All Heart - All In

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!

Life, Football & CFL Family

View from the CN Tower

Two months ago around this time I was getting ready to fly off to Toronto not only for a football game but for my husband's eye surgery. It was cheaper to fly out of Saskatoon on a Saturday so it was a big perk that my Saskatchewan Roughriders were playing the Toronto Argonauts at BMO Field October 15^th. This is my story of life, football and the CFL family.

Hubby, who mostly prefers to remain anonymous on my blog and social media, was born with pupils which were formed more tear drop shaped instead of round. This distorted his vision in his one good eye as the sight was lost in the other. At some time a cataract formed distorting and discolouring everything. To complicate the situation Hubby has glaucoma and fewer tendons than you or I. He was referred to Dr Ike Ahmed in Mississauga who we were told “is a rockstar” and could do surgery to correct the pupil, remove the cataract and do a procedure to eliminate the glaucoma. Dr. Ahmed grew up in Prince Albert Saskatchewan. He said he knew our case was special because of where we were from. Surgery was booked for October 19 and Hubby and I flew off on October 15^th.

Hubby outside BMO Field

We arrived in the 6ix with plenty of extra time. We rented a Volkswagon Jetta and drove to BMO Field. I was amazed at the parking. If you were coming from anywhere else the GO Train stop was right there. You'd almost never know a game was going to take place and the stadium was rather deserted except for the sound of a band practicing. We threw on our Rider jerseys and took a walk around BMO Field meeting a few other fans who were doing a similar thing. Then we wandered over to the Shipyard where the Riders were doing a tailgating fan fest type of thing. It was disappointing. Other Rider fans were there but besides a DJ playing music and games for the kiddies not much was really happening. We spent $9 on a “rink burger” and took in the sights from a park bench. I was wearing my 306 hat and at one point a lady came and asked me where I had bought it. With not much really happening we decided to leave but just beyond the gate I heard my name being called by the lovely @jfeliciao who introduced us to @TOBenfica.

I wish I had picture to prove it. * eyeroll * I guess that's what leaving home at 3am gets you!

Upon entering BMO Field we were greeted by an usher. He congratulated us on the construction of New Mosaic Stadium and asked how this one compares. BMO Field is a great venue! It's beautiful! I didn't even care that the field isn't painted because of the soccer turf. We sat on the non-bench side Row 2 right on the 55 yard line. Terrific seats except for the crazy blue seats on field level which don't really seem to have a function except take up valuable sideline space.

We met a couple seated beside us who drove from Kingston. I wish I had caught their names but I didn't. They were so friendly and we had fun chatting back and forth. They admitted they were casual fans and didn't follow the team or football really. We explained how we flew from Saskatchewan and they were surprised that we'd even come to a football game. I mentioned that we travel 2 hours each way to go to Roughriders home games and they were floored because as we all know the turn out at Argo's games is rather dismal. “There's so much going on here on any given day.” The lady talked. She said how during one game there had been a baseball game, a concert and other events going on. It's an aspect I truly hadn't though very much about. In Saskie, when we mention 'going to the game' we all know its a Rider game but in Toronto they have no idea what you're talking about. The following week while the Blue Jays were playing I overheard two people on the GO Train wondering why people were decked out in Jays gear. This is the kind of city Toronto is. I would like to hope if marketing was done properly or at all the hype to go to a football game would be there and sadly it takes a whole lot more than just a winning record. The players on the Argonauts deserve better from the people of Toronto.

“Who is your back up quarterback?” I asked.

“I don't know. I don't follow the team. We are just here for fun.”

Guess what? The Roughriders won! October 15^th was the only football game I saw my team win in person and I had to travel across Canada to see it happen. Darian #SignDurant Durant was on fire. Joe McKnight busted out of no where. WE HAVE A RUNNING GAME! I exclaimed. I saw the likes of Willy Jefferson who made my knees weak. Wow. This team on this day was incredible. Riders won 29 – 11. Joe Craig Jr returned a punt 85 yards for a touchdown, Ricky Collins made a crazy one handed catch and Joe McKnight rushed for 150 yards. This team....I loved this team.

McKnight lines up behind Durant

I love this league and the fans who support it. I've made friends with people who live everywhere in this nation and some outside of it with the common denominator being the CFL. I asked for prayers during Hubby's surgery and got support from a myriad of incredible people from directions, places to eat and one special person was horrified we had been eating out and wanted to cook us a meal which unfortunately didn't come to fruition due to scheduling. I want all of you to know that you made our process easier and I so very much appreciate all the support. Our prayers were answered and Hubby's surgery was an amazing success. Dr. Ahmed said we got the best outcome out of his patients that day and that Hubby's sight would only get better, so much so, it would be mind blowing. It could have been very different outcome and we had tried to prepare ourselves for anything. Our lives were changed for the better. It was miraculous. I am so thankful and we are so blessed.

Who would have thought years ago when I got involved with fandom of the Roughriders I would have found a community?! My People. We are like family who argue but don't you dare insult my sister! We are hard on each other being fans of different teams in the CFL but in the end we all come together. Sometimes it's for a celebration like the Grey Cup and other times it's mourning the heartbreaking untimely death of a player like Joe McKnight.

The Christmas season is upon us. It's the season of love, hope and peace. For everyone who was there for me I wish you togetherness, magic, wonder and more warm fuzzies than your heart can hold.

Merry Christmas, Happy 2017 and Go Riders Go!

Bye Weeks Suck

* clock ticks *

      * taps finger nails on the table *

          * pin drops *

Bye weeks suck.

I feel like I'm Charlie Brown and Linus waiting for the Great Pumpkin to arrive.  I need Lucy and her 5 cent psychiatrist booth stat. 

The doctor is in.

Our rebuilt Roughriders have gone into the bye week on a high note after a controversial win against the Hamilton TigerCats.  John Chick forgot where the visitors dressing room was, Doubles got bonked on the head and Angry Kent flipped out on the sidelines hitting a ref after a flag for the centre moving the ball forward at least six inches.  Who says the CFL is boring?

I'm not going to debate how or whether Filer moved the ball because I know what I saw with my own two eyes...four if you count my contacts (and no I don't own green goggles).  Yes, I saw Dan Clark do something very similar and not get flagged for it, but even if that were to happen, I'd have a hard time picturing Chris Jones throwing a tantrum of this magnitude on the sidelines.  The penalty itself, which Glen Suitor says he'd never heard of before, is found on page 33 of the CFL rules guidebook and is a section dealing with a centre who is perhaps trying to draw the opposing players offsides.  Interesting stuff!  Special thanks to @RbeesFan for delving into the rule book and finding it.  You rock!

I also see Austin's reaction as selfish.  His team had already taken the penalty then his behaviour gives his team another.  His outlandish expression of disbelief and waving his arms around looked childish and if I was a player that alone would make me embarrassed.  The second though that he decided to walk towards the referee shows he had intent for something.  Did he mean to smack the refs hand?  We'll never know.  What we do know is Kent Austin will be paying a $10,000 fine and receiving a box seat up in the booth which didn't seem to make a difference as the Calgary Stampeders steam rolled over them.  Hey Kent, $10,000 is a drop in the bucket.  Try paying $60,000 plus.

It's hard to believe Ridernation once had Kent Austin up on a pedestal for leading us to two Grey Cup championships.  Those of course being 1989 and 2007.  How far the mighty has fallen.

I wasn't at that game nor was I at the Husky's vs Rams game at New Mosaic Stadium.  I had looked at tickets months ago and for some reason Hubby and I thought there wasn't a rush.  The next thing you know the game is sold out.  I didn't get to see it on TV either because I am a Sasktel Max subscriber and not Shaw.  I can't win.  * eyeroll *  I did enjoy seeing all the photos posted on Twitter and Facebook from all the lucky ducks who were there for such a memorable day.  The sight lines look amazing and it sounds like there weren't any issues except for a few criticisms about the sound system being muffled.  This is why there are test events.  Now we just have to wait and find out what the other events are.  Rumblings around are that one event is a Metallica concert but I don't know where this rumour started and of course there is no way to know for sure.

We're movin' on up!  My Saskatchewan Roughriders signed Willy Jefferson and Jeff Fuller!  It's a Fuller House?!  No?  * crickets *  They say they just want to play and because they've played for Chris Jones before they want to play for him again.  There is something to be said for loyalty.  You know who has been the most loyal player of all?  Darian Durant.  Yet, there's been nothing much in the form of contract negotiations that we are hearing anyway.  Oh but there's rumours about the Montreal Allouettes inquiring about him.  I'm not sure they need to after their win this week with interim head coach Jacques Chapdelaine.  I know that Regina is Darian's home and I've heard him say things to the effect of how he wants to be a legendary quarterback in the history of the Roughriders much to as how we speak of Ron Lancaster.  At the same time, football is a business and you have to look out for number one...or four in this case, and go where your talents are required.  I'd really like to think it's not only about the money.  I'd really really like to think that Chris Jones (and company) knows how much Ridernation needs Doubles to be the Riders QB going in to New Mosaic Stadium.  So here we wait...

...and wait.

The next Roughrider game I'll be attending is the October 15th game in Toronto at BMO Field.  I'm pretty excited to have Row 2 tickets.  I'll be the gal in the 306 hat.  I'm bringing the 306 to the 6ix.         * wink *  Anyhow, I wish that this trip was just a cool CFL vacation but it's not.  It's a medical trip.  Hubby is having life altering high risk eye surgery to remove cataracts and repair glaucoma.  I'd appreciate all your prayers on this matter.  I know that no matter what CFL team we pull for on game day, in the end we are all fans of the same league and can accomplish incredible things when we band together.

Happy Thanksgiving and I'll catch ya on the flip side.  In the mean time...is the bye week over yet?  

Man, bye weeks suck.