FRIDAY COMMENTARY – WHERE THERE’S A WILL, THERE’S A WAY

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

IF YOU’RE A SPORTS FAN YOU’RE LIKELY GETTING SWEPT UP IN SOME PRETTY COOL EVENTS GOING ON THIS WEEKEND. (THE OLYMPICS NOTWITHSTANDING).

THE NHL ALL STAR GAME GOES IN LAS VEGAS WITH THE SKILLS COMPETITION HAPPENING FRIDAY NIGHT WITH EVENTS RIGHT ON LAS VEGAS BOULEVARD.

THE NFL PRO BOWL IS IN VEGAS TOO. THEY FEATURED A SKILLS COMPETITION FOR A FIFTH STRAIGHT YEAR THURSDAY NIGHT, AND THE NFL’S VERSION OF AN ALL STAR GAME WILL GO SUNDAY AT ALLEGIANT STADIUM, HOME OF THE RAIDERS.

AS AN ALMOST LIFELONG CFL GUY (I FIRST WORKED IN THE LEAGUE IN 1991), I LOOK AT THESE EVENTS AND THINK THE CFL HAS LONG MISSED THE BOAT.

FRANKLY I WON’T EVEN WATCH THE ALL STAR GAMES BUT THE SKILLS COMPETITION ARE A HECKUVA LOT OF FUN. I TUNED IN THURSDAY NIGHT ON ESPN, AND CAUGHT THE NBA-STYLE “CATCH” COMPETITION, WHERE THEY USED PROPS AND HIGH JUMPING MATS.

THE NHL SKILLS COMPETITION ISN’T NEW, IN FACT IN WINNIPEG ON THURSDAY THEY WERE CELEBRATING THE DECADES-LONG ANNIVERSARY OF FORMER JET DAVE MANSON WINNING THE HARDEST SHOT COMPETITION.

THE CFL USED TO HAVE AN ALL STAR WEEKEND BUT IT WENT AWAY AROUND THE SAME TIME AS BLACK AND WHITE TELEVISION IN CANADA.

I JUST KEEP THINKING THAT AN OFF-SEASON SKILLS COMPETITION HELD IN VICTORIA, BC FOR THE CFL WOULD GO OVER LIKE GANG-BUSTERS.

I’D TUNE IN TO WATCH CODY FAJARDO IN A T-SHIRT AND SHORTS THROWING BOMBS TO DUKE WILLIAMS, AND IT WOULD EXPOSE THE GAME IN A NON-CFL MARKET. THE MARKETING SPIN-OFFS ARE ENDLESS. AND I FEEL LIKE THE IMAGES WOULD BE BREATHTAKING.

A QUICK CHECK OF MY WEATHER APP TELLS ME IT’S GOING TO BE PLUS-8 OR 9 IN THE BC CAPITAL THIS WEEKEND.

BUT I CAN HEAR IT NOW … “THESE THINGS COST MONEY ROD” … WHICH IS THE POPULAR REFRAIN WHENEVER I’VE COME UP WITH THESE IDEAS IN THE PAST.

THAT’S PROBABLY TRUE, SO WHY EVEN TRY?

MEANWHILE WE’RE HEADED TO SUPER BOWL IN LOS ANGELES THIS WEEKEND AND WILL BE BROADCASTING ALL NEXT WEEK FROM THE WESTIN-LAX AIRPORT HOTEL.

JOINING US LIVE ON LOCATION WILL BE SPORTS STARS JARRET STOLL, WARREN MOON, DAVED BENEFIELD AND CINCINNATI TALK HOST MO EGGER.

HELPING US PICK UP THE TAB IS OUR SUPER BOWL COVERAGE SPONSOR, A MULTINATIONAL BUILDING COMPANY WHICH WE’LL ANNOUNCE MONDAY ON THE SHOW.

WHERE THERE’S A WILL, THERE’S A WAY.

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)