Forever in Rider Nation

I was happily strolling the isles of Costco Saturday and completely oblivious to the Roughrider roster releases.  That was until I returned home and saw the post on the ABC Rider Fan Facebook page. 

What the.....

Rob Bagg?  Bakari Grant?  Chad Owens too?

Man, cut down day SUCKS!

It doesn't matter how much a fan prepares or rationalizes the changes to their beloved football team - these changes shock you.  Sure, the Riders *had* to cut players to get down to the regulation 46 man roster and the Riders brass have far more expertise as my own and far more tools in hand to make these decisions than I do and for that I am thankful because it has to be the hardest job in sports.  I cannot imagine how hard it must have been to tell Rob Bagg he was no longer a Roughrider - the only CFL team he'd ever played with in his career.  The same goes for Chad Owens whose off season training had been featured on The Grind.  Bakari Grant may be the hardest one to swallow since he was coming off a 1000 yard year.

We love these guys.  We feel like we have a relationship with them.  They play for our favourite team and they've entertained us.  So why can't we be happy for them?  Be happy and celebrate that they were on OUR team in the first place instead of relishing in their demise.

Thank you for one of the Most fun years of football Rider Nation! Every good thing must come to an end... ~ Bakari Grant

THANK YOU RIDER NATION. ~ Rob Bagg

Last week at Green and White Day I am ashamed to admit when Chad Owens came over to sign my BEL13VE tee shirt I felt a bit weak in the knees.  He looked me in the eyes and smiled.  Maybe he recognized me from one of the other 2 times I'd been lucky enough to meet him.  Aren't we blessed as CFL fans to be able to meet these athletic idols! 

Some other tidbits from Green and White Day.  It was pretty hysterical when Charleston Hughes set down his helmet to sign autographs and Caleb Holley thinking it was a fans signed it.  That still makes me chuckle.  The more I see of Charleston Hughes the more I am appreciating that he came to be on the Green and White this year.  He told me he's looking forward to sacking Bo Levi and I told him to hit him hard.  He quipped "I might even take a fine." 

As most of the players met with fans they asked how we are and said thanks for coming out.  When Ed Gainey came to me along the fence line of SMF Field I said "So you're going to get 10 interceptions this year?"  "No", he stated. "Sixteen".  I LOVE IT!

So we get to have all these amazing experiences with these CFL players and it totally and completely endears us to them.  Does that relationship mean they should get to play forever?  

“We certainly are appreciative of all the people who watch our games,” Jones said. “You have to have fans in order to have a league. At the same time, you have to be willing to make hard decisions. If you start letting the media or somebody else’s opinion on the decision that you made affect you, you end up being weak.” ~ Chris Jones

In an interview with the Leader-posts Murray McCormick Rob Bagg talked about an ankle injury he had at Training Camp in Saskatoon and he decided to continue on instead of resting up.  He said that probably wasn't a smart thing to do.  We only do what we think is best at the time, right?  I'm in no way saying his career was over but sometimes these decisions of when not to play have to come from other people.  Is Chris Jones at fault for having a role in which he's paid to put a viable team on the field in order to try to win the fans a championship?   

Some people (when scrolling through the Twitter pages) appear to be fans of the players and seem to prefer their favourite players be kept over the betterment of the Saskatchewan Roughriders.  I just fail to understand that mentality and I feel like I've been preaching this same story since 2015/16.  When Chris Jones arrived in Riderville he cut an enormous amount of players and while some did go on to be signed with other teams many did not and when you look around the league the ONLY player still on a roster is Weston Dressler who has also spent every season banged up.  There is a time to move on and if you don't evolve and continue to want to improve you will end up being weak and you will not win and there will not be any championship dreams.

The 2017 Roughriders football season ended in the East Division final losing to the team, the Toronto Argonauts, who would go on to win the Grey Cup.  For some that still equals no wins so what difference does it make.  Well for this fan it makes a world of difference to play into the post season or miss it completely.  It's the difference of a 3-15 season or 10-8 with Eastern Semi-final and Eastern Final games.  Of course I want to win it all!  But, I can also see that we aka The Riders, always need to be adding faster talent and often that means younger talent and that also means bidding some of our favourites adieu.  While our team is doing this, every CFL team is doing it and the Riders have to keep up or surpass with what is going on around the league.

I am a fan of the team with the name across the front of the jersey...not the back.  It's not about individuals.  It's about a team and putting the BEST team on field for 2018.

I wish all the players leaving their respective teams well.  To Chad Owens, Bakari Grant and especially Rob Bagg, we will not forget what you've sacrificed for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.  Even though you won't be on the field for us any longer - you will be forever in our hearts and an integral part of Rider Nation.

