WEDNESDAY COMMENTARY – NOT MY FIRST RODEO
(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98 & Rock 98.5 FM)
CALL IT “THE UNOFFICIAL KICKOFF TO CALGARY STAMPEDE.”
WELL I’M CALLING CODY SNYDER’S BULLBUSTIN’ HERE AT GREY EAGLE CASINO THAT, HOWEVER I’M NOT SURE IF ANYBODY ELSE IS. I’M STILL LEARNING CALGARY.
BUT THE FIRST OF FOUR NIGHTS OF PERFORMANCES FEATURING CANADA’S BEST BULL RIDERS AND THE NASTIEST BULLS GOT GOING TUESDAY NIGHT RIGHT IN THE PARKING LOT OF THE CASINO, AND THE TEMPORARY STANDS WERE FILLED TO CAPACITY.
SO MANY WAVES OF THINGS WENT THROUGH ME ON A PERFECT ALBERTA SUMMER EVENING.
THE FIRST WAS THAT ALL THE BEST BULL RIDERS ARE FROM SASKATCHEWAN, AND THEY HAIL FROM PLACES LIKE ABBEY, EATONIA, YELLOW GRASS, MEADOW LAKE AND MORE. ONE BULLFIGHTER WAS EVEN FROM REGINA.
SECOND, I SURE GOT THE FEELING THAT “WE’RE BACK” AS A SOCIETY. NO DOUBT, COVID PROBABLY WAS WEAVING ITS WAY THROUGH THE CROWD SOMEWHERE BUT PEOPLE WERE SHOULDER TO SHOULDER, BOPPING TO THE MUSIC AND OO’ING AND AW’ING AT THE SPILLS. IT WAS JUST GREAT TO SEE.
AND IF I HAD A NICKEL FOR EVERYONE WHO ASKED, “WHY AREN’T YOU DRESSED LIKE A COWBOY?”
OBVIOUSLY I RESPONDED THAT I’M NOT A COWBOY, BUT THAT DOESN’T SEEM TO MATTER.
MAYBE I’LL GET THE GARB. BUT NOT TODAY.
WE’RE BROADCASTING THE RP SHOW ON NATIONAL TELEVISION DAILY FROM OUTSIDE THE ARENA AND OUR C.O.O. WANTED TO HAVE SOME BULLS RUNNING AROUND THE PEN BEHIND ME.
TO THAT I SAID, “NOT A CHANCE”. I WAS RAISED AROUND THESE THINGS AND KNOW TO NEVER TURN YOUR BACK ON THEM. I’VE ALSO SEEN THEM JUMP RAILS AND MAIM OR KILL PEOPLE. I’M NOT INTERESTED IN HAVING THAT HAPPEN THIS WEEK.
WORLD CHAMPION BULL RIDER CODY SNYDER AGREED, SAYING “BULLS ARE WEAPONS”.
YOU DON’T NEED TO DRESS LIKE A COWBOY TO KNOW YOUR WAY AROUND THE RODEO.
THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY
(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET & 10 pm PT on Game+ TV across Canada and the USA. Call your cable provider for details. You can also watch on YouTube Live or listen 24/7 at RodPedersen.com/ListenLive)