The Hamilton TigerCats, BC Lions and Montreal Alouettes will all be cleaning out their lockers this week as their seasons are over. This time last year my Saskatchewan Roughriders were doing the same...the last couple of years for that matter. Not this year! With the deciding factor being the loss to the Edmonton Eskimos in Week 20 Chris Jones and crew are heading to Ottawa to invade the Eastern Division.
A lot of sports media enjoy the topic of the Roughriders quarterback tandem of Kevin Glenn and Brandon Bridge or maybe they just can't wrap their minds around the concept. Who should Jones start? Jones names Glenn starter. How short of a leash should Jones give Glenn? Kevin still starts the game. I don't understand why this discussion keeps going on in spite of what's happened this last half of the season. Against the Alouettes, Jones played Glenn, Bridge and Adams Jr. What I think it comes down to is that Kevin Glenn has never lead a team and won a Grey Cup. He's been close (Blue Bombers in 2007) but because of never winning he doesn't get the respect and praise that others do. I also think this is why Jones is adamant about naming him starter every week. For one thing, it shuts up the talkers and debaters but for another, when the Riders make it (and I bel13ve they will) Kevin Glenn will be the starting quarterback who gets his name on the Grey Cup. Finally. I love the mentor that Kevin Glenn is; I love his comradery with fellow team mates and perhaps Kevin Glenn is the glue that keeps the Roughriders together.
The topic I don't hear discussed much is Chris Jones himself. People and fans have an obvious dislike for the man. They hollered for his head through most of last year and the start of the 2017 season as well...until the Riders started winning. I remember one of the Piffles Podcast members putting out a scathing blog just before they started winning. Where is the love now that the Roughriders are 10 - 8? *crickets* I'll tell you what the pundits do enjoy chatting about though. Why does Jones wear all black? Why won't Jones wear Rider colours? Why won't Jones wear a jacket? Why won't Jones wear a poppy? What would they do if they found out he lives at a hotel? GASP! This is all they've got to complain about now in November. I honestly could not care less about how Jones dresses on the sidelines as long as he is dressed. I care about how he coaches the team I am passionate about. I care that the players love him. I care that we win.
Canada's Team is off to the nations capital to play the Redblacks for the first time in post season since 1976. Let's all give a collective aRg as we think of Tony Gabriel together. *wince* Okay, so I was only 4 years old and don't recall anything about the match up at all except for The Catch. That might seem like ancient history so let's move on to present day. The Roughriders have played IN the home of the Ottawa Redblacks 4 times since they re-entered the CFL. The Roughriders are 3-1 against them. The last game in Regina the Redblacks were victorious by 1 point while on the Riders Eastern road trip the Riders were victors by 1 point. But let's talk about that Eastern swing... The Roughriders played in Ottawa and got the W then stayed out east to play the Toronto aRgonauts where they also got the win. Since this play off run could be a redo of that road trip the Saskatchewan Roughriders could possibly stay East for 21 days.
So my theory in my previous blog was incorrect. I have a new idea! If the Riders were to win the East (which I agree is likely a tall order) and the Blue Bombers (also a tall order with Matt Nichols injured) were to win the West we could see a scenario such as a Labour Day Classic Grey Cup. How crazy would that be? If Kevin Glenn lead the Roughriders to a victory over the Blue Bombers in the Grey Cup TEN years after they lost because Glenn was injured (they played Ryan Dinwiddie) Blue Bomber fans would go berserk.
I like it. :)
There's nothing Rider fans love more than tying the present to the past with stats and trivia. I love to pull out things that happened on previous teams and seasons to try to predict how this season will end. The Roughriders used quarterback tandems in 1983 with Barnes & Hufnagel and more successfully in 1989 with another set of 5 & 16 numbers aka Austin and Burgess. It would only seem fitting that the 2017 combo of #5 Kevin Glenn and #16 Brandon Bridge would provide us with some sort of karma. In that same way one should note that the Riders lost the final games of the season in the years 1989, 2007 and 2013 and went on to win the Grey Cup. Does it mean anything now? We just have to wait and see.
Hasn't this season gone by quickly? The funny thing is I still have a line on my right leg from the wicked sun burn I received at Training Camp the first time I attended back in June. In June all the hype was about Vince Young. I remember Chad Owens running back a punt and the crowd reacting at the scrimmage game. I recall Duron Carter's wide happy smile making me smile too. Aren't we blessed to have one more game to look forward to? The Eastern Semi-Final starts at noon Sunday. Go Riders!
Tuesday, November 7, 2017
Monday, October 30, 2017
We're Talking Play Offs. PLAY OFFS!
Phew! I'm glad Week 19 is over. Our Saskatchewan Roughriders won 37-12 over the Montreal Alouettes at home in glorious Mosaic Stadium. The storylines were aplenty.
October 27th marked the first time ex-Rider quarterback not only returned to Regina for the first time but set foot in the stadium some believe Darian Durant helped bring to fruition. Rider fans learned Darian will be a father in the next few months. We saw him be somewhat gracious while receiving fans at the game. What didn't sit with some members of Rider Nation was Doubles pregame interviews where he said he deserved recognition. It's tough. Over the past 11 years I've been a big Durant supporter and I've written about that here. I'll admit that I've had hard feelings since Game One in Montreal. I'll also admit that there likely were emotions on his side as well and he "may" be excused for some of his behaviour. I don't honestly know if I would have stood for an ovation prior to Fridays game or how I would have felt but I know I do not think of Darian the way I did prior to his trade.
