MONDAY COMMENTARY – THE SOLDIERS DO IT
(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98 & Rock 98.5 FM)
The 109th Grey Cup should’ve been brought to you by FedEx.
Because when the chips are down, the CFL always delivers.
In Canada’s marquee sporting event of the year, the Toronto Argonauts upset the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 24-23 at Mosaic Stadium for their CFL record 18th championship.
But there’s so much more to it than the score. Toronto led 3-0 after the first quarter, Winnipeg led 10-7 at halftime, and 17-10 entering the fourth quarter.
That’s when the fireworks started. Rookie quarterback Chad Kelly – nephew of Bills legend Jim Kelly – replaced an ineffective McLeod Bethel-Thompson at quarterback for Toronto in the dying moments and led them on ultimately the game-winning touchdown drive.
But hoooooooold on. Blocked field goals by both teams in the final minute made it a nailbiting conclusion.
And the Argos held on for victory.
So was that wild enough for ya?
If there’s one thing the CFL always gets right, it’s football. However the promotion and marketing of the thing, and monetizing it, has been a big fumble over the past 10-15 years.
They brought in business guys – plus lawyers and accountants – to run it and they’re running it into the ground.
I was with the Canadian Armed Forces guys last week and they joked that in the army, it’s the soldiers that get all the work done rather than the guys in charge.
Is it really any different outside the army? In sports and in life?
The CFL needs to capitalize on what’s good and quit shooting themselves in the foot before it’s too late.
And oh ya … never bet against Pinball.
That’s today’s Rod Pedersen Commentary
(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET on Game+ TV and WQEE Radio. Call your cable provider to subscribe. You can also watch on YouTube Live or listen 24/7 at RodPedersen.com/ListenLive)
Photo: Toronto Argonauts
MacLeod Bethel Thompson’s iconic works last week; “It starts at the top” By my count that’s #7 Grey Cup for Pinball Clemons. Now in the USA they call another guy the G.O.A.T. How many times does one guy need to resurrect a franchise not named Mario Lemieux? Pinball Clemons needs to be the next Commissioner of the CFL. Do the debrief this year then fire Randy Ambrosie and that’s that. Jim Barker all he does is win Grey Cups too or show up to Senior advise and the team ends up in the big game. We’ve got mananagement here that… Read more »
I have to comment on the TSN broadcast of this game. Here we go……..amateurish, poor video timing, poor broadcasting play by play. Overall, I give them a D!!!! The sideline monologues are too long and interrupt the game. The TSN spinning logo before every play cut out some of the actual play with it interrupting the view, we missed part of the actual play snap many many times. Darren Dutchysen is a joke as a interviewer. He thinks the interview is about him and mentions himself a number of times. Hey Darren, no one cares about you!!!! He interviews like… Read more »
Not to pile on Glen Suitor. He played here. When he gives an assessment all I can think of is 1988 and him blowing that play. I still give him credit as he came on CKRM 980 SportsLine and he faced the music. Now having said that his passport kept him in the CFL and a year later he was able to place hold for Ridgeway. He’s a CFL Hall of Famer. Where we are now is it is just now working out. The NFL gets Tony Romo or these analysts that can do a deep dive into the workings… Read more »
Hey Uncle Nic, Glenn Suitor is not the announcer. He’s the colour guy. He’s also the best that TSN has. The panel members should all be Canucks, get rid of all the American former players. Let them get real jobs, if they can.
P.S. the announcer should stick to the game action and leave off making comments on personal matters.
suitor has run his course, his comments are repeats he uses over and over. Time for some new younger color guys and commentators. The other thing about Suitor is his interviews he does in the booth with past players, owners or whatever. Sure perhaps he is told to do those but come on, when he interrupts the game with stupid questions, then its time for him to exit stage right. His style is far from well done and quite frankly the guy is irritating to listen to. Get some new people.
ha ha ha, potato, potatoe, announcer, color guy, whatever!! He is in the booth spouting off stuff no one cares about. If he is the best they have, as you say, wow!! That is even worse than I thought!! He has run his course and his shelf life is way overdue. If he was a jug of milk, I would have thrown him out long ago and put a new jug in the fridge.