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Welcome to Different Angles, the podcast live from the Bamboo Chutes Studios in downtown Saskatoon.
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I'm Ray Morrison.
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Matt Morrison.
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And coming up in this edition, we will chat about the Saskatchewan.
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Despite themselves, they are playoff bound.
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Uh you are at the same time we will we will talk about that.
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We will also talk about some NHL attendance issues, and bull riding is coming to uh SASTEL Center.
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We'll talk a little bit about that.
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And our guest speaking of the SASTEL Center.
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Yeah.
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Right.
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You bring up the PBR, Ken Wood, former executive director of SASTEL Center, Credit Union Center, as it was called back in the day.
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But uh vote on deed.
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It's probably the biggest, well, not the biggest, one of the biggest conversations that Saskatoon has had probably in recent, probably in my lifetime.
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Yep.
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So that's going to be interesting, but it'll be great to hear from Ken Wood and uh why he doesn't think um Saskatoon is in need of a new arena and that sort of stuff.
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How was your week?
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It was good.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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Like you mentioned, down in Regina for the uh for the rider game on Saturday.
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Boring.
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Yeah.
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Boring.
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But we'll get to that.
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We'll get to that because there is a it was a a weekend full of football in the province.
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Yep.
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And the Regina Thunder beat the Saskatoon Hilltops.
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So the Regina Thunder are PFC champions thanks to a 44-19 win over the Saskatoon Hilltops.
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Um the Thunder ran the table in the regular season, 7-1, including two wins over the Hilltops, and then they were able to uh seal the deal in uh in the PFC final.
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21 fourth quarter points for the Regina Thunder.
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The fact that the Thunder won, the fact that they won the PFC championship, that's not even the biggest story to come out of Lyblefield.
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No, it is not.
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Uh I want to show you a friend of mine, and his name is Liam Richards, Darby, if we could bring up that first image.
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So Liam is a photographer with um all kinds of groups, including the Saskatchewan.
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So get this.
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Friday, he goes down to shoot the Rough Rider team picture.
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Saturday, he goes down for the Rough Rider game.
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And Sunday, he goes back down for the PFC final because his stepson plays for the Saskatoon Hilltops.
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So he goes to Regina Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
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Somebody should have thrown the trophy in his car if he was going to make that many trips.
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I was wondering where you were going with this.
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So that's yeah, no, it it's uh it's really tough.
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So are we what are we calling this?
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Trophy gate?
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Trophy gate.
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Yeah.
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Do you think we can get that trending on Twitter?
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You know, it's Trophy Gate 26.
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I'll tell you what, it is uh it is unfortunate that the PMC Championship trophy was not.
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And I think about the fifth-year athletes on the Thunder, and I that's you know, that's sort of my thing.
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The Hilltops have apologized for this, and uh it's it is a bad look, but we do want to make sure that we give the Saskatoon Hilltops uh statement.
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If we could, Darby, we'll give that uh a look here and just be sure that we uh get this right.
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And you'll notice that there is an apology in the first and the last paragraph of this statement.
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So you can see in the first paragraph they said they'd like to extend their heartfelt apologies for not having the trophy with them.
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Uh, as the defending champions, it was our responsibility to ensure the trophy was there.
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So, somewhere in a bylaw, that would tell me that this was the expectation, and it always was.
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We know firsthand how hard work, dedication, and sacrifice goes into winning a championship, and the Regina Thunder earned that.
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So that's well done.
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The two organizations share a tremendous amount of respect uh for one another.
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It's a fierce competition, they put that in.
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But the last uh paragraph here to the Regina Thunder, congratulations on a well-deserved championship.
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You deserved your moment.
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We are sorry we fell short in helping you make it everything it should have been.
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So from the Saskatoon Hilltops, that is good.
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That said, it is still a very bad look for, you know, it it just sort of puts the amateur in amateur sports, which is really unfortunate.
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And I I get rivalries, I get gamesmanship, I get fields not being being cleared, I get doors locked when teams arrive, I get all that stuff.
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But this was um yeah, yeah, I don't I don't think that there was any ill will from the Hilltops on this either.
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Like you can go and you can you can go back and forth and you could come up with like millions of other reasons as to you know what the protocol should be, you know, namely um the well the PFC, the league itself should have the trophy, right?
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So you could and I don't know what the logistics are around that either.
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Um but you know it is interesting.
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I do think that uh so I reached out to a couple of former Hill Tops players.
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Yeah, okay.
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Uh players that have won PFC championships, players that have won um national championships.
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And the general consensus amongst the at least the players that I talk to, some you know, 2000s, early 2010, some 2015, 2016 in that era.
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Um and the general consensus that uh you know that I was told was, well, you know, the PFC, that's great, that we won the PFC championship, but it's almost like it's an expectation.
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For the for the Hilltops, anyways, right?
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You know, the Canadian bowl, that's the trophy you want.
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And because I asked them, I said, you know, hey, if you were to not get your picture with the PFC trophy, is that an issue?
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And the the ones that got back to me said, no, not really.
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Right?
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Like the Canadian bowl is the one that the the Hilltops anyways want.
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That's the one.
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Well, that's fine to ask them ten years after they played.
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My point, they would feel differently about it if they were celebrating with a team picture without a trophy.
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Right.
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I don't know.
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No, I know.
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Yeah, absolutely.
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Absolutely.
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I don't know.
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I don't know that.
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A moment, like the Hilltops said in their statement, a moment has been taken away.
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And that's that's yeah, yeah, it's it's it's uh I do think that sorry, just one more on that point is a lot of the discussion, you know, the Hilltops put out that statement, they put it on their social media.
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Uh a lot of the discussion and a lot of the comments and things like that that uh that I saw from the social media was it almost was like, I don't want to say parents, but supporters of the Regina Thunder, um fans of the Regina Thunder, some parents, maybe some grandparents.
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Those were the people that were up in arms about this.
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Um, you know, the players, the coaching staff, they have another game to prepare for.
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Yeah, right.
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So that's so that's where they're gonna be.
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If you're Scott McColly, the head coach.
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Yeah.
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And you get it, right?
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Like you were the parent that sat at the football field, sat at the ball diamond, sat at the hockey rank all those years.
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But I just can't help but feel like, you know, the parents are a little more uh or and supporters and fans are a little more um invested in this and upset by this by the fact that, you know, yeah, their family member or their son or whatever aren't getting uh and them aren't getting a picture on the field with a trophy.
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Well, Scott McAuley's a great coach.
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Yeah.
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You think about this, you know, you talk about that expectation, but since 2021, the Regina Thunder and the Saskatoon Hilltops have won three PFC titles each.
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Yeah.
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So they probably both have that expectation now.
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Well, and that's kind of what it, yeah, that's what I'm, you know, that's kind of what I'm going at, right?
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Like the PFC championship, it's almost like, okay, that's step one.
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Yeah.
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Right?
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It's like, this is step one, take care of business here, and then we move on, right?
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So boy, that was an interesting football game, though.
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28 points in a five-minute burst.
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It was a four-point game at the half, and then all of a sudden, 28 points for the Thunder uh uh in a five-minute burst between the third and fourth quarters.
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But there was like uh two pick sixes, there were kickoff returns.
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Uh it was uh wide open second half in that football game.
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Even going into the fourth quarter, the Hilltops weren't out of it.
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They were down 23-12 heading into the fourth quarter.
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So that wasn't an insurmountable deficit by any stretch of the imagination.
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But yeah, you give up 21 points in uh in the fourth quarter.
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It's not great.
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We talked about how good Peter Borsch, the Regina Thunder running back, was last week on different angles.
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Uh another 154 yards on the ground on 19 carries.
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I think he averaged like 8.1 yards a carry, so was just unable to be uh stopped.
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Griffin Sander had two turnovers for the hilltops, yeah, two interceptions.
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So um almost like back to the drawing board, kind of sort of almost for for Tom Sargent and the Hilltops.
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Yeah, a little bit.
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Right?
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It's a little bit, right?
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Like any other team would be happy to go to the PFC final, but you know, when you're the Saskatoon Hilltops, it's just it's just different.
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So we'll see how uh how Sarge and Company come out here in 2027, but they're gonna have a long offseason to think about it.
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And the Thunder will now take on Sault Ste.
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Marine, Sioux College, they call it.
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It's a city of about 80,000, and that's where the uh Regina Thunder now go for a semifinal to take on the BC reps uh for the Canadian Bowl.
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Oh, you know who the head coach and athletic director is?
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No.
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Paul Orizzetti, who spent some time at um UBC.
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Okay.
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I didn't know that until I looked it up a couple of times.
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Well, I'm glad you uh He's been the athletic director for a great guy.
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Okay, yeah, really good guy.
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Yeah, so that's uh that's good.
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So uh 16-12 win over Montreal.
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You were on hand for that for the Saskatchewan Rough Riders.
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Uh yeah.
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Well, I was almost asleep in my seat, which is like we had good seats.
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Yeah.
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Okay, like we were kind of you know right in the one end zone corner on the rider sideline.
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Uh yeah, there is uh an image of your locale for that uh for that football game.
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And that was a few minutes before kickoff.
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Yeah.
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No, they weren't.
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Um that side that we're looking at, so the Alouette sideline filled out a little bit more than what's seen on that picture, but it still uh still wasn't that full.
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I think they said attendance was 29,000 somewhere in there.
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Um the side that we were on was pretty full.
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But um yeah, you know, I I don't know.
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It's funny because you've uh you've taught me a lot of things in life, okay.
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But probably the two most important things that you've taught me is to get to events early, whether it's a sporting event or like a concert or whatever, um, and get the aisle seat.
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Yeah.
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Okay.
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So I accomplished one of those two things on Saturday, okay.
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Uh got the aisle seat, which is great.
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Um but we didn't get there.
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Yeah, we didn't get there in a lot of time to kind of check out the pregame festivities and what was going on and stuff like that.
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Um, but we did walk by some of the tailgating that is now legal at Saskatchewan Rough Rider Scheme.
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So it seemed cool.
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Yeah, yeah.
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They had the cornhole going, they they had the little charcoal barbecue out there doing their thing, right?
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They had a football they were throwing back and forth.
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So yeah, it seemed seemed fine to me.
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But uh but yeah, I bet.
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When you're a 40-year-old quarterback is your leading rusher.
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Not sure that's gonna be uh, you know, now that they are in the playoffs, and we'll see what the Edmonton Elks put on the field here.
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I'm not sure what they're gonna dress for this game this week.
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Well, and okay, so that begs the question.
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If you're the Saskatchewan Rough Riders, okay, you're either gonna finish at nine and nine or ten and eight.
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Is it an easier path to go to get to the Great Cup if you go through the East or through the West?
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A crossover team has never won a Great Cup game.
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Okay.
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In 30 years.
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Sure.
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So stay in your division.
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I don't know.
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Against BC and Edmonton, that's a tough sell.
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Well, it is, but I mean I mean, eventually, I mean, all roads are probably gonna go through Montreal anyway, I guess.
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But uh I get it.
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Yeah, whether it's in the Great Cup or in the East Final or whatever.
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Yeah, exactly.
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But I just think that there's something to finishing third as opposed to fourth in your division.
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Sure.
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You know, yeah.
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So yeah, no, no.
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And well, yeah, and that yeah, like you said, that begs the question, right?
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Who do you start if you're the riders or who do you sit?
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Um, you know, they're still so banged up in in certain areas, right?
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Um, but like Sam Analysis was back for the Riders this week.
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Um, so that was good, right?
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Like they are kind of getting healthy a little bit in in some some aspects, but yeah, you kind of gotta wonder, like, hey, do you do you sit some guys just to make sure?
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Do you sit Trevor Harris?
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Even for a half?
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Yeah.
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Well, right, depending on what depending on what the what the score is like at halftime, one way or the other.
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I think if you're uh I think if you're Mark Mueller and I think if you are Coach Corey Mace, the one thing you want to do is make sure that your offense with your first team is rolling.
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Yeah, because there's any sort of doubt.
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Oh, we've got to keep them out there and get some things figured out.
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I think the other story, uh empty seats in the NHL, 16,176 in attendance last Thursday when the Edmonton Oilers took on the Utah, right?
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Yeah, and that's and then a nine-year sell out streak in Vegas ended as well.
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Yeah.
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Does it matter?
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Doesn't matter.
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Go on.
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What does it matter?
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I mean, the NHL, we see which way the salaries are going up.
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Affordability is a thing for everybody.
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Yeah, right.
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Yeah, I get what you're okay.
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You know what I mean.
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But I mean, you think of the corporate deals, you think of the TV deals that the NHL now has.
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Does this does this matter at all?
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Yeah, well, you know, it'd be nice for a guy that maybe can't afford the to go to the game to be able to watch the game on SportsNet, but that's not really an option either.
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Um so we tell you.
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No, I don't I don't know, right?
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Um I did read an interesting article out of Vegas, and you know, it kind of sounds like for the for so long Vegas, and they were great at it, was getting the community involved, right?
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So whether that was through, you know, cheap, not cheap ticket sales, but you know, ticket sales um that were affordable, players out of the community.
00:12:59.279 --> 00:13:06.879
Um, but it kind of sounds like corporate greed has taken over in Vegas just based off of an article that I was reading from a local Vegas beat reporter.
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Um somebody else did bring up the fact that Vegas is such a hub for Canadian travelers, and a lot of times they'll go down there to watch their favorite team or watch a hockey game if they're down there while Canadian travel to the United States is slowed.
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So that could be um a potential um to this as well.
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But yeah, it is interesting.
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The Ottawa Senators, um, the Columbus Blue Jackets, uh, the Calgary Flames, the Detroit Red Wings, the Edmonton Oilers, Vegas, all at less than 100% capacity um at some point so far throughout the the course of the 2026-2027 season.
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Now it is early.
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Yeah.
00:13:42.000 --> 00:13:46.320
It is still very early in the season, but uh I did look at some ticket prices just out of curiosity.
00:13:46.639 --> 00:13:54.799
Um the Toronto Maple Leaves, my Toronto Maple Leafs are taking on the Edmonton Oilers in Edmonton um this upcoming Saturday in a couple of days, the 24th.
00:13:54.879 --> 00:13:57.840
Uh one of the cheapest tickets$302 a piece.
00:13:58.000 --> 00:14:07.120
So uh and then I looked at those same seats for the Detroit Red Wings game when the Red Wings are in town a couple of days later, 97 bucks a piece in Edmonton.
00:14:07.200 --> 00:14:07.440
Yeah.
00:14:07.600 --> 00:14:08.799
So that's part of it.
00:14:08.879 --> 00:14:11.600
Um the Calgary Flames are going through a little bit of a rebuild.
00:14:11.679 --> 00:14:22.399
So I did find some uh tickets for$79 in Calgary versus the Toronto Maple Leafs,$228 for dollars for roughly the same uh cuts in rate.
00:14:22.879 --> 00:14:24.639
That cuts into the$22 a beer.
00:14:24.960 --> 00:14:33.200
Yeah, well, and you probably and like you know, because you're older than I am, you probably don't understand like resale on Ticketmaster and stuff.
00:14:33.440 --> 00:14:34.000
Oh, I understand it.
00:14:34.159 --> 00:14:34.320
Do you?
00:14:34.480 --> 00:14:35.200
Okay, you know what that is?
00:14:35.279 --> 00:14:43.200
Yeah, okay uh because I was able to find some resale tickets in Vegas for$100, USD, but a hundred dollars, which you know doesn't seem all that bad.
00:14:43.360 --> 00:14:44.879
It was for some random game.
00:14:45.679 --> 00:14:48.240
People smart enough to gouge people who aren't smart enough to prevent it.
00:14:48.320 --> 00:14:48.399
Okay.
00:14:48.720 --> 00:14:49.120
That's what that is.
00:14:49.360 --> 00:14:49.679
There you go.
00:14:49.759 --> 00:14:50.320
There, there it is.
00:14:50.559 --> 00:14:51.120
Look at that.
00:14:51.279 --> 00:14:51.919
That's pretty good.
00:14:52.240 --> 00:14:53.600
When we come back, I'm impressed.
00:14:53.919 --> 00:14:55.279
Uh our interview segment.
00:14:55.360 --> 00:15:01.440
We will chat with Ken Wood, the former uh manager of uh SAS Tel Center, SAS Place in the Day.
00:15:01.519 --> 00:15:15.360
Uh, and we are going to talk about uh vote on deed and uh get uh his uh perspective on the discussion about the new downtown entertainment district that is uh very much uh in in play or at least in conversation uh in these parts.
00:15:15.679 --> 00:15:16.559
But it's not going away.
00:15:16.799 --> 00:15:17.679
It's not going away.
00:15:17.759 --> 00:15:22.000
So we'll have that on the other side of the break here on the Different Angles Podcast.
00:15:25.440 --> 00:15:27.519
Welcome back to the Different Angles Podcast.
00:15:27.600 --> 00:15:40.240
This was a little bit before your time, but in 1987, 88, when Saskatchewan Place opened, I used to argue with our next guest, and I thought, well, why don't we pick that up 30, 40 years after we're gonna do that?
00:15:40.399 --> 00:15:42.000
I was gonna say we're still doing it.
00:15:42.240 --> 00:15:43.919
I was cranky then and I'm cranky now.
00:15:44.080 --> 00:15:44.879
No, I'm kidding.
00:15:44.960 --> 00:15:46.960
It's great to welcome uh Ken Wood to the program.
00:15:47.120 --> 00:15:55.840
Ken Wood is uh with vote on Deed, and he's uh out to uh start a petition to have uh uh Sastel Center live on.
00:15:55.919 --> 00:15:59.440
Is that an accurate uh accurate description of what's going on, Ken?
00:16:00.639 --> 00:16:01.759
It is fairly accurate.
00:16:01.840 --> 00:16:05.519
Yeah, it's uh actually your history, your history is a little off there.
00:16:05.679 --> 00:16:11.360
Uh the first game was uh Sas Dune Blades Brandon Wheat Kings uh February of 89.
00:16:12.000 --> 00:16:13.360
89, okay, yeah.
00:16:13.600 --> 00:16:17.919
So yeah, one of the I think one of the players that played in that game was Ken Cheveldeoff.
00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:21.759
I think he was one of the I think he was in the Brandon Wheat Kings lineup that night, I think.
00:16:21.919 --> 00:16:22.799
If I'm not mistaken.
00:16:23.360 --> 00:16:23.440
Yeah.
00:16:24.080 --> 00:16:24.879
They couldn't tell, yeah.
00:16:25.039 --> 00:16:25.759
Yeah, that's great.
00:16:25.919 --> 00:16:26.639
89, man.
00:16:26.720 --> 00:16:31.519
It was think of everything that went on here with regards to like the Memorial Cup, the Briar.
00:16:31.600 --> 00:16:33.200
We had the Canada Summer Games that year.
00:16:33.279 --> 00:16:38.000
There was just so much going on in Saskatoon uh at that uh at that time.
00:16:38.320 --> 00:16:50.879
Uh well I've made no um no bones about it here, Ken, although my argument is holding a little less water now than it was 15 years ago when the dollar was par, and uh there was a few less affordability issues here.
00:16:51.039 --> 00:16:56.320
But uh I've always thought that we could use uh a replacement for Sastel Center.
00:16:56.639 --> 00:16:58.240
You're not quite in that camp.
00:16:58.399 --> 00:17:04.960
Uh so maybe let's let's talk a little bit first about vote on deed, what you're doing, and uh and and your role on that.
00:17:06.240 --> 00:17:11.440
Yeah, I'm leading up uh a petition uh under the uh cities act of Saskatchewan.
00:17:11.519 --> 00:17:21.599
So you're required to get uh 10% of the city's population to uh you have to hit that number in uh eligible voters signing the petition.
00:17:21.680 --> 00:17:30.960
If we hit that and it goes to the city clerk and pass the semester, then uh city council is required to hold a referendum on the matter.
00:17:31.440 --> 00:17:36.480
So how where are you at with regards to those uh those signatures now then?
00:17:37.599 --> 00:17:41.839
We're uh shooting for uh you know uh near 30,000.
00:17:41.920 --> 00:17:48.160
We're hoping technically it's only 26,700 in that range, but we uh want to have a little excess.
00:17:48.400 --> 00:17:57.279
We're about a third of the way through our uh our process here, and uh we're tracking at about that uh for signatures so far.
00:17:57.759 --> 00:18:10.240
So um is it your opinion, Ken, that SASTEL Center in its current state, because kind of the other part of this discussion has been, well, a potential renovation to SASTEL Center.
00:18:10.640 --> 00:18:12.559
Um I'm not sure where you stand on that.
00:18:12.640 --> 00:18:25.200
I'm not sure kind of uh what your opinion on the current state of of SASTEL Center is, but um, you know, in your opinion, can Sastel Center kind of live on with uh with no renovations here for the for the future?
00:18:27.920 --> 00:18:33.279
It's in it's in it been well maintained, uh but it yes, it can use improvements.
00:18:33.440 --> 00:18:45.119
Uh I think one of the problems is that uh council has or the city has looked at trying to transform it into a near NHL facility.
00:18:45.440 --> 00:18:50.480
And we we we just don't need a near near NHL facility in Saskatoon.
00:18:51.119 --> 00:19:03.119
Um there are some excellent upgrades that could be made with a reasonable budget and uh the uh facility can satisfy all of its clients.
00:19:03.440 --> 00:19:09.359
I mean, if you look at the Saskatoon Blades and the Rush, uh the facility is totally adequate.
00:19:09.680 --> 00:19:16.960
If you look at uh the potential of moving into the AHL, we'd be a top-tier facility, uh as we are now.
00:19:17.440 --> 00:19:26.720
Um if you look at non-NHL cities in Canada, we're in the top three uh facilities in Canada.
00:19:26.880 --> 00:19:32.319
There's cities bigger than us that would love to have our uh existing facility.
00:19:32.799 --> 00:19:42.720
Uh there just is no business case and no economic case to uh move this thing forward.
00:19:43.039 --> 00:19:53.119
It seems that the argument that city council has is uh we want the facility downtown uh with no backup reasoning at all.
00:19:53.519 --> 00:19:58.640
They have tried to present the case that the facility is falling over or something, but it just is not.
00:19:59.039 --> 00:20:02.319
Well, I I I'm not sure uh Ken, I'm not sure that's totally accurate.
00:20:02.400 --> 00:20:11.759
Just in the fact that one of the things about this this district would include some renovations to what is TCU placed now, too, and including a convention center in that.
00:20:11.920 --> 00:20:25.119
So um And that's why that's why our uh resolution is uh for the city to discontinue any work or progress on the arena portion.
00:20:25.279 --> 00:20:35.519
We're we're not uh uh going against TCU renovations or uh the possibility for of convention center additions.
00:20:35.680 --> 00:20:38.960
So the arena makes zero sense.
00:20:39.200 --> 00:20:40.160
Zero sense.
00:20:40.559 --> 00:20:43.519
Boy, I I I don't know about that.
00:20:43.599 --> 00:20:47.279
Uh well I uh yeah, and when I say I don't know about that, I literally don't know about that.
00:20:47.359 --> 00:20:58.400
I just think I look at our downtown right now, Ken, and I think the subsequent businesses around a facility would make downtown something that it needs to be right now, that it just isn't there.
00:20:58.640 --> 00:21:03.359
Um now, that said, I think uh you are right.
00:21:03.440 --> 00:21:13.839
It's a harder conversation to have now as opposed to maybe 15, 18 years ago when the dollar was par and uh and we weren't facing sort of the affordability issues we were.
00:21:14.079 --> 00:21:19.680
But that said, I still don't know if that's the reason not to have the conversation about a facility downtown.
00:21:22.319 --> 00:21:26.799
Yeah, you you know, you just I can find no business reason.
00:21:26.880 --> 00:21:28.480
I just I just keep repeating that.
00:21:28.880 --> 00:21:37.839
If you want to look at the concert market, for example, um they can they seem to point to the fact that we've missed events.
00:21:38.000 --> 00:21:43.599
Well, if you can't get a a specific mention of an event that's been missed.
00:21:43.920 --> 00:21:48.480
The concert market uh is changing pretty rapidly, you know.
00:21:48.720 --> 00:21:53.599
Um we've had the boomers kind of go through the process.
00:21:53.680 --> 00:21:59.359
So you've got the gray haired crowd and uh the bands that we have followed over the years.
00:21:59.599 --> 00:22:13.440
Uh They're they're gray haired too, and they're uh you know, but we're moving into you know generations that had more mixed tastes and and uh maybe not as many megastars.
00:22:13.839 --> 00:22:24.240
Um and one of the things that's transpiring is uh acts are taking up what's called residencies uh or sitting in one spot, you know.
00:22:24.319 --> 00:22:31.599
So you've got the Backstreet Boys uh doing 10 or 12 dates in uh Toronto and 10 or 12 dates in Vancouver.
00:22:31.920 --> 00:22:36.480
You've got Bruno Mars doing three stadium shows in Vancouver.
00:22:36.640 --> 00:22:45.119
Like why tour when you can uh have the affluent uh consumer hop on a plane and uh go see them?
00:22:45.440 --> 00:23:00.079
So, you know, realistically, for Saskatoon, the market is concerts in the 700 to 10,000 range, and we can do 12 to 15 of those dates a year, maybe more at times.
00:23:00.319 --> 00:23:04.000
And we don't need a huge facility uh downtown.
00:23:04.079 --> 00:23:16.880
I um and and having a new uh facility with uh better amenities in certain aspects does not guarantee one single concert more.
00:23:17.200 --> 00:23:19.599
I mean when you build yeah, go ahead.
00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:28.240
When you when you open the facility, a new facility, it's gonna do very well for two or three years because everybody wants to get inside it.
00:23:28.480 --> 00:23:33.519
But at the end of the day, it's uh can your market support this act?
00:23:34.000 --> 00:23:48.799
It's got a the act has a guarantee amount, usually in US dollars, and uh so you have to sell tickets at X dollars, and if you don't have enough people to to do it, you you you you you you're not in the equation.
00:23:49.039 --> 00:23:56.319
We're a small, we're a small city, and people seem to be comparing us to Calgary and Edmonton, which we we aren't even close to.
00:23:56.400 --> 00:24:00.480
The whole province isn't even close to either one of those cities.
00:24:00.960 --> 00:24:14.480
Yeah, I I I but I I don't know about that only because in in a if you have an act that's going to sell 15,000 seats in in Calgary, it's going to sell 15,000 seats in Saskatoon.
00:24:14.799 --> 00:24:14.960
Right?
00:24:16.160 --> 00:24:26.240
Oh, I I that might be where you and I uh yeah I why would you why would you say that well why would I say that?
00:24:26.559 --> 00:24:39.119
Um we punched above our weight class for years and years, and the reason that we did it, yeah, we uh we promoted uh events, we took a risk position, so we were promoters.
00:24:39.279 --> 00:24:46.720
There's a lot of uh major facilities across Canada that that don't even do that, they wait for the independent promoters.
00:24:46.880 --> 00:24:55.519
So we did the uh three Eagles dates in Saskatoon, one of the most successful events in the history of the building.
00:24:55.680 --> 00:25:07.920
So uh uh Yeah, when when uh the promoters are looking at Saskatoon, they know it's it's a smaller market and they know it's gonna be dicey.
00:25:08.400 --> 00:25:14.400
And um we're we're we're nowhere near Calgary in Edmonton.
00:25:14.559 --> 00:25:33.440
And and and one of the things that will transpire when Calgary's new building comes online is uh Saskatoon has kind of uh benefited from the fact that they that in the winter Calgary's uh roof wouldn't have handle the weight load for the concerts, you know.
00:25:33.599 --> 00:25:36.480
So we will miss some concerts because of that.
00:25:36.640 --> 00:25:47.680
But we we are not anywhere close to Calgary and uh Edmonton in our ability to host uh concerts with a certain uh large guarantee.
00:25:47.920 --> 00:25:58.240
And then beyond that, you know, even Calgary and Edmonton, they don't get on you know on some of the mega acts that I mentioned earlier, you know, that are only going to do Vancouver and Toronto.
00:25:58.799 --> 00:26:04.799
Uh I do want to bring up uh you know something other than concerts, and that is kind of week-long or two-week-long events.
00:26:04.880 --> 00:26:24.319
And where I'm going with this, just as an example, Ken, would be the World Junior Hockey Championships, because I saw uh a post of yours on social media back from August where you had mentioned that uh you know you would talk to past um um uh uh executive management and current executive management at Task Health Center.
00:26:24.400 --> 00:26:31.519
And the belief is uh you haven't missed out on events you know previously, and uh uh you're not gonna miss out on events in the future.
00:26:31.759 --> 00:26:36.400
So Taskatoon hosted the World Juniors in uh 91 and 2010.
00:26:36.559 --> 00:26:58.880
Um in comparison, Halifax hosted the world juniors in 2003, 2023, uh Edmonton 21, 22, and 27, uh Calgary and Edmonton again in 2012, and Quebec City in 2029, like uh just with the the magic success that the world juniors uh uh had in Saskatchewan in 91 and 2010.
00:26:59.039 --> 00:27:05.920
I just uh I have a hard time believing on uh the city not bidding on those events when they're coming back to Canada.
00:27:06.000 --> 00:27:17.440
Like, do you think that they're not bidding on them um because of the facility and because they don't have some of the amenities, or do you think that they're getting outbid by some of these uh other cities for for some of these events?
00:27:19.440 --> 00:27:22.640
Yeah, it's it's it's a very expensive event.
00:27:22.799 --> 00:27:29.279
Uh you know, but um we were the first ones in Canada to uh to host it twice.
00:27:29.519 --> 00:27:37.519
Um it's it's probably the pinnacle for Saskatoon in terms of a sporting event that we could host.
00:27:37.599 --> 00:27:40.960
Uh the Memorial Cup would be up there too.
00:27:41.200 --> 00:27:52.640
But um, you know, it it's it's certainly um it's uh big ticket item.
00:27:52.799 --> 00:27:53.920
It's a big ticket item.
00:27:54.160 --> 00:28:06.000
And the other the other thing is uh when you get into economics that you have to remember about uh the world juniors and other similar national international events, they come with a a guarantee.
00:28:06.079 --> 00:28:10.240
You know, they're they're gonna say to the city, you got to guarantee this profitability.
00:28:10.400 --> 00:28:13.039
And they also ask the city to write a check.
00:28:13.200 --> 00:28:17.359
You know, you you you we want a grant of X amount.
00:28:17.599 --> 00:28:30.160
And then the other thing to understand in economic terms is the biggest uh ticket item with the event is indeed the ticket revenue, and most of that heads down the road, you know.
00:28:30.240 --> 00:28:39.440
It it it's it's wonderful to be in that spotlight, but the economic reality is it it's an imp we're like an import business.
00:28:39.519 --> 00:28:41.759
It's it doesn't grow the economy.
00:28:43.839 --> 00:28:47.359
Well, but if you had the amenities around the facility, it could.
00:28:48.319 --> 00:28:48.640
Right?
00:28:48.799 --> 00:28:59.599
If it's an investment into uh if it's an investment into downtown and businesses and shaping an entertainment district, then then it could.
00:28:59.680 --> 00:29:00.319
But you're right.
00:29:00.400 --> 00:29:02.079
I mean it is a long-term investment.
00:29:02.240 --> 00:29:03.440
And and I get it.
00:29:03.519 --> 00:29:07.680
And these conversations at 72 cents on the dollar, I can't, I get it, right?
00:29:07.759 --> 00:29:09.519
That's that's the other issue, right?
00:29:09.759 --> 00:29:10.000
Right?
00:29:10.160 --> 00:29:13.920
I might have a bad leg to stand on with you if I was if the dollar was at par.
00:29:16.160 --> 00:29:22.079
The other issue is that you know, it's what economists call displacement spending, you know.
00:29:22.240 --> 00:29:34.000
So when when there's there's a concert and an event in Saskatoon, and you or I, as Saskatoon residents, go to that event, that's that doesn't add to the GDP.
00:29:35.359 --> 00:29:41.279
We are uh making a decision there, uh discretionary expenditure.
00:29:41.519 --> 00:29:43.599
Um so it doesn't add to the economy.
00:29:43.759 --> 00:29:48.799
When we get visitors from outside of the city, yes, that that's a that's a growth item.
00:29:48.960 --> 00:29:54.559
But we've got the city is trying to get partnership with the province and the feds.
00:29:54.720 --> 00:29:57.359
Well, for them, it's all displacement spending.
00:29:57.440 --> 00:29:58.960
It's it doesn't add to the economy.
00:29:59.119 --> 00:30:02.079
These these this isn't a growth project, you know.
00:30:02.240 --> 00:30:09.039
It just it makes no sense, you know, as a business project or as an economic project.
00:30:09.920 --> 00:30:12.319
Hey, I'm from the arena arena business.
00:30:12.400 --> 00:30:16.000
Uh uh it's not because of my love of Sastel Center.
00:30:16.079 --> 00:30:20.160
If this if it made sense to have an arena downtown, I'd be all for it.
00:30:20.480 --> 00:30:21.920
No, yeah.
00:30:22.559 --> 00:30:25.599
There should be a private proponent to this, too.
00:30:25.839 --> 00:30:40.240
That's the other outstandingly odd thing about this, is here we're looking for three levels of government to uh fund towards two billion dollars of um amenities.
00:30:40.319 --> 00:30:46.160
You know, uh the our mayor likes to refer to it as infrastructure, but it's it's an amenity.
00:30:46.240 --> 00:30:49.519
It's it's a it's on our wish list versus our needs list.
00:30:50.000 --> 00:30:55.920
People look at the capital needs list of the city of Saskatoon, roadways, et cetera.
00:30:56.400 --> 00:30:59.279
And uh this should be way down the list.
00:30:59.680 --> 00:31:03.039
Well, luckily uh Sashel Center has a little bit of shelf life in it.
00:31:03.119 --> 00:31:08.880
And Hillary Duff uh Simple Plan and The Briar are all coming in the uh immediate future.
00:31:09.039 --> 00:31:11.680
So, you know, those are some pretty decent acts.
00:31:11.839 --> 00:31:13.920
Uh and we're gonna have to leave it there.
00:31:14.000 --> 00:31:18.400
I still we'll we'll have to do this again, Ken, because this was uh this was really good.
00:31:18.559 --> 00:31:22.000
We'll have to turn this into uh like a series, like a three, four, five-part series.
00:31:23.119 --> 00:31:29.759
That's uh that's brought back memories of that Kenley and Boosted Dumbling Fight you with our arrogance about all those years ago.
00:31:29.920 --> 00:31:32.240
Uh thank you for for carving up some time, Ken.
00:31:32.319 --> 00:31:33.599
That's uh that's great stuff.
00:31:33.920 --> 00:31:35.680
Oh, no, but okay, hang on.
00:31:35.759 --> 00:31:38.319
Before I let you go, though, uh I do want to mention.
00:31:38.480 --> 00:31:55.359
So you have on October the 28th at the Alice Turner Library at 110 Nelson Road, your group uh is welcoming everybody into uh see or hear a presentation that I'm assuming you've made before.
00:31:56.160 --> 00:31:58.079
You know, this is the first time we're trying that.
00:31:58.160 --> 00:32:18.960
We've had some library presentations, uh just recruiting volunteers, but um uh Kerry Terasoff has agreed to uh join myself and Courtney Salikin, and we'll just make brief presentations on our uh take on the arena project and the deed project and then open it up for discussion uh questions.
00:32:19.119 --> 00:32:24.799
So anybody that's kind of on the fence on uh the project can uh hear from us on it.
00:32:25.119 --> 00:32:26.319
Yeah, much like we just did here.
00:32:26.400 --> 00:32:26.640
That's great.
00:32:27.519 --> 00:32:28.079
There you go, Ray.
00:32:28.160 --> 00:32:31.200
You can join Ken on October 28th, and you guys can continue to discuss it.
00:32:31.519 --> 00:32:32.000
Yeah, Ken.
00:32:32.240 --> 00:32:37.200
Uh October 28th, Alice Turter uh Library and Nelson Road is where that is.
00:32:37.359 --> 00:32:38.480
So that's uh that's great.
00:32:38.720 --> 00:32:41.200
Ken, appreciate the time and the perspective, sir.
00:32:41.680 --> 00:32:42.480
Thanks, you guys.
00:32:42.799 --> 00:32:44.079
Okay, take care.
00:32:44.319 --> 00:32:48.640
And we will have more coming up on the Different Angles Podcast after this.
00:32:51.839 --> 00:32:55.519
And we're back here at the Bamboo Shoots Studios, the Different Angles Podcast.
00:32:55.599 --> 00:32:56.480
That was good, Ken Wilson.
00:32:56.960 --> 00:32:58.079
Yeah, it's a great conversation.
00:32:58.400 --> 00:32:58.720
That's great.
00:32:58.799 --> 00:33:05.680
So again, uh people that want to go to the Alice Turner Library, October the 28th on Nelson Road.
00:33:05.759 --> 00:33:11.759
Uh, if you go to uh voteondeed.ca, uh the information for that is uh is there.
00:33:11.920 --> 00:33:26.319
I think when you stop uh pitching for major events, you you know it's it's sort of like you know, uh it's it's just sort of like the Arizona Cardinals being happy with where they are the day.
00:33:26.799 --> 00:33:27.279
You know what I mean?
00:33:27.359 --> 00:33:28.160
That's that's my thing.
00:33:28.319 --> 00:33:38.559
And and I I think I think you have to take a look and want to be in a city where you take big swings and uh and bring the top acts in.
00:33:38.720 --> 00:33:38.799
Yeah.
00:33:38.960 --> 00:33:42.079
Well, and you're kind of in the minority because you're an old cranky guy, okay.
00:33:42.559 --> 00:33:47.519
And um and there's a few of you old cranky guys out there that that are pro-deed.
00:33:48.000 --> 00:33:48.640
You're one of them.
00:33:48.799 --> 00:33:48.960
Yeah.
00:33:49.279 --> 00:33:56.880
Um, but a lot of the people that are are against this, yeah, um, are old and cranky, like yourself.
00:33:57.200 --> 00:34:06.799
But but well, where I'm going with this, where I'm going with this is, you know, a lot of these people, not all, but a lot of these people don't go to current events at Sastel Center.
00:34:07.200 --> 00:34:07.279
Okay.
00:34:07.839 --> 00:34:09.280
Don't go downtown already.
00:34:09.440 --> 00:34:15.440
So for everybody to say, oh, I'm never going to a downtown arena, well, you don't go to the current arena and you don't go downtown.
00:34:15.840 --> 00:34:19.119
Well, they're not gonna, you know, yeah, you're not contributing anything.
00:34:19.679 --> 00:34:20.400
Exactly, right?
00:34:20.880 --> 00:34:23.920
Well, why would I vote for this because I never go down there?
00:34:24.079 --> 00:34:29.199
Those will people, those will be the people that will go in and vote on a referendum and you know, fix my pothole.
00:34:29.360 --> 00:34:29.519
Yeah.
00:34:29.679 --> 00:34:29.840
Yeah.
00:34:30.159 --> 00:34:31.760
You know, that's basically what it comes down to.
00:34:33.119 --> 00:34:34.639
But but it is a great discussion.
00:34:35.440 --> 00:34:37.039
And it was great for him to come on.
00:34:37.199 --> 00:34:43.599
Uh that's just where Matt and I stand, but but it was uh Kevin and we'll have him back on anytime he wants to come on.
00:34:44.719 --> 00:34:48.639
A lot of my buddies that are you know young and don't know how the world works, according to you.
00:34:48.800 --> 00:34:51.440
Um we uh we were very all pro-deed.
00:34:51.840 --> 00:34:52.079
Yeah.
00:34:53.119 --> 00:34:53.840
We can see the future.
00:34:54.239 --> 00:34:58.880
You know what, though, at Sastel Center, I was talking about the Briar coming, I was talking about Simple Plan coming.
00:34:58.960 --> 00:34:59.840
You know what's coming up this week?
00:34:59.920 --> 00:35:05.360
And you know who I had a beer with uh earlier this week was Will Loftal, the former general manager of SassTell Center.
00:35:05.519 --> 00:35:11.119
Uh the PBR Canada Cup Series, SassTel Center Friday night, Saturday night.
00:35:11.519 --> 00:35:14.079
And so that will be a good event.
00:35:14.159 --> 00:35:15.920
So that's October 23rd, 24th.
00:35:16.000 --> 00:35:18.079
And the reason I bring this up, yeah, well, for two reasons.
00:35:18.239 --> 00:35:20.320
One, Will said that was always a great event.
00:35:20.480 --> 00:35:21.199
Yeah, 103.
00:35:21.519 --> 00:35:22.880
That was always a great event to have.
00:35:23.199 --> 00:35:26.719
It's the 25th anniversary of the PBR coming to Saskatoon.
00:35:27.119 --> 00:35:30.719
And last year's uh champion was from Maple Creek.
00:35:30.800 --> 00:35:32.079
He won$230,000.
00:35:32.639 --> 00:35:42.559
Jared Parsonage is from Maple Creek, and he won the$230,000, the$100,000 season-ending prize at Buckle in Edmonton last year.
00:35:43.039 --> 00:35:46.800
So it is a great event, and there's so many Saskatchewan riders that play part in this.
00:35:47.599 --> 00:35:54.639
A few years ago, I um at the radio station I worked at, I was had some friends at Sask Hel Center, and they said, Well, can you promote this?
00:35:54.960 --> 00:35:55.760
And I said, Well, sure.
00:35:55.840 --> 00:36:05.199
So we brought a couple of the riders in to be, you know, they came on the morning show and I toured them through, and it seemed to me that I was very popular with a couple of the female co-workers I had at that time.
00:36:05.360 --> 00:36:08.639
So young, great guys, just good people, right?
00:36:08.800 --> 00:36:11.440
So they will come into town and uh and that'll be that'll be.
00:36:11.679 --> 00:36:17.039
I do have uh I do have to give a shout out to Will Loftel because this was 2019.
00:36:17.440 --> 00:36:17.679
Yeah.
00:36:17.840 --> 00:36:22.480
Uh my now wife and I at the time had just started dating and it was in the springtime.
00:36:22.559 --> 00:36:24.559
Okay, so the blades are in the playoffs.
00:36:24.960 --> 00:36:27.119
Uh they're playing the Prince Operators.
00:36:27.519 --> 00:36:34.000
One of I that was like the third or fourth date that my wife and I went on when we went to the Blades game.
00:36:34.079 --> 00:36:34.320
Yeah.
00:36:34.480 --> 00:36:37.280
And uh with a little bit of help from you, but mostly from Will.
00:36:37.440 --> 00:36:39.280
Uh some great tickets.
00:36:39.599 --> 00:36:40.800
Okay, like it's all great.
00:36:41.440 --> 00:36:45.599
I'm looking at these tickets and I'm like, I I know this place inside and out.
00:36:45.679 --> 00:36:47.280
Yeah, I have no idea where this is.
00:36:47.519 --> 00:36:49.519
Yeah, it ended up being in one of the boxes.
00:36:49.760 --> 00:36:51.679
Yeah, that's outside down on the tweet.
00:36:51.840 --> 00:36:54.000
So I had to tell my wife, hey, don't get my now life.
00:36:54.480 --> 00:36:55.840
Hey uh, don't get used to this.
00:36:56.000 --> 00:36:59.440
But uh just fingerprints all the way to the bar too high.
00:36:59.599 --> 00:36:59.760
Yeah.
00:37:00.079 --> 00:37:03.679
Uh Canada West Women's Hockey Friday night, seven o'clock, wireless Belcher place.
00:37:04.079 --> 00:37:06.000
It's the Huskies in the Regina Cougars.
00:37:06.079 --> 00:37:08.559
The UPury challenge continues Saturday night.
00:37:08.639 --> 00:37:13.599
The men's team will play from the Cougars and the Huskies, so that'll be at 7 o'clock as well.
00:37:13.760 --> 00:37:15.840
And Canada West football Friday night.
00:37:16.159 --> 00:37:18.800
Might be a little damp, but uh the Alberta Golden Bears come in.
00:37:18.880 --> 00:37:22.639
That'll be the blackout game and the final home game for the Huskies in the regular season.
00:37:22.800 --> 00:37:23.360
So that's it.
00:37:24.079 --> 00:37:25.039
Great action on campus.
00:37:25.280 --> 00:37:25.360
Yep.
00:37:27.599 --> 00:37:28.400
Yeah, that's it.
00:37:29.039 --> 00:37:31.599
And we've just showed you everything that's going on, so we have nothing left to show you.
00:37:31.760 --> 00:37:32.800
No, so that's it.
00:37:33.119 --> 00:37:33.599
That's it.
00:37:33.679 --> 00:37:34.719
So well done, Ray.
00:37:34.880 --> 00:37:35.760
What are you doing this weekend?
00:37:36.719 --> 00:37:37.920
What am I doing this weekend?
00:37:38.239 --> 00:37:39.519
Uh I will be in attendance.
00:37:39.760 --> 00:37:41.360
We're a broadcast on my flight on Friday.
00:37:41.599 --> 00:37:44.559
Yeah, and then I will be in Birch Hills on Saturday.
00:37:44.960 --> 00:37:45.440
Oh, that's right.
00:37:45.760 --> 00:37:49.199
If anybody wants my autograph in Birch Hills area, I'll be there.
00:37:50.079 --> 00:37:50.639
There you go.
00:37:50.800 --> 00:37:51.199
That's it.
00:37:51.440 --> 00:37:52.079
I have ideas.
00:37:54.079 --> 00:37:55.119
Yeah, yeah, Gracie's birthday.
00:37:55.360 --> 00:37:57.840
I will be at Burless Belcher Places on Saturday.
00:37:58.239 --> 00:38:01.519
Friday, I'll be at uh Griffith Stadium in the press box, hopefully staying dry.
00:38:02.559 --> 00:38:04.400
Well, you have to have the windows out.
00:38:04.480 --> 00:38:06.239
So yeah, I gotta see what's going on.
00:38:06.719 --> 00:38:07.760
I'll uh I'll never forget.
00:38:07.840 --> 00:38:08.559
One more quick story.
00:38:08.639 --> 00:38:11.440
I'll never forget 2018 Mitchell Bull.
00:38:11.840 --> 00:38:12.000
Okay.
00:38:12.159 --> 00:38:16.400
The Huskies are in London to face off the against the Western Mustangs.
00:38:16.559 --> 00:38:18.639
Dave Thomas and I are are there doing the game.
00:38:19.119 --> 00:38:24.239
And I don't think that they Western expected as many people there.
00:38:24.960 --> 00:38:28.880
So we were on like the scaffolding above the press box.
00:38:29.519 --> 00:38:32.880
And like, you know how Ontario gets the snow and the rain.
00:38:33.039 --> 00:38:38.480
And I was the oldest damp, and I was the coldest I've been in my life, and it had snowed and it had rained a couple days before.
00:38:38.880 --> 00:38:44.239
So all the the moisture is coming off of the roof, the scaffolding roof, on top of our equipment.
00:38:44.400 --> 00:38:49.360
And yeah, it was a nightmare, and the Huskies did not fare well that that day either.
00:38:49.760 --> 00:38:50.320
That was a tough one.
00:38:50.559 --> 00:38:51.360
It didn't sound like you did either.
00:38:51.599 --> 00:38:52.000
No, I didn't.
00:38:52.400 --> 00:38:52.880
I really didn't.
00:38:55.199 --> 00:38:57.039
But I live to tell them you did.
00:38:57.360 --> 00:39:01.039
We will do this again in one week's time because the world needs another podcast.
00:39:01.360 --> 00:39:01.840
Another podcast.
00:39:02.079 --> 00:39:03.760
That's it for the different angles podcast.
00:39:04.239 --> 00:39:04.719
Goodbye.
00:00:05.919 --> 00:00:11.679
Welcome to Different Angles, the podcast live from the Bamboo Chutes Studios in downtown Saskatoon.
00:00:11.759 --> 00:00:12.400
I'm Ray Morrison.
00:00:12.640 --> 00:00:13.279
Matt Morrison.
00:00:13.519 --> 00:00:16.399
And coming up in this edition, we will chat about the Saskatchewan.
00:00:17.199 --> 00:00:19.199
Despite themselves, they are playoff bound.
00:00:19.359 --> 00:00:22.320
Uh you are at the same time we will we will talk about that.
00:00:22.480 --> 00:00:28.160
We will also talk about some NHL attendance issues, and bull riding is coming to uh SASTEL Center.
00:00:28.399 --> 00:00:29.760
We'll talk a little bit about that.
00:00:29.920 --> 00:00:32.399
And our guest speaking of the SASTEL Center.
00:00:32.640 --> 00:00:32.719
Yeah.
00:00:32.960 --> 00:00:33.119
Right.
00:00:33.280 --> 00:00:40.719
You bring up the PBR, Ken Wood, former executive director of SASTEL Center, Credit Union Center, as it was called back in the day.
00:00:40.880 --> 00:00:42.479
But uh vote on deed.
00:00:42.560 --> 00:00:50.479
It's probably the biggest, well, not the biggest, one of the biggest conversations that Saskatoon has had probably in recent, probably in my lifetime.
00:00:50.640 --> 00:00:50.880
Yep.
00:00:51.119 --> 00:01:00.640
So that's going to be interesting, but it'll be great to hear from Ken Wood and uh why he doesn't think um Saskatoon is in need of a new arena and that sort of stuff.
00:01:00.960 --> 00:01:01.600
How was your week?
00:01:01.920 --> 00:01:02.240
It was good.
00:01:02.479 --> 00:01:02.560
Yeah.
00:01:02.719 --> 00:01:02.880
Yeah.
00:01:03.119 --> 00:01:07.439
Like you mentioned, down in Regina for the uh for the rider game on Saturday.
00:01:07.680 --> 00:01:08.079
Boring.
00:01:08.319 --> 00:01:08.560
Yeah.
00:01:08.799 --> 00:01:09.040
Boring.
00:01:09.280 --> 00:01:09.840
But we'll get to that.
00:01:10.319 --> 00:01:14.719
We'll get to that because there is a it was a a weekend full of football in the province.
00:01:14.879 --> 00:01:15.280
Yep.
00:01:15.439 --> 00:01:18.959
And the Regina Thunder beat the Saskatoon Hilltops.
00:01:19.040 --> 00:01:25.519
So the Regina Thunder are PFC champions thanks to a 44-19 win over the Saskatoon Hilltops.
00:01:25.680 --> 00:01:35.760
Um the Thunder ran the table in the regular season, 7-1, including two wins over the Hilltops, and then they were able to uh seal the deal in uh in the PFC final.
00:01:36.079 --> 00:01:38.879
21 fourth quarter points for the Regina Thunder.
00:01:39.200 --> 00:01:44.879
The fact that the Thunder won, the fact that they won the PFC championship, that's not even the biggest story to come out of Lyblefield.
00:01:45.200 --> 00:01:45.920
No, it is not.
00:01:46.079 --> 00:01:50.799
Uh I want to show you a friend of mine, and his name is Liam Richards, Darby, if we could bring up that first image.
00:01:50.879 --> 00:01:57.680
So Liam is a photographer with um all kinds of groups, including the Saskatchewan.
00:01:58.400 --> 00:01:59.040
So get this.
00:01:59.280 --> 00:02:02.239
Friday, he goes down to shoot the Rough Rider team picture.
00:02:02.480 --> 00:02:04.879
Saturday, he goes down for the Rough Rider game.
00:02:05.120 --> 00:02:12.240
And Sunday, he goes back down for the PFC final because his stepson plays for the Saskatoon Hilltops.
00:02:12.479 --> 00:02:15.280
So he goes to Regina Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
00:02:15.520 --> 00:02:19.759
Somebody should have thrown the trophy in his car if he was going to make that many trips.
00:02:20.080 --> 00:02:21.840
I was wondering where you were going with this.
00:02:22.240 --> 00:02:25.680
So that's yeah, no, it it's uh it's really tough.
00:02:25.759 --> 00:02:26.960
So are we what are we calling this?
00:02:27.120 --> 00:02:27.599
Trophy gate?
00:02:27.840 --> 00:02:28.319
Trophy gate.
00:02:28.400 --> 00:02:28.479
Yeah.
00:02:28.879 --> 00:02:30.400
Do you think we can get that trending on Twitter?
00:02:30.639 --> 00:02:32.159
You know, it's Trophy Gate 26.
00:02:32.479 --> 00:02:36.560
I'll tell you what, it is uh it is unfortunate that the PMC Championship trophy was not.
00:02:36.639 --> 00:02:41.520
And I think about the fifth-year athletes on the Thunder, and I that's you know, that's sort of my thing.
00:02:41.680 --> 00:02:49.039
The Hilltops have apologized for this, and uh it's it is a bad look, but we do want to make sure that we give the Saskatoon Hilltops uh statement.
