Sports Roundtable

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Could the Cougars men’s hockey team be playoff bound?

Braden Dupuis, Britton Gray, Kris Klein, Paige Kreutzwieser

The Cougars men’s hockey team is off to their best start since 1995. Do you think they have what it takes to finally make the playoffs this year?

Dupuis: I remember 1995. Those were different times. Jean Chretien’s Liberal Party was holding their first parliament, Quebec was on the brink of separation, and just one year earlier, a group of ragtag hockey players known as “The Mighty Ducks” won the Junior Goodwill Games against all odds. Coincidence?  Yeah, probably. I’m grasping at straws here.

Gray: Without me being able to cheer for the Ottawa Senators this year, I may as well put faith into the Cougars hockey team. Maybe, out of all the sports teams I cheer for, they can be the one good enough to win a championship.

Klein: Did I not call this shit? I said if the Cougars could limit some of the best teams in Canada West for less than six goals they might have a chance, and look at what’s happening – they beat the Huskies and came close to beating the Golden Bears, so yeah, let’s talk about playoffs. I don’t know what the coach is doing to get them fired up every game but it seems to be working. I might actually go watch a game if this keeps up!

Kreutzwiser: I hope so. With the way U of R teams have been stepping up this season, we can only hope the hockey team has what it takes to make it to the playoffs. I couldn’t tell you what athletes are leading this team to their great start, but fingers crossed they can keep this momentum.

With the Rams season officially over, and 20 players graduating, which player do you think is most likely to become a future head coach at the U of R?

Dupuis: What a strange question to ask. You’re really putting me on the spot here, Autumn. Usually if I don’t have an answer I just make stuff up and ramble until I hit fifty words but this time it appears that you might just have me stumped. No wait, that’s fifty.

Gray: Well as much as I would like to see Marc Mueller play in the CFL – and I think he will get his chance at it – he may be the most fit for coaching. A quarterback is already seen as a coach on the field, so a transition to a sideline should be natural.

Klein: To be honest, I think Franky will be there forever. The guy has been coaching the Rams for as long as I can remember. Even when he is 85 and can barely walk and speak he will be coaching the boys to a Vanier Cup.

Kreutzwiser: I don’t know many of the guys on the team personally, but after doing some creeping, maybe Bodnar or Bennett because they are the only two who are in Kinesiology. I know I wouldn’t want a coach who took accounting as their major. I just don’t feel that would cross over to the field very well.

Which of the Saskatchewan Roughriders free agents do you hope get re-signed to the Green and White in the off-season?

Dupuis: It looks like there could be a lot of big-name free agents on defence this year. I really don’t want to lose Tyron Brackenridge or Tearrius George. It would also be a shame to see Odell Willis go. While his numbers were down from last year, I’ve really come to enjoy his crazy.

Gray: I felt that the team did really good this year, even though we didn’t go as far as I had hoped. This whole team came together, especially with so many new faces. It’s going to be a shame to lose any of the Riders.

Klein: Well, considering that half of the defence is up for free agency, I say the main focus will be on the defence side of the ball. The key ones I would resign like tomorrow would be Brackenridge, Williams, Chris McKenzie and Tearrius (Curious) George. Odell will be tough to re-sign since he wants to go to the NFL, but if he is available, I would go with him for sure. I would re-sign Rob Bagg too. I know he’s a huge band-aid but he is so good that we can’t not re-sign him. We will just have to see what happens in the off-season.

Kreutzwiser: Mike McCullough would be my first pick if he doesn’t decide to retire. I like the idea of the Riders keeping veterans on the team. Plus, he’s been with us forever. Really makes it feel like the team actually bleeds green. But by the sound of it, I think the Riders should keep Odell Willis.

Although UFC president Dana White said that it would never happen, what do you think of the UFC now having female fighters inside the octagon?

Dupuis: Ugh. The UFC is almost as disgustingly big as Dana White’s albino monkey head already, but there’s only so many ways you can make money before you decide you want to make even more money, right? Does this mean we’re going to see an influx of douchebag girls wearing Tapout gear? Ugh.

Gray: I think this could help make the UFC more entertaining. The past few years have not been the UFC’s best and this may help them get the ratings back. The UFC can’t have Jon “Bones” Jones on every event can they?

Klein: Here’s my question to Dana White: Why not? Seriously, it would be a huge cash draw. Everyone loves to see both men and women beat the hell out of each other as long as they have a few cold ones. Let the girls fight!

Kreutzwiser: After watching UFC events this past weekend, it got me thinking that those girls have to be the scary chicks who fight in bars and someone says “Hey, you should train in MMA fighting!” Because no girl in their right mind wants to smash the face of another girl for no reason other than to win a belt, do they?

With the Saskatchewan Roughriders out of the playoffs and still no hockey in sight, which sports have you resorted to watching?

Dupuis: I’m about ready to give up on sports entirely. Fuck you, professional athletes. I hate you. You’re selfish, greedy pigs, and it’s painfully obvious that you don’t give a shit about your fans. I’m going to go back to watching reality television and writing advertorials for Fine Lifestyles. At least there’s some honesty in that. Puke.

Gray: I haven’t resorted to it, it’s always been my favourite: the NFL. It has always been the best sport to watch in my opinion and provides excitement all through the year. Once it’s over, though, I may just crawl in a corner and cry until the CFL begins again.

Klein: Nothing. I refuse to watch basketball. I have been watching my DVD set of the 2010 Olympic hockey, but its getting pretty bad when I remember each goal scorer, assist, and time of the goal. Seriously, I’m slowly going crazy with no hockey. This only fuels my rage to kill Gary Bettman, which grows more and more each day.

Kreutzwiser: I won’t call this “resorting”, because for me it’s not, but curling is my choice winter sport to watch. Beak me all you want, Carillon readers, but its more than just tossing rocks on a sheet of ice. However, I've really gotten into watching golf as well. Wow, I sound like I'm 65 years old.

Photo courtesy nbcsports.com

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