U of R Sports Roundtable – Sep. 8, 2011
As some teams rose to the occasion this summer, others plummeted
Autumn McDowell, Jonathan Hamelin, Jonathan Petrychyn, Brandon Sieber
This Week's Roundtable
Which university team do you think will have the most success this year?
Autumn McDowell: I am really gunning for the Rams this year. I think this is the year if they are to win a Vanier Cup while I’m still attending the U of R. Fans were pissing themselves when Marc Mueller went down early in Game 1, but predicting his heroic return, the Rams will be back in business and on the road to the cup. #receiverU
Jonathan Hamelin: It’s got to be our men’s softball team. With their lethal combination of pitching, offence and defence, there isn’t a team in the conference, let alone the country, that can beat them. Oh wait, we don’t have a men’s softball team. It’ll have to be the women’s basketball team, then. With Brittany Read expected to return, other university basketball programs in Canada are surely having nightmares.
Jonathan Petrychyn: I feel like the university debate team has a really good chance of gaining some ground this year. Does that count?
Brandon Sieber: Rams. Took a huge blow on offence with Mueller’s injury and their veteran group will have to face some crazy adversity. Defence will have to grind hard and maybe we’ll see a miracle on turf.
Do you think Ken Miller will be able to turn the Roughriders season around, or will they continue to fail miserably?
McDowell: I would be lying if I said I had full faith in the Riders. Can you really blame me when they had won one game out of their first eight? Be that as it may, I am still hoping the Riders will keep on the up and up this year. God forbid their Labour Day Classic win was the pinnacle of their season.
Hamelin: Since Ken Miller can’t throw, catch, run, block, kick, or play defence, I don’t see why the Saskatchewan Roughriders should do any better with him in charge. If things do change for the better, it will either be because more players come back or the current players will stop whining and start trying.
Petrychyn: Ken Miller is cool. He did lead the Riders to some pretty good things, if I remember correctly. Though, I only kind of half-watched football last year and just assumed the coach knew what he was doing.
Sieber: They’re definitely not going to win nine straight, but Miller sure brought some Sask swag back. It shouldn’t be too hard passing B.C. and TO into the playoffs.
Will the Regina Pats actually make the playoffs this year under new head coach Pat Conacher?
McDowell: I hate to point out the obvious here. but no, no they won’t. I would love nothing more than for the Pats to prove me wrong this season and make the playoffs. I would even settle for a record over .500. A kid can dream.
Hamelin: I’m sure the Pats will struggle heavily for the first part of the season then, after all the players throw Conacher under the bus, Pats president Brent Parker will make the decision to fire Conacher and step into his place. Hey, if one Regina franchise did it, why can’t another?
Petrychyn: So the Pats coach is a Pat? Why hasn’t anyone made some kind of joke or witty pun about this?
Sieber: I thought the Pats moved their franchise to Fort Mac after Eberle left?
Which NFL team do you think made the best moves in the off-season?
McDowell: The Vikings seem to have faired pretty well in the off-season. Brett Favre officially retired for the 10th time and the team has replaced the living legend with stud Donovan McNabb. Not to mention they still have Adrian Peterson to top it all off.
Hamelin: From the Saskatchewan Roughriders perspective, the best move was the Chicago Bears signing slotback Andy Fantuz. Why, you may ask? Because, with the Riders’ struggles, it has given the players and coaches an excuse to go to over and over again, instead of shouldering any blame themselves.
Petrychyn: I hear Sidney Crosby has some pretty good moves on and off the dance floor.
Sieber: New England. Picked up Haynesworth, who was the biggest impact player acquired, and if Ochocinco brings that business mentality, he’ll be that pro-bowl receiver he once was.
What was your favourite sports event or sports memory that happened this summer?
McDowell: I think that my favourite sports memory from the summer would have to be hearing the Winnipeg Jets are back. Although the team has three hideous new logos, I am just happy the NHL is back in Winnipeg. Go Jets.
Hamelin: My favourite sports experience of the summer, excuse the shameless plug, was getting a chance to edit the Saskatchewan Roughriders home game program, chatting to amazing individuals such as Gene Makowsky, Roger Aldag, Kerry Joseph, etc. With the Riders struggling on the field, and me not having tons of time to watch other sports, that’s what stands out.
Petrychyn: I enjoyed watching all of the Rider fans flood the Cathedral Village on Sunday night after their win. I had never seen so much Green.
Sieber: Rory Mcilroy’s flawless performance to become the youngest player to win a major since 1930.
