I'll write a more elaborate pre-game blog post later, but thought I would give my little green friends a heads up: I won't be watching the Labour Day Classic this year.
<gasp!>
As it would happen, life gets in the way of some of our favourite things - even football.
This year I have planned a quick romantic getaway with Mr. SaskRidersChick this long weekend.
Now I was fully aware when I made the plans that it would most likely mean having to miss watching the game. Sadly, at the time I did not anticipate just how important this game would be.
I'd wager this game has more importance than the home opener, or even a play off game should we make it that far.
This is a statement game. Statement games are huge. Statement games are bigger than the two teams involved. Statement games sometimes don't come with trophies or division titles on the line, but they do have big consequences. Statement games send a message.
Well, this is our statement game. The whole team has to step up. The entire league is watching. Football fans from coast to coast are wanting to see this re-jiggered team with it's old/new coach. And all of Rider Nation will be sitting on pins and needles. (Except yours truly who will be climbing up a mountain somewhere in the Rockies...) Everyone will be holding their breath, as the players exit the tunnel... and are reborn as Roughriders 2011 version 2.0!
As crazy and cliche as it sounds I don't think anyone could overstate the importance of this game.
And it wouldn't matter if we were playing Hamilton or Calgary or even the pathetic Lions this year... but as it happens this is the yearly contest with our prairie rivals - The Blue Bombers or as I like to call them the Boo Bombers.
But as it happens the Boo Bombers are having an amazing season with a record of 7-1. The best in the league facing the worst.
So this LDC has extra significance. Extra pressure. You'll feel it in the stadium. You'll taste it in the air at home. You'll see it in the faces of every Rider player, coach and fan. It'll feel like the air is going to pop around you. Like snapping your fingers will spark fire.
I've said since the moment Greg Marshall was fired that our season just started. And I mean it.
No matter what happens from here on out, it's a new season, a new measuring stick, a new beginning. What happened in the last seven games is ancient history. What happens in the next 13 games is what will make 2011 memorable. Papa Miller said it. And I believe it.
So... as I will leave one half of my heart in Saskatchewan as I head to the mountains for some much needed R and R, please yell extra loud. Make the stands rumble. Make Winnipeg quake, k? And make sure the whole league knows what truly awesome and amazing fans the Roughriders have.
And above all...
Cheer long. Cheer loud. GO GREEN! (all the way, baby, all the way...!)
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
Wowsa!
I predicted to a friend that if we lost the game in TO things would "ka-blewy!". And they did.
I honestly didn't expect a move til maybe Monday. But this does prove a theory that changes were in the works regardless of what happened in the game last night.
And are there any words of disappointment left to use on that hot mess from last night. At one point I wondered if the team had some sort of competition going on who to screw up the worst! It was borderline comical at one point. I mean you have to laugh - otherwise the pain of banging your head on the floor gets to you.
I mean... Durant bobbling the first play of the game? Every major return or catch was called back for some type of holding call or some other penalty. I couldn't keep up with the new ways they found to fail.
Third and one and they call a shotgun formation so they can hand their rookie tailback the ball seven yards behind the line of scrimmage. Who does that?! And again... why throw a four yard out when you need six freakin' yards? Would it kill them to design a play that actually had first down as it's goal.
Ok. Ok. I promised I wouldn't get worked up about this anymore. And truly it is water under the bridge. A new page has been turned. Our season starts today!
Bright spots (I know, I know, they were few and far between):
Dressler. This guy is a class act, top shelf, first rate professional. There isn't enough space in this blog to say what a relief it is to have Dressler on our team. And he plays with heart all the time. All. The. Time. I have never once seen him step out on the turf without intensity in his step. Without a doubt the best Rider on the field right now! Can't say enough about the little guy.
Hill. This guys is getting better. I like what I see. Not totally there yet, but on his way for sure.
Getlaf. Finally! Has been stinkin' things up for a while with a severe case of the drops. But he finally found his hands.
West. Not bad. Good showing kid.
Stuuuuuuuuuu Foord. Wow. Give this guy the football more often. Why don't we play him more?
I'm praying the days of horrible, ridiculous, face palm football are done.
