Football has gotten me through a lot of situations in my life. Some have been good and memorable and some have been hard and emotionally taxing. Regardless, the thought of whatever I have to deal with football will be there for me.
To be a Saskatchewan Roughrider fan you have to be a little nutty it seems. You have to have faith and belief no matter what. A few years ago I had a health issue and found myself undergoing 2 MRI's within the same year. I remember laying in the MRI machine prior to training camp and thinking I just have to get through this and then I can see all my favourite players at camp. Darian Durant was still with the team at that time and I recall just thinking about how great it would be to see him lead the team again. The faith I carry as a Christian and the faith I have as a Rider fan helped me through that. My test results were normal and I was blessed to attend training camp that year.
This year as I'd written about early on, maybe back in April or May was that I had become a little numb to what was going on with my team this year. That certainly wasn't a good look as an admin on ABC Rider Fans or as a blogger who usually shared in the excitement or all the football events. Looking back I'm not sure why exactly I felt that way. Chris Jones had left for the NFL. We had a new GM Jeremy O'Day and a new head coach in Craig Dickenson. We still had relatively the same team and had done well in Free Agency and draft. I still felt very "meh" about the whole thing.
I was unable to attend Training Camp in Saskatoon in 2019. Not only did it coincide with my major music festival which I prepare all my close to 40 students for but there was a medical emergency in our family. My Mother in Law was at our house for a week while my Father in Law was in the hospital. Family comes before football and we didn't attend a single workout and missed the Fan Day at Gordie Howe Bowl.
Then the season started. I met Henry Burris and Matt Dunigan. Zach Collaros went down the 3rd play of the season. Cody Fajardo emerged as starter. Corndogs and Sprinkles of Jesus happened. I was right back in it. I started to feel a belief in the team that I hadn't felt in a really long time. I was always on board with the Chris Jones era but I began to realize what all those "why won't Jones wear green" people were trying to say. The Saskatchewan Roughriders regained their personality. People like Charleston Hughes had already endeared us with his surfing celebration but others like LJ McCray stood out. Manny Arceneaux with his veteran advice and presence. I can't be remiss in mentioning how many games came down to the foot of Brett Lauther. We knew their names again and we cheered and rejoiced. United in Green again.
I had gallbladder surgery at the beginning of August. I was glad to have that over with. I was fortunate because it didn't coincide with work or football games. I was able to attend the August 24th game against the Redblacks. I was still a little sore and bandaged but the promise of football made it all pain free. Kerry Joseph and Neal Hughes were inducted into the Plaza of Honour that weekend and it was phenomenal to see them both.
Lot's of fans on ABC Rider Fans and other pages as well as Twitter have said they were happy with the season the Riders had. When Collaros went down at the beginning of the season and maybe even before that the Riders were pretty much counted out. No one could have predicted a 13 win season for the first time since 1972. They were able to finish first in the west for the first time since 2009. We all know what happened that year. As I write this I can see Riders OC Paul LaPolice throwing his headset in the booth at the botched play but I also remember that the game had been lost a few plays earlier. It never comes down to just one thing but several things. The same could be set for the West Final the Riders hosted on November 17th.
I attended my very first West Final. We didn't know the week leading up if we'd be able to attend or not. Hubby has had to work lots of over time recently. I've had some health concerns pop up again. I had listed my tickets for sale but at a price I knew most wouldn't pay because I really wanted to go. Friday night while I was at work teaching my rock stars I received an email from Hubby "I hope our tickets haven't sold". I could have danced and strutted around my classroom but I didn't...I restrained myself. The weather was terrific. I didn't need my heavy duty gloves I had bought but I did make use of the mens long underwear I had bought just for the game. The Costco salesperson had joked that she hoped security didn't check because I said I didn't care they were mens * laughs * It was plus temperatures and sunny and it was all there for the Roughriders to take in their spiffy retro uniforms.
During pregame I saw Randy Ambrosie on the sidelines and I knew. I knew the Riders weren't going to win. Oh how I wanted them to win. We couldn't let those danged Bombers win in our stadium again. In my little green heart I dreaded it.
It doesn't come down to balls hitting the goal post uprights. The game was lost before that. There are several plays and while I'm certainly no offensive coordinator for the life of me I don't understand why the Riders didn't use their run game. Three times in the scoring zone and came away with field goals or fumbles or turnovers. You can't win like that. When I look back now that it's been a few days I even wonder if the Bombers were really playing full tilt or not. I don't think they really had to even if it felt the Riders controlled part of the game. We shot ourselves in the foot. We were our own worst enemy and that wasn't new either. It had happened all season long from penalties or other stupid mistakes and play calls.
We didn't stick around to see the Bombers get awarded the Western Conference Trophy. Back on the bus back to the mall where our car was parked fans seemed fine. It was often quiet on the fan buses anyway. I heard lots of well it was a good season. I even joked and said "well we really want to win it all at home next year anyway." When we returned back to Saskatoon and I went online to all the fan pages I found that people were rather complacent. In season passed there'd be outrage or drama or something. It was oddly quiet. While I had regained my mojo had others lost theirs?
What's a worse pain in the butt than enduring a Blue Bomber victory at Mosaic Stadium? The fact that because of those earlier health issues you'd have to endure yet another test Tuesday. A necessary evil. I had a sigmoidoscopy. It's a less invasive form of colonoscopy. This time I didn't have the promise of my Riders next week. This time it was my own faith that had to carry me through. My faith and support from family and friends. I can tell you that everything went fine and the test was normal.
What's next? Well I know that the future for the Roughriders looks bright. We have a starting quarterback found and locked up for the first time in what feels like years. There are a lot of free agents but a lot of players will be back and new faces will arrive in Riderville. It is the cycle of football and life in the CFL.
I've tried to be a really good CFL fan. Both the Hamilton TigerCats and Winnipeg Blue Bombers have extensive drought from Grey Cup wins. One of them will end that drought. I've said all season long that this is Winnipeg's year. We have to wait until the 107th Grey Cup in Calgary (Calgree) to find out if that prophecy comes true. What I do know is that I want my fellow CFL fans who have also had some pretty rough years finally find some sunshine in their lives and a team win would do that for them.
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
From the Vault: A 2009 Blog Flashback
Earlier this week I began thinking about what my blog posts were like back in 2009. I know I wrote about my beloved Roughriders but the issue is that back then I wrote on a blogging platform that no longer exists in any form. I briefly tried out another site which I didn't care for either and eventually landed on Blogger. I tried to transfer the important things in an attempt to save what I thought were my good stories. Today I found this from 2009 Training Camp and beyond entitled: The Tale of the Wes Cates Shirt. Enjoy.
The thing about Wes Cates #20 is that he is a triple threat. He can carry the ball, he can catch the ball and he can block so his quarterback has time to throw the ball. His skill and versatility amazed me when he came to the Roughriders in 2007 from the Stampeders. But this isn’t really a story about the Columbus, Ohio native…..its about what has become known as “the Wes Cates shirt.”
same story for Weston Dressler. This was Darian Durant’s first year as starting quarterback and he stood all alone. I approached him and asked for a picture. He quietly obliged. Next we got a picture with Gene Makowsky, who nearly had to crouch down to my 5'3” level. Then I stood in line to see Wes Cates. He was the only one to put his arm around me like we were old pals getting a picture taken. I was slightly smitten. From that point on this particular Roughrider shirt has been coined “my Wes Cates shirt.”
The thing about Wes Cates #20 is that he is a triple threat. He can carry the ball, he can catch the ball and he can block so his quarterback has time to throw the ball. His skill and versatility amazed me when he came to the Roughriders in 2007 from the Stampeders. But this isn’t really a story about the Columbus, Ohio native…..its about what has become known as “the Wes Cates shirt.”
I didn’t have anything to wear to Green and White Fan Day 2009. The only store that sold Roughrider merchandise back then was the hot tub place on the corner of Idylwyld and 22nd Street here in the City of Bridges. It was a Friday that I stopped there to make a purchase and stock was limited. I chose a green [naturally] shirt with the Rider logo on the front trimmed in black and white.
My first official Roughrider shirt. I was very proud.
Perhaps…..too proud.
The next morning I was getting ready and waiting for Hubby and going about my business. I was already clad in my brand-spanking-new-shirt when thirst struck. We had purchased a flat of pop that consisted of orange, grape, cream soda, and root beer. I bent over the package on the kitchen floor and used the scissors [clearly a mistake] to cut an opening in the plastic so that I could remove my desired flavour. Disaster struck. My scissors punctured a hole in one of the cans as I had tried to remove it and the soda sprayed all over my brand-new-official-never-before-worn Roughrider shirt.
DOH!
I think I cried. I think I stomped around. I took off my beloved shirt and sponged off the front as best as I could and used the hair dryer to dry the spots. Hubby said he couldn’t see any visible spots. It was going to be okay.
Off we went to the Fan Day at Griffiths Stadium. Hubby was wearing his Andy Fantuz jersey but with the mob surrounding him…..we were never going to get an autograph. It was the
The tale doesn’t end there. For every time I wore my Wes Cates shirt the team performed well…..really well in fact. Then it came to my attention that if it met with an unfortunate accident, such as a spill, on game day we would in fact win. I’m not really superstitious but you can’t ignore occurrences like that!
Last fall when we played the Stampeders in the Western Final the shirt met with such an accident. The Stampeders were an exceptional team in the 2010 season. They were the team to beat. I wasn’t entirely sure we could do it and I have HUGE Rider faith. I don’t know what was on our menu for supper but I do recall that the salad dressing was almost empty so I had tipped it so all the dressing would pour when I was ready. Wouldn’t you know it? It burped extreme ranch dill dressing all over the front of my Wes Cates shirt. It was a giant globbed mess. The Riders went on to win in over time 20 – 16.
I wore the shirt for the first pre-season game this year but not the second.
The shirt does not lie.
This season (2010/2011?), Wes Cates’ position may be challenged by back-flipping Hugh Charles or newcomer Brandon West but no matter what…..come game day…..July 3rd I will be clad in my West Cates shirt to cheer my team, the green and white, on to victory and if I happen to spill a little something-something down the front…..well, we are all the better for it.
It's 2019 and I no longer have this shirt. As with everybody and as time passes our bodies change and the washing machine becomes vengeful and shrinks out clothes. I'm pretty sure I donated the shirt to the Salvation Army as I go through out closets a few times a year. Someone somewhere has this shirt and it would only be fitting that they also have a beverage accident this Sunday November 17th when the Saskatchewan Roughriders take on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Western Final for the first time since 1972...when I was merely 2 months old. I was probably dribbling down my clothes then too. * wink *
GO RIDERS.
Monday, November 4, 2019
Sandra's WK21 CFL Power Grouping
Week 21. If I didn't know better I'd swear the season just started however the cooler temps and skiff of snow on the ground (along with Christmas décor in all the stores) tells me different. We have indeed reached the end of the regular CFL season.
Before we look at how the season ended let's flashback to Week 1 and what my power grouping looked like then.
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| Flashback to Week 1 |
Moving on. Here is how the season finished.
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| How the season wrapped up |
Conversation about declining attendance is becoming an annoyance. There was only 29,000 fans at Mosaic Stadium. "ONLY". Now it's being said that once the Roughriders secured first place in the west that the Western Final better be a sell out. I'm a season ticket holder so by hell or high water (or a blizzard) I will be there but I don't blame anyone else who decides not to attend. It's warmer at home, the bathroom is right there and snacks are just a trot to the fridge. How people and fans consume entertainment of any kind has drastically changed in recent years and we shouldn't begrudge anyone for making a choice to support from afar.
I also read a commentary from a fan complaining about the entertainment at the football games and saying there's a lack of halftime shows. Isn't the football supposed to be the entertainment and all the other stuff is a plus? Also there were several halftime concerts throughout this season and on Saturday at the Rider game someone won a brand new Cadillac. It was fun watching that go down. What other entertainment do we need? Have our attention spans become so warped we can't even watch football now?
Put down your phone! After you finish reading this...
So I think my "ranking" speaks for itself. Hamilton has the best record in the league. The Roughriders eked one out with a last minute pick 6 from Cameron Judge. What do we have to do to get his dad to a game? Winnipeg was on bye week so they just sat back watching and wondering who they are going to be playing next week in the West Semi Final. The Edmonton Eskimos are crossing over to the East to visit the Montreal Alouettes who have had a heck of a season after Kavis was relieved. Talk on ABC Rider Fans has been about who we'd rather play in the West Final and while that's up in the air we all agree we hope they annihilate each other before the Riders play either Winnipeg or Calgary. Personally, I don't care for the Collaros versus Fajardo storyline and would far rather we play the Stampeders. Only time will tell how that all plays out. One thing is for certain, it's possibly now viewed as the single thing that changed the Roughriders season for the better...Zach Collaros being injured 3 plays in to Game 1. I don't mean that maliciously at all, but because of that Cody Fajardo emerged as a leader and fan favourite eating corndogs and creating a belief system with his Sprinkles of Jesus that the club and fans haven't felt for years.
I don't do post season rankings so this will be the last one from me but you can certainly look forward to other posts following the playoffs and off season. This Rider fan isn't planning on the off season coming soon.
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