FRIDAY COMMENTARY – KARMA TASTES LIKE PEPPERONI
(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98, Rock 98.5 FM & LTD Radio)
A coupla three or four thoughts headed into the weekend …
#1 – It was the first real upset of the CFL season. The BC Lions went into Winnipeg and handed the Blue Bombers their ass, 30-6, to open Week 3 on Thursday night.
It was Zach Collaros’s first loss to BC as a Bomber quarterback and the Lions are the first Western team to win at IG Field since September of 2018.
I consider it payback to Winnipeg for running down Regina pizza before and after cleaning the Riders’ clocks last weekend.
Looks good on ‘em.
#2 – Commissioner Randy Ambrosie met with the media before Thursday’s game and said the CFL stats fiasco should be worked out by July as the league does a complete “technological reset”.
Anyone who cares for, or follows the CFL is up-in-arms that you still can’t follow live-game stats during games, yet Ambrosie insisted to reporters, “This isn’t a mistake.”
Sure.
It’ll never happen in sports but you gain a lot more fans and strengthen the bond with your current ones when you admit your mistakes, and vow to be better.
But no, they never do.
#3 – That could also apply to the Calgary Flames.
I cannot over-emphasize the calamity the City of Calgary is going through with star players Tyler Toffoli, Mikael Backlund, Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin all telling GM Craig Conroy they won’t sign long-term deals with the club.
Little kids can’t sleep at night. Their parents are no better. The whole city is wrought with anxiety.
It’s on the heels of last summer’s exodus which included Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk and the team went on to miss the playoffs.
Quite frankly it’s disastrous for the Calgary Flames and if I was running the team, I’d commission a task force to find out exactly why these star players want out of town? Obviously it’s not just because of Darryl Sutter anymore because they already flamed him.
But I won’t hold my breath that they’ll look at themselves, nor admit any mistakes either.
And finally #4 – The NHL Board of Governors elected on Thursday to discontinue wearing themed jerseys in warmup, Pride or otherwise, which predictably drew outrage.
You know what? I support Commissioner Gary Bettman on this one. He stood up and said it was his suggestion to discontinue this notion, simply because it had become a distraction.
If you recall during the season, I wondered aloud if the NHL regretted this idea in the first place and this week’s announcement is proof that they did.
Even if they won’t say it.
That’s today’s Rod Pedersen Commentary
(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET on Game+ TV, WQEE, Podcast & YouTube Live)
Admitting mistakes gets you much more credibility than insisting that everything is fine. Why is that such a tough thing to do? Rob Ford (the premier of Ontario) has initiated some stupid stuff during his tenure as premier and has walked them back and admitted it wasn’t working. Guess what? He was reelected with a majority! If Ambrosie or someone from the BoG got up one day and said the following: “Folks, we have failed you as a league. Our numbers are going down in revenue, in stadium attendance, viewership, and overall relevance in Canada. Many of our ideas have… Read more »
The technology issue As I gave said before. The game/sport/product is great and it’s similar to 1995 hockey. Everyone knew something was wrong so finally one man Brendan Shanahan got everyone in a room. Along with Gary Bettman they now have a multi billion dollar entity. I watch the CFL on par with the same dedication to being a lifelong Lutheran. The panel, production values, the guy running it. It resembles some regional local territory Saturday morning wrestling program If Victoe Cui tells me about technology I will listen. When this Commissioner talks all I could think is if he… Read more »
They ran down our pizza and someone else kicked their ass, so now I’m happy. That legit made me laugh. I’m still chuckling and the visuals my mind creates at who actually feels better makes it all the better.
The BC Lions have avenged Western Pizza
Mission accomplished.
I think the players want out of Calgary because the Pat Canadians have a nicer dressing room and facilities than they do
Shocked that every major sports media person expresses disappointment and anger about the NHL stopping warm up theme nights but you. Keep on keeping on, not fooling anyone how you really feel about others. Spread Theo’s word, you and Mike are fantastic.
Take a gander where they work? You want job security (as if that exists – the toe the corporate virtue signaling line and say “yessa massah”) Abe Lincoln said it best. You can whitewash history all you want but you can’t change human nature. Back in 2020 – Some scumbag that was high as a kite passes a forged check in Minneapolis and due to cops not being trained or worse as that profession is so low bottom that caused a kerfuffle – then a pandemic – then a #metoo movement – then a #youcanplay …..36 months of nonsense so… Read more »