MONDAY CAT COUNTRY COMMENTARY – 2021?

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

IT FEELS LIKE WE’RE FINALLY GETTING SOMEWHERE.

WE’RE ONE WEEK PAST THE CFL CANCELLING ITS SEASON AND THE PLAYERS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED THEY’LL BE RECEIVING THE CERB AND THEY ALSO HAVE THE OPTION TO TEAR UP THEIR CURRENT CONTRACT IF THEY CHOOSE.

ROUGHRIDERS KICKER BRETT LAUTHER WAS THE FIRST TO DO SO, AND THERE WILL BE MORE. HOWEVER CODY FAJARDO WILL NOT, AS HE’S CHOSEN TO STAY WITH SASKATCHEWAN TO REPAY THE LOYALTY THE RIDERS SHOWED HIM WHEN THEY GAVE HIM A RICH 2-YEAR CONTRACT LAST YEAR.

THESE DEVELOPMENTS ARE SOMEWHAT PREDICTABLE AND THAT SHOULDN’T BE A SURPRISE. THE CFL HAS ALWAYS KNOWN FOOTBALL.

WHAT THEY’VE STRUGGLED WITH IS DOLLARS AND CENTS, AND MARKETING THEIR GREAT PRODUCT.

AND THAT’S THE CONUNDRUM THE LEAGUE CURRENTLY FINDS ITSELF IN. WITH THIS SEASON GONE, PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO TALK ABOUT THE 2021 CAMPAIGN AND IT’S DICEY WHETHER IT’LL BE A ‘GO’ EITHER.

THE CURRENT ECONOMICS OF THE CFL SIMPLY WON’T ALLOW FOR A BUBBLE CITY NEXT SEASON, EVEN ON A HAMSTRING BUDGET. IF IT DID, THEY’D BE PLAYING NOW.

THE CFL’S TV CONTRACT WITH TSN MAY NOT BE LAVISH BUT IT AT LEAST COVERS THE ENTIRE PLAYER PAYROLL OF EVERY TEAM. THAT’S A PRETTY GOOD PLACE TO START.

BUT IF WE’RE NOT ALLOWED TO FILL THESE BEAUTIFUL STADIUMS FROM COAST-TO-COAST BECAUSE OF THE VIRUS, NEXT SEASON’S A WRITE-OFF TOO.

SO IT’S TRUE … GOVERNMENT HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE RUNNING THE CFL.

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