Commentary: Always A Classic
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Welcome to the biggest weekend of the football year!
At least, in Canada it is. And I don’t think you’d get much argument on that from anyone.
In Saskatchewan, the Roughriders will host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 59thLabour Day Classic on Sunday.
Like every year, this one comes with considerable intrigue. Putting history aside for a minute, it’s a huge game for both teams. The Riders are winless in five games yet miraculously still sit in first place.
Meanwhile the Blue Bombers have won three in a row and can takeover first in the West Division with a win!
That’s pretty much all you need to know, isn’t it?
But there’s more. Last year’s 32-30 Rider win in overtime was the highest-scoring Labour Day Classic in a decade.
It denied Winnipeg QB Zach Collaros the chance to be the winningest quarterback in Labour Day history. He still sits at six wins on this weekend, tied with four others: Bernie Faloney, Danny McManus, Darian Durant and Bo Levi Mitchell.
Speaking of Doubles, Riders starting QB Trevor Harris enters the game just 440 passing yards behind Darian for #16 all-time.
But I’ll eat my shorts if he does it this weekend.
Durant did all his winning at Taylor Field and this weekend my mind will be tracing back to some of those Classics in the Grand Ol’ Lady. Oddly enough, Kerry Joseph was the pivot for most Rider fans’ – under the age of 40 – favourite Labour Day Classic.
That’s an easy one to remember. K-J sprinted 27 yards with 27 seconds to go to give Sask the winning touchdown.
Of course that season he’d lead the Riders to a Grey Cup title and the league MVP award.
I’m almost as interested to watch Saturday’s Touchdown Pacific game in Victoria between the Ottawa RedBlacks and BC Lions. It’s the furthest-West-ever game in CFL history, and what’s more, it’s a battle between two great teams with tremendous quarterbacks.
The stadiums are going to be bursting and the games are going to be great!
Try telling anyone that the CFL has any problems at all.
That’s today’s Rod Pedersen Commentary.
(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm & 4 pm ET on Game+TV, WQEE Radio, Podcast & YouTube Live)
