THURSDAY COMMENTARY – HAPPY THANKSGIVING

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

TODAY’S COMMENTARY COMES TO YOU FROM THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

SO I GUESS I SHOULD SAY, “HAPPY THANKSGIVING”.

PRETTY MUCH RIGHT AFTER THAT THREE WEEK STINT HERE IN SEPTEMBER, I WAS MAKING PLANS TO GET BACK TO FLORIDA AND SPEND MORE TIME ONCE THE SNOW FELL AT HOME. NOW, HERE WE ARE.

AND THE FLORIDA PANTHERS STAFF MET ME AT THE DOOR OF FLA LIVE ARENA WEDNESDAY NIGHT, WITH A SEASON-LONG MEDIA PASS IN ONE HAND AND THE NEW AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF PANTHERS EXECUTIVE SHAWN THORNTON – A FORMER NHL ENFORCER – IN THE OTHER.

YOU SEE MY JOB IS TO ATTEND NHL & NFL GAMES, TALK ABOUT THEM ON THE ROD PEDERSEN SHOW AND HERE, AND, APPARENTLY, READ AND REVIEW BOOKS.

SO … YOU’RE NOT GOING TO HEAR ME COMPLAINING A WHOLE LOT.

AND DON’T WORRY; I’VE GOT ALL CANADIAN SPORTS NETWORKS PIPED INTO MY RENTAL SO I’M ON TOP OF THE CFL, THE CURLING TRIALS, AND EVERYTHING ELSE I NEED.

BUT ABOUT THOSE PANTHERS. THE BARN WAS NEARLY FULL LAST NIGHT BECAUSE PHILLY’S A BIG DRAW AND THE GAME KICKED OFF A U.S. LONG WEEKEND. (BLACK FRIDAY ANYONE?)

FLORIDA CAME BACK TO WIN 2-1 IN OVERTIME AND TIE AN NHL RECORD FOR MOST HOME WINS TO START A SEASON AT 11.

I’VE HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS WITH THE PANTHERS, AND SOME WITH THE DOLPHINS, AND THEY’RE JUST VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE COVERAGE TO A CANADIAN MARKET. THE HOCKEY TEAM ESPECIALLY.

I TRIED IT IN ARIZONA, BUT THEY DIDN’T KNOW THEY NEED COVERAGE. I TRIED IT IN VEGAS BUT THEY LITERALLY DIDN’T NEED THE COVERAGE. THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS ARE CERTAINLY STILL MY ROOTING INTEREST, BUT WHEN A TEAM ROLLS OUT THE RED CARPET LIKE THE PANTHERS HAVE, IT’S HARD NOT TO NOTICE.

#TIMETOHUNT.

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. Contact your cable provider for details. You can also watch on YouTube Live or listen 24/7 here)