I am not a Saskatchewan Roughriders fan, and thus I probably see this a little bit differently than most people reading this.
On Friday, free agent receiver Andy Fantuz signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, leaving the team that drafted him after six seasons.
So far, most of the reaction from Rider Nation has been reasonable, and hopefully it stays that way.
The news wasn't a big surprise - after all, the fact that this wasn't resolved before free agency opened was a good indicator that Fantuz might move on. Still, losing their top receiver has to hurt for Rider fans.
This is a homecoming for Fantuz. He'll be playing not far from where he grew up, and even closer to where he spent four outstanding seasons at Western.
You can't begrudge a guy for wanting to play close to home.
I've been living and working in Saskatchewan for more than three years. I am perfectly content here, but if a suitable job became available in P.E.I. that allowed me to do what I love, I would heavily consider it. That's just reality.
Best of luck to Fantuz in Hamilton (but that does not extend to the Ti-Cats) and here's hoping he gets a warm reception on July 28 when he makes his return to Mosaic Stadium.
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The city of Montreal and the sport of baseball lost a giant on Thursday when all-star catcher Gary Carter passed away at age 57 after a battle with brain cancer.
Carter retired in 1992, a little before my time as a baseball fan.
But listening to people talk about the man they called Kid - in life and in death - it's hard not to feel a genuine sense of loss, that a bright light has been extinguished.
I watched the video of Carter's last at-bat, a game-winning double at the Big O. The moment he shared with his fans as he punched the air at second base is rarely rivalled in professional sports.
In the days before the Blue Jays got big, Carter was the face of Canada's only big league team, and to many in this country, he was baseball.
Le Kid is gone. The Expos are gone. The image of that great big grin will endure.
Josh Lewis can be reached by phone at 634-2654, by e-mail at [email protected], on Twitter at twitter.com/joshlewis306 or on his Bruins blog at estevanmercury.ca/bruinsbanter. Sooo Jay Onrait, any chance of a Bon Jovi duet with Don Narcisse?
