COMMENTARY: HAPPY HOLIDAYS
(Listen daily for the RP Commentary on Cat Country 98 & LTD Radio)
A coupla three or so thoughts headed into the weekend:
#1 – Welcome to December! For some reason George Jones’ tune “The Race Is On” is echoing through my head.
We’re not even at the halfway mark of the NHL season, and nowhere near the homestretch, but it feels like teams are already putting the hammer down with three quarters of the season still to go.
It’s good news for the Oilers who’ve won four in a row, the Flames and Leafs who’ve won back-to-back games and the majority of their past 10, but bad news for the Jets who’ve lost three in a row.
You cannot redline over the course of 82 games. There will be swoons. Fans who expect to win 100% of the games will ultimately be disappointed. (We’re looking at you Toronto).
That’s their problem.
#2 – We are not going to go through this all winter. Rider fans are pretty much wall-to-wall thrilled with the hiring of Corey Mace as the new head coach, as they should be.
But now some in the Rider Nation have turned their guns on me saying I’m being too critical and should be promoting the team.
Sorry, but I’ve said it enough over the past five years; that’s not my job and I know what’s going on with this team. I cannot be influenced.
And I respect you too much to try to snow you.
Saying the hiring of Corey Mace will cure all that ails the Riders is to say that past head coach Craig Dickenson was the problem. Wrong! The year before that, the finger was pointed at quarterback Cody Fajardo. Double Wrong!
A faction of fans can’t see this but that’s okay; that’s what I’m here for.
If you don’t like what I write and comment, I strongly urge you not to read or listen.
But just like reading the great Bob Hughes in the Leader Post back in the day, you just can’t help yourself. Bob didn’t waver either.
Somebody’s got to tell it the way it is these days, and I don’t see anybody else stepping up. I’m happy to do it.
And #3 – The CFL really is stepping into the post-season on a high. The Grey Cup drew 9-million viewers on TV, the hiring of Corey Mace in Sask is positive, and this week’s announcement of Touchdown Pacific in Victoria is just spectacular news. There’s not much to criticize, so enjoy this fleeting moment.
And if they get a schedule out in the next couple of weeks, CFL people can indeed enjoy their Christmas.
Happy Holidays
That’s today’s Rod Pedersen Commentary
(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm & 5 pm ET on Game+TV, WQEE Radio, YouTube Live & Podcast)
Rod Never explain and it will be my epitaph – the truth does not have to answer questions. We should call it out. Problem #1 – Craig Reynolds Problem #2 – the ethos of Craig Reynolds Problem #3 – the people who report to Craig Reynolds. Problem #4 – the board who hired and endorses Craig Reynolds. And this board is like the REAL board that just resigned and now are virtue signaling all the hours they committed to the community Nobody does anything without an expectation back unless it’s within an anonymous 12 step group. We give it away… Read more »
The Riderfan koolaid drinkers are already planning the Grey Cup parade! Too funny as people like that are part of the problem in Riderville.
When I was with the Riders we loved those fans because we knew they didn’t care if we on or not! They’d be there regardless. It was the ones who STOPPED coming that scared us.
Thanks for sharing Rod. I remember when you were the PxP man and had a gag order. Now you’re free to tell the truth.
Myself I totally refuse to even listen to the current PxP guy as I listen to the visiting teams PxP guys when I’m out at the lake. Riders are a mess from the very top right on down to the PxP guy IMO. Rod and Carm were the best PxP team that I can remember
Still waiting on the truth about the Saskatchewan Roughriders A to Z, when is that going to come out, today, tomorrow, next year, never? When?
Soooooooo …. mace has been directed to keep the coaching personnel from the past few years, say it ain’t so. One would expect a new head coach to assemble his very own coaching staff. wtf is going on oday?