WEDNESDAY COMMENTARY – BACK TO THE 90’S?

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

AT LONG LAST, IT SEEMS LIKE EVERYTHING IS BACK TO NORMAL.

BY THAT I MEAN THE ROUGHRIDERS ARE HALFWAY THROUGH ANOTHER SEASON AND EVERYBODY IN THE PROVINCE HAS AN OPINION.

JUST LIKE BELLYBUTTONS.

AND – LIKE MOST ANY OTHER YEAR AT THIS TIME – NO ONE HAS ANY CLUE HOW IT’LL ALL TURN OUT.

AT 5-4, THE ROUGHRIDERS HAVE REACHED THE MIDWAY POINT OF THE SEASON. DID THAT SNEAK UP ON YOU?

NORMALLY WE POINT TO LABOUR DAY WEEKEND AS THE SECOND HALF KICKOFF BUT MOVING THE SEASON UP INCREMENTALLY (WHICH WE APPLAUD) HAS PUSHED UP THE HALFWAY TURN TO MID-AUGUST.

NO MATTER. DESPITE ALL THEIR TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS, THE ROUGHRIDERS ARE ON PACE FOR A 10-WIN SEASON WHICH WOULD’VE BEEN CAUSE FOR A PARADE IN THE 90’S. EVEN THE 2000’S. AND LOTS NOT EVEN MENTION THE 80’S, SHALL WE?

IN A LOT OF WAYS I FEAR THE FRANCHISE IS HEADED BACK TO THE 90’S (HAS ANYONE SEEN THE FINANCIALS?) BUT WHAT COULD VERY WELL DECIDE THAT IS HOW THINGS PLAY OUT OVER THE NEXT 3 ½ MONTHS.

IF THE RIDERS FAIL TO MAKE THE GREY CUP AND IF NOTHING’S DONE ABOUT IT, THEN THAT TELLS ME THIS CLUB DOESN’T HAVE CHAMPIONSHIP EXPECTATIONS.

BUT THAT’S A LOT OF “IFS”. 

THE RIDERS ARE GETTING SOME KEY PLAYERS BACK FROM INJURY AND SUSPENSION IN TIME FOR FRIDAY’S HOME GAME AGAINST BC AND THEY’LL NEED ‘EM AGAINST THE 7-1 LIONS, WHOM MANY FEEL ARE THE CFL’S TOP TEAM.

I DON’T, BUT I KNOW THE LIONS ARE AN ELITE CLUB LED BY THE CFL’S TOP QUARTERBACK, NATHAN ROURKE, WHO SEEMINGLY CAME OUT OF NOWHERE.

IT COULD ACTUALLY BE A SHOOTOUT AT THE MOSAIC CORRAL AS THE RIDERS’ CODY FAJARDO LOOKS TO BUILD OFF LAST WEEK’S MUST-WIN VICTORY AT EDMONTON.

FAJARDO IS SEVENTH IN CFL PASSING BUT HAS A BETTER EFFICIENCY RATING THAN LIVING HALL OF FAMER BO LEVI MITCHELL.

YOU JUST WOULDN’T KNOW IT IF YOU WENT BY THE BELLYACHING OF ALL THE FAJARDO CRITICS.

AS ALWAYS, THE TEAMS WILL DO THEIR TALKING ON THE FIELD.

AND FOR CODY AND THE RIDERS, IT MEANS FRIDAY NIGHT UNDER THE MOSAIC LIGHTS.

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 for details. You can also watch on YouTube Live or listen 24/7 at RodPedersen.com/ListenLive)