 

 

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=//

 

Say Something

Say Something, I'm giving up on you

I'll be the one, if you want me to

Anywhere, I would have followed you

Say something, I'm giving up on you

This seems to be the song of Ridernation after the disastrous loss to the Hamilton TigerCats on Saturday evening. Many who couldn't stand it anymore flipped over to the live Tragically Hip concert on CBC. Those who stuck around took to the radio airwaves to speak their grievances. We are all bewildered, sad and embarrassed. There's not much that can be said that hasn't already. This indeed is the deepest of down weeks.

I always try to relate football to aspects of my life. I am a piano teacher by evening and even though it sounds crazy, I often tell my students not to practise before a big performance. It can work a couple of ways... 1) You use up all your intensity practicing then the performance is a flop or 2) You discover or create new mistakes and they become your focus and 3) You should be prepared before your performance and shouldn't require the practise. I think all three of these things happened to our Riders. Of course they have to practise but we also know it wasn't going well because Jones tore a strip off them so in an effort to be better the focus became about the mistakes and you know what? You focus on the bad and the bad happens. You draw to you what you fret about.

Shakespeare said “Expectation is the root of all heartache.” How true! When the Chris Jones hire was announced what did you think would happen? The Riders were severely broken in 2015. Did ya think he had a magic fix-the-Riders wand? Wave it and he turns 3-15 into 15-3? Jones and company's first season with the Edmonton Eskimo's ended in 6-12. Even though the Riders are 1-7 at this point in the season, 6-12 could be realistically how they end the season. I'd be okay with that purely because it's an improvement over last season. I didn't expect magic; I only expected better.

When the first massive release happened it was shocking BUT how many of those players got signed elsewhere? Brackenridge retired. There was only two Db's who signed...Macho Harris in Winnipeg and Tristan Jackson in Ottawa. That tells me that they weren't worth it to us or any other CFL team. Then the Chick/Dressler/Smith release happened. Now honestly, I could care less if they're upset. They should know by now that football is a business. Have they been lighting up the league? Only against us really and Dressler and Smith have spent a fair share of their Bomber time on the injured list. There's something to be said for how Wally Bueno builds a CFL team. Remember when he released Geroy Simon or Jason Clermont? They were on the downside of their careers. It had to happen to bring in the next guy and rebuild. There is no point to hanging on to a player or players for loyalty or personality or because he's a “fan favourite” then be stuck when he does retire or is forced to retire due to injury or because of their salary you can't afford an up and comer.

Yes, it's true, there are lot's of new Rider players names and you don't know their names or numbers. I've even heard a certain media outlet complain about not knowing who the new guys are. Well excuse me, but if I can figure it out and have since training camp (which I don't recall seeing you at) then why can't you WHEN IT'S YOUR JOB! Meanwhile, the impact of your thoughts and words are heard in Ridernation and they believe you much to the chagrin of the green and white loyalists. A revolving door of players they say but the only new player on the offense was Caleb Holley who had a feature in the Leader-post August 17^th.....FOUR days before the game. The information is out there if you look for it. Get to know these players now so you aren't stuck when they're household names. Get ahead of the curve. I always relate it to this...in 2008 you didn't know who Weston Dressler was either.

Beyond a team that played horribly in all facets, we have the officials and crazy CFL rules to deal with. I watch every CFL game every week and I see it in every game. I think it's the definition of the rules in the first place and the referee's who aren't skilled enough to make the right calls. They don't know what to call and sometimes throw a flag in case there was something or they miss something blatant. This is what the challenge was supposed to fix. Instead, coaches have found a way to bend the rules and manage to get calls for things that have no impact on the play. Every coach has done it. Then this year they came out with the “eye in the sky” which I still haven't figured out what they're supposed to do except in the last game they stopped play because the refs had spotted the ball wrong. They couldn't even spot the ball correctly! I certainly don't know how to fix anything but it seems to me at this point there is no going back. Some games have taken years off my life. It's frustrating to watch and many fans are turning away.

~ Life is not about how you survive the storm;

it's about how you dance in the rain ~

Well, in Ridernation right now it's pouring. We might be having a really hard time. Nothing is going our way.  We've been fined and taken a beating.  I still love this team and these players. You won't hear me wanting to fire coaches or make trades. I'm leaving that to the people in the know. I know in my Rider green heart that the wins will come. Then another win will happen. Maybe some more and then we'll be rolling. That's when we can dance. Let's be there for the 2016 Roughriders. They need our support not our criticism. I know I'll be in green come game day. I hope you are too.  Let's make some Farewell Memories.

