CFL Subscription Club

Imagine experiencing the same anticipation every month that you have when waiting for your season tickets to arrive.

I drink tea at least every evening.  Sometimes it's hot and sometimes it's iced.  I decided to treat myself last week and looked into what kind of subscription boxes are available for such a thing.  I've subscribed to Ipsy before so there surely must be something for a tea connoiseur.  I found a relatively inexpensive Canadian company called The Tea Club and for less than $10 a month I get samples right to my door.  I'm not trying to recruit you but if you want I do have a code which saves you some $$ if you sign up.

There's subscription boxes for all sorts of things.  You can watch hours upon hours of unboxing videos on YouTube.  There's a box out there for everyone.  There's one for the make up artists, book lovers, exercise people, candy and meat people...

What if there was one for the football fan.

What if as a CFL fan you could receive a specially curated of goodies from your favourite CFL team?  Imagine once a month receiving a box that included a player autograph, a CFL sponsor coupon, a pin, players favourite snack, a Charleston Hughes recipe, a small item from the team store, a post card... the list could go on.  You could get the Quarterback box which may include Spitz and Twix and coffee coupons. 

I'm just an ideas person.  I have no idea how to make this happen.  What I do know is that after putting this out on Twitter Sunday night A LOT of people said this would be cool and amazing and would be totally on board with signing up for something like this.

It has to be relatively affordable.  I know the subscriptions I've had have only been around $20 but I could see a CFL box being $30 with quality items. 

This would be a whole new way for the league to reach fans around the world.  It's marketing to people who possibly can't get out on game day and who maybe never will due to location.  It would create a buzz because "oh did you get this in your CFL loot crate?" No, what is that?  It's an exclusive club that a lot of people would want in to just to get the special items that you wouldn't be able to get otherwise.  Mail subscriptions are trendy and it could lure in some of the borderline aged fans.

This idea is a way for the CFL and it's players to reach out to fans when 2020 is so unpredictable.  We have no idea what's going to happen.  Will there be a season or not?  No one knows and everyone is frustrated and impatient over it all.

Of course there's no way to get this off the ground for 2020, I know that.  Like I said - I'm just the ideas person.  I'm sure someone out there might see this and think I'm on to something and hopefully they would know how to make it happen.

Just think.  What if your CFL box was due to arrive tomorrow.  Wouldn't that be amazing?!

Let Me Introduce Myself 2020

You might be a long time reader of this blog or you might have just happened upon this site from a link from social media and I thank you regardless of how you found your way to ABC Football.  We are only a few days/hours/minutes away from the opening of the 2020 CFL season and I thought this was a good time for me to reacquaint myself after an interesting off season.

If you'd like the condensed version, I don't blame you at all, after all our attention is pulled in several different directions these days... then please click on my About Me tab.  You'll find all the necessary information there.  If you prefer the long winded version, then by all means stick with me. * smile *
This is not a blog post about how I became a Rider fan because I think I've already been there, done that, and bought all the Rider tee shirts. If you are interested, this is my Origin Story.

I grew up in Prince Albert and in 2001 moved to Saskatoon.  I took music lessons all of my teenage years and when I was 17 I began teaching piano lessons.  Music has always been a huge part of my life and livelihood.  Except for a 5 year hiatus when we moved, I've always been a teacher.  My interest in practice ebbs and flows but I strive to keep learning and being the best instructor and mentor I can be to all the students who cross my path.  I probably should have become a school teacher but...well, I didn't.

I thought I was going to be a writer.  I did a few years of Arts & Sciences...basically enough to know that I was neither good at learning in that forum and that the learning how had nothing to do with the act of actually doing it.  Now I know that I could have made different choices but things always have a way of working out and because of them I met my Husband who you may have seen me refer to as "Hubby". We celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary in December and the one thing we enjoy doing together is going to football games.
I've always been able to succeed at pretty much anything I've ever tried.  That's not me being egotistical.  It's the truth.  No one ever told me I couldn't do something.  I always felt that I was free to pursue my passions.  I play music, I bake, I travel, I draw, I snap photos.....

On a social media forum which has long become extinct I began blogging about every day life, my love of donuts and my teaching stories.  My readers ( a handful of friends ) became wildly aware around 2008-ish that a lot of my blogs were about football.  Some of those very early blogs can be found in the archives on this very page.  It became apparent that I could just write about sports and eventually my page got moved here to Blogger and eventually through a few name changes we arrive at what ABC Football is today.

This page will always be from the fans perspective and over time I think I've become more level headed and logical and less radical.  Yes, I know, crazy words from a Rider fan!   I try to not take football or myself too seriously and I think that's evident through my CFL Power Rankings.  I think we can look everywhere, especially in Saskatchewan, and be bombarded with Roughriders news from sports media people.  I try to not let what's going on around me influence my perspective.  Why try to fit in?  The 2019 Power Ranking can be found by looking for "power grouping" in the Search This Blog box.  If it's just the Art you are looking for then click on the Garfunkel's tab at the top of the page.

Sometimes you have to excuse me.  I am the music teacher after all and that often takes precedent.  It also means you might be swamped with vague musical quotations from my current obsessions.  It might mean I don't get to write regularly because of my schedule.  I'm okay with it and I hope you are too.  I will always share my newest posts on my Twitter account, Instagram and the ABC Football Facebook page.  I firmly believe that while I am a Roughriders fan first and foremost, that is not all that I am.  I am diverse and sometimes complicated.  I can enjoy several things at the same time and remain smilingsandra or smilingriderfan or whoever I am :)

I am the administrator of ABC Rider Fans on Facebook.  The group doesn't have the big numbers that some Facebook groups do but the people who are on the page have fun.  It's not uncommon to go off topic or to joke around with each other.  We are friends.  If you've joined, you can expect Game Threads hosted by moderator John Strutt and we love it when everybody posts and shares.  You can expect CFL news while being Rider fans.  The rules are simple and easy to follow.  Search the group up and join in.

A question I get asked often is "why ABC?".  At the time, I wanted something that would come up on a Google or Facebook in an alphabetical type of search.  I also thought ABC could refer to the abc's of football and almost in a football 101 type of way.  Yes, it is also an acronym for Anyone But Calgary and that's a cool thing too but it does not mean the group/page is completely anti-Stampeders.  Not really anyway.

I am a Roughriders season ticket holder and this year will be in section 118.  I'm pretty excited to sit in a different part of the stadium.  I'm also pumped for the home opener on Canada Day.  Who doesn't love cheering on Canada's Team on the same day we get to celebrate our nation?!  If you see me, stop me and say hi!
I'd love to interact with you.  If there are blog topics you'd love to see me discuss then by all means let me know.  Thanks for reading and as always...

...Go Riders!

The Hallmark of the CFL

I don't know about you guys but this time of year I'm all about the Hallmark movies.  Sure, I enjoy the classic movies like Scrooge, Christmas Vacation and The Christmas Story (you'll shoot 'yer eye out!) but when you really need to escape the pressures of the season I find there is nothing better than watching a cheesy movie.

We joke that the plots are all the same and they are to an extent.  Girl escapes a bad relationship by fleeing to a small town.  She bumps into the town handyman who is the towns most eligible bachelor naturally.  Through a series of events they begin to fall for each other but then something happens to break them up.  Usually by Christmas Eve they've come to their senses and sorted out the misunderstanding to realize they belong together forever.  Cue the kiss we waited 1.5 hours for.

*sigh*

So what if football was like a Hallmark movie?

Football players come to camp from all over and last year they came from European countries and Mexico too.  Imagine coming from some place in Germany to Regina.  It's not only culture shock but you've left everything behind that you knew to learn a new way of life and train in the CFL.  While players don't arrive in Canada to fall in love many do fall in love with the league and their teams.  Ok so maybe that's a stretch but all players talk about their teams like a brother hood.  Some teams come together better than others and it seems those are the teams which are destined for greatness.

The wins start happening.  The big plays.  The offence wins over our hearts.  We start thinking out team can win it all.  Then inexplicably something happens.  In 2013 to my Riders it was the famous Dewdney incident.  To this year's Grey Cup winners, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers it was the drug testing of Andrew Harris.  The player and the team are left to face the adversity and while some find it a hard situation to recover from others persevere and might even come back stronger than before.

Finally we come to the big day and the only thing I want to see kissed is the Grey Cup as my team hoists it.  Well in 2019, even though we tried to write the storyline of the Saskatchewan Roughriders seeking redemption over the 2009 Grey Cup in Calgary, it wasn't meant to be.  The Winnipeg Blue Bombers who I had said all season long came into Mosaic Stadium and were victorious.  There are lots of reasons why and if the fate of the Offensive Coordinator was hinged on one thing I'd say it was the 4th quarter play when the Riders failed to score in the red zone.  You have a player like William Powell and you don't hand it off to him.  You have a Quarterback like Cody Fajardo who plays with his heart and who played injured because he knew how much it meant to Rider Nation and you pull him out for the 3rd string quarterback who has been warming the bench.  For sure, there were other things in that game that went wrong before that but the Riders failed and the Bombers weren't going to stand back and let us fool around.  

The following week in the Grey Cup the Bombers hoisted the Grey Cup after a 29 year drought.  I've never seen such an impressive display of an offensive line in a game ever.  My green heart was envious.  As a Grinch, I didn't want to be happy for them.  As a football fan who knows how hard it is to get there again and again, I was happy for them.  The Bombers found their Hallmark ending to 2019.

The Roughriders have brought in Jason Maas as the new Offensive Coordinator while the Edmonton Eskimos search for a new Head Coach.  Rick Campbell who many thought would end up in Eskie green has been named Head Coach of the BC Lions.  Mike O'Shea held a press conference that meant nothing.  Paul LaPolice was named Head Coach of the Ottawa Redblacks which has many in Winnipeg wondering what's going to happen to their Quarterbacks who are Free Agents.  Montreal is still searching for a buyer.  We all wonder if Halifax will ever be that 10th team.

The off season is going to be very interesting although the news will be slower and of course we will all take a break to celebrate the meaning of the Christmas season.  Thank you to everyone who reads my blog and interacts with me every day.  I hope you enjoy the hustle and bustle of the season but find some quiet moments to sit down and enjoy a Hallmark movie too.

Ratio Ga Ga

HEADLINE - Something something blah blah, Sources.

We know that no CFL reporter is going to divulge their source but isn't it easy to fall back and support your argument just stating "my source".  I wrote a whole blog (Sources Say) post about it some time ago.  I don't expect Justin Dunk to reveal who he's talking to and it remains that he's often correct in what he tells us.  Still I think when anyone cites a source we should take everything with a grain of salt.

At least that's what my source says.

So "Sources" aside, it was reported that the Canadian Football League and it's Players Association who are in bargaining have discussed lowering the ratio of Canadian football players from 7 to 5.  It didn't take very long for players to respond to this idea and many of us got the popcorn ready as we watched them spout off on social media.  Even Brian Ramsey, executive director, refuted that this proposal had never been agreed to however he never stated that the idea was false.  You can read that 3 Down Nation article here --> CFLPA Responds

What do you think?

Two things are certain.  CFL 2.0 is moving ahead.  Ambrosie has discussed having 2 "global" players added to the roster from the countries with which he's stricken deals.  Whether those 2 spots are the same 2 being removed from the Canadian ratio isn't clear.  What fans and players are most disappointed with is that in instigating this plan we are removing the very essence of what makes it the Canadian Football League to begin with.  We are at odds between expanding the horizon of the CFL and protecting everything it stands for.  Then again, fans are never very open to change...are we?

Let's be clear here, the ratio only affects Canadians who are actually on the field.  It doesn't mean any less players will be on a teams roster.  Those 2 global spots also don't dictate whether they will be starters or not, only that 2 players on the roster should be from another country neither national or international.  What this does mean, I think at this point, is that only elite Canadian players will end up making the squad.  That means someone like Robb Bagg who was never drafted may never play professional football.  I can also see the other side of wanting to ensure that the best of the best do make teams.  The CFL is the only football league to demand that a certain amount of players hold a certain passport.  Does it seem to make a difference to the NFL or these other leagues that are springing up?  No.  There is already a large disconnect between USports and grooming players for pro football.  Or is there?  We are also seeing more Canadians heading south to the college ranks or NFL.  Where does this leave us?  This is because it seems they need that American exposure to be able to compete at the next level.  Not every team can draft from Laval.  

Perhaps we need to examine football in university and other levels.  I'll be the first person to admit I know next to nothing about football at this level.  Wouldn't it be great to be able to watch these teams and games on tv or streamed to our laptops or devices?  We'd be able to see what all the talk is about and learn why players are drafted first over all.  A tv deal would not only boost this level of Canadian football but it might lead more people to view CFL as well.  College football in the United States is almost on another level of fandom and there is a loyalty found not evident anywhere else.  That feeling is one reason lot's of players like the Roughrider team and game atmosphere...it reminds them of their college days.  

There could be a CFL expansion in the future.  Is there enough Canadian talent period?  Why is it players can go south and be successful while others spend up to 3 years getting acquainted with the CFL and still don't seem to play with the passion and motivation they should?  * cough St John cough *  Or do these players not realize the precious opportunity they're getting and fail to live up to expectations?  Perhaps if there were less opportunities Canadians would work harder?  Can it also work the other way around.  Someone who never expected to be a pro football player but gets the chance and doesn't waste it.  Someone like Chris Getzlaf who living not so far from Regina felt destined to be a Rider.

It seems like a catch 22.

Every one has an opinion on the ratio and as most subjects go amongst not only football fans but everyone in 2019 having an opinion is divisive.  I watched as Duron Carter and Ricky Foley had at it on Twitter Monday.  Travis Lulay posted the most level headed opinion I've seen.  It doesn't matter what your passport says as long as you are part of the locker room.  The players need to be united if they're going to get anything done and the CFL is counting on pushing through their agenda while they're busy scrapping over something that may have little meaning in July.  When was the last time you felt united?  I know it's been a long time for me.  I think we've forgotten how to be part of something bigger than ourselves in this journey of individuality.

Is this all just really cah cah.  Sometimes things are put out in the media to distract us from what is really going on.  While everyone is over here complaining about this ratio thing perhaps they'll be over there putting some other plan into motion.  It's a political move.  You don't like our negotiations well this is what we're proposing.  If that's the case, it sure has gotten everyone worked up in what was a rather slow moment in the CFL off season.  This story isn't over yet either.

If you enjoyed the title of this weeks blog post don't hesitate to read last weeks offering titled Any Way the Wind Blows which will give you a little inside look at other aspects of my life.  Good friend Tony Brice commented that it was one of my best posts yet.  Thanks for that Tony!  He follows me on Twitter @smilingsandra but you can find me elsewhere and mostly at the ABC Rider Fan Facebook page.  Search us up - Come talk to us about this Ratio Ga Ga.  

Any Way The Wind Blows

There hasn't been much going on in the CFL lately.  Pieces of news have been few and far between.  They've resorted to articles about players pets and who can be named best dressed CFLer.

Meanwhile...

* crickets *

...a dog barks in the distance...

🎵 a birdie chirps...

With this lull in activity every off season I find that my own rabid fan status wains and I wonder over to other activities and my influences change.  Some people turn to other sports - Saskatoon Rush, Nascar and hockey of course. Many of you haven't known me a long time but March seems to be a time for when I explore.  There was the Dean Martin infatuation of 20-something.  We won't discuss the whole vampire thing. Last year I researched my family tree and actually found a cousin living in Montreal who I didn't know existed. This off season was going along like normal and then in February I watched (finally) Bohemian Rhapsody and it seemed like everything changed for me.

I've made no secret that while I write this blog and am administrator for ABC Rider Fans, that in "real life" I am a piano teacher.  While I've always maintained that music is what I do - it's not my life...it's an illusion because it really does consume my life.   Where I am able to strike a balance is that I only teach after school hours so while you are likely gearing up to go home after your work day, I am gearing up to start teaching.  'Tis the life of a musician I suppose.  What these hours allow me to do is follow football during those off times except when I need to do research or find music or actually come up with a plan or strategy for my lessons, which by the way is unpaid time but I'm dedicated and I do it happily.

So there I was coasting through CFL off season and coping with some other health things that always seem to crop up at this time of year but you know everyone has "stuff" to deal with.  One of my students...my best student if I'm honest (and fav but don't tell the others!), is playing Bohemian Rhapsody for the SAM music festival in May which runs close if not at the same time as Roughrider training camp.  We had decided on this selection before Christmas so it had nothing to do with my off season doldrums but everything to do with the reason one quiet Saturday night I decided I should watch the movie.  I called it Professional Development. I actually streamed A Star is Born the same night but for whatever reason (I'm heartless?) it had zero effect on me, yet the story of Freddie Mercury made me feel a whole myriad of things that I can't even begin to sort out or explain in any form.

I was 18 when Mercury died from Aids in 1991 and when I think back to "me" back then I often refer to myself as a stupid teenager.  Maybe I was just oblivious? I remember the news but life went on.  I didn't realize until now how excruciating that event actually was.  Is it possible to mourn someone nearly 30 years later?  Well just like I seem to be stuck in this musical cycle, many football fans are stuck as well.  Bring back Dressler is one of the newest cries.  When will Rider fans move on?  Are we still in 2009 mourning too?  The Roughriders need to continue to move on to the future instead of looking back.  Unlike, Queen's front man, most football players are replaceable even if we've loved their character and personality.  To everything there is a season.  The show must go on.

With most things in my life even when I don't think music plays a roll it's there in the background noise.  If you're still with me here and wondering what any of this has to do with the football blog you've grown used to reading well it made me realize how much I've grown in all ways and continue to evolve and how fortunate...blessed really, I am to have a slightly successful page which is somewhat accepted by a mostly male dominated sort of hobby and industry.  No one ever told me I couldn't and I always knew I could do things, mostly artistic types of things with extreme ease.  I can do anything! I've often said. So while Roughrider football is an obsession in my life, music is a thread weaving itself deeply through it.  A team wins a championship - We Are The Champions.  A Calgary Stampeders game comes to an end - Sweet Caroline.  The Saskatchewan Roughriders score a touchdown - Green is the Colour.

"Like" and "Follow" ABC Football on Facebook for my latest musings.

When the city of Regina hosted the 2013 Grey Cup they knocked the halftime show out of the park by having flying snowmobiles and a rocking Hedley (at the time) group.  Randy Ambrosie said that the Riders pitch was so good they could have landed the Olympics so naturally that makes me question what kind of half time show was pitched.  Does the halftime show need to be Canadian or should they reach farther into the stars to bring the most epic halftime ever?  Can both be done?  What's your opinion on this and who would you like to see as the 2020 halftime show? 

This time of year - March, the cold snap finally comes to an end and we are looking for signs of life.  While it'll be a while until we see daffodils here in Saskatchewan, birds are returning and the snow is sinking as the sun grows higher and higher in the sky.  Our beloved CFL teams will be re-awakening after all the moves in free agency.  The CFLPA negotiations will get settled.  Soon it'll be draft day. Some people are already looking forward and talking about training camp in Saskatoon.  Our passion is renewed.  The season is renewed.  We feel anew.

I'm ready for the next chapter.

Go Riders.

Revisiting ~ It's Not June Yet

My 4th most popular blog of all time is a post entitled It's Not June Yet from March of 2016.  A co-worker had asked me about the temperament of Rider Nation and I complied with a blog post.  Let me set the stage for you...Corey Chamblin had been fired as Head Coach of the Riders late in the 2015 season and Bob Dyce had coached out the remainder of the season.  In November of that year Craig Reynolds landed Chris Jones much to the chagrin of Edmonton Eskimo fans.  In December, Jones released an unprecedented amount of Rider players then in January Chick & Dressler, which was not taken well by much of the fan base.  By the time I wrote this blog in March some big names had been signed and news was just amping up for the season.


As I stated in the opening of that blog post, a lot of people didn't even really know I was a football fan in real life.  I can pretty much guarantee that has changed.  I've never been one to shout it from the rooftop because I feel that when I am at work, I am there to work, and I'm hoping my employer likes it that way.  However, it does bubble over sometimes.  While my fandom isn't tattooed on my arm it is in my heart at all times.  In my classroom there is a Grey Cup champions sign from 2013 and a couple other tell tale signs if you look hard enough.  I do tend to wear a lot of green and to answer my question from It's Not June Yet, there is never enough Rider green.

Back in March of 2016 the temperament was mixed and divided.  Some love the Chris Jones regime, others hate him and others just hate his personality but love the coach. There are still (in March – 2 months later) fans who bring up the whole Chick/Dressler releases. Ridernation doesn't forget much.  In the first season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders they went 5-13.  It was a total and complete rebuild situation.  2017 was an improvement at 10-8 and less than 3 minutes from participating in the Grey Cup which our victors, the Toronto Argonauts would go on to win and let's not forget that Corey Chamblin our ex head coach was their defensive coordinator that year too.  Flash forward to last year 2018 and the Riders once again improved on their over all record at 12-6 and hosted a home play off game for the first time in several years.  While those same fans are still out there upset over how Chris Jones handled things (not this fan - I was on board from Day 1) it's easy to see how he was not only nominated for Coach of the Year but took home the award in November.  Each year that Chris Jones has been with the Roughriders organization has been an improvement over the last.  Yes, there's been some problems and some ugly losses (The Big Goose Egg) but if one was to take the temperament of the fans at right this moment I'd say we are leaps and bounds ahead of where we started.  We are just missing that one quarterback ingredient, but I'll get to that later.

Here we are in 2019 and Corey Chamblin has become the Head Coach for the Toronto Argonauts after Marc Trestman was dismissed.  It's always shocking when someone gloriously leads their team to victory one year and then is fired the next.  It seems to be the way so often in professional sports.  We know that in Chamblin's final year with the Riders he changed.  We don't know if it was winning that did it or something else but we saw issues where coaches and players didn't want to work for him or with him.  He has said publicly that he learned from his experience here in the fishbowl.  It'll be interesting to see what kind of culture he's able to create in a place like Toronto that seems oblivious to the very existence of the CFL.  

Rider Nation waited anxiously after an NFL reporter mentioned in an article that Chris Jones should be on the radar of several NFL teams.  We wondered if it was news being created in the absence of football news in the CFL and we have seen an exodus of players to the NFL so why wouldn't coaches be going elsewhere too?  Thankfully on Tuesday all the rumours were put to rest when news finally broke for the first time since December 20th, Chris Jones had signed a contract extension through 2020.  He said there's unfinished business with the Roughriders and as I've always suspected, he wants to win a Grey Cup with our Riders.  Hey, I'm all for that attitude!

I would be remiss if I didn't also mention that we don't say #isitjuneyet anymore.  There has been an effort and movement to move the season up to avoid disasters like the 2018 Grey Cup and it's snowy onslaught.  What a complete embarrassment that was!  It was bad for the teams playing and it was disappointing to watch players slip and slide on TSN.  In 2019 the season will begin in June and preseason begins in May.  Wahoo!  That also means training camps will open a week earlier and that completely works out for my schedule.  So...#isitmayyet?  I am assuming that the Riders return to Saskatoon for training camp in 2019 but we will have to await that news.

Back to my 2016 blog post...I went on to talk extensively about meeting new players and then how accessible fans are to CFL players.  Aren't we lucky?!  The three players I posted about were only Riders for a short time.  I did mention my curse with meeting players and their dismissal.  That tweet

Will Scott Moe like this post?

even got the attention of Premier Brad Wall.  Coincidence?  I have been so blessed to meet most of our Riders at events over the years.  I always thought it was a CFL thing but perhaps it's mostly a Roughriders thing.  At any rate, I am thankful that it's possible at all.  I guess when you are in a position to meet a lot of players you also might find a lot of those same players get released.  I will let you know that I will not be the first fan marching off to get a customized jersey...

Four years ago I was not a season ticket holder. 2019 will be the 3rd season that I hold tickets.  I love that the Roughriders and Mosaic Stadium organizations have options for all fans.  In 2016 I bought what was called Flex Tickets.  Now, with my season tickets they have a great resale option available for games I am not able to go to.  Sometimes, even if you are the biggest fan, it's just not possible to drive the 3 hours due to other adult responsibilities.  I've loved being in section 126 and I enjoy being close to the field.  What I don't enjoy is having to watch most of the game on the big screen because I can't see what's going on.  In February I'm going to look at upgrading to another section.  It'll be a great opportunity to meet new people and participate in the terrific Mosaic Stadium game atmosphere.

We said goodbye to Taylor Field and we welcomed Mosaic Stadium with open arms.  We worked out the bugs in hosting a home play off game and now we are ready for more.  It's go time.  The next few months are going to be full of news and we will see some beloved players move on and we will also welcome new players into the fold.  I'm not making any bold predictions but with every improving year - this is the year to do it all and it starts with Chris Jones going out and getting us the quarterback to lead us there.  Who will it be?  Take part in the poll posted below and let me know your thoughts!  Stay tuned for the results!

Who is the next Riders Quarterback?

Zach Collaros

Johnathon Jennings

Mike Reilly

Bo Levi Mitchell

Other

Created with QuizMaker

5 Most Popular Blog Posts of 2018

Stores are frantically filling their empty shelves with Valentine's and Easter goodies but this Roughrider blogger is still feeling nostalgic.  I'll be packing up my Christmas decorations this weekend but for now I'm still looking back at 2018 and some of the topics which readers of ABC Football read and reacted to the most.  I've been reading over the last month about what makes sports blogs better and the thing I've seen most is 'don't put stock into the amount of views' and while keeping tabs on numbers isn't the number one thing I do in my spare time (what's that?) I won't discount that without readers there's no way I'd still be consistently putting out blogs since my first post in 2012.  I've learned a lot since then and I think the following topics in this weeks installment of the Football Friday 5 show that.  If you haven't had the pleasure of following all these stories I encourage you to step back with me and don't hesitate to explore the links listed here or in my blog archive.

5.  HOW SWEET IT IS was a post written right after the Labour Day Classic on September 4th 2018.  The Riders had just beat the Bombers and all of Rider Nation was riding high at 6 and 4 at that point in the season.  Chris Jones had made his first appearance in the Rider green Diversity is Strength tee shirt a few games earlier and we all decided he should never take it off.  It's funny how much conversation the mans wardrobe has always garnered.  

Meme from ABC Rider Fans Spirit Week

4.  T G D C was an acronym standing for Thank Goodness for Duron Carter and the title of a blog post from May 2nd, 2018.  Not much was going on at the time and there was a lull in the CFL news when Duron Carter started tweeting about how Bring 'em Out had gotten old and it needed to be shaken up.  His tweets broke up the doldrums.  Other topics of my blog consisted of Training Camp, parking for game goers, Don Narcisse moving home, CFL clothing, Brodie Lawson and the Broncos bus crash.  Who knew that by Labour Day Carter would find himself released from the Riders and who knew that Rob Bagg who had been released with other vets at the end of Training Camp would be welcomed back into the Riders locker room with open arms.  This change seemed to have a huge impact on how the Roughriders finished their season.  While Duron seems to be a terrific guy off the field we do see him without a team in 2019.  Will he end up in the AAFL too?  I guess we have to wait and see. 

3.  WINNIPEGISH.  Winnipegish is a word I first heard used on CKRM's Sportscage to describe Blue Bomber fans and their reactions to pretty much anything.  I thought it was appropriate to use as the title of this May 14th 2018 blog about Darian Durant and how he had signed with the football club and then scampered off with his $70K signing bonus.  Fans laughed at Rider Nation as players like Maurice Price signed, got the bonus and then promptly retired.  Apparently, it's not so much fun when the cleat is on the other foot but it sure was entertaining from this side of the border.  I was a huge fan of Darian Durant and I did support him.  I also worked through many of my feelings on him and the entire subject of his trade to the Alouettes in other blog posts.  Rider fans are not known for accepting change very well either.  Durant had Rider Radio pregame segments and did return to Mosaic Stadium to watch a home game...will CFL fans see him end up on the coaching side of football or after his contract with the Bombers expires will he end up elsewhere?  

Shared from the Saskatoon Hilltops Twitter while Durant was game ambassador.

2.  Number two and number one on this list work hand in hand.  My second most popular post of 2018 was a follow up blog entitled Weighing a Response.  Without giving away the number one post of 2018 I'm moving on. Please continue reading!

Quote from Sue Turner Moderator at ABC Rider Fans

1.  SIZING UP THE CFL was a blog post published on February 16th 2018.  This was a blog post that had male and female CFL fans commenting, tweeting, and messaging me their thanks for bringing up the subject of the lack of quality, sizing and choice for fans who don't fit the "model".  Female fans having to buy men's merchandise to represent their team because the ladies sizing was poor, more expensive and just not all inclusive.  Men told me that they too had issues with sizing not being right for them.  Fabrics were either cheap feeling or not comfortable enough.  It was a subject in which I got an overwhelming response.    At the urging of several people, who you'll find named in WEIGHING A RESPONSE , I emailed my blog to Randy Ambrosie who passed it down the chain I'm guessing because I did get a response from the CFL.  I was assured that I would see the model change and that they were working hard to ensure every fan has comfortable merchandise to choose from.  Now a lot of people thought that was just a form letter type of response but near the end of the 2018 season we did see the announcement that the CFL was ending it's relationship with Adidas and New Era would be taking over in 2019.  You can read that announcement HERE.  I am strongly encouraged by this news as I do own a few pieces of New Era merchandise and I think this is a move to make us all more content.  You can bet that when the full line rolls out I will be there to review everything.  As I promised, this is not a subject that our diverse fan bases cannot ignore and I will continue to keep my eyes on the topic.

There you have it - my 5 Most Popular Posts of 2018.  If you liked this blog don't forget to share it with others who might also enjoy it.  Don't miss out on last weeks feature 5 Biggest Stories in the CFL of 2018.  Thanks for reading in 2018 and don't forget that our continued interaction helps to make blogging all worth while.