Friday Football Five

Can you feel it? The excitement is mounting and I've heard there are less than 2,000 tickets available for Sunday's Western Semi Final game in Regina's Mosaic Stadium.

1.  I've spent all week thinking about what clothes to wear to the Remembrance Day Labour Day feeling play off game between our Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.  I already own ski pants and I think layering 3 or 4 tops/sweaters under my winter coat will suffice.  I have shearling lined winter boots and we've been trying on various styles of mittens.  I'm still toying with the idea of going to Cabella's for some of those hot pocket doo-dad's for extra warmth.  Do I go with Santa hat or the standard tuque or both?  Oh and I've also got a blanket to sit on or be wrapped in.

2.  The players have been commenting on how cold it feels and apparently Coach Jones is tired of hearing about it.  For many of these players, they haven't experienced snow before never mind this depth of cold.  Hubby reminded me of how Lancaster and Reed would dip their hands in freezing water to acclimate themselves to the cold.  All I know is, I'm happy my team is talking about the weather and not concerned with pumping in crowd noise.  By the way, these leather mittens sound louder than thunder sticks.....

3.  As concerned as I am with what I'm wearing, it's possible that a major key to the game is similar.  A running game is only as good as your footing is sure.  So Bombers if you're reading this...who needs tread on cleats?  I jest.  Kind of.  At the same time, ball security can be an issue too.  Can you hold on to the ball?  Grip is sure a lot different at -20 than it is +20.  I trust the Jones regime and I'm sure they've prepared for all scenarios.

4.  As hopeful and confident sounding as I am about winning Sunday's game (because I think we have all the tools in place)  I've also thought about my feelings for this being the end of the 2018 season and I can only say this - I'M NOT READY FOR IT TO BE OVER.  Our offence needs to score at least 14 points, our defence has to do it's thing and a special teams play would be super fun as well.

5.  On the Thursday morning CKOM Gormley show the guests were the Mayors of Saskatoon and Regina.  They declared today Rider Green Friday and Mayor Fougere discussed making a bet with the Mayor of Winnipeg.  I've dug out my BEL13VE tee shirt which I had the entire team (almost) sign at Fan Day in Saskatoon during training camp.  I'm carrying the team on my back.

As always - Go Riders!  I'll catch y'all on the flip side where Rider Nation is all hoping to be rejoicing in the win and planning for the West Final.  As always, find me on Twitter (@smilingsandra) or join us on ABC Rider Fans on Facebook.  Let's make a new memory together at beautiful Mosaic Stadium.

Winnipegish

It started with a dream...

No no no, not the one where Darian Durant dreamt about winning the 2013 Grey Cup in front of Rider Nation at Taylor Field. I'm talking about the dream I had about 2 weeks ago and only 3 people know about. I texted my friend Maria...

I had the most bizarre dream that Darian Durant signed up for piano lessons 🤣🤣🤣 that’s a long commute for lessons!

It's odd that I'd have a dream like that on May 3rd and seemingly out of the blue. Granted I was not feeling well at the time and I do tend to dream bizarre things when I'm sick.  At any rate, what transpired early Friday morning, also out of the blue, had a lot of Blue Bomber fans also feeling sick.

Darian Durant announced his retirement from the CFL on his own terms and by himself through social media in the early morning of Friday May 11th.  I myself saw it on his Instagram.   
When Doubles was traded to Montreal it never sat well with me and I wrote a few very honest blog posts about that and my feelings.  I loved this man.  I never understood how he could go work for Kavis Reed the very man who cost him his 2009 Grey Cup ring.  Then he seemingly showed the Riders he still had some gas left in the tank but that quickly faded as did everything in Montreal. In January of this year just before Durant was due a big playing bonus he was released.  Screwed again by the same man.

Then the Winnipeg Football Club (the Bombers CFL registered name) signed Darian awarding him a 70K bonus and relegated him to back up behind Matt Nichols. GAG.  I never could imagine DD in a Bomber uniform and although I really don't know him at all, I also couldn't envision him in a back up role either. I always suspected that's why he and Chris Jones didn't get along.  I mean, he did his time as back up didn't he?  Darian Durant came into the league via the negotiation list of the Hamilton Tiger Cats. His rights were obtained by the Roughriders at the same time Kerry Joseph came over in the Renegades dispersal draft.  That was 2006 and he was 3rd string QB in 2007 behind Kerry Joseph in that championship against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers - the same team which Kevin Glenn has led to the cup but then became injured and thusly Ryan Dinwiddie took over sealing the Riders winning fate.  That off season Joseph was traded (as then GM Eric Tillman likes to do) and in 2008 the Roughriders went through Marcus Crandell, Steven Jyles and even the likes of Michael Bishop before the South Carolina native Darian Durant was given the reigns.  He did his time holding the clip board.  I don't think he was going to go back to that without a fight especially after being sidelined with injuries over 2014 and 2015 as well as a mediocre season in 2016.

Yes, I said mediocre.  That's an honest perspective. Lot's of fans like to think that by being honest and stating that opinion it's okay to label me a hater. Nothing could be farther from the truth. There are several factors that went into how Darian Durant performed that year and Montreal had similar issues with their team in 2017.  He had a job to do and as much as we all loved him, he didn't perform up to the standard required. I'm sorry if that appears like a harsh statement but if any of us fans under perform in our jobs we will also likely lose our jobs.  That's my logical unbiased opinion.

Over shadowed by the announcement Friday was the realization from the Bombers that Darian Durant was not giving back his signing bonus. The complaining, out cry and hatred that poured out from social media from all corners of the nation was cruel and embarrassing.  Lot's of Rider fans rejoiced for Darian sticking it to the Bombers one last time by making off with their money and leaving them in a lurch with a week to go until Training Camp opens.  After listening to the terrific and candid interview on the Sportscage podcast my 83 year old Dad and Rider fan came to the conclusion that DD4 made the decision that he didn't want to go to Winnipeg without his family and I quipped "Dad, no one *wants* to go to Winnipeg".  Ultimately that was the defining factor it seems.  When it comes to that signing bonus my Facebook pal Dale Dowson said it best "If you receive a Christmas bonus and then quit in January you don't give the Christmas bonus back".  He is so correct. Nor would any of us return our vacation pay or any other employee perks.  Moreover, Darian was not the first player to do this and he won't be the last.  We all recall how Bomber fans ridiculed Rider fans when Maurice Price made off with his signing bonus in 2016. Not so much fun when the tables are turned eh?

What none of us can deny is that Darian Durant had a heck of a CFL career.  He was only one of 4 Roughrider quarterbacks to lead the team to a championship title and only second in quarterbacks with the most Grey Cup appearances. While he has 2 rings with the Riders we all know he left everything on the field in '09.  He did it all for Ridernation there is no doubt in that.  The memories of these last years will fade and by the time Durant is inducted in to the Plaza of Honour we will once again get to celebrate his career. 

Thank you Darian for everything you did for us. We will not forget you.  Good luck in all your future endeavors.  Enjoy this time with your family.  Come visit us soon.

First Win Down

How refreshing is it to see our Saskatchewan Roughriders march down the field? How awesome is it to see every receiver catching what's being thrown? How nice is it to see a Quarterback play with heart and responsibility?  There's a culture change happening in our hard to say easy to draw province and it's appearing before our very hopeful eyes.


On July 1st, our nations 150th birthday Rider Nation gathered for the official grand opening of Mosaic Stadium.  The amount of anticipation and giddiness could only compare to that of the week preceding the 2013 Grey Cup.  Our opponent? Our biggest rival and arch enemy - the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.  I sat in section 126 cowbell in hand.


There's a thing that tends to happen for us Rider fans.  When there's a huge game or one with ultimate meaning things don't seem to go all that well for us. It happened when we said farewell to Taylor Field and it happened on Canada Day as well.  So when we were defeated by the Matt Nichol's led Bombers it didn't matter much to me.  I celebrated when Dave Ridgeway kicked a commemorative field goal. I shook my cowbell until my arms ached. I yelled until my voice was hoarse.  Then when I woke up Sunday morning...the day after...I was mad.

I was angry because the 'bumblers' could say they won the first game in our new home. I was ticked off because our secondary should have known better than to not contain Weston Dressler.  I was disappointed that I again had to drive 2 hours home after another loss.  What did it feel like to win? I don't know. It's been so long I can't remember.


If you know one thing about me though, it's that no matter what the circumstances I try really hard to see positive things.  I know situations can always be worse.  So when we headed to Regina on Saturday to see the Riders take on the Hamilton Tiger Cats I had a bit of hesitation.  I knew the TiCats didn't have a very good showing in week one but they were also coming off their bye week.  It had been a similar story with the Bombers.


Yes, there was a very disappointing interception after Kevin Glenn marched down the field but I saw something happen that I haven't seen in this new age of Roughriders.  I saw them fight back and when I saw that from the players - that not giving up attitude, well, I didn't give up either.  I saw a team that was communicating, I saw everyone fighting for every yard and I saw us playing our game no matter what the opposition was attempting to do.  I saw a brotherhood of team mates and I loved every moment of it.

Guess what else I found out? The Montreal Alouettes won the first game at IGF in Winnipeg.  I found out John Chick & Justin Cappicciotti couldn't keep us down.  I found out Kevin Glenn is a tremendous professional and answered questions with a decorum that I'd not seen before. Durant who?


I. Am. Excited. For. THIS. Team.


I am not delirious.  I know we beat a very poor team.  I know we have the bye week and then travel to Calgary.  I also know Calgary has some demons of their own they're fighting.  I think it's totally possible for this Riders team to go into McMahon and pull out a win.  The Stampeders play the Alouettes while we have two weeks to prepare. In the meantime, what do Rider fans do in the bye week?  Let's revel in the first win of the Inaugural Season.

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=//

 

Vert et Blanc

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

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

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

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

OH COME ON!

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

Shrugs.

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

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

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

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

HEEEEEEENNNNRRRYYYYYYYYYY.

It never gets old.

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

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

Clear eyes. Full hearts. Can't lose.

Wheat Sheaves & Maple Leaves

Canada's Team.

Innocent enough to say right?  But what team is Canada's team?  After an informal Twitter pole, admittedly, most thought of Olypmpic hockey or even the "We the North" Rapters.  No one answered with a football team. 

There are several instances on the Saskatchewan Roughrider website where the team has called themselves Canada's team.  This is nothing new or recent.  The team has always had the lovable bumbling moniker.  The team that tried and tried and just never won.  The team who in spite of everything indeered our hearts nationwide but never quite succeeded.  I won't bore you with details but you can read about the team history here --> Riderville

We were all going about our lives when an innocent tweet was sent out by Sportcages Rod Pederson mentioning the Riders being Canada's Team.  Full on panic ensued as if he had said the dress was blue and black/white and gold.  There was never a story written although when I asked him about it yesterday he said he just hasn't written it "yet".  I begged him to write it.

In 2013 the Grey Cup Champion Roughriders were named Canadian Press Team of the Year.  Wahoo!  You can read the story here by Dan Ralph.  This time it's not the Roughrider's or related media calling themselves Canada's team, but other media outlets.  

"They are Canada's team and their Grey Cup win in front of their home fans capped a Cinderella season for the Riders," said Bob Irving, the sports director at CJOB radio in Winnipeg.

"Canada's Team wins the Grey Cup in its home province," added Montreal Gazette sports editor Stu Cowan. "Might never happen again. Enough said."

I will also note that this was the second time the Riders won this title with the first being the 2007 Grey Cup winning year.

So if someone outside of the "easy to draw" province cites the Riders as Canada's Team, why can't it be said?  What's the big deal?  I'd rather be mentioned and related to Canada than forgotten and not mentioned at all!

Just when the dust started to settle a blog appeared written by Josh Smith A Condemnation of Ridernation.
  

Honestly, he has some good points even though I had blocked his butt on a previous argumentative occasion.  But that's a twitter thing and not a blog thing.  I digress.  We are a ritious bunch.  Yes, we were the losers of the CFL for far too long so excuse me if I choose to flaunt our recent success.  It's because many of us who lived through the 70's and aching 80's and the OMG 90's remember...we remember how close we came to losing this team.  It's not only about the wins and losses column.  It's about a fight for survival.  It's about being community owned and how we welcome anyone wanting to come join our Riderville community.  It's how we represent.

If you don't like it then do something about it.

It's very interesting how much attention is being paid to this by a Hamilton Tiger Cats fan.

Imagine if he paid this much attention to his own team.

*boom*

A few years ago there was a ruckas when the CFL season opener featuring the Riders (and someone else who may have been the Allouettes although I cannot remember) was on Canada Day.  As you can imagine all of us Rider fans wore our Rider gear and it apparently offended people who believed we should be clad in maple leaves.  The same happened recently when many wanted to wear red or poppies to support the family of the soldier killed in Ottawa.  

Something has changed, indeed.  Once where we would wear the flag and maple leaf in our travels to make us stand out and be noticed and set appart from Americans.  Those of us in Saskatchewan (and other destinations) have taken to wearing our own hearts on our sleeves by wearing our Rider pride.  Let's face it, there is nothing more obvious in a crowd than a green jersey and a vivid //=S=// wheat sheaf insignia.

Does Rider Nation possess all the camera's?  Rider Nation is photographed EVERYWHERE.  Why aren't other teams colors represended and in pictures for us all to see?  I asked a few people and they've seen some Eskimo jerseys and Blue Bomber jerseys in their travels and yet the photo's never seem to be circulated.  The truth is that for some reason the reach of the Roughriders is far more than the province or even country because you can travel far and wide and see someone somewhere wearing something with a Rider logo.

Again, if you don't like it then do something about it!  CFLers get out those fancy smartphones and wear your team pride and share it like all of Rider Nation!  Don't just sit there in your man cave complaining!  Join us!  We love to see others share the passion and spirit of Canadian football.  If you can't beat us...join us in the fun!

Or don't.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have become the Nickelback of the CFL.  If you can't love us then you can love to hate us.  But thank you for thinking of us.  We are obviously your guilty pleasure.  

And we do love the attention.

 

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.