THURSDAY COMMENTARY – ADD PERSONALITY

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

THIS IS THE TIME FOR THE CFL TO SHINE.

THE NFL PRESEASON KICKS OFF THIS WEEK BUT IN CANADA, NFL PRESEASON GAMES AREN’T ON THE RADAR. THE NHL IS GONE TO SLEEP FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS AND WHILE THE BLUE JAYS ARE MAKING SOME NOISE, THEY’RE NOT IN THE STRETCH DRIVE YET.

SO THE CFL IS FRONT AND CENTRE AND WEEK 9 KICKS OFF THURSDAY NIGHT WITH WINNIPEG AT MONTREAL.

IT SHOULD BE A GOODER. HONESTLY, MOST CFL GAMES THIS SEASON HAVE BEEN.

WHAT’S GENERATED THE MOST INTEREST IS ALOUETTES OWNER GARY STERN TAKING TO TWITTER TO GUARANTEE A WIN AGAINST THE UNBEATEN BLUE BOMBERS.

THE GUARANTEE CAUSED A LAUGH FROM ANYBODY WHO FOLLOWS THE CFL. MONTREAL IS 2-5 WHILE THE BOMBERS ARE 8-0 AND DESPITE THE FACT THEY’VE WON THE PAST TWO GREY CUPS, THIS MAY BE THEIR STRONGEST TEAM YET.

THE BOMBERS ARE ABSOLUTELY PULVARIZING THE OPPOSITION, WITH A LOT OF THEIR GAMES BEING PUT AWAY IN THE FIRST QUARTER.

THAT’LL PROBABLY BE THE CASE TONIGHT, AND GARY STERN MAY BE LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO HIDE BY HALFTIME.

BUT YOU’VE GOTTA LOVE THE GUY. IN FACT WHEN HE OPENLY BEMOANED ON TWITTER THE STATE OF HIS TEAM AFTER LAST WEEK’S LOSS AT HAMILTON, I ASKED MYSELF, “IS IT POSSIBLE FOR GARY STERN TO OWN EVERY CFL TEAM?”

LIKE CHEESE WHIZ, GARY STERN ADDS PERSONALITY.

THE SAME GOES FOR CALGARY QUARTERBACK BO LEVI MITCHELL WHO – AFTER LOSING AT HOME TO WINNIPEG LAST WEEK – SCOFFED AT THE RESULT AND SAID THEY’LL BEAT WINNIPEG WHEN IT COUNTS.

THAT QUOTE CAUSED TONS OF REACTION TOO, INCLUDING FROM YOURS TRULY.

BUT THIS LEAGUE WAS BUILT BY COLOURFUL CHARACTERS AND GUYS LIKE GARY STERN AND BO LEVI ARE WHAT’S ALWAYS MADE THE CFL GREAT.

AND YOU’VE GOTTA ADMIRE SOMEBODY WHO’LL STEP UP AND FACE THE MUSIC.

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY

(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily on Game+ TV across Canada and the USA. Call your cable provider for details. You can also watch on YouTube Live or listen 24/ at RodPedersen.com)

(Photo: CFL)