MONDAY COMMENTARY – TIME TO SHINE

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

WITH THE REGULAR SEASON BEHIND US, IT’S TIME FOR THE PLAYOFFS AND FOR THE CANADIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE TO SHINE.

MAKE NO MISTAKE; THEY NEED TO. IN AN UNENDING STRING OF THINGS THAT DIDN’T GO THE CFL’S WAY, THIS PAST WEEK 16 WAS SUPPOSED TO FEATURE AT LEAST SOME INTRIGUE WITH MONTREAL AND HAMILTON NEEDING WINS TO HAVE A CHANCE AT FINISHING SECOND IN THE EAST, AND HOMEFIELD IN THE SEMIFINAL.

BUT, PAUL LAPOLICE AND THE OTTAWA REDBLACKS HAD OTHER IDEAS, UPSETTING THE ALOUETTES ON FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL, AND CLINCHING SECOND FOR HAMILTON BEFORE THEY EVEN TOOK THE FIELD ON SATURDAY AGAINST SASKATCHEWAN.

NOW IN THAT GAME AT TIM HORTONS FIELD, THE TICATS WERE CLOSE TO A WHITEWASH OF THE ROUGHIES, KNOCKING THEM OFF 24-3 IN A FINAL TUNEUP.

THE RIDER NATION WAS HOWLING FAR AND WIDE AFTER THAT ONE, AS THEY ARE WONT TO DO. BUT IT’S USELESS COMPLAINING. THE GAME ITSELF WAS USELESS FOR JUST ABOUT EVERYONE INVOLVED.

BACKUP QUARTERBACK ISAAC HARKER STRUGGLED, THROWING A PAIR OF INTERCEPTIONS. THE OFFENSIVE LINE STRUGGLED WITH PROTECTION AGAIN, AND THE DEFENSE HAD ISSUES WITH FUNDAMENTAL TACKLING.

NO MATTER. IT TRULY IS HARD TO GET UP FOR A MEANINGLESS GAME BUT NOW THE SIX REMAINING CFL TEAMS DON’T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT IT.

THE PLAYOFFS ARE HERE AND THIS IS WHERE THE CFL PERENIALLY SHINES. THE RATINGS ARE UP AND THE GAMES SEEM TO GO TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL. A FOOTBALL SCOUT IN MISSOURI TEXTED ME OVER THE WEEKEND, ASKING IF I AGREED THE CFL’S ENTERTAINMENT VALUE IS DECLINING.

I DECLINED TO ANSWER, SAYING NOW ISN’T THE TIME FOR THAT TALK.

THE BETREGAL.NET OPENING BETTING LINES HAVE HAMILTON FAVOURED BY 4.0-POINTS AT HOME OVER MONTREAL IN THE EASTERN SEMI AND SASKATCHEWAN’S FAVOURED BY 1.5 AT HOME AGAINST CALGARY IN THE WEST.

THIS IS WHAT MATTERS. LET THE REAL GAMES BEGIN.

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 carrier for details. You can also watch on YouTube Live or listen live here)