MONDAY COMMENTARY – WILL YOU BE THERE?
Photo: Saskatchewan Roughriders
(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98, Rock 98.5 & LTD Radio)
As we all know, in Sask there are two seasons: winter and Rider season.
With the absence of any snow on the ground, I guess we know which one it is. And everywhere else, there’s still plenty of other entertaining sports going on.
Whether you were there Saturday night or not, you likely know by now the Roughriders won their preseason opener, 30-27 over the BC Lions at Mosaic Stadium.
It’s not “Plan The Parade” territory yet, but for a team who lost its last six games of last season on the way to missing the playoffs, it had to feel good to leave the field as winners.
Quarterbacks Jake Dolegala, Shae Patterson and Mason Fine all engineered touchdown drives and veteran Mitch Picton caught two touchdowns. Those both came in the fourth quarter, which earned the Riders the comeback victory.
The even better news? Saskatchewan never gave up one sack. This after a season where the club gave up a club record in that department.
Each team took seven penalties, so that was a wash. And it was a rare game where Sask lost the turnover battle (4-3), but still won.
All of this means absolutely nothing of course, because it was only preseason, but the signs are encouraging. Look over at Edmonton for instance, where the Elks went winless in exhibition games and their fans must be wondering if they’ll ever win?
We’ll get a much clearer sense of what the Riders are Friday at Winnipeg.
Meanwhile, as mentioned, there are other sports going on. The Kamloops Blazers had a good practice at the Memorial Cup last night, as the host team embarrassed Peterborough 10-2. Tonight Seattle plays Quebec City in a battle of tournament favourites. TSN has the game in Canada, and NHL Network in the U.S.
Vegas will try again to sew up the Western Conference tonight in the NHL as they visit Dallas. The Stars have won the past two games and tonight will try to force Game 7.
And the Canadian Elite Basketball League – Canada’s best-kept secret – has tipped off and the new-look Calgary Surge are off to a 2-0 start while the expansion Winnipeg Sea Bears won their first ever game Saturday night before a big crowd at the home of the Jets.
On Wednesday night, the Saskatchewan Rattlers open their season against Vancouver at SaskTel Centre.
Will you be there?
That’s today’s Rod Pedersen Commentary
(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET on Game+ TV, WQEE & Streaming)
Let’s give credit where credit is due. Saskatchewan Roughriders victory on Saturday was courtesy of Qb Mason Fine with his two touchdown drives with Mitch Picton on the recieving end of those scores to cement the win (Fine + Picton great chemistry). The Saskatchewan Roughriders were behind on the scoreboard all game long until Mason Fine took charge of the offense and that’s a fact. In the 3rd quarter of the game, the Roughriders trailed 20-9 and 27-17 in the 4th quarter before Mason Fine took control to send the Roughriders to a rare preseason win. Kudos to the Saskatchewan… Read more »
Awwww, good comment mother Fine! 🙂🙂
this may be the year where Picton blossoms into a real starting reciever. Lets hope so.
Narily anyone at the Saskatchewan Roughriders game on Saturday, it was a pathetic show of things to come with fan attendance. Roughriders are passe, out dated samevold same old every year.