FOOTBALL FRIDAY RECAP: COVERING IT ALL!

It didn’t get as wild as we expected, but Episode #235 of The Rod Pedersen Show covered a lot of ground! Here are the highlights:

• Rod and Dupes started it off with The Rollout for Flooring Superstore covering these Quick Six show topics: 1) TSN Insiders say the CFL and CFLPA badly want to get a season in, 2) NCAA Football getting their direction on Coronavirus testing from the NFL (can the CFL do the same?), 3) The CFL American player Federal aid debate, 4) The Mariners Blake Snell saying he won’t play in 2020 unless he gets his full $10-million salary, 5) The CEBL plans to play!, and 6) Netflix suggestions.
• Football maven John Frenzy joined the show from his palatial South Regina estate and was inconsolable that there might not be a CFL season this year. Rod said he can’t help John if he’s not open to any other entertainment options. Frenzy was adamant that Saskatoon, Regina and Saskatchewan government officials should be doing more to ensure Roughrider football in 2020. Rod said that’s fine but if the other CFL franchises are in jeopardy, that doesn’t do the Riders much good. Frenzy hung up the phone still visibly upset.
• Roughriders DB Loucheiz Purifoy was slated to appear on the show to testify on behalf of American CFL’ers, but had to reschedule due unforeseen issues.
• 3DownNation CFL Insider Justin Dunk joined the show from Southern Ontario to cover a lengthy list of CFL stories. He discussed the Quarantine City scenario which was floated by TSN Insiders and said although the initial pitch to the House of Commons may have missed the boat, the issue of Federal aid is not dead. Justin also advised the CFL to listen closely to Liberal MP – and former Hamilton Mayor – Bob Bratina about which approach is best since he spent 20 years in the CFL as a play-by-play broadcaster for the Ticats and Argos.
• Despite wars on social media regarding Federal aid for the CFL and/or American players, the show didn’t get as wild as expected because the vast majority of viewers are CFL-supporters and everyone’s in favour of keeping the league viable.
• RP Show Director of Scouting Craig Smith joined the show to discuss a variety of topics. They touched briefly on the CFL contenders this season but it was clear that talk is premature given the state the league finds itself in. Smitty then gave an impassioned plea for Canadians to support the CFL and discussed what American players have meant to this country over the years. That stood up as the daily Rant for Bronco Plumbing & Heating. Smitty also chimed in with thoughts on the Korean Baseball Organization, and his favourite team the Twins.
• Saskatchewan Rattlers President and COO Lee Genier joined the show from Saskatoon to discuss the league unveiling its training camp rosters on Thursday. Lee said plenty is going on behind-the-scenes and that they’re optimistic they’ll be able to salvage some form of a season in 2020. He admitted they are looking at a Quarantine City scenario.
• With the Netflix series The Last Dance on the 1990s Chicago Bulls airing its final episodes this weekend, the guys talked about which CFL documentaries they’d like to see. That led to the daily Capital Auto Mall/Universal Collision Centre poll question of: Which CFL documentary would you like to see most? — The Decade of Decadence, Horse Power (Stampeders), Evil Empire (Eskimos) or Candy Men (Argonauts). The whopping majority voted for the Riders Decade of Decadence (2005-2014) but many viewers said they’d be interested in a documentary on the history of pro football in Ottawa.
• You can vote now on our Twitter poll for the Rockstar of the Day for RoxDar Supply Chain Solutions. At press time the leader was Lee Genier. Thursday’s winner was comedian Kelly Taylor. 
• 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 presented by SUDS Full Service Car Wash.
• With this being May Long Weekend, we’ll see you at 10 am MT Tuesday on Facebook Live and RodPedersen.com/ListenLive!