Winnipeg Blue Bombers Labour Day Classic Countdown vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders

e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e [Music] he [Music] this is Winnipeg Sports Talk daily with Andrew Hustler Patterson and Michael [Music] Remis uh what's going on everyone welcome to Winnipeg Sports Talk daily and Patterson Connor RAB with you we got a very busy show today of course we're going to be all over the Labor Day classic and Tate will join us from Blue bomber HQ before the blue and gold head to Regina for the Labor Day Classic on Sunday afternoon um Darren or uh I should say Scotty bck as well from the Winnipeg Sun gonna pop on we'll certainly get to the Labor Day game and as we are just days away from the kickoff of NFL football Lee hacksaw Hamilton is going to jump by um you know normally Friday heading into a long weekend I am completely fired up and uh ready to crank it out and I certainly am again today but it is done um you know with a uh with an incredible amount of Sadness and Sorrow for the passing of Johnny gdo and his brother Matthew we're gonna get to that in just a minute um I do want to welcome everyone into the program for those of you listening on the podcast thanks to for you to make us a part of your day and uh obviously welcome everyone in that's with us live on YouTube today um for uh what would normally be a very very upbeat and fun show and we will try to get there um but pretty hard to to start off the show without um you know just reflecting on this absolutely tragic news um that I guess started to break late last night and unfortunately was confirmed this morning when most of us woke up uh that Johnny gdo Calgary Flames Legend now star with the Columbus Blue Jackets and his brother Matthew were both killed last night by a drunk driver um the day before their sister's wedding I mean it is just an absolutely unspeakable tragedy and um you know we we'll talk a little bit more about Johnny uh about this uh right off the top of the program and then try and move on and um get back to what we we love to do and that's having fun talking about sports uh but this needless to say is certainly not a uh not a fun topic to get to it all um of course it is Labor Day weekend the new CFL 110 is up if you haven't checked it out please do give us a sub as well while you're at it uh that is brought to you by garage living Winnipeg and we also do want to thank all the sponsors that make our show happen each and every day uh our friends at Princess Auto cool bet Canada ry's trans for Consolidated Supply and Manitoba battery F apparel Canadian Club Wallace and Wallace Akens Lake cine boy Downs the gold eyes Breezy Ben Boston Pizza Little Brown Jug uh the Royal Sports uh by the way all the new uh Turf Traditions gear is out just in time for Labor Day weekend if you want to pick up some of that before the big game or if you're heading out to Regina and of course our friends the beer can and if you are staying in town this weekend there is a great boxing event for charity Sunday afternoon 2: p.m. at the beer can um if you just Google boxing at the beeran it'll take you right to the ticket link it's all in support of a great charity helping the homeless in downtown Winnipeg PanAm place um would be a great way to kick off your your Labor Day classic Sunday by uh having a few cold ones down at the uh at the beer can and then moving on to wherever you're going to to do watch the game goes without saying um and the timing of this I mean there's never a good time for a tragedy like this but um you know as everyone goes out and has their fun on Labor Day weekend and I know we'll be having a lot out in Regina um drinking and driving kills people every single day and one terrible decision can have uh an impact on a family on on so many I mean and this is the perfect example of it that that never goes away and um you know certainly you know personally I think everyone you need to take responsibility for yourself and for others and make those right decisions uh but also in you know in an environment like many of you are going to be in this weekend uh which is going to be big parties and barbecues and you know going out to the bars um you know take care of yourself but also keep an eye out for others because um you know even as a bystander if you can do something to prevent someone grabbing the keys and getting into a car um you can have an incredible positive impact because uh when that doesn't happen um we're often faced with stories like we have to talk about today right out of the program well let's bring in uh my pal Conor rabak and uh Connor needless to say this is I mean a horrible way to have to start the program uh I I don't know about you I was um did I was out out a breezy last night and uh remembering a great friend of uh of mine and so many in Winnipeg Randy shiam with his Memorial golf tournament uh helping odm see that uh event and raising money for the Dream Factory which was uh which was just a wonderful wonderful day um and it was great to see I I had a lot of friends out there that were playing that were having a great time all afternoon I was shocked at how few cars there were in the parking lot because uh I think a lot of people knew get dropped off and they'll grab an Uber they'll find another way home and that's exactly the way um you have to do it when when you're doing that but um it was a it was a great day and I got back I had a later Fantasy Draft last night um I was going I don't know I was on the computer getting ready for the show today and like just after midnight I started seeing you know a bunch of of things about a Johnny gdo rumor and I'm like a rumor at this time of night like what like what what is this what are we talking about here and you know the rumor was the worst I mean that that that he had that he had passed away and I mean there had been no there had been no confirmations but there also hadn't been any denials and it was spreading like wildfire and I mean I could only hope that in today's day and age with the level of irresponsibility frankly that we see a lot on social media that maybe this was just a terrible mistake someone getting a bit of bad information and running with it and like so often it spread like wildfire fire but we weren't really hearing any denials um we weren't hearing any news that would that would go against that and then of course this morning you know you wake up to uh and turn your phone on and um you know the uh the worst was realized just uh um you know hard to put it into words how how tragic this is and I mean listen we as hockey fans um you know loved watching Johnny and what he did and his time in Calgary and of course his time in Columbus um he made an impact on so many and still you know and even despite the way he left Calgary I mean a very very popular player I spent at least two hours this morning listening to the tributes on 960 in Calgary U and just how all those people were going through um but man this is so much more than that I mean uh you know a mother without her husband two beautiful young kids without their father and that's Johnny and of course his brother and I mean that for it to happen their sister was getting married today I mean I I Hon ly don't even know where to start to put it into you know into into words and it's probably will fail at it um you know just talking about the depth of this tragedy how many people are affected but uh uh no way we could start off the program just getting into firing it up uh the uh the B getting out to Labor Day because um this is uh this is a story that far transcends Sports and any particular Market uh market today yeah it's it's an incredible incredibly awful tragedy for so many people people involved and like you said the further you the more you read about it the more you read online about how many people that were there for his sister's wedding how many people this is going to be affecting his family his immediate family um and then all the people you see the the videos of people in Columbus and people in Calgary going to the Arenas and dropping off flowers dropping off hockey sticks autographed jerseys things of that nature paying their respects which is honestly great and and you see the the Twitter post I I saw one from J fretch saying drop your favorite Johnny gdo memory below and it's just people just going on and on about all the not even on I stuff like we can get into the on I success but just the person he was off the ice uh and how many people he affected how beloved he was by the fans both in Calgary and in Columbus uh and I can't imagine what those Columbus fans are going through this is their second player on the team that has passed away in the last three years which is just unbelievable to even think about and yeah last night I saw those rumors start to swirl didn't really want to even think about it so I just went to bed and and hoped that when we woke up it would be uh a mistake like you said but it confirmed the worst and uh yeah awful way to kick off the Labor Day weekend that's that's for sure terrible terrible news uh with the Gad family family yeah I mean uh listen I mean we uh we all sometimes need um reminders of important things uh you know like not drinking and driving unfortunately the reminders often come in the most tragic way and that is it um and and you know listen there were two people in this I mean you know his brother they they had you know and anyone that has a brother I do I mean you think about you know growing up how close you are with them the bond that you have together um the fact that these two were together for such a joyous family event um and losing their lives in this fashion is is something that uh I'm sure the family will never get over they they did have an incredible Bond though both really talented young players Johnny obviously the Phenom um Matthew did end up going on to play uh you know minor league hockey but you know I I was reading some articles today on you know their their path growing up and I mean Johnny's such a unicorn in a lot of ways I mean he is so small he is he's a hockey Savant is what what he is or was uh which is just hard to speak of him in the past tense um but you know they're growing up in the Philly carer in in Jersey there just outside of Philly and you know he was a fourth round pick he had plenty of offers to play in the NCAA um then he and his brother were going to go somewhere together almost as a package deal and Johnny had really deferred to Matthew for like where where do you want to go and you know Matthew then as often Brothers do thinking about Johnny um you know sort of selected the place that he believed was best for Johnny and that Johnny wanted to go to the most in BC and you know they went there he I believe was a finalist for the Hobie Baker um you know early on and then went to Calgary and you know God knows we've had a lot of conversations about guys that are really talented and you always heard the thing oh well they're too small you know what's going to happen to them when they get to the National Hockey League playing against men playing against the biggest well I'll tell you what happened he turned into one of the most dynamic players we've seen in the game and a guy that was uh an immediate fan favorite but he did that by being such an impact player I mean you think about this he you know he he signs a pro deal scores in his first National Hockey League game and then as a 21y old a tiny 21y old scores 24 goals 64 points in his first game and really started a career that was just under a point to game for his entire 763 games in the National Hockey League and there's so many moments of Brilliance of Johnny and you know I in particular think of you know a couple years ago that line with he Matthew kachuck and Elias Lindholm where I believe they all had 40 goals that season um they were the best line in hockey um he he was a plus plus 64 That season just pulling up some of these numbers 115 points um you know was right there with the best in the game um you know at that point in that season certainly that end and his career I think was so inspiring for so many and you know I had done uh I you know when when our station ended and we were starting up Winnipeg sports talk I was working with the guys in Calgary and Pat Steinberg a good friend of mine who has been there for you know pushing 20 years now the host of the Flames broadcast working very well and you know I I got to I had that perspective on the flames you know from someone much like I would have on the Winnipeg Jets that's around the team that's paying attention to every single thing and you know this was around the time when you know it was all about the future of what would happen and you realize just how much Johnny in particular meant to the fans in Calgary and I mentioned the I listened to it this morning there was no talk about you know the unfortunate way that he left or the decision that he made or whatever it was about the memories of the way he brought fans out of the seats and and you know back to him being just such a unique player he was he was inspirational and I'm not sure there's ever been a player um that has connected and resonated with kids so much because in a lot of ways he looked like a kid playing amongst these beasts in the National hockey league and I mean nobody could touch him and I mean he's in a lot of ways Dusty tweeted out a picture from that brick Tournament of I don't know how old the kids are like 10 or something like that and he's this little guy going through everyone he had he had moves and vision at that point that you saw later on in the in the year but he was an inspirational player he was an incredibly productive player um and he was a guy that did things differently than almost anybody else in hockey and you know just and again first and foremost this is about the families and this is about the the personal loss but I'll tell you what this is a huge huge loss for the sport right now uh because he was he was so special and uh he was so much fun to watch even if he was playing against your favorite team and uh and I don't know how the Blue Jackets move forward I mean they will have to but um it uh it is it is I mean it as I said you know there's there's no words for it but I mean this is this is going to impact so many personally um but you know for those of us that kind of follow Sports if you can possibly get past the you know the The Human Side of the individual impacts of it it is uh it's an absolute tragedy for uh for you know for for the for the sport and um you know and hockey in general yeah I just want to second that as someone who you know went through the minor hockey stages while Johnny gdo was in the NHL uh and kind of breaking onto the scene if you were ever a smaller player like like smaller than the average 13-year-old and you were going out there and you were the smaller kid and I often was he would that that was the player that you were watching you were watching his highlights You coaches were pointing to him and saying look you don't have to be the tallest player if you're faster if you're more agile if you have better passing better Vision uh and you know the game better so he was an absolute role model I know for a lot of my teammates growing up playing hockey um and and for people now I mean we're talking about what an incredible career he had he was 31 and Columbus has an incredibly young