With the North American sports calendar in full swing in the final week of October it is time for an old friend to return, that is right it is the first Fall edition of Ruttig's Rants: Rapid Fire Edition. Here we go:
This Monday the 0-6 New York Giants hosted the 1-4 Vikings in what was billed as the worst game in Monday Night Football history. It was so bad that Calgary Stampeders wide receiver Nik Lewis exclaimed that the CFL is a better product than the NFL midgame. While I love some Saskatchewan Roughriders football during my summer (hey anything is better than 162 Blue Jays games) there is no disputing the fact that the NFL is just simply a better product than a second rate professional league. Anybody outside of Saskatchewan would probably agree with me and as a writer of both leagues there is just no contest a league that boasts the fastest and strongest athletes in the sport in the NFL is just more entertaining than the slower CFL. Sorry Nik, nice try.
Speaking of the CFL, Nik Lewis will be hosting the Roughriders this Saturday night in what is very likely a West Division final preview. The Riders need a win Saturday and some outside help from B.C. next week if they are going to finish first in the West, but the game should be a classic given the festering rivalry between the two teams. Especially between Kory Sheets and Jon Cornish who are still battling for the rushing title despite Sheets missing a lengthy portion of the season. Also double bonus: The CFL decided to not be stupid and are playing this game on Saturday instead of directly during the NFL's slate of games on Sunday. Sadly that will likely not be the case during the playoffs.
Moving on to the NHL, the Vancouver Canucks are silently working their way to a not bad start to the season on a long Eastern road trip, taking the Penguins to overtime and winning in New York on Tuesday. Who would have ever thought a team that made the Stanley Cup two seasons ago would be able to bounce back? For now at least it looks like the decision to keep Roberto Luongo is paying off.
This week an American HS football team was handed a charge for bullying by a parent for beating their son's football team 91-0. In this day and age parents are getting softer and softer and I can't believe that stories like this come out week after week. Remember the story about not keeping scores in Ontario soccer and even playing without the ball to avoid hurting the player's self esteem? My suggestion: Charge the parents son's team for not being able to tackle.
Wednesday marks the start of the World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the St. Louis Cardinals. Even though I abjectly hate both franchises thanks to John Farrell managing the Red Sox after stabbing the Blue Jays in the back this past winter and the obnoxious Cardinals fanbase colliding with the equally obnoxious Red Sox fans in a battle of "Who has more tradition" I will give you my World Series prediction. In a series that will be all over the place between two very evenly matched teams that are not without their weaknesses the Red Sox will find a way to somehow prevail in six games thanks to the clutch batting of David Ortiz who will end his career as one of the most influential baseball players of the 00's with another magical October run that will make me throw up after reminding myself Toronto hasn't made the playoffs since I was eight months old.
It is officially season preview time in the NBA with the regular season tip off coming next week and I have noticed that the Raptors have once again been totally underrated by ESPN's resident "Sports Guy" Bill Simmons, who slotted the Raps at 23rd in the Grantland NBA Season Preview. I know Bill spends more time making 30 for 30's and podcasts than solid analysis these days, but you would think he would have a little bit more respect for a team that plays in the same division as his beloved Celtics. Toronto is on the rise with a ton of young talent this season and I expect big things from them this season. The future is definitely bright for Canada's only NBA team.
That is it for me this week. Enjoy Stamps-Riders on Saturday. Get your popcorn ready, it should be a good one.
