FRIDAY COMMENTARY – THE BUZZ
(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98 & Rock 98.5 FM)
IT’S ALL THE BUZZ.
CANADA IS BUZZING ABOUT OPENING WEEK IN THE CFL AND WE GOT QUITE A GAME TO KICK IT ALL OFF; THE STAMPEDERS OVERCOMING A 10-POINT HALFTIME DEFICIT IN CALGARY TO BEAT MONTREAL 30-27 THURSDAY NIGHT.
VETERAN STAMPS KICKER RENE PARADES STROKED A 38-YARD FIELD GOAL WITH 30 SECONDS REMAINING FOR THE WIN BEFORE AN ANNOUNCED CROWD OF OVER 21,000 AT MCMAHON.
BUT THE WIN MAY HAVE COME WITH A PRICE. STAR QUARTERBACK BO LEVI MITCHELL DIDN’T PLAY THEIR LAST TWO DRIVES, WITH COACH DAVE DICKENSON SAYING BO WAS SUFFERING FROM A MUSCLE CRAMP OR SPASM.
NO MATTER. SOPHOMORE JAKE MAIER MOVED THE STAMPS OFFENSE ENOUGH TO ALLOW PARADES TO KICK THE GAME-WINNING POINTS.
THE GAME HAD IT ALL; BIG PLAYS, TURNOVERS, LEAD CHANGES … YOU NAME IT.
THE BUZZ IS ALSO THAT THE ACTUAL BUMS-IN-SEATS DIDN’T MATCH THE FIGURE THEY ANNOUNCED, BUT I DON’T FEEL LIKE GETTING INTO THAT TODAY.
I FEEL LIKE WE’LL BE TALKING ABOUT ATTENDANCE FOR A LOT OF THE SUMMER BUT HOPEFULLY IT’LL PICK UP IN THE FALL.
YOU’D HAVE TO THINK IT’LL BE CLOSE TO A SELLOUT ON FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL AS WINNIPEG HOSTS OTTAWA, AND THE BOMBERS RAISE THEIR SECOND CONSECUTIVE GREY CUP BANNER.
THOSE POOR BOMBER FANS WAITED 30 YEARS IN BETWEEN CHAMPIONSHIPS AND IT FEELS LIKE THEY’VE BARELY BEEN ABLE TO CELEBRATE THEM. TONIGHT’S THE NIGHT.
I’M TOLD THERE ARE OVER 5,000 UNSOLD SEATS FOR SATURDAY’S RIDER HOME-OPENER AGAINST HAMILTON BUT HONESTLY, THAT’S LESS THAN I THOUGHT THERE’D BE WHATWITH GAS PRICES, COVID HANGOVER, AND ALL THE OTHER THINGS I KEEP HEARING ABOUT.
AND LASTLY, SATURDAY NIGHT’S ELKS-LIONS GAME IN VANCOUVER WILL HAVE OVER 30,000 FANS AT BC PLACE AND THEY’RE SAYING IT’LL BE THEIR BIGGEST CROWD SINCE 2014.
NEW LIONS OWNER AMAR DOMAN IS CREDITING LOCAL OWNERSHIP FOR THE INFLUX IN TICKET SALES; BOTH FOR THE SEASON AND SINGLE GAME. THERE’S GOTTA BE MORE TO IT THAN THAT, BUT I’LL TAKE HIS WORD FOR IT.
BUT IF THE CFL CAN CONSISTENTLY PRODUCE GAMES LIKE THE ONE WE SAW IN CALGARY LAST NIGHT, TICKET SALES SHOULDN’T BE A PROBLEM.
THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY
(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET on Game+ TV across Canada and the USA. Call your cable provider for details. You can also watch on YouTube Live)
In yesterday’s blast you said Calgary wanted weeknight games? But from everything I read online yesterday that’s where all the blame was being put.
Thursday games are likely here to stay for TV purposes, but getting butts to stadiums is a tough sell on a weeknight when you can watch the game for free
That was a great game last night. Sadly the attendance is like the USFL.
We will focus on who goes to games and for those of us who do we are tremendously grateful.
That 2020 will haunt me until end days. I have gratitude for the CFL that surpasses human understanding.
People – you are missing out. 2022 has this 1995 feeling of if your car got broken into people would leave tickets in exchange for what they sold.
We need changes to how this league runs.
The CFL has over priced itself. It already had prior to pandemic. They are charging elite league prices and have lost the everyday fans’ ability to purchase; THEN Covid, lost jobs, wicked inflation AND gas prices, which hurts Sask in particular. So the Govt of Sask slaps a new tax on, and ticket prices go up. Thank God for Qui in Edmonton and whatever they’re doing in Vancouver because Reynolds has lost touch with noted everyday fan: can’t afford it! Oh wait, Reynolds has never had touch with the fans. A full stadium with lower ticket prices makes more than… Read more »