00:02:49.199 --> 00:02:54.240
If we could, Darby, we'll give that uh a look here and just be sure that we uh get this right.
00:02:54.319 --> 00:02:59.120
And you'll notice that there is an apology in the first and the last paragraph of this statement.
00:02:59.280 --> 00:03:05.599
So you can see in the first paragraph they said they'd like to extend their heartfelt apologies for not having the trophy with them.
00:03:05.680 --> 00:03:11.039
Uh, as the defending champions, it was our responsibility to ensure the trophy was there.
00:03:11.360 --> 00:03:17.520
So, somewhere in a bylaw, that would tell me that this was the expectation, and it always was.
00:03:17.759 --> 00:03:24.159
We know firsthand how hard work, dedication, and sacrifice goes into winning a championship, and the Regina Thunder earned that.
00:03:24.319 --> 00:03:25.280
So that's well done.
00:03:25.439 --> 00:03:30.159
The two organizations share a tremendous amount of respect uh for one another.
00:03:30.319 --> 00:03:32.479
It's a fierce competition, they put that in.
00:03:32.719 --> 00:03:38.080
But the last uh paragraph here to the Regina Thunder, congratulations on a well-deserved championship.
00:03:38.319 --> 00:03:39.840
You deserved your moment.
00:03:40.000 --> 00:03:44.080
We are sorry we fell short in helping you make it everything it should have been.
00:03:44.240 --> 00:03:47.759
So from the Saskatoon Hilltops, that is good.
00:03:48.000 --> 00:03:57.599
That said, it is still a very bad look for, you know, it it just sort of puts the amateur in amateur sports, which is really unfortunate.
00:03:57.680 --> 00:04:07.919
And I I get rivalries, I get gamesmanship, I get fields not being being cleared, I get doors locked when teams arrive, I get all that stuff.
00:04:08.080 --> 00:04:14.159
But this was um yeah, yeah, I don't I don't think that there was any ill will from the Hilltops on this either.
00:04:15.280 --> 00:04:27.519
Like you can go and you can you can go back and forth and you could come up with like millions of other reasons as to you know what the protocol should be, you know, namely um the well the PFC, the league itself should have the trophy, right?
00:04:27.600 --> 00:04:30.959
So you could and I don't know what the logistics are around that either.
00:04:31.120 --> 00:04:32.879
Um but you know it is interesting.
00:04:32.959 --> 00:04:38.079
I do think that uh so I reached out to a couple of former Hill Tops players.
00:04:38.160 --> 00:04:38.720
Yeah, okay.
00:04:38.800 --> 00:04:43.680
Uh players that have won PFC championships, players that have won um national championships.
00:04:44.399 --> 00:04:54.959
And the general consensus amongst the at least the players that I talk to, some you know, 2000s, early 2010, some 2015, 2016 in that era.
00:04:55.279 --> 00:05:05.360
Um and the general consensus that uh you know that I was told was, well, you know, the PFC, that's great, that we won the PFC championship, but it's almost like it's an expectation.
00:05:06.079 --> 00:05:07.839
For the for the Hilltops, anyways, right?
00:05:08.000 --> 00:05:10.319
You know, the Canadian bowl, that's the trophy you want.
00:05:10.480 --> 00:05:17.680
And because I asked them, I said, you know, hey, if you were to not get your picture with the PFC trophy, is that an issue?
00:05:17.839 --> 00:05:20.879
And the the ones that got back to me said, no, not really.
00:05:21.360 --> 00:05:21.439
Right?
00:05:21.600 --> 00:05:24.000
Like the Canadian bowl is the one that the the Hilltops anyways want.
00:05:24.079 --> 00:05:24.480
That's the one.
00:05:24.639 --> 00:05:26.720
Well, that's fine to ask them ten years after they played.
00:05:27.360 --> 00:05:31.199
My point, they would feel differently about it if they were celebrating with a team picture without a trophy.
00:05:31.519 --> 00:05:31.680
Right.
00:05:31.759 --> 00:05:32.079
I don't know.
00:05:32.800 --> 00:05:33.120
No, I know.
00:05:34.160 --> 00:05:34.800
Yeah, absolutely.
00:05:35.199 --> 00:05:35.360
Absolutely.
00:05:35.439 --> 00:05:35.680
I don't know.
00:05:35.759 --> 00:05:36.319
I don't know that.
00:05:36.639 --> 00:05:40.160
A moment, like the Hilltops said in their statement, a moment has been taken away.
00:05:40.399 --> 00:05:51.839
And that's that's yeah, yeah, it's it's it's uh I do think that sorry, just one more on that point is a lot of the discussion, you know, the Hilltops put out that statement, they put it on their social media.
00:05:52.000 --> 00:06:06.399
Uh a lot of the discussion and a lot of the comments and things like that that uh that I saw from the social media was it almost was like, I don't want to say parents, but supporters of the Regina Thunder, um fans of the Regina Thunder, some parents, maybe some grandparents.
00:06:06.800 --> 00:06:08.959
Those were the people that were up in arms about this.
00:06:09.199 --> 00:06:12.399
Um, you know, the players, the coaching staff, they have another game to prepare for.
00:06:12.560 --> 00:06:12.879
Yeah, right.
00:06:12.959 --> 00:06:14.000
So that's so that's where they're gonna be.
00:06:14.800 --> 00:06:16.240
If you're Scott McColly, the head coach.
00:06:16.399 --> 00:06:16.480
Yeah.
00:06:16.720 --> 00:06:17.519
And you get it, right?
00:06:17.600 --> 00:06:23.040
Like you were the parent that sat at the football field, sat at the ball diamond, sat at the hockey rank all those years.
00:06:23.199 --> 00:06:39.360
But I just can't help but feel like, you know, the parents are a little more uh or and supporters and fans are a little more um invested in this and upset by this by the fact that, you know, yeah, their family member or their son or whatever aren't getting uh and them aren't getting a picture on the field with a trophy.
00:06:39.519 --> 00:06:40.879
Well, Scott McAuley's a great coach.
00:06:40.959 --> 00:06:41.040
Yeah.
00:06:41.279 --> 00:06:48.000
You think about this, you know, you talk about that expectation, but since 2021, the Regina Thunder and the Saskatoon Hilltops have won three PFC titles each.
00:06:48.079 --> 00:06:48.319
Yeah.
00:06:48.560 --> 00:06:50.720
So they probably both have that expectation now.
00:06:50.959 --> 00:06:53.759
Well, and that's kind of what it, yeah, that's what I'm, you know, that's kind of what I'm going at, right?
00:06:53.839 --> 00:06:57.120
Like the PFC championship, it's almost like, okay, that's step one.
00:06:57.199 --> 00:06:57.360
Yeah.
00:06:57.519 --> 00:06:57.759
Right?
00:06:57.839 --> 00:07:01.680
It's like, this is step one, take care of business here, and then we move on, right?
00:07:01.759 --> 00:07:03.920
So boy, that was an interesting football game, though.
00:07:04.079 --> 00:07:05.839
28 points in a five-minute burst.
00:07:05.920 --> 00:07:13.759
It was a four-point game at the half, and then all of a sudden, 28 points for the Thunder uh uh in a five-minute burst between the third and fourth quarters.
00:07:13.839 --> 00:07:17.600
But there was like uh two pick sixes, there were kickoff returns.
00:07:17.680 --> 00:07:21.199
Uh it was uh wide open second half in that football game.
00:07:21.439 --> 00:07:23.759
Even going into the fourth quarter, the Hilltops weren't out of it.
00:07:23.839 --> 00:07:26.399
They were down 23-12 heading into the fourth quarter.
00:07:26.480 --> 00:07:30.160
So that wasn't an insurmountable deficit by any stretch of the imagination.
00:07:30.240 --> 00:07:33.360
But yeah, you give up 21 points in uh in the fourth quarter.
00:07:33.439 --> 00:07:34.000
It's not great.
00:07:34.079 --> 00:07:39.279
We talked about how good Peter Borsch, the Regina Thunder running back, was last week on different angles.
00:07:39.439 --> 00:07:42.959
Uh another 154 yards on the ground on 19 carries.
00:07:43.120 --> 00:07:47.920
I think he averaged like 8.1 yards a carry, so was just unable to be uh stopped.
00:07:48.000 --> 00:07:52.160
Griffin Sander had two turnovers for the hilltops, yeah, two interceptions.
00:07:52.399 --> 00:07:58.560
So um almost like back to the drawing board, kind of sort of almost for for Tom Sargent and the Hilltops.
00:07:58.639 --> 00:07:59.120
Yeah, a little bit.
00:07:59.199 --> 00:07:59.279
Right?
00:07:59.360 --> 00:08:00.240
It's a little bit, right?
00:08:00.319 --> 00:08:06.560
Like any other team would be happy to go to the PFC final, but you know, when you're the Saskatoon Hilltops, it's just it's just different.
00:08:06.720 --> 00:08:11.920
So we'll see how uh how Sarge and Company come out here in 2027, but they're gonna have a long offseason to think about it.
00:08:12.079 --> 00:08:13.920
And the Thunder will now take on Sault Ste.
00:08:14.079 --> 00:08:16.000
Marine, Sioux College, they call it.
00:08:16.079 --> 00:08:25.439
It's a city of about 80,000, and that's where the uh Regina Thunder now go for a semifinal to take on the BC reps uh for the Canadian Bowl.
00:08:25.680 --> 00:08:28.079
Oh, you know who the head coach and athletic director is?
00:08:28.240 --> 00:08:28.399
No.
00:08:28.560 --> 00:08:32.480
Paul Orizzetti, who spent some time at um UBC.
00:08:32.559 --> 00:08:32.639
Okay.
00:08:34.080 --> 00:08:35.679
I didn't know that until I looked it up a couple of times.
00:08:35.759 --> 00:08:38.320
Well, I'm glad you uh He's been the athletic director for a great guy.
00:08:38.480 --> 00:08:39.679
Okay, yeah, really good guy.
00:08:39.840 --> 00:08:41.440
Yeah, so that's uh that's good.
00:08:41.600 --> 00:08:43.759
So uh 16-12 win over Montreal.
00:08:43.919 --> 00:08:46.240
You were on hand for that for the Saskatchewan Rough Riders.
00:08:46.320 --> 00:08:47.440
Uh yeah.
00:08:48.639 --> 00:08:53.039
Well, I was almost asleep in my seat, which is like we had good seats.
00:08:53.200 --> 00:08:53.279
Yeah.
00:08:53.519 --> 00:08:57.600
Okay, like we were kind of you know right in the one end zone corner on the rider sideline.
00:08:58.159 --> 00:09:03.200
Uh yeah, there is uh an image of your locale for that uh for that football game.
00:09:03.279 --> 00:09:05.120
And that was a few minutes before kickoff.
00:09:05.360 --> 00:09:05.440
Yeah.
00:09:07.200 --> 00:09:08.080
No, they weren't.
00:09:08.240 --> 00:09:17.200
Um that side that we're looking at, so the Alouette sideline filled out a little bit more than what's seen on that picture, but it still uh still wasn't that full.
00:09:17.279 --> 00:09:20.799
I think they said attendance was 29,000 somewhere in there.
00:09:20.960 --> 00:09:22.960
Um the side that we were on was pretty full.
00:09:23.440 --> 00:09:26.960
But um yeah, you know, I I don't know.
00:09:27.120 --> 00:09:31.120
It's funny because you've uh you've taught me a lot of things in life, okay.
00:09:31.279 --> 00:09:41.120
But probably the two most important things that you've taught me is to get to events early, whether it's a sporting event or like a concert or whatever, um, and get the aisle seat.
00:09:41.200 --> 00:09:41.360
Yeah.
00:09:41.519 --> 00:09:41.679
Okay.
00:09:41.840 --> 00:09:44.320
So I accomplished one of those two things on Saturday, okay.
00:09:44.399 --> 00:09:46.320
Uh got the aisle seat, which is great.
00:09:46.559 --> 00:09:48.399
Um but we didn't get there.
00:09:48.559 --> 00:09:54.159
Yeah, we didn't get there in a lot of time to kind of check out the pregame festivities and what was going on and stuff like that.
00:09:54.399 --> 00:09:59.519
Um, but we did walk by some of the tailgating that is now legal at Saskatchewan Rough Rider Scheme.
00:09:59.679 --> 00:10:00.639
So it seemed cool.
00:10:00.720 --> 00:10:01.120
Yeah, yeah.
00:10:01.279 --> 00:10:06.639
They had the cornhole going, they they had the little charcoal barbecue out there doing their thing, right?
00:10:06.720 --> 00:10:08.480
They had a football they were throwing back and forth.
00:10:08.639 --> 00:10:10.879
So yeah, it seemed seemed fine to me.
00:10:10.960 --> 00:10:12.000
But uh but yeah, I bet.
00:10:12.399 --> 00:10:15.039
When you're a 40-year-old quarterback is your leading rusher.
00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:21.279
Not sure that's gonna be uh, you know, now that they are in the playoffs, and we'll see what the Edmonton Elks put on the field here.
00:10:21.360 --> 00:10:24.080
I'm not sure what they're gonna dress for this game this week.
00:10:24.399 --> 00:10:25.759
Well, and okay, so that begs the question.
00:10:25.840 --> 00:10:31.120
If you're the Saskatchewan Rough Riders, okay, you're either gonna finish at nine and nine or ten and eight.
00:10:32.320 --> 00:10:36.799
Is it an easier path to go to get to the Great Cup if you go through the East or through the West?
00:10:37.519 --> 00:10:39.679
A crossover team has never won a Great Cup game.
00:10:39.840 --> 00:10:40.000
Okay.
00:10:41.200 --> 00:10:41.759
In 30 years.
00:10:42.399 --> 00:10:42.559
Sure.
00:10:43.200 --> 00:10:44.320
So stay in your division.
00:10:44.960 --> 00:10:45.279
I don't know.
00:10:45.360 --> 00:10:47.279
Against BC and Edmonton, that's a tough sell.
00:10:47.600 --> 00:10:51.919
Well, it is, but I mean I mean, eventually, I mean, all roads are probably gonna go through Montreal anyway, I guess.
00:10:52.000 --> 00:10:52.639
But uh I get it.
00:10:52.879 --> 00:10:55.200
Yeah, whether it's in the Great Cup or in the East Final or whatever.
00:10:55.519 --> 00:10:56.000
Yeah, exactly.
00:10:56.080 --> 00:10:58.879
But I just think that there's something to finishing third as opposed to fourth in your division.
00:10:59.039 --> 00:10:59.120
Sure.
00:10:59.360 --> 00:10:59.679
You know, yeah.
00:10:59.840 --> 00:11:00.480
So yeah, no, no.
00:11:01.200 --> 00:11:03.840
And well, yeah, and that yeah, like you said, that begs the question, right?
00:11:03.919 --> 00:11:06.000
Who do you start if you're the riders or who do you sit?
00:11:06.320 --> 00:11:09.840
Um, you know, they're still so banged up in in certain areas, right?
00:11:10.080 --> 00:11:13.200
Um, but like Sam Analysis was back for the Riders this week.
00:11:13.279 --> 00:11:14.559
Um, so that was good, right?
00:11:14.639 --> 00:11:23.039
Like they are kind of getting healthy a little bit in in some some aspects, but yeah, you kind of gotta wonder, like, hey, do you do you sit some guys just to make sure?
00:11:23.279 --> 00:11:24.480
Do you sit Trevor Harris?
00:11:24.639 --> 00:11:25.360
Even for a half?
00:11:25.759 --> 00:11:26.000
Yeah.
00:11:26.240 --> 00:11:31.360
Well, right, depending on what depending on what the what the score is like at halftime, one way or the other.
00:11:31.679 --> 00:11:40.000
I think if you're uh I think if you're Mark Mueller and I think if you are Coach Corey Mace, the one thing you want to do is make sure that your offense with your first team is rolling.
00:11:40.159 --> 00:11:41.679
Yeah, because there's any sort of doubt.
00:11:41.840 --> 00:11:44.320
Oh, we've got to keep them out there and get some things figured out.
00:11:44.480 --> 00:11:56.879
I think the other story, uh empty seats in the NHL, 16,176 in attendance last Thursday when the Edmonton Oilers took on the Utah, right?
00:11:57.039 --> 00:12:03.120
Yeah, and that's and then a nine-year sell out streak in Vegas ended as well.
00:12:03.360 --> 00:12:03.600
Yeah.
00:12:04.320 --> 00:12:05.200
Does it matter?
00:12:06.879 --> 00:12:07.679
Doesn't matter.
00:12:09.519 --> 00:12:09.840
Go on.
00:12:10.159 --> 00:12:10.879
What does it matter?
00:12:10.960 --> 00:12:14.080
I mean, the NHL, we see which way the salaries are going up.
00:12:14.480 --> 00:12:16.720
Affordability is a thing for everybody.
00:12:17.039 --> 00:12:17.360
Yeah, right.
00:12:17.759 --> 00:12:18.720
Yeah, I get what you're okay.
00:12:18.960 --> 00:12:19.679
You know what I mean.
00:12:19.919 --> 00:12:24.080
But I mean, you think of the corporate deals, you think of the TV deals that the NHL now has.
00:12:24.639 --> 00:12:26.320
Does this does this matter at all?
00:12:26.639 --> 00:12:34.000
Yeah, well, you know, it'd be nice for a guy that maybe can't afford the to go to the game to be able to watch the game on SportsNet, but that's not really an option either.
00:12:34.240 --> 00:12:36.399
Um so we tell you.
00:12:36.559 --> 00:12:37.679
No, I don't I don't know, right?
00:12:37.840 --> 00:12:50.000
Um I did read an interesting article out of Vegas, and you know, it kind of sounds like for the for so long Vegas, and they were great at it, was getting the community involved, right?
00:12:50.399 --> 00:12:59.200
So whether that was through, you know, cheap, not cheap ticket sales, but you know, ticket sales um that were affordable, players out of the community.
00:12:59.279 --> 00:13:06.879
Um, but it kind of sounds like corporate greed has taken over in Vegas just based off of an article that I was reading from a local Vegas beat reporter.
00:13:07.120 --> 00:13:18.799
Um somebody else did bring up the fact that Vegas is such a hub for Canadian travelers, and a lot of times they'll go down there to watch their favorite team or watch a hockey game if they're down there while Canadian travel to the United States is slowed.
00:13:18.879 --> 00:13:24.000
So that could be um a potential um to this as well.
00:13:24.080 --> 00:13:24.960
But yeah, it is interesting.
00:13:25.039 --> 00:13:40.720
The Ottawa Senators, um, the Columbus Blue Jackets, uh, the Calgary Flames, the Detroit Red Wings, the Edmonton Oilers, Vegas, all at less than 100% capacity um at some point so far throughout the the course of the 2026-2027 season.
00:13:40.799 --> 00:13:41.519
Now it is early.
00:13:41.759 --> 00:13:41.840
Yeah.
00:13:42.000 --> 00:13:46.320
It is still very early in the season, but uh I did look at some ticket prices just out of curiosity.
00:13:46.639 --> 00:13:54.799
Um the Toronto Maple Leaves, my Toronto Maple Leafs are taking on the Edmonton Oilers in Edmonton um this upcoming Saturday in a couple of days, the 24th.
00:13:54.879 --> 00:13:57.840
Uh one of the cheapest tickets$302 a piece.
00:13:58.000 --> 00:14:07.120
So uh and then I looked at those same seats for the Detroit Red Wings game when the Red Wings are in town a couple of days later, 97 bucks a piece in Edmonton.
00:14:07.200 --> 00:14:07.440
Yeah.
00:14:07.600 --> 00:14:08.799
So that's part of it.
00:14:08.879 --> 00:14:11.600
Um the Calgary Flames are going through a little bit of a rebuild.
00:14:11.679 --> 00:14:22.399
So I did find some uh tickets for$79 in Calgary versus the Toronto Maple Leafs,$228 for dollars for roughly the same uh cuts in rate.
00:14:22.879 --> 00:14:24.639
That cuts into the$22 a beer.
00:14:24.960 --> 00:14:33.200
Yeah, well, and you probably and like you know, because you're older than I am, you probably don't understand like resale on Ticketmaster and stuff.
00:14:33.440 --> 00:14:34.000
Oh, I understand it.
00:14:34.159 --> 00:14:34.320
Do you?
00:14:34.480 --> 00:14:35.200
Okay, you know what that is?
00:14:35.279 --> 00:14:43.200
Yeah, okay uh because I was able to find some resale tickets in Vegas for$100, USD, but a hundred dollars, which you know doesn't seem all that bad.
00:14:43.360 --> 00:14:44.879
It was for some random game.
00:14:45.679 --> 00:14:48.240
People smart enough to gouge people who aren't smart enough to prevent it.
00:14:48.320 --> 00:14:48.399
Okay.
00:14:48.720 --> 00:14:49.120
That's what that is.
00:14:49.360 --> 00:14:49.679
There you go.
00:14:49.759 --> 00:14:50.320
There, there it is.
00:14:50.559 --> 00:14:51.120
Look at that.
00:14:51.279 --> 00:14:51.919
That's pretty good.
00:14:52.240 --> 00:14:53.600
When we come back, I'm impressed.
00:14:53.919 --> 00:14:55.279
Uh our interview segment.
00:14:55.360 --> 00:15:01.440
We will chat with Ken Wood, the former uh manager of uh SAS Tel Center, SAS Place in the Day.
00:15:01.519 --> 00:15:15.360
Uh, and we are going to talk about uh vote on deed and uh get uh his uh perspective on the discussion about the new downtown entertainment district that is uh very much uh in in play or at least in conversation uh in these parts.
00:15:15.679 --> 00:15:16.559
But it's not going away.
00:15:16.799 --> 00:15:17.679
It's not going away.
00:15:17.759 --> 00:15:22.000
So we'll have that on the other side of the break here on the Different Angles Podcast.
00:15:25.440 --> 00:15:27.519
Welcome back to the Different Angles Podcast.
00:15:27.600 --> 00:15:40.240
This was a little bit before your time, but in 1987, 88, when Saskatchewan Place opened, I used to argue with our next guest, and I thought, well, why don't we pick that up 30, 40 years after we're gonna do that?
00:15:40.399 --> 00:15:42.000
I was gonna say we're still doing it.
00:15:42.240 --> 00:15:43.919
I was cranky then and I'm cranky now.
00:15:44.080 --> 00:15:44.879
No, I'm kidding.
00:15:44.960 --> 00:15:46.960
It's great to welcome uh Ken Wood to the program.
00:15:47.120 --> 00:15:55.840
Ken Wood is uh with vote on Deed, and he's uh out to uh start a petition to have uh uh Sastel Center live on.
00:15:55.919 --> 00:15:59.440
Is that an accurate uh accurate description of what's going on, Ken?
00:16:00.639 --> 00:16:01.759
It is fairly accurate.
00:16:01.840 --> 00:16:05.519
Yeah, it's uh actually your history, your history is a little off there.
00:16:05.679 --> 00:16:11.360
Uh the first game was uh Sas Dune Blades Brandon Wheat Kings uh February of 89.
00:16:12.000 --> 00:16:13.360
89, okay, yeah.
00:16:13.600 --> 00:16:17.919
So yeah, one of the I think one of the players that played in that game was Ken Cheveldeoff.
00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:21.759
I think he was one of the I think he was in the Brandon Wheat Kings lineup that night, I think.
00:16:21.919 --> 00:16:22.799
If I'm not mistaken.
00:16:23.360 --> 00:16:23.440
Yeah.
00:16:24.080 --> 00:16:24.879
They couldn't tell, yeah.
00:16:25.039 --> 00:16:25.759
Yeah, that's great.
00:16:25.919 --> 00:16:26.639
89, man.
00:16:26.720 --> 00:16:31.519
It was think of everything that went on here with regards to like the Memorial Cup, the Briar.
00:16:31.600 --> 00:16:33.200
We had the Canada Summer Games that year.
00:16:33.279 --> 00:16:38.000
There was just so much going on in Saskatoon uh at that uh at that time.
00:16:38.320 --> 00:16:50.879
Uh well I've made no um no bones about it here, Ken, although my argument is holding a little less water now than it was 15 years ago when the dollar was par, and uh there was a few less affordability issues here.
00:16:51.039 --> 00:16:56.320
But uh I've always thought that we could use uh a replacement for Sastel Center.
00:16:56.639 --> 00:16:58.240
You're not quite in that camp.
00:16:58.399 --> 00:17:04.960
Uh so maybe let's let's talk a little bit first about vote on deed, what you're doing, and uh and and your role on that.
00:17:06.240 --> 00:17:11.440
Yeah, I'm leading up uh a petition uh under the uh cities act of Saskatchewan.
00:17:11.519 --> 00:17:21.599
So you're required to get uh 10% of the city's population to uh you have to hit that number in uh eligible voters signing the petition.
00:17:21.680 --> 00:17:30.960
If we hit that and it goes to the city clerk and pass the semester, then uh city council is required to hold a referendum on the matter.
00:17:31.440 --> 00:17:36.480
So how where are you at with regards to those uh those signatures now then?
00:17:37.599 --> 00:17:41.839
We're uh shooting for uh you know uh near 30,000.
00:17:41.920 --> 00:17:48.160
We're hoping technically it's only 26,700 in that range, but we uh want to have a little excess.
00:17:48.400 --> 00:17:57.279
We're about a third of the way through our uh our process here, and uh we're tracking at about that uh for signatures so far.
00:17:57.759 --> 00:18:10.240
So um is it your opinion, Ken, that SASTEL Center in its current state, because kind of the other part of this discussion has been, well, a potential renovation to SASTEL Center.
00:18:10.640 --> 00:18:12.559
Um I'm not sure where you stand on that.
00:18:12.640 --> 00:18:25.200
I'm not sure kind of uh what your opinion on the current state of of SASTEL Center is, but um, you know, in your opinion, can Sastel Center kind of live on with uh with no renovations here for the for the future?
00:18:27.920 --> 00:18:33.279
It's in it's in it been well maintained, uh but it yes, it can use improvements.
00:18:33.440 --> 00:18:45.119
Uh I think one of the problems is that uh council has or the city has looked at trying to transform it into a near NHL facility.
00:18:45.440 --> 00:18:50.480
And we we we just don't need a near near NHL facility in Saskatoon.
00:18:51.119 --> 00:19:03.119
Um there are some excellent upgrades that could be made with a reasonable budget and uh the uh facility can satisfy all of its clients.
00:19:03.440 --> 00:19:09.359
I mean, if you look at the Saskatoon Blades and the Rush, uh the facility is totally adequate.