team right so he could have had a break he could have had an incredible year this year um we just we won't find out and it's an unbelievable tragedy and like you said the way that Columbus moves forward with this I I'm not even sure I mean I'm I'm sitting here thinking of Shawn Monahan too with the Winnipeg Jets he goes and signs with the Columbus Blue Jackets in hopes of playing with his best friend for the next five years years um and then loses him right before the season which is just unbelievable there's so many layers to this um and and it's it's a shame both for the sport like you said and for people who are maybe smaller looking for some inspiration Johnny gdo was always that guy um and and obviously for the families involved it's just it's so so sad yeah you bring up Shawn Monahan and um you know he incredibly was on uh with Pete Blackburn and the guys on a on a hockey show just two days ago um and they were asking him about going to Columbus and he said you know what Johnny Johnny's one of my best friends I'm so excited to to to get there and to play with him and and the other side of it again this gets back to the the just the heartbreaking human side of it is that he said they both had two they both had sons that were just a couple months apart and you know as much as he was excited to to to play with Johnny again he was also so excited to you know be able to sort of raise their raise their kids together and have them grow up together and probably play hockey together and all that and I mean you know as I said I mean I have no I have no idea how you know Johnny uh his wife and their family move forward from this I mean it'll take um you know many people helping out how they end up and I'm sure the Monahans will be there but you know Sean is another one of the people that'll be affected you know probably Forever by this um and again there'll be another day uh to talk about the Blue Jackets and you know what this means for for the team and and the organization and I do feel for for the people there though um you know Blue Jackets fans as well I mean this is you know we you you mentioned that the incident um you know a few years ago with the young with the young goalie um in the was it a fireworks Act accident or something like that and of course Pier Luke duah where is number number 80 um in a tribute um you know listen this Market has had nothing really to cheer for for 23 years um you know it has been ugly on the ice more often than not um they've got a great group of fans that continue to support them um you know you have this other tragedy um and then and then for this I mean I think about the excitement in and around that hockey Market when Johnny gdo who was one of the top players in the National Hockey League shocked everyone and decided to go there as a free agent um and you know hoping that you know a player like that choosing Columbus would be able to push them you know forward into the right direction unless in the last couple years had not been great um but for them to have dealt with everything loving that team and loving their players the way that they do and fans do in every Market to now once again be going and throwing bouquet at the steps of the Nationwide Arena um you know remembering a guy that was um you know such a big part of their squad in the present and for the future um is is is just really really tough and you know the the one thing I think you know I I'd like to sort of focus on when we're talking about Johnny is the incredible things that he did you know on the ice but also off the ice and this was something that really came through today in listening to the coverage at of Calgary or he spent the majority of his career I mean Johnny wasn't a flashy guy off the ice he certainly was on the ice he did some things that nobody could do um but you know I mentioned just how connected he was with kids and there it was just story after Story both from callers from from Pat and some of the other guys on the air that had just been around the team and watched these interactions and there was absolutely nobody that had that connection immediately with kids before he even met them and then the way that he would deal with them the way he would um you know make them feel like they were buddies like right off right like just right after talking to them and and and you know you mentioned you know as a as a younger person you know playing minor hockey when I got like Johnny was out there um you know it it's hard to overstate you know the impact that he had on so many kids playing the game that were probably told that they were too small or you sure that this is the game that you want to play maybe you should do something else and they look at someone like that that not only made it but as we just mentioned was one of the top players in the entire world for uh for an extended extended stretch and you know I think the legacy of Johnny gdo is going to live uh forever I mean and in many different places in Calgary Alberta it absolutely will in Columbus Ohio it absolutely will but then you look at the east coast and I mean both in the Boston area where he played college hockey and was a legendary player uh and of course he's a Philly guy or from New Jersey just outside of Philly which is another area that's got a great hock Rich hockey history um they were so proud of him and he was very proud of being there and I think part of the reason why he left Calgary was to sort of get back closer to home as he became a husband and a father um you know to be able to you know be a little bit more accessible for everyone and around him and obviously that won't be that won't be the case um you know moving forward because unfortunately he's gone and um you know you you just can only hope that you know the uh their family and his wife and particular Has the strength and the support around her um to to do everything they can to to to to move on I mean you can't move past this I mean he's always going to be with them but taking care of I mean the two young children uh that are going to grow up without their father I I'm not sure about Matthew's situation whether he was married or whether he had kids um and then I mean the thing that I just I mean it's even more of a more of a gut punch is to think that today was supposed to be one of the greatest days in that entire family's life their little sister getting married um and instead they're dealing with um they're dealing with the loss and a completely senseless needless 100% avoidable I mean it is tragic because of the effect that it's having on everyone else but this is one terrible decision by someone to get into a car when they were drunk and decide that they were going to oh this is going too slow I'm going to pass someone and mowing down to completely innocent citizens on bikes it's um I this is going to be it's a heavy time for everybody in hockey and everyone connected everyone that just even knew of Johnny goodro and he put a smile on their face playing and it's not going to be like we're just going to get back to work on Tuesday and this is going to be uh done like I think a lot of this season um you know will be dedicated to uh to Johnny and his memory and and back to Columbus I mean you know how they move forward as an organization with so much you know tragedy and tough times um is going to be uh it's going to be really difficult and I think it's going to really lean on the strength of everybody in that organization to uh you know to come together right now and I think the entire Hockey World sort of is coming together um in mour and in memory of uh just such a special special unique player yeah and and you mentioned the the coming together I saw a lot of saw a lot of people in chat as well Phyllis David asland um mentioning that they're going to put their sticks out on their front porch much like when people did that for the Humbolt Broncos um when that tragedy happened but putting hashtag 60 for Johnny uh I saw that going in the chat so that's one way to you know come together sure your support you saw the people at Columbus at Calgary at the stadiums putting the flowers there putting the sticks um everyone's coming together here and showing their support um and Liss had a great tweet today is like the the easiest way for for us to handle this and kind of grieve through this is to share the positive and the favorite moment moments we had of Johnny gdo um it's it's so unbelievably tragic for the family and and the kids and and all the layers that we've mentioned on the show today and uh yeah like you said I think this upcoming season there's going to be a lot of Johnny gdo um tributes uh I wouldn't be shocked to see his number retired in both Columbus and Calgary um as a tribute to that as well um and yeah I'm I'm really interested to see how Columbus and Calgary handles this unbelievable tragedy that uh just popped up here on this Friday well and even the league I mean like we saw the Winnipeg Jets very early this morning amongst many NHL teams you know uh put out a message and a release of you know their sympathies and sorrow the National Hockey League as well um and again it's so fresh for everybody um you know and you know Johnny will be remembered and he'll be I don't think there's any doubt that you know those jerseys will be uh those jerseys will be up in the rafters of both of those buildings um but um you know I just hope that everyone you know spends you know a a moment to uh you know you know reflect on this and you know and if anything um have this be a terrible terrible way to remind everybody going into this long weekend that um you know to uh you know to make wise choices um and you know to be a person that can be a positive influence on others as well um because you know even if it's not you driving if you're getting into a car with someone that's had someone not only are you putting yourself at risk um but you're not doing what you can to prevent the possibility of a horrible tragedy like this so um you know again you know it's it you know you know we will move on and talk about you know much more upbeat topics but I mean there really is one story today in the World of Sports frankly in news if you a hockey fan and it is the uh is the horrible tragic pass passing of the goodro brothers Johnny and Matthew yesterday at the hands of a drunk driver and um we will uh we will certainly this will not be the last we uh we we speak of Johnny um and M remember him but um we will get ready for um and move on to some some more positive topics uh which include what is going to be a very very fun trip and I just will say before we get to this I mean I mean obviously we're heading out to Regina tomorrow I mean the bus is ready to go everyone is all fired up I mean bomber fans are you know gonna have a great time as will the rider fans um but this is this is a long weekend I mean every year you look back at the at the at the numbers at the statistics and unfortunately many people end up being statistics because of terrible decisions um think twice and do whatever you can to prevent these sorts of things happening and um you'll probably never get a reward you'll never know what you prevented but this is the sort of thing um that affects people's lives forever and it is entirely preventable um we are going to talk bombers and Ryder's coming up with Eddie Tate right now um mentioned the CFL 110 is up check it out maybe get it on the Pod for your ride out to a Regina if you're heading out there in the car it is brought You by garage living Winnipeg and Pat and the guys have the push on to get everyone ready for winter and if you're looking to want to have that clean organized garage and revolutionize your space you've still got time to do it before the snow flies you can give patent garage living Winnipeg a call it triple 91234 they are gearing up for a busy fall as the push can is on to get clients booked garages designed and installs complete before winter don't miss your chance to clear the Clutter organize and beautify your garage with polyaspartic Flor coating made in Canada premium metal Cabinetry and slatwall Storage Solutions not to mention options for Lift so you can work on that car or work on that sled in the comfort and most importantly warmth of your beautiful garage living made garage uh check out their website at garag living.com all tons of great uh examples and video of the amazing work 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listeners on both Moving services and moving supplies uh for your next move use the most trusted name in moving for over 60 years in Manitoba ry's transfer find out more requested quote today at ry.com um our friends at Consolidated Supply speaking of busy summer has been great I was actually out at Breezy yesterday uh for that Randy shiam event and uh they're doing some irrigation work and of course they're utilizing services from Consolidated Supply and of course they've got a beautiful new line of golf carts at Breezy all club car from Consolidated Supply as well consulted Supply they're the irrigation experts they've got artificial turf if you're looking for that dream putting green in the backyard and uh they're also the uh the leaders in golf carts both new and used but also hot tubs uh Amazing Outdoor Kitchen options and they're also the leaders in small engine parts and repair you got to go and see them to us see everything they've got at their beautiful showroom 1395 na Aqua Road East pop by and see them and you can also check out everything they've got going on at Consolidated Supply at c.ca and just as we bring in anded Tate a big shout out to the gang Manitoba battery your local One-Stop shop for all of your batter battery needs whatever you need a battery for oh you're going to the lake this weekend you need something for the boat you're going camping you've got the ATV going on everything that you're having fun in the summer Manitoba battery powers that and of course as we get into fall and dare I say winter the best prices on car and truck batteries in town and best part about it you can pop by and see them at their original location on Logan Avenue or on do Court Drive their new one in the south side of the city but they'll also deliver it to you for free any purchase over 60 bucks for Manitoba battery they'll drop it on your door anywhere inside the perimeter and of course they do have the best prices in town beating the pants off the big box stores for all your battery needs pop mine see Manitoba battery or order online at Manitoba battery.com all right well tomorrow morning bright and early many bomber fans are going to be loading up the trucks in our case they'll be jumping on the bus and heading out to Regina for another Labor Day classic and uh I cannot remember a situation where these two teams were so close oh and by the way whoever wins is going to be in first place let's get ready for the big weekend and the game on Sunday with our pal Ed Tate from Blue bombers. comom Eddie thanks so much for doing this H how are you awesome fantastic how are you doing buddy uh I'm great I'm great obviously just shocked about this Johnny gadroon news this morning I mean you know just I mean absolutely horrible senseless um and you know heading into a weekend like this where there will be a lot of rry um it is a uh it is a horrible reminder of making those right decisions when you are out having fun obviously we're going to be on a bus and uh no one's going to be driving out in Regina this weekend but I mean it is something that I think everyone needs to you know take a moment just to to think about your own choices and what you can do to prevent this from happening um that being said uh the matchup for this game is it's so fascinating and I've used this word Preposterous a few times because it was Preposterous to think that this could be a battle for first place three weeks ago but the way everything has broken in the CFL Western Division over this past week despite the horrible 0 and4 start despite two and six this team could be in first place coming back from Regina if they can get a win I mean uh I can't remember scene or a setup for a Labor Day like this in a long time no it's a great setup for this one isn't it you're right hus I was just jotting down some notes before I came on with you you know remember before that back-to-back series with BC everybody was pretty Doom and Gloom around here and and what was ahead for the bombers and to think that this could be for first not just to get back into the playoff discussion in the west says an awful lot about what's happened excuse me not just here in Winnipeg but around the division in the last few weeks BC's lost five in a row after five- one start Sask 04 and one in their last five Calgary's lost two in a in a row Edmonton's lost one they're three and one in their last four but you talk about the the defense the rest of the division I should say just kind of stagnating or or falling while Winnipeg got its traction again it's really interesting how the story is has changed so quickly because I think we thought after that BC series that this would be a critical series coming up the Labor Day classic and the banjo Bowl just to get back on the hunt but here we are talking about possibly first place and if Winnipeg was to sweep these next two games that'll be another team that they've already won the season series with including BC and Calgary so it's nuts but again that's part of the beauty of this league isn't it well it sure is and you know I mean because of the tie that Saskatchewan has I'm not sure that the season series will really be impa mean it would take the bombers having a tie to actually have to go to a tiebreaker um but listen it's head-to-head I mean listen they have the opportunity to be in first place they won't need a tiebreaker if they win this football game tkatch would be 5 six and one the bers would be six and six and as you mentioned they've got it on Calgary they've got it on BC and they have yet to play the Edmonton Elks um we almost we almost had a very different conversation around bomber land this week um last Friday this team especially in the second half the offense sort of struggled but then when the chips were down and they had one more opportunity to get it done Zach keros leads the team the length of the field for a late touchdown and the bombers grab Victory from the jaws of defeat what I listen this was no Picasso by any stretch of the imagination however the clutch nature of the way they won that football game I think does bode well for the team moving forward I mean what are your takeaways from that game eded and um maybe from that how you think that could you know affect them in similar situations later on I certainly think I'm I'm sure around practice and Zach's the first one to say going to need to take care of the football better and and and have the offense at a better level if they expect to beat a very good sukatan team on the weekend yeah so first of all you're right about the narrative changing because of that one drive at the end of the game because if they had lost a Hamilton man be right back to square one in a lot of ways around here right um that drive was really impressive I'm not one of those guys that thinks that momentum can carry from one game into the next you know the bombers had so much momentum going into the the Hamilton game last week against the the worst team on paper in the league and really struggled to get it done but that last Drive was very impressive for all kinds of reasons this offense has struggled its last on the league in a lot of categories the most important ones in scoring touchdowns Red Zone productivity's been poor but when it mattered most uh There Was You Know Z throwing it to dempy throwing it to or Brady running Zack running for first downs and then at the end of the game finding Kenny Lawler for the touchdown that was a massive play uh for all kinds of reasons but I think it just proves to this offense that they can get it done when it matters they got to do it a lot more it's been really a problem area and if they want to make some noise in the in the last part of the Season here that offense has really got to get going but there was so much to take out of that last Drive in the play of Zach most of all you know we look at his numbers this year uh his passing numbers are poor but the the one loss record is good and that's that's his that's his game right there and I think if they're gonna again if they're going to go anywhere in the second part of the Season here number Eight's got to be great like he was at the end of that game against Hamilton um H how um I mean you're around the team on a daily basis um I know was he was the birthday boy this week and he was serenad by his teammates and uh he proba had a cupcake waiting for him in the in the locker room or something afterwards but um you know how is Zach handling this because I listen he has set the bar so high in this city and with this football team um and you know when you win at the rate that Zach has expectations are and listen he's a very highly paid player well compensated it it all comes with the territory um it seems like the team has really sort of turned it around certainly the offense has been playing better and we've seen glimpses of it but tell us about like you've been around him how is Zach handling the fact that his numbers aren't where they've been before and focusing on what they need to do to beat the Saskatchewan ref Riders which is no easy task especially on Labor Day it's interesting you say that hus because uh that came up this week and Drew walleri talked about how Zach has been so levelheaded even through the O and4 start and here's a little kind of story about Zach being levelheaded and kind of putting this all in perspective so he spoke to the media on Tuesday when it was his birthday and you know he talked about how uh how much gratitude he has his wife and his daughters were at practice like coach O'Shea invites players to bring their families to practice and they can run on the field with their to be with their Dads after practice so he spoke about gratitude for that and then so that was his birthday uh Monday and Tuesday at the naaka golf Country Club they had a a golf tournament and then a couple of Banquets to raise money for the bombers amateur football program and so Tuesday uh it was Zach's birthday and we had a function that night I had to do a hot stove with uh uh Adam bigo Wade Miller and Zach claros who gave up his the rest of his evening on his birthday to be there to kind of rub shoulders with some people that were helping raise money and I I think that says an awful lot about how he's handling it but just Z Claris the the the person and the player too so um look he's obviously frustrated when he looks at those numbers and I I think he knows that they'll get better um you know but we also have to look at again and I'm not making excuses but if you don't think that not having Dalton shown for most of this season has been a factor you're kidding yourself same with Kenny Lawler being out for a long stretch and if you look at that last game against Hamilton Stanley Bryant's out after four snaps uh you know they lose Gabe Wallace who had come in you know you had Kendall Randolph moving from guard to tackle Pat newel's not playing so that's basically three uh players who would be getting a lot of reps on their old line out of the game and they still got it done so uh I I think the the world of the guy I think he's a tremendous leader he's still got all kinds of respect in that room and he's also probably the most competitive guy in that room so he wants those numbers to get better most of all he wants more wins so don't think he won't be fired up for Sunday and Beyond well uh you mentioned the win um you know despite all the conversation about where Zach's ranking among CFL quarterbacks the one number that Zach wants on Sunday is a tick in the win column everything else is going to be secondary and however this team can get a win uh I'm sure we'll be fine with Zach and we'll sure be fine with mik oay um what are the B fers need to do to win this football game on Sunday Ed well you mentioned Zack it's an interesting thing I just looking at the game notes us if he wins on Sunday he'll have his seventh Labor Day classic win and that would include his time in uh Hamilton that would make him the all-time leader in the CFL history for quarterbacks among wins more than Bernie filon and Danny mcmanis Daran Durant so that's pretty cool company uh as to your question about what they need to do we kind of touched on it already they've been poor in in the red zone in the score zone they've got to figure out a way to get more productivity uh and that sounds so basic but they've been settling for a lot of Sergio Castillo field goals in that game against Hampton I think there was like a 14 yard field goal there was an interception in the score zone that Zach threw that I don't know what happened on that play but it just either was a bad throw or a miscommunication and I talked to Kenny Lawler about this uh this week hon they're still making uh the the occasional assignment mistake in the scor Zone uh and those things are are critical right you can't have one guy running the wrong road and and getting two guys in the same area and that leads to an interception or a bad throw or a Miss block or whatever it is they got to clean that stuff up because uh you know I listened to your show with uh with Jeff Hamilton earlier in the week and you guys were talking with the bomber defense it's really come on I've got a story coming up later today on Jordan younger the the defensive coordinator and and his first year in that role you really like what they've done their kick cover units have been great that you know they could use a spark on in the return game maybe lucky Whitehead can provide that but first and foremost for me is this offense has got to get uh on on track because it's been at the beginning of the year you would have said that this unit was going to score 30 35 points a game because they had that much potential and as we've seen it just hasn't been that way so far this year I still think it can get there but uh Sunday would be a good time to start well and I'll say this for the offense I mean even and with a decimated offensive line and we get to sanley Bryant in just a second I mean they still have been running the football um very well I mean Brady olera is at the top of his game he's the top ranked running back in the league and I mean he has just been eating up opposing defenses and and that I'm sure will be a big part of the bomber uh attack on Sunday um I think they'll also look to try to mix in some more explosive plays but most importantly not turn the football over and early on in the year you know it was some very uncharacteristic fumbles I mean um you know from players like Nick demsky and Brady olivea that seems to have been cleaned up obviously last week it was some unfortunate picks from Zach keros but ball security I'm sure Michael Shay not that he needs to but has been reinforcing that all weekend long the defense is going to need to step up and play and then if you can get a little bit more from the offense uh through the air I think that's set up to be that that well-balanced bomber team that we've seen for years here in Winnipeg and has been a real key to why they've been that why they have been so successful um a lot of it starts on the offensive line and last week uh at the beginning of the game was a very very scary moment I think for everybody in Princess Auto stadium with Stanley Bryant going down getting up and then being down again for one of the longest injury timeouts I can remember um and it's seems like what we've heard from mik o Shay and the organization that this was pretty much best case scenario I know many of us myself included were worried that this could be something far more serious um but mik o Shay said that um he's expecting Stanley Bryant to play maybe give us a quick update on what you know about Stanley um and then big picture just how much of a force he is on that team and how different things RF 66 isn't out on the line protecting Zach yeah so it's been a weird week for for us being able to get eyeballs on the team hust Tuesday they practiced and he wasn't on the field Wednesday he wasn't on the field yesterday was closed and today they're not practicing that's the kind of the what they do in these longer weeks now between games so the the only update I have for you on Stanley Bryan is that the team is still hopeful he'll play like I mean the guy like Stanley Bryant he doesn't need the practice we've heard that before from coach O'Shea on some of hiset vetan players but if if anybody does not need the practice and can just put on his helmet on game day it's Stanley Bryant um I don't think Zack clar's talked about this this week I don't think uh enough people understand that Stanley might be the most popular and most respected guy in that locker room he's got this uh ability to laugh at himself uh and not take himself too seriously even though he's the you know and and in this town it's it's kind of saced to say something sometimes but he's the greatest lineman in CFL history and that's I think Chris WBY might even say that he's got the hardware to prove it um Chris Walby is from from my era too it's an old school player and dominant dominant dominant they're not the same and that Chris WBY would just physically Maul people and he could be a good technician Stanley's just technically so sound and so consistent so if you take him out of the lineup we're talking about maybe well the greatest left tackle in CFL history that's massive and that's massive for Zack karis's Comfort level too uh but you know I thought Zach reminded a lot of people including myself just how uh respected and loved Stanley is in that room and so you take him out I thought Kendall Randle you know given the circumstances held up in in the game over Hamilton in the win over Hamilton is asking a lot for a guy to go from the right side of the o line at the guard position to the quarterback's blind spot at at the tackle position now he's played some tackle he did play some tackle at Alabama but that's a big ask in a game and he had his struggles and he took a penalty but you know he when it mattered most on that drive he was awesome so most of this week hust it's been still Kendall Randol at that left tackle spot because of Stanley hasn't been practicing and then uh MAA vanterpool who's been here since the beginning of uh training camp he's a big big dude out of Hawaii they him but he's taken most of his work at guard he's getting a lot of work too this week because Pat newfeld still not practicing so if Stanley can't go on Sunday obviously that's a major major deal uh and and it'll be good to see uh have Kendall Randol get all those reps this week at tackle but you're talking about the greatest of all time to a guy that's making would be making his first start at left tackle in the Liberty classic that's a significant drop off well you know I I often refer to Stanley as one of the one of the real pillars of this organization um and you know I've often made you know over the years the argument that the Andrew Harris free agent signing by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers might be the most impactful free agent signing in CFL history I mean certainly in bomber history you know with what he did what he brought that winning attitude what he did off the field as well I mean there were so many angles to Andrew coming here from BC and what he ended up doing and helping build which was a championship team and a championship Foundation the one other guy that I would put in that conversation is Stanley Bryant and you know the offensive line does not get the sort of attention in our Fantasy Football World and showing highlights I mean it's the guys getting the touchdowns it's the big plays it all starts there and when you think about it Ed I I'm sort of arguing my with myself here but when Kyle Walters took over this football team there were two things that they needed to do they needed to improve their Canadian talent and they needed to find a way to not get their quarterback killed every night and he went and signed St he went and signed Stanley Bryant and that was the Catalyst to turning that entire entire group around and I'm sure if you talk to mik O Shay and everyone that knows this game and the insides and outs that's been on the inside the bombers winning the line of scrimmage has been the basis of their success for a long time that is where it all starts and Stanley Bryant is the guy that really did start at all and you add in the fact that other than when the team is clinched their by and just okay you guys can have the night off he's never missed a game in nine years as well um to me as much as Andrew Harris did a lot off the field as well and just turning the perception of the team around and giving that attitude I think Stanley Bryant is right there um historically for the Winnipeg Blue bomber and if he's able to after that scary scene last Friday get back into the lineup with his teammates I think it'll be incredibly inspirational for everyone there and uh and just frankly this team's a hell of a lot better and a hell of a lot more dangerous when he is out there projecting Zach Kos and opening up some holes for uh for Brady yeah you're you're preaching to the choir on on Stanley for me hus you know in this league people always talk about you gotta have a good quarterback and you got to have Canadians and so that that was a problem before Stanley got here he'll tell you that his first year with the uh with the bombers 2015 he wasn't good enough and so he really concentrated on getting better and and I don't think there's any coincidence that from 2016 on this team's been a double digit win season seasons and been in the playoffs all the time won a couple championships and it's been the left tackle that's anchored that you know if you you talk to NFL people or college people they'll say uh that you know you got to be good at quarterback you got to be good at left tackle you got to be good at safety middle linebacker and have a shutdown corner and the bombers have that um uh but Stanley has been such a consistent force uh in this league for so long people forget too that uh when he left Calgary he had been Calgary's top offensive lineman too so the for the fact that they let him go was a strange one the stamps don't make many personnel decisions like mistakes like that but they did there and it's to Winnipeg's benefit abs absolutely a massive massive uh free agent signing you mentioned Andrew Harris it's right up there with that there's you know there's a lot of other guys in this turnaround that have been part of that too Justin Medlock Nick dempy all kinds of guys like that that that that came in free agency uh but Stanley's I mean they they can start designing his bus for the Hall of Fame already right because he's a slam dunk for going in there uh on he'll be a first ballot Hall of Famer uh and so if he's back Sunday you're right hus that would be emotionally a huge lift let's put it this way if he's on the plane tomorrow guys would be jacked up so uh it's just a you know you're right o linman don't get a lot of love but Stanley Bryant deserves a whole ton of that for just for his career in the CFL well um and listen speaking of guys being able to play um the team did get some good news it looks like Drew wotar is back and ready to come off the uh the the six game and Adam big hill as well full participant in practice which is great news I mean if both of those guys are good to go and they have Stanley Bryant in we know Dalton Shan isn't going to come back there's still a few other guys but this will be as healthy as I think the team will pretty much have looked since about week two that's a good point um you know uh biggie went down on that win over BC a couple of weeks ago and I thought it looked like it might be a longer term than than it was so for him to be back is pretty impressive uh Drew alari doesn't get enough credit for some of the dirty work that he does uh and it's not just blocking and and and getting open and converting second downs and stuff like that he's he's become a leader in that locker room too and an important voice there so if you want I was watching him during the game the win over Hamilton and he's on the bench and you know a lot of guys when they're not dressed are just kind of watching and be in there and we'll go over and give a guy a pat on the back he's onto the field like a coach sometimes uh celebrating with his teammates or uh you know congratulating them or putting an arm around their shoulder after a bad play he's an emotional guy too and uh they can use a a a healthy dose of that going into the Labor Day classic because it's an emotional game and you're GNA have guys like uh Pokey Wilson and Josh Johnson and and uh a lot of these new guys that have not played in a game like this before uh not the Labor Day classic before so it's it's going to be fun and getting a guy like that to back that can be a calming influence could be really important for the bombers too well it uh I mean listen the stage is set for what is going to be an amazing amazing evening in Regina on Sunday not a ticket to be had a fully sold out building much like we saw last week here in Winnipeg exactly like we'll see next week for the rematch here in uh in Winnipeg for the banjo Bowl um I know there's a lot of bomber fans that are making the trip and Ed I mean a battle for first place in this game considering how back and forth It's been in the Labor Day classic over the last six seven years I don't think we could have a better setup for what should be an amazing amazing weekend uh hopefully I might cross path with you in Regina over the next couple days my friend uh travel safely out there and uh thanks again for your time just give a quick uh nod to uh what you and the team have coming up at Blue bombs.com as we get into the biggest game of the regular season well Labor Day classic is different for our content team we're sending everybody out there so all our photographers and video guys are going some of them are going by car you know to to to document the people stopping and Brandon and the people uh uh coming across the border at the Saskatchewan sign and and uh I've seen that before where people get out and that's where they have to go to the bathroom on that long drive sometimes that's the spot that they pick um so we're we're g to do it upright uh with our whole con team out there um and it's going to be fun so it it'll be neat to have some of the guys that don't get to travel a lot alongside with us and I thought off the top hot that you had a real important message this will be my 35th Labor Day game and I'm like a lot of fans I've had a lot of fun at these things and uh but please please please they have Uber there they have uh cabs in Regina and it's not a big city you can walk to and from a lot of places if you're driving out there park your car at the hotel and do the rest on foot or through Uber because that Johnny G story is too sad not for us to think about that when we have those kind of decisions to make no that Amen to that Ed this is a weekend about um having a the biggest party on the Prairies I mean the manitobans with the Saskatchewan fans and it is it is so much fun on the Saturday you know having a great time in the in in the park on Sunday but um all of that becomes completely meaningless uh with a bad decision uh and you know we're we're spending a lot of time talking about it today we don't want that to happen um in Regina next week in the banjo bowl or ever so uh let's have a hell of a time this weekend in Regina uh but let's do what smart leave the keys leave the car at home and uh let's support the Uber drivers of Saskatchewan on the weekend and uh hopefully come back in first place talking about mik o Shay being able to pass bud R to the banjo bowl at home I can't wait for it and have a safe trip out there and we'll look forward to seeing you in Regina right on appreciate you having me on hust have a good day good stuff there it is always great chat with Ed Tate cannot wait for this trip and this game of course 6m on Sunday is kickoff here in Winnipeg five o'clock in Regina all obom reports brought to you by Princess Auto Stadium Princess Auto Stadium will be empty this weekend but it is going to be rocking next week for the banjo bow not a ticket to be had if you're lucky enough to have banjo bow tickets make sure to get out early two hours before kickoff for the Princess Auto tailgate Zone $5 beers 350 popping hot dogs inflatables for the kids it is going to be a zoo before the game but um you know max out your game day experience at Princess Auto Stadium by getting out there beforehand and of course Princess Auto huge sponsors of the bombers proud supporters of ours headquartered founded right here in Winnipeg with two locations to serve you Panet Road Portage Avenue West you can always shop online 247 365 at princess auto.com uh while we're going to do it responsibly I know there's going to be some Canadian Club being enjoyed by bomber and Ridder fans this weekend Canada's favorite Canadian whiskey is the official Spirit of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers you can get it throughout Princess Auto stadium and of course at your local Manitoba Liquor Mars but if you're maybe looking to change it up for your tail from uh the beer you normally drink czecho Canadian club and ginger ale premixed cocktail in cans available at liquor Mars with all of your favorite Canadian Club products and it's also available at your local beer vendor the next time you pop in there as well uh if you're looking to change it up a bit this weekend get the Great Taste of CC and ginger premixed in cans when you go to your local beer store um one thing I know you don't want to be doing this weekend is spending your time building a fence if uh you've got the need to build a fence let the experts at Wallace and Wallace take care of that 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amazing selection of men's wear accessories if you are getting married or in a wedding party any point in the future make sure to talk to the guys at F about a 15% discount when the gang gets their suits at F aaro they're at 190 Smith Street downtown find out more online or make it appointment to come in for a fitting at F that's e p apparel.com all right I think we've got Scotty bilck here ready to go let's uh welcome Scott into the program Scott great to have you on the show today dude um listen I mean we'll get to the the bombers and riders in a minute I mean Connor and I spent the first half hour uh be remiss if uh just didn't get your thoughts on the absolutely tragic passing of Johnny gdo and his brother this morning um it is a it is a story that has rocked the Sports World and much more and is gravitating uh not even just here in North America really but you know with a guy that was such a special player that made such an impact lost in such a senseless fashion yeah I mean I think you said it there just absolutely tragic and I guess I would add 100% preventable right I mean that that's the thing that I think saddens people pisses people off about it it's like it's not you know like I don't know it's really hard to kind of put words to it without like really seriously F drunk drivers right like I mean that's just it's it's it's ridiculous it it it's prevent like every other drunk driving death out there they're all 100% preventable often times they end with in tragedy that doesn't really it doesn't really affect the person that that did it I mean that this is the thing about drunk driving it's like I mean those people are the ones that often survive the accidents right I mean it's just the way that your body is while it's inated and all that and I just I don't know man I'm it's such a sad day for the NHL like the hockey world it's a sad day right I remember that the last time that we went through this I think was again with Columbus and and Kel navit which after the the accident with the with the fireworks a couple years ago three summers ago I think three yeah three summers ago now and I don't know man like I mean what what a talent that we lost in hockey um what a good human like I mean I I don't know I don't know Johnny goo that well I mean the only times I've really ever talked to him when he either he would come through town or or when I was in in other cities where where where he was obviously Calgary being the the big one but I mean he just he just a Pro right I mean I think that's the best way you can say it I mean the guy would sit there and stand and talk hockey um for however long you wanted to and that's sort of reminded me if I had anything to say that I knew he sort of reminded me a little bit of Sid Crosby uh who would sit there and and and and and chat with you about hockey for long past when you know the pr guys be like oh now you're done or whatever right and it's just like no like that guy like Johnny would sit there and chat with you about anything so I think that's the yeah I mean you lose just a tremendous person and then you lose a great hockey player and I remember a few seasons ago where he was a part of that really dominant Calgary line and so yeah it's um yeah it's just it's unbelievably sad and and unbelievably uh aggravating right because it just didn't have to happen and instead it ruins his family I mean it you it just ruins a lot of people's you know his sister was getting married today right I don't know if that's still going forward I who knows right like what do you do I mean what do you do right and so just an yeah just abs like you said absolute tragedy and and yeah again 100% And it always is 100% preventable yeah and you know again we've kind of said this a few times and we spent the entire kind of first half hour of the show kind of kicking this around myself and Connor and you know you you get emotional because as you mentioned I mean you get angry um you get you like knowing that um you know it is it would be it's so simple to make a different choice that you know