WEDNESDAY COMMENTARY – SEEING IS BELIEVING

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

TUESDAY PROVED TO BE QUITE A FAIRLY POSITIVE DAY FOR CANADIAN SPORTS.

IT BEGAN WITH HAMILTON TIGER-CATS OWNER BOB YOUNG TAKING TO TWITTER USING THE TERM “SILLY” TO DESCRIBE A REPORT BY SPORTSNET’S ARASH MADANI THAT THE 2021 CFL SEASON IS STILL IN JEOPARDY.

THE MAN WHO CALLS HIMSELF THE “CARETAKER” SAID “OF COURSE THERE WILL BE A CFL SEASON”.

THAT CERTAINLY GOT CFL FANS AND PLAYERS ALIKE VERY EXCITED BUT I’M STILL IN THE CAMP OF “I’LL BELIEVE IT WHEN I SEE IT”.

BOB’S A GOOD MAN AND HE DIDN’T GET TO WHERE HE IS BY BEING A LIAR. HOWEVER LOTS OF GOOD LEADERS ARE ALSO GOOD PEOPLE BUT THEY’VE BEEN TOTALLY WRONG WHEN IT COMES TO A RETURN TO PLAY IN THE PANDEMIC.

BUT THEN LATER IN THE DAY NEWS CAME DOWN FROM BOTH THE MONTREAL CANADIENS AND QUEBEC GOVERNMENT THAT THE HOCKEY TEAM WILL BE ALLOWED 25-HUNDRED FANS FOR A HOME PLAYOFF GAME NEXT WEEK AGAINST THE TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS.

THAT REPRESENTS 12 PERCENT OF BELL CENTRE CAPACITY, WHICH IS THE LARGEST ARENA IN THE NHL.

THE CFL’S MONTREAL ALOUETTES ISSUED A STATEMENT UPON THIS NEWS SAYING THEY’RE ENCOURAGED AND DON’T EXPECT TO KICKOFF THEIR HOME SCHEDULE UNTIL SEPTEMBER SO WHO KNOWS WHAT THE COVID SITUATION WILL BE BY THEN?

THIS WAS ALL GREAT UNTIL WE HEARD THAT AT THE SAME TIME AS THE MONTREAL NEWS, ONE OF THE COUNTRY’S TOP DOCTORS, DR. NJOO, WAS TELLING A NEWS CONFERENCE IN ONTARIO THAT CROWDS AT SPORTING EVENTS ACROSS CANADA WEREN’T BEING “SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED” AT THIS TIME.

IF THERE WAS EVER A CASE OF THE LEFT HAND NOT KNOWING WHAT THE RIGHT HAND IS DOING, THIS IS IT.

BUT IT IS LARGELY POSITIVE, AS IS VACCINATION NEWS ACROSS THIS COUNTRY AND PARTICULARLY WITH OUR NEIGHBOURS ALBERTA AND MANITOBA.

I THINK IT WAS TWO MONTHS AGO I MADE THE DECLARATION THAT I’M NOT HOLDING ANYONE TO THEIR WORD AS FAR AS PREDICTIONS AND PROJECTIONS GO BECAUSE WE’VE SEEN THE LEADERS BE PROVEN WRONG SO MANY TIMES OVER THE PAST 15 MONTHS AND THAT’S NOT EVEN THEIR FAULT.

SO WITH REGARDS TO THE CFL KICKING OFF IN AUGUST – OR EVEN FANS ATTENDING HABS GAMES – IT REMAINS, I’LL BELIEVE IT WHEN I SEE IT.

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY.