COMMENTARY: MERRY CHRISTMAS/YEAR-END

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

IT’S THE HOLIDAY SEASON AND NO MATTER WHICH WAY YOU CHOOSE TO CELEBRATE IT, HERE’S HOPING YOU FIND SOMETHING TO BE GRATEFUL FOR.

IT SHOULDN’T BE THAT HARD, WHEN YOU REALIZE SOMEBODY ALWAYS HAS IT WORSE THAN YOU.

ALTHOUGH THAT MAYBE DIFFICULT TO CONVINCE THOSE IN THE SPORTS WORLD, PARTICULARLY WITH THE CHAOS WHICH HAS HIT THEIR LEAGUES THIS WEEK.

AND ON THIS LAST RP COMMENTARY OF 2021, I THOUGHT WE COULD LOOK BACK AT THE LAST FEW YEARS IN OUR SPORTS WORLD.

IT’S A DOG’S BREAKFAST.

HONESTLY, AS IT TURNS OUT, REPEAT CHAMPIONS TURNED OUT TO BE A THING. THE REIGNING CHAMPIONS OF BOTH THE NHL AND CFL TURNED OUT TO BE BACK-TO-BACK WINNERS; THE TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING AND WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS.

CALL THEM COVID CUPS IF YOU WANT, BUT THE RINGS LOOK THE SAME AS ANY OTHER YEAR. MAYBE EVEN BETTER.

THE TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS COULD REPEAT AS SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS BUT INJURIES AND COVID HAVE WREAKED HAVOC ON THEIR ROSTER; MUCH LIKE MOST OTHER TEAMS.

THE PRINCE ALBERT RAIDERS REMAIN THE DEFENDING CHAMPIONS OF THE WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE FROM 2019. TRY THAT ONE ON FOR SIZE.

I BROADCAST THE LAST SJHL FINALS, WHICH FEATURED THE BATTLEFORDS AND MELFORT IN 2019. THE STARS ARE STILL LOOKING TO AVENGE A 5-GAME SERIES LOSS TO PORTAGE IN THE ANAVET CUP, AND THEY’VE BEEN WAITING TWO YEARS FOR IT. THE TEAM DOESN’T EVEN LOOK THE SAME.

I REALLY HAD TO SCRATCH MY HEAD TO REMEMBER THE LAST CHAMPIONS OF THE NATIONAL LACROSSE LEAGUE; FORGET ABOUT WHETHER IT WAS BACK-TO-BACK OR NOT. (IT’S THE CALGARY ROUGHNECKS BY THE WAY).

AND IN THE FLEDGLING CEBL, THE EDMONTON STINGERS ARE BACK-TO-BACK CHAMPIONS ALTHOUGH IT WAS THE SASKATCHEWAN RATTLERS WHO CAPTURED THE LEAGUE’S FIRST – AND ONLY – COVID-FREE CUP.

THE LANGLEY RAMS ARE THE CANADIAN JUNIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPS AND THE WESTERN MUSTANGS ARE THE CHAMPIONS OF UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL.

AS WE TURN OUR ATTENTION NOW TO 2022, HERE’S HOPING WE’VE HIT ROCK BOTTOM AND THINGS TURN FOR THE BETTER. IT CAN’T GET ANY WORSE CAN IT?

DON’T ANSWER THAT.

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY

(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET on Game+ TV across Canada and the USA. Call your cable provider for details. You can also watch on YouTube Live or listen 24/7 at RodPedersen.com/ListenLive)