THURSDAY COMMENTARY – THE LIGHTBULB MOMENT
(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98 & Rock 98.5 FM)
I WAS IN A VERY BUBBLY MOOD ON WEDNESDAY; A SPILLOVER FROM THE GOOD VIBES COMING OUT OF ATTENDING TUESDAY’S FLAMES GAME AND SPENDING TIME WITH NEW AND OLD FRIENDS.
IT CONTINUED INTO WEDNESDAY’S RP SHOW, WHERE WE WERE JOINED BY THE ALWAYS-ENGAGING DURON CARTER FROM SOUTH FLORIDA.
DURON’S GOT A NEW LEASE ON LIFE, HAVING SIGNED WITH THE EDMONTON ELKS ON MONDAY.
IN ONE OF THOSE WEIRD COSMIC MOMENTS, I WAS WITH DURON’S DAD, CRIS CARTER, AT SUPER BOWL IN L.A. LAST WEEK AND HE’D MENTIONED THAT HIS SON WAS ATTEMPTING A COMEBACK AND WISHED HIM WELL.
BUT THIS WAS A BIT OF A DIFFERENT “DURON” THAN PAST INTERVIEWS. HE WAS OUT OF THE CFL LAST YEAR – FOR REASONS HE’LL LARGELY KEEP TO HIMSELF – BUT SPENT THE SEASON COACHING HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL IN NORTH PALM BEACH, FLORIDA.
THE 30-YEAR OLD DURON SAID IT GAVE HIM A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON THE GAME, WHICH I KNEW IT WOULD. HE SAID HE HAD TO MANAGE 25 EGOS ON THE TEAM, AND HE DEALT WITH “25 DURON CARTERS”.
I HAD A FLASHBACK TO MY FIRST DAYS WORKING AS A SOBER COACH IN THE RECOVERY FIELD, AND HOW I WANTED TO IMMEDIATELY CALL MY MENTORS AND PAST COACHES AND APOLOGIZE FOR BEING SUCH A ROYAL PAIN THE BUTT AT TIMES.
AND WHILE DURON LIKELY WON’T BE APOLOGIZING TO ANYBODY FOR HIS COLOURFUL PAST ANY TIME SOON, HE ADMITTED TO A NEW COMMITMENT TO GETTING INTO GAME SHAPE AND BEING A LEADER FOR THE YOUNGER PLAYERS ON THE ELKS.
ANYBODY WHO KNOWS DURON CAN’T HELP BUT LIKE HIM AND HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THAT “LIGHTBULB” MOMENT IN HIS LIFE WHERE HE TRULY STRIVES TO REACH HIS FULL POTENTIAL.
THOSE DAYS MIGHT BE HERE AND IF THAT’S THE CASE, THAT’S BAD NEWS FOR THE REST OF THE CFL.
IN THE CASE OF DURON CARTER, THE BEST BE MAY YET TO COME.
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 provider for details. You can also watch on YouTube Live or listen 24/7 at RodPedersen.com/ListenLive)
