TUESDAY COMMENTARY – REAL LIFE DRAMA
(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98 FM & Rock 98.5 FM)
I’M WONDERING TODAY HOW MANY OF YOU ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE?
MY GUESS IS THAT MORE AND MORE OF YOU ARE, FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS. FOR ONE, IT’S BEING SHOVED IN OUR FACE 24/7, PLUS WITH THE CFL NOT PLAYING IN 2020, MANY CANADIAN FOOTBALL FANS GAZED SOUTH AND LIKED WHAT THEY SAW. THE CFL HAS RETURNED IN 2021 BUT THE EXCITEMENT, UNFORTUNATELY, HAS NOT.
I THINK I’VE SAID IT ON THIS COMMENTARY BEFORE BUT I’LL SAY IT AGAIN; I DIDN’T GET INTO THE NFL TILL I WENT TO COLLEGE IN CALGARY AND FELL IN LOVE WITH TROY AIKMAN AND THE DALLAS COWBOYS ON CABLE TV. WE DIDN’T HAVE NFL FOOTBALL ON TV AT THE FARM SO I WAS HAPPY GROWING UP WITH NHL, CFL AND BLUE JAYS & EXPOS.
BUT THE FOUR DOWN GAME’S BEEN IN MY CONSCIENCE SINCE AND THE 90’S WERE GOOD IF YOU’RE A DALLAS COWBOYS FAN.
BUT THE GAMES WEREN’T ALWAYS GOOD, ESPECIALLY WHEN COMPARED TO THE CFL. WHEN PEOPLE JOKED IT’S THE “NO FUN LEAGUE”, THERE WAS SOME ACTUAL MERIT TO IT.
BUT LATELY THE NFL HAS ADOPTED THE “NO LEAD IS SAFE” MANTRA AND LAST NIGHT’S MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL GAME WAS A GOOD EXAMPLE. THE STEELERS RACED OUT TO A 14-0 LEAD AT HOME AND BARELY HELD ON FOR A 29-27 WIN OVER THE BEARS. THE GAME WAS RIFE WITH CONTROVERSY, PARTICULARLY IN THE OFFICIATING DEPARTMENT.
IT USED TO BE THAT YOU COULD TURN YOUR TV OFF IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF AN NFL GAME BUT THAT’S BECOMING MORE AND MORE NOT THE CASE. AND THE ADVANCES IN VIDEO REPLAY HAVE ALLOWED EVERYBODY TO PLAY REFEREE.
PLUS WHEN YOU FACTOR IN THE OFF-FIELD DRAMA INVOLVING LEAGUE STARS LIKE AARON RODGERS, ODELL BECKHAM JUNIOR, JON GRUDEN AND THE LIKE, YOU REALIZE THE NFL TRULY HAS IT ALL TO KEEP OUR ATTENTION SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
HOW MANY LEAGUES CAN SAY THAT?
THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY
(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily on Game+ TV across all 10 provinces and 31 U.S. States. Call your cable provider for details. You can also watch on YouTube Live or listen at RodPedersen.com/ListenLive)
(Photo: Heinz Field)
I LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT HOW THE CFL GUYS ARE DOING DOWN SOUTH.
THATS ABOUT IT, OTHER THAN THE ODD UPDATE HERE. I DO WATCH THE SUPER BOWL MOST YEARS THOUGH.
The NFL obviously has a great product but without a hometown team I can get behind and cheer for, I’m just not feeling it.
Great point, I had to look at it from a different lens. We had a satellite dish growing up so literal exposure to anything and everything – trust me that caused issues way down the road for me. We also had the Regina cable package. I was exposed to the NFL from as early as I can remember. I also was exposed to the CFL as early as I can remember. The satellite dish could pick up non televised CFL games so whether that was piracy I have no idea. I literally had no opinion as to either league as… Read more »
The other thing – I listen to NO commentary for NFL or NHL.
I watch games primarily through a coaching lens and I will pvr and turn off volume. I am watching the plays develop and I know who should be where and when.
Listening to these guys and their social opinions, escapades, views on life – with the exception of Jimmy Johnson and Howie Long – I have not one interest in devoting time to anything those people have to say.
Also I am a huge supporter of Jon Gruden and need to make that known.