TUESDAY COMMENTARY – BEWARE FAKE NEWS

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

MY MIND KEEPS HARKENING BACK TO LATE-SPRING, EARLY-SUMMER.

FOR ALMOST A LIFETIME I’VE BEEN IN THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS COVERAGE BUT FOR A FOUR-MONTH STRETCH FROM MARCH-TO-JUNE, THERE WAS NO SPORTS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OUR LIVES.

HOW ON EARTH DID WE FILL THE AIRTIME ON THIS COMMENTARY AND THE DAILY ROD PEDERSEN SHOW ON GAME+ TV?

IT’S A LITTLE SIMILAR NOW. THE NFL AND THE NBA ARE THE ONLY REAL LEAGUES PLAYING. BUT THEY’VE NEVER BEEN ESPECIALLY BIG AROUND HERE. AND FORGET ABOUT SOCCER.

NO, THE LEAGUES WE CARE ABOUT ARE THE NHL, HOCKEY AT ALL LEVELS, CFL, CURLING, AND OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, LACROSSE.

AND WHAT I’VE FOUND IS, THERE’S NEWS EVERYDAY. JUST NOT GAMES.

FOR INSTANCE THE WHL ANNOUNCED MONDAY THE PORTLAND WINTERHAWKS HAVE FINALLY BEEN SOLD, AND THE BANTAM DRAFT HAS BEEN MOVED FROM THIS SPRING TO NEXT DECEMBER.

MEANWHILE THE QUEBEC MAJOR JUNIOR LEAGUE ANNOUNCED IT PLANS TO RETURN TO PLAY NEXT MONTH IN BUBBLES. ALTHOUGH THEY’RE USING THE TERM “PROTECTED ENVIRONMENTS”.

IN THE CFL, BIG MONEY QUARTERBACKS ARE ALL RE-DOING THEIR CONTRACTS IN AN EFFORT TO SAVE THEIR TEAMS MONEY AND GET ON THE FIELD IN 2021.

SO THERE IS NEWS.

BUT DON’T MISTAKE NEWS FOR FAKE NEWS.

FAKE NEWS – TO ME – IS OPINION, PROJECTIONS AND PREDICTIONS. I KNOW, I KNOW. THERE’S A TON OF THAT HERE BUT I NEVER BEGGED YOU TO LISTEN.

ANYWAY I’M HEARING PUNDITS AND FANS ALIKE SAY THERE’S NOT ENOUGH TIME TO GET THE JUNIOR HOCKEY PLAYOFFS IN THIS SPRING SO DON’T EXPECT THE LEAGUES TO RESUME IN THE NEW YEAR.

I SAY DON’T UNDER-ESTIMATE THE RESOLVE OF HOCKEY PEOPLE, AND A JULY OR AUGUST MEMORIAL CUP OR CENTENNIAL CUP MIGHT BE QUITE A NOVELTY.

BESIDES, WHO’D HAVE EVER THOUGHT WE’D HAND OUT THE STANLEY CUP IN SEPTEMBER?

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