What a timely trip to the City of Champions. This was an unexpected trip to Edmonton because at the beginning of the season I was not slated to make the trek to where it all began for me some 30 years ago. Then I received a phone call from Paul Graham, Vice-President & Executive Producer of Live Events for TSN, and he notified me that Edmonton was interested in having me get involved with the Canadian Football Hall of Fame Weekend by emceeing a few events. That got the ball rolling for yours truly to get out to my old stomping grounds and have a chance to call the Montreal at Edmonton game, plus get involved with the aforementioned HOF events. Bonus! I could not believe how lucky I was. You see, of the six inductees selected into the Hall this season I had a direct link to five. Crazy! I played with all four players going in and yelled at the other for fourteen years while playing. Why? Well thats easy. It was the legendary CFL official John "Jake" Ireland. We definitely had our nose-to-nose, get-it-all-out, knock-down, drag-out confrontations before. But now we are friends and it meant for some pretty good ole stories out in Edmonton this past week. And like I said before, Id played and was teammates with Brian Fryer, Dan Ferrone, Earl Winfield and Miles Gorrell. Don Loney, "Father of Maritime Football" and legendary coach at St. FX, was the other deserving inductee. Mr. Loney passed away in 2004 so his brother Ted and his lovely wife Jan were in attendance to accept the honor bestowed on Mr. Loney. Needless to say the hospitality suite was rocking each night we were in Edmonton, giving all the inductees and their families a chance to celebrate and tell some lies and endless hilarious stories. This made the week one that took a serious toll on the remaining brain cells I have left. It all started with the Jacket Presentations on Wednesday evening, the bust unveiling on Thursday morning, the dinner and speeches Thursday evening then the Hall of Fame Game Saturday afternoon. I cant tell you how proud I was for the class of 2013 but also for the City of Champions. Although the professional sports in Edmonton may not be living up to the top billing lately, the people of Edmonton and their fans certainly are once again! Over 1,100 folks attended the Edmonton Eskimos Gala Dinner in conjunction with the 50th Anniversary of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame celebration and the Induction Ceremonies for the class of 2013. Dave Randorf co-hosted the induction portion of the evening with me; basically we just tried not to screw things up because Aquila Productions had everything under control. It was truly a stellar evening. The work and effort that goes into something of this magnitude is overwhelming and often a labour of love for all involved. A Big "slow clap" for Executive Director of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame Mark DeNobile and Manager, Marketing and Events Sarah Lajeunesse. Id be remiss if I did not mention the ageless and wonderful Allan Watt, Vice Presiden,t Marketing and Communications for the Eskimos and the beautiful and talented Amy Moats, Marketing and Game Operations Coordinator for the Esks. The man usually in charge of everything Aquila was nowhere to be seen. Unfortunately the brilliantly talented Don Metz was ill and in the hospital. Only good thoughts for Don and a speedy recovery! You would have been proud of your team, in particular Glenn Wiun. A tip of the hat to everyone involved in an unforgettable weekend recognizing the CFHOF Class of 2013. Brian Dozier Nationals Jersey . According to a report from ESPN, sources said Manuels college coach Jimbo Fisher told teams he didnt think Manuel had the tools to be an NFL starter. Brian Dozier Jersey . In an interview with La Presse this week, the five-time Stanley Cup champion and three-time NHL scoring leader specifically took aim at wingers Thomas Vanek and Max Pacioretty, saying they cant show up in a 7-4 win over the New York Rangers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final and come up empty in Game 6. https://www.cheapnationals.com/1647r-max-scherzer-jersey-nationals.html . Not bad for a defenceman. The goal, that is. Although the shuffling dance steps werent bad, either. Barrie scored 55 seconds into overtime, Semyon Varlamov stopped 29 shots, and the Avalanche moved a step closer to their first playoff berth in four years with a 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night. Austen Williams Jersey .C., won gold in the womens 200-metre backstroke, and Dominique Bouchard of North Bay, Ont. Erick Fedde Nationals Jersey . 5 Trade Deadline is drawing closer and teams will be deciding on whether to buy or sell.MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- The NASCAR Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway was rained out Saturday and will be made up as part of a rare doubleheader at the track Sunday. The Sprint Cup race will start at 1:13 p.m., and NASCAR and track officials aim to start the nightcap as quickly as possible afterward. NASCAR said it hopes it can start by about 5:30 p.m. The tricky part will not only be co-operation from the weather -- the forecast is good -- but a smooth Cup series race because Martinsville Speedway, the oldest in the premier series, does not have lights. The doubleheader will be the first since a truck race washed out after 17 laps at Pocono in August 2011 was completed the following day, with the Sprint Cup race run afterward. Kevin Harvick won the truck race, and Brad Keselowski took tthe Cup victory.dddddddddddd In another unusual twist, especially for Martinsville, which hosts two truck races every year, no Cup drivers are entered in the truck race this weekend, so no one will drive both races. It is the first time a truck race at Martinsville was postponed since March 2009. The track says tickets for both races will be honoured, with the caveat that ticket holders with truck race tickets only will have to wait until 100 laps have been run in the Cup race to enter the track. Darrell Wallace, who gained his only truck victory here last October, will start on the pole in the race based on combined practice times from Friday. Ryan Blaney will start second, followed by Timothy Peters, Erik Jones and Ron Hornaday Jr. Kyle Busch won the pole for the Cup race. ' ' '