WEDNESDAY RUNDOWN: PAT FIACCO, ECHL & SOCCER TALK!

Episode #372 of The RP Show – Canada’s Daytime Sports Talkshow – was uplifting! Here’s the rundown:

• Rod and Dupes opened with The Warmup for the Four Seasons Sports Palace covering these Quick Six show topics: 1) Calgary will host a curling bubble for the Brier, Scotties and Mens Worlds in 2021, 2) Jerry Jones doesn’t feel sorry for the Denver Broncos, 3) Does the NFL look bush league for forcing the Broncos to play without quarterbacks?, 4) A poll by The Athletic of U.S. team NHL players pegs Toronto as the #1 team in the Canadian division, 5) How is soccer playing (Dupes says it lends itself to social distancing!), and 6) It’s NFL Game Day with Baltimore at Pittsburgh at 3:40 pm ET on NBC.
• ECHL South Carolina Stingrays assistant coach Brenden Kotyk joined the show right after the team’s practice in Charleston, SC. The former Humboldt Bronco explained how the ECHL plans to play despite a handful of teams dropping out, including their two Canadian franchises. Kotyk said the league is using similar testing and safety protocols which were used at NHL training camps and they’re excited to get the season going. The Regina product also discussed his junior and pro career, and transition into coaching. RP noted that Game+ is offered on cable television in South Carolina and encouraged Brenden to check it out!
• The daily Capital Auto Mall/Universal Collision Centre poll question was: Does the NFL look bush league for forcing the Denver Broncos to play? At press time, over 60% of respondents said no.
• Hour 2 was simulcast on Game+ TV and Facebook Live and after re-upping the Quick Six, we were joined in studio by Canada’s Toughest Mayor and Boxing Canada Past President Pat Fiacco. The former Regina Mayor correctly predicted a draw in the Mike Tyson/Roy Jones Jr. fight, and was impressed by the stamina of both fighters. He feels Tyson will be in the ring again, likely against Evander Holyfield. He feels the interest in the fight proves the desire for live sports, and was much-needed publicity for boxing. Fiacco also predicted that there will be a CFL season in 2021 and preached patience and empathy at this time, as leaders could’ve never foreseen the pandemic. He also hopes Regina will land a Canadian Premiere League franchise for Mosaic Stadium.
• RP Show soccer insider Simon Fudge joined the show from Vancouver to discuss coach Greg Vanney stepping down from Toronto FC (he predicts Vanney will end up with the L.A. Galaxy). Simon also broke down Hamilton Forge FC’s loss to Haiti in CONCACAF play, and said CPL expansion plans to Saskatchewan are on hold due to the pandemic.
• Pat Fiacco was named the Rockstar of the Day for RoxDar Supply Chain Solutions. Tuesday’s winner was Darnell Duff, the Voice of the MJHL’s Dauphin Kings.
• Wednesday’s show is available for viewing now on our Facebook page, you can catch the replay at 4:00 pm ET on Game+, listen to the podcast by clicking on the CONTENT tab at the top of this page or listen anytime to our 24-hour live audio feed at RodPedersen.com/ListenLive.
• See you at 10 am CT Thursday on Facebook Live and 12:00 pm ET on Game+! On our guest list are Sportsnet’s Rob Faulds and Sam Cosentino.