Say Something

Say Something, I'm giving up on you

I'll be the one, if you want me to

Anywhere, I would have followed you

Say something, I'm giving up on you

This seems to be the song of Ridernation after the disastrous loss to the Hamilton TigerCats on Saturday evening. Many who couldn't stand it anymore flipped over to the live Tragically Hip concert on CBC. Those who stuck around took to the radio airwaves to speak their grievances. We are all bewildered, sad and embarrassed. There's not much that can be said that hasn't already. This indeed is the deepest of down weeks.

I always try to relate football to aspects of my life. I am a piano teacher by evening and even though it sounds crazy, I often tell my students not to practise before a big performance. It can work a couple of ways... 1) You use up all your intensity practicing then the performance is a flop or 2) You discover or create new mistakes and they become your focus and 3) You should be prepared before your performance and shouldn't require the practise. I think all three of these things happened to our Riders. Of course they have to practise but we also know it wasn't going well because Jones tore a strip off them so in an effort to be better the focus became about the mistakes and you know what? You focus on the bad and the bad happens. You draw to you what you fret about.

Shakespeare said “Expectation is the root of all heartache.” How true! When the Chris Jones hire was announced what did you think would happen? The Riders were severely broken in 2015. Did ya think he had a magic fix-the-Riders wand? Wave it and he turns 3-15 into 15-3? Jones and company's first season with the Edmonton Eskimo's ended in 6-12. Even though the Riders are 1-7 at this point in the season, 6-12 could be realistically how they end the season. I'd be okay with that purely because it's an improvement over last season. I didn't expect magic; I only expected better.

When the first massive release happened it was shocking BUT how many of those players got signed elsewhere? Brackenridge retired. There was only two Db's who signed...Macho Harris in Winnipeg and Tristan Jackson in Ottawa. That tells me that they weren't worth it to us or any other CFL team. Then the Chick/Dressler/Smith release happened. Now honestly, I could care less if they're upset. They should know by now that football is a business. Have they been lighting up the league? Only against us really and Dressler and Smith have spent a fair share of their Bomber time on the injured list. There's something to be said for how Wally Bueno builds a CFL team. Remember when he released Geroy Simon or Jason Clermont? They were on the downside of their careers. It had to happen to bring in the next guy and rebuild. There is no point to hanging on to a player or players for loyalty or personality or because he's a “fan favourite” then be stuck when he does retire or is forced to retire due to injury or because of their salary you can't afford an up and comer.

Yes, it's true, there are lot's of new Rider players names and you don't know their names or numbers. I've even heard a certain media outlet complain about not knowing who the new guys are. Well excuse me, but if I can figure it out and have since training camp (which I don't recall seeing you at) then why can't you WHEN IT'S YOUR JOB! Meanwhile, the impact of your thoughts and words are heard in Ridernation and they believe you much to the chagrin of the green and white loyalists. A revolving door of players they say but the only new player on the offense was Caleb Holley who had a feature in the Leader-post August 17^th.....FOUR days before the game. The information is out there if you look for it. Get to know these players now so you aren't stuck when they're household names. Get ahead of the curve. I always relate it to this...in 2008 you didn't know who Weston Dressler was either.

Beyond a team that played horribly in all facets, we have the officials and crazy CFL rules to deal with. I watch every CFL game every week and I see it in every game. I think it's the definition of the rules in the first place and the referee's who aren't skilled enough to make the right calls. They don't know what to call and sometimes throw a flag in case there was something or they miss something blatant. This is what the challenge was supposed to fix. Instead, coaches have found a way to bend the rules and manage to get calls for things that have no impact on the play. Every coach has done it. Then this year they came out with the “eye in the sky” which I still haven't figured out what they're supposed to do except in the last game they stopped play because the refs had spotted the ball wrong. They couldn't even spot the ball correctly! I certainly don't know how to fix anything but it seems to me at this point there is no going back. Some games have taken years off my life. It's frustrating to watch and many fans are turning away.

~ Life is not about how you survive the storm;

it's about how you dance in the rain ~

Well, in Ridernation right now it's pouring. We might be having a really hard time. Nothing is going our way.  We've been fined and taken a beating.  I still love this team and these players. You won't hear me wanting to fire coaches or make trades. I'm leaving that to the people in the know. I know in my Rider green heart that the wins will come. Then another win will happen. Maybe some more and then we'll be rolling. That's when we can dance. Let's be there for the 2016 Roughriders. They need our support not our criticism. I know I'll be in green come game day. I hope you are too.  Let's make some Farewell Memories.