Chick, Dress & Shoes

Before the Christmas holidays 19 players were released from the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Many fans including myself thought that was only the the tip of the iceberg. Yesterday when the news broke of the release of two of the hugest player personalities, Weston Dressler and John Chick, we felt the earth quake of the other Chris Jones shoe dropping.

Dad :)

This week has been busy for me. I saw the signing of Maurice Price and Shawn Lemon but my time has been spent dealing with some personal business. My Dad who is 80 (and a HUGE Rider fan), came to the city for an angiogram. My parents stayed at my house which was completely expected. I would do whatever I could to help my parents out. Dad's test came out wonderfully as he has zero blockages in his heart. As I told him during his recoup, I always knew he had a good heart. Yesterday morning before he headed for home we discussed football and the changes in Riderville. I said “fans will riot if Jones touches guys like Chick or Dressler.”

What did I know?

Nothing apparently because a mere 4 hours later I was climbing into my car to go to work and tuned in to CKOM to hear Jamie Nye break the news.

I was completely shocked. I sat in the car in disbelief. Then something cathartic happened. I drove to work.

By the time I walked in the doors of SAM I had shook it off.

Weird, huh?

Of course I love Dressler and Chick. I mean.....Chick makes me swoon. Seriously. Everyone knows offence wins hearts and we gave Weston all our hearts and sandwiches and blizzards. The bottom line is in order for them to stay with the Riders they had to be willing to take pay cuts. They weren't willing. Period.

Taman and Chamblin were run out of town for not only the losing season but the total mismanagement of the Roughrider team and coaches. They kept players around because the fans liked them. They did lot's of hiding players on injured lists and that's only one thing I know of. The list of 19 released players was a huge relief in terms of money. How bad is it? We don't really know. It must be pretty bad for Chris Jones to need existing players to take severe pay cuts.

The next thing I think of is loyalty. We've been fed the green kool-aid consisting of 'Saskatchewan is the place all players want to be'. Really? Maybe it's only the place to be if the money is right. If the team is paramount and you being on the team to win is what is of the greatest importance...the greater good if you will...wouldn't you be somewhat willing to work it out? Is being a Weston Dressler/John Chick more important than the good of the Roughrider team? No.

NO.

When a player starts thinking of themselves before the rest of their team mates, coaches or winning then it's perhaps time to say goodbye.

Another aspect is that the coach is not there to hold the hands of the players. I've said before – Chris Jones is not your life coach. If your feelings are hurt you suck it up and deal with it. THAT'S FOOTBALL. You don't air it on social media. I don't care who you are. It doesn't sit well with me how the dealing with the Weston Dressler release went down. Tell fans you're sad to go. Tell us you'll miss us. There's no use in saying no one would negotiate. It turns into a he said-he said game and you know what? I for one, am not into that anymore. We've been fed that long enough. In my opinion, the airing of dirty laundry in a goodbye statement is hardly classy no matter what pedestal Ridernation has put you on.

I don't recall but I've been told a similar situation happened in 1989 when Bobby Jurison and Eddie Lowe were released. More recently, 2008 Kerry Joseph was traded to the Toronto Argonauts. Last year, 2015 and Ricky Foley was traded. It happens to the Roughriders and it happens to other teams. This is how the CFL works and this is the progression from one year to another. It has to happen for teams to move forward. I don't want to be stuck in a Groundhog day of the 2015 season. I'm with Chris Jones and for the future. I know that other guys will emerge and our hearts will swell and it will be even better than before. As angry as fans are now, restrain yourself from the manure dumping because we all know you'll be in those seats at Mosaic Stadium to say Farewell.

Since the news came down I've heard lot's of discussion over Darian Durant. Will Coach Jones release Durant too? Maybe even Gainer isn't safe! Of course I hope not, but I hoped that before too. The difference is that I have the gut feeling that Doubles is the kind of guy who would take the pay cut. I have no reason to believe this and my guts have been wrong before but my spidey senses tell me this might be true. We don't know anything for sure. This is the reason we wanted a new Head Coach, remember? Ridernation wanted someone who could make hard and tough decisions. Now you don't like it. I said it then and I hate to say it now.....but be careful what you wish for.

What I do know is that there are probably more shoes to drop. How many pairs of shoes does Chris Jones own? Only time will tell. If he's anything like me there's a whole basket of them in the back of the closet and the house rule is one pair in = one pair out.

Rider Bye's & Fruit Flies

I took the Roughriders bye week off from blogging. Instead, I waged a war on fruit flies. They moved in to my kitchen when I brought home a box of pears from Costco. Let me say this – Fruit flies are not my friend.

During the bye week, we said goodbye to Kevin Glenn in a trade to the Montreal Alouettes. The Riders got a 5^th round draft pick in return. Then we turned around and used that draft pick as leverage and sent Jerome Messam to the Calgary Stampeders for a kicker (Tyler Crapigna) and a player on their negotiation list. It took some time to find out who the neg list player was and he had no sooner arrived in Regina when he got some NFL opportunities and quickly retreated. In the end of it we signed a RB Chad Spann.

GASP! Messam to the Stamps?!

May as well just kill off Glenn on the Walking Dead.

Oh wait.

So after the initial shock wore off it did feel encouraging for Jeremy O'Day to be making some moves. It felt like he was making a statement and doing what any 2 – 14 team does when looking to the future and that is trade for some younger players. As much as I've enjoyed McCallum being our kicker, the truth is that he's a 45 year old man. I've loved his attitude in spite of what I've heard others say...I do believe he has been a leader in the locker room when we were lacking that so badly this season. Messam to Calgary was a great move for the Stamps with the future of Cornish up in the air. It seems he's still suffering from effects from concussion injuries. I talked to a Stamps fan and even he admitted that in his opinion it was a stupid move from the Roughriders, but Messam was a free agent at the end of the season anyway. We were bound to lose him one way or another. So...as it may appear, I'm on the fence about Jeremy O'Day. I also highly suspect his hands are tied by previous contracts and the salary cap and so many other things that our little fandom brains can't even comprehend it. What I do know is that he was a player on a Roughrider team who did suffer as horribly as the 2015 team has. Maybe...just maybe he is exactly the right man for the job.

~ shrugs ~

Here we are nearing the end of October and what have we found out about the 2015 Saskatchewan Roughriders? They are awful in every possible way. Tackling has been an issue right out of training camp. That can almost sum everything up. We are slow. We are undersized. We are unmotivated. I don't think Bob Dyce is the next Head Coach. There, I said it. The Roughriders need a coach & coaches who can keep the team in check, preparing them for every game situation possible and firing them up when they falter. At times during the game Saturday, Dyce seemed bored. He's also saying some similar things as to what Chamblin was quoted as saying in media scrums. Sure mistakes happen but it is your job to be better...make the team better...

...Fans deserve better and we know, BETTER is always possible.

This team has consistently tried to hang onto the glory of past seasons and done very little to plan for next year. We can't even say we are in “next year country”. There are very few players on this current team who should be here next week never mind next year. The bottom line for the Roughriders is they need to put a system in place to scout and develop players not only for now but for always. They should always be looking for the next Chick, the next Dressler, the next franchise quarterback. There needs to be an end to finding the cast offs and trying to rehabilitate them. It doesn't work and we end up running in circles.

This is where someone like Wally Buono has excelled. He's been able to see the end of a career and nip it in the bud before they've over stayed their welcome. It's shocking. But when you are the GM or HC your job is to make the tough calls not the popular ones. You have to do what is best for the greater good. You have to sometimes release players you've loved to move the team forward. It's not personal – it's business.

Did firing Corey Chamblin and Brendan Taman change anything? There was such an outcry at the time but really, in my opinion, all it really did was expose how broken down the team really was. No longer can we hinge the Riders demise to the injuries of Darian Durant or Shea Emry. When the rule changes occurred the Roughriders were the last team to try to adapt. We didn't employ a defence that was prepared or could over come the changes while our small receivers constantly got beat by taller Db's. Next season I'm looking to see taller bigger defensive backs and receivers and I know that means saying goodbye to Riders we love dearly.

Rip off the band aid.

Just pull Glenn off the dumpster.

There are two games left in the Roughriders season. Many fans have already jumped ship. They've gotten behind the Jays, although that didn't end very well. It was very inspiring to see so many people, myself included, come together for a Canadian team. Others have turned to hockey or the NFL. I myself am enjoying the end of the Nascar season and have tuned into some of the Boise State games which are always fun to watch on the Smurf Turf.

Sigh.

Oh...so how did I finally get rid of the fruit flies? It turns out a slice of fruit with vinegar in a jar and a makeshift funnel made out of paper is all it takes to trap them.

If only the Roughriders problems could be resolved so easily.

Fun-da-footballs

As a piano teacher in "real life", I've always stressed that if you know the fundamentals you can play pretty much anything.  You need to be able to read the notes, you need to count & you have to be able to observe the signs.  It takes time to learn the fundamentals and the most successful students are the people who take the time to learn them well and learn them in stages instead of rushing in to something beyond their knowledge.

The team gathers as practice concludes.

I believe the same can be said for football.  If players come into camp and spend the first days learning the new rules, learning how the CFL works & learning the playbook before actually gearing up in pads I think they will be more successful when game time comes.  This is something coach Corey Chamblin has seemed to install this training camp.  I had visited camp the first day and then I visited again last friday.  The difference I saw was huge.  On friday I saw confidence coming out and players knowing their places and just more motivation in general.

Another reason I liked this approach to camp is that it has seemed to cut down injuries.  I've heard rumblings from other teams and especially the Edmonton RB injury but there's been very little said about Rider injuries.  Players have taken days off to rest but besides the Steinhauer injury from last season I haven't seen anyone limping or damaged which means going into the beginning of the season everyone should be healthy.

Piano players don't often have piano playing related injuries.  

Piano mac daddy down!

Doesn't happen.

Last Thursday for the first time in the history of the Roughriders, they loaded up 3 buses of players and coaches and took a field trip two hours (1.25 if you drive like me) north to Prince Albert.  They held a walk through and autograph session at the Alfred Jenkins Field House.  Because I have family and grew up in PA, I know that the soccer centre has been under some scrutiny.  It cost a lot of money, tax payers were not pleased and the result was a smaller field than was in the plans but it sure seems to have shined once the Riders pulled up into the parking lot.

Handy Hank & Doubles

 My Dad turns 80 in July.  He only makes it to one game a year and it's usually a trip he takes with his brothers.  He was uncertain as to whether he'd go to the field house even though it's not even a 5 minute drive from his house.  Then he finally decided he better go because as he told me "you'd kick my butt if I didn't go."

*grin*

So he geared up and went to see the Riders.  He was thrilled and extremely glad that I persuaded him to go.  He tells me that Darian Durant is a really stand up guy and personable and really laughed when my dad told him "so you finally got that monkey off your back."

Dad's eh?

Saturday was Green and White Fan day in Saskatoon.  I've always looked forward to this day and was rather disappointed when the Roughriders didn't schedule autographs.  I don't understand the difference between this and any other training camp day if they don't offer autographs for the fans.  Apparently the sessions during the week after practices are popular.  So what was scheduled was a mock game or scrimmage.
 

Storm clouds moving off to the south-east.

It rained for 15 minutes before Hubby and myself left for Griffiths Stadium.  I grabbed my Sex and the City umbrella and we headed to the home of the Huskies.  Well, of course it rained.  I couldn't help but be reminded of 2013 when we stood in line in pouring rain for an hour to meet Dwight Anderson, Weston Dressler, Chris Getzlaf, Darian Durant, John Chick, Ricky Foley and Geroy Simon.  It felt like karma for it to rain again.

I'll be heading out to training camp again Wednesday morning but that will be it for me since I have a four day music festival to attend this weekend.  I will be in my game day green for the preseason game in Fort McMurray saturday evening. 

I'm taking Riders because that's what I do.

If you have any questions about what I've seen at Riders training camp find me on Twitter @smilingsandra 

A Birthday Being

Do I look older?

Well my birthday was monday and I proclaimed Sunday aka Rider Game Day "Birthday Eve".  Hubby doesn't believe Birthday Eve is a thing...he's wrong.  What can a rabid fangirl Rider fan want most for her Birthday Eve gift? A HUGE win of course.

So last week was Tino Sunseri's first start at Quarterback.  We can all agree that he appeared slow...took too much time in the pocket...and just wasn't seeing the field.  We lost that game to the Hamilton Ticats who looked to have it all together.  As you can imagine it not only added fuel to the Burris fire but "fans" were counting the Riders out of the Grey Cup chase and bailing off the bandwagon.

I remember back in 2009, a new starting quarterback named Darian Durant, spent the bye week by staying in Regina and practicing to get better.  Well, Tino took a page from the Durant playbook and had extra practices.  I liked that very much when I heard that.  Sunseri has the drive, I think.  If you read my last blog I think you'll know that I support him.  It's always important to put your faith behind developing for the future instead of trying to relive the past.

In Sunday's game, Tino came out and I immediately saw the progression over the previous week.  He looked much sharper and faster. Admittedly, it didn't look promising until Chamblin's honesty at half time.  "We're getting our asses handed to us." he said.  I've never seen him so fired up.  Obviously, it snapped everyone out of the fog they were in because the Riders came out fighting.  Terrius George recorded 4 sacks. Weston Dressler not only returned a punt for a touchdown but also scored a 60 yard touchdown that had me yelling WOW...WOW...WOW! from my frantically rocking recliner.

The Riders sure delivered a great Birthday Eve present wrapped in an overtime win.  But I'd sure love it it wasn't such a nail biting heart thumping recliner rocking ending!  And I don't know about anyone else, but when the REDBLACKS lined up for that field goal in overtime I had a Grey Cup 2009 flashback.  I was silently screaming COUNT YOUR MEN!!!!  But karma smiled on all the 13th men this time...and Peters blocked the attempt.

Wow.

