COMMENTARY: THE GOOD, THE GREAT & THE UGLY
Photo: Colorado Buffaloes
(Listen daily for the RP Commentary on Cat Country 98, Rock 98.5 FM & LTD Radio)
It’s Tuesday and time for another edition of the Good, the Great & the Ugly!
First, the good: As always it depends on which side of the fence you’re on, but the happenings in the Canadian Football League during this home stretch drive have been very good from a league perspective.
Above all, the Edmonton Elks catching fire is good on so many levels. As a league you’re only as strong as your weakest link but now as winners of four of their last five games – after an 0-9 start – the Elks are the team to watch.
And with only Ottawa being out of it in the East, that means there likely won’t be a crossover berth and only the top three teams in the West will make the playoffs.
Every game from here on out is a playoff game for teams in the mix. That’s very good.
As an analyst now who doesn’t care who wins any given game, it’s given me a lot more non-biased opinion and improved commentary. That’s good too.
Next, the great: There are thousands of sports talk shows in the States and they’re all talking about what’s going on in College Football right now with Deion Sanders and his Colorado Buffaloes.
Prime Time has taken a program which has been a doormat for a generation, to a 3-0 start and are truly the story of the year in sports.
And at $30-million per season, Prime is the highest-paid coach on the continent.
But can you believe some nincompoops still can’t figure out why Deion’s not interested in coaching in the NFL? Plus he gets to coach his kid.
People are unbelievable.
And lastly, the ugly: It’s quite clearly the Mike Babcock situation.
TSN Ottawa’s Claire Hanna said on the RP Show Monday that it’s not clear who the winners are in this situation but I disagree. It’s very clearly the players, who got their coach ousted. When the chickens are running the henhouse, that can’t be great.
But the ugliness comes out of the split in hockey over Babs’ ouster. He’s from Saskatchewan so he’s got plenty of support in his home province and Craig Button torching Mike on Monday’s RP Show ticked a lot of hockey people off and caused some threats.
There’s no other word for it than … ugly.
That’s today’s Rod Pedersen Commentary
(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm & 5 pm ET on Game+TV, WQEE Radio, Podcast & YouTube Live)
Last point and Craig Button gets it Regarding that former coach. When the accolades come in and a man is at the t op of his profession and climbing the ladder he is an alpha dog. Championships followed by a $40m contract only to be told he is doing it wrong doesn’t resonate. He simply didn’t change with the times and as a result he has been Mike Keenan’d out of the NHL. Now that’s a guy that has the same Team Canada resume, a Stanley Cup, and the phone never stopped ringing for a job. Same deal he didn’t… Read more »
The lesson in the Babcock mess is that he’s coaching a men’s team. Adults that are demanding to be treated like adults. The days of players allowing a coach treat them like 12 year olds & need to make sure the coach likes them are over. Adapt or die.There a plenty of old grumpy coaches that have seen this change and shifted how they deal with players. It’s not old school vs players coach it’s coaches being respectful of other adults. Sports imitates real life we don’t allow a boss speak to an employee the way a teacher talks to… Read more »