10 WEEKEND THINGS FOR UNIVERSAL COLLISION CENTRE

UPDATED 8:40 AM MT, APRIL 11: Condolences to the family and friends of Colby Cave, who passed away tragically and suddenly Saturday morning at age 25. I had the good fortune of calling Colby’s games while he played for the Swift Current Broncos and loved watching him play. The loss of the Battlefords product is another tragedy for our Saskatchewan hockey community, which we will deal with together. May strength be with you. — RP

1 – STILL LOCKED UP: We’re coming up on a month of “Life Without Sports” and I can’t see where too much has been accomplished other than almost completely killing the economy and driving people nuts. Of course, of more importance than sports, is that it’s been a month of self-isolation and social distancing with no apparent end in sight. If it’s truly flattened the curve, then great!  Society’s reaction has been fascinating to watch, if only it weren’t so damned tragic. Let’s examine, and actually talk some sports …

2 – HOPES DASHED: Our hopes were piqued around midweek when we learned Major League Baseball might start their season with all teams in Arizona’s Valley of the Sun, the NHL may play their playoffs in Grand Forks and/or Saskatoon, and Dana White was gonna pit man-against-man in a cage come hell or high water. By the weekend, “logistics” took out MLB at the knees, the NHL cautioned they haven’t even come up with a playoff format yet, and ESPN put the kibosh on Dana. In all cases, my sense is that the higher-ups are as afraid of the potential backlash, as anything else. What a roller coaster!

3 – THE CFL?: The league leaders have made brief appearances and for that, we applaud. They’ve been working round-the-clock and their stress level is red-lining however if they don’t make the odd appearance before a camera, fans think they’re doing nothing. It’s not fair, but that’s just the way it is. We’re told they are “examining all scenarios” and one wonders if that includes an isolation marathon in Saskatchewan and Winnipeg? (Two centres which have some of the lowest Coronavirus numbers in the nation). Look, they want to play more than even the fans want them to play. But the CFL has more to lose than perhaps any league and that’s why they have to play it smart. That’s why they are.

4 – FEEL A DRAFT?: ESPN’s reporting that a good number of NFL GMs want to see the 2020 Draft moved to August, from its originally scheduled dates of April 23-25. Why? Because they feel they’re not getting sufficient scouting done on the prospects; most notably medicals and in-person interviews. You can bet your chinstrap the CFL is following this situation closely because their Draft is always scheduled a week or so after the NFL’s, in order to avoid selecting Canadian players whom are headed south. See how this stuff continues to change by the minute? What a pain!

5 – XFL GOES BYE-BYE: The term “Good Friday” was an oxymoron for the XFL. It was huge news Friday morning when Vince McMahon’s fledgling spring football league announced it’s ceasing operations after completing only five weeks of its *inaugural* season. Initially I figured it was only temporary – blame Coronavirus again – but then my phone started blowing up from suddenly out-of-work football people. More panic. More chaos. More depression. The biggest crime in Friday’s news is the number of football fans whom are cheering the XFL’s demise! Less jobs for players, coaches, scouts and front office types. Ya, that sure sounds like something to celebrate.

6 – WE’RE NOT IMMUNE: Roundabout Thursday we had to make an official announcement that Coronavirus has delayed the launch of The Rod Pedersen Show on the national GAME+ TV network. It was scheduled to debut on April 8 but staffers at parent company Anthem Sports in Toronto and L.A. are forced to work from home and couldn’t do the necessary prep ahead of time. Add to that a rash of corporate speaking events and school visits which have gone down the toilet, and you’ll see that I’m right in the muck with all of you. But what can you do?

7 – BEDARD FEVER: One thing I’ve taken to doing is thinking of all the great things which lay in store once this pandemic is over. (And believe it or not, it will be). One of those things is watching phenom Connor Bedard with my beloved Regina Pats. Whenever hockey resumes, the WHL’s first-ever Exceptional Player will be in red, white and blue. A lot of people around here don’t know what’s coming so I’ll give you a hint: Think Justin Bieber on skates. He’s 14-years old and has 17,000 followers on Instagram! This is gonna get wild.

8 – IT’S ALL IN YOUR HEAD: Major junior hockey doesn’t toss around the Exceptional Player status tag lightly. In Ontario it’s gone to only a handful of players, including Connor McDavid and John Tavares. This is the kind of player we’re talking about here. You’d think that would come with an almost unbearable amount of pressure but when I asked Bedard about it on The RP Show, he shrugged his shoulders and said, “I don’t really think about it”. He’s going to handle this just fine. And we could all take some advice from a 14-year old kid. Crazy thoughts? Flush ’em.

9 – WHATCHA GONNA DO?: There’s been a war of opinion raging between the religious community and the people who are wrong regarding the cure for Coronavirus. (I kid, I kid. Calm down!) Hulk Hogan went on an Instagram rant saying God shutdown stadiums, civic centers, theaters, the economy and the stock market because society has gotten way too out of whack with their priorities. “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land,” the Hulkster quoted. The response was predictable.

10 – RANDOM THOUGHTS: It totally sucks that the National Lacrosse League scrapped its regular season, but it’s obviously understandable given the current situation. However since their playoffs were always short 1-game or Best-of-3 showdowns anyway, they should be able to settle it all with a weekend tournament. NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz will be on The RP Show this week to discuss. … With teams in Vancouver, Calgary, Saskatoon, Toronto and Halifax, it’s shameful the lack of coverage the NLL gets from Canadian TV networks. Almost half the league is Canadian! Perhaps that can change when we’re back to the “new normal”, and the networks are looking for quality content. … Our Producer Clark is trying to get ahold of Joe Exotic from Tiger King to come on the show. Does anyone know if prisoners have access to social media? Asking for a friend. … Just can’t get into classic game broadcasts on TSN and Sportsnet. What I love about sports is their unpredictability, but there’s none of that in a re-broadcast. Yet, I can watch the move Fletch 47 times, and still not get enough. … Tom Brady earned a lot of new fans with his revealing interview on The Howard Stern Show this week. Sometimes you do actually need the media to accomplish these things, rather than your own social media accounts. … They’ve taken to calling the home of the Buccaneers TOMPA BAY. I love it, and I’m glad I already have my gear. … Did you eat today? Thank a farmer.

Y’er welcome,
RP
@rodpedersen