TUESDAY COMMENTARY – TO PRESEASON OR NOT TO PRESEASON?

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

IT’S GOING TO DEFINITELY BE WEIRD.

WHEN THE ROUGHRIDERS TAKE THE FIELD ON AUGUST 6 AGAINST THE BC LIONS TO KICKOFF A NEW SEASON AT MOSAIC STADIUM, THEY’LL BE DOING IT WITHOUT THE BENEFIT OF ANY EXHIBITION GAMES.

NOT THEIR FAULT, BUT STILL WEIRD.

AND TO DELVE EVEN DEEPER INTO THE SUBJECT, LEADER POST COLUMNIST ROB VANSTONE WAS ON THE ROD PEDERSEN SHOW SAYING THIS RIDER TRAINING CAMP DOESN’T LOOK MUCH DIFFERENT FROM THE REST.

R.V. SAID YOU WOULDN’T KNOW COVID HAS AFFECTED THINGS, UNLESS YOU’D BEEN TOLD. AND AS FAR AS NO PRESEASON GAMES GO, ROB STATED THAT “EXHIBITION GAMES ARE OVERRATED.”

ARE THEY? I RESPECT MR. VANSTONE ENOUGH TO NOT IMMEDIATELY DISMISS HIS OPINION. I’VE GIVEN IT SOME THOUGHT, AND MAYBE HE’S RIGHT.

THAT’S NOT TO SAY I AGREE. I’M JUST SAYING THAT PERHAPS THIS NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT.

INTRASQUAD AND EXHIBITION GAMES HAVE BEEN LOOKED UPON SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME AS AN ANNOYANCE BY THE FANS AND PLAYERS ALIKE.

THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO GET ANYTHING OUT OF THEM ARE THE EVALUATORS: I.E. THE GM’S AND COACHES. DOES IT MATTER ANYMORE THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE THE BRAINS OF THE OUTFIT? IT DOESN’T SEEM TO.

FOR THE RECORD, I LOVE THESE GAMES. NO ONE EVER ASKS FOR MY OPINION, BUT I’VE LONG BEEN FASCINATED BY THE FORMATION OF A TEAM. IT BEGINS IN THE OFF-SEASON WITH SCOUTING AND THE DRAFT, AND EVOLVES RIGHT THROUGH TO THE PLAYOFFS.

THE STORIES OF GUYS MAKING OR BREAKING THE TEAM IN EXHIBITION GAMES ARE LEGENDARY. MOST RECENTLY, HOW ABOUT CODY FAJARDO LEADING THE RIDERS ON A LONG TOUCHDOWN DRIVE IN HIS FIRST PRESEASON GAME BACK IN 2019 IN CALGARY?

THAT’S WHEN I KNEW HE HAD IT, AND WAS MUCH MORE THAN A 3^RD DOWN QUARTERBACK.

THE RIDERS NEVER BROUGHT OUT THE FIREWORKS, POMP AND PAGENTRY FOR PRESEASON GAMES AND WHEN I ASKED ABOUT IT, THEY SAID “IT’S ONLY EXHIBITION.”

I RESPONDED WITH, “BUT YOU’RE CHARGING FULL PRICES?”

YOU CAN IMAGINE THE RESPONSE.

SO IF IT WENT TO A VOTE ABOUT WHETHER TO KEEP PRESEASON GAMES, I’D CHECK YES.

BUT I’M USED TO BEING IN THE MINORITY.

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY