Game of Numbers

23, 34, 1, 4, 81, 89, 7....

When the Saskatchewan Roughriders brought in Zach Collaros to compete for starting quarterback of the Saskatchewan Roughriders we all wondered if he'd be wearing number 4.  Cameron Judge is the current rookie player to don that jersey number and then we watched Zach in Regina unveil his 17 jersey, a number which Crezdon Butler wore in 2017.   Butler said he'll wear #5 in 2018 since it has now become available.  It all made me think about the attachment fans have to the numbers CFL players wear, how they change over the years and our memories and feelings.

There was a contest in the LeaderPost to choose a number for Quarterback Henry Burris. Ridernation chose the number 1. It's a number Hank wore throughout his career while Ridernation jeered at him at every game.  Flash forward to Kory Sheets...  his name evokes instant visions of #1 scooping up DD4's near fumble in the 2013 Grey Cup game which likely completely changed the momentum of that game. I wonder if anyone remembers that Marshay Green also wore number 1 and that one of his missed tackles (stood and watched the receiver run by)  had a distinct flavour in a game against Ottawa in 2015.  Jovon Johnson is the current #1 and is a proud member for the second time of the Roughriders who does incredible things for the community through fund raising for Lyme Disease.  His first tour of the Riders was in 2007 but because he felt he didn't deserve it, he regretfully sold his Grey Cup ring. 

Is Rider Nation ready to see another quarterback wear the number four? Part of me is relieved that Collaros didn't take that number.  There's just so many feelings associated with it and I don't think enough time has passed for any of us to see it without evoking some sort of feelings. Now here is another aspect of football numbers - Darian Durant is reportedly due a bonus from the Alouettes and by the time this blog is posted we will likely all know the outcome. He had another dismal season after he failed to negotiate in Saskatchewan he chased the money to Montreal. Now he finds himself in an even tougher situation. Will he take less money this time? That answer was no as later on January 15th it was announced the Montreal Alouettes released the 2013 champ only a year and 2 days after he was traded from Saskatchewan. 

Contracts in the CFL are a big deal. CFL players make far less than American football players and often have second careers to help them make it through the offseason. Players are signing shorter term contracts which is resulting in more movement between teams. It's possible that my 89 may be your 89 in 2018.  Of course I'm thinking about this with Free Agency on the horizon and there are fewer Rider players signed on that list than I'd like. This is the business of football.  Players come, we get attached and often they go on to careers elsewhere. Duron Carter comes to mind as he was the latest player to wear 89 and is currently not signed. The last notable player to wear that number was Chris Getzlaf who upon his arrival back in Regina wore number 84. Getzlaf - a Saskatchewan native,  was very lucky to retire a Rider after 11 seasons in the CFL.

Kevin Glenn triple-ex-Rider number 5 was released shortly after the signing of Zach Collaros. Last year he played in tandem with Canadian number 16 Brandon Bridge. I thought it was cool that the last time the Riders used a tandem style was in 1989 with #5 Kent Austin and #16 Tom Burgess. Monday Kevin Glenn was signed by the Edmonton Eskimos making them the 9th (all of 'em) team to hold Glenn's rights in the CFL.  That's a pretty awesome thing to have happen and will go into the record books for that reason I am sure. Lot's of people like to knock Glenn for not winning a Grey Cup in his career and when you browse his CFL career you'll see that he's missed some championships by just a year.  I don't think it's understood how difficult it is to win a championship in this league. Omar Morgan #1 played his entire career with the Saskatchewan Roughriders except for 2007 in which he was an Eskimo. He retired not winning a Grey Cup and yet Omar and Eddie (Davis #29) are a legendary Riders backfield duo.

Eighty-One.  Superman. Was it a dream or was Geroy Simon really a Saskatchewan Roughrider? It's no matter because 30 year old Bakari Grant holds the number now. Just think, he was 2 years old when Ray Elgaard wore it in 1989.

Lucky number seven. It was worn for many years by Weston Dressler and for a time his jersey was the highest selling jersey in the Rider store. Next came Justin Cappiocotti and well...that didn't turn out.  Then came in a player newly released from the NFL in the form of Willie Jefferson and the #7 has never looked so good.  We often rush to buy the jerseys while merchandisers lick their salivating lips as they rake in the money for a customized jersey. But not so fast! Remember when players like Maurice Price, Shawn Lemon, Keith Toston or even Vince Young were signed and fans rushed to get their jersey's only to have them abruptly get released or traded.  For this reason I've always found it hard to justify a custom jersey in my life.

I've never played sports.  As much as I love football I am pretty uncoordinated in real life. If I had to choose a number though? Thirteen is my number. 13 because I am a member of Rider Nation. I love the team and the players. I attend Training Camp and am a Season Ticket holder.  I cheer through the painfully bad times and the amazing glorious times.  I am from the team of fans - my people.  I am 13 because even though I cannot be on the field my support is loud and clear and unwavering from my living room chair or my seat in section 126. 

Years pass, players change and numbers change but we can hold those special times in our hearts and minds always. Free Agency opens at noon Valentine's Day Eve aka February 13th.  I like the sound of that number.

Turd an Tree

It's the end of April. The purgatory of the off season. It's not quite over yet it's still a month until the 2016 session of Training Camp opens. At this point we are all yearning for Rod Blackisms and the franglish melody of Andre Proulx's voice. Or maybe you've already turned your attentions to hockey, basketball, lacrosse or even the go-fast-turn-left allure of Nascar. Yup. The CFL season can't get here soon enough.

Here are a few things which piqued my interest since my arrival home from the big apple.

While I was walking the High Line with Kelsey Grammar.... (Okay, not really, but I did see the Frasier actor himself walking down the street near the High Line, he just wasn't with me....) Rod Pederson was making CFL predictions. He apparently got all of social media abuzz and angered Eskimo fans. Who really knows how the CFL will shape up this season? They're all just pie in the sky pull 'em out of your butt predictions but you cannot deny one thing and that's the marketing genius of the voice of Canada's Team himself. This lesson was not lost on Luc Mullinder who posted a podcast with Coach Etchevarry saying some interesting comments about Darian Durant. He said something to the effect of “Darian Durant is an unproven commodity.” Like, wha? All he's done is be a Rider on 2 Grey Cup winning teams, led the Riders to back to back Grey Cup appearances in 09/10, put the whole entire team on his back in 2013. What does Darian Durant have to do to earn some respect around here? I don't see any other quarterback merely questioned about his abilities in this way in the Canadian Football League.

Here's a shocker. Ben Heenan retired from football. Wow. No one knows exactly why but in this day and age there is a lot of discussion over concussions and mental health and you have to believe it's a valid concern of his. Quality over quantity right? I wish him well in his future endeavours. In contrast, Maurice Price announced his retirement last week. Ugh. The Riders had traded some draft picks and given a signing bonus to win the guy over from Ottawa. Some say he was supposed to be the replacement for Weston Dressler. I had to keep reminding myself the whole time to a) not make fun of his fumbles anymore and b) that he was in fact a Rider in the first place. I can't help but be miffed at the guy. In his retirement address he didn't mention a team at all but thanked God for his abilities. Everyone was surprised including the Roughriders organization who basically said 'well, this opens up an opportunity for someone else.' I guess the Price wasn't right after all.

