TUESDAY COMMENTARY: THE COMEBACK SEASON
(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98 & Rock 98.5 FM)
IT’S TUESDAY AND THAT MEANS ANOTHER EXCITING EDITION OF THE GOOD, THE GREAT & THE UGLY.
FIRST, THE GOOD: IF YOU WANT TO CALL IT THAT! FANS OF THE BATTLE OF ALBERTA WERE BUZZING ALL DAY ON MONDAY IN ANTICIPATION OF THE LATEST CHAPTER OF HOCKEY’S GREATEST RIVALRY IN THE SADDLEDOME.
IN A TIGHT-CHECKING, SOMEWHAT ROUGH AFFAIR (SEE: TKACHUK & KANE), NEWCOMER TYLER TOFFOLI SCORED TWICE IN AN EVENTUAL 3-1 CALGARY FLAMES VICTORY OVER THE EDMONTON OILERS.
THIS WAS GOOD FOR THE FLAMES, BUT DEFINITELY NOT SO MUCH FOR THE OILERS.
NEXT, THE GREAT: COMMISSIONER RANDY AMBROSIE WAS PROBABLY A YEAR AHEAD OF SCHEDULE WHEN HE PROCLAIMED 2021 TO BE “THE BIGGEST COMEBACK SEASON IN CFL HISTORY”.
THE LEAGUE GOT BACK PLAYING, BUT RESTRICTIONS AND VAX PASSES MARRED ATTENDANCE AND RUINED THE FUN.
BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THE LEAGUE WILL BE BACK ROCKING THIS YEAR, AND 99-DOLLAR SEASON TICKETS BEING OFFERED BY THE EDMONTON ELKS UNDER NEW PRESIDENT VICTOR CUI HAS WESTERN CANADIAN CFL FANS BUZZING.
AND LASTLY, THE UGLY: THIS SPORTS BETTING IS GOING TO BE AN EXTREMELY SLIPPERY SLOPE.
ON MONDAY THE NFL SUSPENDED ATLANTA FALCONS RECEIVER CALVIN RIDLEY FOR THE ENTIRE 2022 SEASON FOR ADMITTING TO GAMBLING ON A HANDFUL OF GAMES LAST NOVEMBER AT THE HARD ROCK CASINO SPORTSBOOK IN SOUTH FLORIDA.
THE NFL SAID THE PUNISHMENT IS TO PRESERVE “THE INTEGRITY OF THE GAME” – WHICH I SCOFF A LITTLE AT (QUESTIONABLE OFFICIATING COMES TO MIND) – AND THEY WILL COME DOWN HARD ON ANYONE CONNECTED TO THE GAME PLACING BETS.
RIDLEY’S ALREADY BEEN TO THE DOCTOR TO HAVE HIS HEAD EXAMINED BUT PERHAPS THEY SHOULD LOOK AGAIN. HE’LL FORFEIT 11-MILLION DOLLARS IN SALARY THIS YEAR BUT JOKED ABOUT IT ON TWITTER AND BASICALLY SHRUGGED HIS SHOULDERS ABOUT THE PENALTIES.
HE’S HAD TO PASS A CONCUSSION TEST, BUT CLEARLY NOT AN IQ TEST.
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 an also watch on YouTube Live or listen 24/7 at RodPedersen.com/ListenLive)