00:19:09.680 --> 00:19:16.960
If you look at uh the potential of moving into the AHL, we'd be a top-tier facility, uh as we are now.
00:19:17.440 --> 00:19:26.720
Um if you look at non-NHL cities in Canada, we're in the top three uh facilities in Canada.
00:19:26.880 --> 00:19:32.319
There's cities bigger than us that would love to have our uh existing facility.
00:19:32.799 --> 00:19:42.720
Uh there just is no business case and no economic case to uh move this thing forward.
00:19:43.039 --> 00:19:53.119
It seems that the argument that city council has is uh we want the facility downtown uh with no backup reasoning at all.
00:19:53.519 --> 00:19:58.640
They have tried to present the case that the facility is falling over or something, but it just is not.
00:19:59.039 --> 00:20:02.319
Well, I I I'm not sure uh Ken, I'm not sure that's totally accurate.
00:20:02.400 --> 00:20:11.759
Just in the fact that one of the things about this this district would include some renovations to what is TCU placed now, too, and including a convention center in that.
00:20:11.920 --> 00:20:25.119
So um And that's why that's why our uh resolution is uh for the city to discontinue any work or progress on the arena portion.
00:20:25.279 --> 00:20:35.519
We're we're not uh uh going against TCU renovations or uh the possibility for of convention center additions.
00:20:35.680 --> 00:20:38.960
So the arena makes zero sense.
00:20:39.200 --> 00:20:40.160
Zero sense.
00:20:40.559 --> 00:20:43.519
Boy, I I I don't know about that.
00:20:43.599 --> 00:20:47.279
Uh well I uh yeah, and when I say I don't know about that, I literally don't know about that.
00:20:47.359 --> 00:20:58.400
I just think I look at our downtown right now, Ken, and I think the subsequent businesses around a facility would make downtown something that it needs to be right now, that it just isn't there.
00:20:58.640 --> 00:21:03.359
Um now, that said, I think uh you are right.
00:21:03.440 --> 00:21:13.839
It's a harder conversation to have now as opposed to maybe 15, 18 years ago when the dollar was par and uh and we weren't facing sort of the affordability issues we were.
00:21:14.079 --> 00:21:19.680
But that said, I still don't know if that's the reason not to have the conversation about a facility downtown.
00:21:22.319 --> 00:21:26.799
Yeah, you you know, you just I can find no business reason.
00:21:26.880 --> 00:21:28.480
I just I just keep repeating that.
00:21:28.880 --> 00:21:37.839
If you want to look at the concert market, for example, um they can they seem to point to the fact that we've missed events.
00:21:38.000 --> 00:21:43.599
Well, if you can't get a a specific mention of an event that's been missed.
00:21:43.920 --> 00:21:48.480
The concert market uh is changing pretty rapidly, you know.
00:21:48.720 --> 00:21:53.599
Um we've had the boomers kind of go through the process.
00:21:53.680 --> 00:21:59.359
So you've got the gray haired crowd and uh the bands that we have followed over the years.
00:21:59.599 --> 00:22:13.440
Uh They're they're gray haired too, and they're uh you know, but we're moving into you know generations that had more mixed tastes and and uh maybe not as many megastars.
00:22:13.839 --> 00:22:24.240
Um and one of the things that's transpiring is uh acts are taking up what's called residencies uh or sitting in one spot, you know.
00:22:24.319 --> 00:22:31.599
So you've got the Backstreet Boys uh doing 10 or 12 dates in uh Toronto and 10 or 12 dates in Vancouver.
00:22:31.920 --> 00:22:36.480
You've got Bruno Mars doing three stadium shows in Vancouver.
00:22:36.640 --> 00:22:45.119
Like why tour when you can uh have the affluent uh consumer hop on a plane and uh go see them?
00:22:45.440 --> 00:23:00.079
So, you know, realistically, for Saskatoon, the market is concerts in the 700 to 10,000 range, and we can do 12 to 15 of those dates a year, maybe more at times.
00:23:00.319 --> 00:23:04.000
And we don't need a huge facility uh downtown.
00:23:04.079 --> 00:23:16.880
I um and and having a new uh facility with uh better amenities in certain aspects does not guarantee one single concert more.
00:23:17.200 --> 00:23:19.599
I mean when you build yeah, go ahead.
00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:28.240
When you when you open the facility, a new facility, it's gonna do very well for two or three years because everybody wants to get inside it.
00:23:28.480 --> 00:23:33.519
But at the end of the day, it's uh can your market support this act?
00:23:34.000 --> 00:23:48.799
It's got a the act has a guarantee amount, usually in US dollars, and uh so you have to sell tickets at X dollars, and if you don't have enough people to to do it, you you you you you you're not in the equation.
00:23:49.039 --> 00:23:56.319
We're a small, we're a small city, and people seem to be comparing us to Calgary and Edmonton, which we we aren't even close to.
00:23:56.400 --> 00:24:00.480
The whole province isn't even close to either one of those cities.
00:24:00.960 --> 00:24:14.480
Yeah, I I I but I I don't know about that only because in in a if you have an act that's going to sell 15,000 seats in in Calgary, it's going to sell 15,000 seats in Saskatoon.
00:24:14.799 --> 00:24:14.960
Right?
00:24:16.160 --> 00:24:26.240
Oh, I I that might be where you and I uh yeah I why would you why would you say that well why would I say that?
00:24:26.559 --> 00:24:39.119
Um we punched above our weight class for years and years, and the reason that we did it, yeah, we uh we promoted uh events, we took a risk position, so we were promoters.
00:24:39.279 --> 00:24:46.720
There's a lot of uh major facilities across Canada that that don't even do that, they wait for the independent promoters.
00:24:46.880 --> 00:24:55.519
So we did the uh three Eagles dates in Saskatoon, one of the most successful events in the history of the building.
00:24:55.680 --> 00:25:07.920
So uh uh Yeah, when when uh the promoters are looking at Saskatoon, they know it's it's a smaller market and they know it's gonna be dicey.
00:25:08.400 --> 00:25:14.400
And um we're we're we're nowhere near Calgary in Edmonton.
00:25:14.559 --> 00:25:33.440
And and and one of the things that will transpire when Calgary's new building comes online is uh Saskatoon has kind of uh benefited from the fact that they that in the winter Calgary's uh roof wouldn't have handle the weight load for the concerts, you know.
00:25:33.599 --> 00:25:36.480
So we will miss some concerts because of that.
00:25:36.640 --> 00:25:47.680
But we we are not anywhere close to Calgary and uh Edmonton in our ability to host uh concerts with a certain uh large guarantee.
00:25:47.920 --> 00:25:58.240
And then beyond that, you know, even Calgary and Edmonton, they don't get on you know on some of the mega acts that I mentioned earlier, you know, that are only going to do Vancouver and Toronto.
00:25:58.799 --> 00:26:04.799
Uh I do want to bring up uh you know something other than concerts, and that is kind of week-long or two-week-long events.
00:26:04.880 --> 00:26:24.319
And where I'm going with this, just as an example, Ken, would be the World Junior Hockey Championships, because I saw uh a post of yours on social media back from August where you had mentioned that uh you know you would talk to past um um uh uh executive management and current executive management at Task Health Center.
00:26:24.400 --> 00:26:31.519
And the belief is uh you haven't missed out on events you know previously, and uh uh you're not gonna miss out on events in the future.
00:26:31.759 --> 00:26:36.400
So Taskatoon hosted the World Juniors in uh 91 and 2010.
00:26:36.559 --> 00:26:58.880
Um in comparison, Halifax hosted the world juniors in 2003, 2023, uh Edmonton 21, 22, and 27, uh Calgary and Edmonton again in 2012, and Quebec City in 2029, like uh just with the the magic success that the world juniors uh uh had in Saskatchewan in 91 and 2010.
00:26:59.039 --> 00:27:05.920
I just uh I have a hard time believing on uh the city not bidding on those events when they're coming back to Canada.
00:27:06.000 --> 00:27:17.440
Like, do you think that they're not bidding on them um because of the facility and because they don't have some of the amenities, or do you think that they're getting outbid by some of these uh other cities for for some of these events?
00:27:19.440 --> 00:27:22.640
Yeah, it's it's it's a very expensive event.
00:27:22.799 --> 00:27:29.279
Uh you know, but um we were the first ones in Canada to uh to host it twice.
00:27:29.519 --> 00:27:37.519
Um it's it's probably the pinnacle for Saskatoon in terms of a sporting event that we could host.
00:27:37.599 --> 00:27:40.960
Uh the Memorial Cup would be up there too.
00:27:41.200 --> 00:27:52.640
But um, you know, it it's it's certainly um it's uh big ticket item.
00:27:52.799 --> 00:27:53.920
It's a big ticket item.
00:27:54.160 --> 00:28:06.000
And the other the other thing is uh when you get into economics that you have to remember about uh the world juniors and other similar national international events, they come with a a guarantee.
00:28:06.079 --> 00:28:10.240
You know, they're they're gonna say to the city, you got to guarantee this profitability.
00:28:10.400 --> 00:28:13.039
And they also ask the city to write a check.
00:28:13.200 --> 00:28:17.359
You know, you you you we want a grant of X amount.
00:28:17.599 --> 00:28:30.160
And then the other thing to understand in economic terms is the biggest uh ticket item with the event is indeed the ticket revenue, and most of that heads down the road, you know.
00:28:30.240 --> 00:28:39.440
It it it's it's wonderful to be in that spotlight, but the economic reality is it it's an imp we're like an import business.
00:28:39.519 --> 00:28:41.759
It's it doesn't grow the economy.
00:28:43.839 --> 00:28:47.359
Well, but if you had the amenities around the facility, it could.
00:28:48.319 --> 00:28:48.640
Right?
00:28:48.799 --> 00:28:59.599
If it's an investment into uh if it's an investment into downtown and businesses and shaping an entertainment district, then then it could.
00:28:59.680 --> 00:29:00.319
But you're right.
00:29:00.400 --> 00:29:02.079
I mean it is a long-term investment.
00:29:02.240 --> 00:29:03.440
And and I get it.
00:29:03.519 --> 00:29:07.680
And these conversations at 72 cents on the dollar, I can't, I get it, right?
00:29:07.759 --> 00:29:09.519
That's that's the other issue, right?
00:29:09.759 --> 00:29:10.000
Right?
00:29:10.160 --> 00:29:13.920
I might have a bad leg to stand on with you if I was if the dollar was at par.
00:29:16.160 --> 00:29:22.079
The other issue is that you know, it's what economists call displacement spending, you know.
00:29:22.240 --> 00:29:34.000
So when when there's there's a concert and an event in Saskatoon, and you or I, as Saskatoon residents, go to that event, that's that doesn't add to the GDP.
00:29:35.359 --> 00:29:41.279
We are uh making a decision there, uh discretionary expenditure.
00:29:41.519 --> 00:29:43.599
Um so it doesn't add to the economy.
00:29:43.759 --> 00:29:48.799
When we get visitors from outside of the city, yes, that that's a that's a growth item.
00:29:48.960 --> 00:29:54.559
But we've got the city is trying to get partnership with the province and the feds.
00:29:54.720 --> 00:29:57.359
Well, for them, it's all displacement spending.
00:29:57.440 --> 00:29:58.960
It's it doesn't add to the economy.
00:29:59.119 --> 00:30:02.079
These these this isn't a growth project, you know.
00:30:02.240 --> 00:30:09.039
It just it makes no sense, you know, as a business project or as an economic project.
00:30:09.920 --> 00:30:12.319
Hey, I'm from the arena arena business.
00:30:12.400 --> 00:30:16.000
Uh uh it's not because of my love of Sastel Center.
00:30:16.079 --> 00:30:20.160
If this if it made sense to have an arena downtown, I'd be all for it.
00:30:20.480 --> 00:30:21.920
No, yeah.
00:30:22.559 --> 00:30:25.599
There should be a private proponent to this, too.
00:30:25.839 --> 00:30:40.240
That's the other outstandingly odd thing about this, is here we're looking for three levels of government to uh fund towards two billion dollars of um amenities.
00:30:40.319 --> 00:30:46.160
You know, uh the our mayor likes to refer to it as infrastructure, but it's it's an amenity.
00:30:46.240 --> 00:30:49.519
It's it's a it's on our wish list versus our needs list.
00:30:50.000 --> 00:30:55.920
People look at the capital needs list of the city of Saskatoon, roadways, et cetera.
00:30:56.400 --> 00:30:59.279
And uh this should be way down the list.
00:30:59.680 --> 00:31:03.039
Well, luckily uh Sashel Center has a little bit of shelf life in it.
00:31:03.119 --> 00:31:08.880
And Hillary Duff uh Simple Plan and The Briar are all coming in the uh immediate future.
00:31:09.039 --> 00:31:11.680
So, you know, those are some pretty decent acts.
00:31:11.839 --> 00:31:13.920
Uh and we're gonna have to leave it there.
00:31:14.000 --> 00:31:18.400
I still we'll we'll have to do this again, Ken, because this was uh this was really good.
00:31:18.559 --> 00:31:22.000
We'll have to turn this into uh like a series, like a three, four, five-part series.
00:31:23.119 --> 00:31:29.759
That's uh that's brought back memories of that Kenley and Boosted Dumbling Fight you with our arrogance about all those years ago.
00:31:29.920 --> 00:31:32.240
Uh thank you for for carving up some time, Ken.