that saves lives I mean that straight up saves lives and I don't know how they move on I mean we were mentioning I was watching that Monahan interview with Pete blackfern yesterday about how excited he was to be playing with playing with Johnny again and raising their kids together they're just a few months apart and all that's broken from uh from it and and you know just you know for for a minute on the H on the hockey side of things you mean he was named Johnny hockey he was I mean he was just such a unicorn I mean there are a few smaller players but I mean I I referred to him he was a hockey Savant he thought the game steps ahead of everyone else I mean to be able to be the size that he was and succeed at the level that he was um you know he had to be an incredibly special player and he did so many amazing things in Calgary um you know the the one goal that stands out for me I mean he was a clutch guy too I mean that double OT winner in the playoffs against Dallas a few years back with that I mean and again it just speaks to the way that he thought the game I mean that wasn't really a place that you would even consider like a high danger scoring chance it was way to the side but he understood the way the goenda you got it in and um you know he uh I mean the entire City of Calgary is just devastated right now as you can imagine and and to your point about Columbus I mean this franchise um the the people there in that area that support it so much well you know what honestly it um you know I mean I don't know if people believe in that sort of stuff or not but I mean now to lose two players in the offseason in this fashion combined with their lack of success it's um yeah I mean uh heartbreaking for all those people but they would trade every win um you know to have Johnny back and you know just seeing all those uh wreaths and flowers being placed down at the ranks in Calgary as well but also at Nationwide Arena never mind beu and in Philly in that Jersey area where he grew up I mean this is a story that just is impacting so many people and it all comes back to the fact that it just did not have to happen this way yeah I mean the thing about Johnny grudo it's like he's not like I think we would have talked about Johnny grud after after his career ended in his own way on on his own terms we would have talked about him being sort of like he's sort of like Martin St Louis but without like having to be the physical guy but you could still be that that F I think he was like 59 right and that might that might even have been generous at times but I mean was 59 like 160 pounds yeah exactly and then then he won the Hobie Baker which is I mean you know you think of all the guys who have won the Hobie Baker over the years um you know some of them have gone on to to be very very very good nhlers and then get to the NHL and do what he did like that this was sort of his thing like he he was just very good being a small player like he he embraced that he had to right I mean if you wanted to make it good at that size you sort of have to embrace your size and and learn how he was a legit star in the National League EXA exactly exactly exact and that's the thing that's like this guy he again I think again there's going to be so much said about Johnny gudo now way too prematurely than it should have been but I think he's the type of player for small players of this generation to look up to and be like hey like I can do it I can be you know whatever it is 170 pound soak and wet in 5 foot n and and have not even just have a career in the NHL but have an All-Star worthy career to have you know like you think he's he had 100 Point 150 Point Season three years ago you know it's goals best in hockey and you were saying all this stuff now and you know you say it now and it's like why wouldn't we saying it before but it's like I think you wait wait till the end of the career to like hey like this is a guy who's who really was able to kind of you know kind of chart a path for for a certain type of player and yeah I think he's done it and you know just like this is a guy who left Calgary but you Calgary he went to Columbus right wasn't like this guy didn't chase money elsewhere he didn't chase he he went for family reasons I believe it was in the and and and really wanted to make the Columbus team better and then you think of yeah you said it too you know you think of Shawn Monahan and why he signed in Columbus well one of the reasons why is to reunite with his teammate that he had from in Calgary uh and and who really formed an incredible partnership there um during the early seasons of of at least of Johnny's career and so yeah I don't know man I mean it's you just there's nothing that you can say sometimes to try and just keep it sort of family friendly but uh yeah and it's just it's it's just tragic right it's just it's just it's one of those days that never should have happened and the last thing I thought about when I woke I was I was up at 7: a. this morning that's when you started to see some of the the tweets trickling because I think this was sort of out there last night but well yeah like I saw a buch you never know right well and you know I mean listen because of the nature of the rumors we're just praying that this is the worst of social media that someone has heard something and has got it wrong with it yeah I remember thinking back to Kobe about the same thing you're like oh did that you know like oh come on they're just saying that and one the greatest basketball players ever yeah it's crazy crazy day yeah I mean this one just again it just I think this one just stings more because of how it happened I know everything's alleged and all that stuff and whatever um but the way that it it is alleged to have happened that just makes it all the worse because it's it's like you said you said senseless I you know I I I say preventable I mean all those things right all the superlatives you know like that it's yeah it's just brutal just brutal well and criminal and um have no doubt I have no doubt that you know like you know as much as you know this guy's ruined his life too um that has done that you know in addition to I mean yeah it was never going to be the same so yeah um you know you you don't like to I mean you never like to have to have these conversations and remind people about it but um you know if if this doesn't resonate with you um and I don't I don't know what will I'm just by the way I mean I know TMZ thanks to Joel kevinson um said that the the wedding was canceled I mean I there's no way I could see I thought about that this morning I was I was having a shower like that was my shower thought today was like what do you do if you're because you planned this whole thing and you know if you think about it it's probably like you Johnny would proably and his brother Matthew would probably want you to go forward with but how do you how do you even get into the right head space or there'll be another day there'll be another day for that it's just ridiculous yeah um hey uh let's uh I mean let's uh move on as much as you know we and everyone has to you know with Johnny and our thoughts um um how are you feeling about the bombers going into a Regina on Sunday man I'll tell you what I mean yeah let you know if we're going to change the subject here it's been an interesting it's been I think so you know we talk about Labor Day and often Labor Day in at least in the past like they they're big games right but they're not necessarily um standing altering games or that sort of thing and I think I mean well whatever I mean in the locker room three days this week and yesterday especially and I think there's a there's a I would call it a healthy anticipation for this game in that dresser room because these guys know and and even Michael Shay said yesterday because I asked him and it's like you know you'd hope or he'd say you know You' think a lot of our guys wouldn't be able but it just it is the way it is this is a first place game it's a massive game um it would put you know if the bombers can win this game it sort of puts them in the driver's seat Well it does it puts them in the driver's seat and and then you when you're coming back to the Bano bowl next week um and and and you'll have a chance to win not only you know put your three points ahead of of of of Zas scaton because they have that extra tie point right now um but you would also win the season series with them with with with the writers as well so yeah it's a uh you I think that the feeling was palpable I would say in that dressing room when we were in it yesterday because I think and talking as you know I talked to Willie Jefferson demsky guys who've played on both sides of this this thing I think they just just this extra sort of there's that that extra carrot there's that extra sort of motivation to go into Saskatchewan and a win would mean a lot for for the bombers in terms of their season getting back to 500 but also just you know the where it puts them how it sort of solidifies their you know incredible sort of you know turnaround let's say in the last month month or so um and and it comes on you know arguably the well outside of the gray cup weekend the most important or the most the most I don't even got the word right now it's the biggest weekend in in CFL football outside of outside of the great cup weekend and uh yeah it's uh it's it's I I hope it's a good game and I think given how I you know I think you this team was looking to build off that late Drive I mean the obious offense wasn't obviously that good last week um but they got the job done when they needed to and I think the defense is hungry to get back to more the way they they were able to throttle BC instead of you know giving up 23 to one of the you know to the worst team in in the league but um yeah I think they I think a lot of guys know exactly what's up for play this year and it's more than just you know your annual bragging rights and trying to go in there and and that's big enough as it is for a lot of these guys we' always seen in the past no matter where these teams are um in the standings like that that never really mattered because these games were so tight and so close and so but yeah I think there's yeah there there's a there's a everybody's aware of what's up for Stak this is it's a one and0 week because the bombers always like to say but uh you know one as exactly and and and and and you just talk to players they they can't they just they just can't sort of hide that this one right this is one of the ones where you know as as professional as cultured this room is and all that they know that this is a this is a huge week because it it sends a huge message if if you can go in there kind of get back at them for the 19 to9 loss uh earlier this year in a game which you arguably the bomber should have won and uh yeah obviously those bragging rights in in Regina are always a always a big thing do you see I mean you mentioned the 199 game I mean a total of 28 points I'm just looking I mean the total for this game is 47 and a half far lower than the others I think back to other Labor Day games and we've had plenty of 229s 20 17 are you expecting you know a lower scoring tight game between these two clubs that I mean to me I think if that is the way that this goes and I think with both of these defenses playing I think that's highly likely to me I think this game turns on who takes care of the football better and that hasn't been something the bombers have been great with earlier in the year the fumbles have sort of stopped but of course it was picks last weekend I mean to me I think if you tell me one team wins the Turnal I'll tell you that team's winning 95% of the time yeah and and I mean Mikela made a good point well not a good point but he re readdressed I don't know he reiterated the point that the reason why you know the sole reason why the last game you know the film that they looked at and all that solely was just on ball security right I mean there was just too many fumbles it wasn't I think Z threw one pick in that game um yeah he did he threw that one pick when they were in the scoring Zone I want to say it was in the second in in the Red Zone uh I think it was the second quarter but either way a big play and that was a big play because again and then you have the demsky fumble which was probably the most egregious especially when they could have taken the lead with that one so yeah it's just it's this is a I don't even think Sergio was that good in that I think Sergio missed at least one in that game too so it was it was an off game for for the bombers on all sides of the ball really I mean and but we say that that was also one of their best defensive games of the year to that point um I think they gave up one touchdown in that game the rest for field goals um and and so that was one of the you know the defense was starting to starting to figure it out um at that point and now I mean where we see the defense now it's hard to think that that they're going if this is going to be a high-scoring game at bomber's defense um even when that in a pretty you know not not a very good game against Hamilton last week they still only allowed 23 um and they took the ball away and so you're right like I think it's this is just the bombers if the bombers are going to get to the next step this year and and I think that one of the biggest things that's held them back I mean outside of their offense but if you even look at a lot of the reason why the offense has been held back at times it's been interceptions poorly thrown balls or fumbles uh right and and key in really in key situations because this is the team it the bomb no other team has as as few offensive touchdowns I believe it's 16 this season uh than the bombers I mean if you look at and you would say okay well this doesn't mean a whole lot because Edmonton's the top team with I think 34 offensive touchdowns this year and they're still in uh in last place in in in in the west so it's just uh but you know the thing that's holding the back of this team is been all the uncharacteristic turnovers and this is a team that used to do be so good at this and this here I mean you know a lot of things have changed and guys have gone out and and they've been really playing short-handed especially at receiver um but so it's you know with the offense not being as as prolific as it has been in the past these mistakes have really kind of Mag been more magnified because of it so yeah I mean I think this game is definitely I would take the under for sure um and I think it's just because both teams have pretty good defense and yeah the offenses on both teams just isn't they aren't very good right I mean I think they both teams have the possibility of popping off in in a game like this of course um but I mean yeah I wouldn't I wouldn't be betting my money on that's for sure yeah I I mean uh I think both defenses are going to be ready to roll I think the like Trevor Harris Trevor Harris looked so good against Montreal two weeks ago and that was the game that Brett Laur just essentially choked for them and I do think the narrative around the Riders would be a heck of a lot different if he just has an average game and if he has an average game they win that comfortably that you know we wouldn't be talking about a team that hadn't won in a month and a half um because they played Montreal really tight in both of their games and ended up on the wrong side of it um but again I still have a lot of respect for that defense migan I mean Milligan's in the mix for the mop right now frankly at this point of the year but their Rush defense is not maybe where their pass defense is and assuming that Stanley Bryant's going to be in there which is a big thing but even when he was out like Brady is still been running the football and getting his like seven eight yards a carry I think it's gonna be a heavy dose of Brady and if they can establish that early on I really do think that opens things up for Zach and I do think Zach will be a little bit more comfortable I mean listen he's comfortable in any scenario right now he's been there before as Ed mentioned he could be the winningest Labor Day quarterback ever a win um but getting Drew lari back I think is sort of another thing that like he's not a guy that's going to be going 90 yard touchdown passes but he is sort of a security blanket for Zach which will help him move the move the football and I think that might open things up a little bit more for Kenny Lawler and certainly for Nick dempy who's had a lot more room since 89 been back yeah I I think it it can be understated hus like how important it is for this team to get back some of its receivers from from you know from siik Bay right because the more they it's just like nowhere on this team has been affected more by injury than than obviously the receiving core um and you know you just look at Dalton Shon who's probably not going to play the rest of the year and obviously Kenny Lawler who you know missed six weeks seven well really eight weeks I guess at the end of it um so yeah it's it having julo watari back is sort of the same thing that I said the last week like it like having Kenny Lawler back was one of those things where like it's a it's a sure hand right now they have sort of have that sure hand across the middle and for the shorter gains and they've been using a lot of Brady as we've seen right Brady's on Pace to just absolutely shatter his career um catches uh out of the backfield uh Mark for his career I think he's he's pretty close to there already and you know we're just over the halfway point of the season so um but we it sort of shows you what this team has had to do um to try and they would like to just keep Brady Moore in the pass protection mik oay raved again about how good he is in that um this year and in his career and he is he's he's tremendous at that um so yeah I I think having a guy like wall Atari just gives him another option right there's just like you know they've had some weapon sort of um you know obviously Ontario Wilson has has has continued uh to be be pretty good for this team um but yeah having Kenny back and now you know we've seen how that helped Nick demsky in the second BC game um with Nick dempy with the game-winning touchdown in that game and and the other over the shoulder catch uh on the sidelines Zach was pretty good in that game too so I I think that yeah we're looking at you know uh an offense that is getting some of the pieces back even though yeah I mean obviously Gabe Wallace goes down but I think they have the right pieces in the offensive line and you know rud Randolph won't have to necessarily play at left tackle as long as long as As Stanley's back so you don't have to really worry about that um and so they should be able to continue to run the ball so like yeah I think if they can establish the run early and then they can start you know throwing some passes out and uh yeah I don't I don't want to say it could be a breakout I think we've been saying this all year like when is this offense really going to break out and outside of what was it it was it was the Calgary game that they did it earlier this year um yeah we'll see but uh yeah I think it's it's a good thing for the offense just to have another I mean this is always the time right this is this week I mean if if you ever want to feel good I it's been interesting talking to these guys this week us about you know like what rivalry like what this game sort of means to guys and some of them you know hadn't really I remember I talked to Buck Pierce this sort of a teaser talk to Buck Pierce about it he was saying when he broke his arm back in 2010 he was out for the season that year but he said like the coolest thing that he thinks back on now because I mean in the time it hurts and and you're just like okay my season's over and this is this is terrible but he he looked back on it now and he was like the first thing I could remember now about the whole thing is like I got into the ambulance and the paramedics were wearing like r or green and then he got to the to the hospital and and and everybody was in green at the hospital it's like it's like a holiday out there and so it's just but it's part of that it's like man if you can like if you're a bomber and and you can ruin that that sort of like provincial holiday for Saskatchewan um you know there's something about that that I think makes a lot of people and you know your fans obviously love that sort of thing too so yeah it's such a it's it's just I was listening to Christian last night on his show and I was just I was thinking he was talking about like the biggest rivalries in in sports right now and it's like I don't know like I mean I don't know what you I don't know if you have a thought on that but I'm like like and maybe we're just so close to this one that it's hard but like this one brings like two provinces together over two weeks every year um in in something that like everybody wants the these honors right everybody wants these bragging rights and so trying to think of like there's nothing like it there there's absolutely nothing like it like with theel I'm lucky enough to well that's the thing like to kind of do both sides of it and we talk about it all week long in a quote unquote media perspective and then get on the bus tomorrow with 55 of our closest friends and head on down there and whoop it up on Saturday night with Ryder fans everyone's wearing their blue or green everyone knows where they stand everyone has a great time together and then pack a stadium and yeah end up having you know the biggest party of the entire year in the Canadian football league and the way that the Rivalry has grown with the addition of the banjo bowl and I mean I'll bury hor with myself a little bit I mean the amount of time I bitched about why we were having the banjo ball game on the first NFL Sunday on not a long weekend they moved that thing to Saturday and next thing you know it was right there with the Labor Day classic and that you have skatan fans coming in on Friday night having a party doing the game on Saturday and then they can actually get home the next day in time to go to work so I mean there's nothing like it it is the standard for the Canadian football league for Labor Day and really the entire regular season and I'll give bomber fans and Ryder fans credit for the way they show out and show up for their teams um there's going to be a lot of Envia CFL fans around the league watching uh all of us have a blast and Regina this weekend Scotty great stuff as always have an awesome weekend enjoy the game and uh I will do man it's hard to believe it's September next week we're just a little bit away from from training camp but we'll have a big rematch to talk about next week and as I say I haven't talked about this too much this week but if the bombers can win this football game then mik o Shay has the opportunity to pass Bud Grant as the winningest coach in blue bomber history in the banel Bowl against the Riders you could not write a more perfect script for that what a story Scott have a great weekend pal thanks again yeah enjoy it out there hus have a good one man y all right there's uh there's Scotty bck uh hacksaw is coming up I have been informed I didn't want to touch on this yet but I do think we're going to be able to give a run for marbles our guy Adam behind the scenes has been working on it and uh keep your eyes out in a couple minutes uh in if just a few minutes we'll open up registration and uh see if you can make it happen without the marbles Master Michael Reis with us for one more Friday um our friends at Little Brown Jug are ready for the long weekend uh great deal right now down at Little Brown Jug for Labor Day and it is the 1212 deal comes out a couple times a year jump on it till they're out uh it is a 12 pack of 1919 tall boys and a 12-pack of generic logger for just 5856 now until Monday or until they sell out which they normally do so if you're heading to Regina and you want some of Winnipeg and Manitoba's favorite local beer for your tailgate or your bus ride or the party out there definitely get on it and um I saw Pat rathell who's GNA be uh with us as part of the 1930 crew um just saw that the eight packs of generic are also on sale on LC's right now so especially if you're going to Regina you don't want to be have you forced to drink pilsner or something like that get down a little brown jug on your way out of town or before you hit the lake and take of that great 1212 deal for 19 and9 the flagship brands of our friends over at Little Brown Jug um one other thing that's happening this weekend and if you are staying in the city um our friends at the beer can and we talked about this on Wednesday are having a uh a a boxing event on Sunday afternoon put on by PanAm boxing in support of PanAm place an amazing chair that does so much for homeless men in downtown Winnipeg it's going to be eight fights it gets going at 2 o'clock so imagine this you get down to the beer can you have a couple generics or whatever your favorite local beers are you watch some great fights supporting a great cause and then maybe head on down to hogy boys grab a couple big ones and then settle in for the bombers and riders in the Labor Day classic at 6: p.m. I'm going to throw in this link right now which will take you to the page on the event and uh there's a ticket Link in there as well tickets are 25 bucks again it is for a great cause I would be there if I wasn't in Regina so if you are there um if you can support a great cause an amazing venue for outdoor boxing uh down at the beer can this weekend of course the beer can be a great place go for and they've got programming all weekend long I think TJ honey Cut's going on after the boxing um so it's all there just over the Osborne Bridge adjacent to the Granite Curling Club and the cosmos buys boys firing up amazing food there at the beer can as well at next door at 116 sherbrook right in the heart of wosley uh but for the big game I recommend some big sandwiches hogy Boys on South Osborne open 11:30 to 7:00 every single day um I tweeted this out yesterday if you haven't seen it already you can go to my Twitter but the new Turf Traditions CFL gear just got released yesterday and it is at Royal Sports right now um this is you know around Labor Day weekend they come with the throwback Styles and there are some really really cool stuff check out my Twitter for some pictures of all of it uh but if you are heading out to Regina or you just want to get some great gear to wear for the game on Sunday and then of course at the banjo Bowl get to Royal wallet L 750 pem and a highway of course Royal Sports your headquarters for all your merchandise for your local teams tons of bomber gear right now of course always the most Jets gear in town NFL coming in by the day and of course they're the number one hockey Superstore in town for over 40 years as you get ready for hockey season it's all there at Royal Sports but the new CFL Turf Traditions is on the shelves get a wallet last 750 Pina Highway and of course online uh on Instagram at Royal Sports Winnipeg for the latest merchandise drops and sale information I talked to Greg last night they will be having their final 10th sale of the year not next weekend but the following weekend do not miss that as well and hey if you're not at the game on Sunday but you're wanting to get together with the gang the next best place to do it of course is your local Boston Pizza BPS are going to be packed they'll have the game on all the screens with the sound cranked ice cold Schooners world famous BP Wings Gourmet pizzas and all the other great stuff Boston pizz serving up make it BP if you're not at the game on Sunday and uh every day you can get the Great Taste of Boston pizza delivered at home by ordering online at Boston pizza.com all right as I said we're going to give a crack at marbles without Remis so pay attention in about five minutes or so we will open up registration for that uh but right now as we count down to next Thursday at NFL kickoff we bring in our good friend Lee hacksaw Hamilton and uh sa it's great to have you on listen there's a lot of excitement about this uh big weekend of the Canadian football league and NFL season coming up but I mean we spent about the first half hour talking about this tragedy today just a a quick thought on the absolutely horrible horrible passing of Johnny gdo and his brother Matthew yesterday the day before their sister was set to be married yeah heavy heart I mean it took my heart away I that was coming back from therapy and Rehab at the hospital and early this morning I popped up on my cell phone I couldn't believe the story and you know the further you you delve into it You' just see what a horrible tragedy it was and and I I just sent you the news New York newspaper article about it uh Johnny hockey um I listened to the NHL channel throughout the course of the morning on SiriusXM and just the outpouring love and respect was just absolutely amazing Hustler and she's taken taken from us way too early and can't imagine the grief in Calgary where Johnny hockey was so popular and obviously Don woodell the general manager in Columbus is a friend of mine and I can't imagine the grief there because that that's a loss of a really popular player and person and it's a I think it's a terrible setback for the Blue Jackets because of course they had already gotten rid of Patrick Len who went to Montreal so boy they have to scramble to find goal scorings but just a terrible loss of life and you know just how it happened and who was involved in it and what they what they caused to happen just just tragic beyond belief for that family and hockey family is feeling it terrible too yeah I spent uh a couple hours I'm listening to my friends over on 960 in Calgary uh and obviously there was no regular programming it was essentially a full morning tribute to Johnny hocky who made such an incredible impact there in the Calgary Community and uh you know I mean there's there's no words I mean it is senseless uh it is tragic uh obviously for the individual that caused this it is Criminal um but I mean you know there it'll take a long time to pick up the pieces for the gdo family you know and certainly for the Blue Jackets family who you know this is the the second time in a few years they've lost a player in the off season um and you know you just feel for for everyone but the impact of Johnny um will be will live forever really I mean the way he inspired especially kids connected with kids younger players smaller players to show what is possible um is never going to be forgotten and uh it's just um you know gone way too soon with way too much of not just a career left but an entire life with his young family and you know of course former