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Professional wrestler. School teacher. Meteorologist. Accountant. Stand-up comedian.
At various points in my life, I’ve imagined myself in all of those roles. In other words, I spent a lot of time as a kid being wildly undecided about what I wanted to be when I grew up.
And while I have absolutely no regrets about where my career path ultimately led, it’s still fun to occasionally wonder what might have been.
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Or — what still could be.
That thought popped into my head recently when I received this email:
Hi Mike,
I’m reaching out in hopes there’s a small part of you that might entertain the possibility of trying five minutes of standup comedy as part of Laughing With The Stars — a Winnipeg Comedy Festival show Wed April 22 at the Gas Station Arts Centre.
Here’s my elevator pitch to give you a sense of it:
Now in its fifth year, Laughing With The Stars is fast becoming a Winnipeg Comedy Festival audience favourite, combining seasoned local comedians with beloved local celebrities trying five minutes of standup comedy for the first time.
Local celebrities from the fields of TV, radio, print media, sports, and music are invited to prepare five minutes of material to perform in front of a warm, enthusiastic, supportive audience at the Gas Station Arts Centre Wed Apr 22, 2026.
Is it scary? Sure. Does it feel like you’re jumping out of an airplane without a parachute? Yup! It is a huge rush and will you be so glad you jumped? Absolutely!
And if you need any tips or help in preparing, you have the support of the seasoned local comedian who introduces and champions you, as well as the support of host Big Daddy Tazz, and Winnipeg Comedy Festival Artistic Director Dean Jenkinson.
I’ve had you in mind for a few years, but our festival always conflicts with the Jets in the NHL playoffs. Somehow I don’t think we have to worry about that this year…
Let me know if you’re a HECK YES, a HECK NO, or a Hmmmm let me think about it?
Safe to say, I couldn’t reply with a “HECK YES” fast enough.
Since agreeing to take the comedy plunge, I’ve already had a few middle-of-the-night moments where I wake up with a funny anecdote stuck in my head. I fumble for my phone in the dark, open the Notes app, and type it out — because, of course, I’m not going to trust my brain to remember it by morning.
The biggest challenge? Making sure I don’t go over my five-minute time slot. I’ve already warned my wife that some of my material may have to be saved for the inevitable Vegas residency that I’m certain will follow. (See? I’ve got jokes!)
In all seriousness, my plan is to share funny — and very true — stories from my life and career, including more than two decades covering crime and justice and the past 10 years in sports.
Fellow amateurs Derek Taylor (CJOB), Doug Darling (Tripwire Media) and Jim Agapito (CBC) will also be performing on Apr. 22, along with polished local pros such as Big Daddy Taz, Joel Brandt, Kristen Einarson, Tim Gray, Emmanuel Lomuro and Matt Nightingale.
I’m truly excited about it, and you’re more than welcome to come and laugh with me – or at me.
You can find tickets here.
We may still be in hockey season here — I’m currently in Boston, where the Jets are kicking off a three-game road trip tonight against the Bruins — but golf is never very far from my mind.
Manitoba’s top pro golfer, Aaron Cockerill, is off to a sizzling start this week at the latest DP World Tour stop in China. The pride of Stony Mountain fired a six-under 66 in his opening round Thursday of the Hainan Classic, putting him in a tie for third just two strokes off the lead. Hopefully, the 33-year-old can keep his foot on the gas straight through Sunday as he seeks his first pro victory.
And how about PGA Tour rookie Sudarshan Yellamaraju, who pocketed nearly US$1 million in earnings last weekend after finishing tied for fifth at The Players Championship. The 24-year-old has strong ties to Winnipeg — immigrating with his family from India at the age of four and spending seven years here, where he fell in love with golf.
Sudarshan Yellamaraju hits from the sand along the second fairway during the third round of The Players Championship golf tournament last Saturday, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (Gerald Herbert / The Associated Press)
From taking his first swings at the Golf Dome to landing his first youth membership at Larters in St. Andrews to winning his first junior competition at Tuxedo, Yellamaraju still very much considers himself a Manitoban despite listing Mississauga (where the family moved for work) as his hometown. He’s also being coached by Winnipegger Derek Ingram, whose other PGA clients include Corey Conners and Taylor Pendrith.
Yellamaraju has come a long way in a very short time, and he certainly opened plenty of eyes around the sport with his stellar performance at TPC Sawgrass, where he was actually the low player for the weekend. He shot up 71 spots in the world rankings — from 216th to 145th — and clearly has a very bright future ahead of him.
In case you missed it, I spoke with him last fall when he first punched his ticket to the PGA Tour.
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