WEDNESDAY COMMENTARY – AVOIDABLE SUFFERING

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

AS WE KNOW, LIFE’S ABOUT CHOICES. WE FACE THEM EVERYDAY.

SO AS WE SIT HERE ON THE CUSP OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON, WE’RE FACING MANY OF THEM.

WHERE WE’LL SPEND THE HOLIDAYS, HOW MUCH WE’LL SPEND, WHO TO SUPPORT, YADA, YADA, YADA. AT LEAST THAT’S ALL WITHIN OUR CONTROL.

AND, FROM A SPORTS PERSPECTIVE, I HOPE YOU’VE LONG AGO REALIZED THERE’S NOTHING WE CAN CONTROL THERE.

THAT INCLUDES IF AND WHEN YOUR FAVOURITE LEAGUES AND TEAMS WILL SEE ACTION IN 2021 AFTER THE WRITE-OFF THAT WAS 2020.

IT DAWNED ON ME THIS WEEK THAT WE’RE EXPERIENCING MUCH OF THE SAME EMOTIONS WE DID BACK IN MAY AND JUNE.

BACK THEN IT WAS A CONSTANT “WILL THEY OR WON’T THEY?”, AND UNLESS IT WAS A BIG LEAGUE, THE ANSWER WAS “THEY WON’T”. (EXCEPT FOR THE SJHL WHO STARTED A SEASON, THEN GOT SHUTDOWN THROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN).

IT’S A FASCINATING STUDY, IF YOU CARE. THERE’S ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT THE FOUR MAJOR LEAGUES (NFL, NBA, NHL AND MLB) WERE WAY, WAY OUT OF CONTROL IN TERMS OF SPENDING AND WITHOUT QUESTION, THEY’VE HIT THE ROCKS. SALARIES WILL PLUMMET.

BUT IT’S ONLY MONEY. THE PAINFUL OFF-SHOOT OF THIS IS THE CARNAGE THAT’S OCCURRED IN THE MID-LEVEL OUTFITS LIKE THE CFL, WHL, NATIONAL LACROSSE LEAGUE AND SO FORTH.

THE PRUNING THAT’S ABOUT TO GO ON IN THE BIG FOUR WAS NEEDED.

THE PAIN AND SUFFERING THAT’S ALREADY GOING ON IN THE MINOR LEAGUES, WAS NOT.

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