WEDNESDAY COMMENTARY: DON’T LOOK BACK
(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98, Rock 98.5 FM & LTD Radio)
I’m open to debate on this, but my mind’s largely made up.
Our Tuesday interview with new Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Mike Babcock on the RP Show was a bit of a tempest in a teapot.
The Saskatoon product joined us from his Ohio farm just days after being hired by the Blue Jackets, and 3 ½ years after being fired by the Maple Leafs.
In between, all these stories have come out from upset, big-name hockey players about how they were treated by Babcock in prior stops. Most notably Detroit, where the Wings went to the Stanley Cup twice and won once. Babs also has two Olympic gold medals with Team Canada which will be inscribed on his plaque in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
A lot of people got very upset that we had Babcock on the air, and that I still count him among my friends.
So here’s the debate: I learned long ago that when you’re forming your opinion of someone, go by how they’ve treated you, rather than what you’ve heard.
Frankly, it’s served me very well. And Babcock and I go back 30 years to the WHL days when he was in Spokane and I was in PA.
He always had time for me then, and still does to this day. Mike’s a winner, so am I, and I think that’s why we’ve always had an unspoken respect for one another.
A “namaste” type of thing. (Look it up)
Now … Charles Manson has never done anything to me either. But that’s different.
Babcock’s admitted to wishing he could do things differently, even if he’s stopped short of saying sorry (that we know of). Where we differ is that I’ve made so many apologies for my actions that I’m now out of them.
In both cases, we’ve vowed to be better and committed our lives to it.
But there are still some people who don’t want to accept an apology, nor give you that second chance.
The turning corner in life is when you realize no matter what you do, they’re never going to let it go.
That’s the point where you continue being the best “you”, keep winning, and don’t look back.
That’s today’s Rod Pedersen Commentary
(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET on Game+ TV, WQEE Radio, Podcast & YouTube Live)
They are at core the new NDP supporters. There must be an injustice perceived or otherwise. There must also be a target to resent. Look at Babcocks resume – he is a winner. Winners are not in style today. You know who is? Those who are “houseless” and back in the day we called them Bums and before that Hobos. Also in style are professional victims and those on there gender journeys. Leslie Van Houten one of Charles Mansons followers just got released from prison after 53 years. Yet….Pete Rose remains banned from baseball. I have long stated. Of the… Read more »
One last point regarding Babcock. Okay I can see if you’re in a dressing room in 1986 and the fictional Head Coach of the fictional Hamilton Mustangs threatens to send you to some of the finest Junior C Hockey Teams even showing the bus tickets to: “Medicine Hat, Blind River, and Squ$@ Island…and I’ll do it too.” or the 1970s where Scotty Bowman figures out who snuck out and plays on the old juke box, “Kansas City here I come…” their minor league team. That I get. Having stated that if you’re Mike Modano at 1499 games and scratched, or… Read more »