TUESDAY CAT COUNTRY COMMENTARY

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

OUR BAN ON COVID-RELATED TALK LASTED JUST A COUPLE DAYS.

MONDAY’S NEWS THAT CANADA WEST IS CANCELLING ALL FALL SPORTS – INCLUDING UNIVERSITY FOOTALL – WAS A SHOT HEARD COAST TO COAST.

THE FALLOUT HAS BEEN IMMENSE. PLAYERS AND THEIR FAMILIES ARE LEFT WONDERING WHAT THIS MEANS TO THEIR REMAINING ELIGIBILITY, SCHOLARSHIPS AND SCHOOLING WHILE IT’S ALSO HAD AN IMPACT ON THE CFL DRAFT, AND IF U-SPORTS PLAYERS WILL NOW JUMP TO JUNIOR FOOTBALL FOR 2020.

A JUNIOR FOOTBALL SOURCE TELLS ME THAT LEAGUE PLANS TO PLAY THIS FALL, WHILE OTHERS CRY THAT’S JUMPING THE GUN.

TO ME, THAT’S NO DIFFERENT THAN THE NFL SAYING IT PLANS TO PLAY COME SEPTEMBER TOO. THIS IS ALL, OF COURSE, SUBJECT TO CHANGE. CFL COACHES WERE TOLD IN LATE-MARCH NO DISRUPTION TO THE REGULAR SEASON WAS EXPECTED, BUT THAT WENT BY THE WAYSIDE. NO ONE SEEMS TO REMEMBER OR CARE THAT THAT WAS A MISFIRE.

TO BE FRANK, CANADA WEST WAS REALLY THE FIRST LEAGUE TO PUT THEIR FOOT DOWN AND CANCEL THE UPCOMING SEASON. IS IT ADMIRABLE? I’M NOT SURE. THERE ARE MANY IN SPORTS WHO FEEL THIS IS THE UNIVERSITIES TAKING THE EASY WAY OUT. THEY’VE BEEN CUTTING SPORTS PROGRAMS TO BEGIN WITH, AND NOW COVID IS AN EASY SCAPEGOAT.

HOW MANY PROGRAMS COME BACK AFTER THIS? MY GUESS IS MOST OF THEM, BUT NOT ALL.

OF BIGGER CONCERN IS THAT TODAY MARKS DAY 90 OF THE PANDEMIC, BY MY COUNT. HARDLY ANYTHING’S BEEN LEARNED AND NOT MUCH PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE.

MY WIFE ASKED LAST NIGHT WHY THE KOREAN BASEBALL LEAGUE CAN PLAY WITHOUT FANS, BUT ALL THESE NORTH AMERICAN LEAGUES CAN’T?

DAMN – THAT WOMAN ASKS GREAT QUESTIONS.

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