MONDAY COMMENTARY – GET EXCITED

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

ANOTHER WEEK, ANOTHER EXCITING NEW CITY!

THIS TIME WE’RE IN CALGARY WITH THE ROD PEDERSEN SHOW FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, BROADCASTING THE ROD PEDERSEN SHOW ON GAME+ TV AND YOUTUBE LIVE DAILY AT 11 AM SASK TIME.

THERE’S SO MUCH TO DISCOVER. (PERHAPS THAT’S A GOOD NEW SLOGAN FOR TRAVEL ALBERTA?)

MOST NOTABLY, THE SADDLEDOME. I’VE SPOKEN WITH THE FLAMES AND THEY’RE EXPECTING ME AT TUESDAY’S GAME AGAINST THE FLORIDA PANTHERS. THESE TEAMS HAVE JUST BEEN SO NICE EVERYWHERE WE GO.

I DROVE BY THE ICONIC ARENA ON SUNDAY AND FOR THE FIRST TIME, I GUESS, I NOTICED SOME CHIPPED PAINT ON THE SIGNS AND SOME PANELS FLAPPING IN THE BREEZE.

UNTIL NOW, I NEVER NOTICED. SOME OF MY GREATEST LIFE MEMORIES COME FROM THAT BARN, LIKE ATTENDING THE 1988 OLYMPICS WITH MY PARENTS AS A TEEN. THERE WERE SOME UNREAL PATS GAMES LIKE GAME 7 OF THE 2001 WHL QUARTERFINAL WITH THE HITMEN, WHEN PAVEL BRENDL BROKE OUR HEARTS IN OVERTIME.

AND OF COURSE FLAMES GAMES WHEN I WAS A COLLEGE STUDENT HERE, WHEN WE COULD GET IN FOR 10 BUCKS.

THEY SAY THE CONCOURSES ARE TOO NARROW NOW AND THE ROOF IS TOO LOW. THESE DAYS THEY’RE TRYING TO FIND SOMETHING WRONG WITH IT IN ORDER TO CONVINCE THE WORLD THEY NEED A NEW ARENA.

I WAS RAISED WITH THE ADAGE THAT “WHAT YOU WANT AND WHAT YOU NEED ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS”.

BUT I’VE ALSO BEEN GUILTY IN THE PAST OF BECOMING TOO ATTACHED TO THINGS AND NOT NECESSARILY SEEING THEM FOR WHAT THEY ARE, OR WHAT THEY’VE BECOME.

MAYBE THAT’S THE SADDLEDOME TOO. I’LL BE WATCHING WITH A CLOSE EYE.

AS FOR THE STAMPEDERS, CALGARY AS A CFL CITY, THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, THE CITY’S BLOSSOMING MMA SCENE AND EVERYTHING ELSE, I’VE GOT TWO WEEKS TO DO MY INSPECTING.

IT’S EXCITING! AND I’M EXCITED.

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