MONDAY COMMENTARY – THERE’S ALWAYS NEXT YEAR

(Listen daily for the RP Commentary on Cat Country 98, Rock 98.5 FM & LTD Radio)

The good news about the sports world is that it never takes a break.

The bad news about the sports world is, also, that it never takes a break.

However it keeps a guy like me in business.

So coming out of the weekend, here’s what you need to know:

The Roughriders got trounced 41-12 in Montreal on Friday night and lost their second string quarterback Mason Fine to a hamstring problem and he’s joined #1 pivot Trevor Harris on the injured list for awhile.

So, on Sunday, the Riders went out and traded for veteran CFL journeyman quarterback Antonio Pipkin from Hamilton.

For the Riders it’s a stop-gap measure to save their season as they still hold a playoff spot in the West, however they’ve lost four of their last five games and the water’s reaching a boil.

As for Pipkin, he’s this generation’s Michael Bishop; has failed to shine when given the chance in stops like Montreal, Edmonton, Toronto, Hamilton, and the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals, but still has managed to hang around meaning there must be some redeeming qualities there.

Plus his agent Rob Fry is a good friend of mine and Rob wouldn’t represent a schlub. So let’s hope for the best and see where it all ends up!

The other thing which I had my eye on the closest over the weekend was the Canadian Elite Basketball Championship Weekend in Langley, BC.

It was a Final 4, Memorial Cup-type thing and the two teams who emerged to Sunday’s final were the Calgary Surge and the Scarborough Shooting Stars.

This was the Surge’s first season in Calgary and to say they’ve been a raging success would be to put it mildly. They played to soldout crowds at Winsport Arena – the home of Hockey Canada – and finished on top of the West.

It was a Vegas Golden Knights-type-of-thing where, ‘should they be allowed to win it all in their first season?’ I’ve gotten to be friends with their President Jason Ribeiro over the last year and was rooting for them on Sunday, however it wasn’t to be.

Apparently there are basketball gods too, because Scarborough avenged a loss in last year’s final by winning 82-70, and Calgary was unable to finish off their Cinderella season with a win.

There’s always next year.

That’s today’s Rod Pedersen Commentary

(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET on Game+TV, WQEE Radio, Podcast & YouTube Live)