There is still a lot of uncertainty around the future of the CFL and of the 2020 season due to COVID-19, said Roughrider player and Weyburn product Brendon LaBatte, who talked about his football life and his serious interest in stock car racing as the guest speaker for the Weyburn Rotary Club.
He took part in the club鈥檚 Zoom meeting on Thursday, which connected him with all of the Rotary members, and he answered their questions in regard to his activities.
He told the members there are four main things in his life: his family, his football career, stock car racing, and a love of the outdoors, which he exercises through hunting and fishing, and his involvement with the Weyburn Wildlife Federation.
Brendon and his wife have three children, from the oldest who is seven and in Grade 2, to the youngest, a toddler of a year and a half, plus he has a Rottweiler who is a year old.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got quite a bit of chaos going on most days, but it鈥檚 still fun,鈥� grinned LaBatte.
Speaking to the uncertainty around the CFL and this season, he said, 鈥淔ootball has been up in the air with COVID. The CFL has been in the news lately,鈥� and the situation has not yet resolved.
He noted that in his second year in Winnipeg, he became a union rep for the players鈥� association, which he was involved with until he stepped back in 2014. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a time commitment as you鈥檙e in conference calls two to three times a week. It just got to be a time commitment I couldn鈥檛 deal with any more.鈥�
LaBatte said if the CFL ceases to operate, it won鈥檛 impact on his career so much as it would for a young man of 23 or 24 with aspirations of going on to the NFL.
鈥淚t鈥檚 starting to look more and more the season might not be happening this year,鈥� said LaBatte, adding, 鈥淚鈥檇 love to see the league stick around.鈥�
He doesn鈥檛 support the government bailing some teams out while others are left to themselves, and part of the problem is that the players association has not had access to the teams鈥� financials since 2009, so they haven鈥檛 been able to find out what sort of revenues the teams are getting.
Asked if he would be able to play if some games resumed, LaBatte said he is back to good health now.
鈥淚 got fixed up last year. I went down to Philadelphia and had the same procedure as Sidney Crosby, with the same doctor. It was a blessing to be able to get the diagnosis and get it fixed,鈥� he said.
Asked if the CFL might consider playing games without spectators, he replied, 鈥淚t has been discussed.鈥�
He didn鈥檛 think TV revenues would cover expenses with no revenue from spectators, from ticket sales to merchandise, food and beverages at the stadium. The TV deal with TSN brings in about $45 million, 鈥渨hich is the same as the salary cap for players. We鈥檇 need to find more revenue than TSN.鈥�
Another scenario that鈥檚 been talked about was centring all the games in two venues, one in the east and one in the west, 鈥渂ut I don鈥檛 know if that would be feasible. I don鈥檛 know how the league would afford that without the government helping.鈥�
This weekend was to have been the opening of training camp for the Riders, he noted. 鈥淭he coaches don鈥檛 know any more than we players do.鈥�
A Rotarian asked if they do have games, how they would keep themselves safe on the field, being that football is a contact sport?
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if that鈥檚 do-able. I don鈥檛 know, I can鈥檛 see wearing masks under the helmet,鈥� he said, pointing out that NASCAR started up on the weekend, albeit without any spectators. There鈥檚 also the fact that with players, coaches, trainers, equipment managers and others, each football team would have nearly 100 people on the sidelines.
Some had also suggested doing a half-season, starting after Labour Day, but LaBatte was doubtful this would be workable either. 鈥淚t could be quite a while before we see any contact sports.鈥�
His other major activity, in football鈥檚 offseason, is stock car racing, and he noted that he and his father had their outfit down in Arizona this past winter racing, and doing engine work for customers.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 where we were this year, in Yuma, Tuscon, Phoenix. That keeps me busy, plus I do ambassador work for the Wildlife Federation,鈥� said LaBatte.
Asked if he makes enough from racing to cover his expenses, LaBatte said as long as they are getting decent results, they can cover their expenses. 鈥淩ecently we鈥檝e been doing a bit more engine work for customers, setting guys鈥� springs, getting cars tuned up, providing parts. That keeps us busy at this stage of the game.鈥�
Rotarian Gwen Wright noted she and her husband used to watch him and his sister Lindsay race in Estevan, and asked if she still drives for them.
鈥淪he raced last year a couple times for us,鈥� he replied, noting she also has a family like he does that keeps her busy. For himself, he raced 13 times and twice was in the top 10.
鈥淲e were sitting in second in national points,鈥� said LaBatte, adding it was nice to beat some of the top American drivers in their own back yard.
He鈥檚 also enjoyed working with his dad in the shop, noting some of the best times they鈥檝e shared have been while working on cars.
Rotarian Sara Irwin asked how old he is, and what the average age of football players is.
LaBatte said he is 33, turning 34 in September, and guessed the average age for a lineback in the CFL is around 30. Players that depend on their speed can typically last about three years, he said, adding, 鈥淟inemen typically can play a little longer than a guy who relies on speed. There鈥檚 been guys who play until they鈥檙e 37-38. I don鈥檛 know if I鈥檒l be able to play that long.鈥�
With Regina to host the next Grey Cup, he said he鈥檇 like to be around at least that long before stepping down.
