TUESDAY COMMENTARY – TEAM CODY

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

I’LL KEEP SAYING IT TILL IT GETS OLD.

IT FEELS LIKE WE’RE GETTING BACK TO NORMAL.

THE ROUGHRIDERS ARE IN THE THROES OF TRAINING CAMP AND SINCE THE PUBLIC CAN’T GET INTO MOSAIC STADIUM TO WATCH, WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO WAIT TILL THE AUGUST 5 SEASON OPENER FOR OUR FIRST REAL LOOK AT THE GREEN & WHITE.

FORMER FIRST ROUND NFL PICK PAXTON LYNCH IS GETTING QUITE A BIT OF PRESS SO FAR IN CAMP DUE TO HIS NFL PEDIGREE BUT HE WON’T SERIOUSLY RIVAL CODY FAJARDO FOR THE STARTER’S JOB?

I SERIOUSLY WONDER IF HE’S EVEN AHEAD OF BACK-UP ISAAC HARKER WHO – IF YOU REMEMBER – WON THE LAST REGULAR SEASON GAME PLAYED AT MOSAIC STADIUM, WHICH THE RIDERS HAD TO WIN TO NAIL DOWN FIRST IN 2019.

ROOKIE QUARTERBACK MASON FINES COMES WITH A GREAT RESUME TOO, BUT WE HAVEN’T HEARD A WORD ABOUT HIM THROUGH THREE DAYS OF CAMP.

IF IT WERE A NORMAL YEAR – WHICH IT ISN’T – THE RIDERS WOULD HAVE THE LUXURY OF TWO PRESEASON GAMES IN ORDER TO TRULY EVALUATE ALL OF THEIR QUARTERBACKS.

BUT THERE WILL BE NO PRESEASON AND WITH A COMPACTED TRAINING CAMP, NEW OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR JASON MAAS WILL BE FOCUSING ALL OF HIS ENERGIES ON GETTING FAJARDO UP TO SPEED WITH A NEW OFFENSE IN TIME FOR THE HOME-OPENER AGAINST THE BC LIONS.

IT’S FAJARDO’S TEAM, NO MATTER WHAT YOU HEAR.

HE LED THE LEAGUE IN PASSING LAST SEASON, HIS FIRST AS A STARTER!!!

MEANWHILE SASKATCHEWAN’S PRO BASKETBALL TEAM, THE RATTLERS, ARE BACK PLAYING AND EVEN THOUGH THEY’RE 0-7 FOLLOWING MONDAY’S LOSS TO EDMONTON AT SASKTEL CENTRE, AT LEAST THEY’RE PLAYING! LET’S ALSO NOT FORGET THE RATTLERS ARE ONLY TWO YEARS REMOVED FROM WINNING THE ENTIRE LEAGUE.

FRIDAY NIGHT THE RATTLERS ARE HOME TO THE GUELPH NIGHTHAWKS AND WITH ALL RESTRICTIONS LIFTED, THERE’S NO REASON WHY THAT PLACE SHOULDN’T BE PACKED. I’LL BE THERE.

ALL WE’RE MISSING IS THE WESTERN CANADIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE AND IT STINKS THAT WE’VE GONE TWO YEARS WITHOUT OUR RED SOX, MILLER EXPRESS, BEAVERS AND THE LIKE.

BUT … WE ARE GETTING BACK TO NORMAL.

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY