FRIDAY COMMENTARY – SMALL POTATOES

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

THURSDAY SEEMED TO BE A BIG SHIFT IN THE PRO FOOTBALL WORLD, AND I’M STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TRIGGERED IT.

MY INBOX WAS FLOODED WITH QUESTIONS FROM AMERICANS – PLAYERS, COACHES, MEDIA AND FANS – ASKING IF THERE’S GOING TO BE A 2021 CFL SEASON?

WHY DO YOU ASK? AND WHY NOW?

I GUESS I COULD’VE ASKED MYSELF, BUT THERE’S STILL PLENTY OF TIME FOR THAT.

MY GUESS IS THAT PLAYERS AND COACHES WANT TO PLAN THEIR LIVES ACCORDINGLY. IF THERE’S NO CFL TRAINING CAMPS TO PREP FOR, PERHAPS THE RETIREMENT PLANS HAVE BEEN SPED UP.

AS FOR THE COACHES, OBVIOUSLY MANY ARE THINKING ABOUT LIFE AFTER FOOTBALL. THERE WILL BE A FOOTBALL AGAIN, BUT PERHAPS NOT WITH THEM IN IT.

UNFORTUNATELY, AS IT STANDS NOW, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO UPDATE TO PROVIDE. HOWEVER AS PART OF THE CFL’S GREY CUP UNITE WEEK, COMMISSIONER RANDY AMBROSIE IS SCHEDULED TO HOLD A VIRTUAL TOWNHALL ON MONDAY AFTERNOON.

IT’S BEEN HINTED THAT HE’LL PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE 2021 SEASON THEN. CAN YOU WAIT JUST A FEW MORE DAYS?

IT’S BEEN SLOW-GOING, BUT I’M RELUCTANTLY BEGINNING TO REALIZE THAT THERE’S MORE TO LIFE THAN FOOTBALL, OR SPORTS IN GENERAL.

PEOPLES’ CAREERS AND LIVES ARE ENDING ACROSS ALL SPECTRUMS. MANY ARE LOSING THEIR BUSINESSES AND HOMES, AND THE GOVERNMENT HASN’T BEEN THERE TO SAVE THEM.

THE FUNDRAISERS HAVE YIELDED FARRRRR LESS FUNDS THAN ORGANIZERS HAD HOPED.

MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN THIS PROVINCE ARE BEING POURED INTO THE FOOD BANK AND IT NEVER SEEMS TO BE ENOUGH.

SO WILL THERE BE A CFL SEASON NEXT YEAR?

AT THIS TIME, THAT QUESTION FEELS LIKE SMALL POTATOES.

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY ON CAT COUNTRY 98.