Off Season Purgatory

Somewhere between the Superbowl and the start of the CFL season lies Off Season Purgatory.  Is it June yet?  No.  No it really isn't.  A quick glance out the window will tell you that sad news.  Oh it felt like spring until that blizzard rolled through Saskatchewan last week and well...here we are.  How do you handle off season?  Some of you are already ripping up your brackets for March Madness while some of us are still chuckling over last weeks fight in Nascar.  However you handle it one thing is for sure - we cling to every shred of football news like the sleet clinging to the side of my house.

A huge complaint last season was fans saying they didn't know the guys on our team.  After "those" guys were released fans had a hard time keeping track of who was who.  Fans couldn't recognize the faces, numbers or names of our future franchise players.  The Saskatchewan Roughriders had some really great players emerge and what's more important is that they really wanted to remain with the Riders.  Like every team, the Riders let some guys go in free agency but also signed some stars away from other CFL teams.  Now is the time to get to know them and engage with them.  Follow them on Twitter or Instagram to gain some insight and connection.  Learn who craves chicken fries and who wants to visit New York.  What's so special about our league is that these players are within our reach.  Share with them!  Give them the hugs!

Some of you may roll your eyes at me and mutter the name Vince Young.  That signing sure caused a big stir didn't it?  I am of the belief to not put too much faith and time into rumours so I just watched all the events unfold.  I didn't feel surprised because it seemed if Young wasn't serious he wouldn't have an agent like Leigh Steinberg representing him.  FYI, he looks nothing like Tom Cruise.  Now, I am fully aware we have some other QB's on our roster who we shouldn't discredit.  Kevin Glenn when healthy is terrific.  I remember back in 2015 thinking in Training Camp that we'd have a quarterback controversy on our hands because he looked better than Durant.  Don't go getting on my case because I have been a tremendous fan and support of Durant's since 2008 but even I can see the differences in accuracy.  When Young came to Regina and brought his family I couldn't help myself.  I felt so excited and encouraged for the first time in forever.  His press conference started shaky and nervous but as it progressed he revealed himself to be very educated and highly motivated to play football again.  To the Chris Jones critics and haters I say this:  Since 2008 no one bothered to look for "the next QB" and look where that got us.  Now that someone is willing to leave no stone unturned and bring in every option possible to create a winning team...y'all are mad.  I don't get it.  That's why I want more than anything for Young to shock and amaze everyone in camp and blow the opposition away.  Aaaaand, to Justin Dunk I say this - Vince Young is a funny way to spell Johnny Manziel.

CFL Week starts next week.  At least I think it does.  I honestly had to check the graphic I saved on my phone from a couple weeks back.  It doesn't matter because I can't go to any of the events anyway due to my teaching schedule and believe it or not I am a responsible adult.  The thing is I live 2 hours (give or take any RCMP speed traps) away from Regina.  I am right here and totally invested in CFL news.  There is zero hype.  No one is talking about it outside of social media.  I wonder if anyone in 3D even knows this is happening.  I've followed Twitter people who are supposedly in charge of sharing the information.  It would seem to me that Regina and Saskatchewan are the centre of the football universe and unless you've gone out of your way to find out on your own - pin drops - crickets - clock ticks.  Why isn't this being advertised everywhere?  Why isn't it on the local news?  Why do I have to go back two weeks to find anything about it on Saskatchewan sports radio?  SHRUGS.  The ball has been dropped like a hot potato on St Patrick's Day.  If you are going, Bravo!  I hope it's a raging success, but I just know it could be so SO much more.

For the first time since 2013 the Roughriders are issuing season tickets.  GASP!  I am lucky 3357 on the waiting list.  Maybe not so lucky because I have yet to hear from the club.  I was so hopeful when Jenny Sarich (@JennySarich) obtained tickets and shouted from the roof tops but then I learned she was 157 on the list.  * sigh *  So here I wait.  And wait.  And wait.  Surely, with the new stadium everyone on the list would have a crack at it to score tickets?  There's the strong likelihood not everyone on the list wants tickets anymore.  As Coworker Jeff quoted 'so you say there's a chance.'  * eyeroll *  Keep your fingers and toes crossed for me (not your eyes though - Don't want to give those Bombers ammunition!)  It would be nice to have a valid opinion like all the other season tickets holders...or is that still a thing?

Tomorrow is St. Paddy's Day.  Finally Rider fans are able to Paint the Whole World Green.  We are almost there, spring is around the corner...be safe, Happy CFL Week and Go Riders Go!

DURANT

* wind chimes *

I pick up my phone.  It's probably just Environment Canada with another wind chill warning.  No, wait.  That didn't sound the same.  Maybe I should look at it.  Naw, never mind, go back to sleep.  No.  That wasn't the same alert.

* heart pounding *

Saskatchewan Roughriders announce......Darian Durant....trade rights......Montreal Allouettes....

Oh crap.  Is that for real?  * blink blink *  What time is it anyway?  7:36am  Why is it so cold in my house?  Ugh.  Friday the 13th.

Warning on my furnace thermostat

It was 16 degrees in my house because for the two hours previous the sensor in the furnace quit working.  Luckily, I knew how to replace it.  While my house slowly warmed up and coffee started to course through my body it really began to sink in.

Darian Durant traded to the Montreal Allouettes for two draft picks.

It was hard to put into words.  My Rider green heart said that's it, I'm done, I can't do this anymore.  My thawed brain said you knew this was going to happen because it was taking too long.  Anything past Christmas was going to mean a trade. Something had been said or commented on just prior to the Newsome re-signing and I got a gut feeling that it wasn't going to turn out in Ridernations favour.  It was then I stopped using the hashtag SignDurant.  I started to realize it wasn't Chris Jones who was the hold up and that it was in fact something going on with Durant's side.  My hope faded but just didn't think of the consequences.

Consequences.  * shakes head *  Darian Durant is now the Quarterback for the Montreal Allouettes where Kavis Reed...aka Krazy Kavis...is the GM.  How is that even possible?  GROSS!  The Als of all teams.  I mean.  2009.  Period. 

Myself & Darian Duran at Green & White Day 2008

The first time I met Darian Durant was at Green and White Day at Griffiths Stadium here in Saskatoon.  He was by himself and just standing around.  No one was paying him any attention.  Hubby said to me "That's going to be our starting quarterback."  So I went over and he graciously let us take a picture and he signed my football. 

Myself & Durant at the Coop Saskatoon

The next time I was able to see Doubles was at the Co-Op on 8th Street when he came during the bye week of 2014.  It was the week before he got the shoulder/arm injury.   Darian signed my Dari-O's cereal boxes which I had framed.  I kept one and the other I gave to my Dad for Christmas.

The last time I saw Darian Durant up close was during training camp in Saskatoon at the downtown street fair.  I shook his hand and said something that made him smile.  I never would have thought at that point that the Riders team was ever going to be different.  No Durant at QB? pfft!

When Hubby and I went to the football game Oct 15th in Toronto it had the feel of a game which hadn't been there in a very long time.  It felt like a 2013 game.  There was a running game.  Darian was on top of his game and played like the monkey was off his back.  Everyone stepped up and we beat the stinky Argo's.  Two weeks later at the Farewell game it was a totally different story.  Not to mention there was the air of it being the final game at Taylor Field but it felt like the end in other ways as well.  There was the split second thought that Darian was going to announce his contract in front of all of us but as we know that didn't happen.  Looking back Darian already knew it was the end of his legacy with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.  No, I don't know that for sure but in retrospect, it seems that way.

Screen grab from the TSN Farewell broadcast

As I've said many many times before, I have believed in Darian Durant all the way.  I've prayed for touchdown passes and scrambles.  Here is what I know, Darian has always been more successful when surrounded by "his guys".  He likes to throw to players he knows and trusts and if that isn't there he just won't throw to them.  We've been lucky to have guys like Dressler, Getzlaf, Bagg and even Taj Smith but take them out of the equation and the ball just doesn't get spread around.  Another aspect is very much like another legendary Rider quarterback, Ron Lancaster.  When he was hot he was on fire but when he wasn't he totally stunk up the place.  Darian is/was very much the same way.  How successful will he be in Montreal?  I guess it depends on how quickly he finds chemistry with their receivers who at this point all we know of is Nik Lewis and SJ Green.

Anyone remember in 2008 when Kerry Joseph was traded to Toronto?  I do and I also recall shortly after when he was traded to Edmonton and then was released and he just faded away until we used up his heart in 2014.  There's also Henry Burris who was traded from Calgary and later from Hamilton.  Of course we know that he led Ottawa to winning the Grey Cup in 2016.  I see two ways Darian Durant's career will play out...he will either use the emotion from how this played out for fire to propel that Allouettes team forward or he won't be the answer to what's going on in Montreal and it will be the end.  I wish Darian Durant all the best in his future and thank him for all he's done for Ridernation and the province of Saskatchewan but I've got a gut feeling and my guts as it turns out aren't often wrong.

Photo saved from a Google search

Friday the 13th 7:37am Stu Gooden of Global News Saskatoon messaged me about the trade.  It wasn't until after I changed the furnace flame sensor in my pajamas that I actually told my husband what had transpired in Riderville.  Heat was slightly more important than football at that point.  Hubby is excited.  "Let's use those draft picks and get some O Linemen from Laval!"  You know what?  He's right.  I'm on the waiting list to get Roughrider season tickets.  I'm number 3357 so if you want to give up your tickets over this I will gladly take them.  I am a Saskatchewan Roughrider fan.  I've seen players traded before.  We've lost a lot but we've also seen incredible emotional wins.  Players get released, traded & retire.  It is the circle of football.  We've survived more than any other club in the CFL could endure.  This too shall pass.....

.....and I hope it's a long touchdown pass to win the game.