All the Rider Fans in Riderville

Hello!

...how are you?

It's been a long time.

It was Grey Cup weekend and I thought I should write a blog. Then I didn't. Then it was the week after and Chris Jones was hired by the Saskatchewan Roughriders and I thought I should write a blog. I didn't. Then half the 2015 roster was released and I still didn't write about it. Suddenly it was Christmas recital season for me and the holidays which are so busy for us all and I realized I hadn't written a word since November 2015.

I was also a tiny bit concerned that no one seemed to notice.

Meh.

We are all busy and have lives to lead. I hope that every Rider fan in Riderville and other far off places was treated well by Rider Claus. I was! I got a cowbell, a Rider Farewell tee shirt and the Johanny Jutras book. I'm set for the 2016 season. I'm probably the only female to be happy with these gifts!

On Grey Cup Sunday Gary Lawless talked about the possibility of Chris Jones leaving the Edmonton Eskimos for the Roughriders. The Eskies then won the 2015 Grey Cup which was held in a miraculously warm Winnipeg. One week later I strung a string of lights on my wooden reindeer and Co-Op Roughrider bear and switched them on. I tweeted a photo and mentioned Rider Claus. The very next tweet I saw was that the Roughriders had hired Chris Jones not only as Head Coach but as General Manager and Vice President of Operations.

GASP

It's shocking. Eskimo fans freaked out. My family in Edmonton were saying not so pleasant things for the holiday season and then the other foot dropped. The whole coaching staff except for one followed Jones to good old Saskie. “Poached” seemed to be a common reference across the boarder while all the Rider fans sang and danced like all the little Who's in Whoville on CHRISmas morning.

Yes, in the past I was annoyed and disappointed with Chris Jones' behaviour as it's no secret he avoided shaking hands and missed having the team on the field for the anthem on occasion. When I tuned into TSN for the press conference all that was seemingly erased because it turns out Chris Jones is a totally likable human being. He talked about his philosophy and his family and all the things I thought I had figured out over the 2015 horrific season were obliterated with the epic singular action by President Craig Reynolds.

What I like most is the decisiveness of Chris Jones. There was no messing around. Nope. The axe fell on many big time players and free agents like Terrell Maze, Tyron Brackenridge and Weldon Brown. My Husband chanted “Terrell Maze” over and over again as he tried to console himself. I found myself not really surprised at all. You have to pull the band-aid off before you get used to it being there. Chris Jones had no relationships with these players and he couldn't keep them here just because they were nice guys and the fans liked them. If they didn't do their jobs in 2015 they were gone. Simple as that. If they were slow or undersized or made too much money. Gone.

Chris Jones cemented his role. He is the Head Coach and not the Riders Life Coach.

Who have I become? At one time this would have made me crazy!

Heck, I even cheered on Henry Burris in Grey Cup 103!

~ insert shocked expression here ~

Here we are in 2016 and it turns out I am a person who has decided to stop being offended by 'stuff'.

I'm not sure the Roughrider releases are done. At the same time I think our team, Canada's Team, will acquire some players who will impress and delight us. For the first time in the longest time I can remember the Roughriders are holding open tryouts at the mini camps in the US. I am reminded of a story by Donald Narcisse who was given money by his mother and told to go to a tryout. This alone makes my little green Rider heart grow a size.

Before we know it, Free Agency will be here. Training Camp rumblings will begin. The off season will be over. We are living in an exciting time. We are evolving. The team we love dearly is rebuilding, we are bidding ado to Taylor Field at Mosaic Stadium and we are moving toward the future franchise we can only desire in our wildest dreams.

Here's to all the best in 2016! Let's ride into the Mosaic sunset being the best fans in the league. I can't wait to see you there.