WEDNESDAY COMMENTARY – R-E-L-I-E-F

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

I THINK I HAVE SOME GOOD NEWS TO SHARE TODAY.

ALL SIGNS SEEM TO BE POINTING TO THE CFL HITTING THE FIELD IN 2021, AFTER TAKING A KNEE IN 2020.

FROM WHAT’S BEEN SEEN PUBLICLY AND FROM WHAT I’VE HEARD BEHIND-THE-SCENES, WE WON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE CFL MISSING TWO SEASONS DUE TO THE PANDEMIC.

EVERY TEAM HAS MADE GOOD NEWS ANNOUNCEMENTS OVER THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS THAT PLAYERS HAVE RESTRUCTURED THEIR DEALS (SEE: TAKEN PAYCUTS) FOR 2021.

THANKS TO THE GOOD WORK BY 3DOWNNATION AND CERTAIN TSN INSIDERS, WE’VE LEARNED IN SOME CASES HOW MUCH THOSE CUTS WERE AND ALSO WHICH BIG NAME PLAYERS HAVE BEEN PRESENTED PAYCUTS, BUT HAVE YET TO DECIDE IF THEY’LL ACCEPT THEM.

MEANWHILE THE OTHER PRO LEAGUES HAVE PRESENTED THE CFL WITH THE HANDBOOK ON HOW TO PLAY AMID THE PANDEMIC AND A LOT OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH INCREASED SPONSORSHIP, BUT ALSO HOW TO FOLLOW HEALTH & SAFETY PROTOCOLS.

REDUCED SALARIES COMBINED WITH NEW OR BOOSTED REVENUE STREAMS SHOULD ADD UP TO US WATCHING THE CFL THIS YEAR, EVEN IF IT IS ONLY ON TV BECAUSE I DON’T EXPECT WE’LL BE ALLOWED IN STADIUMS.

AND FRANKLY, THIS COMES AS AN IMMENSE RELIEF. WE’VE FOUND A WAY TO STAY ON THE AIR THE PAST 10 MONTHS BY TALKING ABOUT OTHER THINGS BUT THE CFL WILL ALWAYS BE OUR BREAD AND BUTTER.

I ALSO THINK PEOPLE FORGET THERE WAS A TIME THE CFL AND NHL WERE HELD IN THE SAME REGARD IN THIS COUNTRY. THE SALARIES WEREN’T MUCH DIFFERENT EITHER. HOWEVER AS WE SIT HERE TODAY, THE TWO AREN’T EVEN IN THE SAME STRATOSPHERE.

THE ROAD BACK FOR THE CFL WILL BE A LONG ONE, BUT AS THEY SAY: THE JOURNEY OF A THOUSAND MILES BEGINS WITH A SINGLE STEP.

FOR THE CFL, THAT MEANS GETTING ON THE FIELD THIS YEAR WITH OR WITHOUT FANS.

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