Friday Commentary: Welcome Back The Smilin’ One

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A coupla three or more thoughts entering the weekend …

#1 – Week 7 in the CFL got off to a typically CFL start. The Montreal Alouettes rallied from a 25-7 deficit late in the third quarter and beat the Toronto Argonauts 26-25 thanks to a rushing touchdown from quarterback Davis Alexander in the dying minutes.

Whoever came up with the slogan “No Lead Is Safe” in the CFL head office years ago should be brought back.

#2 – It’s a Football Friday on the RP Show and as you know, we’re always full of surprises. Hall of Famer Henry Burris – the current Associate Head Coach at Florida A&M – will join us for an extended chat and if we have time, I’ll ask him to finally reveal why he left the Roughriders way back in 2005.

It was a big deal at the time, but I wonder if anyone cares anymore?

#3 – It’s a big weekend in baseball. MLB gets back to work after the All Star break and the Blue Jays take their first-place record into a home series against the San Francisco Giants. The Jays certainly are Canada’s Team at the moment.

Meanwhile the Western Canadian Baseball League will stage its Homerun Derby and All Star Game on Saturday in Okotoks. Initially the forecast called for a 70% chance of rain for the proceedings, but that’s been downgraded to 55%. The event has never been rained out, and fingers crossed that streak continues.

You can catch the action on Flo College Baseball.

And #4 – Yes of course we miss hockey! Gambling company Bodog sent me the futures odds for the 2026 Stanley Cup winner and guess what? The Florida Panthers are the oddsmakers’ pick to win a third straight Stanley Cup at +600. The Oilers are next at +750 followed by Carolina at +825 and the Avalanche and Golden Knights at +900.

But as they say, no Stanley Cup was ever won in July.

That’s today’s Rod Pedersen Commentary

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