No more whining. No more excuses. No more throwing the bloody kicker under the bus. Real football started today in Saskatchewan. I can't wait for Labor Day now! Swaggerville might just find their hands full.
Especially if a certain defector finds his way back to the Queen City by then.
Cheer long. Cheer extra loud today! Go GREEN!
I honestly didn't expect a move til maybe Monday. But this does prove a theory that changes were in the works regardless of what happened in the game last night.
And are there any words of disappointment left to use on that hot mess from last night. At one point I wondered if the team had some sort of competition going on who to screw up the worst! It was borderline comical at one point. I mean you have to laugh - otherwise the pain of banging your head on the floor gets to you.
I mean... Durant bobbling the first play of the game? Every major return or catch was called back for some type of holding call or some other penalty. I couldn't keep up with the new ways they found to fail.
Third and one and they call a shotgun formation so they can hand their rookie tailback the ball seven yards behind the line of scrimmage. Who does that?! And again... why throw a four yard out when you need six freakin' yards? Would it kill them to design a play that actually had first down as it's goal.
Ok. Ok. I promised I wouldn't get worked up about this anymore. And truly it is water under the bridge. A new page has been turned. Our season starts today!
Bright spots (I know, I know, they were few and far between):
Dressler. This guy is a class act, top shelf, first rate professional. There isn't enough space in this blog to say what a relief it is to have Dressler on our team. And he plays with heart all the time. All. The. Time. I have never once seen him step out on the turf without intensity in his step. Without a doubt the best Rider on the field right now! Can't say enough about the little guy.
Hill. This guys is getting better. I like what I see. Not totally there yet, but on his way for sure.
Getlaf. Finally! Has been stinkin' things up for a while with a severe case of the drops. But he finally found his hands.
West. Not bad. Good showing kid.
Stuuuuuuuuuu Foord. Wow. Give this guy the football more often. Why don't we play him more?
I'm praying the days of horrible, ridiculous, face palm football are done.
No more whining. No more excuses. No more throwing the bloody kicker under the bus. Real football started today in Saskatchewan. I can't wait for Labor Day now! Swaggerville might just find their hands full.
Especially if a certain defector finds his way back to the Queen City by then.
Cheer long. Cheer extra loud today! Go GREEN!
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Well, it’s pretty much all doom and gloom in Riderville these days.
I haven’t posted anything on this blog, in part due to life throwing some curve balls at me and also because I just didn’t know what to say. And I didn’t want to add to the chorus of “I don’t knows” from fans, bloggers, and sportswriters.
No one seems to know what the problem is. Not even our rookie head coach, veteran offensive coordinator, esteemed defensive coordinator, or our VP of operations/whatever-the-heck Papa Miller has as a title these days.
No one knows what the problem is.
I’m all for admitting when you are stuck and don’t have the answers. The problem is when you’re paid to have answers not having them isn’t just bad, it’s completely unacceptable.
Let me say that again… When you’re getting paid big bucks to have answers, you better work 24-7 til you do find the answers or find someone that has the answers.
Surely to goodness there has to be someone out there somewhere that knows what could help. Then after I thought about it, I thought heck I could do a better job of motivating the guys. Why don’t they hire me?
Since that probably won’t ever happen - certainly not by kick off tonight, I figured, I'd post my pre-game motivation speech for tonights game. We'll just pretend we're in a smelly lockerroom.
First, I’d start by greeting every player by name and looking them in the eye, shaking their hand and saying, "I’m glad you’re here." Straight up serious – all cheesy and stuff. Then I’d start my speech...
I grew up in Saskatchewan. I bled green before I even knew what football was. It was something to cheer for. Something to stand behind. And we had a saying when I was growing about our team... “There’s always next year.”
"Oh well. We didn’t make the play offs. There’s always next year..."
Somewhere along the way in the last few years this province learned something – “next year” is for sissy’s. “Next year” is for the wimps who are looking for an excuse. Next year makes the weak among us comfortable with their own mediocrity.
Next year is not acceptable anymore.
And we don’t have next year anymore. We don’t even have next week. We don’t even have tomorrow. If you want to get right down to it, all we got is today. Right now.
