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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

It's so easy being green

There's no Grey area when deciding who to cheer for

Posted: 11/24/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

The Riders' Canadian talent, like receivers Chris Getzlaf (left) and Rob Bagg, are a key to their success. (JEFF MCINTOSH / THE CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES)

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QB Darian Durant (TROY FLEECE / CANWEST NEWS SERVICE)

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Gainer the gopher (CNS SASKATOON STARPHOENIX)

OK, huddle up sports fans. It's been almost a century worth of Grey Cups and, curiously, this Sunday marks the first meeting between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Montreal Alouettes for the championship in CFL history.

So we've had a long time to pick a favourite. No problem. In fact, we'll even give you the Top 7 reasons to root for... ta-da, the Roughriders.

1. Canadian content

Like most solid CFL teams, the Roughriders play more Canadians than legally required. Not just special teamers, either. In sweeping the Stamps this year, the Riders squadron of Canuck receivers -- Rob Bagg, Andy Fantuz and Chris Getzlaf -- were front and centre. Fittingly, all three scored majors in the West final. Meanwhile, one of the most beloved Riders is Stu Foord, the Viking-ish fullback who is the second coming of Chris Szarka.

2. Ken Miller

When the old dude was promoted to head coach, replacing Kent Austin, it looked like they put Grampa Simpson in charge. Miller must be the most low-key, uncharasmatic head man in the loop -- at least, from afar -- and sometimes you just like to see good things happen to football coaches who aren't narcissists who create more headlines than victories. Not that we're mentioning any names or anything.

3. Brendan Taman

See Miller. Although Taman has never won a Grey Cup as an executive, he's lost a couple in Winnipeg and had two teams win championships the year after he left them. Dude is not exactly a good-luck charm. But less than a year after seeing the writing on the wall in Winnipeg, it looks like Taman might find the holy grail among his own kind in Saskatchewan.

4. Gainer

I can't help it. Seeing that giant rodent with a beer belly always makes me laugh. I mean, compare that to the creepy-looking blow-up contraption that serves as the Als mascot and any connoisseur of sideline critters would take the gopher. In fact, Gainer looks a lot like Yogi Bear without the hat. Maybe that's why seeing him triggers cravings of pic-a-nic baskets.

5. Rider Priders

Face it, this is Manitoba, so we love to take shots at our country cousins to the West. But aren't you just a bit envious looking at the sellout crowds at Mosaic Stadium and seeing that sea of green. Tens of thousands of them, from all over the province. The Melonheads abound. One lady held a sign that read, "I Could Eat a Horse." So they did. Compare that rabid scene to the 20,000 or so that bothered to show up to the second-last Bombers home game. Now you know why the Riders have the nerve -- and the cash -- to think they can build a $350-million domed stadium.

6. Grey Cup Party

To say the host team won't play in Calgary's Grey Cup is not entirely true. There are supposed to be more Saskatchewaneans living in Alberta these days than live in Regina. As you are reading, countless Roughriders fans are making harried arrangements to find transportation and lodging in Cowtown. They will settle for transportation.

7. And our final reason the Riders should win the Grey Cup:

Because they could do it with a weapon the Bombers haven't developed in a generation -- a young quarterback moulded from scratch. That's right, Darian Durant is everything the Bombers were desperate for this past season; a pivotal star of the future who was recruited and mentored in Regina before patiently earning the No. 1 job.

Want to rag on those Melonheads? Go ahead. Just remember they have pretty much everything Bombers faithful don't.

randy.turner@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 24, 2009 C1

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