Grandma Gets Some Company

Grandma reading the paper and Diego, who has to be part of every activity, enjoying some sunshine.

Latvia: Can You Feel The Love !

Team Latvia seems to have become the favorites of the crowds at Credit Union Center in the 2010 World Junior Hockey Championships. I worked today's game between Switzerland and Latvia won 7 - 5 by the Swiss. Switzerland jumped into an early 2 - 0 lead but when Latvia scored to make it 2 - 1 the crowd erupted. That seem to ignite the Latvians who took a 4 - 3 lead into the dressing room after two periods. But it was not to be as the Swiss poured it on in the third period to win 7 - 5.
Perhaps the fans feel sorry for Latvia after they were drubbed 16 - 0 by the powerful Canadian team.
Also took in last nights Slovakia vs Canada game won by Canada 8 - 2. Slovakia fell behind 3 - 0 despite holding a slight advantage in shots on goal.
Things get much tougher for Canada tomorrow as they meet the United States in what should be a great game.
Also had the opportunity to take in the naming of Canada's Olympic team by Steve Yzerman and Mike Babcock today. I think many in the room were a little surprised when none of the Calgary Flames three top defensemen were named to the team.
Left off were Phaneuf, Bowmeester and Regehr. Have to admit I was a little surprised to see Bowmeester not named to the team. Seems to me he is ideally suited to the international game.
Have the day off tomorrow to celebrate New Years and then things will really get busy with the medal round running Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
Will be working the bronze medal game on Tuesday and then hope to be in my favorite chair in front of my own television set for the gold medal match.

World Junior Hockey

Worked the opening game of the World Junior Hockey championships yesterday. What a thriller. Canada squeezed by Latvia 16 - 0. Canadian fans waved white towels after every goal. It seems to me that the white towels should have been given to the Latvia team and they could have waved them after every Canadian goal.
I am working in the media division and yesterday was assigned primarily to TSN, the NHL network and the Fan Radio Network. Got to see bits and pieces of the game but we were kept pretty busy.
In our media office we have big screens that feed us both the Saskatoon game and the game that is going on in Regina so its interesting.
194 stairs up to the press box and I think I climbed them 194 times yesterday so I am tired. Have the day off today.
Had Christmas dinner last night with Mom, Rhonda, Darrel, Chris, Carey plus Chris and Karen with their little ones so it was nice. Good to have Tim and Jennifer and all of us together again as well.

World Junior Hockey Championships

Well in just a few days the World Junior Hockey Championships open in Saskatoon. Canada's first game will be on December 26 up against Latvia. I decided to volunteer for the games and was chosen to work on the media committee. This kind of takes me back some thirty years to my old days as a play by play announcer with Prince George, Regina and Brandon.
Officially I am listed as a media liason person and the funny thing is no one really knows what that means and what all the work will entail. I will be working with TSN, ESPN and the Fan Radio Network at the games but there is many more than that coming as far as media is concerned. In fact I think I heard that there was something like 450 accredited media people coming to these games. It is a huge event that takes work from a lot of people to pull it off.
Included in that of course is all the foreign media including Russia, Sweden, Finland and others. It should be an interesting time and I am looking forward to it.
I am fortunate as I only have two shifts while Jennifer is here, home from Ottawa, and then the rest of my shifts including four days in a row come after New Years Day when she will return to University. Her visit will be much too short this year but it is good to have her back home and have all of us together again. So glad that Tim is working in Saskatoon and not in Edmonton anymore. It is nice to be able to see him on a regular basis.
So its Christmas first, then the hockey championships and what should be an interesting time.

Cold Weather

I just get so angry when my vehicles won't start in the morning !

That Elusive Grey Cup

Someone once said "Sports is a game played by idiots who are entertaining fools". Not sure about the accuracy of that statement but here a full 24 hours after the Saskatchewan RoughRiders gave away the Grey Cup, I am left with this hollow feeling in my stomach and a feeling of total disbelief. The RoughRiders once again became the darlings of the nation and facing the almost invincible Montreal Alouettes almost pulled it off. Well in fact they did pull it off and would have won the game had it not been for a too many men on the field penalty after a missed field goal that moved Montreal ten yards closer and this time the kick that gave them the Grey Cup 28 - 27 over the Riders.
Much has been said about the penalty. Talk shows were full of how could this happen?, fire the coach, who's the player to blame and then downright disappointment about the one that got away. Most fans were pretty forgiving, some not so much and one lady put it in to proper perspective when she pointed out that a real tragedy had occurred when a young man was killed in an industrial accident in the south east of the province. Of course she is right but the heartache remains.
Much has been said about the penalty and that was the difference but still there is other blame to go around.
1) A Luca Congi missed field goal
2) The decision to kick a field goal when the Riders were on the two yard line.
3) A costly Darian Durant interception and probably the biggest of all
4) With under two minutes left the Riders failed to gain a first down and had to kick the ball away giving Montreal a chance to move into field goal range. A couple of first downs, some ball control and the kick would never happened.
So for the Riders and the province its next year country again. Three Grey Cups in something like 100 years and a fourth one that just slipped through their fingers. Actually the Riders may have become the first team in history to celebrate four Grey Cups and win only three. After the Duval field goal sailed wide there was tremendous celebration by the Riders only to have the flags thrown, too many men, and Duval a chance to do it again and seal the deal.
Despite the heartbreak of the loss this has been a special season for the Green and White and a special season for their loyal fans. What is there about this team that so endears them to fans throughout the world? The Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers are two NFL teams that have been called America's team and loved throughout the country. But they were successful. The same can't be said about the Saskatchewan RoughRiders. Three championships in one hundred years.
Years of missing the playoffs. A first place finish this year in the West ending an unbelievable thirty three year drought.
Well perhaps this year's 2009 edition of the Riders holds the answer. Picked to finish last in the West, the Riders finish first.
Along the way they took five points out of six away from the defending champion Calgary Stampeders and then whipped the
Stampeders in the Western Final. Along the way they engineered some miraculous come from behind wins, overcame a
series of injuries and maybe the most important of all did it with more than the required number of Canadians.
Add to that a young rookie quarterback in Darian Durant who thrived and survived in a football market where quarterbacks
are regularly run out of town. Everybody likes to cheer for the little guy and the Riders stood tall as the small market team,
Perhaps that's why Canadians from coast to coast love this team and follow them religiously. Someone said no matter what city hosts the Grey Cup they are always excited to have the Saskatchewan RoughRiders come as the West representative. It becomes a fun party atmosphere with hordes of green and white painted fans, lots of watermelon heads and guaranteed success for the host city. Unfortunately for the loyal fans of the Green and White it is next year country again. Seven months from now the fever will hit us all again. The questions will be back and lets hope the Green and White answers them all like they did this year. Stand tall and proud Saskatchewan RoughRiders. You may not have brought home the Cup but you are true champions indeed. And remember you are supported by the greatest fans in the world.