FRIDAY COMMENTARY – COMING IN HOT

(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98 & Rock 98.5 FM)

THE WEEKEND IS COMING IN HOT!

CFL TRAINING CAMPS ARE WIDE OPEN AND THE PLAYERS HAVE A NEW COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT IN THEIR POCKETS.

WHO KNOWS WHY IT TOOK SO LONG TO HAMMER OUT – WITH A STRIKE BEING NEEDED – OR WHY THE NEGOTIATIONS WERE SO CONTENTIOUS?

I CERTAINLY DON’T KNOW ALL THE INS AND OUTS OF THE DEAL BUT THE NEW “NATURALIZED CANADIAN” CLAUSE APPEARS TO BE GROUND-BREAKING, AND SEEMS TO HAVE GONE UNDER THE RADAR.

FOR DECADES, TEAMS WERE MANDATED TO START SEVEN CANADIANS ON THE FIELD BUT THAT NUMBER’S NOW EIGHT, WITH ANY AMERICAN PLAYER NOW BEING DEEMED CANADIAN IF HE’S PLAYED FIVE YEARS IN THE LEAGUE OR THREE WITH ONE TEAM!

THAT’S MADE VETERAN AMERICANS FAR MORE VALUABLE AND HAS CERTAINLY GIVEN THESE PLAYERS INCENTIVE TO STAY IN ONE CITY.

GROUND-BREAKING INDEED!

IT SEEMS TO ME TO BE A MASSIVE STEP FORWARD FOR THE LEAGUE AND IT’S CERTAINLY CHANGED HOW GENERAL MANAGERS WILL CONDUCT THEIR BUSINESS.

SO BRAVO TO ALL INVOLVED!

AND ON THE HOCKEY SCENE, ESTEVAN, SASKATCHEWAN IS THE PLACE TO BE WITH THE CENTENNIAL CUP WELL UNDERWAY AT AFFINITY PLACE.

THURSDAY WAS DAY 1 AND IT FEATURED A TRIPLE-HEADER WITH THESE OUTCOMES:

PICKERING SMOKED RED LAKE 9-2
FLIN FLON HAMMERED SOO 6-1 AND BROOKS UPENDED LONGEUIL FROM QUEBEC 5-2.

THERE ARE THREE MORE GAMES ON TAP FRIDAY WITH THE OTTAWA JUNIOR SENATORS FACING DAUPHIN, SUMMERSIDE AGAINST SOO AND IN THE FEATURED GAME, THE HOST ESTEVAN BRUINS TAKE ON LONGEUIL.

ENJOY IT ALL, BECAUSE SPORTS IS BACK IN A BIG WAY!

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY

(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET on Game+ TV across Canada and the USA. Call your cable provider for details. You can also watch on YouTube Live or listen 24/ at RodPedersen.com/ListenLive)