00:31:32.319 --> 00:31:33.599
That's uh that's great stuff.
00:31:33.920 --> 00:31:35.680
Oh, no, but okay, hang on.
00:31:35.759 --> 00:31:38.319
Before I let you go, though, uh I do want to mention.
00:31:38.480 --> 00:31:55.359
So you have on October the 28th at the Alice Turner Library at 110 Nelson Road, your group uh is welcoming everybody into uh see or hear a presentation that I'm assuming you've made before.
00:31:56.160 --> 00:31:58.079
You know, this is the first time we're trying that.
00:31:58.160 --> 00:32:18.960
We've had some library presentations, uh just recruiting volunteers, but um uh Kerry Terasoff has agreed to uh join myself and Courtney Salikin, and we'll just make brief presentations on our uh take on the arena project and the deed project and then open it up for discussion uh questions.
00:32:19.119 --> 00:32:24.799
So anybody that's kind of on the fence on uh the project can uh hear from us on it.
00:32:25.119 --> 00:32:26.319
Yeah, much like we just did here.
00:32:26.400 --> 00:32:26.640
That's great.
00:32:27.519 --> 00:32:28.079
There you go, Ray.
00:32:28.160 --> 00:32:31.200
You can join Ken on October 28th, and you guys can continue to discuss it.
00:32:31.519 --> 00:32:32.000
Yeah, Ken.
00:32:32.240 --> 00:32:37.200
Uh October 28th, Alice Turter uh Library and Nelson Road is where that is.
00:32:37.359 --> 00:32:38.480
So that's uh that's great.
00:32:38.720 --> 00:32:41.200
Ken, appreciate the time and the perspective, sir.
00:32:41.680 --> 00:32:42.480
Thanks, you guys.
00:32:42.799 --> 00:32:44.079
Okay, take care.
00:32:44.319 --> 00:32:48.640
And we will have more coming up on the Different Angles Podcast after this.
00:32:51.839 --> 00:32:55.519
And we're back here at the Bamboo Shoots Studios, the Different Angles Podcast.
00:32:55.599 --> 00:32:56.480
That was good, Ken Wilson.
00:32:56.960 --> 00:32:58.079
Yeah, it's a great conversation.
00:32:58.400 --> 00:32:58.720
That's great.
00:32:58.799 --> 00:33:05.680
So again, uh people that want to go to the Alice Turner Library, October the 28th on Nelson Road.
00:33:05.759 --> 00:33:11.759
Uh, if you go to uh voteondeed.ca, uh the information for that is uh is there.
00:33:11.920 --> 00:33:26.319
I think when you stop uh pitching for major events, you you know it's it's sort of like you know, uh it's it's just sort of like the Arizona Cardinals being happy with where they are the day.
00:33:26.799 --> 00:33:27.279
You know what I mean?
00:33:27.359 --> 00:33:28.160
That's that's my thing.
00:33:28.319 --> 00:33:38.559
And and I I think I think you have to take a look and want to be in a city where you take big swings and uh and bring the top acts in.
00:33:38.720 --> 00:33:38.799
Yeah.
00:33:38.960 --> 00:33:42.079
Well, and you're kind of in the minority because you're an old cranky guy, okay.
00:33:42.559 --> 00:33:47.519
And um and there's a few of you old cranky guys out there that that are pro-deed.
00:33:48.000 --> 00:33:48.640
You're one of them.
00:33:48.799 --> 00:33:48.960
Yeah.
00:33:49.279 --> 00:33:56.880
Um, but a lot of the people that are are against this, yeah, um, are old and cranky, like yourself.
00:33:57.200 --> 00:34:06.799
But but well, where I'm going with this, where I'm going with this is, you know, a lot of these people, not all, but a lot of these people don't go to current events at Sastel Center.
00:34:07.200 --> 00:34:07.279
Okay.
00:34:07.839 --> 00:34:09.280
Don't go downtown already.
00:34:09.440 --> 00:34:15.440
So for everybody to say, oh, I'm never going to a downtown arena, well, you don't go to the current arena and you don't go downtown.
00:34:15.840 --> 00:34:19.119
Well, they're not gonna, you know, yeah, you're not contributing anything.
00:34:19.679 --> 00:34:20.400
Exactly, right?
00:34:20.880 --> 00:34:23.920
Well, why would I vote for this because I never go down there?
00:34:24.079 --> 00:34:29.199
Those will people, those will be the people that will go in and vote on a referendum and you know, fix my pothole.
00:34:29.360 --> 00:34:29.519
Yeah.
00:34:29.679 --> 00:34:29.840
Yeah.
00:34:30.159 --> 00:34:31.760
You know, that's basically what it comes down to.
00:34:33.119 --> 00:34:34.639
But but it is a great discussion.
00:34:35.440 --> 00:34:37.039
And it was great for him to come on.
00:34:37.199 --> 00:34:43.599
Uh that's just where Matt and I stand, but but it was uh Kevin and we'll have him back on anytime he wants to come on.
00:34:44.719 --> 00:34:48.639
A lot of my buddies that are you know young and don't know how the world works, according to you.
00:34:48.800 --> 00:34:51.440
Um we uh we were very all pro-deed.
00:34:51.840 --> 00:34:52.079
Yeah.
00:34:53.119 --> 00:34:53.840
We can see the future.
00:34:54.239 --> 00:34:58.880
You know what, though, at Sastel Center, I was talking about the Briar coming, I was talking about Simple Plan coming.
00:34:58.960 --> 00:34:59.840
You know what's coming up this week?
00:34:59.920 --> 00:35:05.360
And you know who I had a beer with uh earlier this week was Will Loftal, the former general manager of SassTell Center.
00:35:05.519 --> 00:35:11.119
Uh the PBR Canada Cup Series, SassTel Center Friday night, Saturday night.
00:35:11.519 --> 00:35:14.079
And so that will be a good event.
00:35:14.159 --> 00:35:15.920
So that's October 23rd, 24th.
00:35:16.000 --> 00:35:18.079
And the reason I bring this up, yeah, well, for two reasons.
00:35:18.239 --> 00:35:20.320
One, Will said that was always a great event.
00:35:20.480 --> 00:35:21.199
Yeah, 103.
00:35:21.519 --> 00:35:22.880
That was always a great event to have.
00:35:23.199 --> 00:35:26.719
It's the 25th anniversary of the PBR coming to Saskatoon.
00:35:27.119 --> 00:35:30.719
And last year's uh champion was from Maple Creek.
00:35:30.800 --> 00:35:32.079
He won$230,000.
00:35:32.639 --> 00:35:42.559
Jared Parsonage is from Maple Creek, and he won the$230,000, the$100,000 season-ending prize at Buckle in Edmonton last year.
00:35:43.039 --> 00:35:46.800
So it is a great event, and there's so many Saskatchewan riders that play part in this.
00:35:47.599 --> 00:35:54.639
A few years ago, I um at the radio station I worked at, I was had some friends at Sask Hel Center, and they said, Well, can you promote this?
00:35:54.960 --> 00:35:55.760
And I said, Well, sure.
00:35:55.840 --> 00:36:05.199
So we brought a couple of the riders in to be, you know, they came on the morning show and I toured them through, and it seemed to me that I was very popular with a couple of the female co-workers I had at that time.
00:36:05.360 --> 00:36:08.639
So young, great guys, just good people, right?
00:36:08.800 --> 00:36:11.440
So they will come into town and uh and that'll be that'll be.
00:36:11.679 --> 00:36:17.039
I do have uh I do have to give a shout out to Will Loftel because this was 2019.
00:36:17.440 --> 00:36:17.679
Yeah.
00:36:17.840 --> 00:36:22.480
Uh my now wife and I at the time had just started dating and it was in the springtime.
00:36:22.559 --> 00:36:24.559
Okay, so the blades are in the playoffs.
00:36:24.960 --> 00:36:27.119
Uh they're playing the Prince Operators.
00:36:27.519 --> 00:36:34.000
One of I that was like the third or fourth date that my wife and I went on when we went to the Blades game.
00:36:34.079 --> 00:36:34.320
Yeah.
00:36:34.480 --> 00:36:37.280
And uh with a little bit of help from you, but mostly from Will.
00:36:37.440 --> 00:36:39.280
Uh some great tickets.
00:36:39.599 --> 00:36:40.800
Okay, like it's all great.
00:36:41.440 --> 00:36:45.599
I'm looking at these tickets and I'm like, I I know this place inside and out.
00:36:45.679 --> 00:36:47.280
Yeah, I have no idea where this is.
00:36:47.519 --> 00:36:49.519
Yeah, it ended up being in one of the boxes.
00:36:49.760 --> 00:36:51.679
Yeah, that's outside down on the tweet.
00:36:51.840 --> 00:36:54.000
So I had to tell my wife, hey, don't get my now life.
00:36:54.480 --> 00:36:55.840
Hey uh, don't get used to this.
00:36:56.000 --> 00:36:59.440
But uh just fingerprints all the way to the bar too high.
00:36:59.599 --> 00:36:59.760
Yeah.
00:37:00.079 --> 00:37:03.679
Uh Canada West Women's Hockey Friday night, seven o'clock, wireless Belcher place.
00:37:04.079 --> 00:37:06.000
It's the Huskies in the Regina Cougars.
00:37:06.079 --> 00:37:08.559
The UPury challenge continues Saturday night.
00:37:08.639 --> 00:37:13.599
The men's team will play from the Cougars and the Huskies, so that'll be at 7 o'clock as well.
00:37:13.760 --> 00:37:15.840
And Canada West football Friday night.
00:37:16.159 --> 00:37:18.800
Might be a little damp, but uh the Alberta Golden Bears come in.
00:37:18.880 --> 00:37:22.639
That'll be the blackout game and the final home game for the Huskies in the regular season.
00:37:22.800 --> 00:37:23.360
So that's it.
00:37:24.079 --> 00:37:25.039
Great action on campus.
00:37:25.280 --> 00:37:25.360
Yep.
00:37:27.599 --> 00:37:28.400
Yeah, that's it.
00:37:29.039 --> 00:37:31.599
And we've just showed you everything that's going on, so we have nothing left to show you.
00:37:31.760 --> 00:37:32.800
No, so that's it.
00:37:33.119 --> 00:37:33.599
That's it.
00:37:33.679 --> 00:37:34.719
So well done, Ray.
00:37:34.880 --> 00:37:35.760
What are you doing this weekend?
00:37:36.719 --> 00:37:37.920
What am I doing this weekend?
00:37:38.239 --> 00:37:39.519
Uh I will be in attendance.
00:37:39.760 --> 00:37:41.360
We're a broadcast on my flight on Friday.
00:37:41.599 --> 00:37:44.559
Yeah, and then I will be in Birch Hills on Saturday.
00:37:44.960 --> 00:37:45.440
Oh, that's right.
00:37:45.760 --> 00:37:49.199
If anybody wants my autograph in Birch Hills area, I'll be there.
00:37:50.079 --> 00:37:50.639
There you go.
00:37:50.800 --> 00:37:51.199
That's it.
00:37:51.440 --> 00:37:52.079
I have ideas.
00:37:54.079 --> 00:37:55.119
Yeah, yeah, Gracie's birthday.
00:37:55.360 --> 00:37:57.840
I will be at Burless Belcher Places on Saturday.
00:37:58.239 --> 00:38:01.519
Friday, I'll be at uh Griffith Stadium in the press box, hopefully staying dry.
00:38:02.559 --> 00:38:04.400
Well, you have to have the windows out.
00:38:04.480 --> 00:38:06.239
So yeah, I gotta see what's going on.
00:38:06.719 --> 00:38:07.760
I'll uh I'll never forget.
00:38:07.840 --> 00:38:08.559
One more quick story.
00:38:08.639 --> 00:38:11.440
I'll never forget 2018 Mitchell Bull.
00:38:11.840 --> 00:38:12.000
Okay.
00:38:12.159 --> 00:38:16.400
The Huskies are in London to face off the against the Western Mustangs.
00:38:16.559 --> 00:38:18.639
Dave Thomas and I are are there doing the game.
00:38:19.119 --> 00:38:24.239
And I don't think that they Western expected as many people there.
00:38:24.960 --> 00:38:28.880
So we were on like the scaffolding above the press box.
00:38:29.519 --> 00:38:32.880
And like, you know how Ontario gets the snow and the rain.
00:38:33.039 --> 00:38:38.480
And I was the oldest damp, and I was the coldest I've been in my life, and it had snowed and it had rained a couple days before.
00:38:38.880 --> 00:38:44.239
So all the the moisture is coming off of the roof, the scaffolding roof, on top of our equipment.
00:38:44.400 --> 00:38:49.360
And yeah, it was a nightmare, and the Huskies did not fare well that that day either.
00:38:49.760 --> 00:38:50.320
That was a tough one.
00:38:50.559 --> 00:38:51.360
It didn't sound like you did either.
00:38:51.599 --> 00:38:52.000
No, I didn't.
00:38:52.400 --> 00:38:52.880
I really didn't.
00:38:55.199 --> 00:38:57.039
But I live to tell them you did.
00:38:57.360 --> 00:39:01.039
We will do this again in one week's time because the world needs another podcast.
00:39:01.360 --> 00:39:01.840
Another podcast.
00:39:02.079 --> 00:39:03.760
That's it for the different angles podcast.
00:39:04.239 --> 00:39:04.719
Goodbye.
