My Dad worked for the PA Daily Herald as Press Room Foreman for half of his life. He had immense pride in his work and I enjoyed the excursions he would take me on when we'd pop in on a day off. I remember the smell of the machinery and ink like it's hanging in the air in my dining room as I type this. I remember the excitement as the first editions of the newspaper would roll off the presses. I suspect this is why when it was time for me to go off to university I chose journalism...however, I was already teaching piano at that point and well, my heart wasn't quite in the whole university scene.
But I remember that feeling as the press bells sounded and it whirred to life....
Saturday I felt my little green heart whir back to life just like that. We attended the Roughriders Fan Day at SMF Field. The event started at 2pm with cheer leaders, Gainer and face painting. At 3pm was the State of the Union address. 4 o'clock was what I was really there for and that was for the Scrimmage game. We found some good seats relatively easy even though there was a very large crowd on hand. I was doused in sunblock in the 30 degree sun...having learned that lesson the hard way at Griffith Stadium Monday. Then, Rod Pederson came over the PA system "Introducing your Saskatchewan Roughriders!" and the crowd leapt to their feet, me included, clapping and cheering and I thought....I wish I had remembered my cowbell.
I'm not going to recap the scrimmage because frankly you can find that info almost anywhere. What I will tell you was that it was fun fun fun. The team looked totally improved from last season and even though there were time count violations they looked much more cohesive than before as well. There's wasn't scrambling and it appeared as though every player knew their assignments. There was a sense of camaraderie and that rippled through the crowd as we compared comments with our neighbours in the stands. It was so much fun to see Chad Owens, Willie Jefferson, Duron Carter and others not only do their jobs but get that acceptance from Ridernation.
After the game, Rider fans were invited to stand along the fence and the players would come to us for autographs and pictures. Hubby and I found our spot beside a young man who had an injured wrist from a sport and was delighted when players asked him what happened. The other side of me was a young boy who barely reached the height of the fence and he was very particular in who signed his shirt. Myself, I got every players autograph except for Vince Young who for some reason didn't start at the end of the field and only signed half the autographs. It was terrific and awe inspiring to meet these players up close...some sharing jokes and thanking us for coming out.
There is a big connection between the Roughriders and the city of Saskatoon. We give them our bikes to use for 3 weeks but we also give them our thumping green hearts. We turn out in droves (pay the U of S to park) and tolerate the elements for a glimpse of the newest Riders. We LOVE having you in our city and I hope you keep coming back. For some of these people/fans, it's their only chance to see and meet a professional football player and I know it's my only chance to connect too. I have American friends and family who ask how I manage to meet these players because it's practically unheard of to meet an NFL player. We are so incredibly lucky and blessed to be able to see our Roughriders develop in front of our eyes over the training camp weeks.
We all love our Riders and there is nothing more fantastic than talking about it with fellow fans. We meet up at Camp and discuss this and that. It's a commonality in the grocery store lineup as well as at the football field. Walking into SMF Field at Gordie Howe Bowl and seeing all the Rider green...well, it's so great to walk among my people. Besides the music studio, Ridernation is where I fit in best. We accept you for the green jersey, the green hair, the pirate patch, the watermelon helmet...the costume doesn't matter...you are one of us.
The next best family is the CFL family. Sure, we have varying opinions and loyalties but we all end up cheering for the same teams come November. The CFL family is bigger than just football. We share in joy, pain and loss. I've seen more fan bases come together this off season than any other to support our fans. You might be a Bomber fan and come off as annoying but so does my older brother. Under the football umbrella we can all come together and forget about our worldly troubles. Isn't it awesome!?!
This Saturday is the pre-season game between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers at new Mosaic Stadium. It will not be on any of the 5 TSN channels. I'm pretty excited to see the stadium from my new seats in section 126. It'll be amazing to once again chant Bring Em Out as the team runs on to the field, high five after touchdowns and ring that cowbell. If you recognize me come and say hi - we are family! Like Derek Dennis said to me at Fan Day, I am all in. That thumping of excitement in my chest and butterflies in my stomach can only mean one thing...football is back!
Go Riders Go!
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