FRIDAY COMMENTARY – A SHOWDOWN LOOMS
(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary at 9:50 am and 5:20 pm on Cat Country 98 FM)
I THINK WE’RE HEADED FOR A HUGE SHOWDOWN.
NEWS BROKE LATE THURSDAY AFTERNOON THAT THE GOVERNORS OF THE SEVEN CANADIAN NHL TEAMS ARE CONSIDERING MOVING THEIR TEAMS TO THE STATES FOR THIS UPCOMING SEASON, DUE TO THE STRICT PROVINCIAL COVID CONTROLS IN CANADA.
IT IMMEDIATELY SET OFF ALARM BELLS ACROSS THE GREAT WHITE NORTH BUT AFTER A FEW MINUTES OF SOBER THOUGHT, I REALIZED ‘WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE IF FANS CAN’T GET INTO THE ARENAS ANYWAY?’
SO I TWEETED THAT. AND I RECEIVED AN AVALANCHE OF REACTION (MOSTLY PRIVATELY IN MY DM’S) FROM CANADIAN NHL WORKERS RANGING FROM ARENA EMPLOYEES TO TEAM STAFF, TO COMPANIES WHOSE CONTRACTS WITH NHL TEAMS WOULD BE COMPROMISED IF THIS HAPPENED.
MY RESPONSE TO THEM WAS, “YOU ARE AWAKE!?’
(I WAS LOOKING FOR A REACTION MORE THAN ANYTHING, AND I GOT IT.)
SPORTS PEOPLE HAVE BEEN QUIET TILL NOW, BUT THIS BREAKING NEWS SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN THE LAST STRAW.
BUT WILL IT MATTER? I HAVE MY DOUBTS.
YOU’VE BEEN LISTENING TO THIS COMMENTARY FOR MONTHS AND WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED? YOU CAN’T PLAY CHICKEN WITH THE GOVERNMENT. YOU’LL LOSE EVERY TIME.
TSN’S PIERRE LEBRUN SURPRISINGLY ADMITTED ON SPORTSCENTRE THAT THIS NEWS PIECE WAS DESIGNED TO PUT PRESSURE ON THE GOVERNMENT, GIVEN THE NHL’S IMMENSE POPULARITY IN THIS COUNTRY.
BUT IS IT BIGGER THAN A VIRUS?
WE’RE GOING TO FIND OUT SOON.
THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY ON CAT COUNTRY 98.
Good afternoon This is the best commentary yet, and they have all been good. It is my sincere hope that since March/20 the commentaries and the MMG columns be archived and published in 10 years. Rod Pedersen and Mike Stackhouse are putting their necks on the line every week to stand up to the b.s that is going on out there and for that they should each be commended. Twenty years is a generation. When this all passes and it will pass here is what we’ll learn. Not since 2001 when a few Terrorists flew planes into buildings has group… Read more »