The Riders now sit at 9-3 and second place in the West.  Hot on our heals are the Edmonton Eskimo's. What happens?  Well an Edmonton radio station puts together some very pathetic attempts at tongue in cheek sarcasm advertisements calling Rider fans great but "horrible human beings".  Wha?  So besides that a five year old can probably write a wittier ad - do they really think this will get extra butts in the seats at Commonwealth?  I'm not offended by the ads because I just plainly think they are dumb.  What I really don't understand is how this would entice Eskimo fans to buy tickets.  It certainly doesn't manipulate Rider fans into wanting to go.  In fact, I know of a few Rider faithful who live in the City of Chumps...er, Champions, who are seriously questioning giving up their season tickets.

I know the Riders have taken out all the billboards. "Green is the new Orange".  But isn't that a clever play on words?  It also doesn't insult anyone.  It isn't name calling.  In fact, if you have to resort to calling the fans of a team horrible, then you sound very desperate.  Come on marketers and radio ad writers...You can do a heck of a lot better than this!  And if you think Rider fans are obnoxious, it's because we demand better.

Geroy Simon promotes Coats for Kids.  John Chick helps the Diabetes Association.  There are Co-Op Game Day products with players like Durant, Dressler, & Getzlaf with proceeds going to the Childrens Hospital Foundation.  Rider fans help out with these projects.  Rider fans lead the league in supporting the CFL by buying merchandise.  If that's what you call a "horrible human being" then I'd rather be called that than anything else.

My name is Sandra.  I'm a rabid Rider fan.  And I'm a horrible human being.

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!

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!

Ba-Bye!

Since my last blog the Roughriders have gone five and oh, top of the CFL, Drew Willy and zip.....that means five glorious green victories while losing zip, zilch, nada times.

The last time the team has achieved such a feat was in 2008 under Coach Ken Miller.  The starting quarterback was Marcus Crandell, then Stephen Jyles, and Darian Durant before the Michael Bishop experiment happened.  I vaguely recall a stat about a team going 6-0 while using 4 different starting quarterbacks.  Through several setbacks and broken legs the team ended the season 12-6.

Reminiscing about the 2008 season, makes me wonder where DJ Flick is now.  It makes me recall the famous beer tossing incident in the BC Lions game.  It also reminds me that it was the year we lost Ron Lancaster.  It also reminds me of the West Semi-Final and even though we knew we weren't going to win because of all the injuries we were hopeful and then Stu Foord scored a touchdown, tore off his helmet and let his hair flow as he ran along the sidelines.

Time travel to 2013.

Through the first five games of this season our beloved Riders seem to be able to crush any opponent.  Okay, fine, we've had relatively easy teams to play so far.  I mean, the Eskimos seem in shambles especially after the Krazy Kavis remarks and then there's Kent Austin's anger from the sidelines of the Hamilton.....er, Guelph.....er, TiCats bench.  It would seem the power is in the west.  Then I have to remind myself that we've really only played 5 games.  Five isn't very much at all.  Lot's can change, and will change through the rest of the season.  The true test is the next game against the Stampeders and then later on in September when we finally play the BC Lions.

Who makes up the schedules anyway?

The Roughriders advanced their record to 5-0 against the 1989 Grey Cup winning quarterback #5 Kent Austin with a back up quarterback #5 of Drew Willy.  How much do you love that?!

In the meantime.....is the bye week over yet?......let's revel in our success.

• Darian Durant has had an incredible start with zero interceptions. 
• We found out Drew Willy is better than capable as a back up.
• Kory Sheets has set the record for rushing for 100+ yards in 5 consecutive games for a total of 712.
• Rob Bagg is back and better than ever and might make me cry every time he gets a TD
• Weston Dressler is one tough little dude.
• It is totally awesome to see Geroy Simon strike his Superman poise in green & white.
• Rey Williams is a beast.  Thank you Kent Austin.
• John Chick makes a girls heart flutter
• Keith Shologan was drafted in 2008 and this week he became a dad.  *insert warm fuzzies here*
• Chris Getzlaf has gotten married.  Tons of congrats from Rider Nation.
• Finally, Dan Clark.

Green & White Day 2013

 Technically, they were calling it Riderville North Fan Fest Day.  It's all part of the 101st Grey Cup festivities, however, the Riders do usually travel this way for a special day of autographs and practice.

Last year it rained.

This year it rained cats and dogs.

Does it matter to Rider Nation?  Not one single bit.

Hubby and I arrived a good half hour early.  We stood in line for about 45 minutes.  Unfortunately, due to the conditions the Riders only had 'select' players signing autographs and they were in a tent.  The lineup to see them could have wrapped all around the track at Griffith Stadium.  As one of my Tweeps mentioned I just wish someone would have told us it was hopeless. 

