10 CHRISTMAS THINGS

Taking shots …

1 – THE BIG EASY: This year’s Christmas column comes to you from beautiful New Orleans, Louisiana, known as “America’s Most Unique City”, and many other cool monikers. A half a century is a long time to wait to make a trip like this, through the Florida Panhandle, Alabama, Mississippi and then Louisiana. From the books I read as a kid, to the stories from my football friends about the U.S. South, it’s exactly as I pictured it, and then some! It’s also very clear why they’ve long compared Saskatchewan to these football-mad states. Football is #1 in both places, and it’s a very steep drop to #2.

2 – BEDARD: The NHL is now on a 3-day break but Connor Bedard gave hockey fans something to talk about until the league returns Dec. 27. He – and Anaheim’s Trevor Zebras – both scored Michigan (lacrosse style) goals on Saturday and everyone is still buzzing about it. The Great One was asked about Bedard’s goal and he said, “I couldn’t have done that.” I think Wayne Gretzky meant to say he wouldn’t have done that, because he could’ve scored a couple hundred goals like that from his office. But this is a different breed of player – humility is out the window – and we’re best served to just sit back and enjoy the skill.

3 – THE REBUILD: It should be noted that Chicago and Anaheim both lost their games on Saturday, when their stars were scoring Michigan goals. It’ll be at least two years before the Blackhawks are even competitive opined RP Show hockey analyst Matthew Barnaby this week, and 3-5 years before they’re in the playoffs and Stanley Cup contenders. Florida Panthers alum and colour commentator Bill Lindsay agreed on our Cats ‘N Bolts Podcast this week saying, “Bedard’s just there to sell popcorn!” with no other expectations for now. Enjoy it now Connor! And he’s selling popcorn better than anyone else at the moment.

4 – BUDS: Well, Auston Matthews has caught fire and is doing great things, and is also popcorn-worthy. Matthews has got 14 goals in the month of December which ties him with Wendel Clark for fifth-most in a calendar month in Leafs history. Who’s got more? Rick Vaive (17), Babe Dye (15) and Frank Mahovlich (15). Did I ever tell you how much I love game notes? 🙂 By the way, the Leafs aren’t going anywhere this season. Good teams don’t get blown out (they lost 9-3 to lowly Buffalo last week) and you never know which Leafs team is going to show up. You don’t get that with teams like Vegas, Colorado or even Florida. Now, watch them go out and win a Stanley Cup to prove me wrong.

5 – NHL COUNTDOWN: Our year-end Best Of and Countdown shows are airing on the RP Show on Game+TV Network and WQEE Radio this week. Here’s my Top 5 NHL Stories of the Year – #5 – Jay Woodcroft fired as head coach of the Oilers on November 12, #4 – Alex Ovechkin surpasses Gordon Howe for second-most goals in NHL history, #3 – Kyle Dubas is out as GM in Toronto, and Brad Treliving is in, #2 – Vegas wins the Stanley Cup while Florida makes history in the East, and #1 – Connor Bedard. … Honourable Mention: Mike Babcock being hired/fired in Columbus all in one summer.

6 – CFL COUNTDOWN: Your Top 5 CFL Stories of the Year are – #5 – League MVP Chad Kelly implodes in the East Division Final, #4 – Nathan Rourke signs with the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars, #3 – The Edmonton Elks set a pro sports record with 22 consecutive home losses, and then break it in August with a home win over Ottawa, #2 – Craig Dickenson out as head coach in Saskatchewan, and Corey Mace is in, and #1 – Exiled by the Roughriders, QB Cody Fajardo and Head Coach Jason Maas lead the Montreal Alouettes to an upset of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 28-24 in the 110th Grey Cup in Hamilton.

7 – NFL COUNTDOWN: This one took awhile, and had several chicken scratches but this is what we settled on – #5 – Alabama’s Bryce Young goes #1 in the Draft, ahead of OSU’s C.J. Stroud, the biggest pick ’em since Manning & Leaf in the 90’s, #4 – Aaron Rodgers is traded from Green Bay to the NY Jets, then snaps his Achilles tendon four plays into Game 1, #3 – Kansas City wins the Super Bowl, 38-35 over Philadelphia, #2 – The torrid romance of pop star Taylor Swift and Chiefs TE Travis Kelce, and #1 – Tom Brady retires on Feb. 1, taking his seven Super Bowl victories with him.

8 – GIVE EM WHAT THEY WANT: Justin Dunk and his team have built up 3DownNation.com into, by far, Canada’s #1 football periodical and it was a treat to have him on Friday’s final live RP Show of the year. We generally see things the same way. I asked him about his website’s fascination with Nathan Rourke and the farmkid from Guelph, ON shrugged and said “Rourke stories get the most hits! It’s what people want to read!” Ohhhhh, I get it. Similar to our coverage of Connor Bedard the past four years with the RP Show. Moose Jaw Warriors Voice James Gallo scoffed on our World Juniors preview (airing Tuesday and Thursday), “If I had a nickel for every time you’ve said Connor Bedard, I could retire by now.” Hey that comment doesn’t bother me. Ride it till the wheels fall off. I’m amazed others in this business don’t get it.

9 – FREE ADVICE: I’m still chuckling about an email which came into the RP Show offices from a former “major market” TV show producer who recently discovered our show on Game+TV, and has been following closely since. He offered a scathing critique which included the observations that the show has ADHD. It’s all over the place. Also, the sound effects are annoying, and the host is arrogant. 

To that, I say this, 1) Don’t give advice unless it’s asked for, 2) You nailed us! and 3) You’re getting into the game a little late, boy! We’re in Year 5 and have finely tuned the show’s content to get to this point. (Sort of like Dolly Parton saying, “It costs a lot to look this cheap.”)

Thanks for watching but if you want to tell us what we should do, take a number.

10 – RANDOM THOUGHTS: You know you’re in a special part of Alabama when a guy’s wearing his “best Crocs”. … Does anyone have a landline anymore? … It hasn’t been easy but golly has it ever been fun. … Ketchup flavoured candy canes are D-I-S-G-U-S-T-I-N-G. … Check your junk mail! I applied three times to the Boca Bowl for media accreditation and it turns out the approvals kept going to my junk folder. How embarrassing! … I love me some College Football but most of these Bowl games are blowouts and embarrassing for the losing side. Is there any way out of this? … They’re not joking about this being the Bible Belt. In Alabama there’s not a church on every block. There are TWO churches on every block. Plus scads of bumper stickers proclaiming JESUS IS LORD and billboards promoting Pro-Life and Christian radio stations. … One day we all meet our maker. What will He say? … AND HOW WAS YOUR WEEK?

Merry Christmas,
RP
@rodpedersen