FRIDAY COMMENTARY – IT’S OKAY

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

A FEW THOUGHTS ON TODAY’S COMMENTARY TO END A BUSY WEEK:

FIRST, FAR BE IT FOR ME TO TELL YOU WHAT TO DO BUT IF YOU’RE IN A BIT OF A FUNK AND LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO, WHY DON’T YOU GO TO A GAME?

EARLIER IN THE WEEK I MADE THE DECISION TO GET OFF THE CASINO RESORT AND TAKE IN SOME SPORTING ACTION. FIRST IT WAS THE FLAMES GAME ON TUESDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT I HEADED OUT TO BEAUTIFUL CANMORE TO TAKE IN AN AJHL GAME BETWEEN THE HOMETOWN EAGLES AND DRUMHELLER DRAGONS.

IT’S BEEN EXHILARATING! WATCHING THE YOUNG MEN COMPETE AND CHASE THE DREAM IS ALWAYS REFRESHING AND THURSDAY WAS A ROUGH ‘N TUMBLE, OLD TIME HOCKEY GAME.

TONIGHT WE’LL BE TAKING IN THE NATIONAL LACROSSE LEAGUE GAME BETWEEN THE CALGARY ROUGHNECKS AND VANCOUVER WARRIORS. ON SATURDAY I’LL BE IN RED DEER BROADCASTING THE REBELS AND WINNIPEG ICE.

I ASK YOU AGAIN: WHAT WOULD WE DO WITHOUT SPORTS?

NEXT, A LOT OF THE RIDER NATION IS IN A PANIC OVER HOW THIS ROSTER IS SHAPING UP TO HOST THE GREY CUP IN 2022.

AS NOTED IN COMMENTARIES PAST, IT DOESN’T APPEAR TO BE AN ALL-STAR TEAM BEING ASSEMBLED LIKE THIS YEAR’S SUPER BOWL CHAMPION L.A. RAMS OR THE 2013 GREY CUP CHAMPION ROUGHRIDERS BUT WE CAUTION IT IS STILL FEBRUARY.

THIS IS GM JEREMY O’DAY’S THIRD SEASON ON THE JOB AND TO DATE, THERE’S BEEN ABSOLUTELY NO INDICATION THAT HE DOESN’T KNOW WHAT HE’S DOING.

THE CLUB IS 22-10 ON HIS WATCH AND HOSTED PLAYOFF GAMES THE PAST TWO YEARS.

WE’RE WATCHING IT ALL UNFOLD WITH MUCH INTEREST, BUT THERE’S NO REASON TO EXPECT THE RIDERS WON’T BE IN THE BIG GAME IN NOVEMBER.

IN THE MEANTIME, THE COMMENTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA ABOUT THE RIDERS HAVE BEEN AS ENTERTAINING AS THE GAMES. FOR INSTANCE, WHOMEVER SAID “THIS ISN’T THE TIME FOR A REBUILD” SO FAR HAS COMMENT OF THE YEAR.

AND LASTLY, ONE OF THOSE FRIENDLY FACES WE BUMPED INTO THIS WEEK WAS NHL STAR AND FLAMES COMMENTATOR KELLY HRUDEY.

ON THE RP SHOW ON THURSDAY, KELLY VERY COURAGEOUSLY DELVED INTO HIS OWN MENTAL HEALTH BATTLES GOING BACK 30 YEARS AND ADMITTED THESE ARE THINGS THAT NEVER TRULY GO AWAY.

BUT KELLY ADVISED THAT IF YOU’RE STRUGGLING, DO MORE THAN TELL SOMEBODY. TAKE ANOTHER STEP AND SEEK HELP.

IT’S OKAY TO NOT BE OKAY.

BUT IT’S NOT OKAY TO DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. YOU OWE THAT TO YOUR LOVED ONES, AND YOURSELF.

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 and listen 24/7 at RodPedersen.com/ListenLive)