TUESDAY COMMENTARY – AN OTTAWA FUMBLE

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

WHERE DID WE LEAVE OFF ON FRIDAY?

AS IT TURNS OUT, A LOT CAN HAPPEN OVER THREE DAYS.

FRIDAY JUST BEFORE NOON THE WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE ANNOUNCED IT’S BRINGING THE SEVEN EAST DIVISION TEAMS INTO REGINA FOR A HUB CENTRE AND A 24-GAME SEASON BEGINNING MARCH 12.

FOR THE FANS, PLAYERS AND STAFF OF THOSE TEAMS, IT WAS REASON TO CELEBRATE.

UNFORTUNATELY FOR ALL OTHER LEVELS OF HOCKEY, IT WAS ANOTHER PUNCH IN THE GUT. THE MANITOBA JUNIOR LEAGUE CANCELLED ITS SEASON HOURS LATER AND MANY ARE WONDERING HOW FAR THE S-J WILL BE BEHIND?

IT DIDN’T TAKE LONG FOR PARENTS TO HOWL ON SOCIAL MEDIA WHY CAN’T THEIR KIDS PLAY MINOR HOCKEY WHEN THE WHL’S GOTTEN THE GREENLIGHT?

AFTER EXAMINING IT FOR THREE DAYS, I’VE CONCLUDED THAT IT’S ALL ABOUT TESTING AND THE WHL HAS SECURED THE SERVICES OF A PRIVATE LAB TO ENSURE THE VIRUS DOESN’T INVADE THEIR BUBBLE. NO COST TO THE TAXPAYERS, AND NO JUMPING THE LINE.

THE DUB HAS LONG BEEN REFERRED TO AS A “MINI-NHL” AND THIS IS PROOF OF THAT. NO OTHER AMATEUR LEAGUE – NOR APPARENTLY ANY OTHER SPORT – IN CANADA CAN AFFORD THE PRICETAG FOR THIS. BUT THE DUB CAN AND THAT’S WHY THEY’RE PLAYING.

MEANWHILE SATURDAY NIGHT A HANDFUL OF FORMER CFL’ERS WERE INVOLVED IN THE NEW FAN CONTROLLED FOOTBALL LEAGUE WHICH WAS BROADCAST TO 30-THOUSAND VIEWERS ON TWITCH. I WAS ONE THEM, AND I’D HAVE TO SAY I ENJOYED IT.

AND AS WE OPEN A NEW WEEK, CFL’ERS SUCH AS REIGNING MVP BRANDON BANKS ARE THREATENING TO RETIRE IF THE CFL DOESN’T PLAY IN 2021.

SO WE’RE FOLLOWING THAT SITUATION CLOSELY TOO AND IT APPEARS YOUR WORST FEARS AS A CFL FAN APPEAR TO BE TRUE – THE CFL WON’T PLAY UNLESS VACCINES ARE WIDESPREAD ACROSS THIS LAND, AND STADIUMS ARE OPENED UP.

UNFORTUNATELY OUR FEARLESS LEADER SEEMS TO BE DROPPING THE BALL ON THAT ONE.

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