Weekend Commentary: 3 Or More Thoughts
(Listen daily for the RP Commentary on All New Hits 98 & LTD Radio)
A coupla three or more thoughts entering the weekend …
#1 – We’d prefer to focus on the games on the field but the biggest topic at the moment is BC Lions defensive back Josh Hagerty – a Regina product – being suspended two games on Thursday for repeated punches below the belt to Montreal player Liam Talbot in Week 15, ending his season and reportedly causing surgery. The biggest question around it is — is the suspension long enough?
I know how the BC Lions feel about it, but that’s up to them to make their feelings public.
The CFL’s in a real pickle here. No matter what they decided, it would be criticized. But I wouldn’t have minded if Hagerty was suspended for the rest of the season too, just like the damage he caused to Talbot. Friday morning I was on the air in Amarillo, TX on 806 Sports with hosts Kenny Nagunst and Dusty Boyd felt Hagerty should be banished from the league forever!
On the flip side, RP Show analyst and 4-time Grey Cup champ John Murphy told us Friday this act is “not in Josh’s nature”. Meanwhile in Hour 2 of Friday’s show, football analyst Mike Davis said, “It’s malicious!” and didn’t like it at all.
Talk about a polarizing topic! Again, I think Josh Hagerty should be suspended for the rest of the season. The longest suspension in CFL history for on-field transgressions belongs to former Rider Garrett Marino, who was banished four games for taking out Ottawa QB Jeremiah Masoli at the knees. Masoli was never the same again. Nor really, was Marino.
#2 – The much better news is that last Saturday’s CFL quadrupleheader produced two of the most-watched games of the season — Montreal at BC, and the Banjo Bowl. From the outset I’ve applauded the league’s first four-game day since 1995, and apparently my fellow Canadians did as well.
#3 – Fall is definitely for football. The games I’m following the most are LSU at Ole Miss (Lane Kiffin’s return to Oxford) on Saturday night, plus the Shula Bowl here in Boca Raton, FL between Florida International University and Florida Atlantic University. I plan to be in attendance. As for the NFL, my eyes are on the Commanders at Cowboys and Dolphins at 49ers.
And #4 – It’s a wayyyyyy bigger topic than we have time for here but NHL training camps opened Thursday and the Winnipeg Jets opened theirs without star goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who’s forcing a trade. At the Panthers news conferences, GM Bill Zito was asked how these players have acquired so much power? The NHL’s best GM seemed surprised by the question and said the only thing he could come up with is great work by the players union.
I’m all for employees having more power in the workplace. I can’t imagine what life would’ve been like if that was the case in my day.
That’s today’s Rod Pedersen Commentary.
(Sign Up For the Rod Squad Newsletter for insider columns, Hot Takes, contests & more!)
