THURSDAY COMMENTARY – COMMISSIONER FOR A DAY, PART II
The Edward Jones Dome, home of the St. Louis Rams.
(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98 & Rock 98.5 FM)
We’re gonna try this again.
On Wednesday’s Commentary I mentioned what I’d do differently if I was CFL Commissioner for a day.
Not surprisingly, people ran off with quite a few wrong ideas of what I meant. I’m certainly used to that, but here’s an attempt to straighten it out, plus another big tweak to the league we all love so much.
First, I wasn’t lobbying to actually be the Commissioner of the CFL. We already have one in Randy Ambrosie and there’s no reason to think he’s going anywhere anytime soon. In fact he’s done a nice job getting the league through Covid.
Plus, I don’t want the job. I’m doing exactly what I want to do in life right now.
Secondly, I mentioned tearing up the current TV contract with TSN and that got people thinking TSN isn’t doing a good enough job.
Wrong.
They’re doing as well as they can with an overworked and underpaid staff. The league’s decline in popularity has nothing to do with the efforts of TSN’s staff nor those at the league office.
The games just need to be on more networks, in front of more eyeballs because believe it or not, not everyone watches TSN. If the network sold off a game per week to Sportsnet, CBC or Game+, everybody could be happy.
And frankly I’m embarrassed to admit that I forgot the #1 thing I’d do if Commissioner For A Day. It would be to immediately grant 11 expansion teams to bring the total number of CFL teams to 20.
Saskatoon, Moncton and Quebec City in Canada and eight more across the U.S. beginning with St. Louis and San Diego, where they’re really missing the NFL.
The appetite for pro football in America is insatiable and the fact is they do love the CFL game. There’s no need to change the rules nor abolish the ratio (for Canadian teams anyway).
11 new teams at expansion fees of $10-million per team would add up to $110-million to be distributed across the current nine.
Got your attention now?
And lastly here’s a Pro Tip: If you really want to get peoples’ attention, talk CFL in the winter months.
Not too many others are.
That’s today’s Rod Pedersen Commentary
(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily on Game+ TV, YouTube Live & WQEE Radio)
Interesting thoughts, Rod. I agree we do need more TV/Streaming coverage of the CFL.
Just was wondering ..how legit was Mueller’s interest in the Riders? I don’t think it was the right time for him to leave the Stamps. What have you heard?
Once the QB carousel spins….who are your top two choices that you think we could end up with at QB?
Love your show!
Marc’s not interested in leaving Calgary anytime soon!
As far as QB’s go, your guess is as as good as mine for the Riders.
Where is the evidence that the league’s popularity is declining I live in Vancouver
BC Lions have become popular again ( see 30,000 people at the playoff game and attendance is up in Montreal? The two cities where attendance is down had horrible home records aka Edmonton didn’t win a game at home this year and I don’t Ottawa did either. They are both strong CFL cities ( and Ottawa lost their quarterback for most of the season When they win some games the interest will come back