Notes & Spokes

Labour Day

2011-09-04T08:51:00.006-06:00

"Green is the colour, football is the game...."

Never more than today do I want to hear that song. Today is the Riders' Labour Day game against the hated Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Without question this is the most hyped game of the year and one everyone expects the Riders to win... no matter what the record.

As a teenager I remember finding ways to get to this game. It didn't matter that we would be in the middle of harvest, or my Dad's business would be busy.... This was "the" game to attend. There are all these anecdotes of "people would get off their combines and go this game"....and I can attest that there is a lot of truth to that statement. I was one of them.

Back in the 80's and 90's, when the team was out of the playoff race by the middle of August, it didn't matter. We had to go to the Labour Day game, and sometimes that the crappy record would be forgotten if we won that game. Perhaps the same will happen this year. Crappy record; but lots of anticipation and an expectation of a Rider win. Even against the best team in the league right now.

The same is true today. The old coach is the new coach -- highly respected Ken Miller's return is bringing high expectations. This is the first game after the bye week -- a time for the team to retool and get things in order to have a strong finish to make a playoff run. And although he won't play today, Andy Fantuz is expected to be back with the team next week....in fact, already one reporter has indicated that Fantuz in already in Regina, just waiting to clear waivers from the NFL. Fans (myself included) want to believe that the second half of the year will be significantly better than the first. Then again it probably couldn't get much worse than last in the league.

So today is the day that the Riders turn the season around. I am predicting a Rider win. My guess - 33-27.... and that Darian Durant will have a great game and will "will" the team to victory.

Miller time returns

2011-08-28T21:12:00.004-06:00

When the Riders announced that Head Coach Greg Marshall and Offensive Coordinator Doug Berry were fired after the loss to Toronto, I have to admit that I wasn't surprised. In fact, after watching the game I was already envisioning what changes they were going to make. Going into the bye-week, it seemed to me that would be the perfect time to pull the string. And it happened and happened quickly...as soon as team returned back to Regina.

Something had to be done as 1-7 is just not acceptable in the new Riderville. The fans wanted blood. The team's leadership (and many fans) believed that the players there were better than their record indicated. So a coaching change had to be made. But my surprise was that it was Berry and Marshall

Coaching changes, no doubt, are hard on the people involved and this one is no different. Fans have never warmed to Doug Berry and he seemed like the easy fall guy. Marshall, who had an impressive resume as an assistant coach for the past 19 years, finally got his shot and perhaps he would live to fight another day. He didn't.

What really struck me about Marshall was how quick he was to throw players under the bus after a loss. Additionally, comments made about players lack of motivation not being his job and team discipline didn't help him at all. It was clear that he lost the dressing room....and when I saw his bitterness at his press conference the following day, immediately my thoughts were that the Rider's made the right decision.

So today was the first day of practice with Ken Miller back in charge. The comments from players such as Darian Durant, Sean Lucas and Lance Frazier indicate that these guys love Ken Miller's coaching style. Frazier even said that the players are willing to go through a wall for Miller. There also was a new sense of optimism in the room as well.

So it seems the change is being well received by the players (and most fans!) so far. That's great, but the players have run out of excuses now and they need to perform on the field. The season is not over yet, but they still have a long road ahead of them and it won't be easy.

0-3? Not good, but not over yet

2011-07-24T14:38:00.003-06:00

It has been an interesting week with a lot of my fellow Rider fans breaking their ankles as they jump off the bandwagon. Yes, the Riders are 0-3, and the team hasn't played that great in any of the first three games, but I still believe that they have the talent to make the playoffs.

It doesn't hurt that B.C. and Calgary aren't setting the world on fire either. Its better to be looking forward instead of backward, but with B.C. still winless and Calgary not that far away (with the Stamps up next week) there is no reason to believe that the season is over. Yet.

I admit that everytime I watch the Riders play I want everything to work. I want to see the offense dominate and put up lots of points; the defense force turnover after turnover and the special teams be a threat on both sides of the ball. Of course, this may happen only once in a while...but isn't it wrong not to want this?

In the Riders first game Edmonton coach Kavis Reed told his players that nobody expects them to win. And now they are a surprising 4-0. I think that nobody expects the Riders to beat the Alouettes, so I am predicting they will. And if they do, today's game will be the turning point for the season.

Riders are back in it

2010-11-26T21:30:00.005-07:00

I haven't been able to take in the Grey Cup festivities as it has been a busy week with work. I was in Edmonton for one day this week, but I had to get back to the office as I was needed there. That's what usually happens to me this time of year and maybe I should learn. Well, there is always next year.

I did get to the Grey Cup game last year in Calgary, and it was an emotional rollercoaster. The too many men penalty did bug for a few days, but I did get over it. I think the players have as well, even though the media has reminded everybody about it every 5 minutes!

I am looking forward to great game and I know the Riders will give the Alouettes a run for their money. Last year I was just hoping they would keep it close. This year, I want them to take it.... and I believe they will.

Me at the Grey Cup

2010-01-31T18:43:00.004-07:00

Okay, the game had an awful ending. Yes, it has been hard to take. What a way to lose. I won't forget the game (especially the ending) for a long time.

This was the best thing about the game...me sitting with Matt Dominguez. He's a class act and took the time to take pictures with everyone.

The Riders will be back in 2010. Selecting Taman as GM was a smart hire, and promoting Ken Miller was an astute move.

An Albatross

2008-04-03T15:45:00.005-06:00

It is now the first of week of April and I already have three rounds of golf under my belt. Not bad, though none of these took place in Calgary. I had two in Phoenix and one in Vancouver in March. As I look out the window today, I know I am not going to be golfing here for some time yet.

My third round of the year was in Vancouver at the Fraserview Golf Course. This public course was redesigned a few years ago and is a nice track. A little up and down, and most of the fairways are lined by old trees.

On the 460 yard par 5 4th hole, I made one of the rarest shots. I scored a "2" on that par 5. Such a score is known as either a double eagle or an albatross. The tee shot was uphill, and I used my driver to get it out about 220 yards; which I was quite pleased with because of the elevation change. I used a three wood with my second shot, and hoped to get it close.

The green was below the fairway, and I could only see the top of the flag. I figured I was short of the hole, but in the middle of the fairway. I hopped into the car with my playing partner and we went to play his ball. As I came up to the green, I couldn't see my ball anywhere....and that made me mad. So I started searching, walking back towards where I hit it, looking in the first cut and rough...nowhere to be found. I was pissed.

Then all of a sudden one of my playing partners says, "what are you playing?" I said, Titleist ProV, #3. He said; its in the hole!

I was in shock! My three partners were speechless! We just saw an albatross...no wait, we didn't see it go in...but it was in. It was surreal and we were not sure what just happened!

So we went to the next tee, and guess what...I had the honours. So I teed off using the same ball. Immediately, I realized that I should not be using that ball. But it was too late....I had already hooked into the bush.

I spent the next 10 minutes looking for it, and I found it to great relief.

At the conclusion of the round, I ended up shooting an 86. Not all that great when you score a 2. But I'll take it. One of my playing partners sent me an email the next day with some interesting stats from an article he saw in Golf Digest. An albatross is the rarest shot in golf. You have a 1 in 13,000 chance of scoring a hole in one; a one in 6 million chance of scoring an albatross. They had some other stats; in the past 20 years on the PGA Tour, there was 632 aces, and only 56 double eagles in the same 20 year period.

I wish I could say that I was intending to do that, but I admit it was a lucky shot. My only regret is not seeing it go in, but a minor disappointment to a major accomplishment for sure!

We're off to the Grey Cup

2007-11-18T22:53:00.000-07:00

It was the perfect setting for the western final. Two teams that don't like each other, a rematch of last year's blow out and the two best teams in the league playing in a meaningful game. I live and die on the fortunes of the Riders so was I going to miss this one?

Not on your life.

I flew into Vancouver this morning and got to B.C. Place just in time as the doors opened. I was dressed in my rider gear from head to toe (including my brand new "retro-logo" hat). I had a great seat; on the 50 yard line behind the Lions' bench. The sight lines in B.C. Place are outstanding, so I had a superb view on every play.

I had a personal win streak of three going into this game. Over the last 7 seven years I have seen three Rider games at B.C. Place, and they were all Rider victories. But well aware of what happened in the past western finals, I hoped the Riders would at least made a good game of it, and hopefully pull it off. I was on edge of my seat the whole time, and with every play I had a range of emotions going though me...Stop him! Sack him! Go! Why can't Joseph hit that open receiver?!

At the end of the day the Riders prevailed in a really good game. Their defense was outstanding as they had only a few let-downs, but that can be expected against the top team in the league. The offense, though not spectacular, did enough to get the job done. After last week's game against Calgary, I know they were concerned about their inability to get the ball in the end zone. They were a little better today, and with the sure fire place kicking of Luci Congi they converted every scoring opportunity.

Although it was very loud in B.C. Place, I listened to the broadcast from The Team 1040. At the start of the 4th Quarter, the sideline reporter stated that the Lions had a confidence problem. With two key injuries on their offensive line, they were demoralized; more so with every sack.

The Rider defense was so strong the Lions couldn't get anything going with either Jarius Jackson or Dave Dickenson. Dickenson was sacked 6 times in the second half alone. Gotta wonder if his career is over. Kerry Joseph did a great job in moving the offense when he needed to. Was it his best game? No. But don't criticize a win is a good rule of thumb. He did what he had to do to get the Riders to the big game.

Next up is Winnipeg in the Grey Cup. Yes...the Riders are going to the Grey Cup! I'll be there with my buddy Sparky who is coming up from Philadelphia. I had the chance to go to the game in 1989, and didn't, and there is no way I am going to miss this one. If I can come out to Vancouver for the western final, I may as well go to Toronto for the big one.

My ears are still ringing, and my heart is still pounding, but being there makes it oh so special.

Riders 2007 Season

2007-06-29T14:32:00.000-06:00

Tonight the Riders travel to Montreal for their 2007 season opener against the Alouettes. This will be the first game for new coach and past Rider great Kent Austin. Kent comes with high expectations and my excitement and anticipation for the start of the season has never been higher.

The team needs to get off to a good start. They did go 2-0 in the pre-season, but that was the pre-season and the real test starts tonight. The last thing that they need to happen is to get blown out in the first game, lose their confidence and set the tone for rest of the season.

I think Austin will be a good coach, and I think he and GM Eric Tillman have done a great job in getting the team renewed and rebuilt. There are some impact players that are waiting to break out and offensively, this should be a high scoring team. Whether or not the defense will be good or not remains to be seen.

I hope that this is the year they finally host a home playoff game, but in reality, I want more. I want a Grey Cup too. Is that too much to ask?

All I can say is Go Riders!

College World Series

2007-06-20T23:59:00.000-06:00

I am in Omaha, Nebraska attending a number of meetings and our host has arranged for us to attend the College World Series that is on at the same time. As a baseball fan, this is quite an event to see and I have been very excited to be here and to be part of the atmosphere.

Everything is done first class; what one would expect with a NCAA tournament. I saw two games today...North Carolina Tar Heels beat the Rice Owls 6-1 in the afternoon and defending champion Oregon State Beavers beat UC-Irvine Anteaters 7-1 in the evening match. The atmosphere in and around the ballpark (Rosenblatt Stadium) is phenomenal, and it is one big party surrounded by a major sporting event.

Part of the best part of the day was that I was with a number of close friends and colleagues and that made it enjoyable. The baseball was great...at the senior college level the fundamentals of the players was very evident. These guys can play.

I predict that you will hear more about Dustin Ackley down the road. A freshman at North Carolina, this kid was above his peers and he dominated with a homer that clinched the game for NC.

It was amazing to see 29,000+ people in the stands for the games. They came with the college rah-rah attitude that made it a fun place to be. This continues for 10 full days until the winner is determined this weekend. My guess is that Oregon State Beavers will repeat as champions...they were the most impressive team that I saw.

I jumped on the bandwagon of the UC - Irvine Anteaters. First of all their name is great; they are back after shutting down their baseball program for over 10 years, they beat Arizona State last night, and that victory was their second walk-off victory after being behind by a large number of runs late in the game. They were the cardiac kids. I bought a hat to show my support, but they are out now as they were over matched by Oregon State.

This is a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget. For a big baseball fan to be here is a pretty good experience! I also had great seats; row two behind the dugout on the first base side, and I was close to the action with a great view.

It doesn't get any better than that.

Golf Season

2007-06-10T23:07:00.000-06:00

We are in the beginning of June and I have had the good luck to play a number of rounds of golf so far. The bad news is that I am not getting any better, but you know as they say, a bad round of golf is better than a good day at work. I concur.

I have 15 rounds in so far; not bad considering the travel that I have had. I few of these rounds were with tournaments; as our company put on four fund raising tournaments for our members this year. Traveling to them was half the fun.

Certainly the highlight was playing the TPC at Deere Run in Moline Illinois. As it turned out, I was able to play 36 holes the day I was there. This is the site of the John Deere Classic, the PGA stop that takes place in July right before the British Open. It was one great and tough course. I scored well; a 91 and a 87, and I'll take that on such a challenging track.

Another highlight so far this year was the Ledgeview Course in Abbotsford, B.C. We had our tournament there and from what I heard in advance this course did not disappoint. It is on the side of a mountain, in the rainforest, and it was one tough course. I didn't do very well, but who cares, the experience was worth it.

I have not been able to play out of my home course Lakeside Greens for a few weeks because of the travel. That will change this week as I hope to get out a couple of times. The course is in great shape, the recent renovations have gone well and I kinda miss the atmosphere around there. My regular playing partner T43 is also ready to hit the links at Lakeside and no doubt he'll be calling to get me out there.

I have a couple of meetings coming up in Omaha later this month and I have noticed that a couple of rounds of golf are part of the meeting. I will be looking forward to that. Also, I will also be looking forward to using my new Scotty Cameron putter. She looks pretty and feels nice...everything you want in a woman...I mean a putter....

2007 Masters

2007-04-07T15:22:00.000-06:00

I had a trip to Atlanta last week, so I missed this year's Masters by one week. Nevertheless I have been glued to the TV since Thursday's opening round; trying to catch all of the action and reliving the wonderful experience we had last year.

I keep looking at all the spots that we spent time at; especially Amen Corner, where we sat for over 3 hours watching the groups come through. It looks like the course is playing a lot tougher this year, and the weather is certainly a lot colder.

I can't say who I am cheering for. Maybe I am cheering for the course. A lot of media were saying that "the course" was the winner, as very few golfers were breaking par. Tougher conditions, cooler weather and strong winds make a tough course even tougher.

I have been asked numerous times this week about the Masters, because it was known that we went last year. That has just brought back some pretty good memories and a desire to go back at least one more time.

Washington DC - My first time

2007-03-16T14:39:00.000-06:00

I have never been to Washington D.C. before, so it was with great anticipation that I headed there for a series of meetings over 5 days last week. I did get to see the Smithsonian (went to the Air & Space Museum and the Natural History Museum) and to the White House, which was okay considering the limited amount of free time I had. There certainly is a lot to see, and most of it confined to the downtown area known as the National Mall.

The purpose of the meetings was to be part of the "Washington Fly-in." Because of the limited value for our Canadian delegation, it was the first time we attended of the four years that this event had taken place. It was also part of a Board Meeting that we had to attend, but as it turned out, it was good that we went to the fly-in part.

We were able to visit with the Canadian Embassy in D.C., and that turned out to be a good meeting as we were given an update on all of the agriculture issues they were following. Initially I was skeptical that we would gain anything of value, but it turned out to be a good meeting. We were given some insight that I didn't expect, and information of considerable value on the status of BSE discussions and the U.S. Farm Bill.

We also had the opportunity to hear from Collin Petersen, who is the Chair of the House Agriculture Committee and from the Secretary of the USDA himself, Mike Johanns. They both provided valuable updates into the status of country-of-origin labeling and the comment period on Canadian cattle over 30 months of age. We will use the information provided to us as part of a magazine article that will be in our next edition of our national magazine.

Then to top it off, on the flight back from D.C., I sit next to the Minister of Industry for Saskatchewan, Hon. Eric Cline. That turned out to be time well spent as we talked the entire time about issues (as well as some home renovations he was taking!) and kinda the state of affairs in the province. There were many common acquaintances (he was a law student of my uncle's) so it was an enjoyable trip home after a busy week.

Holidays in Saskatchewan

2007-01-03T16:28:00.000-07:00

We spent the holidays visiting family in Saskatchewan. It was nice to be back home and almost all of our family members were around. The weather was nice, which made it much more palatable.

I got out to the cabin, went to the Mineral Spa in Watrous, into Saskatoon and besides that did some long over-due relaxing. We also had a birthday party to attend, and that was kinda neat as well. I also got to check up on Saskatchewan politics. I caught the year-in-review speeches & interviews by Lorne Calvert and Brad Wall. Both were pretty good.

I also saw a poll that showed the Saskatchewan Party having a commanding lead over the NDP. Amazing that Calvert is trailing so badly (48% SP - 31% NDP) with the economy doing so well. I guess the NDP just don't have any traction outside their die hard support anymore and the public wants a change. The rumour I heard was that an election could come as early as this spring. I would be surprised if that happens with the NDP support so low.

On return to the office it has been as busy as ever. This is the most hectic time year and being away over the holidays allowed for some work to pile up. We have a big meeting at the end of the month to prepare for, plus I have to give a presentation on the Canadian governmental & political system to my U.S. colleagues tomorrow.

I have been looking forward to that presentation for some time. The lack of knowledge on how Canada's government works by my U.S. friends is understandable. They have little exposure to anything else but their own system, and for the most part there is no reason for them to become familiar with Canada's government. I just hope they look at our system with a mindset to appreciate its uniqueness, as opposed to wondering why it is different than theirs.

Austin is the new coach

2006-12-06T15:52:00.000-07:00

The Riders announced today that Kent Austin is the new coach. Perhaps this was one of the worst kept secrets; my buddy Bob that works at Global TV in Regina made the call on this during the playoffs. Speculation was that the Riders had to win the Grey Cup for Danny Barrett to keep his job. Looks like all the speculation was correct.

I am happy to see Austin as the new coach. I think his desire to be successful will help the team move to the next level. I want a home playoff game as well, but I want a Grey Cup more. I think that with Austin's arrival it will be enough of a shakeup of the old guard to motivate them to perform better. Yes, there will be some player transition, but Tillman is already signing the key players for the future. Both him and Austin will have their stamp in the team before long.

Tillman also deserves a lot of credit for the way the Danny Barrett situation was handled. He allowed Barrett to leave with his head high and the whole affairs was a classy effort on the part of Tillman, Barret and the Rider organization.

Back to Austin...his experience on offense, both as a elite quarterback and as an offensive coordinator is needed. Working with Kerry Joseph and Jason Armstead in Ottawa also will help.

2007 will be the Rider's year.

Go Riders!

2006-08-23T22:12:00.000-06:00

If you haven't figured it out yet, my user name is ridersrgr8 as since I was old enough to remember I have been a Saskatchewan Roughriders fan. I live and die with the fate of my team. I am a passionate fan and I follow every season, every game and every play. I rarely miss a game on TV and when I can I see them in live. The Riders are my team.

Even though I have yet to comment on the Riders in this forum, I believe my user name is appropriate. I am a Riders fan and despite the years of disappointment, no one will tell me that they are not great.

So here is my first post on the Riders. It comes on the day that Eric Tillman has replaced Roy Shivers. I liked Roy Shivers and I like Eric Tillman. Though I do not like change in the middle of the season, something had to be done. I have nothing but respect for the job Shivers did in bringing in quality players, but two things bothered me. One, why does this team continually underperform with the talent they have? I know it is Danny Barrett's job to get the players ready and motivated for each game, but this is one issue that has been there the entire time of the Barrett - Shivers regime. Maybe a change in the GM job will get the players out of their funk and play with some consistency.

Secondly, I am sick and tired about reading about my favorite team, and more specifically about the players on my favorite team being in the news for the wrong reasons. Fights in bars, DUI's, sexual assaults...the list is too long. And most of this has taken place under Shiver's watch...and he has stood behind his players, but when you don't have the results on the field, you get tired of hearing of the problems happening off the field.

That's in the past. Looking forward, Eric Tillman's record indicates he is a no-nonsense type of general manager. The son of a Minister, he will not tolerate behavior that was too common in the past. The players will have to behave themselves off the field (especially in Regina, where everyone knows their name) or they are gone. I am one of those fans who does not want to see any more off field transgressions. I can understand why the Rider's Board of Directors and specifically Jim Hopson went this route...it makes sense if they want to improve both on and off the field.

Although I respected the job Shivers did in bringing in talent, the off field shenanigans have worn thin on me and I support this change.

In the long run it is the right thing to do. Go Riders.

The best round of the summer

2006-08-22T18:42:00.000-06:00

I spent most of last week in St. Louis at some pretty important meetings. For the most part they were productive, but it was long days and nights, and lots of discussion, planning and work to do as we go forward.

Mentally I was fatigued and was looking for a break and rest. I spent most of Sunday with the family, which was really special. And on Monday after work, I hit the links for what turned out to be the best round of the year so far.

I was able to play my home course for the first time in over three weeks. The course was in great shape and I started off strong; hitting the ball solid and far. In the end, I had four birdies; my personal best, and a score of 79, a season low.

I birdied 7, 10, 12 and 17. Two par fives and two par fours. I was putting for eagle on 12, which is a feat in itself. The hole is a 527 par 5 that is the number two handicap hole. I had a great tee shot of close to 300 (there was no wind). The hole is protected by a creek 40 yards in front of the green and only a fool would try to go for it in two, but I did. Luck was on my side as my ball hit right before the creek, bounced over and rolled onto the back of the green. I had 25 feet for eagle and it just missed. But I'll take a birdie on that hole any day.

What would be a round of golf without talking about the ones that got away. I keep thinking that I should have birdied 8 (10 ft putt that lipped the cup) and 16 (my putt finished 2 inches short). I also had three double bogeys and four three putts. Even still I shot a good score. My low round of the year and I can't wait to get back out there.

The Holiday

2006-08-12T19:44:00.000-06:00

We returned from California on Thursday evening after a great trip. It has been a great summer to say the least. The weather has been fabulous and everywhere we went it was either very hot or comfortably warm.

In total we traveled over 3700 miles. Down to Monterey, then to Disneyland and then home. The drive was pretty good as the roads were in good shape, we didn't have to face a lot of construction and outside the anticipated heavy volume in the San Francisco and Los Angeles areas, things sailed along pretty good.

The highlight of the trip had to be Disneyland. Our daughter had a great time and was all smiles at the experience. We were not sure how she would react, but she did great and still had energy at the end of the day. The experience was everything we could have asked for.

The highlights of the trip included spending time in some great places; Reno, San Francisco, Monterey, Los Angeles, Anaheim, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Las Vegas and Yellowstone National Park. Of course I can't forget the two rounds of golf that I played in Monterey, on two outstanding golf courses. I played Spanish Bay and Poppy Hills. Unfortunately, I'd like to forget my scores of 95 and 105.

It some respects it was tough for it to come to an end, at the same time, sometimes its good to be home.

California Here We Come

2006-07-30T21:05:00.000-06:00

The family and I are off to California for a couple of weeks. After some meetings in Monterey, we plan to head down to Disneyland and take our daughter there. We hope that she will really enjoy the experience! To help, we have our niece coming along...an extra set of hands always makes a difference.

I was able to get a couple of rounds of golf in on the weekend. First of all, I shot a 98...which is a new high for the past four years. It was a 56 on the front and a 42 on the back to work up that gem!

