MONDAY COMMENTARY – THERE GOES THAT

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

I’LL SAY IT AGAIN: FALL IS FOR FOOTBALL!

IT’S HARD NOT TO GET EXCITED FOR THE GRIDIRON WHEN THE TV NETWORKS AND SOCIAL MEDIA ARE JAMPACKED WITH HIGHLIGHTS AND GREAT PLAYS FROM ALL LEAGUES AT ALL LEVELS.

AND IT WAS A PRETTY GOOD WEEKEND FOR SASKATCHEWAN TEAMS – OR MORE SPECIFICALLY REGINA TEAMS – UNLESS YOUR NAME IS ROUGHRIDERS.

THE THUNDER AT HILLTOPS GAME IS ALWAYS ONE CIRCLED ON THE CALENDAR IN THE PFC AND THIS YEAR’S DIDN’T DISAPPOINT WITH REGINA COMING OUT ON TOP 29-21 IN SASKATOON IN OVERTIME.

AT THE UNIVERSITY LEVEL, THE REGINA RAMS CONTINUED THEIR SURPRISING START WITH A 32-24 HOME WIN OVER CALGARY ON FRIDAY TO GO TO 2-0. THE U OF S HUSKIES SPORT THE SAME RECORD AFTER A 29-10 WIN OVER UBC THAT SAME NIGHT, AND THE DOGS HAVE NOW WON 13 IN A ROW AT GRIFFITHS STADIUM.

REMEMBER WHEN THE NUMBER 13 WAS A SWEAR WORD IN SASKATCHEWAN? NOT ANYMORE.

YOU CAN ADD IN A WEALTH OF UPSETS IN THE NFL’S WEEK 1 ON SUNDAY INCLUDING VICTORIES BY THE VIKINGS, BEARS, STEELERS AND GIANTS WHICH MAKES SPORTS BETTING ALL-THE-MORE FUN.

IN DALLAS, MY COWBOYS LOST 19-3 TO TAMPA TOM AND ALSO LOST QUARTERBACK DAK PRESCOTT FOR SEVERAL WEEKS DUE TO A HAND INJURY.

YOU THOUGHT BEING A RIDER FAN WAS HARD? TRY BEING A FAN OF THE DALLAS COWBOYS.

SPEAKING OF THE RIDERS, IT’S BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD FOR THE GREEN & WHITE AFTER GETTING SPANKED 54-20 IN THE BANJO BOWL IN WINNIPEG.

BY NO MEANS IS TIME RUNNING OUT FOR THE RIDERS AS THEY HAVE A COMFORTABLE LEAD FOR WHAT WILL BE THE FINAL PLAYOFF SPOT IN THE CFL WEST THIS YEAR.

BUT AS LOSERS OF SIX OF THEIR LAST EIGHT GAMES, THE STANDINGS HAVEN’T CAUSED ANY LESS HAND-WRINGING NOR SLEEPLESS NIGHTS AT MOSAIC STADIUM.

THE SAVING GRACE IS A VISIT FROM CHRIS JONES’ LOWLY EDMONTON ELKS THIS FRIDAY NIGHT IN CANADA’S FOOTBALL CAPITAL.

I’M NO MATHEMATICIAN BUT A RIDER WIN OVER EDMONTON SHOULD JUST ABOUT NAIL DOWN A PLAYOFF SPOT AS WE PLUNGE FULL ON INTO THE STRETCH DRIVE.

BUT AS WE’VE SEEN, THIS YEAR’S RIDERS CAN’T TAKE ANYTHING FOR GRANTED.

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY

(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily on Game+ TV across Canada and the USA and on WQEE 99.1 FM in Metro Atlanta. Call your cable provider to subscribe. You can also watch on YouTube Live or listen 24/7 at RodPedersen.com/ListenLive)