MONDAY COMMENTARY – A LOT TO LEARN
(Listen daily for the RP Commentary on Cat Country 98, Rock 98.5 FM & LTD Radio)
Comin’ in hot with some musings from the weekend …
#1 – Will Edmonton’s Jay Woodcroft be the first coach firing of the NHL season? Not many of us had that on our bingo card but following Saturday’s listless 5-2 home loss to Nashville, Edmonton sits second-last in the league; above only winless San Jose.
Woodcroft hasn’t even coached two full seasons and he’s guided the Oilers to two decent playoff showings but my NHL people say he’s gotta go and the body language of the players says the same.
Some of you will hear this and some of you won’t but it’s important to understand something: You may not like the current situation nor understand how you got there but you have to accept what is.
The Oilers are playing like a bad hockey team with no sign of a turnaround.
Edmonton’s at Vancouver tonight. Will it be his last game?
#2 – Plenty of thoughts coming out of Saturday’s CFL Semifinals. Cody Fajardo and the Montreal Alouettes are off to the East Final after vanquishing Hamilton 27-12 while B.C.’s advanced to the West Final after knocking out Calgary 41-30.
My gosh it must feel fantastic for Fajardo and Als coach Jason Maas to be vindicated after being scapegoated in Saskatchewan a year ago. Maybe they didn’t even stop to think about it.
Now it’s Montreal at Toronto next Saturday followed by BC at Winnipeg.
#3 – That brings us to the Roughriders coaching search and one of the TSN insiders deleted his Tweet over the weekend saying who’s on Saskatchewan’s shortlist.
I only know because I went to look it up but it was gone. I think he said the list was Corey Mace, Scott Milanovich and Buck Pierce, which flies in the face of the notion Rider GM Jeremy O’Day wouldn’t hire a first-time head coach.
I heard it’s between Scott Milanovich and Paul LaPolice however that was before Khari Jones became available on Friday, being let go in Ottawa.
To be honest, I don’t see the big deal over Milanovich. He took a major gamble by sitting Bo Levi in Saturday’s playoff game and it blew up in his face. Hardly a resume-builder.
#4 – The fans and media shouldn’t put any stock into interviews done 24-48 hours after a season ends. People say things they regret or don’t mean, like Tom Brady and Jon Ryan saying they planned to retire. Days later they changed their mind.
The same could be said for Ticats quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell who said he doesn’t see himself being back in The Hammer next year since he didn’t see the field till garbage time in Saturday’s playoff game. I’d suggest there’s plenty of change coming in the Steel City, whatwith Ticats boss Orlondo Steinauer proving he can’t win the big one.
That may or may not mean Bo Levi will be back but I’d suggest it’s to early to close the book on anything.
#5 – There were some doozy NFL games in Week 9 but the one in Germany which saw Kansas City douse Miami 21-14 was a dud. I hate when there’s so much build-up and then the game doesn’t live up to it.
The critics say the 6-3 Dolphins can only beat the good teams but are winless against the tough ones.
I’d say that’s true. For now.
But repeat after me: the regular season is for lesson-learning. The playoffs are when it counts.
And #6 – Apologies to those who came to RodPedersen.com on Sunday looking for the weekly 10 Things column. On this day I was up and gone bright and early with my friend Chris From The Bronx for a day of sportfishing. Apparently it’s good that we caught 10 in the first hour?
When one of these beasts was on the end of my rod, Chris kept shouting, “Keep your tip up! Keep your tip up!” and all I could think was, “What the f— is the tip???”
Peacock Bass … Large-Mouthed Bass … I can’t remember them all. But there’s one key thing I came away with…
I got a lot to learn.
That’s today’s Rod Pedersen Commentary
(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm & 5 pm ET on Game+TV, WQEE Radio, Podcast & YouTube Live)
As per the Riders head coach. Why all the old recycled names?
Remember 4 years ago when the Argos went with a ‘new guy’?
That was Ryan Dinwiddie and look at them now.
I’d say Buck Pierce is close to the same thing.
Leave the retreads for some other team.
good point Tom. Buck could be a good option especially if it is a 3 year deal to groom him. Milanovich would be a safer option for ODay and one that would be more comfortable for keeping his own job. That comes into play, gauranteed.
Point #3 . If that was a decision of Milanovich to not pull Shiltz in favour of Mitchell, Hamilton can keep him for HC. We did hire a new non recycled HC in Dickie and that was a bust. If your looking for another Dinwiddie, go with Buck Pierce.
I dont think it was Milanovich who made that QB decision, likely it was collaberative between him and the HC
Good stuff First off: Any “TSN Insider” be it CFL football or Hockey are nothing more that gossip mongers or social gadflies. It works twofold – either some out of work type uses a Dave Naylor or whoever to get his name floated out there in return he’ll feed a nugget here or there if he gets the job. Second – the organization uses the “Insider” to float a name to see what the response will be in the court of public opinion. People have a better understanding of what’s happening if they listen to SNL “Insider” Bobby Mohnihan’s character… Read more »
There is a big difference if Pinball Clemons picks a Head Coach versus Jeremy O’Day. Look at the Argos/Bombers/Lions/Stampeders. Those are the alpha junkyard dogs of the CFL running those franchises. When Craig Reynolds shows up at a CFL Governors meeting he’s viewed as a guy if they are desparate they can toss a Grey Cup our way to make some money. Otherwise the Saskatchewan Roughriders as an entity are basically at this point viewed as the dad from the cartoon “Cailou” – there is so much estrogen coursing through the veins of our leadership group it’s laugable. #1 Edmonton… Read more »
With regard the Riders head coaching situation. Bill Bilichick seems to be on thin ice in New England. Maybe O’Day will reach out to him?
I’m starting to see the bigger picture. – first off not one of his Assistants other than Nick Saban in College has had any success at an NFL level. Not a singular one. I am also starting to understand why Bill Parcells was so disrespectful to him and basically told him flat out he’s not a Head Coach. Past that I can’t disagree with the analysis that if football is a team sport then you better have 1 guy on that team that can break it wide open – and that was Tom Brady. Tom Brady’s legacy in Boston will… Read more »
Brilliant!! Afine O’Day find!!!