WEDNESDAY COMMENTARY – DICKENSON FOR COACH OF THE YEAR?

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

IT’S TIME FOR THE WEEKLY EDITION OF THE GOOD, THE GREAT & THE UGLY!

FIRST, THE GOOD: OBVIOUSLY IT’S THE SUREST SIGN OF FALL AND THE CHANGE OF SEASONS — JUNIOR HOCKEY TEAMS ARE OPENING TRAINING CAMPS AROUND THE PROVINCE AND THIS IS THE SEASON OF OPTIMISM.

FOR NOW, EVERYBODY’S IN FIRST PLACE AND THE THRILL OF A BRAND NEW SEASON IS UPON US.

AND THE EYES OF THE HOCKEY WORLD WILL BE ON REGINA WHERE CONNOR BEDARD BEGINS NOT ONLY HIS THIRD WHL SEASON, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, HIS DRAFT YEAR.

THE PATS ARE PICKED BY MANY TO MISS THE PLAYOFFS THIS SEASON BUT THEY HAVE OTHER IDEAS. AND THAT MAKES THINGS ALL-THE-MORE FUN TO FOLLOW.

NEXT, THE GREAT – THIS CFL SEASON REALLY HAS BEEN A THRILL-A-MINUTE. I’M SURE THE ROUGHRIDERS FEEL LIKE THEY COULD DO WITHOUT ALL THE ADVERSITY AND DRAMA THEY’VE DEALT WITH BUT IT CERTAINLY HAS BEEN ENTERTAINING TO WATCH!

IT SEEMS LIKE HEAD COACH CRAIG DICKENSON HAS GROWN SOME MORE WHITE WHISKERS DURING THIS SEASON AND GETTING HIS CLUB TO 6-5 GIVEN ALL THEY’VE BEEN THROUGH IS A FEATHER IN HIS CAP.

DEPENDING ON HOW IT ALL PLAYS OUT, HE COULD BE IN CONTENTION FOR COACH OF THE YEAR AND I’M NOT JOKING.

THE FIRST HALF COACH OF THE YEAR WOULD BE RICK CAMPBELL OF THE BC LIONS BUT NOW WITH HIS #1 QUARTERBACK OUT FOR POTENTIALLY THE REST OF THE YEAR, THE LIONS’ STOCK HAS FALLEN DRAMATICALLY.

IF YOU EVER WONDERED HOW IMPORTANT QUARTERBACKING IS, THE BC LIONS ARE EXHIBIT A.

AND LASTLY, THE UGLY: FOR THIS WE LOOK AT THE CANADA WEST FOOTBALL SEASON WHICH BEGINS FRIDAY NIGHT AND IT’S ONLY UGLY DEPENDING ON HOW YOU LOOK AT IT.

IF YOU’RE A U OF S HUSKIES FAN, YOU’D BE PRETTY OPTIMISTIC CONSIDERING THEY’RE COMING OFF A VANIER CUP APPEARANCE AND ENTER THIS NEW SEASON RANKED #2 IN THE NATION. THE HUSKIES OPEN AT CALGARY ON FRIDAY.

BUT IF YOU’RE A FAN OF THE U OF R RAMS, IT’S PRETTY DARN UGLY. THEY GO INTO FRIDAY’S GAME AT MANITOBA NOT KNOWING WHO THEIR QUARTERBACK WILL BE DUE TO A POTENTIALLY SEASON-LONG INJURY TO REGINA PRODUCT JOSH DONELLY.

AGAIN … NOW WE’RE SEEING WHY THE QUARTERBACK IS THE HIGHEST-PAID PLAYER ON THE TEAM.

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY

(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET/10 pm PT on Game+ TV across Canada and the USA. Call your cable provider to subscribe. You can also watch on YouTube Live or listen 24/7 at RodPedersen.com/ListenLive)