MONDAY COMMENTARY – WHEW! NOT LIVING A LIE

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

WHAT A MAJOR RELIEF IT WAS TO LEARN OVER THE WEEKEND THAT I AM NOT LIVING A LIE.

AFTER THE SASKATCHEWAN GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED $4-MILLION IN FUNDING FOR SASKATCHEWAN JUNIOR HOCKEY TEAMS WHO’VE BEEN BENCHED DUE TO COVID, YOU KNEW IT WOULDN’T BE LONG FOR OTHER PROVINCES FOLLOWED SUIT.

IN JUST A MATTER OF HOURS, B.C.’S JUNIOR TEAMS HAD A PROPOSAL SUBMITTED TO THEIR PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT FOR FUNDING.

WHILE NOTHING’S BEEN COMMITTED YET, THEIR HOCKEY BODIES GOT A MESSAGE FROM B.C.’S MINISTRY OF TOURISM, ARTS, CULTURE & SPORT WHICH READ “SPORTS PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN HELPING OUR COMMUNITIES HEAL ONCE THE PANDEMIC IS OVER.”

NOW WHILE THE LAST TIME I CHECKED, BANKING INSTITUTIONS DON’T ACCEPT WARM FUZZY FEELINGS, I VIEWED THIS ACKNOWLEDGMENT BY THE BC GOVERNMENT AS A MAJOR STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 10 MONTHS AT LEAST SOMEBODY HAS RECOGNIZED THE ROLE SPORTS PLAYS IN THE ECONOMY, CIVIC PRIDE, AND THE PUBLIC’S MENTAL HEALTH.

THE PHRASE “WHEN THE PANDEMIC IS OVER” GOT MY MIND DRIFTING TO THE DAY – GOD KNOWS WHEN – THAT OUR ARENAS AND STADIUMS ARE FULL AGAIN AND STRANGERS ARE HUGGING AND HIGH-FIVING IN THE STANDS AFTER A TOUCHDOWN OR BIG GOAL.

REMEMBER THAT?

FOR SURE IT’LL BE A GRADUAL CLIMB TO GET THERE, RATHER THAN SNAPPING OUR FINGERS FROM WHERE WE ARE NOW TO WHERE WE WANT TO BE.

BUT WITH THE GOVERNMENTS EITHER WRITING CHEQUES OR AT LEAST REALIZING THAT SPORTS TEAMS AND THEIR WORKERS ARE IN A DESPERATE SITUATION, THIS ILLUSTRATES A COUPLE THINGS:

SPORTS ARE IMPORTANT, AND PERHAPS WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.

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