TUESDAY COMMENTARY – THE GOOD, THE GREAT & THE UGLY

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

IT’S TUESDAY AND THAT MEANS ANOTHER FUN EDITION OF THE GOOD, THE GREAT & THE UGLY!

FIRST THE GOOD: WE SAID ON MONDAY THAT WE’D SPEND THE WEEK PREVIEWING FRIDAY’S RIDER GAME AT HAMILTON SO HERE’S TODAY’S THOUGHT ON IT –

WHILE IT’S TRUE THE RIDERS HOLD THEIR DESTINY IN THEIR OWN HANDS AND A WIN OVER THE TICATS WOULD PRETTY MUCH CLINCH THAT FINAL PLAYOFF BERTH, VIEWERS TO THE RP SHOW ON MONDAY FLIPPED THE SCRIPT AND SAID THE HAMILTON FOOTBALL TEAM VIEWS THIS GAME EXACTLY THE SAME WAY.

FOR THE REASONS WE OUTLINED IN MONDAY’S COMMENTARY, IF HAMILTON WINS THIS HOME GAME, THEY’LL ASSUME THE DRIVER’S SEAT AND BE PRETTY CLOSE TO KNOCKING THE RIDERS OUT.

SO INDEED, THIS IS BASICALLY A PLAYOFF GAME FRIDAY AT TIM HORTONS FIELD.

NEXT, THE GREAT: OF COURSE IT’S THE BLUE JAYS HEADING TO THE PLAYOFFS FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2020, AND PLAYING AT HOME IN THE POSTSEASON FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2016 WHEN THEY WENT TO BACK-TO-BACK ALCS’S.

THE JAYS CLINCHED HOMEFIELD MONDAY NIGHT WHICH WILL BE MASSIVE IN A BEST-OF-3 SERIES WHICH BEGINS FRIDAY AGAINST EITHER SEATTLE OR TAMPA BAY.

ALL GAMES IN THE SERIES WILL BE IN TORONTO.

THAT. IS. GREAT.

YOU KNOW WHAT I LIKE BEST ABOUT THIS YEAR’S BLUE JAYS? THEY MIGHT’VE HAD SIX ALL STARS BUT THIS TEAM ISN’T ABOUT INDIVIDUAL STATS. SINCE THE MANAGERIAL CHANGE IN JULY, THE FOCUS HAS BEEN ON WINNING AND THE RESULTS SHOW ON THE FIELD.

OKAY BLUE JAYS, LET’S PLAY BALL.

AND LASTLY, THE UGLY: WE’RE TRYING TO KEEP IT POSITIVE SO I WON’T LOOK TOO FAR INTO THE PROBLEMS WHICH CONTINUE TO PLAGUE PRO FOOTBALL.

BUT IT’S UGLY THAT THE FACT REMAINS THE NFL DOESN’T CARE MUCH FOR PLAYER SAFETY. HERE IN MIAMI, DOLPHINS QUARTERBACK TUA TAGOVAILOA HAS BEEN RULED OUT FOR WEEK 5 AGAINST THE JETS (BIG SURPRISE) AND NOW THE NFL SAYS IT’LL LOOK AT CHANGING THE CONCUSSION TESTS.

I GUESS WE’LL JUST LOOK PAST THIS AND ENJOY THE GAMES, JUST HOW THE NFL WANTS US TO.

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY

(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily on Game+ TV across Canada and the USA, and on 99.1 WQEE Metro Atlanta. Call your cable provider to subscribe. You can also watch on YouTube Live or listen 24/7 at RodPedersen.com/ListenLive)