THURSDAY CAT COUNTRY COMMENTARY – NFL KICKOFF!

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

THE NFL SEASON KICKS OFF TONIGHT.

AND IT’S A DELICIOUS MATCH-UP AS THE DEFENDING SUPER BOWL CHAMPION KANSAS CITY CHIEFS HOST THE HOUSTON TEXANS AT 6:20 PM ON NBC.

IT ALL SEEMS SO NORMAL! BUT IT ISN’T.

THE NFL’S PRESEASON WAS WIPED OUT DUE TO CORONAVIRUS CONCERNS SO, IF YOU CAN BELIEVE, TONIGHT’S GAME WILL BE THE FIRST FOR BOTH TEAMS THIS SEASON. AFTER SIX STRAIGHT WEEKS OF PRACTICING.

INITIALLY I THOUGHT THIS WOULD LOOK ON TV MUCH LIKE MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL OR NHL GAMES BUT IT WON’T. THE NFL’S TAKING THE BASEBALL MODEL, WHERE THEY’RE NOT USING BUBBLES.

ABOUT 17,000 FANS WILL BE AT ARROWHEAD STADIUM TONIGHT, SOCIALLY-DISTANCED, REPRESENTING 25% CAPACITY.

SO IT WON’T LOOK TOTALLY WEIRD ON TV BUT I’M ALSO GUESSING IT’LL JUST BE LIKE HOCKEY PLAYOFF GAMES TO ME – ONCE THE GAME KICKS OFF, I’VE NOTICED NO DIFFERENCE.

THE OTHER INTERESTING THING IS THAT THE VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS TAKE ON THE DALLAS STARS IN GAME 3 OF THE STANLEY CUP WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL TONIGHT AT THE EXACT SAME TIME.

MY REMOTE CONTROL WILL BE HUMMING. OH TO HAVE CHOICES! IT ALMOST FEELS LIKE THE GOOD OL’ DAYS … OF LAST SPRING.

IT ALMOST MAKES YOU FORGET ABOUT THE PERILS AMATEUR LEAGUES AND THE CFL FACE BECAUSE OF COVID CONTROLS, AND BEING ON THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION.

ALMOST.

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