FRIDAY CAT COUNTRY COMMENTARY

(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary at 9:50 am and 5:20 pm on Cat Country 98 FM)

THURSDAY NIGHT WAS VIRTUALLY, A LOT OF FUN.

WE RAN A THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL DOUBLEHEADER OF OUR COMPUTER-GENERATED CFL GAMES ON A FACEBOOK LIVE BROADCAST. SOME OF YOU ARE ROLLING YOUR EYES ALREADY! BUT GUESS WHAT – 20-THOUSAND VIEWERS TUNED IN.

IN THE FIRST GAME AT A SWELTERING TIM HORTONS FIELD IN HAMILTON, BO LEVI MITCHELL LED THE CALGARY STAMPEDERS TO AN 18-8 TRIUMPH OVER THE HOMETOWN TICATS. THE WIN UPPED THE STAMPS RECORD TO 3-AND-1 WHILE THE TICATS DROPPED TO 1-3.

PERSONALLY, IT WAS COOL TO BROADCAST A GAME THAT DIDN’T INVOLVE THE SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS. AND IT WAS ALSO FUN TO INTERACT WITH FANS FROM CALGARY AND HAMILTON IN THE CHAT SECTION. TURNS OUT, THEY’RE GREAT PEOPLE!

IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE DOUBLE-DIP, THE TORONTO ARGONAUTS VISITED THE SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS AT A RAINY MOSAIC STADIUM. THE ARGOS LED FOR ALMOST ALL OF THE FIRST 30 MINUTES BEFORE CODY FAJARDO AND GANG GREEN TOOK OVER IN THE SECOND HALF, OVERPOWERING THE BOATMEN 16-10 TO IMPROVE TO 3-AND-1 ON THE SEASON. IT WAS THE ARGOS’ FIRST VIRTUAL LOSS UNDER ROOKIE HEAD COACH RYAN DINWIDDIE.

WHY IS VIEWERSHIP DOUBLING WEEK-OVER-WEEK FOR THESE VIDEO GAME CFL BROADCASTS? I GOTTA THINK PEOPLE ARE JUST MISSING FOOTBALL THAT MUCH AND THIS IS A HECKUVA SUBSTITUTE.

BUT THE OTHER THING IS THAT IT’S JUST LIKE REAL SPORTS; A COUPLE HOURS OF AN ESCAPE FROM REALITY. I’VE GOTTA SAY THAT WE WERE HAVING SO MUCH FUN WITH THE BROADCAST CREW THAT NEAR THE END OF THE SECOND GAME, I REALIZED I REALLY DIDN’T WANT IT TO END.

BECAUSE THAT MEANT PLUNGING BACK INTO A REAL WORLD WHICH IS CURRENTLY IN THE GRIPS OF A VIRUS, ENGULFED IN TRUMP- AND TRUDEAU-HATE, AND DOESN’T SEEM TO HAVE MADE MANY STRIDES IN RACIAL TENSIONS.

YOU KNOW WHAT? GIVE ME A VIDEO GAME TO WATCH ANYDAY.

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY ON CAT COUNTRY 98.