MONDAY COMMENTARY – A BLUE RASH
(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98, Rock 98.5 FM & LTD Radio)
It’s a heckuva 24 hours.
First, let me set the scene. Because people always want to know the scene.
Picture it; FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, FL was packed to the rafters (19,911) Sunday night for Game 3 of the second round Stanley Cup Playoff series between the Maple Leafs and Panthers.
As promised, I was there. And I had plenty to go over with my arena friends after two fabulous months away. What did we cover?
Well, in the Round 1 series against Boston, ushers and security had to toss 37 Boston Bruin fans for drunk, unruly behaviour. There’s something about Boston people. They’re “hard”.
My friends wanted to know what they were in for with Leaf fans here in Round 2. And despite the Panthers’ efforts to keep them out by not allowing non-Florida residents to buy tickets, it didn’t matter. They got in. Like a big blue rash. I’d guess at least half the arena was Leaf fans.
But, as I told the arena personnel, they’re harmless. They just want to cheer on their own team, and don’t really get into catcalling. They’re largely respectful, and would never pick a fight. They just realllly love their team.
And when it was over, and the Panthers won 3-2 in OT to go up 3-0 in games, the Leafs fans just sat in their seats and cried. In truth, it was sad to watch. Something about “seeing a grown many cry”. There were thousands.
Meanwhile here in Florida, they know sports. So if you dare mention the word “sweep”, you’ll be tossed out like the drunk Bruins fans. But it’s hard not to think about.
Perhaps of more interest to you is Monday night’s NHL Draft Lottery where, at 6 pm Sask Time, the NHL will determine where Connor Bedard will go at #1 in this summer’s Draft.
Anaheim has an 18.5% chance. Columbus is 13.5%. That adds up to 32% which means there’s a 68% chance of Connor going somewhere else.
Tonight, Connor Bedard finds out the next step of hockey life journey.
What a 24 hours.
That’s today’s Rod Pedersen Commentary
(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET on Game+ TV, WQEE & Streaming)
The poor loafs! Bunch of wining cry babies. They are getting what they deserve. They have a “dumbass” of a GM who goes out and gets every possible player to win a cup, and another failed season is about to happen. Instead of him throwing the water bottle at the wall maybe he should have gone to the dressing room and through it. He will be gone when it’s all said and done. Hotdoggers like Mathew’s and Marner are useless in the playoffs, they always have been. All the talent in the world spend to the “enth” degree still with… Read more »
Only a delusional Leaf hater would blame a GM for doing everything possible to improve his team
Not a Leafs fan. Don’t dislike the team, but their fans and HNIC are insufferable. They simply can’t see reality. The team is soft, ridiculously so. And every year they tinker around the edge, mortgage the future a bit more, and then the cigar explodes. Grown men cry and we’re all supposed to act surprised it happened at all. But they all show up and chant ‘go Leafs go’ like it’s 1967 and one more year added to the curse. You used to be able to say the same of Edmonton (being soft), but at least they went out and… Read more »