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Greetings, folks.
I’m back in the saddle after two weeks of holidays and have no shortage of tidbits to cover. Let’s get to it with a six-pack of thoughts and musings.
Grey Cup
I was out of town, but based on everything I saw and heard, the other big winner of this year’s Grand National Drunk was the host city itself. Take a bow, Winnipeg. You showed off your best qualities to visitors from across this great land. I’m not surprised our little neck of the woods rose to the occasion.
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Memo to the NHL: perhaps you’d like to bring the draft our way someday? Late June in River City can be glorious. Heck, the mosquitos aren’t even out yet.
Honourable mention goes to MGK, who surprised me (in a very good way) with his halftime performance. I wasn’t overly familiar with his work but was quite impressed. And judging by what I read on social media, I wasn’t alone.
MGK, formerly known as Machine Gun Kelly, performs during the half-time show of the CFL 112th Grey Cup, in Winnipeg Nov. 16. (John Woods / The Canadian Press files)
While we’re still on football, a hearty congratulations to Judy Owen and Paul Friesen for their well-deserved inductions into the media wing of the CFL Hall of Fame. They’re not just great writers, but terrific people I’m proud to call friends.
And finally, props to the Blue Bombers for retaining Mike O’Shea and Kyle Walters. I know many folks were ready to turn the page and move on but count me among those who believe the “Canadian Mafia” deserve the chance to try building another championship team.
Jets
From road warriors to road worriers, it was a rough couple of weeks in enemy territory for the hockey club. But the mood has shifted considerably after an impressive 5–2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets and Wednesday’s signing of captain Adam Lowry to a five-year extension.
My two cents: Lowry is deserving of every penny of his $25 million deal. He is the face of the franchise and has actually been underpaid (by NHL standards) in recent years given all that he does on and off the ice. He’s now likely to join Mark Scheifele, Connor Hellebuyck, Kyle Connor and perhaps Josh Morrissey as “Jets For Life,” which is quite a badge of honour for an organization often viewed as an undesirable destination by outsiders.
We’ll see if the Jets can keep the good vibes going as they finish this homestand with tough tests against Carolina and Minnesota. That’s followed by another lengthy road trip which starts next week. I’ll be along for the ride as we head to Washington, Carolina, Nashville, Buffalo and Montreal. Buckle up.
Mailbag
You’ve got questions. We’ve got answers! Colleague Ken Wiebe and I are putting together the latest edition of our monthly Jets mailbag, set to go online this Sunday. Send us your questions about the team by simply replying to this email, and we’ll be sure to tackle them.
MLB free agency
It always amuses me how NHL free agency is a true July 1 frenzy, while the MLB equivalent tends to be a slow drip. There’s barely been a trickle so far as teams, players and agents tip-toe into the offseason.
I expect my beloved Blue Jays will be active. Re-signing Shane Bieber was a great first step. I’d love to see the big fish, Kyle Tucker, head north — ideally with a re-signed Bo Bichette. And I’d also be thrilled to see Chris Bassitt return. He was tremendous during the playoff run and, by all accounts, a huge part of the clubhouse chemistry that made the Jays so fun to watch.
I know the 2025 season just ended, but guess what? Opening Day for 2026 is just 125 sleeps from now!
Feeling blue?
Speaking of the ball club, plenty of fans are still smarting after the way the World Series wrapped earlier this month. I recently received an email from the Anxiety Disorders Association of Manitoba that summed it up perfectly:
“Anyone else feel a real spike of anxiety and disappointment after the Blue Jays loss? It’s a strange kind of exhaustion when something that brought so much connection is suddenly gone. The sense of community felt so solid while we’re all watching together, and losing that daily connection leaves a real void.”
They offered suggestions for coping with “that baseball-hole-sized space in your heart,” including getting outside for fresh air, limiting the doom-scrolling of sad sports news and treating yourself to your favourite comfort food. Sounds like a good game plan to me.
November is Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, and the organization praised Jays stars Ernie Clement and Chris Bassitt for showing it’s OK to talk about your feelings. Clement spoke openly about loving his teammates and being sad about parting for the winter, while Bassitt was extremely candid about his emotions following the heartbreaking Game 7 loss.
By the way, the organization is holding a Holiday Stress Reduction Drop-In on Saturday, Dec. 6 from 10 a.m. to noon at 4 Fort Street (behind the Hotel Fort Garry, across from The Forks). They’re asking for a suggested $25 donation and will hand out stress-reduction care packages to the first 25 attendees, along with an entry into a draw for a signed Adam Lowry jersey. You can register here.
Follow-ups
I’ve written plenty this year about Manitoba’s top pro golfer, Aaron Cockerill, and Assiniboia Downs’ homegrown second-generation jockey, Ciera Pruitt.
I have updates on both.
Cockerill, who lost his full-time DP World Tour card after a tough finish to his season, recently finished tied for second at the final stage of Q-School in Spain. Terrific news for the pride of Stony Mountain. The top 20 out of 156 earned full status for next year, so Cockerill is back with prime standing.
Pruitt wrapped up her rookie year at ASD in impressive fashion, making 123 starts with 12 wins, 17 seconds and 25 thirds for $162,194 in earnings. The 22-year-old Winnipegger has now headed south for the winter, training and racing in Tampa Bay.
That’s it for this week, folks. I’ll talk to you next Thursday — somewhere between Washington and Raleigh.
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