Commentary: House Had It Right
Photo: Mitchell Blair
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Al Tuer said it first, way back, I’d guess, about 30 years ago during a chat in his office at the Moose Jaw Civic Centre.
“It used to be an honour to wear the jersey. Now it’s an option,” said the then-head coach of the Moose Jaw Warriors regarding the attitude of 1990s-era players.
That came to mind this week when two very public incidents came up with regards to players bowing out of league-sponsored events in the NHL and NFL.
Vegas Golden Knights defenceman Alex Pietrangelo announced on Sunday he’s skipping next month’s Four Nations Faceoff tournament due to an unnamed ailment. Later that night he played 24 minutes in the Knights’ 4-1 win over Florida (?). Then on Wednesday star NFL quarterbacks Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen and Jayden Daniels announced they’ll be skipping this weekend’s NFL Pro Bowl Skills & Flag Games which actually open today in Orlando.
No reasons were given but you can imagine the trio is banged up from the rigors of the NFL season and were promptly replaced by New England’s Drake Maye, Pittsburgh’s Russell Wilson and Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield.
It’s now an option, and no longer an honour.
Al Tuer had it right, way back when; although none of us in sports really know where, or what, turned the tide.
Al of course was at one time the Regina Pats career penalty minute leader, and would go on to be a pro scout for the Florida Panthers for quite awhile.
The Regina product now makes his home in Vernon, BC the last I heard. We last bumped into each other in the press box at Gila River Arena in Glendale, AZ six or seven years ago and a reallllll long chat.
A teacher once told me that humans change, but human nature does not. Neither do old school principles, in my opinion.
You will always have the option to make your own choices in life. At least you should, and it seems these days that’s more prevalent than ever before.
But what will never change is this:
You will always have to live with those decisions. And if you don’t feel like doing something, there’s a line up of people behind you who do.
That’s today’s Rod Pedersen Commentary.
(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm & 4 pm ET on Game+TV, Podcast & YouTube Live)
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Al Tuer…..my first favourite Pat. I always checked his stats in the L.P’s “Minding the Minors”. When he came to M.J and Len Nielsen was his Assistant. I couldn’t understand why he wasn’t with the Pats. He and Norm Johnson had a skirmish at the Agridome between benches. Had Norm made it to the MJ bench the next day the obit would have read; “…left to mourn.” It’s always been that way. In the 1980s Hamilton Mustangs H.C Murray Chadwick asked, “how can you think about the game doing your hair half an hour before it starts?” He then went… Read more »