TUESDAY COMMENTARY: THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY

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

IT’S TUESDAY, AND THAT MEANS ANOTHER STAR-STUDDED EDITION OF THE GOOD, THE GREAT AND THE UGLY!

FIRST, THE GOOD: THE CALGARY FLAMES SERVED NOTICE ON MONDAY THAT THEY ARE “IN IT TO WIN IT”. THE FLAMES ACQUIRED FORWARD TYLER TOFFOLI FROM MONTREAL FOR A PACKAGE OF PLAYERS AND PICKS AND HE’S THE KIND OF TOP-FLIGHT FORWARD CALGARY WAS IN SEARCH OF TO MAKE A CUP RUN.

TOFFOLI LED THE HABS IN SCORING LAST YEAR AND WAS A KEY PART OF MONTREAL’S STANLEY CUP FINAL APPEARANCE.

IT’S SCINTILLATING TO KNOW WE’LL BE IN ALBERTA TO COVER WHAT COULD BE A LONG PLAYOFF RUN THIS SPRING.

NEXT, THE GREAT: THE CFL’S EDMONTON ELKS ARE IN IT TO WIN IT TOO, AND ON MONDAY THEY SIGNED MERCURIAL RECEIVER DURON CARTER.

THE 30-YEAR OLD ALL STAR WAS OUT OF FOOTBALL IN 2021 BUT MY GUESS IS HE ANSWERED CHRIS JONES’ CALL ON THE FIRST RING.

IT’S GREAT THAT DURON IS BACK IN THE CFL FOR SO MANY REASONS.

AND FINALLY, THE UGLY: A HOST OF FORMER HAMILTON TIGER-CATS HAVE SIGNED WITH THE RIVAL TORONTO ARGONAUTS AND IT’S RECEIVED A BACKLASH FROM TICATS FANS.

BRANDON BANKS LEADS THE WAY, BUT HE’LL BE JOINED BY OTHER FORMER TICATS IN TORONTO LIKE JA’GARED DAVIS AND ADRIAN TRACY.

IT REMINDED ME, IN A WAY, OF WESTON DRESSLER JOINING THE RIVAL WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS AFTER BEING CUT BY THE RIDERS.

IT DIDN’T HELP THAT DRESSLER BURNED THE RIDERS WHEN THE TWO TEAMS MET UP, MAKING RIDER FANS EVEN ANGRIER SEEING WESTON IN BLUE.

I WONDER WHAT THE FANS EXPECT THESE PLAYERS TO DO?

THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO PURSUE THEIR CAREERS HOWEVER THEY SEE FIT, ESPECIALLY AFTER THEY’VE BEEN SHOWN THE DOOR BY FORMER TEAMS.

THE SAME, APPARENTLY, GOES FOR BROADCASTERS.

IT’S A MATTER OF PERSONAL OPINION, I GUESS. I STOPPED CHEERING FOR THE EDMONTON OILERS ON AUGUST 9, 1988, THE DAY THEY TRADED WAYNE GRETZKY TO THE L.A. KINGS.

EVEN SINCE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL I’VE ALWAYS SIDED WITH THE PLAYERS, WHICH I GUESS IS RARE.

BUT I GUESS I’VE ALWAYS BEEN THE FISH SWIMMING UPSTREAM.

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 and listen 24/7 at RodPedersen.com/ListenLive)