MONDAY CAT COUNTRY COMMENTARY

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

WHETHER WE’VE MADE MUCH PROGRESS IN SPORTS OVER THE PAST 123 DAYS OF THE PANDEMIC IS A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE.

IF YOU’RE A CFL PLAYER OR FAN, IT WOULD APPEAR THERE’S BEEN NONE. IT CAN ACTUALLY BE QUITE DEPRESSING IF YOU LET IT.

ON THE FLIPSIDE, MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER REMARKABLY RETURNED TO PLAY LAST WEDNESDAY WITH THEIR YEAR-END TOURNAMENT IN A BUBBLE AT DISNEY WORLD IN ORLANDO.

NHL TRAINING CAMPS OPEN IN 24 MARKETS TODAY AND THIS TRULY SEEMS TO BE A “HELL OR HIGH WATER” SITUATION FOR COMMISSIONER GARY BETTMAN AND THE OWNERS. WHILE LONG-TIME NHL’ER BRENT SOPEL HUFFED ON THE ROD PEDERSEN SHOW A FEW WEEKS AGO THAT A RETURN TO PLAY FOR THE NHL IS STUPID, I DON’T THINK ANY OF THE REST OF US GAVE A SECOND THOUGHT TO SCRAPPING THE SEASON. AND I COULDN’T BE HAPPIER THAT THEY’RE GONNA PLAY.

THE NFL HAS TRIMMED TWO GAMES FROM ITS PRESEASON BUT OTHER THAN THAT, THEY’VE BEEN DETERMIMED ALL ALONG TO PLAY IN 2020. I’LL BELIEVE WHEN I SEE IT, BUT PRAY FOR THE BEST.

AND THERE’S BEEN PROGRESS MADE IN PLANNING FOR THE WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE. I’VE STUDIED IT CLOSELY AND THE WINNIPEG FREE PRESS REPORTS THERE WILL BE SHORTENED TRAINING CAMPS WITH ONLY 30 OR SO PLAYERS PER TEAM IN AN ATTEMPT TO CUTDOWN NUMBERS AND POSSIBLE COVID INFECTIONS.

AND THERE’S STRONG POTENTIAL FOR PLAYING JUST WITHIN THE DIVISIONS WHEREBY THE WARRIORS, PATS, ICE, WHEAT KINGS, RAIDERS AND BLADES WOULD PLAY 68 GAMES AGAINST EACH OTHER AND THE AMERICAN TEAMS COULD PLAY AMONGST THEMSELVES WITHOUT HAVING TO COME INTO CANADA.

IT’S AWKWARD, BUT IT’S SOMETHING. AND DON’T LOOK NOW BUT IT’S ALREADY MID-JULY. HOCKEY IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER.

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