WEDNESDAY CAT COUNTRY COMMENTARY

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

THIS WEEK IS ANOTHER ILLUSTRATION OF HOW SPORTS INTERTWINES WITH SOCIETY.

THE HOCKEY HALL OF FAME IS ANNOUNCING ITS 2020 INDUCTION CLASS AND THE GENERAL FEELING IS, AGAIN, THEOREN FLEURY WON’T BE A PART OF IT.

IT’S DISGRACEFUL, AND IT’S ANOTHER BLACK MARK ON HOCKEY.

IT’S OBVIOUS THE OXBOW, SASK PRODUCT HAS HAD A HALL OF FAME CAREER. A THOUSAND-PLUS GAMES, A THOUSAND-PLUS POINTS, A STANLEY CUP TITLE, AN OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL, PLAYED FOR CANADA’S WORLD JUNIOR TEAM … ON AND ON AND ON.

FRANKLY, IT’S A FAR BETTER CAREER THAN SOME GUYS WHO ARE IN THE HALL LIKE ERIC LINDROS AND PAVEL BURE.

FOR THE LONGEST TIME, I WASN’T OFFENDED BECAUSE THAT’S HOW HALL OF FAMES GO. ONE GUY ON THE SELECTION COMMITTEE HAS A BEEF, AND THAT’S ENOUGH TO KEEP YOU OUT.

BUT IT WAS THIS WEEK WHEN TSN’S GENO REDA REFERRED TO THE “STIGMA” ATTACHED TO A THEOREN FLEURY INDUCTION.

THAT’S WHEN I SNAPPED. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? AND THIS ISN’T DIRECTED AT GENO REDA, BUT RATHER AT HOCKEY AS A WHOLE.

SURE THE MAN SUFFERED FROM ADDICTION – WHICH HE CONQUERED OVER 13 YEARS AGO – BUT THAT WAS A PRODUCT OF BEING A VICTIM OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE, WHICH THE SPORT OF HOCKEY PUT HIM IN POSITION TO SUFFER IN THE FIRST PLACE!

HONESTLY I DIDN’T THINK THE HALL OF FAME SNUB WOULD BOTHER THEO BECAUSE HE’S GOT THE RINGS AND THE MEMORIES TO PROVE HE’S ONE OF THE ALL TIME GREATS.

BUT IT DOES BOTHER HIM, AND HE CONTINUES TO FIGHT “THE STIGMA” THAT TSN ADMITTED IS THERE.

AND THAT TELLS ME WE HAVEN’T COME VERY FAR IN HOCKEY AT ALL.

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