Home Field Advantage

How many days has it been now since sports was cancelled?  I honestly can't remember.  It seemed so crazy at the time when the NBA season was cancelled and shortly thereafter all major sports and events followed suite.  The CFL training camps have been postponed and we are waiting word as to what will happen to the season.  The city of Toronto has banned all events until July.  It feels surreal.  It feels like we are in some kind of apocalyptic movie.  We've all found a new way of life and we continue to adapt to all kinds of isolated situations.

A few months ago my biggest disappointment was that Roughrider training camp was moved back to Regina for 2020.  

A couple of years ago I had some minor health problems.  I had two breast MRI's that year.  I won't go into details but they aren't very comfortable and if you've ever had an MRI you'll know that you cannot move while in the chamber.  What got me through was the constant visual in my head that when it was all over I'd get to hang out at training camp in Saskatoon at Griffith Stadium.  

My husband had to travel to Toronto for eye surgery.  It was a two week trip.  At the beginning of it we attended a Roughriders versus Argonauts game at BMO Field.  While the game was prior to the surgery it made the trip so much more endurable when we got to start it off that way.  We engaged with fans and Torontonians and it made our hearts full.

I've seen on ABC Rider Fans (not a plug - just my experience) posts from members saying 'thank you for this group because it's helped me through cancer treatment'.  Most recently a member said thank you for continuing to bring fans together when I posted the weekly Sunday Funday post which I actually had hesitated in doing for a few weeks.  I mean - we all know what we are doing on Sunday now, right.  

Football gets us through a lot of things in life.  We form groups and communities.  We wear our Roughriders and CFL colours everywhere we travel.  We share, rejoice and commiserate.  What are we left to do when our event isn't there anymore.

We adapt.  

No the CFL news articles aren't there for us to banter over anymore but teams are finding new ways to reach out.  There's colouring books and activity books where families are encouraged to post and share their work.  Quarterbacks are challenging each other to online games.  Fans are going to remember which teams were there for them when it mattered most and fans will reciprocate with their loyalty. 

For myself you'd think a profession such as piano teacher would mean I am out of a job.  Not so.  In the course of 24 hours I went from in person lessons to teaching via Skype.  I retained nearly all of my students and I am so thankful that they are able to continue with me and I can share the music with them.  My husband works from his basement office.  We are blessed to still have jobs in a time when so many others won't.  

I may not have the football at the end of the covid tunnel but I know we will get through this too.  When football is ready for us - we will be ready for it.  

Won't it be glorious when Rider Nation can gather at Mosaic Stadium once again.  Just 30,000 of our closest friends...shoulder to shoulder...cowbell in hand.

I can almost hear the noise.

This is the time when home field advantage matters most. For now, STAY HOME.  We can beat this if we stay apart.  Stay apart so we can be together again soon.