WEDNESDAY COMMENTARY – IN A HEARTBEAT

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

IT WAS A WELCOME SIGHT.

THE ROUGHRIDERS POSTED A VIDEO TO THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS ON TUESDAY OF PLAYERS SHOWING UP ON BUSES TO MOSAIC STADIUM AND HAVING WHAT APPEARED TO BE A LIGHT WORKOUT ON THE TURF.

THEY WERE MASKED UP OF COURSE, AND CLAD IN GREEN T-SHIRTS AND SHORTS BUT EVEN THE MASKS COULD NOT HIDE THEIR EAR-TO-EAR GRINS.

I TRULY COULDN’T BELIEVE MY EYES. FOR A FEW REASONS ..

ONE, IT WAS JUST NICE TO SEE THE ROUGHRIDERS BACK. PERIOD. I FULLY EXPECT TRAINING CAMP WILL BEGIN ON TIME AND THE 2021 SEASON WILL KICKOFF AS PLANNED.

WHAT SURPRISED ME WAS THAT THE ROUGHRIDERS WERE GATHERED AT ALL, ONLY BECAUSE IN AN INTERVIEW WITH TORONTO RECEIVER RICKY COLLINS JUNIOR WHICH AIRS ON THE ROD PEDERSEN SHOW TODAY, RICKY SAID THE ARGOS HAD YET TO MEET IN PERSON AT ALL LET ALONE GET ON THE FIELD.

I’D ASKED COLLINS HOW THE BATTLE’S GOING BETWEEN VETERAN QUARTERBACKS NICK ARBUCKLE AND MCLEOD BETHEL-THOMPSON BUT HE JUST SHRUGGED AND SAID HE HADN’T SEEN THEM YET.

MEANWHILE IT WOULD BE A WEIRD FEELING FOR BRENDON LABATTE SEEING THAT RIDER VIDEO, IF HE’S ON INSTAGRAM AT ALL. AS WE’VE LEARNED, THE WEYBURN PRODUCT’S TAKING THE SEASON OFF, HAS BOUGHT AN R-V AND PLANS TO HAVE A SUMMER TO HIS FAMILY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HIS ADULT LIFE.

LIFE AFTER THE CFL CAN BE REALLY GREAT! BIG BLUE’S ABOUT TO FIND THAT OUT. BUT LIFE IN THE CFL IS GREAT TOO, MAYBE JUST NOT NOW.

MANY PLAYERS ACROSS THE LEAGUE HAVE BEMOANED ON TWITTER BEING CAGED UP IN THEIR DORM ROOMS, BEING PRISONERS OF THEIR OWN MIND AND BEING SUBJECTED TO BLAND CAFETERIA FOOD.

BUT AS A COACH IN TEXAS TOLD ME LAST WEEK, IF YOU WANT SOMETHING BAD ENOUGH, YOU’LL DO ANYTHING TO GET IT.

AND LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME WHEN THESE GUYS WERE ON THEIR COUCHES FACED WITH THE PROSPECT OF NEVER BEING ON A FIELD EVER AGAIN, THEY’D HAVE TAKEN THIS SCENARIO IN A HEARTBEAT.

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY