Beautiful weather and a very good team. So why aren't people buying some damn tickets to Saturday's game? I figure I'm entitled to complain. We have 3 season tickets. So we are doing our part. And if you are reading this you probably got here from a Rider site and have tickets too. So what's the problem with sales? Everybody said we needed a QB, so we got one. Then they complained about the kicker, we got one of those too(more on him later). We needed a wide receiver who could stretch the defense. So who did we get? Jason Armstead. The fastest guy in the league. We needed a new offensive coordinator so we picked up an exciting young guy in Tommy Condell. This guy is intense. If you get a chance to watch a practice pay attention to him. He notices everything.


So Mr.Shivers has done every little thing that the bandwagoners wanted and still they sit on their asses at home. What does it take to get the "casual fan" out to games? A winning team? After this weekend we will be. An upgraded stadium? They have been working towards that for the last few years and it's better every game. An exciting game day experience? The fans make that, if they show up. Nothing better than 25,000+ on a great summer night at Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field. So lets do our part to make MSaTF a horrible, nasty, scary place for the gap toothed wonder to play at this weekend. If you haven't bought tickets get to the ticket office now, don't finish reading this, just grab your keys and go.






OK hopefully you just got back from a lined up ticket office. Now you can read the rest of my ramblings.(If you don't have a ticket I hope you have a good reason for it)

Now to the new kicker. As everybody knows we had Pikula, Baker and Congi in camp trying out for the kicker job. Baker got an apple and a bus ticket early. So the battle was between Pikula and Congi. And early in camp it looked like Pikula was the man. He was out punting and out kicking Congi. But what happened? Pikula plateaued and Congi kept improving. And he's still improving. That's what you need in a rookie kicker. Constant, noticable improvement. He won the Special Teams Player of The Week for his showing in the second game against B.C. So you would think that deserves some praise from the local paper, right? Didn't happen. Darrell Davis writes, and I quote.

"So far it looks like the Roughriders made a so-so decision in drafting and keeping Luca Congi. A second-round selection who was supposed to challenge Rob Pikula as a replacement for Paul McCallum, the free agent allowed to join B.C. in a contract squabble, Congi has made five of six field goals and is averaging a league-low 38.2 yards per punt. Hampered by a groin injury, McCallum has made one field goal and averaged 41.2 yards per punt. Cut by Saskatchewan and signed by B.C. to fill in for McCallum, Pikula has made five of six field goals and averaged a league-high 48.2 yards per punt."

Now how is that for supporting a rookie? And he even got the few facts that he used wrong. Fleming has the league's lowest punting average and Westwood has the highest. That's the part that makes me call Davis horrible. He doesn't get his facts right. He has access to the same online sources that I have and it took me less than a minute to check the punting stats. Don't give me any "deadline" crap either. Practice ends at 12:30, no other local sports to cover until the evening and the Leader Post goes to press around 10:00PM. And for anybody readin that thinks I don't have the "bag" to question him face to face, yesterday I would have but I couldn't find him early at practice. Then I watched practice, talked to Reggie Hunt and went home to cool off. Today? Will I question him? Maybe. But I'm not going out of my way to do it. I really don't care enough.

So have you heard that the 1966 Grey Cup Championship team is in town this week? Lots of people don't know where and when they will be anywhere. Here is what I know. On Thursday between noon and one Ron Lancaster and Al Ford will be at the Scarth Street Mall downtown for the "Wear your Green Day" event. So dress up in Rider colours and come on out. I will be going all out in full costume for it. Look for me and say hi. And on Thursday night the '66 team will be at Casino Regina from 6:00 until 7:00 signing autographs. I believe they are golfing in the alumni tournament on Friday. Saturday they are at the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame from 12:30 until 2:00 signing autographs, the Grey Cup will be there to and pictures with it are $5. The the '66 team will be at the practice field from 3:00 until 4:30 signing again. So there you have an itinerary to plan your autograph hunting around. Get out and show these guys how much they mean to the fans. And by the way, they will be at the game Saturday. If you buy a ticket you can be part of a very special day.