THURSDAY COMMENTARY – GREY CUPS PAST

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

IT IS NOT ADVISABLE TO LIVE IN THE PAST BUT FOR THIS WEEK, I’M ALLOWING IT …

THE CFL IS TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO STAY IN THE NEWS BY HOLDING ITS VIRTUAL GREY CUP UNITE WEEK AND THERE’S ALREADY BEEN A STRING OF EVENTS INCLUDING PANEL SESSIONS WITH COACHES, PLAYERS AND THE COMMISSIONER.

FOR MANY, IT HAS DUG UP MEMORIES OF GREY CUPS PAST AND I’VE APPEARED ON SHOWS ALL ACROSS THE LAND TO DISCUSS MY TOP MEMORIES, AND THE FUTURE OF THE LEAGUE.

FRANKLY, I’VE LOVED IT. THE QUESTIONS THAT HAVE COME UP INCLUDED – HOW WOULD YOU COMPARE THE 2007 AND 2013 RIDER TEAMS? WHO’S THE BEST GREY CUP CFL TEAM OF ALL-TIME? OR WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE GREY CUP THAT DIDN’TINVOLVE THE ROUGHRIDERS?

THE FACT IS, I HADN’T THOUGHT ABOUT THESE THINGS FOR QUITE SOME TIME BECAUSE I PREFER TO LOOK THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD OF LIFE, RATHER THAN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR.

BUT GOING BACK IN TIME HAS BEEN FABULOUS AND MOST TIMES THE ONES DOING THE INTERVIEWS WERE JUST SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN WHEN THESE GREY CUPS WERE PLAYED.

THE GREY CUP IS STILL KNOWN AS CANADA’S SINGLE GREATEST SPORTING EVENT BUT SOMEHOW THE CFL HAS BEEN KNOCKED DOWN THE LADDER OF RELEVANCE ON THE SPORTING LANDSCAPE IN THIS COUNTRY.

AND THE PANDEMIC CERTAINLY HASN’T HELPED.

IF YOU LOVE THE GREY CUP AND CANADIAN FOOTBALL, SPEND SOME TIME THINKING ABOUT HOW YOU CAN HELP IT RETURN TO WHERE IT USED TO BE.

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