THURSDAY COMMENTARY – NO NEWS IS BAD NEWS

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

They say no news is good news and for the most part, I believe that’s true.

Unless you’re a sports franchise or league looking to sell tickets. Then no news is very bad news. And that’s definitely the case for the CFL.

So Wednesday had to be looked upon as a good day for Rider fans. The club announced the signing of star Canadian receiver Kian Schaffer-Baker to a new multi-year deal. There’s good reason to think he’s the Riders best receiver. The only bad news is he’s already injured to start the season and one wonders what the team’s record will be like by the time he returns.

But it’s important to remain optimistic.

Same goes for the other Rider news on Wednesday which is that the club unveiled its list of 10 “Theme Nights” for the home schedule. It’s an idea the Riders “borrowed” from the Sask Rush a few years ago and always creates a buzz.

Cultural Night, Indigenous Night, Lights-Out Night, Legends, Retro, Fan Appreciation … all the usual suspects are there.

I think it’s good! The concept isn’t new and I think a lot of us can remember good and bad themed nights from years gone by in various leagues like “Guaranteed Win Night”, or even whatever promotion it was that had Regina hairstylists giving haircuts on the concourse at the Agridome during Pats games in the 90s.

The more creative the better! This winter I shared an elevator ride with a bunch of Ewoks and Stormtroopers on the Florida Panthers’ Star Wars Night which had sports fans in South Florida buzzing. It was a sellout!

I also shared an elevator ride with Paulina Gretzky this season but that’s a story for another time.

Is this going to make people rush out and buy tickets for 2023? I guess we’ll see.

In truth, I don’t totally get it. I recall sitting in the seats at the Agridome in the 80s with my Dad, watching the Zamboni make laps and actually talking with my father in those intermissions. We laughed that was good enough for us.

Perhaps that’s a lost art too.

That’s today’s Rod Pedersen Commentary

(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET on Game+ TV & WQEE Radio, and all major podcast platforms)