THURSDAY COMMENTARY – THE O’PLAN
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ONE THING ABOUT SASKATCHEWAN PEOPLE … WE’VE GOT LONNNNNGG MEMORIES.
AND THAT’S FOR BOTH GOOD THINGS, AND BAD THINGS. TAKE FOR INSTANCE WHAT’S GOING ON WITH THE RIDERS RIGHT NOW.
NEWS CAME OUT WEDNESDAY THAT THE TEAM WON’T BE OFFERING NEW CONTRACTS TO FRANCHISE STARS JON RYAN AND ED GAINEY. I DON’T KNOW ABOUT J.R., BUT ED IS FURIOUS AND DECLINED AN INTERVIEW WITH THE ROD PEDERSEN SHOW FOR FEAR HE’D SAY SOMETHING HE’D REGRET.
MANY FANS ARE UPSET. MANY ARE NOT.
THIS OFF-SEASON’S HAD MORE UPS AND DOWNS THAN A TOILET SEAT IN A CORNWALL CENTRE MENS ROOM AND WE’RE ONLY SIX OR SEVEN WEEKS INTO IT.
HOW THE RIDERS CHOOSE TO RUN THEIR TEAM IS THEIR BUSINESS, WHETHER SASKIES LIKE IT OR NOT. CLEARLY THE CLUB IS CLEARING SALARY CAP ROOM TO LAND A BIG WHALE OR TWO IN FREE AGENCY. RECEIVER DUKE WILLIAMS WOULD’VE BEEN THE RIDERS’ MVP LAST SEASON HAD HE PLAYED THE WHOLE YEAR, AND HE’S GOING TO WANT TO BE THE HIGHEST PAID RECEIVER IN THE LEAGUE NEXT SEASON. SASKATCHEWAN DOESN’T WANT HIM TO LEAVE.
THIS 2022 SEASON ISN’T THE BIGGEST IN RIDER HISTORY, BUT I’D WAGER THAT IT’S CLOSE TO THE TOP FIVE WITH MOSAIC STADIUM SET TO HOST THE GREY CUP IN NOVEMBER.
WHEN THE RIDERS HOSTED THE GREY CUP IN 1995, GM ALAN FORD AND HEAD COACH RAY JAUCH COULDN’T GET THEM THERE. SAME STORY FOR ROY SHIVERS AND DANNY BARRETT IN 2003.
WE ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IN 2013. THE TRIO OF JIM HOPSON, BRENDAN TAMAN AND COREY CHAMBLIN DELIVERED, ASSEMBLING A TEAM OF ALL STARS TO WIN THE GREY CUP AT TAYLOR FIELD IN THE GREATEST DAY IN SASKATCHEWAN HISTORY.
IT JUST SO HAPPENED THE RIDERS WENT A SMIDGEON OVER THE SALARY CAP THAT YEAR, BUT NOBODY CARED.
THAT 2013 RIDER MANAGEMENT TEAM HAD A PLAN AND GOT CREATIVE. IT PAID OFF, AND THOSE THREE GENTLEMEN HAVE GONE DOWN IN RIDER LORE AS HEROES.
NOW BACK TO THIS YEAR’S TEAM. CUTTING BELOVED VETS IS NEVER GOING TO GO OVER WELL. ASK CHRIS JONES, WHO WILL NEVER BE FORGIVEN FOR AXING WESTON DRESSLER, JOHN CHICK, DARIAN DURANT, CHRIS GETZLAF AND THE LIKE.
BUT HE DIDN’T WIN A GREY CUP HERE.
SEE WHAT I’M SAYING?
I SAY WE SHOULD LET THE O’DAY PLAN – LET’S CALL IT THE “O’PLAN” – UNFOLD AND WAIT UNTIL THE GREY CUP IS HANDED OUT IN NOVEMBER.
IF IT GOES TO THE RIDERS, NO ONE’S GOING TO REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED IN FEBRUARY.
IF IT DOESN’T, WELL, YOU KNOW THE REST.
THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY
(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily on Game+ TV Network across Canada and the USA. Call your cable provider for details. You can also watch on YouTube Live and RodPedersen.com/ListenLive)
I recommend people read the football tomb War Room. It is similar to Moneyball. Players are assigned an aggregate so forget “names”. The Patriots assign a value requisite to output and younger/cheaper wins the day with all things being equal. What J.O is doing is what Wally Buono and Don Mathews did for decades. You cut them a year before the expiry date. All those “veterans” got picked up and didnt win anything elsewear. I know people say Tom Brady got the last laugh. For today he did. Belichik has 8 Super Bowl rings and his team made the playoffs… Read more »
I like Ed Gainey a lot and John Ryan is solid as a punter. JO is the man in charge. These guys will be missed as were Chick, Dressler, and all the others too. I agree with your conclusion Rod…let’s see where we are in November before we pass judgment.
I have all the faith in the world in J.O., we need to sign Duke Williams, if that means letting a declining veteran like Ed Gainey go, so be it. Also Kaare Vedvik punted ever bit as well as Jon Ryan, and he’ll come with a smaller price tag. The Defense under Jason Shivers has been the backbone of this team over the last few seasons. If they can save money by cutting some vets to put the offense over the top, go for it. Trust the process. Go Riders!
Definitely J.ODay and the Riders need to sign Powells and Duke Williams and a couple key
O-Line….
– THE nOPLAN