MONDAY CAT COUNTRY COMMENTARY

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

I’M STILL WAITING FOR AN ANSWER.

AS THE BIG FOUR SPORTS LEAGUES – NFL, NBA, MLB AND NHL – DISCUSS VARIOUS STAGES OF A RETURN TO PLAY, NEWS HAS TRICKLED DOWN THAT A GROWING NUMBER OF PLAYERS DON’T WANT TO.

NOW, THE MOST VOCAL OF THEM COME FROM THE NBA BUT THERE ARE PLAYERS IN ALL LEAGUES THAT FEAR THE CORONAVIRUS AND HAVE SAID PRIVATELY THEY’D PREFER TO STAY HOME. IN FACT ONE COACH TOLD ME THE PLAYERS HAVE MONEY IN THE BANK AND CAN AFFORD TO RIDE THIS OUT.

THE QUESTION I’M WAITING TO BE ANSWERED IS – IF FRONTLINE HEALTH WORKERS AND EVEN GROCERY STORE WORKERS HAVE REMAINED WORKING IN THE FACE OF THE CORONAVIRUS DESPITE EARNING THE TINIEST FRACTION OF A MILLIONAIRE PLAYER, THEN WHY CAN’T THE PLAYERS RETURN TO WORK TOO?

OH – IT’S BECAUSE THEY DON’T HAVE TO?

THEN IT’S THE CONSUMERS’ CHOICE WHETHER THEY WANT TO SUPPORT THESE PLAYERS AND LEAGUES ONCE THEY DO RETURN, BECAUSE THEY INEVITABLY WILL.

BUT SPARE ME WITH THE “WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER” RHETORIC. BECAUSE WE’RE NOT.

I AGREE WITH CHARLES BARKLEY THAT PRO ATHLETES SHOULDN’T HAVE TO BE ROLE MODELS BUT GUESS WHAT – THEY ARE.

YOUNG KIDS LOOK UP TO THEM, UNFORTUNATELY MORE THAN FIRST RESPONDERS AND FRANKLY MORE THAN ANYONE WHO SIMPLY PUTS IN AN HONEST DAY’S WORK FOR AN HONEST DAY’S PAY.

KIDS ARE LOOKING AT THESE PLAYERS AND THE PLAYERS ARE SAYING, “I’VE GOT MINE, FEND FOR YOURSELF”.

PERHAPS THAT ATTITUDE IS WHAT GOT US INTO THIS MESS IN THE FIRST PLACE.

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