WEDNESDAY COMMENTARY – EVERYWHERE WE GO …

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

IF YOU GET OUT AND TRAVEL AROUND A BIT, YOU’LL REALIZE PEOPLE ARE THE SAME PRETTY MUCH EVERYWHERE YOU GO.

WE ALL CAME INTO THIS WORLD WITH FACTORY SETTINGS BUT JUST LIKE WITH OUR IPHONE, WE SCREW THEM ALL UP EVENTUALLY AND WOULD BENEFIT FROM A SYSTEM RESET.

CALGARY, IN A LOT OF WAYS, FROM A SPORTS FAN PERSPECTIVE, IS NO DIFFERENT FROM SASKATCHEWAN.

YOU RECALL ALL THOSE YEARS WITH THE RIDERS WHERE I SAID FANS WEREN’T HAPPY UNLESS THEY’RE UNHAPPY? AND SOME JUST LOVE RUNNING AROUND WITH THEIR HAIR ON FIRE, SCREAMING THAT THE SKY IS FALLING?

WELL, IT’S NOT THAT DIFFERENT WITH A LOT OF FLAMES FANS HERE IN CALGARY WHERE WE’RE IN THE 16^TH WEEK OF OUR RESIDENCY AT GREY EAGLE RESORT & CASINO WITH THE RP SHOW. (IT WAS ORIGINALLY SUPPOSED TO BE ONLY SIX WEEKS).

LAST WEEK THE FLAMES LOST FRANCHISE STAR JOHNNY GAUDREAU IN FREE AGENCY AND HE PRETTY MUCH KICKED CALGARY IN THE GROIN ON THE WAY OUT OF TOWN. FANS WERE WORRIED FOR YEARS THIS WAS GONNA HAPPEN, THEN IT DID.

NEXT UP IS FELLOW FLAMES STAR MATTHEW TKACHUK WHO, BY ALL ACCOUNTS, IS ENTERING HIS LAST SEASON AS A FLAME. THAT’S IF HE ISN’T TRADED FIRST.

THE SCUTTLEBUTT AROUND THIS TOWN RUNS DAY AND NIGHT. THEY SAY TKACHUK’S UPSET GAUDREAU’S GONE. HE’S AN AMERICAN TOO AND WANTS TO PLAY IN THE STATES. HE’S UPSET WITH THE CULTURE, AND THE CITY. ON AND ON AND ON. I WONDER HOW THEY’D KNOW WHAT HE’S THINKING?

SO THEN THE LINE OF THINKING GOES THAT THE TEAM’S TWO BEST PLAYERS ARE GONE, THE TEAM’S GOING TO STINK, AND THEN THEY’RE NOT GOING TO GET THEIR NEW ARENA.

AND THEN THE FRANCHISE IS GOING TO LEAVE TOWN AND WHAT WOULD CALGARY BE WITHOUT THE FLAMES?

DO YOU SEE THE FLAW IN THIS LINE OF THINKING?

IN THE RECOVERY WORLD WE SAY THAT WORRYING IS LIKE ROCKING IN A ROCKING CHAIR; IT KEEPS YOU BUSY BUT IT DOESN’T GET YOU ANYWHERE.

IF YOU EXPECT BAD THINGS, YOU GET THEM.

IF YOU EXPECT GREAT THINGS, YOU’LL GET THOSE TOO.

I’VE LIVED BOTH AND CAN ATTEST THAT’S TRUE.

OVER 30 YEARS ON AIR IN SASK, I’M NOT SURE IF I EVER MADE ANY IMPACT ON THE RIDER NATION WITH SOOTHING THEIR NEUROTIC TENDENCIES. IT DOESN’T FEEL LIKE I DID.

SO NOW I’M TRYING IT IN CALGARY, AND WE’LL SEE HOW THAT GOES.

TROUBLE IS, I DON’T THINK I’LL BE HERE LONG ENOUGH TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY

(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET and 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)