THURSDAY COMMENTARY – QUE SERA, SERA
(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98 & Rock 98.5 FM)
IT’S TIME FOR THIS WEEK’S EDITION OF CANADA’S FUNNEST GAME SHOW: THE GOOD, THE GREAT & THE UGLY.
FIRST THE GOOD: AS IN, “GAUDREAU”. THIS COMMENTARY ORIGINATES FROM CALGARY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT I HAD THE GOOD FORTUNE OF ATTENDING THE 2023 LAUNCH PARTY FOR FERRARI, WHICH WAS HELD AT A 7-MILLION DOLLAR PRIVATE MANSION.
YOUR GUESS IS AS GOOD AS MINE AS TO WHY I GOT INVITED BUT THE BUZZ ON THE LIPS OF CALGARY’S ELITE WAS THE FUTURE OF FLAMES STAR FORWARD JOHNNY GAUDREAU.
LIKE, THIS TOWN IS RIDDLED WITH ANXIETY OVER IT BUT THEY ONLY NEED TO WAIT LESS THAN A WEEK TO FIND OUT WHERE THE PENDING FREE AGENT WILL SIGN.
THE BUZZ FROM THE HOCKEY PEOPLE IS THAT JOHNNY’S AS GOOD AS GONE, WHICH I GUESS, ISN’T REALLY GOOD AT ALL.
NEXT, THE GREAT: WE’LL BE IN EDMONTON TONIGHT FOR THE WEEK 5 CFL KICKOFF BETWEEN THE CALGARY STAMPEDERS AND THE EDMONTON ELKS.
ELKS PRESIDENT VICTOR CUI MADE A MAJOR SPLASH ON WEDNESDAY SAYING THAT FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR, KIDS 12 & UNDER WILL GET IN FREE TO ELKS GAMES.
VICTOR IS DOING THINGS ON THE MARKETING SIDE THAT FOR YEARS, I’VE BEEN TOLD BY CFL EXECS CAN’T BE DONE.
CUI IS MAKING SERIOUS WAVES IN THE CFL AND HIS FRANCHISE IS ON THE RISE, BOTH ON AND OFF THE FIELD.
ARE OTHER TEAMS TAKING NOTE?
AND LASTLY, THE UGLY: MASSIVE NEWS OUT OF MONTREAL THIS WEEK AS NEW ALOUETTES GM DANNY MACIOCIA FIRED HEAD COACH KHARI JONES AND DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR BARRON MILES AND ANNOUNCED HE’LL BE TAKING OVER AS HEAD COACH AFTER THIS WEEK’S BYE.
WHAT’S UGLY ABOUT IT? WELL IT WAS HARD TO FIND A PICTURE OF KHARI JONES WHERE HE ISN’T SMILING. HE’S A POPULAR PLAYERS COACH AND PLAYERS – BOTH PAST AND PRESENT – TOOK TO SOCIAL MEDIA AFTERWARDS TO SCOLD THE MOVE, AND PREDICT THE DOWNFALL OF THE MONTREAL FRANCHISE.
WHEN A COACH DESERVES TO BE FIRED, PLAYERS USUALLY SAY NOTHING BECAUSE THEY KNOW. IN THIS CASE, IT LOOKS LIKE A POWER HUNGRY GM MAY HAVE BITTEN OFF MORE THAN HE CAN CHEW.
QUE SERA, SERA.
THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY
(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET & 10 pm PT on Game+ TV Network 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)
Victor Cui is the future of the CFL. If anything once he gets Edmonton turned around it’s guys like him and Kyle Walters who need to move into the Commissioner chair. I believe that is integral to have hands on experience running a franchise before moving into the Commissionaire Chair. I remember when Jim Hopson did the Roughrider turn around. They were selling merchandise off the side of a building. They had for sure 2 accounting systems, possibly 3. They were bartering – snow tires/donuts for stuff. The list went on. Jim gave everyone a chance that deserved one and… Read more »
“Power hungry” may be the only thing you can write about Danny M and not be libellous.
It feels like Khari Jones got fired way too early. They lost a couple close games in weeks 1 &2, responded by dominating the Riders in week 3 and yes we blew them out in week 4 but Montreal was leading at the half. Nothing against Macoicia as I am sure he’s learned plenty since his last stint at a CFL coach but this doesn’t smell right. I guess time will tell if this was a good move but I’d be upset if this same thing happened to the Riders.