COMMENTARY: LOCAL OR NOT TO LOCAL?
Photo: Toronto Raptors
(Listen daily for the RP Commentary on the All New Hits 98 CKHD & LTD Radio)
It’s Tuesday and that means it’s time for another edition of the Good, the Great & the Ugly!
First the good: The NHL Trade Deadline is behind us and we are officially in the homestretch of the NHL season.
Nowwwww I’ll really be paying attention to the goings-on and – like the diehard fans have all season – be living and dying with each night’s result. Until now, those long winning streaks or losing streaks didn’t really matter. Now, it’s playoff hockey every night.
To quote John Frenzy, “It’s just gonna be fantastic.”
Next the great: I love local players.
So I really perked up when the Toronto Raptors acquired Kamloops, BC product Kelly Olynyk at the Trade Deadline last month.
(It seems like such an oddity that an NBA star would come from Kamloops. Sort of like Houston Astros great Terry Puhl being from Melville, SK!)
Actually, Olynyk lived in Toronto till age 12 before his family moved to Kamloops, but he refers to that BC Interior city as his hometown.
Not everyone agrees with with me mind you. I had this chat with former Regina Pats coach John Paddock and he disagreed. “When we win, it won’t matter where they’re from,” Paddock advised.
And he was right. The 2017 Regina Pats, who went all the way to the league final, had no Regina players and nobody minded.
On the flipside, the 2013 Grey Cup champion Roughriders had, I think, 13 players from Saskatchewan. You’d have to go back and look for sure.
Either way, this year’s Raptors aren’t winning so the addition of Olynyk has me paying attention just a little bit more.
And lastly, the Ugly: It’s simply fascinating to watch the bonanza which is NFL Free Agency week and things got rolling on Monday with two key takeaways: the Atlanta Falcons signed quarterback Kirk Cousins to a 4-year, $180-million contract while the Miami Dolphins were absolutely gutted.
The Fins were a team who set offensive records last year but faded down the stretch and went out with a whimper in the playoffs. Now, instead of fortifying their roster, they gave the bag to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa which means other big names left for more money elsewhere.
The loyalty’s gone and players are chasing the biggest paycheck.
Tell me we all wouldn’t do the exact same thing?
That’s today’s Rod Pedersen Commentary
(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm & 5 pm on Game+TV, WQEE Radio, Podcast & YouTube Live)
You blame the players when it comes to loyalty in the NFL. The one league with contracts that aren’t guaranteed and where teams cut players with years left on their contracts. Ya okay.
Time for education and teachable moments. Okay – so….you know that in a football season they play 1 game a week? Depending on the leaugue you’ll have 16 to 18 league games. This should also take into account an exhibition season along with playoffs. You should also know the roster isn’t 21 kids like a hockey team, 11 guys on a basketball team, maybe 25 on a baseball team…correct? You know this? There are 150 Division 1 NCAA schools and everything underneath that including U Sports, Jr College, Div 2, Junior Football…….Football has a surplus of labor, and the game… Read more »
Great stuff; The hockey/football are apples/oranges. With hockey – all things being equal I’d “advise” that if it’s equal go with a local. I think of the Regina Pats and they had a pup line. Two first round NHL picks from Regina, and Frank Kovacs I believe went third round and was serviceable. Over the years Regina has nabbed a local here and there, and it creates interest and could put bums in the seat. On the contrary we’ve also literally never won a thing in Regina. Paddock turned the franchise around, and is in the AHL Hall of Fame.… Read more »
You’d follow the dollar…….I wouldn’t. There ain’t enough money to make me move to New York or several other concrete jungles. Toronto comes to mind.
Not all but some of the athletes also value their location above the mighty dollar, hence the no-trade clause or list of potential trade partners.
….Of course you wouldn’t. You’d be part of the at crowd that prescribes to the philosophy of greed, envy, sloth, and doing the absolute bare minimum all while making sure to settle in your personal life to ensure you have a two income household. It’s then the resentment creeps in, and the “you couldn’t pay me…” – well first off you need to have some talent in order to pay you and sorry – payband 4 in a Crown Corp or Saskatchewan Public Service Commission isn’t exactly having the captains of industry contacting you for opportunities. Nope; those who never… Read more »
Sir this is a Wendy’s
Great article Rod.. it was nice not having anything about the Panthers for once. Keep it up !
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