Gainer walked down the line entertaining kids.

 I managed to make it to the tent and had my specially purchased green nerf football signed.  I had wanted to meet Geroy Simon and have him sign it but he was taken away to get ready for practice.  *disappointed face*  But, happily, I did get to meet Dwight Anderson who, strangely enough, was seated beside Weston Dressler.  Weston didn't appear worried about his eyes at all.

Dwight Anderson, Weston Dressler & Chris Getzlaf

A little farther down the line I managed to talk to Ricky Foley and Kory Sheets.  I mentioned to Kory that I'd talked to him on Twitter the night before.  "For real?" he said.  Then he asked my twitter name and he said he actually remembered me.  <swoon>

We stood around for a little while waiting for the scrimmage to start but it was raining heavy again.  Many did stay.  I felt since, I had attended the two previous practices it wasn't necessary. 

That wraps up my week of Rider Training Camp and Fan Day.  This week some of the practices are held at the SaskTel soccer centre and due to work, I can't attend the afternoons at Griffiths.  Work always gets in the way of fun doesn't it?!

Things I Learned at Training Camp

My sparkly sneakers....just chillin' in the stands.

 I am a surprisingly nice person at 6:55am.  I hustled around and got ready for my first experience at Rider Training Camp.  As I was later told by a curly-green&white-wig wearing fellow, the ladies gotta represent.  I dropped Hubby off at work and treated myself to a Timmies breakfast sandwich and cafe mocha before heading to Griffith Stadium.  I arrived about 8:30 after hiking from the parking lot off Preston, which if you didn't know, is free.  But don't park there because then I won't have a spot!

I sat on the 55 yard line.

After snapping a few photo's with the Canon Rebel, I quickly realized we need a better zooming lens.  I've reviewed pics and need to fix and crop and such.  The other thing is that I am sooooo out of practice and easily distracted.  The team would break off into practice groups and I found there was so much going on I didn't know which way to look.  I am a girl after all.

Greg Carr.  Holy doodle is he a tall boy.  I saw him get a nice grab.  Anyone else would have had to jump and leap.....or get a step ladder, while he just reached up like it was no biggie.  Chris Getzlaf looked good.  I saw him get a few nice short passes.  I saw Geroy Simon drop a few and I saw the coach not let him get away with it.  Taj Smith was notable. I thought Robb Bag looked like a beast.  He looked good and healthy.  Where is his Co-Op Game Day cereal, huh?  I think the big story is Weston Dressler.  He played all out.  All or nothing.  Go hard or go home.

Also heard another receiver went home today.  He wasn't cut.....just went home. Yamon Figurs was his name.  Apparently, he was supposed to be very promising.  We will never know.

I enjoyed watching Kory Sheets and Jock Sanders.  I think there's something brewing there.

The snap calls have changed.  They seemed more 'american'.  Instead of the familiar "1-81, 1-82" they were replaced with words.  After hearing them all morning, would you believe I can't remember them now?  Ugh!

I was surprised by the media.  Some are dressed in suits while some look like they want to be rock stars.  It was an interesting mix.  I think the real rock star was Rod Pederson, who came to the fence and chatted with some fans.  He spoke with them for a really long time.  I thought that was really cool for them and for him to take the time to do it.

I had a moment of panic when a media crew started interviewing fans in the stands.  I thought "I'm not prepared!  I didn't think of anything witty to say!"  But they didn't talk to me in the end.  Whew!

At the end of practice, Scott McHenry came over and talked to the same fans who Rod Pederson had spoken to.

I'm somewhat glad that practice ended when it did because it was getting really hot.  At 8am it was only +4 and I'm sure it was 20 by the time practice was done and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.  Later in the day, I realized I was actually sun burnt on my neck/chest area.  I wear spf 30 with titanium dioxide for a sun allergy.  Weird, I know, but even more weird to get a sun burn.  Oh and only I have the talent for getting the lovely tan line of my rider necklace.

I was happier than a June bug to go to practice this morning.  I'm not sure I'll make it back this week.  But I have big plans to go to Green & White Day on Saturday at Griffith Stadium at 2pm.  They're having an autograph session!  The excitement in Riderville North never ceases!

10 Thought Tuesday ~ 52 Days ~

It's only 52 days until the 2013 football season kicks off!  Hurray!

I've neglected my football blog something terrible.  I always have good intentions.  I was going to post high light video's and football movie reviews, but none of that happened while we all endured the longest winter ever.  So, I've decided to do a football 10 thoughts, which is something I do on my regular blog every week.

1.  Yesterday was the CFL draft.  I don't actually know how the Riders made out.  I know we picked up some O-lineman and D-lineman and the names look slightly familiar from the Huskies and Rams but that's about all I know. 

2.  Last week, Brandon West was released.  I always liked him.  I never got to meet him although I tried at last years Green & White day.  I don't think there was a place left for him when Kory Sheets had such an amazing year and let's face it....he wow'd us.

3.  It was announced that Saskatoon will be Riderville North.  This is pretty exciting and I can't wait to hear what it all involves.  I hope players...current and past come visit the Rider Store.  No one has been here in ages.

4.  June 3rd will mark the start of training camp in Saskatoon.  I'm hoping to attend a few days.  I'll be the one slathered in sunscreen and doped up on allergy meds.  Let me tell you, sun allergies suck.

5.  A month ago I washed my jersey in eager anticipation of the season to come.  I continue to wish that the Rider Store could find a vender who provided more realistic sizing for the voluptously sized. 

6.  If you are one of those Pinterest People you can find me there.  I have a whole board about the Saskatchewan Roughriders.  LINK

7.  This month on my Kidsport calendar Weston Dressler is featured.  The last two months were sad as they were Odell Willis and Shomari Williams who were both traded in this off season.

8.  We installed new windows over Easter and had to remove the 100 Year Rider flag from the window.  It won't be going back up because we got proper blinds.  I'm not sure what to do with it now.  It's a little faded from being in the window and turned a funky shade.

9.  Speaking of not knowing what to do with stuff....I have a bag containing empty boxes of Fantuz Flakes.  I also have a box of Dario's and a box of Getzlaf triple berry.  What do I do with these things?  I can't just have them sitting out in my home....it's not set up for that.  I wish I could have them displayed in a cool way but I don't know what it is yet.  Idea's are welcome.

10.  In the off season I have resorted to watching Nascar with my husband.  I'm not into hockey or baseball even though I own a Yankee's hat.  Nascar races last as long as a football game and I'm fearing that I'm actually getting into the sport.  Please send help.  *turns left*

Cortez, Superman & Jinx

"Let's turn January into Christmas." ~ Cory Chamblin

As I recently said, every time I come up with a blog topic the news changes and the subject is moot.  Ugh!  I'm not going to bother with what's happened in December because apparently January is the new December.  

Monday the Riders announced the hiring of George Cortez.  All of Riderville is a buzz.  I've heard people saying he is the greatest offensive mind out there.  But hold the train!  I thought we didn't like Cortez.  I mean, he had tons of weapons in the Ti-Cat arsenal and that didn't seem to get the offence anywhere.  I even said to my husband, "I thought we didn't like Cortez."  His reply?  "Of course not, he was on the other team."

Okay.

After a week of a nagging dull headache and a few sleepless nights I was finally able to sleep well and wake up feeling normal.  Well, as normal as I ever was.  Anyhow, it figures that this of course would be when the biggest CFL news of the week would break.  Geroy Simon has been traded to the Riders for Justin Harper and a 3rd round draft pick.  Huh.  Actually, I think my words were Holy Crap!  At least that's what I heard someone say to the TV when it was talked about on the noon CTV news.  And by the way, Trish Cheveldayoff.....football is a 12 months subject.

Courtesy Darian Durant's Twitter page.

I don't know if you've read any of my previous blogs.  If you have, you might recall that Hubby and I ventured to Watrous last summer for a special Co-Op Customer Appreciation BBQ.  If you haven't then you should go read it.  LINK.  So this was the second time we've gone for such an event.  In 2011, we saw Cary Koch, Barin Simpson and James Patrick.

Courtesy Watrous Co-Op Facebook Page

The following off season Cary Koch was traded to the Eskimo's.  Barin Simpson retired.  James Patrick was injured.

Jinx.

My signed print of Efrem Hill.

When we went in 2012 we visited with Efrem Hill, Justin Harper and James Patrick.  I don't know if you can see where I'm going with this, but shortly after that event Efrem Hill was released.  With the Cortez news on Monday it was announced James Patrick was released.  Then today.....we traded Justin Harper to BC in exchange for Geroy Simon #81.  

Jinx.

Before this news, I was chatting with a Tuesday student who is also a Rider fan.  It totally made sense to her.  She pleaded with me..... "Don't ever meet Weston Dressler!"

Doh!  Too late.

I told her I've met Chris Getzlaf, Kory Sheets and Darian Durant too.

She screamed.  "Ah!"

I'm sorry.

If it helps.  I did not get to chat with Rob Bagg and he got injured and I never did have the pleasure of talking to Andy Fantuz no matter how much I tried.  So I cannot be blamed for that.

Still.  I'm a little worried because I had plans to attend training camp in Saskatoon this spring.

Ack!