FOOTBALL FRIDAY: GREG ELLINGSON JOINS!

An up and down news day in pro football turned into a fantastic Episode #288 of The RP Show! Here are the highlights:

• Rod and Dupes opened with The Rollout for Flooring Superstores covering these Quick Six show topics: 1) TSN’s Dave Naylor threw water on the speculation of a decision on the 2020 CFL season, Tweeting that he doesn’t expect an announcement Friday from the CFL, 2) Virtual Cody Fajardo fired 3 TDs in Sask’s 27-14 SIM victory over Ottawa on Thursday Night Football, 3) The Buffalo Bills sent all rookies home for virtual workouts due to five players testing positive for Coronavirus, 4) On the opening night of the NBA’s Return To Play, the Lakers downed the Clippers 103-101, 5) At the CEBL Summer Series on Thursday the Ottawa Blackjacks edged the Fraser Valley Bandits 78-76. There’s a Friday doubleheader with Edmonton facing Niagara and Saskatchewan tipping off against Guelph, 6) NHL musings from three days of exhibition games including will Ryan Reaves face discipline?
• Edmonton Football Club receiver Greg Ellingson joined the show from Florida and said he’s staying in shape and is ready to go at a moment’s notice. On Friday morning he accomplished his goal of running 100 miles in the month of July. Ellingson reflected on his CFL career so far with stops in Hamilton, Ottawa and Edmonton and discussed c0ld-weather games as a Florida kid (the 2013 Grey Cup Week took the cake with several Ticats getting frostbite in practice). He admitted he’s never met new Edmonton head coach Scott Milanovich but has heard great things. Ellingon’s a must-follow on social media as he regularly interacts with fans, and is one of the CFL’s brightest stars.
• RP and Hall of Fame Rider broadcaster John “Frenzy” Lynch discussed the troubles of the CFL and while Rod reported the CFL is making plans for the Winnipeg bubble and TSN has told staff to prepare to spend three months in Winnipeg beginning in September, the odds are still very long that there will be a season. Frenzy just couldn’t get his head around a year without CFL football.
• Hour 2 was broadcast on Facebook Live only and NFL/CFL Insider Tori Gurley joined from his Toronto home. He explained the situation of current CFL players having to wait so long for a decision and he feels getting American players into Canada will derail any efforts for a season. Rod asked Tori how good of a player you need to be to opt out of an NFL season knowing your spot could be taken forever and Gurley quipped, “Tom Brady opted out of New England and they replaced him in a flash”. The former Browns and Packers WR is still very connected in the NFL and said the league is getting nervous about the health of its stars like Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes.
• 3DownNation’s Justin Dunk joined the show from the CHCH-TV Hamilton studios and brought the heat. Greg Ellingson had stated the new “hard” deadline for a decision on the season is mid-August and Dunk reported he’s hearing the same thing. Dunk just doesn’t see how the CFL can play this year given all the hurdles. Dunk said one projection for the CFL’s Return To Play scenario is that teams will lose $5-million on average if they don’t play but would lose $10-million per team if they do. Regarding criticism over Commissioner Randy Ambrosie appearing on a video for opening day of the Finland Football League season, Dunk said the heat is completely warranted since Ambrosie hasn’t been visible in Canada and hasn’t provided a similar message to CFL players.
• Dupes returned for the final segment and Rod’s prediction on how this will end up was: “Ottawa will provide some money but not all that’s been requested, players will vote in favour of playing but in the end the private owners will kibosh the effort due to the cost of it all. They’ll get the baton near the end but will drop it before they cross the finish line.”
• You can vote now on our Twitter poll for the Rockstar of the Day for RoxDar Supply Chain Solutions. At press time, Greg Eillingson was leading. Thursday’s vote was won by Gene Principe.
• Friday’s show is available for viewing now on our Facebook page, you can listen to the podcast by clicking on the PODCAST tab at the top of this page or you can listen anytime to our 24-hour live audio stream at RodPedersen.com/ListenLive.
• The crew will be off on Monday’s August Long Weekend Holiday so we’ll see you at 10 am MT on Tuesday on Game+ TV, Facebook Live and RodPedersen.com/ListenLive. Our guest list includes Montreal Alouettes QB Vernon Adams Jr.!