But I redeemed myself on Sunday as I shot a 82; which included a 38 on the front. I was very pleased, but unfortunately fell apart on one tough par 5 on the back (took a nine) and that was it for any desires of a record round.

As always, the best part of golf is the company. I got to spend the day with good friend Terry at a tournament and with Bill and Shelley on Sunday.

And the best part is, I get to play two fabulous courses this week. As part of our meetings, I plan to play Poppy Hills and Spanish Bay on the Monterey peninsula. We tried to get onto Pebble Beach, but they only wanted $1,000 per person; which means they didn't want us at all.

Even so, it will be two courses (and the trip as well) that I will be looking forward too.

What a great summer

2006-07-26T13:14:00.000-06:00

The weather has been beautiful. Hot day after hot day has made for many days outside on the deck enjoying the sunshine and a cold beer.

We spent most of July at our cabin in Saskatchewan. The only blemish on the whole trip was a vicious hailstorm that did a lot of damage. What can you do.

So after doing a little bit of work the first couple of days, and then clean up from the hailstorm, it was time for a birthday party and then some rest and relaxation. Our daughter turned seven, and lots of family were out to celebrate the event.

Today is the first day back at work and reality has set in. It was a fun and enjoyable time, but not it is over. We were a little sad leaving the cabin, but all good things come to an end.

Not is all that bad, though...next week we leave for a meeting in California. We looking forward to some nice time together again and we plan to do some tourist stuff along the way. We hope our little girl does really well and has a good time!

The golf game suffered a bit while at the cabin, but nothing to get too excited about. I only played twice while away, and it showed. I have had numerous round prior to holidays, and my game has improved to the point where I have lowered my handicap to a 9. That is the lowest I have ever been and I feel good about that. The other thing is that my spouse has gotten out a few times as well. She enjoys the game and is learning as much as she can. She has got a lot better in a short time and I am very happy for her.

The rest of the summer will be spent working, at meetings, on the golf course and trying to take advantage of the beautiful weather that has been forecast.

Does it get any better than that?

The Masters

2006-04-08T16:40:00.000-06:00

We returned from The Masters last night and let me say it was beyond our expectations. This was by far the most beautiful golf course that we have ever seen. Augusta National certainly lives up to the hype.

We arrived early Tuesday morning and the first golfer we saw was Sergio Garcia on the 5th fairway. We moved over to the 4th tee and sat there and watched four groups come through, including Ernie Els and Retief Goosen. Then we followed Mike Weir for a couple of holes and moved over to the 17th to see Tiger Woods tee off and then to 15th to see Phil Mickelson on the green. That really sums up the day...going from hole to hole to see the stars.

We did spend considerable time at Amen Corner and that was fabulous. The history and significance of those three holes was not lost on us. While we were there we saw Gary Player hit one of the nicest (and closest to the hole) shots on 12. That was something special that I will never forget.

We walked every hole but number 2. One thing that surprised us is how much "up and down" there is on the course. The elevation changes are amazing, and television does not do it justice. The undulations on the greens are phenomenal as well.

It is also, by far, the most nicely manicured course we have ever seen. I guess we shouldn't have expected anything less.

Since we got home, we have been glued to the TV watching the coverage. It is almost surreal seeing it and talking about it. Being there just makes it that much more interesting to watch.

To see what we experienced, here are our photos.

Would we go back? Yes, in a heartbeat!

Recapture Our Youth Tour

2006-03-18T21:31:00.000-07:00

Following a one baseball game - three rounds of golf outing in Arizona, I have headed off to Florida with three life long friends as part of our "Recapture Our Youth Tour."

So how is this for a week....five spring training baseball games (Yankees-Cards; Jays-Indians; Jays-Phillies, Jays-Reds and Dodgers-Nationals), one NHL hockey game (Tampa - Philly), one PGA Golf Tournament (Bay Hill Classic) and two rounds of golf. Certainly an all time high for sporting activities for me and for my partners in this odyssey.

Back in Phoenix, I was able to see Canada defeat South Africa in the World Baseball Classic. I also got my first golf of the season in and lets say it wasn't the best start. But, hey, its still March and if I wasn't traveling I wouldn't be golfing.

But what I did in Phoenix is nothing compared to what we are doing in Florida. We have a great condo at Clearwater Beach, and are surrounded by college students on spring break. We are trying to jam in as many sporting events as possible and we are succeeding. We have even done a couple events in the same day...golf then baseball at night or baseball in the afternoon and hockey at night.

Does it get any better than that?

We also have done a good job of behaving ourselves...and I know some may find that hard to believe. As proof, we have posted our photo album (updated daily) to show that we have been good boys.

I'm Going to the Masters!

2006-03-01T16:30:00.000-07:00

Well the good news is in; good news for me that is. I am off to this year's Master's in Augusta. This has been a life long pursuit....I have always really wanted to go and never ever made an effort to do it. But this is the year and I can't wait.

I have a meeting in Atlanta that week, and it is a meeting that I can't afford to miss. To make matters troublesome, April 6th is also my 15th wedding anniversary. So I was bound to be in my wife's bad books for this one. But I was able to turn this lemon into lemonade!

I wanted to do something special for my wife for our 15th anniversary, but never thought it would be this. She is a golf fan, and she is pretty excited about this. Through the wonders of eBay, I was able to find some tickets. They arrived on Friday and I have been giddy ever since.

I have taken great joy in showing them off to fellow golfing buddies the past couple of days. Their response to me? Not good. They are jealous. But so what. I am going to The Masters!

The tickets I have are for the practice round for Tuesday, April 4th. I have been told that the practice rounds can be better than the competition rounds on the weekend. The golfers are a little more relaxed and will interact with the fans to some extent. Once the weekend starts up though they are all business.

I can't wait to get there and see all the history, amen corner, the atmosphere, the grass. It will be great.

The Olympics II

2006-02-27T19:41:00.000-07:00

Okay, they are over and some lives will get back to normal. But what an event. Canada did very, very well. There are a lot of special moments that will be remembered, starting with the opening and closing ceremonies which were first class, and then of course Canada's record medal haul.

It is nice to see strong performances from so many Canadian athletes. This sets the stage for 2010 in Vancouver, and hopefully the goal there will be to win the medal count. Wouldn't that be something! We didn't win a gold when the Olympics were in Calgary in 1988, and to be in a position to win it all next time the big event is on home turf would be phenomenal.

Even though there was disappointment with the men's hockey team, these games were a success.
Like in Salt Lake in 2002, the media focus on hockey can overshadow other athletes. But that didn't happen this time. And that is a great thing...these unheralded athletes can get their well deserved recognition and time in the spotlight for their accomplishment.

If anything, the 1988 Olympics in Calgary helped set the stage for our success in Turin. Many of the athletes train here, using the facilities left over from those games. The legacy of those games have set the foundation for future success and account for the pride we feel in our athletes' accomplishments.

The Olympics

2006-02-21T20:26:00.000-07:00

Considering how much I time I have spent in front of the TV lately watching the Olympics, I guess it deserves a post. I have to admit I do enjoy watching the games; moreso the Winter Olympics than the summer...just because I know Canada will do well.

My spouse is glued to the tube and she can't miss a bit of the days events. She constantly is switching back and forth between CBC, TSN & NBC, and that's okay. We cheer ever medal win by a Canadian, and mourn every close result. Maybe the Olympics is one of the few instances where us Canadians show our patriotism and wear our emotions on our sleeve.

Especially when it comes to hockey. It was so nice to see the women's hockey team repeat and win the Gold medal for the second consecutive Olympics. In fact, it wasn't even close. Their domination was phenomenal and it was nice to see their hard work pay off. On a side note, perhaps the best thing to happen to women's hockey was Sweden's surprising upset of the U.S. and their Silver medal. This sport needs more competitive teams (to the U.S. & Canada) and good for the Swedes.

Now to the men's hockey. No need to panic yet, but I think we all would like to see the men dominate like the women and it ain't happening. Men's hockey is much more competitive than the women, but we are still near the top. I know that anything less than a Gold medal will be unacceptable, and maybe that is unfair, but that's the way it is.

The men's hockey team traditionally gets better as a tournament plays on and I hope the same pattern transpires this time. Go Canada Go.

Why Do We Do This?

2006-01-17T11:51:00.000-07:00

So I am lying in bed late last night watching the local news, and they have a report from Paul Martin's visit to Edmonton Centre to shore up support for Anne McLellan.

At the conclusion of the report, they interview a constituent who says "I am so scared of Stephen Harper and if he is elected we will be part of the United States within 10 years!"

I almost threw the remote at the tv! Good thing I didn't because I would have awaken my spouse and she has already displayed an extreme tolerance for my "monitoring" of this election.

So here is why I am upset with that statement.

I am completely disgusted with the Liberals continuing attempts to paint Americans as bad guys in an attempt to win votes. We have seen it in negative ads, statements from the Prime Minister and policy approaches that make no sense, unless you look at it as "good politics."

Yes we have had our disputes in softwood lumber and BSE. Yes, it was inappropriate for the U.S. ambassador to Canada to provide his two cents on the election. But why do we have to stoop to such a low level of trying to make "us" look good, by making "them" so bad? We can do better than that. Don't we have enough confidence as Canadians to focus on ourselves instead of repeatedly knocking down our best friend?

I was on the campaign tour in 1988 when the issue of the day was the Free Trade Agreement. I remember being on the media bus (it was like herding cats!) and we would drive into a community for the next campaign event, and some clowns would pull in front of Mulroney's bus with a bunch of American flags flying out their windows. I also remember "experts" in the trade union movement saying that we would have U.S. flags flying on our legislature and that we would soon be singing the Star Spangled Banner in schools as we would quickly become the 51st state!

Of course they were trying to leave the impression that Canada was going to lose our sovereignty and that we would become part of the U.S. I guess they were wrong then like they are wrong today.

But would the U.S. even want us? Think about it. We have social programs that we can't afford, at times a divisive French-English issue and alienation from region to region. The U.S. has enough of their own problems without wanting to inherit ours.

I have the privilege of working with a group of Americans and they are nothing but first class individuals. Yes there are some similarities between us and yes there are some differences. But bottom line, they all want to be good citizens, provide for their family, be leaders in their communities and treat others with respect.

We know more about them, than they know about us. This is solely because we have easy access to their media and entertainment, where they have little or no access to ours. And for the most part, they see no reason to vigorously follow what is going on here, where we feel we must follow what's happening in the U.S. My guess is the vast majority of Americans have no idea that there is an election in Canada.

So back to the best friends part. Prime Minister Martin now cannot come out and publicly thank the U.S. in the aftermath of the suicide bomber incident in Afghanistan; the one that left a Canadian dead and injured three of our soldiers. Remember that it was a U.S. Blackhawk helicopter that first arrived on the scene; who then transported our injured soldiers to a U.S. hospital in Germany on a U.S. cargo plane.

Paul Martin can't thank the U.S. because he has to save face.

So I will. To our U.S. friends..."Thank You."

Satellite Radio

2006-01-16T14:04:00.000-07:00

I've had this on my mind since September and since we are in the middle of the election campaign, what a great time to comment on this.

I bought an XM Satellite Radio in Phoenix in October. As Canada was not set up for satellite radio as of yet, I used my U.S. address to set up my account. I haven't looked back since.

Let me say that this is the neatest thing! I now have two radios in my account because after I shared it with my spouse, she likes it as well and it was too tough to share one radio. The radio is on our house almost all the time when we are home. It is on all the time in my vehicle. The sound quality is great, the selection and variety is awesome, and the U.S. service is a better value than the Canadian system.

So what's on my mind? The CRTC. Here we have a government agency that is once again dictating entertainment choices that we Canadians can have. It is any surprise that the Canadian Sirius network has all these CBC channels? Well, if I want to listen to CBC, I'll tune in with a standard radio.

For me the intent of satellite radio is to provide more options, more variety, different program than the mainstream. We get that to some extent with satellite radio, but I get the sense that the CRTC justifies their existence by sticking their nose into dictating what is good or bad entertainment for us.

Good quality Canadian programming will do well. The success of Corner Gas is a great example of this. However, to me it would be more important that Canadian programming succeed on its own as opposed to some unelected, unaccountable body implementing and creating artificial rules and standards.

I would like to see the CRTC's perceived role of "telling us what's best for us" reduced and a more common sense argument to the regulating of entertainment in this country. The people will decide; either through legal or grey market options, of what entertainment or programming they desire.

Canada Wins Gold

2006-01-07T18:45:00.000-07:00

After a couple of hectic days of meetings and travels, I was looking forward to watching the gold medal game of the World Junior Hockey Championship. I was in Niagara Falls, all by myself at the hotel bar....and that was just fine.

I had a big screen tv and comfortable couch to kick back, relax and enjoy the game.

Of course, relaxing didn't come into play until the third goal. I was nervous and excited and wanted to see the Russians blown out. It did happen in the end with a 5-0 final score, but I only needed the edge of my seat for the first ten minutes.

The Russians dominated play early on. I think the shots were something like 15-3 at one point. But Canadian goaltender Justin Pogge was outstanding and kept Canada in the game. When Downie scored the first goal, it was a relief and a sign of more good things to come. Best of all, it was good to see the CDN players crash and bang the Russians...that set the tone early and it put the Russians on the defensive.

The non-goal by the Russians was a non-factor as far as I am concerned. I don't think it really would have made much difference. It made for good television though!

I will anxiously await the Turin olympics now. I am predicting a repeat gold medal for both the Canadian men and women's hockey teams.

Go Canada Go

2006-01-03T22:02:00.000-07:00

What would Christmas and New Year's be without the World Junior Hockey tournament. I had to race home from the office today so I could catch Canada vs Finland. After a slow start, Canada pulled away for a 4-0 victory.

I am off to Ontario for meetings tomorrow so I am not sure if I will be able to catch the final on Thursday.

At the start of the tournament all of the experts were predicting that it would be tough for Canada to repeat as Gold Medal winners. It would be great to see them prove these pundits wrong.

If anything, no matter what happens in the final on Thursday, Brent Sutter will be hailed as Canada's most successful Jr. coach ever. Good for him. Nothing better than seeing the legacy of the Sutter family continue.