TUESDAY COMMENTARY – SKIN IN THE GAME

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

IT’S TOO EARLY IN THE WEEK TO START TALKING ABOUT SUPER BOWL 55, ALTHOUGH I’D LOVE TO.

I’M REALLY BUYING INTO THE HYPE THAT BUCCANEERS/CHIEFS, BRADY VS MAHOMES, IS THE GREATEST SUPER BOWL MATCH-UP EVER.

BUT THERE’S PLENTY OF TIME FOR THAT.

NO, THE NEWS AT HAND TODAY PERTAINS TO THE CFL. THE LEAGUE OFFICE IN TORONTO LET GO 10 MORE PEOPLE ON MONDAY, PERMANENTLY WE’RE TOLD. SOME OF THEM, CFL LIFERS.

FROM WHAT I CAN SEE, THE ONLY PERSON REPORTING ON IT IS SPORTSNET’S ARASH MADANI BUT I’VE BEEN RECEIVING MESSAGES FROM THE INSIDE TOO.

UNFORTUNATELY, THIS WAS PREDICTABLE. IN FACT, I’M LEFT TO WONDER WHAT TOOK SO LONG?

THE LONGER WE GO WITHOUT AN ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE 2021 SEASON MEANS THERE’S STILL A CHANCE THEY’LL PLAY.

TO DO THAT, THEY’VE GOT TO STRIP IT RIGHT DOWN BECAUSE THEIR NUMBER-ONE COST IS LABOUR.

I CAN’T TELL YOU WHETHER THEY’LL PLAY OR NOT, BUT I CAN GUARANTEE YOU I’LL TELL YOU WHAT I KNOW AND I WON’T TRY TO SNOW YOU. NEVER HAVE, NEVER WILL.

TROUBLE IS, WHEN YOU TALK TO FOOTBALL PEOPLE THEY’RE GENERALLY OPTIMISTIC. ONE STAKEHOLDER TOLD ME RECENTLY “THE LEAGUE IS COMMITTED TO PLAY”.

YOU GET YOUR HOPES UP.

AND THEN, AS RECENTLY AS LAST NIGHT, A BUSINESS PERSON WHO’S NOT REALLY A FOOTBALL FAN LOOKED ME STRAIGHT IN THE FACE AND SAID, “ROD, THERE’S NO WAY THEY CAN PLAY. JUST LOOK AT THE STATE OF VACCINATIONS AND THE ECONOMICS OF SPORTS RIGHT NOW”.

SO IT SEEMS THIS ALL DEPENDS ON YOUR PERSPECTIVE, AND HOW MUCH SKIN YOU HAVE IN THE GAME.

I DON’T HAVE MUCH, BUT I SURE AM ENJOYING FOLLOWING THE STORY.

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