Tuesday Commentary: The Good, The Great & The Ugly
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It’s Tuesday and time for the Good, the Great & the Ugly!
First the good: What Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams are doing in Chicago is historic. In – so far – one of the greatest rebuilds we’ve seen in NFL history, the “new” head coach and quarterback have led the Bears to a 6-2 record, punctuated by a 34-17 win at Seattle on Monday Night Football.
They gave the Super Bowl champions a lesson on defense, but Williams was equally as proficient. In a time when teams discard coaches and quarterbacks like underwear, this pair is proving that those rash moves may actually pay off.
Next the great: The CFL is down to the Final Four and there’s just so many exciting things happening in the run-up to the Grey Cup. As far as the Division Finals go, Winnipeg visits Montreal in the East Final on Saturday while BC is at Edmonton in the West Final. I’ve gone on record as taking the Alouettes and Lions to win but don’t run to the betting window with those. I was 0/2 last week.
But I’ve watched every snap, plus kept an eye on all the off-field stuff like the future of Trevor Harris in Saskatchewan and the soon-to-be-spun coaching carousel. This is the most exciting time of year in the CFL. Be sure to stop and enjoy it.
And finally the ugly: This Nikita Kucherov situation in Tampa Bay is real-time ugliness. Like watching a train derailment in progress. I was like most NHL people and fans on Friday night when news came out that the reigning NHL MVP wants a trade; stunned.
And the Russian sniper revealed Monday that it’s not about money at all. It’s about being disrespected by Lightning GM Julien Brisebois (who has a history of that sort of thing) and a lack of communication from management over his expiring contract and future with the team.
A lot of us of a certain vintage just got used to being treated like that.
Apparently Nikita is saying ,”Not anymore.”
That’s today’s Rod Pedersen Commentary.
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