Sports memorabilia sale set for April 29
Robservations ...
Our annual sports memorabilia sale, benefiting a great cause, is scheduled for April 29 (10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Conexus Arts Centre, Jacqui Shumiatcher Room). All funds generated via the sale will go to the Regina Leader-Post’s Christmas Cheer Fund. If you would like to make a donation — this being a reader-driven event — please call me (306-781-5216) or email rvanstone@postmedia.com.
Before I could even start begging for donations, an all-star human named Rhonda Hipperson was kind enough to visit Leader-Post World Headquarters and drop off several boxes of sports cards. It was very kind of you to help me, Rhonda.
Duron Carter update: His next court appearance is Monday in Winnipeg. The Saskatchewan Roughriders receiver was charged Nov. 25 with possession of a controlled substance after allegedly being caught with more than 30 grams of marijuana at Winnipeg International Airport. The court appearance was originally scheduled for Feb. 15. On March 27, he is to appear in court in Saskatoon regarding a different marijuana possession charge.
Roughriders president and CEO Craig Reynolds told CKRM on Thursday the team will not submit a bid for Mosaic Stadium to play host to the 2019 Grey Cup. The Roughriders want to get settled in their gleaming new facility before submitting a bid, and the logic is sound. Besides, more lead time would be beneficial, anyway. How is it that the league doesn’t know where its marquee event will be held beyond this season?
The Montreal Alouettes could very well become the CFL’s version of the Cleveland Browns.
The NHL’s version? How about the Ottawa Senators? A bad team with a boring style of play and an out-of-the-way rink may soon trade its best player, defenceman Erik Karlsson. And people should continue to buy highpriced tickets, albeit in underwhelming numbers, because — uh — next ...
Earlier this week, each CFL team released the names of 10 negotiation-list players. Why even bother? Instead of tossing out a few crumbs, put the full negotiation lists, which can include up to 45 players, on the league’s website so fans, reporters, players, agents and other interested parties can access up-to-the-minute information on a 24/7 basis. That would be a meaningful step toward the “transparency” of which commissioner Randy Ambrosie frequently speaks.
Josh Donaldson will make US$23 million to play third base for the Toronto Blue Jays this season, after which he can become a free agent. The Jays’ brass is interested in signing Donaldson to a contract extension but, as he recently told reporters, the team and his agent are not “eye to eye” in terms of negotiations. Blah, blah, blah. Donaldson is set for several lifetimes simply by cashing this year’s paycheques. How much money does one person need?
Imagine the outcry among Canadians if a member of the United States women’s hockey team, upon receiving a silver medal, removed it from around her neck.
The Olympic men’s hockey final could have been a showcase for the sport at its highest level. Instead, the patched-together Olympic Athletes from Russia will face that noted hockey power, Germany. Very few people in North America have any reason to care. Well done, Gary Bettman.
Team A loses to Team B in an Olympic gold-medal event. Both teams stand for Team B’s national anthem. Why? It must be an excruciating experience for Team A, especially in the case of a bitter defeat. Why twist the knife? Allow Team A to proceed to its dressing room, or wherever, and then play the national anthem.
Exception: In the event that Fergie is singing the national anthem, Teams A and B should both escape.
After Fergie’s mangling of The Star- Spangled Banner before the NBA all-star game, the world could use some Black Eyed
Peace.
In my little world, “Fergie” will always be John Ferguson.
Nice people who deserve a plug: Don Rice, Kaetlyn Osmond, Kurt Browning, Jack MacDuff, Al Cameron, Ben Hebert, Arielle Zerr, Colleen Jones, Chris Hodges and Sally Elliott.