COMMENTARY: THE GOOD, THE GREAT & THE UGLY

(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: It’s very good that the Winnipeg Jets locked up franchise stars Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck on Monday to twin seven-year deals, allowing Jets fans to combine Thanksgiving and Christmas all in one. ($8.5M AAV)

Their expiring deals were a cloud over Winnipeg all summer and through training camp but GM Kevin Cheveldayoff surprised everybody with Monday’s announcement, even managing to keep the news from the Insiders.

Now there’s no reason why the Jets can’t go out and be a legit contender for the Stanley Cup.

Next the great: It’s simply great that the curtain rises on a brand new NHL season tonight and it features a tripleheader, with the middle game being Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks visiting Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Bedard’s face is simply everywhere in America – thanks to NHL TV rightsholder ESPN – and that even included an appearance on Monday’s Pat McAfee Show.

More than anything, that was to promote tonight’s broadcast but now it’s up to Connor to live up to the hype.

He always does.

And lastly the Ugly: The clock’s starting ticking on the Bill Belichick era in New England. Actually it started the day he and Tom Brady parted ways but everybody can see it now with Belichick’s Patriots on the bottom of the NFL’s AFC Conference at 1-4.

Their 38-3 loss at Dallas two weeks ago was their worst-ever to the Cowboys and Sunday’s 34-0 home loss to New Orleans was simply their worst ever at home.

It’s ugly for sure, but not a surprise. We saw it coming the day Bill told Tom Brady he was no longer needed.

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)