Winnipeg jet Sean Monahan just signed with Columbus to reunite with Johnny was on an interview two days ago talking about how excited he was both to play with him but now at the new stage in their lives they had two sons that were within a couple months of each other the thought of raising them together and getting them on the ice it's just uh it really is unspeakable and um you know that is kind of dwarfing everything else but I mean there are other things that we do want to get to Lee and you know as we get into the NFL notebook uh since we last spoke um you sort of knew we were now to a pressure point where some of these things were going to get figured out but CD lamb gets his big deal Brandon auk just signed a deal that apparently was on his desk for the last three weeks uh what do you make of the way that these receiver deals have been done and the fact that Jamar Chase is showing up 15 minutes late to practice in Street Clos saying uh wait a second time for me to get mine well it's it's what the NFL's become it's what sports has become every everybody's got to get the next contract which has got to be a dollar more than the last contract uh in terms of Dallas you know so they' got half the package done they still have to deal with Dak prescot's demand for 60 million per season a year from now uh I do find it hard to believe that Prescot is willing to actually go into the start of the NFL season next weekend in Dallas with only one year left on his contract if something were to happen to him from an injury standpoint he would lose all of his negotiating power and his leverage but it's just what the national football league has become because the money is out there and the collective bargaining agreement guarantees the top stars are going to get pay bumps every time their contracts come up CD Lamb's coming off a phenomenal season 135 catches he gets a phenomenal contract of 34 million per year uh iuk I was fearful was just becoming a big distraction in San Francisco and I don't think Kyle Shanahan has any patience for distractions but he's there now but I do think somewhere during the course of the Season somebody's going to have to leave Francisco because they still have to deal with Brock P's big contract extension coming up next season so you know there still may be a deal for Deo Samuel or somebody else is probably going to exit uh Cincinnati's things complicated just because ownership is so bloody cheap the historically they've always been cheap it's owned by Mike Brown whose father was Paul Brown and they were historically cheap uh they'll take care of Jamar Chase but obviously it's going to probably cost him T Higgins who I think's going to leave at the end of this coming season because he's on the final year of of his deal so you got those contract things solved one contract thing that's not solved is with the New York Jets and this is kind of nasty Hassan rck and now he's at odds with the general manager and Joe Douglas is a no BS general manager and Joe Douglas called out Hassan reic you know they traded for reic from Philadelphia gave up a third round draft pick even though they knew they had only one year to go on the contract reic came in press conference he was there uh during the OTA meetings he didn't practice and then he disappears and he just he wants a monster pay raise he wants from 14 mil to 25 mil right now he's got one year left on the deal and Joe Douglas has just lost his patience with him and yesterday last night Joe Douglas said publicly to the media I'm asking Hassan reic do you want to play in the NFL you want to go somewhere else and get a different job I'm not talking to you again until you're in front of me in uniform practicing we're not going to trade you and we're not going to talk contract extension till here were a week away from the start of the season and the Jets got so many player Personnel problems aside from the arrival of of Aaron Rogers Robert s's coaching career is in big Jeopardy here's a guy that they traded for that they were banking on that was going to be the Cornerstone in heart and soul of the defense and he's been nowhere to be seen so this is really nasty and then the fourth story financially is Cleveland they're not saying it but everybody around the NFL I network with Z the opinion they really regret the contract they gave to Shawn Watson is 23 million guarantee I don't know if you're aware what they did they just restructured it for the second time in two seasons because of cap issues they converted 44 million of the package into a signing bonus and spread it out his cap figure next year will be an all-time na NFL record 72.9 million next year and the year after and you can't restructure it again and he hasn't played he hasn't played like the quarterback that was with the Houston Texans and so you know Cleveland as good as they are on paper they got a bit of a question mark here they got an attitude issue here at quarterback with deshun Watson and Watson's not what he used to be this this could turn out to just be a disaster for the Cleveland Browns if this does not work out 72 million cap figure holy cow it's bizarre but but Lee you know what was really confusing to me about that was that I read at the same time that the Browns right now have the most cap space in the National Football you get something like 6 $2 million they were going to spend some of that on Brandon auk that they were trying to get to add to that wide receiver room um but again like they also hope they also have to sign a whole pile of their in-house free agents that that was the whole methodology that we'll get the cap space because they got good big cap space for next year too but we got the cap space we got to resign some of these guys now they know there're going to be some free agent guys that going to have to resign once we get to the offseason we know the price tag on those guys come contracts are probably going to go up so and Watson hasn't played well Watson's played what 10 games in two and a half three years because he had the big suspension coming out of Houston that carried into Cleveland and he played in Cleveland didn't play well then he got hurt last year and we don't know how health he is you know they shut him down at the end of preseason because he's got soreness in that surgically repaired shoulder so that it's probably indirectly why the Browns as of lunchtime today you know when you're having your Boston Pizza and you're a cold one by the way there's nothing wrong with pills near and Saskatchewan shut up um while you're having lunch Cleveland's got four quarterbacks on their roster nobody in the world has four quarterbacks under contract but Cleveland's got four of them on their 53 man roster which leads me believe to believe that there's some physical woe still going on with deshun Watson too so Cleveland's not ready to start the season Lee is the DeShaun Watson will that go down as the worst trade SLC contract potentially in NFL history that's a good question uh a lot of people around the NFL kind of in hate mode for what the haslams did in Cleveland uh you know they traded three number one picks which was a high water mark for a quarterback who was coming off all these off the- field problems and then they agreed on a 230 million lock stock guaranteed contract which set a new high water mark for everybody else to shoot out when their contracts came up and this is Watson who's got physical problems this is Watson who's obviously had off the field problems and this is Watson has now created a financial problem for the Cleveland Browns if they don't get out of the gate quick boy there's going to be so much anger in Cleveland over this whole DeShaun Watson thing and there's a lot of anger being directed at the hlam family who owns the team for the way they've conducted quote their business they got a good team on the field they don't have all the answers to this quarterback situation yet uh hey Lee uh quickly just wrapping the NFL I I did want to ask you I mean listen next week is go time we uh got Clarity on a few of the starting QB situations on ones that were a little foggy including the one in Pittsburgh well Pittsburgh is is a bit of a surprise to me because of the fact that like Russell Wilson doesn't seem to be 100% healthy or at least 100% capacity the kind of Russell Wilson we've all come to see I watched him closely last week and he played the first quarter of the preseason game and he didn't look strong he didn't move the pocket he he just looked slow maybe that'll come with another full week of practice Justin Fields had played more than um you know Wilson did but Fields just been so highly erratic throw on the ball not on time throw it into coverages rifle arm Etc they changed his footwork to try to make him more solid in the pocket rather than have him scramble all over the place but so I think Pittsburgh's quarterback situation is kind of Uncertain I don't understand New England's decision to go back to jacobe brassette Drake may his last two preseason games played well I don't think they have a good team around whoever the quarterback is but if this is your future that the faster you get him into live fire action and the learning curve that he will go through as regular season starts I would think that Drake mayate probably should have been the guy can't wait for Chicago's opener everybody that I network with is of the opinion Caleb Williams is the next Patrick Mahomes Washington is excited Jaden Daniels played well in preseason didn't make a lot of mistakes but that's exhibition games and the live bullets start this weekend he does not have a good team around him in Washington so that that bears watching fascinated to see Denver Denver's got three quarterbacks on their 53 man roster maybe that's an insurance policy in case Bon knck isn't really ready to be able to do this but everything that Bo Nick showed in Shawn Payton's offense through the three preseason games seems to be really positive and then of course we talked about Cleveland they got four quarterbacks on the roster if they could find a fifth one on the street corner probably put him in there so it's just it's a really mixed bag in involving the quarterback situations around the league hey Lee before we go I got to ask you a quick baseball question there's a lot of talk about and again it won't matter one's in the AL one's in the NL and there's different MVPs but Aaron judge with his 50 plus bombs or the 4040 season by showy Otani um you've been around this game for a while if you had to pick the best player in baseball this year is it judge is it Otani well otani's generational because he's a designated hitter who can play Outfield and pitched very successfully before his blew his elbow out judge though right now is the most complete player in Major League Baseball he's changed his mechanics he's changed his swing he's more compact he's got the 50 plus bombs he's made himself a really good center fielder with a cannon for an arm he's a good guy in the community the community in New York which is so bleep and big it's unbelievable but he does a lot of charitable stuff and he's just really really humble uh so if you're asking me one over the other and I love both of them both of them are must C TV when they're on my TV TV I got to stop and watch Otani swing or wonder if judge is going to make it home run 54 55 56 I i' take judge as the most complete player in the game right now but they're both both MVPs and by the way speaking of Showtime Otani did you see the video on on Twitter on X of of throwing out the first pitch with his dog that was so cool I don't that you know how how they invite Hustler out to throw the first pitch the Winnipeg gold di game well they always have celebrities at Dodger Stadium toss out the first pitch and instead they brought out otani's dog we in a Dodger kerchief ball is on the mound Shi snaps his finger dog picks up the ball and runs to home plate and drops it on the plate and then does a high five with his paw with Otani it was the most historical thing I've seen on X I don't see a lot of great things on Twitter but this this was really unique ah you know what a nice smile to finish off was been a heavy day for a lot of sports fans uh lee thanks so much for doing this uh folks make sure you're subscribing to the Lee hacksaw Hamilton YouTube channel uh you can check Lee shows out uh Mondays and Thursdays right after our program and of course get out to leeh hacka hamilton.com uh the website for the best 15 minutes every day Lee have a great weekend enjoy the Labor Day classic bombers Riders uh what's going to be uh four four o'clock your time Sunday afternoon we're going to be there it's going to be a great weekend we'll talk to you next week and on a game day Lee Friday next week we got Packers Packers Eagles in Brazil yeah we're ready to open the NFL season I'll leave you with this thought uh and again spin back to the passing of Johnny grro uh think about him in this vein he made everybody smile he was fun Not only was he a great player and there's great players everywhere around the National Hockey League and you dealt with them I've dealt with them Etc but he was such a great personality in the NHL they lost a great personality in addition to a great player so keep that in mind Smiles all the time and heavy heart but uh he he gave a lot to the the game a lot to his community and obviously to his family too hey Hustler have yourself great holiday weekend we'll see you next week have a great one Lee thanks so much there he is Lee hacksaw Hamilton follow him on X and make sure you're checking out the website and the Pod um all right well listen gang uh I wasn't sure this was going to happen but I think it is now for going the extra mile to try to make this Marble Race happen I need you to hit that thumbs up button please if you have not already and make sure you've hit the sub subscribe button if there's anyone that hasn't subscribed to the YouTube channel please hit that you can turn your notifications on if you want to know when we're going but um you got to be uh subscribed to the channel to be eligible to win the uh the marbles hoodie and by the way and I'm going to hit this to you A big thanks to our friend Scott shippam uh um we were at the golf tournament yesterday in the memory of his late brother Randy who was just I mean a an all-time Beauty character was a great time um I'm happy to announce to you that new hoodies are on the way um we're just finishing the order we'll probably have them in a week or two so if you've been a winner over the last month or so we didn't have your size hold up but my question to you is this um would you like like the ones that we've had before have had you know just the Winnipeg Sports Talk logo on the front would you like us to add maybe something on the sleeve that says like Marble's Champion or do we want to leave it more lowkey or discreet let us know in the chat especially you former winners would you would you would be would be prouder wearing it knowing that it identifies you as a marbles Champion uh we'll get to that coming up in just a few minutes last call for marbles if you haven't put it in already um get that done and uh we'll get to that in just a couple of minutes um shout out to the gold eyes they're back in Action tonight uh the series begins today the final four games of the regular season gold eyes hanging on to first place still a little work to do to clinch first and then playoff base baseball next week gold eyes.com 982 base for tickets cannot wait to be talking about some playoff baseball next week but in the meantime if you are in the city get out there and get to the Paul Park this weekend for your first place Winnipeg gold eyes um a happy labor day to our friends at Akens Lake I know the guys will be crowded around the television after a day of uh after a day of fishing for the big Labor Day game lots of bomber fans there at Akens Lake um they're already booking well into 2025 so get over to Akens lake.com and find out more information on everything involved in the one-of aind aens lake experience uh and get planning to get out to Akens Lake for that dream fishing trip next year in 20125 Akens Lake on all your socials and Akens Lake uh.com next Monday is a day off but it ain't a day off at a cinoa Downs Monday Tuesday Wednesday racing coming up next week so uh finish off Labor Day 7:30 Post Time Out of the cineo downs for a great night of live racing uh and I hopefully we'll be able to uh come from behind and uh make up my gap on Remis which is a lot closer than it was a few weeks ago uh but we still have more racing left this week as well as the following week over at a caboa Downs a quick Breezy Ben golf update for you A big shout out to our friends great day yesterday my God the food the Hospitality of breezy is just so good um had a great time yesterday and the course could not be in better shape our Breezy golf report today is the Tour Championship and Scotty sheffler kind of making this a bit of a laugher right now at a seven shot lead yesterday with his 10 shot spot he's 19 under right now nine under technically for the tournament and he's got a six shot lead on Xander Schley and Colin morawa for the tournament so far nice round today by Tony feno he's at nine under as well Rory mooy is at nine Canadian and cool B guy Taylor pendri as well all right there um shout out to Breezy Ben Breezy b.ca for more information on membership and wedding rentals for coming up next season and just before we get to before we get to uh and I I'll bring Connor in this uh in for this as well because Connor we have to get to the cool bet lines I guess the thing you know the important for everyone here BC is still a two-point favorite bombers are now the money line hasn't changed in this but the line has dropped from Two and a half to two for Saskatchewan in the Labor Day classic Argos are fiveo favorites and the uh stamps are three-point favorites in that game but what I really need to talk about is chestnut versus Kobayashi which is on Netflix on Monday afternoon the long long awaited matchup between the two greatest competitive Eaters of all time and we got some information today on what is happening with the uh with this event it's not like the Nathan's event two very key rules number one no dunking they will not be able to dunk the buns in water and get this no separation of the dog the dogs will be consumed in the Buns the way hot dogs were meant to meant to be done now when the lines opened up for this and we didn't know these rules Joey Chestnut was over under 62 and a half hot dogs and buns Kobayashi was 49 and a half the line actually moved yesterday for Joey from 62 and a half to 67 I thought that was insane just because this is like you're talking about taking the greatest eaters of all time and making completely change their techniques I don't think they're going to be able to put up massive numbers I see it's now gone down to 65 and a half for Joey in the last hour or so and the total combined hot dogs eaten at 15 and a half I I I mean I Joey chestnut's going to win this but I do think that because of these rules that Netflix has put in for this spectacular on Labor Day I'm not sure we're gonna be seeing Nathan's level numbers even though it's Joey Chestnut and takeru Kobayashi going head-to-head yeah I mean anytime you get a chance to watch one of the greatest most generational athletes of all time Joey Chesnut thank you do his thing yeah yeah I don't know the it's your boy Bruce and chat is saying the the dunking in water is ridiculous anyways I agree like why why is that a thing anyways I I I like this I not that I watch um I just I just look at the the highlights afterwards because I can't watch everybody watches uh I'm getting a Netflix subscription solely solely to be able to watch this on my phone on the way back from Vina 2 pm on Monday afternoon now there is also a WWE event this weekend and shout out to the guys at Kolb for uh throwing that up there as well we went through it on the uh on the lock shop there are two matchups that I kind of like Damen priest and Ria Ripley over Dom Mysterio and Liv Morgan and then the women's tag championships the Unholy Union winning we think that there's going to be some beef between Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill so we're actually doing the first ever hot dogs and hot tags parlay of the Unholy Union Damian priest and Ria Ripley and under 117.5 total hot dogs consumed by Chestnut and kobashi pay attention to the cool exclusives for those and uh we will make that uh we will make that happen but it's all there up at coolbit they do have the bash at Berlin for WWE they do have the hot dog event on Labor Day between Chestnut and kobashi again 2m on Monday afternoon it's all there and then of course all of your CFL options um we do have the lock sh partner parlay which is still up for the CFL and that is BC minus 2 and a half bombers Riders under 47 and a half Elks plus 315 that is up there at plus 65 boosted and Pat and Jake have a tease Saturday special for college football if you want to get that in the exclusives as well if you haven't played the cool bet before use the promo code wst for a 100% bonus up to uh to 200 bucks all right well Connor you know what time it is now I think we're going to be able to make some marbles happen today and uh a huge thank you to Adam who is behind the scenes um Adam throw your mic on if you can and let's set this up um let us know how many marbles do we have and uh What uh what track of we selected today um we have 180 marbles done shout out to everyone that's in um oh 160 something not sure what track this is to it's called a league to remember a league to remember all right a new a new uh Marble Race today a league to remember right on we're looking forward to it looks like it's got a wild Plinko finish or a Plinko start I should say yeah um and as I said you know it started off on a pretty down note but we're getting ready for the weekend we're going to hopefully finish with a smile Adam and Mitch by the way all week long absolutely killing it uh in remus's place getting us on I did not think this was I did not think that this was going to be realistic but it is and Connor you know that there's nothing that the wst crew likes more than a marble race to finish off a fun week on this program and head into a weekend never mind a long weekend and a Labor Day classic weekend and never mind the fact we didn't have one last week so this is there's a lot writing on this marble race this is a big one going into the long we didn't have one last week let let's do it I'm I'm fired up um right on okay so here we go folks um everyone that's in shout out to you for popping by we have dropped the marbles and it is on this is a very fast track look at how fast these marbles are going right now looks like Cowboys in the mix early on he's looking quite good oh we've got some Doug McFarland Doug mcfar in the mix holy smokes look at this whoa A League of Our Own this is this is definitely uh I don't know maybe we're on a higher speed this week or something like that but this is going oh my God Amanda got thrown way to the front she might actually win again I saw Amanda last night she's still glowing about her Victory on the 1st of March that memorable day now Amanda if you want to look the other way because we do have one in okay so she's in this funnel right now can Ron P or someone catch Amanda no Amanda's won it an incredible second victory for amand we're never going to hear the end of this we are never going to hear the end of this Al broaderick looking good now you they get shot in is Al going to take second place Al does Ron P Todd for Tanny in I like this we're getting some sound effects from the marble race today which we often don't have the fact that everyone's getting shot into this is amazing the thing was Amanda what happened here and this happens every now and then you can get very very lucky when you're actually getting thrown over the top rope and somehow manag to pop in later on that is exactly what happened a very Juiced up Marvel race for the end of this week Amanda now a two-time marbles Champion I am never going to hear the end of this um congratulations to her that was uh that was a wild wild race today um the league um as I said huge thanks to Adam for uh being able to make that happen today I know how much we we like to do it Remis will be back next week I think he's been away the last three Fridays he'll be back next Friday and uh and it's basically back to uh regularly scheduled programming as uh we're going to be getting in to uh up to training camp and of course Connor you're GNA be a busy guy because not only do we have Winnipeg Sports Talk weekly which I'm sure will have a ton of bomber content in it um coming up I guess you and LZ are still working on this Braden joerger deep dive and I know people are very much looking forward to that after we joined us last week on the show yeah so I was actually texting Remis yesterday and I think the Deep dive for Braden jger it has been recorded it has been edited since there's no show Monday I think that's gonna come out Monday and then I'm away Winnipeg Beach this weekend so wst weekly you can look for Tuesday I'll have the end of the gold eyes season uh to talk about they will have made the playoffs obviously they've clinched but maybe they'll be the one seed the two seed I'll cover that the bombers obviously um and some other sporting stuff here happening in Winnipeg so Monday Braden joerger Deep dive super excited for people to check that out and then Tuesday wst weekly um hey you know what before we go Adam do you still have the uh the marbles uh results up uh on that screen it's the one thing I kind of forgot to do which we often do we just we'll just do a rundown just a roll down so if people have side bets going like head to-head with their friends they can see where they went or have we already got out of the marbles program um yeah we already closed it see we up oh we've got it here hang on oh we do have it here all right perfect let's fire it up and if you can just get it on the screen I don't know if you can make it look bigger at all just so we can uh just zoom in just a little bit okay I think on this one we can see it so here we are there's Amanda with that incredible one and I'm not sure whether this is normally that fast or a speed but a record-breaking run by Amanda getting very lucky where the way she got shot out of the Canon and then actually ended up in U but Al brck with the heck of a performance Ron PRI Todd fan in fourth XX revolution in fifth the rest of the top 10 was Ron pitko wiked John pesky neski Candace Jane the queen of the wst chat and marbles crew and Carly cookson um now if you just want to just scroll down again people can go back later on and see exactly where they said hey there's Les Thompson 16 that a boy Les hope you all have a great weekend um oh Jamie Stevenson 17th the dream nicely done and then just scroll down if you can all the way to the bottom just so people can uh did you get that or is that not there anymore okay uh no big deal I think we might we might have well you got the top 20 folks uh other than that we'll be back to normal but I'm glad we were able to fire this up full results not available today but the uh the result that does matter who got across first it was Amanda so congratulations to uh to them um so Connor what uh give us uh give us the like what's your labor day going to be like we're going to miss you next year I think we need to book you in you know but you're what big camping trip with the fam big camping trip with the fam I'm heading out tomorrow morning my family is all heading out uh probably in the next hour or two here uh heading to Winnipeg Beach as we always do Labor Day weekend it's one of my favorite weekends of the year one of my favorite camping trips because it cools off and the campfires late at night are actually mean something you're not sweating all day and then it's like oh let's have a campfire it's like no now it's actually cold uh and you can kind of bundle up around the fire so that's great uh and then 6 o' we got we're GNA have a lot of bomber fans out there uh six o'clock on Sunday that is for the big game super fired up and then driving back Monday to work at the gold eyes game Monday at 1M their season finale against Lincoln uh that's my weekend yeah well listen well we'll miss you out in Regina um once again to everyone coming with us on the 1930 crew cannot wait to see you tomorrow we are going to have a heck of a great time in Regina and hopefully come back in first place ready for the rematch in the banjo Bowl um big thanks to all of our sponsors that make the show happen each and every day as we get into labor day uh again I mean we've talked about this a lot um you know use your head folks um make wise decisions uh and keep an eye out for others that might not be doing as well uh because there's nothing that'll ruin uh a great weekend and a joyous and celebrate uh time for celebration like a weekend like this is um been a terrible decision that ends up impacting people's lives forever like we saw with the uh horrible Johnny gdo tragedy um yesterday I want to thank Connor for killing it all week long with with Michael and again you'll have more Connor Monday with Liss the Deep dive on Braden joerger check that out turn your notifications on when it's up on YouTube you get a message you can be one of the first people to get in give them a thumbs up and leave a comment in as well that always helps us spread the channel and of course then a post Labor Day wst weekly early Tuesday as we all get back to work Michael and I will be back uh the gang will be all back together for a Big Show on Tuesday setting up banjo ball week and of course two days away from NHL kickoff um that is going to do it for us if you're in town Sunday check out that boxing at the beer canis for a great cause Wherever You Are enjoying the Labor Day classic have a great time have a great weekend overall but do it safely and use your head and uh I'll look forward to seeing all of you back here on Tuesday if we don't see you in Regina first um boming and Walby are firing up bonfire blue bomber pregame right now so uh we'll head over to bonfire tell him the wst crew is there go Blue say hi to bombing and Walby and uh have a great safe and fun Labor Day long weekend go bombers we'll see you back here on Tuesday on Winnipeg Sports Talk thanks again to Mitch and Adam for a great job all week long taking over for Remis we'll see you on Tuesday everybody thanks for hanging now let's head over to bonfire oh my God shut it down let's go home thanks for tuning in to Winnipeg Sports Talk daily make sure to subscribe Live on YouTube and your favorite podcast feed at Winnipeg sports talk.com [Music]