My life always seems to revolve in crazy circles involving music and football. To paraphrase a new favourite sitcom Crowded - “As long as I can watch football and eat chocolate, hook me up to every machine they've got!” Aging is not fun but I've recently started using a skin care line called Nerium. A piano students mom started me with it and I really love it. Since I started my skin tone has evened out and some light eczema I had has disappeared. What I didn't know was that football players CFL and NFL alike are using this line too. It's not really for the night cream but more for a new product called EHT which is a supplement that is supposed to help brain health and cognitive function. Jeremaine Copeland and Nik Lewis mentioned it on Twitter. I wonder how they feel about chocolate.

Last November the CFL launched a new logo which puzzled some who didn't find anything wrong with the old one. Personally, I like the new version. It's simple and clean and probably much easier to stitch on jerseys. The new Adidas jerseys will

be unveiled May 12^th. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have already announced they will be returning to their royal blue. My Saskatchewan Roughriders cleaned up their own logo and trimmed off the silver. Justin Capicciotti said they look great and he can't wait to put it on and go to battle. All of this means that before the end of May we will all be Rushing to the stores throwing financial caution to the wind and buying up all the new gear for Training Camp. Do I need another jersey? Of course!

Just don't tell my accountant.

So while the NFL is still pondering their deflated balls those of us in the CFL turned our attention to the stripes. Should CFL balls have stripes? Should they be white or black? Should we really care? Apparently the stripes have something to do with grip and some players use them as a guide on the field too. We've prided ourselves on being different in the CFL. We have the rouge. We have different sized fields and more players. For the love of Taylor Field leave our balls alone. Now if you mean, The Guys in Stripes aka the Officials, yes they do need some improvement. In fact, it was announced last week that the NFL and CFL have joined together to improve the officiating in a development program. So if you don't like the PI calls this 2016 season...blame the NFL because they're the ones making the major calls. Fair catch? Rouge? Offside? False start? This could get really confusing.

Did you know that in 1971 New York City pursued a CFL expansion team? I wonder how that would have worked out and what they would have been named. I can't help but wonder because I have such a fondness for the city. It would have given me a whole other reason to visit year after year. Andre Proulx might have had a Bronx accent (Andre from the Bloc) instead ... still leaving us to wonder what turd an tree truly means. Thankfully, their $25,000 down payment wasn't enough to make it happen and the CFL went on to create a league of fans who care about what Chris Jones is wearing.

Black.

He's wearing black.

Two newsworthy crumbs before I post:

Holy Sheets! Rod Pederson broke news that the Montreal Alouettes have confirmed Kory Sheets will be at their mini camp in Florida. I'm a huge Sheets fan and know he'll crack the roster somewhere.

Shawn #Lemondrops Lemon and Justin Capicciotti will be at the Northgate Mall in Regina Saturday April 30 1-3pm and in Saskatoon at the Lawson Heights Mall Sunday May 1^st 1-3pm. Go see them. Take them Smarties and M&M's. Tell them I said "hi".  Then get 15% off at the Rider Store. Some purchases qualify for a draw for tickets and sideline passes to the final game at Mosaic Stadium.

As always, thanks for reading.  You can find me on Twitter @smilingsandra 

All comments are appreciated! 

Once in a Super Blood Moon

 You may have noticed I didn't post a blog last week.

~ crickets ~

I was sick. I had that cold/flu that is going around which ends with a hacking cough so bad you wonder if you've given yourself a concussion. My birthday was the 22^nd so that sucked because even though I know it happened the cold meds had me in a blurry state of mind.

But finally here I am with a clear mind and a year older and holy smokes the Riders won a game!

Did I dream that?

Things in Rider Nation had been pretty quiet. My Twitter feed was full of Blue Jays and people wishing for hockey season. It's creepy when no one is talking about anything regarding the Roughriders. Either they were all sick like I was or they stopped caring. Neither one of those things is something we want going on.

September 25^th was the Plaza of Honor dinner which we saw the ol' 96er Scott Schultz and Tim McCray get inducted. It was really great to hear McCray's account of the lead up to the 1989 Grey Cup and how the Riders beat the Eskimo's in the west final when everyone had counted out the Riders. There's nothing like being the under dog and showing everyone what you're made of.

September 18^th Kory Sheets was in Saskatoon signing autographs. I wanted to go see him so badly but the last thing I wanted to do was spread my plague to my favorite running back. He was at the game as well. It surprised me that none of the Rider media seemed to pick up on it. I was expecting an interview or some speculation on what he was doing back in Saskatchewan. I am completely hopeful and maybe it's the goggles or that I just loved that man in 2013, but could you imagine the tandem of Jerome Messam and Kory Sheets in 2016? That would be amazing and my green Rider heart would really appreciate that after what seemed like the running back merry-go-round in 2014. I pray that Sheets second Achilles surgery rehab goes well and he can return to the player he was. If he can do it once or twice, why can't he do it a third time?

Responded on my birthday by the way :)

Speaking of Achilles, some Rider fans are obsessed with seeing Darian Durant on the sidelines. I'm sure now that he's walking it's not as dangerous for him to be there as he's getting more mobile. But what's all this talk of doubt that he'll be the same player he was before the injury? I know we barely saw him recover from his arm injury but I know how hard of a worker Doubles is and in my greenest of hearts don't doubt that he'll not only recover fully from this leg injury but be the same or better as before. Via Twitter I asked Kory Sheets how he responded after the first time he injured his Achilles. He responded that he was the same. Durant is a tremendous leader and completely elevates the team. I only remembered how much when I heard his voice when rewatching the 2013 Grey Cup.  I think we've all forgotten that in his absence from the field.

How wonderfully consistent is Kevin Glenn?! I was concerned after seeing both KG and Doubles in training camp and fretted over a quarterback controversy. Who knew this season would turn out like it has? As Darian was seen on the sidelines recovering from his Achilles injury, the questions of who should start, Glenn or Smith, seems to have quietened down. In my opinion, Glenn was always the starter in this scenario. Glenn can just see down field, anticipate defences and get the ball to the guys who can make plays. But I hope Smith is watching and learning. He will get his time again. It's just not now.

With the TigerCats starting quarterback Zach Colaros being injured it has been suggested that Kevin Glenn be traded to Hamilton. I honestly believe Kent Austin will want to develop the back up quarterbacks he already has. Wouldn't it be Corey Chamblin mentality to trade for a vet? Besides, if.....IF.....there is still mathematical chance of the Roughriders still making the playoffs then the Riders need Kevin Glenn to do it.

Do I really think the Saskatchewan Roughriders have a chance at making the 2015 Grey Cup play offs? Heck no. I'm not delirious still from the cold medication. I know that there's little to no chance at all of it happening. I'm realistic and logical and know they'd have to win out the rest of the season. That's a lot to ask and hope for and it's highly unlikely.

But could you imagine? Could you imagine if it did happen? It would be epic. Legendary. Magical. And that minute shred of hope is what makes Rider Nation what it is. That belief in last minute wins and heart pounding drama that makes us rabid fans yearn for miracles at Mosaic.  It's pure Rider Pride.

Does the house on Piffles that Ron and George helped build have enough left in her for one more go in 2015?

I wanna find out.

Vert et Blanc

Coming up with a new and fresh blog every week is hard. It's certainly complicates things when your team is struggling or are win-less in the Riders case. I've maintained the theory that I'm not about stats because you can get that information from anywhere and everywhere else. I promise you that I will always have a unique view and often the female fan view of the game of football and this Saskatchewan Roughrider community owned team that I love and support with all my heart.

The only thing fans and media seem to be discussing is the Randy Richards hit on the Stampeders Tim Brown. I was holding down seat 8 in section 14 at that football game. What a unfortunate chain of events. However, from my seat and vantage point not only did I not know what had transpired but no one around me did either. We cheered as soon as we saw the stop. We had no idea who the player was. All we saw was Brown laying on the field. There was no replay shown on the Sasktel Maxtron. Then the refs announced the penalty and ejection and the wrong player number. THE FANS HAD NO IDEA WHAT HAPPENED. When Randy Richards was escorted from the bench I stood and cheered again. I don't feel bad and I don't care what others think of me. Know this - I would never cheer if I knew someone was injured.  We knew at that point Tim Brown was not injured despite his dramatics on the field. I felt what happened in front of my eyes did not deserve anyone to be booted from the game. Richards was asked to do a job and he did it.

I know, what if that hit had been on a Rider player like Dressler? First, because I've seen too many missed calls on Roughrider players, I highly doubt there would have been a penalty resulting in an ejection. Secondly, Dressler would never have layed splayed out on the ground milking it for all its worth. No, he would have sprung up right away because that is the beast of a player that he is.

Then we find out Richards was fined the maximum penalty in a CFL hearing! The maximum penalty being half a game cheque?  

OH COME ON!

Shockingly, I agree with Arash Madani on Thursday's Sportscage. There is no consistency in the officiating in the CFL. I feel like CFL football fans have been shouting this from the rooftops forever. When will they listen to us?

Shrugs.

All we wanted was a pure definition of pass interference. The CFL's answer was to give us reviewable calls in 2014 while in 2015 they come up with a new contact rule. Did it make the referee’s any better? No. It gave them a way out instead because now they can just throw a flag without even really knowing if an offence was made. Sure teams have adjusted but it hasn't made the officials any more accountable. How ridiculous is it that every time you see a big play you have to look around to see if flags were thrown? It doesn't make CFL games a good product and it surely doesn't make it marketable in the US.

Have you seen the new goal posts in the NFL, by the way? Some of our kickers would never stand a chance making it through those narrow uprights. Yikes.

I'm not much of an NFL watcher at all. Collage football hasn't started yet. I tend to follow the Oregon Ducks and Boise State because I have family who live there. So...with this lull in activity...I started watching Friday Night Lights. I never watched it on TV, mostly because of my teaching lifestyle.....I miss a lot because of it. Here's what I have to say – I'm addicted and by the end of episode one I was in tears. If you watched it years ago, I'd urge you to go back and watch it again. Matt Saracen sure reminds me of Drew Willy, there is no debating Smash Williams is Kory Sheets and Buddy Garrity could sum up all of Ridernation's media sources in a car salesman nutshell.

So the Green Whites play the RedBlacks on Sunday in Ottawa. A couple weeks back Rnation was all in a tizzy over a billboard that was put up by the Roughriders organization. These billboards aren't anything new as the Riders have been putting them up in CFL cities for years but those in the Rouge Noir were sure offended. Meh. These days people are offended by pretty much anything and everything if you try hard enough to be. What I'm counting on in Sunday's match up is a good penalty free stupid mistake free Rider team and Bad Hank showing up.

HEEEEEEENNNNRRRYYYYYYYYYY.

It never gets old.

I never count this team out unlike some members of the media. It may seem I have a hate on for some of them but I really don't. I just want them to be better. Instead of using their voice, talent & position to condemn a team, why not use them to boost morale?! The season is not over. It won't be until the final whistle sounds on November 8^th. There's a lot of games to be played and this is the CFL where nothing is for sure and no lead is safe.

The most dangerous team is the one who has lost everything, has nothing left to risk and has the most to gain.

Clear eyes. Full hearts. Can't lose.

Groundhog Day

Oh Crap

.....Oh my gawd.....

NO! Not again!

Is it Groundhog Day? You know the Bill Murray movie where he keeps waking up to the same day over and over until he finally gets it right.

~ I got you babe ~

On Saturday evening I watched our franchise and future legendary quarterback Darian Durant go down again. I saw him clutch his ankle and then fall to the ground. What? My Hubby asked. It's a cramp I said. It's gotta be a cramp. After all, it was 32 degrees. Cramping is likely.

* moan *

Then the cart came out to take Doubles away and I knew it was more serious than dehydration cramps. Hubby said I bet it's his Achilles. I had that horrible sinking sickening feeling in my stomach. Then I realized – Thank goodness for Kevin Glenn. I even muttered it out loud. Still, I'm left feeling numb and in disbelief just like those empty pages of New Moon when Edward leaves Bella.

July.

Those F%&$'n Bombers! They took Darian away from us last year on Labour Day and here they did it in our very own home at the season opener on Taylor Field. OK, I know Darian wasn't hit and no player is to blame and yet.....grrrrr! The four Bomber fans in our section don't help the argument any. They were all too happy to disrespect our national anthem by screaming nonsense. Meh, I'm sure they don't even remember after all the wobbly pops they chugged.

Achilles. Besides knowing that Kory Sheets suffered Achilles injuries twice and is awaiting a second surgery, I know nothing about Achilles. In Greek mythology Achilles was a hero of the Trojan War and was in fact considered the greatest warrior. Some legends say Achilles was killed by Paris who shot him in the heal with an arrow while other stories say his only point of weakness was his heal and that's why we have the expression “Achilles heal.” Knowing these things, doesn't it kind of make weird sense that our hero would suffer this injury?

It's three days later and I still feel ill for Darian. I don't know another player who is so widely loved by fans and players alike. Well wishes came from many players including Nik Lewis and Jon Cornish. I thought that was very admirable as I've been so hard on Corndog.....er, I mean, Cornish over the years.

We saw Durant fight back after arm surgery. I witnessed him at training camp. I've been in awe the couple times I've been lucky enough to meet him. The man is larger than life. He was back. Even though die hard rabid fans like myself feel these things, I'm sure it's nothing in comparison to the heartbreak Darian must be feeling for himself.

Now that the dust is settling, all kinds of stories are emerging. The craziest is Coach Chamblin being accused of not only withholding the injury information but lying about it. People like to try to lay blame on someone and anyone. It's simply not true. There would be no reason to withhold or lie about such a thing. The situation is what it is. I'm sure Chamblin is just as sick about it as everyone else.

It's Kevin Glenn's team now. Kevin is not new to this situation. He's had to deal with it a few times before and even he admitted he doesn't know why. What will be interesting is seeing how the team rallies around him. Kevin can be the leader we want. He yearns for a Grey Cup.....the only thing he hasn't earned in his career. This could be the year and let's face it, it does seem rather like fate that he has ended up as the Saskatchewan Roughriders back up quarterback after leaving the team in 2003. Glenn led the Blue Bombers to the Grey Cup in 2007 but didn't play due to his own injury which of course led to the Riders win. It could be some kind of twisted green karma for things to work out this way. Will this be the year the most under rated quarterback in the CFL gets his own monkey off his back?

It's going to be interesting.

Suddenly, Brett Smith (1 of 3 Smith's on the roster) is the back up quarterback and the Riders are without a third string. Rumours and speculation abound as to whether Tino “the sun will shine” Sunseri will return to the team since he is familiar with Jacques Chapdelaine's offence. How would he feel about being asked back? Do football players think that way? Would he be happy to just have a job again?

These are things I don't know.

What I do know is that as sad as my little green heart is.....I will be clad in sunblock, with butt firmly planted in my section 14 seat, come Sunday's game against the the fresh off a surprising win over the Edmonton Eskimo's – the Toronto Argonauts - who have also seemed to find themselves in a bit of a backup situation of their own.

Lastly, I hope everyone gets behind Kevin Glenn and the Roughriders. I hope Darian see's the team he loves and bleeds for rally back and I pray that all the roads lead back to Winnipeg in November.

Let's do this for Darian.

Football & Social Media

Social media is a powerful thing isn't it? I don't think I really understood until I got going on Twitter. You can tweet your happyness or despair and people respond. It can be wonderful and it can be terrible all wrapped up in one big bow. 

This week activity on Twitter exploded with the excitement surrounding Quinn Magnuson's "unofficial" CFL Twitter Awards. If you haven't voted...and why the heck not? Get over there and do it now....or stay and read *wink*  The fun started when everyone tried to get all the football clubs to follow them. I found myself reaching out to all the CFL teams and appealing for follows.  Some did.  Some didn't.  I think everyone made new friends in the process and had a few chuckles. 

I followed Henry Burris.  Proof I can get over pretty much anything.

I even tweeted "I had a better chance of being followed by Jon Cornish than by the Sskroughriders" after being followed by many of the other teams.  You see...I am blocked by Jon Cornish. I have and never will harass the guy.  There is no denying he is a great running back.  I'm sure he does take a lot of crap from fans and no he shouldn't have to deal with it.  It's his right to block or mute if he wants to.

In my defense, I was merely mentioned in a tweet in which people were blocked.

All Rider Nation really wanted was an apology for the Moon Over Mosaic incident.

It's just a little suspicious at the amount of Rider fans who seem to be blocked. But I won't dwell on it.

Meh.

Take Darian Durant...last season he was fined by the CFL for his tweets regarding defending himself to someone not only harassing him but his family as well. What was he to do? Blocking may have been easier. But no matter because all Rider fans quickly came to his defense and the hashtag Dariansfault was born.

We are out there on the loose. We can tweet anything and anyone we want. I was overjoyed the few times I interacted with Kory Sheets and then when he recognized me in person...well...<faints>.  I've also been the victim of harassing too.  I've had to block people.  I've had to block fellow Rider fans and other CFL fans too. Why do we think we can say anything we want to on social media? Why when there is such a media presence saying don't bully does it continue to happen everywhere?  Why can't we just be kind to each other?

*shrugs*

As I said, this week has been a ton of fun but we are on the eve of the semi final games and tempers will probably flair.  The BC Lions became the crossover team and play the Montreal Allouettes in the eastern semi final. The Saskatchewan Roughriders were able to stay in the west and play the Edmonton Eskimo's in the western semi final.  I've predicted that it will be the Als and Riders to advance.  This time tomorrow night we will know.

All season there has been a quarterbacking issue. Montreal had to go out and find a quarterback. Lulay was back for about 10 minutes before being injured again. Darian Durant was injured in the Banjo Bowl. The Eskies seemingly had a good guy in Mike Reilly until he was plagued by an unknown ankle injury.  The mind games have been played in the west. The rosters are set. If our own Riders veteran QB Kerry Joseph can win this game it will go down as a legend.  I think he can.

This may be the end of the season for two teams. I hope fans stay calm.  I hope no manure is dumped.  I hope everyone can look for the silver linings.

And.....
.....Go Riders Go!

Dream It

I don't know if many of you remember that right after the preseason I said I'd eat my Rider flag if Keith Toston wasn't The Guy.

I lied.

I didn't eat it.  Good thing too because we finally saw him start against the Stampeders.  He looked great.  I like the speed he has.  The problem is that I now really like Allen too and I love how Messam can be a threat too.  Do I dare say that Toston might be Next Year Guy?

No matter what, I miss Kory Sheets at RB like crazy.

I'm really tired of a couple debates going on around the water cooler these days.  The first being 41 year old Kerry Joseph.  Ugh.  It feels like that's his complete title now.  Forty-One Year Old Kerry Joseph.  *eye roll*  You know what?  I love it.  Who says life ends at age 40?  If a guy is in shape, can still take the reps, and throws darts and threads needles like KJ showed us in the last two games...then BOOYAH!  Wow. The Kerry Joseph has played amazing.  Let's drop the age.  It doesn't matter anymore because his playing and mentality has totally changed the focus on the team...motivated everyone and made this rabid fans jaw drop every time he throws down field.  Wow.  And also if you don't believe that Joseph could lead the Riders to a playoff run and possibly a legendary Grey Cup repeat...then we don't want you on the bandwagon.

You have to believe.  You HAVE to.

And to those of you who are making our 9-8 record a big deal... I say to you... 1989.  Riders were 9-9 in 1989 and won the Grey Cup in a much similar situation as the team is in this year.  Two quarterbacks...Burgess and Austin.  A dream season.  It could happen again.

The other topic is will or will not Darian Durant play again or in the play offs.  I am soooooooo tired of all the sports guys talking about this.  What I know from following Darian's career is that he has tremendous heart and emotion for the Riders.  I think it's killed him standing on the sidelines watching the team falter.  I know it would if I were him.  I also know he's not letting the media see everything.  I'd bet my signed Dario's box if he was not already throwing at home or in the back yard or in the locker room.  Sure, we want Darian to be safe.  It would be horrible if Doubles returned too soon and got re injured.  It would be a Lulay situation.  But how can he not try?

Then OHEMGEE he threw a few balls at practice Monday.  My Twitter notifications lit up like my neighbors already displayed Christmas tree.  What I want to see for now, is for Kerry Joseph to start and throw Darian in for short yardage situations.  Just having Darian dress would be an amazing boost for Rider Nation.

How did you like the snow Monday?  Felt a little like playoff weather didn't it?  I admit that the feeling of dread in my stomach didn't last for long when I reflected on this time last year.  In fact, I got a little excited. I got play off butterflies.  It was fantastic.

So lets talk playoffs.  West or East?  Well, we did the west last year.  I like our chances against eastern teams much more.  I don't think travel or time change is a factor anymore.  The division doesn't matter because without a home playoff the Riders travel anyway.  Since the time changed last weekend traveling east is only an hour different now.  I'd rather have to play the TiCats or Argo's or Allouettes for that matter, than confront the Eskimo's or Stamps.  Can you imagine the story lines that would/could be written?  No team has successfully advanced to the Grey Cup through a cross over.  Saskatchewan Roughriders Eastern Division Champions.  Imagine that?!  Crazy eh?  

I love it.

Darian Durant had a dream last year.  He heard in his dream Cuthbert & Suitor announcing the Riders as 2013 Grey Cup Champs.  Maybe he can dream again....

..... and the Saskatchewan Roughriders are your REPEAT Grey Cup Champions.

Think it.  Dream it.  Do it.

At Summer's End

Here we are closing in on the end of August.  All the little Neighbourhood Terrorists are busy getting their back to school clothing and supplies and sadly, I myself will have to go back to my "real" job as piano macdaddy in two weeks as well.

While this is going on the CFL is busy releasing all these new *Signature Look* uniforms.  I'm not going to say who has the best/worst new uniforms which, will actually only be worn a few times a season, because there is nothing that football fans like better than to disagree with each other.  I will tell you why I think the new and fresh Rider jersey will be around for a long time.  The wheat sheaf is a long standing symbol of the province of Saskatchewan.  The Riders are owned by the community and entire province.  There is nothing better to adorn their uniforms with than the wheat sheaf. And really ... don't those wheat sheaves bare a suspicious resemblance to uprights/goal posts? "I Am Rider Nation".  Are there any more powerful words?  In the sun and heat.  In the pouring rain.  In the sleet and snow and minus 40.  We. Are. Rider Nation. The helmets.....  I know that if you squint really hard and apply an Instagram filter they might kinda sorta look like watermelons ... and you know what?  That's okay too.  Who hasn't carved up a melon from the Superstore as head gear on game day?  Yes.  I think they got this design right.

I watched not only one but two NFL preseason games last week.  Weird.  I saw a very comfortable looking Kory Sheets playing in Oakland.  Apparently, he's 4th in the depth charts but he looked good to me.  I suspect he will have a job there.  I got conned into watching the Kansas City Chiefs with the promise of seeing Weston Dressler who in spite of some saying was in for a play in the 4th was not.  I feel really bad because unlike the Fantuz fiasco, I believe Dressler actually stood a chance.  Now we are all waiting to find out what happens next.  IF he is indeed released, then I believe the Riders and Rider Nation need to throw everything his way to ensure he comes back.  I suspect he has a certain amount of loyalty considering his number 13 jersey number but you can never tell when "the business" comes into play.  I believe in Brendan Tamon and I know that he has something in place for this occasion...and possibly even if Sheets does become available too.

Paris Jackson got released from Ottawa.  Consensus around Rider Nation and from an informal Twitter poll is OH HELL NO.  I don't think we will be seeing him around Saskie soon.  However, Brendan Tamon did say on Sportscage yesterday that they are looking at bringing in another kicker to help Milo out.  Then late last night the name Justin Palardy was floating around the Twittersphere.  All I know is that there are no consistent kickers in this league anymore.  The days of Robo Kicker are long gone.

The Hubs and I ventured to the game on Saturday.  What a great time it was!  Loved it.  Sat in section 25 again as for some reason I believe we've become EastSiders.  Once I was comfortable in my Row 49 seats and having to climb those horrid steps with my short wheel base, there was no way I was leaving until the end.  The game was fun.  We had a really good time.  The fans around us were terrific.  I don't know what the media is trying to do because everything I listen(ed) to EXCEPT for The Voice of the Riders was negative.  I heard the game was boring.  I seriously cannot figure it out.  I even watched the game on my pvr and still don't get it.  This was the first sell out of the season.  Why would you want to go to a game that the media is calling boring?  I really hate it and I know hate is a very strong word, but I seriously hate it.  The games are exciting.  There is an atmosphere in the stands that you cannot get anywhere else.  Don't listen to what the guys on CKOM are selling and get your butts to the games.  You will not regret it.


Some final thoughts.  Don't you dare say a word about Darian Durant.  This man is our leader.  Guys like Tyron Brackenridge and Rob Bagg have been quoted since the game about what a leader he is and how he carries the team.  A family and a team...a real team...compensates for each other.  The offense isn't quite clicking but I saw shades of what is to come.  Our defense is completely making up for it.  How about that John Chick? <swoon> No the games haven't been high scoring but you know what? Defenses win championships. Also, you don't show all your tricks against a team like Montreal especially when you play BC next!  You have to plan for down the road.  You play to win the game but you don't show everything you have in your playbook if you don't have to.  The Riders are now 5-2.  The team is winning. We are winning!

Good teams find a way to win at all costs.

Championship teams find a way to win no matter what.

Period.

Raining Champs

Tonight is the very first game for the Ottawa REDBLACKS.  After week one, they unbelievably sat in first in the east without even playing a game.  Ufdah! [as my mother in law would say] How is it possible to not even play a game and come out better than the guys who did?  Yikes. 

I did have the pleasure of seeing the REDBLACKS preseason game in Regina.  My opinion is that everyone will underestimate them.  They did hold their own in the game.  They've got the talent.  Even though, I picked the "Willypeg" Blue Bombers to win tonights historical game, I think Ottawa is going to surprise everyone.

Who else surprised us last week?  I already mentioned the Bombers who are probably wishing they were still part of the eastern division, but what about those Eskimo's?  It seems they've maybe got it together for this season.  I am never one to count out the Lions, but they really aren't the same team who made us all throw our beer cans at the tv back when.  The Stampeders aren't either.  I used to think Hufnagel was one of the toughest coaches, but this year...I don't know.  They just don't seem as dominant as they once were.  Of course it was only game one and there are 17 more games to be played so who can tell how things will turn out?  One thing is for sure, the Lions have tons of pressure on them since they are hosting the Grey Cup this year and if the trend were to continue they logically [but not hopefully because I know my Riders will be there instead] would make it to the big game as well.

So.  How about those Riders?!  We had concerns didn't we?  We didn't know who would fill those gaps vacated by those favorite players of ours.  Did we miss a step?  Because wowzers the Riders came out to defend their championship in mid season form.  We played a very unprepared TiCat team.  That is for sure.  Poor Collaros couldn't stay upright for all the chickpeas in Saskie.  His offensive line just didn't care or couldn't do anything about it against our totally dominant defense.  Admittedly, if I saw Chick and Foley rushing me I might fall over too, but 10 sacks?!  That tied a Rider record.  And look at that offensive line.  Undoubtedly, the Riders have the best Oline in the league.  Heck, I could run through the gaps they create.  Lastly, who is this Anthony Allen dude?  Where did he come from?  The Hubs kepts saying he reminded him of Robert Drummond.  I can see him getting more and more effective as we get into the season.  Soon #26 Allen jerseys will be flying off the racks.

Speaking of that.....a certain blogger said she figured Keith Toston was the guy and if he wasn't she'd eat her Rider flag.  Ugh.  All I can ask is...what goes better with nylon - ketchup or mustard?  How can a guy who looks like the guy get put on the practice roster?  *shrugs*

This week the Riders head to Toronto to take on the Argos who lost last week.  Remember the TSN top 50 players?  Ricky Ray was named #1.  It will be interesting to see how we match up.  Playing a team like Toronto is also a good reminder about what can happen if we let it.  They won the Grey Cup two years ago.  They are close to not having a stadium to play in.  Rider Nation is strong but it wasn't really all that long ago that we weren't and as Rod Pederson mentioned on Sportscage the other day, there was a time you wouldn't be caught dead in a Roughrider shirt. 

By the way, I ended up 7th in the pool on PoolTracker.com.  How the heck does a flag eating female football fanatic end up 7th?  Shocking particularly because my rational is not always stats but "ooh, they wear blue and I like blue".....unless the colour is green.  Green is always the colour and you can count on me choosing them to win any week any day.  As coach Chamblin says "win all day every day."

One last parting thought - Journey to the Cup was a great production.  It was a mere half hour and was really well done by the guru's at TSN however, I actually liked "All In" better.  Tell me your thoughts!  And until then Go Riders!

We Made It

Seven months ago we were a bunch of crazed rabid fans.  Nothing much has changed but it is indeed a new year and a new Roughrider team.

I just completed one of the busiest months I've had in a long time.  My goal was to just make it through with the big reward being the promise of attending Roughrider training camp at Griffith Stadium.  Ugh.  I got sick.  Not just a run of the mill cold either....but some sort of bizarre gland/ear thing that took me 3 weeks to get over and feel normal - as normal as I ever was - and that meant.....I missed out.

*cry*

I sucked it up though.  Because that's the kind of hearty prairie female Rider fan that I am and The Hubs and I went to what is now known as Fan Fest.  It was supposed to give Saskatonians the 'game day' experience.  Autographs were not held which was so disappointing considering I wasn't able to get to any of the training camp sessions.  There were concessions along with face painting and activities for the kiddies.  The Riders held a short practice and then a scrimmage.  It was fun and the fresh air was good for me, but not getting the chance to meet the players was a fail to me.

Next up was the first Pre-season game against the REDBLACKS.  It was marketed as an 'away' game so the Roughriders for the first time in the history of Taylor Field were on the Visitor side while the REDBLACKS got the Home bench.  We had amazing tickets.  I managed to get my grubby little hands on section 25 row 2 tickets right behind the GREENWHITES bench.  So cool.  During warmup, Chris Milo came over to the bench.....he said he got kicked off the sidelines on the other side and "this was so weird!"  It was a little.

It was a fun game.  First Gainer and Big Joe met up at center but ended up shaking hands.  In spite of all the joking, Big Joe did look kind of cool in person even if he did take off after the 1st quarter.  The game left me with a few impressions.  Firstly, Darian Durant is no doubt a leader.  When it was his time to take over as quarterback the whole stadium filled with an incredible sense of pride and and command that simply wasn't there moments before.  Secondly, Ottawa proved that they could be somewhat competitive in their first year.  I know it was just a pre-season game and all, but they took to the field like any other the other CFL teams would have.  I sure bet it was interesting for Smilin' Hank to be on the home side for the first time in ages and probably pretty strange for Keith Shologan and Zack Evans too after being snatched up in the expansion draft.

It was great and I loved being there even though I was only one of 13,000.  It didn't rain and I can save my $1.50 poncho for another day.

Now of course all the cuts have been revealed and we are now down to the main roster.  There were some surprises.  I am so sure that Kieth Toston is the new Running Back and if he isn't I'll eat my Rider flag.  He won't be Kory Sheets nor he should be.  The same goes for Flyin' Ryan Smith.  The new number 81 isn't Geroy either.  These guys will turn out to be themselves and we will love them like we've loved all those before them.

Are you ready for the 2014 season!  Looks like we finally made it!

I'm THAT Woman

Yes, it's true.  I'm THAT woman.  I'm the one who cries over sports.  An even bigger confession is...I've cried over sports twice in the last week.  Football in particular, although I have been known to get choked up over a good Nascar win, but this blog is about football. 

The official unveiling of the New Mosaic Stadium was provided to us via a live stream on Riderville.com last week.  It opened with a video of all the legends and legendary happenings at Taylor Field.  I never stood a chance.  With tears streaming faster than the video, I viewed what the New Mosaic Stadium will entale.  What a presentation it was.  This new stadium will be amazing.  We will usher in a new era with this stadium.  It's going to have actual seats.  It will be a bowl style stadium.  It will be partially covered by a translucient awning.  The visuals were simply beyond my wildest expectations.

You can view for yourself here:  NEW STADIUM

Now, everything I heard from people I know was positive.  A new stadium is deeply needed.  But what the heck is up with media types?  I turned onto CKOM to hear the afternoon crowd being totally negative on multiple levels.  They don't like the locatioin.....they don't like the parking.....they don't like the absense of a roof.  Like what the heck!  The location has not been a secret.  We've known for ages there wouldn't be a roof.  These people, who admittedly do not watch football need to get educated on the subject before spouting off all their gobbly-goop which in turns gets fans all in an uproar.

We want change.  We need change.  This is very exciting.  We are going to usher in a new era with this stadium.  PERIOD.

Another time last week that I cried was when watching All In.  In case you didn't know [and every Rider fan does know], All In was the Roughrider dvd which came out last week available at the Rider stores and all Co-Op locations.  The dvd chronicals the 2013 season leading up to the 101st Grey Cup and including winning said most coveted trophy. 

Now don't get me wrong here.  I loved it.  The player and coach commentaries gave great insight into the whole season.  Seeing the prep for Grey Cup was interesting because most of us don't know what goes into getting an event ready and it also showed us how the weather affects and is part of the game.  I've seen everyone raving about the dvd but no one is saying what I'm about to.....It missed the mark.  Okay, well kind of missed the mark.  The feature began with the loss of the west final in 2012.  I feel that even though that's what spurred the planning for the 2013 season, the dvd should have began with the [Ridernation prepare yourself].....it should have began with the 09/10 Grey Cup losses.  Before you all freak out at me, my mentality for that statement is because for players like Darian Durant those losses are what created that monkey on his back that he desperately wanted to fling off.  The video also glazed over the whole Cornish/Sheets competition.  One of my most memorable parts of the 2013 West Final was when Cornish was walking off the field and Sheets was being interviewed.  They asked him what worked and he said "pretty much everything."  Another part that wasn't even mentioned was how the Roughriders refused to touch the West Final trophy.  There were many storylines which came together....Tristan Jackson working on the rigs when recalled to the team....Kent Austin being a Rider now a Ticat....Fantuz/Congi and other ex-Riders.....  But the number one thing the All In dvd should have included was the Grey Cup game itself.  If time or money was the issue, we all know Rider Nation would have gladly sat through a 3 hour documentry and paid much more for it too.  Hey, if we spend $200+ on multiple jerseys every year there is no doubt we'd fork over the dough for a monumental dvd and you all know it!

If you want to procure your own copy of All In just visit any Rider store or Co-Op store or order online at Riderville.com.

Did you miss this media announcement last week?  The Co-Op in partnership with many football teams are again coming out with Game Day products.  All moneys from these products go to charity.  I think that's a worthy cause to knock down the Co-Op doors looking for these items.  In Saskatchewan there will be Getzlaf Chris-py Dill chips and Darian's Quarterback Quench Sports drink.  There will be many other items available in Saskatchewan as well which you can read about here:  Co-Op Connections  This time around you will also see items Alberta with Stampeder players/logos and Eskimo players/logos.  Remember, it's all for a good cause.

Just today it was announced that Chris Szarka-train and Omar Morgan will be inducted into the Plaza of Honor.  They are both terrific players.  If Eddie Davis is in then Omar should be too.  Can't have one without the other.

Last thing, which may make us all cry depending.....the Players Association and CFL are set to meet on Wednesday again.  Will it be a major snafu like last week or will they actually come to terms?  I have a gut feeling it will be worked out and players will be at training camp next Monday as planned in Saskatoon.

If not.....you'll see the real  *ugly* cry from this woman.

PRE-pre-Season

All it took was a picture on Twitter of three chairs with folded quarterback jersey's and name tags on them to make my heart flutter again.

It all came flooding back.  The excitement.  The thrill.  The running around the living room yelling touchdown.

*Sigh*

It was announced that not only the 2014 Roughrider training camp will be held at Griffiths Stadium at the U of S, but the 2015 camp as well.  How exciting is that?!  I know some of those in Regina are moaning and groaning about it, but c'mon man! You get them the rest of the season!  Let us have this one thing.  Last year I could only attend twice......and then stood in the rain for over an hour on Green & White Day, which was totally worth it.  My husband thought I was a little nutty [and I am] but the Monday after Grey Cup 101 guess which memory stood out for us?  That one.  Priceless.

April Fool's, wasn't that fun?  NOT.  Our favorite Stampeder Running Back to hate, Jon Cornish, tweeted out a picture of a "Rider" jersey with his name on it [and Kory Sheets number] and said he had been traded to the Riders.  Well I knew it wasn't true because it wasn't an actual Rider jersey and was in fact a Huskie jersey which Cornish had been given for a speaking engagement.  Still, this sent everyone into a tizzy.  Oh yes, then there was the story about how the REDBLACKS had tried to draft Gainer.  I guess getting Shologan and Evans wasn't enough for them.....even though it was a joke, you can see there are still hard feelings there.  But really, it was impossible to decipher what was real news that day.

What have I learned this off season?  Gainer is an anagram for Regina.  Yeah.  It's true.  Of course it makes sense.  I don't know why I didn't know this before and maybe I did and forgot, but how cool is that?!  Is FakeGainer an anagram for anything? *blank stare*

So mini camp was held in Florida over the weekend.  It's been touted that Ryan Smith is the spitting image of Weston Dresslor.  This is a dangerous area isn't it?  I mean, no one can possibly replace these guys who won our hearts and THE 2013 GREY CUP and we shouldn't try to make them fit their shoes either.  Everyone has to be themselves and do what they can do.  If we try to make them live up to Kory Sheets or Dresslor or whoever else we will be nothing but disappointed.  Let's let them be themselves and show us what they have to offer.....they might be a completely different person.

Have you ever heard of the Rider Sisterhood?  Well if you follow me on Twitter [@smilingsandra] and Ohmygawd, if you don't, why not? You'd have seen me mention this once in a while.  The Rider Sisterhood is a group of ladies who have sort of banded together through our love of all things green and white.  We support eachother when needed and rejoice together.  The Sisterhood got me through a rough time this Spring/Winter/Sprinter as my beloved Brandy~puppy the Super Dog passed after a short battle with lymphoma.  Thanks to all the Sisters.....and some of the Brothers too.  You've brightened my days with sharing your stories, love and prayers.

Today power rankings were released with the Stampeders at number one and the Roughriders at two.  How the heck can you have power rankings in the off season?  I mean, zero games played and zero players proven.  You can't have a power ranking by what is on "paper".  It makes less sense than the Combine where zero combines are used.  Unlike the Roughrider mini camp where a John Deere tractor was the star.  *shrugs*

Meh.  Whatever.

Next up is the CFL draft.  But take it easy on me, I will be recouping from my trip to New York so if you don't hear from me again until Training Camp don't be surprised.  Spring [and I can safely say that now that Sprinter is over] is a very VERY busy time for me.  Who woulda thunk it?  For us piano teachers, we have festivals and exams and recitals.....it's like Tax Season the Musical.  So stay well.  Get that Rider gear cleaned up.  Stock up on the face paint!  We've almost made it through the off season!

66 89 07 13

From the moment the Roughriders beat the Stampeders in the western final, I was in a panic.  I couldn't sleep.  I couldn't eat.  I couldn't think about anything but football.  I think I lost 20 pounds.

I wore green all week.  In fact, I realized I could probably wear Rider gear every single day for two weeks without running out, although some of it is rather ill fitting.  Still.

I hung my 100 Years of Pride flag up at work.  I felt awkward doing that.  In 2009, I hung a Rider sign on my classroom door.  We know how that turned out.  Monday when I arrived at work the sign had been ripped off and tossed in the garbage.  I promptly retrieved it and put it back on the door.  I told people, "The Riders need us more now than ever."

Wednesday I watched the opening of Riderville streamed live on the Riderville.com website.

Thursday I started seeing pictures of the Coaches press conference.  Corey Chamblin wore a suit.  Kent Austin was wearing a track suit.  Chamblin looked like the coach of a championship team.  Austin looked like the coach of a college team.  That might sound mean, but I expected more of him.  It doesn't matter that he had to go out to the field right after and hold practice because Chamblin had to get on a bus and drive to Moose Jaw for practice.

I could not wait for the week to be finished.  In all honesty, anything that wasn't football related is a complete and utter blur.  I just felt like it was time.  It was time to get the game going.

Sunday, game day, Grey Cup day was an incredibly beautiful day.  Man oh man, I felt such regret.  Why the heck didn't I try harder to get tickets?  Oh yeah, I know there weren't hotels available and we'd have to get a dog sitter.  But man.  We should have been there.  We went to the Co-Op for groceries instead.  I bought 3 bags of Geroy Simon Super Onion & Sour Cream chips.  They were 3 for $4.98.  Secretly I hoped Geroy would be a huge factor in the game.  I hoped that maybe he'd get 3 TD's.  Little did I know that Superman had not scored a touchdown in a Grey Cup game in his career.  Wow.

