THURSDAY CAT COUNTRY COMMENTARY
(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary at 9:50 am and 5:20 pm on Cat Country 98)
AMIDST A TIME OF UTTER CHAOS AND MADNESS, IT WAS NICE TO SPEND SOME TIME WEDNESDAY ON WHAT USED TO BE A FAVOURITE SASKATCHEWAN PASTIME – DEBATING THE PLAY OF DARIAN DURANT.
THE ICONIC RIDER QUARTERBACK JOINED THE ROD PEDERSEN SHOW FROM HIS HOME IN TORONTO AND ANSWERED QUESTIONS FROM VIEWERS FOR OVER 20 MINUTES.
FOR SOME REASON THE NORTH CAROLINA PRODUCT WAS ALWAYS A LIGHTNING ROD IN THE WHEAT PROVINCE AND IT SEEMED LIKE YOU WERE EITHER FOR DARIAN OR AGAINST HIM. VERY FEW FANS WERE DOWN THE MIDDLE.
THE FIRE THAT BURNED IN “DOUBLES” FOR HIS 11 SEASONS WAS TO BE THE GREATEST QUARTERBACK IN RIDER HISTORY – AN HONOUR OWNED BY THE GREAT RON LANCASTER.
WHILE RONNIE HOLDS ALL CAREER PASSING STATS FOR THE FRANCHISE AND THAT WILL NEVER BE BROKEN, WE ALL KNEW THAT WHOMEVER WINS 2 GREY CUPS IN SASKATCHEWAN WOULD BECOME THE FIRST FACE ON MOUNT RUSHMORE. EVEN RONNIE ONLY HAD ONE TITLE TO HIS CREDIT.
IN ALL HONESTY, DARIAN *SHOULD* HAVE TWO AS A STARTER. IF HIS TEAM HADN’T BLOWN A 16-POINT LEAD WITH SEVEN MINUTES TO GO IN THE 2009 GREY CUP OR COULD COUNT TO 12 ON THE GAME’S LAST PLAY, HE’D HAVE HIS TWO TITLES AND WE WOULDN’T EVEN BE TALKING ABOUT THIS.
AND SO THE G.O.A.T. – THE GREATEST OF ALL-TIME – REMAINS THE LITTLE GENERAL, RON LANCASTER.
AND THE FOOTBALL GODS STRIKE AGAIN.
THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY ON CAT COUNTRY 98.
I will go up and down all day long with anyone who disputes the great career of Darian Durant Flat out he is the greatest Roughriders QB of all time. I don’t ever say who is greatest player as you have Offense, Defense and separate issues to assess it. By my bias I can say Bobby Jurasin and/or John Chick are the greatest Roughriders of all time. When it comes to QBs – era is not the issue. The issue is production, wins, and having the opportunity to win. Darian Durant was here for 11 years. In that time they… Read more »
They missed the playoffs in 2011, 2015 & 2016 so close to 30% of Durant’s time in Regina not much of a Grey Cup threat.
…last point. In defense of Ron Lancater his coaching career I have him rated top 5 all time greatest CFL Head Coaches as he was that good with 2 separate franchises. If Hugh Campbell hadn’t coached Edmonton then Ron Lancaster could arguably be the greatest Head Coach in the history of 2 historic CFL franchises.
Ron Lancaster’s coaching career alone had he never played in the CFL would have made him a Hall of Famer. That’s an accolade I can’t take away from him.
I get that you love Durant but here are the comparisons: Tracy Ham Passing 284 TD’S, 164 INT’s, TD:INT Ratio 1.73 40,334 yds (10th all time) Rushing 8,043 yds, 62 TD’s 2 Grey Cups rings, 1 win as a starter, MOP 1989, West All-Star, Cdn All-Star 1989 Darian Durant Passing 157 TD’s, 109 INT’s TD:INT Ratio 1.44 30,594 yds Rushing 2,880 yds, 22 TD’s 2 Grey Cup rings, 1 win as a starter CFL West all star 2009, 2013 Both were similar body types who were a threat to run. But the stats are WAY different. Just look at the… Read more »