THURSDAY CAT COUNTRY COMMENTARY

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

THEY’VE LONG SAID THAT THE WORLD COMES BACK STRONGER AFTER A CRISIS BUT WOW, HAVE WE GOT A LONG WAYS TO GO.

THIS CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC HAS HIT A LOT OF INDUSTRIES HARD BUT I CAN’T SEE ANY GROUP HIT HARDER THAN SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT.

AND AS A GUY WHO’S MADE A LIVING IN THIS RACKET FOR 30-PLUS YEARS, IT’S HEARTBREAKING. SPORTS HAS BEEN TAKING IT IN THE GRAPES FOR FOUR MONTHS AND COUNTING, WITH NO END IN SIGHT.

THIS ISN’T TO WHINE. IT’S BEEN A FANTASTIC CAREER FOR ME AND I’M COMING OUT FINE BUT IT’S THE YOUNG PEOPLE IN SPORTS WHO ARE BEING FORCED TO ABANDON THEIR DREAMS AND THE TEAMS THEMSELVES WHOM ARE SEEING THEIR ROOF CAVE IN. YOU JUST HAVEN’T HEARD OF THE FINAL TOLL YET.

I SHAKE MY FIST AT THE CLOUDS AND ASK “WHAT THE HELL DID SPORTS DO TO DESERVE THIS?”

PRO SPORTS IS A GIVEN. THE GREED HAS GOTTEN OUT OF CONTROL AND IT WAS ON A PACE THAT COULDN’T BE SUSTAINED. BUT UNIVERSITY AND AMATEUR SPORTS IS UNDER ATTACK TO THE POINT IT MAY NEVER RECOVER.

AND THE ATTACK ON TEAM NAMES IS JUST AN OFF-SHOOT OF THIS, BUT I STILL WONDER “WHY NOW?”

A LONGTIME CFL SOURCE IN EDMONTON TOLD ME WEDNESDAY THAT WE CAN EXPECT THE ESKIMOS TO INDEED CHANGE THEIR NAME DUE TO SPONSOR PRESSURE AND THAT IT UPSETS SOME PEOPLE IN THE INUIT COMMUNITY.

TO ME THE ESKIMOS, LIKE MOST OTHER TEAMS WITH FIRST NATIONS-ASSOCIATED NAMES LIKE THE WARRIORS, BLACKHAWKS, BRAVES AND EVEN THE FIGHTING SIOUX, TOOK UP THAT NAME TO HONOUR A FIERCE, BRAVE AND RESILIENT GROUP OF PEOPLE.

I ASK AGAIN – WHY IS SPORTS UNDER ATTACK, AND WHEN WILL ENOUGH BE ENOUGH?

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