MONDAY COMMENTARY – “KEEP ON LOVING YOU”

(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary at 9:50 am and 5:20 pm on Cat Country 98 FM)

WE HAVE OUR OWN MARCH MADNESS GOING ON RIGHT IN OUR BACKYARD.

WITH APOLOGIES TO THE NCAA MEN’S AND WOMENS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENTS WHICH I’VE ALSO FOLLOWED FOR YEARS, THE WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS ALSO CONSTITUTE “MARCH MADNESS”.

I GUESS WE’RE NOT SPECIFICALLY IN THE POSTSEASON YET, BUT THE 24-GAME REGULAR SEASON BEING PLAYED IN REGINA’S BRANDT CENTRE REALLY IS A PLAYOFF.

TRY TELLING THOSE 7 TEAMS THEY’RE PLAYING FOR NOTHING!

ON SUNDAY THE BRANDON WHEAT KINGS CAME BACK TO BEAT THE SWIFT CURRENT BRONCOS 5-2 WHILE THE WINNIPEG ICE DOWNED THE MOOSE JAW WARRIORS 4-1.

DOES ANYONE ELSE RECOGNIZE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF A GAME BETWEEN WINNIPEG AND MOOSE JAW? BACK IN 1984 THE WINNIPEG WARRIORS MOVED TO MOOSE JAW AND IT’S BEEN A TREMENDOUS FRANCHISE EVER SINCE.

ONE ONLY NEEDS TO LOOK AT THE FABULOUS MOSAIC PLACE IN DOWNTOWN MOOSE JAW TO REALIZE WHAT A SPORTS FRANCHISE DOES FOR A CITY.

AND THEN TWO SUMMERS AGO THE KOOTENAY ICE PICKED UP STAKES AND LEFT CRANBROOK FOR WINNIPEG, A CITY WHICH COULD REASONABLY BE CALLED “CANADA’S HOCKEY CAPITAL”.

THE ICE, OF COURSE, ORIGINALLY BEGAN AS THE EDMONTON ICE BACK IN 1997 AND IT WAS THERE I MET MY IDOL GLEN SATHER FOR THE FIRST TIME WHEN HE WATCHED THE PATS PRACTICE ONE MORNING IN THE OLD AGRICOM.

I’M STARTING TO REALIZE AS I GET OLDER THAT PEOPLE DON’T CARE AS MUCH ABOUT THIS STUFF AS I DO.

I ALSO REALIZE THAT I DON’T CARE! I’M GOING TO KEEP ON LOVING IT BECAUSE THE DUB IS MY FAVOURITE LEAGUE.

ALWAYS HAS BEEN, ALWAYS WILL BE.

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY ON CAT COUNTRY 98.