I wore the same outfit I'd worn for the Western Semi and the Western Final.  My Celebration in Ridernation tank top which I had worn to Watrous and met Dwight Anderson, Macho Harris and Jock Sanders.  I wore my grey bunnyhug.  I had to wear my hair down and my watermelon earrings.  Pants didn't seem to matter....as in colour/style etc.  I try hard not to be superstitious, but I guess I am after all.

The anxiety I had all week had reached an epic state of butterflies by game time.  The TSN pregame was amazing.  I hope someone somewhere snags a video of that Saskatchewan feature because it was so amazing and heart warming that I'd love to watch it over and over again.

Finally.  It was game time.  BRING EM OUT.  BRING EM OUT.  BRING EM OUT.  The Riders skipped the formality of player introductions and rushed out onto the field sending TSN into a frenzy.  It was hilarious on tv because for once, Rod Black aka Skater Dude was silenced!  It was exhilarating to watch the players gather and dance.

The sky shots of Taylor Field were breath taking.  Seeing the Snowbirds flyby was purely amazing.

Why the heck wasn't I there?!

I don't think I actually started breathing until the 3rd quarter.  It felt like Hamilton was going to make a comeback.  They started to see something or get something working in the 3rd quarter.  Hubby said "oh don't worry we've got this."  But I'd seen it before.  Then something miraculous happened.  Everytime the Riders offence was on the field they scored.  Let's face it.  The Riders played the way we have always wanted them too.  The way we have dreamt they could.

The Roughriders broke a record for points scored in the first half of a Grey Cup game.  Kory Sheets broke the rushing record for a Grey Cup game.  Geroy Simon got his first and second touchdowns in a Grey Cup game.  Everyone got to touch the ball.  The offense was spread around.  George Cortez was freaking amazing with his play calling.

Then we won.

The Riders won their 4th Grey Cup in 103 years of the football club.  The 101st Grey Cup held right in historic Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field.  2013.  The year of the 13th man.  Vindication.  Redemption.  What happened in 2009?  I can't remember.  It's been erased.  Once Darian Durant grasped that cup and held it over his head in celebration.....it was all true.

That.  Just.  Happened.

Eighteen

Eighteen.

The number of CFL games in a season.

Where did the time go?

We spend the off season yearning for football and then poof it's all over.  Well, nearly.  In case you missed it, my Saskatchewan Roughriders are in the play offs.  But I'm getting ahead of myself.

It would have been nice to go into the playoffs with some momentum.  But we didn't.  I think that has something to do with people feeling a little blaise about the whole thing.  The team was so dominant during those first eight games.  Where did that spark go?  I don't know.  I don't have the answers but I certainly hope the Roughriders coaching staff does.  I hope that they've been holding back.  I did even hear Sportscage's Rod Pederson comment a few weeks ago about seeing practice and seeing things that would make our jaws drop open.  I hope so, Roddy!

I'm disappointed in the whole Cornish - Sheets debate.  It was a media thing.....pitting them against each other.  In my mind the best back will be the one who gets to hoist the Grey Cup.  What happens in the regular season is nice, but getting that cup is the real prize.

Nine Roughriders were named to the All Star Team.  There were several names on there that made me cheer.  I've been a big supporter of Darian Durant for years now.  I was so happy to see his name on the list.  Also Dwight Anderson.  I know people don't care for him.  I love his passion.  I love the commradery he brings to the team.  He was terrific when I met him.  He liked my Party in Ridernation tee shirt.

Okay so this Sunday is the West Semi Final.  The Roughriders get to host it.  I've heard plenty of complaining about ticket sales.  I think the problem is all the extra Grey Cup seating.  Usually the game would be sold out.  With all the extra seating and it being winter now.....people aren't jumping to buy tickets.  Fans also aren't really sure which Rider team will show up.  Personally, I think we've got this.  I feel the butterflies but that can be a good thing.  I just know that the hype doesn't seem to be there.  I'm not seeing the people wearing the colors on game day.  I'm not seeing or hearing people talking about it.  The Riders need to win this game and then I'm sure everyone will be honking their horns and gearing up.

One thing I know for sure.....I'm not ready for this season to be over.

Go Riders Go!  Let's tame those Lions!

Four to Go

Where has the time gone?  Not only did I neglect my blog for all of September.....the length of the Riders losing streak.....but somehow we've almost reached the end of the CFL season.  How did this happen?  I mean, it doesn't seem like all that long ago I was on summer holidays and cheering on my Riders to an epic 8-1 season.

Then something happened.  For myself, after Labour Day I headed back to work.  For the Riders, they seemed to lose their mojo.

It started with the injury to Rey Williams.  Then Dwight Anderson and Taj Smith got to have a slumber party in jail after some kind of altercation on Dewdney outside a "night club".  The bandwagon came to a screeching halt and fans were bailing off and heading to the ER with broken ankles by the numbers.  They said "I told you so" when talking about Dewdney Dwight [shamelessly coined by Fake Gainer of Twitter fame.  If you don't follow him you should.]  By the end of the week another Rider, Eron Riley was also involved in the alleged aggravated assault, which if you've seen the videos, you can't really see what the heck happened.

Here's what I know.  Dwight Anderson and Taj Smith have earned places on this team.  Dwight Anderson may play with high emotion but that edge lets him get those game sealing interceptions.  Taj Smith, who seemed very unlikely to be involved in such an event, is having a great year as we've seen him scoot down the sidelines to make explosion plays.

So, yeah, Rider Nation became disheartened and split on this whole topic. 

Then the unthinkable happened.  Kory Sheets got injured.  We didn't have an answer to the blitz.  The Oline seemed to go to pot.  Darian was blamed for everything.  One person went as far to call him out on Twitter saying he wasn't Anthony Calvillo.....who, by the way has been injured for most of the season so really a bad analogy all the way around.  Doubles was fined for his twitter response.

But then something happened.  A fire was ignited.  Kory was healthy.  Cortez got creative.  The Riders came out firing on all cylinders against the Lions and Holy Sheets! we all think they can pull this off after all.

I mean, I think they can.

I think Cortez was playing games with us all.  I think he was not showing us all those crazy plays because we've got to keep them for play offs.  I think Cortez is a genius and we just don't know it yet.  I don't think anyone will see us coming.  I believe.

I know Geroy Simon hasn't been used very much, but I think this is all a plan too.  I think we will see him used when we need it the most.  I'm calling up memories of Jason Clermont's overtime touchdown catch against the Lions in the Western Final in 2010 [I think, I am a girl after all and sports dates are a tough one for me.]  Geroy needs to learn that the Riders are a TEAM.  We like your record.  We want your record to go on.  Your team mates care about you and your token catch was very important to us all. We have your back Superman.

So here we go.  Buckle up that strap on your cape.  Get that feather headdress on.  Head to the dollar store for all the green paint they have in stock.  There's only 4 games to go and we are Grey Cup bound.