TUESDAY CAT COUNTRY COMMENTARY

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

YOU MAY OR MAY NOT BELIEVE THIS, BUT THE ASSINIBOIA SOUTHERN REBELS ARE AHEAD OF THE CURVE.

YOUR LOCAL JUNIOR HOCKEY TEAM ANNOUNCED MONDAY THAT THEY’RE TAKING A ONE-YEAR LEAVE OF ABSENCE FROM THE PJHL DUE TO PROBLEMS CREATED BY COVID-19.

THEIR STATEMENT SAID IT WOULD BE “IRRESPONSIBLE” FOR THEM TO PLAY GAMES NEXT SEASON GIVEN THE IMPACT IT WOULD HAVE ON THE COMMUNITY.

EVENTUALLY THE OTHER LEAGUES ARE GOING TO REACH THE SAME CONCLUSION, UNLESS THE PANDEMIC ENDS IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, OR A DIFFERENT APPROACH BY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS IS TAKEN.

YOU SEE IN SPORTS ALL TEAMS ARE DOING THE EXACT SAME THING. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THE SIZE OF THEIR BANK ACCOUNTS. JUNIOR HOCKEY TEAMS AND PREP BASEBALL TEAMS HAVE THE SMALLEST BUDGETS, WHILE THE NFL, NBA AND THE LIKE HAVE THE LARGEST. SO THEY CAN AFFORD TO WAIT LONGER, WHILE CUTTING STAFF OR REDUCING SALARIES ALONG THE WAY.

BUT WITH NO GAMES, SPONSORSHIP OR TV REVENUE, THE BOTTOM LINE DWINDLES … MONTH BY MONTH.

THE BEST EXAMPLE OF THIS REALLY, IS THE CFL. THEY’RE HANGING ON FOR DEAR LIFE AND GOD BLESS COMMISSIONER RANDY AMBROSIE FOR EXHAUSTING EVERY AVENUE TO PLAY GAMES THIS YEAR.

IN THE MEANTIME, MORE SALARIES AND JOBS ARE GETTING CUT, SOON PLAYERS WILL BE TESTING POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS JUST LIKE THE NFL’S COWBOYS AND TEXANS, AND EVERYTHING’S GOING TO NEED TO BE PUSHED BACK.

THEN, THE MONEY BLEED CONTINUES UNTIL THE CFL’S FORCED INTO THE ONLY DECISION — TO TAKE A KNEE ON THE SEASON, JUST LIKE YOUR SOUTHERN REBELS DID.

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