FRIDAY COMMENTARY – LIFE BEGINS AT 40

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

IT WAS JULIUS CAESAR WHO FIRST SAID, “EXPERIENCE IS THE BEST TEACHER.”

A COUPLE THOUSAND YEARS LATER, PEOPLE STILL HAVE TO FIGURE THAT OUT FOR THEMSELVES.

THE LATEST IS CHARLESTON HUGHES, WHO SOMEWHAT SURPRISINGLY RE-SIGNED WITH THE ROUGHRIDERS THIS WEEK AFTER A LESS-THAN-STELLAR SEASON WITH THE TORONTO ARGONAUTS.

THE 38-YEAR OLD LIVING LEGEND LEFT THE RIDERS AFTER A CONTRACT SQUABBLE WHICH WAS TRULY UNFORTUNATE BECAUSE HE WAS A FAN FAVOURITE AND NOTCHED 31 SACKS DURING HIS TWO SEASONS IN GREEN & WHITE PREVIOUSLY. HE ONLY HAD TWO LAST SEASON WITH TORONTO.

THIS WEEK CHUCKY SAID IF HE HAD TO DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN, HE NEVER WOULD’VE LEFT SASKATCHEWAN.

THOSE COMMENTS IMMEDIATELY HAD ME THINKING ABOUT SIMILAR ADMISSIONS BY FORMER RIDERS KORY SHEETS AND STEVIE BAGGS WHO SAID THE EXACT SAME THING.

WITH THOSE GUYS, THEY WERE COMING OFF STELLAR SEASONS WITH THE RIDERS AND CHASED JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY IN THE NFL.

BUT THE GLITZ OF THE NFL NEVER PANNED OUT FOR THEM, AND THEIR CAREERS WERE NEVER THE SAME AGAIN.

DO YOU THINK CHARLESTON HUGHES WAS LISTENING TO THOSE GUYS?

NOT A CHANCE. BUT HE HAD TO FIGURE IT OUT FOR HIMSELF AND TRUTHFULLY, HE’S PROBABLY LUCKY THE RIDERS HAD A SPOT WAITING FOR HIM LESS THAN A WEEK BEFORE TRAINING CAMP. THOSE SPOTS ARE USUALLY COMMITTED BY NOW.

THE GOOD NEWS IS WE’RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO WATCH HUGHES CONTINUE HIS CHASE OF GROVER COVINGTON’S ALL-TIME CFL SACK RECORD, IN GREEN & WHITE.

CHARLESTON IS 25 SACKS BEHIND AND AT AGE 38, HE’S PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE TO DO IT OVER TWO SEASONS.

IF HE ACHIEVES THE FEAT, HE’LL LIKELY DO IT AT AGE 40.

BUT AS SOME OF US KNOW, THAT’S WHEN LIFE REALLY BEGINS.

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