ROD PEDERSEN REPORT FROM EDMONTON

It's a busy day for everybody up here in the Alberta capital as the Saskatchewan Roughriders get set to take on the Edmonton Eskimos in CFL preseason action tonight at 7:00 on the 620 CKRM Roughrider Radio Network.It's busy for Carm and I as we prepare for the biggest broadcast of the year (no TV coverage).

It's unfortunate our FIRST broadcast of the year is also the BIGGEST. We usually use the first preseason game to work out all the kinks of a new season but there's really no time for that tonight since a good chunk of the province will be listening.But most of my work's done already so here are a few more notes going into the contest:

- The Riders have 68 players along on the trip (if my math is good). Here's a breakdown:4 quarterbacks10 offensive linemen6 running backs12 receivers10 defensive linemen6 linebackers14 defensive backs4 special teams players

- Starting offensive line will be (from left to right): Harris-Makowsky-O'Day-Parenteau-Johnson
- Starting QB: Durant, TB: Foord, FB: Szarka

- Receivers we'll see in the first quarter: Jones, Dressler, Fantuz, Getzlaf, Bagg, Clermont- Starting defensive line: Chick, Baggs, Mullinder, Shologan

- Starting linebackers: Kornegay, Williams, Lucas
- Starting in the secondary:
CBs - Heard, Alexander,
HBs - Frazier, McKenzie, S - Patrick

- I've been told Dalton Bell DOES have the chance to dislodge Darian Durant as the #1 quarterback going into the regular season but he's going to be in tough tonight. Why? Because Durant will work with the first team O-line while Bell will be protected by a crew of rookies. Hey, if he fares well then his stock rises even more.

- That tailback position is going to be key tonight and next week against Calgary. I've been told that not only will veteran Wes Cates miss Week 1, there's a good chance he'll miss at least a few more games to open the season due to that nagging shoulder injury.

-The Eskimos have Kitwana Jones, Maurice Lloyd and Scott Gordon pencilled as starters on defense for tonight's game so THAT should be interesting.
- The Eskimos will have at LEAST as many players dressed as the Riders
- and likely more - so we're looking at over 120 players in uniform for tonight's game as opposed to the normal 84.
- That brings us to tonight's broadcast and the importance of conveying pertinent info to the listening audience.What Carm and I will try to do is, on every series, try to identify who's in and who's out at each position FOR THE RIDERS. We won't be focusing so much on the Eskimos whatsoever. Who makes the tackles (defensively and on special teams) as well as the blocks and these types of things are of utmost importance.Carm gets this. In fact he hammered it home to me years ago how important it is to the players' families and friends not to mention the fans when they're listening and it's not on TV.Yah.

It makes a broadcaster a little nervous because of the importance of the game, the intricate elements, and the vast listening audience.But that's a good thing!Talk to you tonight at six bells.RP