TUESDAY COMMENTARY – ALWAYS ENTERTAINING

(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98 FM & Rock 98.5 FM)

WE SAT AROUND THE STUDIO AFTER HOURS THE OTHER DAY AND DEBATED WHAT’S THE BIGGEST STORY IN THE CFL THESE DAYS?

PRETTY MUCH EVERYONE SAID, “INJURIES”.

AND IT SEEMS NO TEAM’S BEEN HIT HARDER THAN YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBOURHOOD SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS.

ON MONDAY COACH CRAIG DICKENSON REVEALED A FIFTH PLAYER HAS HAD HIS SEASON ENDED WITH A TORN ACHILLES TENDON. IT WAS ROOKIE DEFENSIVE LINEMAN TIM WILLIAMS, A FORMER MEMBER OF THE ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE.

FROM THE REPORTS I’VE SEEN, THAT’S EIGHT ACHILLES TENDON RUPTURES ACROSS THE CFL, AND THEY’RE ONLY HALFWAY THROUGH TRAINING CAMP.

BUT THAT’S NOT ALL. THE TORONTO ARGONAUTS ARE WATCHING A HAMSTRING INJURY TO PRIZED FREE AGENT QUARTERBACK NICK ARBUCKLE CLOSELY WHILE IN CALGARY, BO LEVI MITCHELL’S MISSING TIME WITH WHAT THE CLUB CALLS “SORENESS”.

THAT’S THE SAME STORY IN OTTAWA WITH THEIR NUMBER ONE QUARTERBACK, MATT NICHOLS.

I FOLLOW A LOT OF RIDER FANS ON TWITTER AND THEIR REACTION TO THIS NEWS HAS BEEN ENTERTAINING. ONE ASKED ON THE WEEKEND IF THERE WILL BE ANY PLAYERS LEFT BY WEEK 1 ON AUGUST 5?

YOU CAN BE ASSURED CODY FAJARDO HAS BEEN FITTED WITH BUBBLE WRAP.

THE OTHER STORY IS THE VETERANS GETTING CUT ACROSS THE LEAGUE, INCLUDING NAAMAN ROOSEVELT IN MONTREAL, AND KENNY STAFFORD AND KEVIN BROWN IN EDMONTON.

BOTH THOSE ELKS PLAYERS TOOK ISSUE WITH THE REASONS THEY WERE LET GO. BROWN HAD A BIG PROBLEM WITH TEAM MEDIA SAYING THERE WERE INJURY ISSUES WHILE KEVIN MAINTAINS HE HASN’T BEEN INJURED AT ALL.

ISN’T IT A BUGGER WHEN PLAYERS HAVE THEIR OWN TWITTER ACCOUNTS?

THE GAMES HAVEN’T EVEN STARTED YET, BUT THE ENTERTAINMENT HAS ALREADY BEGUN.

THE SHAME OF IT ALL IS THE WORK THESE PLAYERS HAVE PUT IN ONLY TO BE CAST ASIDE.

BUT AS WE SAID YESTERDAY, IT’S NOT A GAME. IT’S A BUSINESS.

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY