THURSDAY COMMENTARY – LIKE CHEESE THROUGH THE HOUR GLASS

(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98 & Rock 98.5 FM)

YESTERDAY WE TALKED HOCKEY.

TODAY WE’LL TALK ABOUT FOOTBALL.

THE RIDERS ARE ON, I THINK, DAY 6 OF TRAINING CAMP AND WE’LL GET TO THEM IN A MINUTE.

BUT I WATCH ESPN EVERY MORNING AND THEY DISCUSS THE NFL A MIND-NUMBING AMOUNT. AND THAT’S FINE, BUT YOU’D THINK THERE’D BE ANOTHER STORY BESIDES THE NASTY SITUATION IN GREEN BAY WITH QUARTERBACK AARON RODGERS. BUT THEY TALK ABOUT IT ON TV EVERYDAY, EVEN IF NOTHING’S CHANGED IN MONTHS.

THE 16-YEAR VETERAN AND FUTURE HALL OF FAMER HAS MADE IT KNOWN HE DOESN’T WANT TO CONTINUE HIS CAREER AT LAMBEAU FIELD, PRIMARILY BECAUSE HE DOESN’T FEEL VALUED BY THE FRANCHISE.

HE SKIPPED MINI-CAMP THIS SPRING AND NOW WITH TRAINING CAMP BEGINNING AT THE END OF THE MONTH, SOURCES CLOSE TO RODGERS SAY HE WON’T BE THERE EITHER.

STARE DOWNS LIKE THIS ALMOST ALWAYS COME DOWN TO LEVERAGE. WHO HAS THE MOST TO LOSE?

AND IF YOU WANT TO RELATE IT TO YOURSELF, WHO REALLY DOES FEEL TOTALLY VALUED AND APPRECIATED AT WORK? YET WE SHOW UP AND POUND THE ANVIL EVERYDAY KNOWING THEY’VE GOT US RIGHT WHERE THEY WANT US. WE NEED THE PAYCHEQUE.

HOWEVER AARON RODGERS DOES NOT. HE’S MADE $250-MILLION OVER THE COURSE OF HIS CAREER, AND THAT’S JUST ON THE FIELD. THAT FIGURE DOESN’T INCLUDE ENDORSEMENTS.

HE CAN AFFORD TO SIT OUT A YEAR, OR EVEN CALL IT A CAREER IF HE’S MIFFED ENOUGH OVER COMMENTS MADE BY PACKERS PRESIDENT MARK MURPHY.

CONSIDER TOM BRADY. HE FACED A SITUATION OF “LIKE IT OR LUMP IT” BY THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AND WE ALL KNOW HOW THAT TURNED OUT.

BRADY WON THE SUPER BOWL IN YEAR 1 WITH TAMPA BAY WHILE BELICHICK AND THE PATS WATCHED IT ON TV.

AS FOR THE CFL, IT’S BEEN MADE PRETTY CLEAR OVER THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF WHO HAS THE LEVERAGE THERE. SOME PLAYERS CHOSE TO “LUMP IT” WHEN FACED WITH THE DECISION TO PLAY MOST HAVE COMPLIED WITH THE RESTRICTIVE COVID RULES JUST FOR THE CHANCE TO PLAY BALL.

AND I GUESS IN CANADA, WHEN IT COMES TO SPORTS AND A VIRUS, IT’S STILL THE GOVERNMENT WHO’S THE MOST LEVERAGE OUT OF ANYONE.

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY