WEDNESDAY COMMENTARY – GOOD NEWS? NOT IF YOU’RE A CFL PLAYER

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

THERE’S NEVER A DULL MOMENT IN THE CFL.

TUESDAY EVENING TSN INSIDER DAVE NAYLOR REPORTED CFL OWNERS ARE PITCHING A 20 PERCENT PAYCUT TO ALL PLAYERS IN THE EVENT THEY NEED TO OPEN THE SEASON WITHOUT FANS.

THE PLAN STILL IS TO OPEN ON SCHEDULE IN JUNE, SO THAT’S THE GOOD NEWS.

I HEARD THE NEWS WHILE WALKING OUT OF THE BRANDT CENTRE AFTER CALLING THE PATS’ 8-3 LOSS TO WINNIPEG, AND TO BE HONEST, MY VERY FIRST THOUGHT WAS “HMM. SOUNDS LIKE THEY PLAN TO PLAY.”

MORE GOOD NEWS.

WHILE WALKING TO MY CAR, I SHOT A TEXT MESSAGE TO A CFL PLAYER AGENT TO GET HIS THOUGHTS.

BY THE TIME I GOT HOME (5 MINUTES), I HAD A RESPONSE. HE SAYS WE SHOULDN’T FORGET THAT GENERAL MANAGERS HAVE ALREADY BEEN DIRECTED TO SPEND THE MINIMUM AMOUNT POSSIBLE ON SALARIES IN 2021 SO THAT, COUPLED WITH A FURTHER 20 PERCENT CUT, MEANS SOME PLAYERS WILL BE TAKING A 30-40 PERCENT DECREASE. HIS QUOTE WAS “THAT’S A TOUGH ASK.”

HE WENT ON TO ASK IF THE TEAM PRESIDENTS, COACHES AND FRONT OFFICE STAFFS WILL BE TAKING A 20 PERCENT CUT TOO?

THAT IS A QUESTION I’D LOVE CFL LEADERS TO ANSWER.

BUT CONSIDER THIS – TEAM STAFF AND EXECUTIVES AREN’T SUBJECT TO THE SALARY CAP WHICH, IN 2021, IS $5.3-MILLION PER TEAM.

THAT’S AROUND THE AMOUNT EACH TEAM WILL RECEIVE IN THE TSN T-V CONTRACT WHICH KICKS IN ONLY IF THEY PLAY GAMES.

IF WE SAY ON AVERAGE ONE THIRD OF THE SALARY CAP HAS BEEN TRIMMED, THE TEAMS WILL STILL GET THE FULL AMOUNT FROM TSN. THAT LEAVES ALMOST 2-MILLION DOLLARS PER TEAM TO PLAY WITH. WITH EVEN MODERATE SPONSORSHIP DOLLARS ELSEWHERE, THERE’S A WAY FOR CFL TEAMS TO SURVIVE.

I WONDERED WHERE THEY’D GET THE MONEY TO PLAY, AND THIS IS HOW THE OWNERS HAVE FOUND A WAY TO DO IT.

THEY’RE JUST GONNA HAVE SOME SEVERELY DISGRUNTLED PLAYERS WEARING THEIR UNIFORMS.

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