Maybe some day I'll be over the break up.
Rider Nation isn't known for getting over things easily and as a proud member I sadly am no different.
October 27th was also the date set to see the Wes Cates...er, West Gates of Taylor Field be demolished. Living in Saskatoon makes seeing these things challenging so at 12:55pm I tuned in to cjme radio's facebook page where it was being streamed live. It didn't happen on time and it kept being pushed back but then shortly after 2pm the horns sounded and with a creaking thud and a cloud of dust down it came...bowing for the last time. My blue eyes clad in green eyeliner may have teared up just a little. Rider Nation couldn't help but think of all the great things that have happened there. Seeing Paul McCartney's concert in 2013 was an amazing experience while it may be shadowed by that other big event in 2013. Things move on, life changes and while it's sad to see Taylor Field go it will also be exciting to see a new neighbourhood spring up. Will houses be built on the 55 yard line? What will the name of that street be? And how cool would it be to tell that story!
The Riders find themselves at 10-7 and even though I am the supporter that I am - I only pegged it as a 9-9 season so man, am I happy! We do seem to find ourselves thanking our high school math teacher because all the football math scenarios boggle the mind and make those blue eyes glaze over.
1) If Bombers win and Riders win - Bombers secure 2nd & Riders get 3rd & Eskimos head east
2) If Bombers win and Eskimos win - Bombers finish 2nd & Eskimos 3rd & Riders head east
3) If Bombers lose and Eskimos win - Eskimos finish 2nd & Bombers 3rd & Riders head east.
October 27th marked the first time ex-Rider quarterback not only returned to Regina for the first time but set foot in the stadium some believe Darian Durant helped bring to fruition. Rider fans learned Darian will be a father in the next few months. We saw him be somewhat gracious while receiving fans at the game. What didn't sit with some members of Rider Nation was Doubles pregame interviews where he said he deserved recognition. It's tough. Over the past 11 years I've been a big Durant supporter and I've written about that here. I'll admit that I've had hard feelings since Game One in Montreal. I'll also admit that there likely were emotions on his side as well and he "may" be excused for some of his behaviour. I don't honestly know if I would have stood for an ovation prior to Fridays game or how I would have felt but I know I do not think of Darian the way I did prior to his trade.
Maybe some day I'll be over the break up.
Rider Nation isn't known for getting over things easily and as a proud member I sadly am no different.
October 27th was also the date set to see the Wes Cates...er, West Gates of Taylor Field be demolished. Living in Saskatoon makes seeing these things challenging so at 12:55pm I tuned in to cjme radio's facebook page where it was being streamed live. It didn't happen on time and it kept being pushed back but then shortly after 2pm the horns sounded and with a creaking thud and a cloud of dust down it came...bowing for the last time. My blue eyes clad in green eyeliner may have teared up just a little. Rider Nation couldn't help but think of all the great things that have happened there. Seeing Paul McCartney's concert in 2013 was an amazing experience while it may be shadowed by that other big event in 2013. Things move on, life changes and while it's sad to see Taylor Field go it will also be exciting to see a new neighbourhood spring up. Will houses be built on the 55 yard line? What will the name of that street be? And how cool would it be to tell that story!
The Riders find themselves at 10-7 and even though I am the supporter that I am - I only pegged it as a 9-9 season so man, am I happy! We do seem to find ourselves thanking our high school math teacher because all the football math scenarios boggle the mind and make those blue eyes glaze over.
Here are the different ways Week 20 in the West may play out:
2) If Bombers win and Eskimos win - Bombers finish 2nd & Eskimos 3rd & Riders head east
3) If Bombers lose and Eskimos win - Eskimos finish 2nd & Bombers 3rd & Riders head east.
I was remiss in mentioning in last weeks Conspiracy Theory blog that there is a contingent of fans who believe the CFL wants it to be a Redblacks and Roughriders Grey Cup in Ottawa in Canada's 150th year. Had you told me this in July or even August I would have rolled my eyes...but here at the end of the season it doesn't seem so far fetched! Does the CFL want it? Well, there's no denying that would be one heck of a story. In order for my Riders to make it to the Grey Cup they'd have to secure 3rd Saturday Nov 4th then beat both the Blue Bombers and Stampeders to win the West. The same thing goes here and a month ago I wouldn't want that scenario but it seems both teams are faltering and well...it could totally play out that way! OR once again, my watermelon is on too tight. At any rate, no one can deny Saturday's game against the Edmonton Eskimo's in Regina will be a BIG one.
I have renewed my season tickets. It seems section 126 Row 5 is stuck with me and my cowbell. I love the sight lines. I love being 5 rows removed from the field. I love being so close to the Riders tunnel. I love everything about my seats and the people who sit around me. I'll love being there one last time in the 2017 CFL season to cheer my Saskatchewan Roughriders to victory in the house Rider Nation built.
As Always - Go Riders!
I BEL13VE
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