Rod Pedersen Interview

Today I'm posting an interview Road Kill Sports had with Saskatchewan Roughriders and Regina Pats Radio Play-By-Play guy Rod Pedersen (In the Photo he is on the right). In addition to broadcasting on sports in Regina, he also keeps a blog which can be seen at rodpedersen.com. He is truly a class act, and was nice enough to grant us an interview.

Road Kill Sports: You have covered both the CFL's Riders and the WHL's Pats, what has been
the most memorable moment for you out of covering the two teams?

Rod Pedersen: - There are many moments that come to mind with the Pats: broadcasting the WHL's
longest game in 1996 (four overtimes, and it was on TSN), calling the 1998 WHL
All-Star game with Rich Sutter, broadcasting the 2001 Memorial Cup and personal
moments like the night I MC'd the jersey retirement of Pats' legend Doug
Wickenheiser just months after he died of cancer. His widow and two young
twin girls were on the ice with me.

- As for the Riders, every game is a thrill because it's such a big deal, and
pro sports. The highlights I suppose have been broadcasting the playoff
games and being a part of the national radio broadcasts of the Grey Cups.

RKS: In the CFL you can have a guy like Lui Passaglia in BC for instance, who
spends his whole career that can span 10, 15, 20 years, compared to in the
WHL you have Tommy Tartaglione who spends two years maximum in Regina, or at
most for a guy 5 years in a Pats uniform, is it harder to get to know one of
the 19 year old or 20 year old newcomers like Myles Stoesz, knowing that
they'll be gone after the summer, compared to a Chris Szarka?

RP: I know Myles Stoesz as good or better than any of the Roughriders because we
spend so much time together on the bus, in hotels and at meals. With the
Riders, once you leave the stadium, you rarely ever spend time with the
athletes.

RKS: Since you were a kid, has broadcasting always been your dream, or was it
when you were older you realized it was what you wanted to do?

RP: I've wanted to be a broadcaster since I was old enough to talk. In grade 4 I
did a presentation on 'what I want to be when I grow up' and took a pair of
headphones and microphone made out of tinfoil to the front of the class and did
a radio show.

RKS: The Press Box Sports Bar, which is recently opened, was one of
Sportsnet's Bars U need 2 know, and you hosted the 2 minute long segment,
what can you say about the Bar that's not even at the 6 month point, and
already is one of the best bars in Canada?

RP: It's everything a sports bar should be: lots of big screens, tons of
memorabilia, a wonderful decor that makes you feel at home, and all the local
athletes hang out there so you never know who you're going to run into.

RKS: What is the average work day for Rod Pedersen?

RP: I get to work around 5:30am and record sportscasts which run from 6:00am to
3:00pm, plus record our daily 90 second sports features like Pat Chat, CFL
Report, Curling Report, and Hockey Trivia. I usually leave by 8:00am and
workout for an hour. All the travel and crazy hours take a toll on your body
so you need to keep fit. Then I generally pop into Mosaic Stadium and Brandt
Centre for interviews and various meetings. At 3:30 everday I get my daughter
and spend the afternoons with her. If it's a game day, I'm at the arena two
hours prior to faceoff or kickoff, and get home five hours later.

RKS: In just a couple of words how would you describe former Roughrider Paul
McCallum's 2004 West Division Final miss kick in Overtime?

RP: Brutal, and everlasting.

RKS: If you were to only cover one of the two, between the Pats and Riders who
would it be?

RP: I enjoy hockey more to call because it's second-nature to me - like breathing.
But the money and the profile is in football. However I have to have the
mind-to-mouth filter on at all times because listeners are ready to jump on your
mistakes.

RKS: Thanks Rod!

I really want to thank Mr. Pedersen for the interview, it's great hearing from such a famous broadcaster, and follow the Pats Post-Season on his blog, rodpedersen.com.