THURSDAY COMMENTARY – SPRING IS IN THE AIR

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

WE’VE LEARNED SO MANY THINGS DURING THIS PANDEMIC AND HERE’S ANOTHER: THERE WILL ALWAYS BE FOOTBALL.

WHETHER THE VARIOUS LEAGUES ARE ABLE TO SURVIVE OR NOT IS ANOTHER MATTER, BUT YOU CAN’T KILL A SPORT.

THE VERY FIRST LEAGUE TO GO DOWN WAS THE XFL, WHO CANCELLED ITS SEASON FIVE WEEKS IN AND WENT BANKRUPT A FEW WEEKS LATER. ALL BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC.

I DON’T NEED TO TELL YOU WHAT’S GOING ON WITH THE CANADIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE. THEY CANCELLED THIS SEASON AND NEXT YEAR DOESN’T LOOK REAL PROMISING AT THE MOMENT EITHER.

HOWEVER FORMER ROUGHRIDER QB DREW TATE SENT ME A NOTE THIS WEEK AND ASKED IF I’D WATCH HIS GAME ON FOX SPORTS 1 WEDNESDAY NIGHT. DREW’S COACHING IN THE SPRING LEAGUE, WHICH IS A 5-WEEK LEAGUE IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. THE LEAGUE BILLS ITSELF AS A DEVELOPMENTAL LEAGUE FOR THE NFL, AND HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE 2017.

I ACTUALLY THOUGHT IT WAS KIND OF CUTE THAT DREW REACHED OUT AND ASKED ME TO WATCH. IT REMINDED ME OF MY NEPHEW BRETT ASKING ME TO COME TO HIS REGINA MINOR FOOTBALL GAMES.

SO I TUNED IN. IT ACTUALLY WASN’T TOO BAD. HOWEVER FORMER ARGOS QUARTERBACK MCLEOD BETHEL-THOMPSON WAS THE STAR OF THE DOUBLEHEADER, THROWING FOR OVER 300 YARDS AND TWO TOUCHDOWNS AS HIS TEAM WON IN OVERTIME.

THE QUALITY OF PLAY WASN’T AS HIGH AS THE CFL’S, BUT A BIG REASON IS THE PLAYERS ARE VERY YOUNG (MOSTLY RIGHT OUT OF COLLEGE). MCBETH’S TIME IN THE PROS WAS VERY EVIDENT.

BUT THAT DOESN’T MATTER. THESE GUYS ARE PLAYING FOR ALMOST NOTHING, JUST FOR A CHANCE TO GET ON NATIONAL TV AND BE SEEN BY NFL TEAMS.

THERE WILL ALWAYS BE PLAYERS WHO WANT TO PLAY AND COACHES TO WANT TO COACH. THERE WILL ALSO ALWAYS BE FANS WHO WANT TO WATCH ON TV, EVEN IF THEY AREN’T ALLOWED IN THE STADIUM.

THERE ARE PLENTY OF LESSONS TO BE LEARNED HERE FOR THE CFL.

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