If you want to make a difference in this season in your life all you got is right now. Today. This is it. This is THE game! If you’re looking for a moment to lay it all on the line this is it. Don’t look for another. Don’t wait for somebody else. Don’t wait for another time. Because you’ll regret this moment. Right here. Right now. With these people. It'll never come again.
Everyone’s written us off. Everyone says it can’t be done. No home playoff game for the Green and White. No Grey Cup this year.
But they don’t know you guys. They haven’t looked you guys in the eye. They haven’t seen what’s in your heart. They haven’t seen what you can do yet. And when they do, they’re gonna start shaking in their cleats.
I don’t have any special powers that I can give you. No one here does. But collectively... together... you guys have can create something amazing. Call mojo or 'green magic' or whever. But together you have the power to make history. You have the power to change everything. Together is something you can’t even imagine yet.
You have an opportunity right now. Go out there and prove that the Saskatchewan Roughriders never say die. They never say... “there’s always next year.” You go out there and prove to them it’s all about today!
Because We. Are. Saskatchewan. Roughriders!
Let’s get ‘er done, boys.
Cheer long. Cheer loud. Go GREEN!
P.S. And for crying out loud... could we kill Richie’s soft defense for one game? Just sayin’.
I haven’t posted anything on this blog, in part due to life throwing some curve balls at me and also because I just didn’t know what to say. And I didn’t want to add to the chorus of “I don’t knows” from fans, bloggers, and sportswriters.
No one seems to know what the problem is. Not even our rookie head coach, veteran offensive coordinator, esteemed defensive coordinator, or our VP of operations/whatever-the-heck Papa Miller has as a title these days.
No one knows what the problem is.
I’m all for admitting when you are stuck and don’t have the answers. The problem is when you’re paid to have answers not having them isn’t just bad, it’s completely unacceptable.
Let me say that again… When you’re getting paid big bucks to have answers, you better work 24-7 til you do find the answers or find someone that has the answers.
Surely to goodness there has to be someone out there somewhere that knows what could help. Then after I thought about it, I thought heck I could do a better job of motivating the guys. Why don’t they hire me?
Since that probably won’t ever happen - certainly not by kick off tonight, I figured, I'd post my pre-game motivation speech for tonights game. We'll just pretend we're in a smelly lockerroom.
First, I’d start by greeting every player by name and looking them in the eye, shaking their hand and saying, "I’m glad you’re here." Straight up serious – all cheesy and stuff. Then I’d start my speech...
I grew up in Saskatchewan. I bled green before I even knew what football was. It was something to cheer for. Something to stand behind. And we had a saying when I was growing about our team... “There’s always next year.”
"Oh well. We didn’t make the play offs. There’s always next year..."
Somewhere along the way in the last few years this province learned something – “next year” is for sissy’s. “Next year” is for the wimps who are looking for an excuse. Next year makes the weak among us comfortable with their own mediocrity.
Next year is not acceptable anymore.
And we don’t have next year anymore. We don’t even have next week. We don’t even have tomorrow. If you want to get right down to it, all we got is today. Right now.
If you want to make a difference in this season in your life all you got is right now. Today. This is it. This is THE game! If you’re looking for a moment to lay it all on the line this is it. Don’t look for another. Don’t wait for somebody else. Don’t wait for another time. Because you’ll regret this moment. Right here. Right now. With these people. It'll never come again.
Everyone’s written us off. Everyone says it can’t be done. No home playoff game for the Green and White. No Grey Cup this year.
But they don’t know you guys. They haven’t looked you guys in the eye. They haven’t seen what’s in your heart. They haven’t seen what you can do yet. And when they do, they’re gonna start shaking in their cleats.
I don’t have any special powers that I can give you. No one here does. But collectively... together... you guys have can create something amazing. Call mojo or 'green magic' or whever. But together you have the power to make history. You have the power to change everything. Together is something you can’t even imagine yet.
You have an opportunity right now. Go out there and prove that the Saskatchewan Roughriders never say die. They never say... “there’s always next year.” You go out there and prove to them it’s all about today!
Because We. Are. Saskatchewan. Roughriders!
Let’s get ‘er done, boys.
Cheer long. Cheer loud. Go GREEN!
P.S. And for crying out loud... could we kill Richie’s soft defense for one game? Just sayin’.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)