FRIDAY COMMENTARY – UH OH. GLOBAL HOLD-OUTS

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

THINGS MAY BE UPSIDE DOWN IN THE CFL RIGHT NOW BUT AT THE VERY LEAST, WE HAD SOME PRETTY BIG NEWS ON THURSDAY.

THE CFL HELD ITS 2021 GLOBAL DRAFT WHEREBY 36 PLAYERS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE WERE SELECTED OVER FOUR ROUNDS BY CFL TEAMS.

THE NUMBER-ONE OVERALL PICK WAS AUSTRALIAN PUNTER JAKE FORD, WHO WENT TO THE BC LIONS.

THE ROUGHRIDERS, IN ORDER, TOOK GERMAN RUNNING BACK CHRISTOPHER EZEALA, NORWEGIAN PUNTER KAARE VEDVIK, SOUTH AFRICAN KICKER JOHN HENRY NELL, AND FINNISH RECEIVER SEBASTIEN SAGNE.

SOMETHING TELLS ME JON RYAN AND BRETT LAUTHER AREN’T SHAKING IN THEIR BOOTS.

BUT HERE’S THE FUN PART – WATCHING SOCIAL MEDIA VIDEOS OF THE PLAYERS BEING SELECTED WAS VERY INSPIRATIONAL. IT CERTAINLY REMINDED ME OF WHAT’S FUN AND EXCITING ABOUT SPORTS.

WE DID LIVE COVERAGE OF ROUND 1 ON THE ROD PEDERSEN SHOW AND – GET THIS – THAT AUSTRALIAN PUNTER JAKE FORD THANKED US FOR THE COVERAGE!

THAT WAS INDEED A FIRST.

THE GLOBAL DRAFT BROUGHT SCORN FROM CURRENT AND PAST PLAYERS, AND THAT’S THEIR RIGHT. IT’S CERTAINLY A FREE COUNTRY. WHO KNOWS HOW MANY OF THESE PLAYERS WILL EVER SET FOOT IN CANADA, LET ALONE PLAY A GAME, OR EVEN GO ON TO A MEANINGFUL CAREER?

AND NOW THE BAD NEWS.

I GOT A TIP TODAY THAT THE RIDERS’ TOP TWO SELECTIONS LIKELY WON’T BE REPORTING TO TRAINING CAMP (IF THERE IS ONE). THE PUNTER VEDVIK FROM NORWAY REPORTEDLY FINDS THE $54,000 SALARY AND THREE-YEAR CONTRACT NOT WORTH HIS TIME.

OH YA. BACK TO REALITY.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND.

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY.