COMMENTARY – OVERREACTION MONDAY

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

LET’S CALL TODAY “OVER-REACTION MONDAY”.

OR BETTER YET, “YOU’RE NEVER AS GOOD – OR AS BAD – AS YOU THINK YOU ARE.”

COMING OUT OF WEEK 1 OF THE CFL SEASON, AND SPECIFICALLY SASKATCHEWAN’S 30-13 HOME WIN OVER HAMILTON ON SATURDAY, I THINK THESE PHRASES APPLY TO BOTH TEAMS.

HOWEVER IN THE CASE OF THE JOLLY GREEN GIANTS, I SUPPORT ALL THE BOUQUETS WHICH ARE BEING THROWN AT THE TEAM AFTER A PRETTY EFFICIENT SHOWING AGAINST HAMILTON.

THE RIDERS HAVE SUFFERED SOME REAL HEARTBREAKS THE PAST TWO YEARS, SO IT’S NEVER A BAD IDEA TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT YOURSELF WHEN YOU CAN.

IN FACT, SOME OF MY REGINA CRONIES ARE TELLING ME TO DUST OFF THE PARKA BECAUSE A GREY CUP PARADE IS ALREADY BEING PLANNED FOR DECEMBER.

THAT’S A LITTLE BRASH, BUT LET THE FANS HAVE THEIR FUN.

IN THE CASE OF THE RIDERS, THERE’S LITTLE TO NITPICK IN THE WIN. YES, IT WAS A HOCKEY SCORE FOR MOST OF THE CONTEST (6-6 INTO THE THIRD QUARTER) BUT THE FACT MY GUY CODY FAJARDO FIGURED IT OUT AND LED THE TEAM TO 18 FOURTH QUARTER POINTS IS A HECKUVA FEAT.

THE RIDERS REGISTERED EIGHT SACKS AND NEVER GAVE UP ONE! THEY WERE READY FROM THE OPENING KICKOFF.

SO GO AHEAD AND HAVE YOUR FUN!

NOW, WE HAVE TO EXAMINE THE TICATS TOO AND THAT’S WHERE WE UNDERSCORE “YOU’RE NEVER AS BAD AS YOU THINK.”

THERE’S A LOT OF TABBIES FANS FOLLOWING THIS COMMENTARY AND I SPEND LOTS OF TIME ON HAMILTON RADIO.

FOLLOWING SATURDAY’S GAME, THEY’RE LICKING THEIR WOUNDS.

THE POSITIVES FOR HAMILTON IS THAT EARLY LOSSES FORCE YOU TO WORK OUT THE KINKS EARLY. THEY’RE CLEARLY A TALENTED TEAM, BUT THEY’RE NOT NEARLY IN SYNC YET.

AND QUARTERBACK DANE EVANS LOOKED PEDESTRIAN AGAINST SASK, AND WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR FOUR TURNOVERS.

DOES HE PERFORM BETTER WITH A BACK-UP QUARTERBACK LIKE JEREMIAH MASOLI BREATHING DOWN HIS NECK?

AND I EXPECT TO HEAR ON THURSDAY THAT HAMILTON LINEBACKER SIMONI LAWRENCE HAS BEEN FINED FOR HIS HEADSHOT ON FAJARDO IN THE GAME’S FIRST HALF.

BUT SO WHAT? IT APPEARS LAWRENCE SEES IT AS A MERE SPEEDING TICKET, OR A COST OF DOING BUSINESS. IT’S WHAT’S MADE HIM ONE OF THE MOST FEARED DEFENDERS IN THE CFL, AND A GUY ANY TEAM WOULD LOVE TO HAVE ON THEIR ROSTER.

IF THE CFL AND THE COMMISSIONER DON’T HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH HIS STYLE OF PLAY, WHY SHOULD WE?

SORRY ABOUT YOUR LUCK CODY.

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)