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It's so easy being green

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

By: Randy Turner

24/11/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 7

The Riders' Canadian talent, like receivers Chris Getzlaf (left) and Rob Bagg, are a key to their success.

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

QB Darian Durant

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QB Darian Durant (TROY FLEECE / CANWEST NEWS SERVICE)

Gainer the gopher

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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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7 Commentscomment icon

Go Riders! You are my team util Kelly is fired!

This is disgusting. Winnipegger's cheering for anything other than pain and misery for the Roughriders and their fans are not real Winnipeggers. Randy Turner should be ashamed of himself.

This is not merely about the first meeting between these teams for the Grey Cup; it's the first one between the two clubs that have the worst records in Cup appearances. They have been there 16 times each. The Als have won it on only 5 occasions, while the Riders have won it only 3. Montreal won both 2009 meetings: 43-10 in Regina and 34-25 at home, plus I get the idea they're the hungrier team after losing relatively close Cup finals last year and in 2006. Sask. might make things interesting if they can keep it close at the half, but I still would bet Montreal will pull away to win by about 12 points. But if the Als break out to a big first half lead, everyone should go home and get ready for next season.

GO RIDER NATION. GIVE EM HELL.

avatar

Great column RT. OK, I'm a born and raised Saskatoonian and it just KILLS me that I can't get to Cow Town on Sunday. But a few comments(which I sent in a email to you)about the striking difference between the Bombers and Riders. But first, both are community owned clubs,both located in prairie provinces with about 1 million population,and both in need of a new stadiums.
Thats it!
In Regina it's "Miller Time" - Winnipeg "Pepto Bismo Time"
Bauer(X Saskatoon Hill Top)do the right thing...it's time.

Really good column (and some points I made in comments on Doug Browns article... I swear I hadn't read this yet). As much as it sucks to see, the Riders have developed a solid team and they've actually done it themselves. Many great canadian players making a big difference and a quarterback that they spent a few years developing. Maybe we can learn something from our green neighbours... can we please show a little patience next year and at least give our next qb a full season to develop.

Love your column. A Green Hell is about to slam into the Birds coming in from Quebec.

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