it the way she does me: She's my other half. Life just wouldn't be as much fun without my Kimberly C. "Pookie Bear!"

Happy anniversary dear! I love you!

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If you haven't noticed, I added a little "doohickey" to the blog this past week, that shows where people visit here from. By all means, when you stop by, please leave a comment about what you see here. And, if you are so inclined, leave a contact address too. (I promise it won't get posted.) And tell your friends about this blog too. I'd love a lot more traffic here.

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That's it for now. Have a great week everybody!

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Big play late propels Riders past Calgary










Darian Durant hit Chris Getzlaff with a 65-yard touchdown pass late in regulation Saturday night, sending the Saskatchewan Roughriders to a 24-23 come-from-behind win over the Calgary Stampeders in a CFL battle at sold-out McMahon Stadium in Calgary, Alberta.

The Riders, looking to break a two-game slide, hit the scoreboard first, taking the opening kickoff out to their 35, then going the remaining 75 yards in 7 plays, with Darian Durant finding Chris Getzlaff with a 9-yard scoring strike. Luca Congi's convert put Saskatchewan up 7-0, just 2:14 into the game. On their third possession, Wes Cates ripped off a 28 yard run, keyed by a block from Gene Makowsky, seeing his first action on the Riders offensive line this season. But, the drive ended on the next play, as Durant was intercepted at the Calgary 20. A couple of big plays put the Stamps into Saskatchewan's half of the field for the first time on the night. Joffrey Reynolds ripped a big 23-yard run to the 11, then Henry Burris finished the drive with an 11-yard completion to Jon Cornish for the major score. Sandro Deangelis booted the convert, tying the game 7-7 with 1:32 to go in the opening quarter.

Calgary, looking for their third straight win after starting the season in defense of the 2008 Grey Cup title at 0-2, took the lead in the second, driving from their own 6 to deep in Rider territory, but had to settle for a 12-yard Deangelis field goal with 9:09 left in the half, going ahead 10-7. The lead increased to 13-7 as Deangelis kicked an 35-yard field goal with 5:50 left. Saskatchewan responded with an 18-yard Congi field goal on the last play of the half, cutting the deficit to 13-10 at halftime.

The Riders regained the lead in the late stages of the third quarter. Starting in their own half of the field, Durant moved his team down the field then, from the Stampeder 19, a little 6-yard flip pass turned into gold, as Weston Dressler made a nice spin move on Brandon Browner to secure the major score. Congi converted with 4:51 remaining in the quarter, putting Saskatchewan up 17-13, a lead they would take into the 4th quarter.

The Riders drove deep into Calgary territory to start the 4th. A major score was called back, as Durant threw a pass after crossing the line of scrimmage. The do-over from the 20 fell incomplete as did a second down attempt, but a time count penalty moved the ball back to the 25. On the 2nd and goal from the 25, Saskatchewan gained just five yards, forcing Congi to attempt a 33-yard field goal. The kick hit an upright however and fell away, leaving the Rider lead at 17-13 with 13:04 left in regulation time. Aided by big plays and a questionable pass interference call against Omarr Morgan, the Stamps capped a 9 play, 85 yard drive to regain the lead as Burris ran around end for 18 yards and a touchdown. Deangelis toed the convert through the uprights, putting Calgary back on top at 20-17, with 8:20 to go. The Stamps held, got the ball back and drove into scoring position. The drive stalled and Deangelis kicked a 25-yard field goal with 4:18 left, stretching Calgary's lead to 23-17. The Riders couldn't move the ball and kicked it back to the Stamps, but Deangelis missed a 49-yard field goal wide left. Dressler returned the kick from his end zone out to the 45, with 1:32 on the clock. After a first down pass fell incomplete, Durant hit Getzlaff over the middle for an electrifying 65-yard major score. Congi's convert with 1:17 remaining in regulation stunned the sellout crowd and put Saskatchewan back on top by a point at 24-23. The Stamps started their last possession on their own 33, but Lance Frazier knocked down a Burris pass at the 50 with 1:06 to go. The 2nd down pass fell incomplete, with the Riders declining a Calgary holding penalty, forcing the Stamps into third-and-10. Burris underthrew an open receiver in front of his bench with 55 seconds left, turning the ball back to Saskatchewan. The Riders took a poor penalty to cost themselves field position on the ensuing possession and on second down, Cates ran for just a yard, forcing Saskatchewan to punt with 44 seconds remaining. Jamie Boreham's punt was returned to the Calgary 23. Burris threw incomplete on first down, leaving 28 seconds on the clock. On 2nd down, Burris hit his receiver in the back, forcing Calgary into a big 3rd and 10. Steve Baggs put heavy pressure on Burris, who threw incomplete up the sideline in front of the Rider bench, turning the ball back to the Green-and-White, who ran out the clock, heading back to Regina with a huge 24-23 win.

For Saskatchewan, Darian Durant was 18 of 30 passing for 282 yards, 3 touchdowns and an interception. Steve Jyles saw action in the second quarter, going 5 of 7 for 35 yards. Weston Dressler had 9 catches for 107 yards and a touchdown and Chris Getzlaff, taking the place of the banged-up Andy Fantuz, had 5 catches for 101 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner with just 77 seconds remaining. Wes Cates also had a big game, catching 3 passes for 34 yards, while running the ball 16 times for 98 yards. Luca Congi kicked a field goal and 3 converts for 6 points. Defensively, Renauld Williams had 6 tackles and a pair of quarterback sacks, while Donovan Alexander added six tackles. For the Stampeders, Henry Burris was 17 of 28 passing for 224 yards and a touchdown. Jon Cornish caught a touchdown pass for the Stamps, while Burris added a rushing touchdown. Kicker Sandro Deangelis booted 3 field goals and a pair of converts.

The Riders, who had 417 yards of total offense and just one turnover, snapped their two-game losing skid and improved to 3-2, good for a first-place tie with Edmonton in the CFL West. Calgary, with 369 yards total offense and no turnovers, had outscored their last two opponents 92-19 after losing their first two games. The defending Grey Cup champs slip to 2-3, a game out of first in the West.

Saskatchewan travels to Vancouver's B.C. Place next Friday, for a match-up with the 1-4 but always tough BC Lions. Kickoff is set for 10:30pm EDT, with the live broadcast on http://www.620ckrm.com/ beginning at 9:30pm. BC, off to their worst start in years, lost 30-18 at Hamilton on Friday. Calgary hosts Winnipeg next Saturday.

Riders look to rebound tonight in Calgary










The Saskatchewan Roughriders, who have cooled off after a 2-0 start to the 2009 CFL season, look to rebound tonight against the Calgary Stampeders.

The Riders are 2-2 entering tonight's game at McMahon Stadium, following last week's disapointing 38-33 loss at home to Edmonton, a game in which they at one time owned a 22-0 lead. Calgary, the defending Grey Cup champions are also 2-2, but have now won 2 straight, including last Friday's 48-10 pounding on the BC Lions in Vancouver, which followed a 44-9 thrashing of Toronto the previous Friday.

Kickoff is set for 9:00pm EDT. The live broadcast, with Rod Pedersen with Carm Carteri calling the action, begins at 8:00pm EDT at http://www.620ckrm.com/.

Oh Baby Vision

How to watch the videos on Oh Baby Vision

In the upper left hand corner, there's three horizontal lines. Click that once or twice and it'll bring up thumbnails of all the movies. Click on the one you want to watch and it'll start. It may play the next one automatically, or you may have to click the little box to bring the thumbnails back up.



Now with the addition of more videos, just use the scroll bar on the right to choose the one you want to watch.



I hope you like 'em