WEDNESDAY COMMENTARY: CFL – CONFUSING FOOTBALL LEAGUE

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

OVER THE YEARS THE LETTERS C-F-L HAVE JOKINGLY BEEN ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS, BESIDES CANADIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE.

FOR THE MAJORITY OF MY 20 YEARS IN THE LEAGUE, WE ALWAYS JOKED C-F-L STOOD FOR, “CASH FLOW LOW”.

BUT THESE DAYS A CASE COULD BE MADE FOR THE “CONFUSING FOOTBALL LEAGUE”. I’LL TELL YOU WHY.

IT BEGAN LAST WEEK, WHICH WE OUTLINED HERE, WHEN VARIOUS TEAM OWNERS, CHAIRMEN AND COACHES PRETTY MUCH GUARANTEED THE LEAGUE WOULD PLAY IN 2021.

BUT WHEN THE PLAYERS PUSHED THEM FOR A GUARANTEE AND SOME DETAILS, THEY WENT SILENT.

TUESDAY WAS ANOTHER PARTICULARLY CONFUSING DAY WHEN THE BC PREMIER SAID HE’D LIKE TO SEE THE CFL MOVE THEIR AUGUST 5 TARGET DATE BACK A FEW WEEKS.

MEANWHILE AT THE SAME TIME LIONS PRESIDENT RICK LALECHEUR WAS QUOTED AS SAYING A 14-GAME SCHEDULE IS CLOSE TO BEING RELEASED, WITH AN AUGUST 5 START DATE.

THE ONTARIO GOVERNMENT’S SAID THERE WILL BE NO LARGE GATHERINGS ALL SUMMER. THE BC GOVERNMENT SAID THERE WON’T BE ANY TILL NEXT WINTER.

AND THEN WE SEE QUOTES FROM THOSE SAME PEOPLE SAYING PERHAPS THE CFL’S AUGUST 5 KICKOFF IS POSSIBLE.

A FAIRLY REPUTABLE AMERICAN FOOTBALL WEBSITE – PROFOOTBALLTALK.COM – REPORTED TUESDAY THAT PLAYERS HAVE BEEN GIVEN ALL THE DATES FOR THE SUMMER AND THE LEAGUE WILL KICKOFF IN AUGUST. WITHIN HOURS, 3DOWNNATION POSTED A STORY QUOTING ANONYMOUS PLAYER AGENTS WHO SAY THAT IS DEFINITELY NOT THE CASE.

LIKE, WHEN DOES IT END?

THE AGONIZING THING FOR ME IS PLAYERS AND COACHES HAVE BEEN TEXTING THIS WEEK, ASKING IF I THINK THE SEASON WILL KICKOFF ON AUGUST 5. THEY KNOW I WON’T B.S. ‘EM.

I FOLLOW THE NEWS REPORTS JUST LIKE THEM, BUT SOME HAVE ASKED WHY SOME TEAMS WOULD GUARANTEE A SEASON WHEN IT’S BEEN REPORTED OTHER TEAMS DON’T WANT TO PLAY AT ALL?

CAN YOU IMAGINE THE AGONY THESE GUYS ARE IN? PARTICULARLY AFTER NOT DRAWING A FULL PAYCHEQUE IN OVER A YEAR-AND-A-HALF.

IF YOU PUT A GUN TO MY HEAD, I’D HAVE TO PREDICT THE CFL WON’T KICKOFF ON AUGUST 5 AND I HAVE SERIOUS DOUBTS THEY SEE THE FIELD AT ALL.

WE ALL WANT THE LEAGUE TO PLAY BUT THE CFL’S BIGGEST PROBLEM ISN’T THE VIRUS ANYMORE.

IT’S THE FACT THAT NINE TEAMS CAN’T AGREE ON WHAT’S BEST FOR THE CFL AND I CAN SEE ALL THE BICKERING LEADING THEM TO THE GRAVE.

I HOPE I’M WRONG.

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY