MONDAY COMMENTARY – FOR ALL THE MARBLES

(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98 & Rock 98.5 FM)

ONE OF THE MANY THINGS I LIKE ABOUT FOOTBALL IS THE SCHEDULING OF ONE GAME PER WEEK.

IT WORKS OUT PERFECTLY FOR US IN THE MEDIA; IT GIVES YOU THREE DAYS TO TALK ABOUT LAST GAME, THREE DAYS TO BUILD UP TO THE NEXT GAME, THEN GAME DAY, THEN IT STARTS ALL OVER AGAIN.

PERFECT.

BUT IN THE CASE OF THE ROUGHRIDERS RIGHT NOW – SPECIFICALLY THIS WEEK – ALL SIX DAYS CAN BE USED TO TALK ABOUT SASKATCHEWAN’S NEXT GAME: THIS FRIDAY AT HAMILTON.

THE REASON? WELL IT’S PRETTY MUCH USELESS TO TALK ABOUT LAST WEEK’S 31-13 LOSS AT WINNIPEG. IT WAS ABYSMAL.

BUT THIS FRIDAY’S CLASH AT HAMILTON IS AS CLOSE TO “FOR ALL THE MARBLES” AS YOU CAN GET FOR A REGULAR SEASON GAME.

IF SASKATCHEWAN WINS, THEY’LL PRETTY MUCH CLINCH THAT FINAL PLAYOFF SPOT VIA THE CROSSOVER INTO THE EAST DIVISION. AND IT WOULD FORCE THE TICATS TO WIN ALL OF THEIR REMAINING GAMES WHICH VERY RARELY EVER HAPPENS IN THESE SCENARIOS.

HOWEVER IF THE TICATS WIN, IT’LL MEAN THE RIDERS WOULD’VE LOST NINE OF THEIR LAST 11 GAMES AND THE TICATS WOULD BE BREATHING DOWN THEIR NECKS TO CLINCH THAT SPOT WITH THE SCHEDULE IN THEIR FAVOUR.

SO REALLY, THIS IS IT.

CRAIG DICKENSON VERSUS ORLONDO STEINAUER. CODY FAJARDO VERSUS DANE EVANS.

I’D FEEL A LOT BETTER ABOUT THIS MATCH-UP IF CODY COULD FOCUS ON THE GAME RATHER THAN COMPLAINING ABOUT RIDER FANS BEING ON HIS BACK.

HE SEEMS TO TALK ABOUT IT EVERY WEEK BUT FORTUNATELY IT HASN’T AFFECTED HIS GAME. HE’S BEEN PLAYING PRETTY WELL FOR AT LEAST THE LAST MONTH.

ONE DAY HE’LL REALIZE YOU CAN NEVER PLEASE RIDER FANS BUT RIGHT NOW HE CAN’T SEE THE FOREST FOR THE TREES.

IT’S SAD TO WATCH.

BUT AGAIN, THAT’S NOT WHAT THIS GAME’S ALL ABOUT.

THE ONLY WAY FOR CODY TO GET THOSE FANS OFF HIS BACK IS TO WIN A GREY CUP. ASK DARIAN DURANT, WHO DID IT THEN DISAPPEARED FOREVER.

HOWEVER THE WAY THINGS ARE GOING, IT DOESN’T LOOK LIKE CODY’S GOING TO GET THE CHANCE.

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY

(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily on Game+ TV across Canada and the USA, and on 99.1 FM WQEE Metro Atlanta. Call your cable provider to subscribe. You can also watch on YouTube Live or listen 24/7 at RodPedersen.com/ListenLive)