TUESDAY CAT COUNTRY COMMENTARY

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

MONDAY VERY MUCH SEEMED LIKE A “TURN THE CORNER” DAY IN THE WORLD OF SPORTS.

WE LEARNED THE NHL IS HOPING FOR ITS PHASE 2 OF RE-OPENING TO OCCUR IN EARLY JUNE WITH PLAYERS HAVING THE OPTION TO RETURN TO TEAM FACILITIES. THE NFL SAID IT PLANS TO KICKOFF IN SEPTEMBER AS SCHEDULED, WITH FULL STADIUMS. AND THE NCAA CONFIRMED ITS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE IS ON TRACK TO BEGIN AUGUST 29^TH.

I EVEN FIELDED A CALL MONDAY NIGHT FROM A CFL FRONT OFFICE/PERSONNEL TYPE WHO WAS EXTREMELY OPTIMISTIC THAT THERE WILL BE PRO FOOTBALL PLAYED IN CANADA IN 2020. I DIDN’T ASK WHERE, HOW OR WHY, BUT SIMPLY SHARED IN HIS EXCITEMENT.

WHAT’S THE KEY IN ALL THIS? WELL AS WE LEARNED TUESDAY MORNING, IT’S MAJOR ADVANCEMENTS IN TESTING FOR CORONAVIRUS. NOT SURPRISINGLY, THE MEDICAL FIELD HAS BEEN WORKING ROUND-THE-CLOCK, BEHIND-THE-SCENES, ON THIS OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS – NOT JUST FOR SPORTS, BUT FOR SOCIETY IN GENERAL TO GET BACK TO WORK.

SPORTS JUST SEEMS TO BE A BENEFACTOR, AND IS PREPARED TO WAIT THEIR TURN. BUT THERE’S OPTIMISM – MORESO THAN THERE’S BEEN IN WEEKS.

AND TO BE HONEST, I THINK A RETURN TO SPORTS IS SO, SO IMPORTANT. ANOTHER THING YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ME IS THAT I MOONLIGHT AS A LICENSED RECOVERY COACH, WORKING WITH ATHLETES, ENTERTAINERS AND MILITARY WHO BATTLE MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION ISSUES.

WATCHING “THE MATCH” ON SUNDAY WITH THE GOLFERS AND QUARTERBACKS BROUGHT BACK SUCH A RANGE OF EMOTIONS FOR ME – LAUGHTER, SYMPATHY, ANGER AND ELATION.

IT WAS SUCH A NICE CHANGE FROM THE PRIOR 73 DAYS OF FEELING … NOTHING. AND THAT CAN BE DANGEROUS.

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