Bales Details

Like a lot of my family and friends growing up, I could talk or write all day about my opinions on the sports that I watch. Trust me that's boring. Instead, I'll write a short comment on topics that are relevant today. These are Bales Details and you can expect to see them here every Monday.

I swear, something possessed Sergio Garcia to win the first major of his illustrious 18 year PGA career. Before Sunday, Garcias best efforts were a quartet of second place finishes at the PGA and Open Championships. Even as a moderate golf fan it was satisfying to watch he and his beautiful fiancee embracing after the, now infamous, final birdie putt. Congrats Sergio!

James Hinchcliffe. Who is that? We don't hear much about Canada's best IndyCar driver and that's a shame. I get a boost in National pride when Hinch' does something great. He did just that on Sunday winning his fifth Verizon IndyCar Series championship at the Long Beach Grand Prix in California. So why aren't more Canadians talking about 'Hinch? Who knows! He's a pretty good dancer too folks!

The boys of summer are back! The Toronto Bluejays have had a less than flattering start, but optimism still wins the day for me. This team isn't so dramatically different than the 2015-'16 versions of the blue birds when they subsequently earned an AL East pennant and a wildcard spot in the MLB playoffs. They play 162 games before October and I believe the Jays are built to win about 100 of those in 2017 and make the playoffs again. Okay (okay) Bluejays (Bluejays)!

On the topic of Toronto, the Raptors have had a tough run of games with some injuries and have struggled meshing as a team post trade deadline. Head coach Dwayne Casey's hard-working group is coming around though and should push so-called superior teams like the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the playoffs should they meet. I'm very excited to write an article or two on Canada's only and favourite NBA team. Coming soon!

Who knows what to make of the dismissal of CFL GM Ed Hervey about a month before the draft and mini-camp. We all heard what Edmonton Eskimos President/CEO Len Rhodes said and the sum of it doesn't really justify the actions that were taken IMO. There's something more to this and I'd sure love to find out if it's coming from the top! That's what's been suggested by some of my sources on the inside. Stay tuned! This year the Eskimos will steal much of the controversy that plagued the Saskatchewan Roughriders in consecutive years.

Speaking of the greatest team there is, was, and ever will be — the Riders have buried their heads in preparations for their April 25th-27th mini-camp at Dodgertown in Vero Beach, FL.. I hope good-guys Rod Pedersen, Dan Plaster, and Luc Mullinder will be down there again to give us their perspective on what's happening with the potential Riders and some vets. One recruit in particular, QB Vince Young, should attract a lot of eyes!

The Regina Pats and Swift Current Broncos resume their best-of-seven (currently tied 1-1) WHL playoff series tonight in "Speedy Creek". Most WHL experts would agree that the Credit Union iPlex is the hardest place to play a road game in the league. I don't doubt it either! Bronco's fans are very similar to Rider fans in knowing that their cheering is more than a contribution to a good night out for all. They'll do it all again on Tuesday night before the series shifts back to Regina for game five on Good Friday. Happy Easter everyone!

The Pats/Broncos series itself has been some pretty intense hockey. A lot of players on both sides were really gripping their sticks in game one, and a few too many Broncos played a bit loose in game two. Seems, so far, that the club that makes the most mistakes and commits the most penalties has lost. The Pats should get it done from here. Maybe one more win for the Broncos before the Pats ultimately move on to face the winner of the Medicine Hat Tigers and Lethbridge Hurricanes series. It's also knotted at one game each. This might shock some but I've got the 'Canes taking out the heavily-favoured Tigers. Just call it a 'Hinch... err... hunch!

As usual on Monday and Wednesday's, I'll be on the Candid Frank Live: CFL Show podcast tonight starting at 10PM ET. Join us at the link I provide in the FB group @kellysblogspot or on Twitter @kbaleblog. Podcasts are a great way to relax, listening in as you do whatever it is you do after the last meal of the day or on a longish drive. Cheers!

TODAYS SHOUTOUT: Goes to the group, WHL Talk, on Facebook. There you'll find all kinds of smart, dedicated WHL fans from Victoria to Brandon and down through the United States. I love how few people there take things past fun and into the personal realm. I just wanna talk hockey!!! Thanks for having me ladies and gents!

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The Saskatchewan Roughriders Don't Have the Luxury of Time

If there wasn't already enough pressure to keep pace with the other eight CFL clubs who seemingly improve year-after-year, the Saskatchewan Roughriders don't have the luxury of time and it's a lot of their own doing. "Time for what?", you ask. After consecutive losing seasons without a playoff birth, the Riders need to make the playoffs in 2017 for this season to be considered a success.

We have all seen beautiful, shiny, new Mosaic Stadium by now. When the sun is on the horizon, it casts its beautiful profile and our prairie pride over a few older venues around the league. Yeah, Dave Dickenson, I just went there. If the Riders were looking to keep a low profile, they've really shot themselves in the foot with the new state of the art facilities. The CFL media, and the league community in-general, all had a teaser with CFL Week in March. The upgrades that the league scribes and analysts enjoy when they visit Regina now, compared to in the past, is something they hope will extend to the on-field product to make their storyline that much easier to compose. How hard was it watching the 2013 Winnipeg Blue Bombers open Investors Group Field with a 3-15 season after a year of costly delays? Another example is last year when the narrative could have read success at BMO Field for the re-born Toronto Argonauts. Instead the story was empty seats and a then record high of optimism was lost by the organization. The Ottawa Redblacks only won two games at TD Place Stadium in it's inaugural year, but the optimism wasn't lost on the brand new franchise.

Then there's of course all the ironic luxury worked into the stadium design that should allow the players to be their best selves throughout the season. Mosaic Stadium will work for the Riders, but only if they don't let it work against them which is apparently fairly easy to do by losing the majority of their games. First impressions mean a lot and the Riders would do themselves a huge favour winning the majority of their home games in 2017.

To go with the new ballpark, athletic facilities, and offices the Riders have had to recruit, sign, and acquire some players to overcome the potential sting of another losing season. Have they ever. Where do I even start with the again monster list of high-profile signings this offseason? I suppose the light has shined none brighter than on former third-overall pick in the NFL draft and 2x Pro Bowler, Vince Young. His signing brings an entirely new dimension to the media coverage that will be involved with the CFL, but particularly the Riders, should he make the football team. Bo Levi Mitchell can go right ahead and be flippantly optimistic about facing one of his idles. Maybe he's got a method to his madness though and hopes that any media circus in Regina that could arise would be a negative thing for a west division rival? It's not just Vince Young either. It's new players all over the depth-chart in Kevin Glenn, Duron Carter, Kienan LaFrance, Derek Dennis, Bakari Grant, Glenn Love, Chad Owens, Eddie Steele, and Ryan White. That's replaced almost a quarter of the roster with guys that have been in a position where they have won. That's happening right now, so can they win together with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2017? Attached to a pretty strong core of players assembled in 2016, the first of Chris Jones seasons as chief cook and bottle washer of the Riders, anybody can feel pretty optimistic about that happening. Mind you, there are eight other teams also looking to hold their heads under water. These players and any to be added before the season have got to integrate well and prove that they were good acquisitions for the club. The pressure only builds with the outstanding additions the club has made.

The time could be sooner than later for changes off the field if the Riders don't breed some sustainable success soon. I'd hate to think in retrospect that folks like me gave guys like Jones and fourth-year President/CEO Craig Reynolds too little time to prove they can turn the trick, but you can't wait too long either. While they have a luxury stadium and some luxurious new players, it's time that is not their luxury. Win or people will and should start screaming for changes up at the top.

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