TUESDAY CAT COUNTRY COMMENTARY: GO WITH YOUR GUT

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

AT LEAST THE END IS IN SIGHT.

THURSDAY IS THE DEADLINE FOR CFL PLAYERS TO ACCEPT THE LEAGUE’S TAKE-IT-OR-LEAVE-IT OFFER TO PLAY A 6-GAME SEASON IN 2020 IN A HUB CITY.

SO BY FRIDAY, WE SHOULD GET A YAY OR NAY ON CFL FOOTBALL FOR THIS YEAR.

AND AFTER 132 PANDEMIC DAYS OF SEEMINGLY NOTHING GOING ON, THINGS REALLY HEATED UP ON MONDAY WHEN THE GOVERNMENTS OF MANITOBA AND SASKATCHEWAN ANNOUNCED THEY’VE SUBMITTED APPLICATIONS TO HOST THAT HUB CITY.

WE’RE TOLD THE WINNER ON THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE ANNOUNCED THIS WEEK TOO.

AS FOR THE PLAYERS, THERE’S BEEN PLENTY OF GRUMBLING FROM THEM ON TWITTER THIS SUMMER AND I’D SUGGEST … RIGHTFULLY SO. THIS IS NOW WEEK 7 AND THEY HAVEN’T BEEN PAID A DIME AND WHILE PEOPLE WONDER WHY PLAYERS SHOULD BE PAID IF THERE’S NO GAMES, THE PLAYERS SIMPLY WONDER WHY EVERYONE ELSE IN THE CFL IS GETTING PAID DURING THE PANDEMIC BUT NOT THEM?

NO ONE’S BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE AN ANSWER ON THAT.

AND THE PLAYERS ARE QUESTIONING THE PRO-RATED SALARY PITCH BY OWNERS BUT THERE’S REALLY NO WAY AROUND THAT. A PLAYER DUE TO MAKE 100-THOUSAND WILL PLAY FOR 33-THOUSAND BUT WHAT WOULD YOU EXPECT WHEN THE SCHEDULE’S BEEN SHORTENED BY TWO-THIRDS?

SO IN THE END WE EXPECT THE PLAYERS WILL VOTE IN FAVOUR OF PLAYING, ALBEIT RELUCTANTLY.

WE ALSO EXPECT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO PICK UP THE TAB FOR ALL THIS, AND FOR TSN TO AMEND THE BROADCAST CONTRACT AND CARRY THE GAMES.

MY GUT SAYS THEY’RE GOING TO PLAY BUT MY HEAD SAYS THEY WON’T. AND I’VE OFTEN BEEN TOLD TO GO WITH YOUR GUT, BECAUSE IT’S NEVER WRONG.

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