FRIDAY COMMENTARY – THE COMPANY LINE

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

A MIXED BAG OF CFL THOUGHTS ON THIS FRIDAY …

FIRST, IT’S CFL FINAL ROSTER CUTDOWN DAY AND SOME TEAMS GOT THE JUMP OVER THE PAST 24 HOURS. AT THE TIME OF THIS AIRING, THE SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS HAD YET TO ANNOUNCE THEIRS.

PERHAPS THERE’S A STRATEGY BEHIND THAT.

BUT SEVERAL CFL VETS HAVE HIT THE MARKET OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS INCLUDING OFFENSIVE LINEMAN THAD COLEMAN, DEFENSIVE ENDS SHAWN LEMON AND CHRIS CASHER, AND RECEIVERS NAAMAN ROOSEVELT, KENNY STAFFORD AND TERRELL SINKFIELD.

IT’S ALWAYS BEEN THE RIDER NATION’S STYLE TO DEBATE BRINGING IN OTHER TEAM’S CAST-OFFS AND ALTHOUGH THIS REGIME HAS GENERALLY SHOWN THE DESIRE TO DEVELOP THEIR OWN TALENT, I’M TOLD THERE’S A STRONG CHANCE WE COULD SEE COLEMAN AND CASHER IN SASKATCHEWAN. INJURIES HAVE NECESSITATED THAT.

MAYBE EVEN LEMON TOO.

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SECOND, I WOKE UP THIS MORNING WITH THE STRONG NOTION THAT CFL COMMISSIONER RANDY AMBROSIE SHOULD GET SOME CREDIT FOR SAVING THE CFL.

YOU KNOW ME – I’M HONEST – SO I’LL ADMIT I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO CLUE HOW THE CFL HAS SURVIVED THIS CRISIS OTHER THAN SLASHING SALARIES, STAFFS, AND GETTING SOME CASH FROM SOMEWHERE.

BUT JUSTIN TRUDEAU DECLINED TO WRITE A CHEQUE FOR THE LEAGUE OTHER THAN COVERING SALARIES WITH MILLIONS IN WAGE SUBSIDIES, AND I DON’T THINK ANY CANADIAN HAS A PROBLEM WITH THAT.

BUT IT’S TAKEN A LOT MORE MONEY THAN THAT JUST TO GET THIS FAR, WHICH IS ALMOST THREE FULL WEEKS INTO TRAINING CAMP.

I TOOK TO TWITTER TO POSE THE COMMENT ABOUT GIVING AMBROSIE CREDIT AND SOMEONE QUICKLY RESPONDED, “MAYBE WE SHOULD WAIT TO SEE IF THE CFL HAS ACTUALLY BEEN SAVED FIRST.”

DARN IT! I WAS ACTUALLY STARTING TO BUY INTO THE COMPANY LINE.

I GUESS WE’RE NOT AT THE FINISH LINE JUST YET.

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY