Labour of Love

Here we are again.

One and Nine.

We've become dear old friends over the last two seasons. It's a love hate relationship really. We love our Saskatchewan Roughriders and desperately hate the losing record. Then to lose Sunday to our most hated rival after eleven years of winning the Labour Day Classic...well, it's rough.

In 2014, Darian Durant suffered an injury in the Labour Day game on a play which should have been a penalty but wasn't. The Riders won the game. In 2015, Darian Durant wasn't playing the game due to the Achilles injury and the Roughriders had just fired Taman and Chamblin. They named Bob Dyce Head Coach and the Riders went on to win the game. This year, under the Jones regime, Doubles single handedly brought the team back from a dismal first half, scored a touchdown himself then scored the 2 point conversion using the same play. It wasn't enough to win the game but it was more than enough to reaffirm just why Darian Durant is our starting quarterback. I turned to my husband and said “THAT'S why he's our starting quarterback.” I've never seen a player with so much heart. He wants nothing more than to win for the fans. When I heard him in the post game interview...my heart broke for him. Darian's contract was only for 2016. I am afraid to think of what might happen in 2017. I don't want to know a Riders team without this man.

Obviously, it'll happen at some point in the future. I'm not crazy. I just want it to be down the road and after the rebuild and on Darian Durant's terms.

As far as “why didn't the Riders win that game”, I don't believe it comes down to the referree's mistakes. I surely would like to blame Andre “turd an tree” Proulx for blown calls, phantom calls and anything else I could but I'm too rational for that. Our Saskatchewan Roughriders didn't play very well in the first half of the game but rebounded in the second half. There are many young players and rookies on our team due to rebuilding and injuries. When penalties and stupid mistakes happen we simply aren't good enough (yet) to over come them. Losing a game shouldn't come down to a missed kick or a controversial penalty decision and for good and great teams it doesn't. Just because I think this doesn't mean I'm blind to what's happening in the CFL with everything from the officials right on up to the commissioner. It's just not logical to say the Riders got screwed when it's happening in every CFL game every week. However, when players of the likes of Nik Lewis are tweeting saying the Riders got screwed...well, you know there's big issues. Is it embarrassing? Naw, not for me. It's freaking maddening. Just as I say the Riders aren't good enough neither are the officials. I don't believe they just want to get it right – I believe they don't know what is right.

Enough dwelling.

Hubby and I were in Section 43 Row 1 which is located on the West Gate (which I still sometimes think says Wes Cates). This is the last time we will be on this side of the stadium during this Farewell Season. We had great fans sitting around us and that includes Blue Bomber fans. Every one was well behaved and we all had a great time.

How about the play of Naaman 'the President' Roosevelt and Caleb Holley? These guys have been impressive and I am very encouraged as they continue to develop.

Dressler who? We let him have a couple plays but we didn't let him score a touchdown in spite of Paul LaPolice's insistence of continually trying to get him the ball. I love that we were almost able to shut him down.

Kendial Lawrence. After weeks of harsh criticism, he finally broke loose and scored a touchdown. We nearly went berserk. I was jumping up and down and shaking my cowbell and screaming then seconds later high five-ing everyone around us. It was amazing and down deep in my heart I felt a sensation of relief. Seeing the back flips in the end zone was pretty cool and made me think back to the Hugh Charles days. The only thing more amazing than witnessing this in person was hearing the play call by The Voice of the Riders Rod Pederson. It was right up there with “that just happened” and “they just don't stop”. That thing that it makes me feel while I sit here writing this is essentially Rider Pride at its very nucleus in my little green heart. Man, that feels good.

And that's about the best way to describe it.

Saturday is the big rematch. The Banjo Bowl. I have no idea who will win but of course I hope my Roughriders do. I'm happy for the Blue Bombers to be having a more successful season but not happy enough to hand them another win. No matter the outcome, it'll be entertaining. We can always count on our Riders to put on a great show.  Go Riders! //=S=//

 

Thump

.....thump.....

     .....thump...thump.....

Did you feel that?

Thump.....THUMP.....

It starts with a little nugget of news.  It grabs your attention.  Then you feel it in your chest like when the Grinch realizes he doesn't hate Christmas after all.  Your little green Rider heart starts to beat.

Rider Nation is coming out of hibernation.

Today is the CFL Draft.  Many are debating who gets drafted and what team should make what pick.  Meh.  This is totally a guy thing.  Honestly, my eyes glaze over like a Timmies boston cream.  There's no point debating it.  What will be will be.  Someone will get picked.  Someone will get to play for who they want.  Someone else will have to play for someone they didn't want to.  Stuff will happen.  These players most likely will not be starters unless they have uber talent.  It's probable we won't know the impact of the draft for a year or more.  Yes, someones dream will come true but these Draftee's still have to prove themselves...they haven't made it yet.

So the verdict of Deflete-gate came down Monday.  I really think they got this right.  Cheating to change the outcome of a championship game cannot be tolerated.  I know what you're going to say...wife beaters blah blah blah.  Deflating balls and knowing about it and condoning it directly changes the game on the field.  It's the job of the NFL to deal with this and hand out punishment.  The other incidence cannot be compared because they don't happen on the field.  Sure they may impact the game but not in the same way and it's not an NFL issue...it's a law issue.  What is so dumb about this really is that they didn't need to cheat.  They did.  They got caught.  And now they've been punished.

Now to more important news...Wes Cates got married.  Anyone who knows me...really knows me...knows I love a running back.  Congratulations to him and the misses.  I wish them a world of happy tomorrows.

Last weekend Riders and ex-Riders invaded Saskatoon aka Riderville North.  Weston Dressler was at the new Olympian store.  I didn't see him but I did see Neal Hughes at Floral Acres.  It was part of a fundraising venture for Never Alone which provides support for those fighting Cancer.  There wasn't a line up to see Neal so once I paid for my fleurs I walked over to chat.  He had his two Grey Cup rings in a display case and WOWZERS! Those rings are impressive.  It's not the first time I've seen them but every time I am dazzled.  Diamonds and Emeralds oh my!  I told Neal he'd get another one this year.  He seemed skeptical but he doesn't know just how much Rider Nation truly believes.

I had plans to go to the Valkyries game at the newly named SMF Field.  Tickets are only $10 and I feel we need to get out and support these ladies.  For anyone who doesn't know, the Valkyries are totally undefeated.  They've won everything always.  Well life got in the way Sunday and I didn't go to the game.  If you did take in the Mother's Day home opener you would have also have seen Sam Hurl, Patrick Neufeld & Gregg Newman.

Women play football.  Women talk football.  Women love football.  Where are the female football reporters?  I mentioned this on Twitter last week.  Guess what?  There is ONE CFL female print reporter in all of Canada.  ONE.  She works for the Calgary Herald.  I don't know her name but kudos.  What can we do to get more ladies reporting on this great game?  If you have any ideas let me know.  Maybe this blog is one small step.

Lastly, my Rider game tickets arrived Monday.  Hurray!  Nothing gets the Rider green blood pumping that heart like the words "Home Opener" on a green ticket.

.....thump - thump.....

Football in the Family

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