WEDNESDAY COMMENTARY – OTTAWA … YOU’RE ON THE CLOCK

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

IF YOU DIDN’T FOLLOW THE 2021 CFL DRAFT LAST NIGHT, YOU TRULY MISSED OUT.

WHILE THERE WASN’T WEEKS OF ANTICIPATION LIKE THE NFL DRAFT NOR, REALLY, SCORES OF PLAYER PROFILES INTRODUCING YOU TO THE PROSPECTS, THAT DIDN’T MATTER.

THE 2-DAY CRESCENDO LEADING UP TO TUESDAY NIGHT’S LOTTERY GAVE CFL FANS ALL THEY NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT THE PLAYERS AND THEN THE TEAMS TOOK IT FROM THERE.

SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS? THE HAMILTON TIGER-CATS CHOSE FORMER NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS RECEIVER JAKE BURT WITH THE NUMBER ONE OVERALL PICK. HE PLAYED FOR BILL BELICHICK LAST YEAR, AND WAS BORN IN REGINA.

I KNOW. MIND-BLOWING.

WITH THE NUMBER TWO PICK, THE SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS CHOSE SASKATCHEWAN HUSKIES LINEBACKER NELSON LOKOMBO, WHICH I TOLD YOU YESTERDAY THEY WOULD.

I DIDN’T HAVE ANY INSIDE INFO THERE. BUT BEING AROUND RIDER G-M JEREMY O’DAY SINCE THE 90’S, I KNOW HOW HE THINKS.

52 MORE PLAYERS WERE SELECTED AFTER THAT AND SOME OF THE BIGGEST NEWS WAS THE RIVAL WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS TAKING REGINA RAMS KYLE BORSA AND ROBBIE LOWES. THE RIVALRY IS BACK ON!

A FRIEND FROM THE OTTAWA MEDIA CALLED ME AND SAID THE CFL DRAFT WILL NEVER BE A GLAMOROUS PRODUCTION LIKE THE NFL’S, SO I SHOULD GIVE IT UP. BUT I SAID TO PICTURE THIS …

A THEATRE IN OTTAWA PACKED WITH CFL FANS AND ON STAGE ARE THE COMMISSIONER, SOME OF THE FIRST ROUND PROSPECTS, TONY GABRIEL, RUSS JACKSON, MATT NICHOLS, PAUL LAPOLICE, MARCEL DESJARDINS AND THE TSN PANEL. ALL PAID FOR BY SPONSORSHIP FROM A BIG BOX STORE.

THE BEST BUY CFL DRAFT

THERE’S A MARCHING BAND AND CFL DRAFT MERCHANDISE ON SALE. *YOU CAN BUY EXACTLY WHAT THE PLAYERS ARE GETTING WHEN THEY WALK ON STAGE*.

IT’S NOT ABOUT THE PLAYERS. IT’S ABOUT THE EVENT, AND THE MARKETING.

HE SAID … I SOLD HIM ON IT.

MAYBE NEXT YEAR.

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY.