Is this finally the year for the Saskatchewan Roughriders?
The team from the smallest city in the Canadian Football League is the exemplification of winning: On the field they are a CFL power; off the field (at the bank), they are the CFL powerhouse.
But despite a record-breaking profit of $6.6 million in 2010 and an astounding $38 million in total revenues, Roughrider Nation would probably trade all the economic success for another Grey Cup.
Twice in the row the Riders offered October hope and November heartbreak to their fans, losing back-to-back Grey Cup games to the Montreal Alouettes. The first of those two defeats, of course, was the infamous "13th man" penalty on the last play of the game that cost Saskatchewan a 28-27 defeat. Last year, the Als prevailed 21-18. Two years, two losses by a total of four points.
There's nothing to suggest that when the Riders open their 2011 season at home against Edmonton Eskimos on July 3 that they won't be right in the thick of things again. They have a new coach, Greg Marshall, replacing Ken Miller, and Darien Durant is one year older, more experienced and more comfortable as starting QB. Their personnel is of championship calibre, with running back Wes Cates and receivers Andy Fantuz and Weston Dressler giving them an embarrassment of riches offensively.
The Riders and 2010 West Division pennant-winning Calgary Stampeders will likely be one-two again this year, and the Alouettes are heavy favourites in the East, setting up a possible three-peat of a Montreal-Saskatchewan Grey Cup game.
But no matter who contends for, or wins, the Grey Cup, no one will come close to Saskatchewan when it comes to making money. This is definitely "Canada's Team," selling more merchandise, by far, than any other franchise. Of that $38 million in gross revenues in 2010, $11.3 million came from ticket sales - with every game completely sold out. In Saskatchewan, every citizen, in seems, has Roughrider shirts, sweats, jackets, hats, toques, scarves, licence plates . . . you name it, the Riders sell it. Last year, their merchandise sales hit $10.3 million, a 45-per-cent increase from the record $7.1 million achieved in 2009.
How do you spell success in the CFL? Easy: $a$katchewan Roughrider$.
Comedy writer Jerry Perisho: Former NFL star Plaxico Burress says he'll preach to kids to stay away from guns. Yeah, but who's going to preach to kids to stay away from Plaxico Burress?
Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel: "Now that Plaxico Burress is out of jail, there are rumblings he may sign with the Eagles and pair up with Michael Vick. Future headline: 'Burress shoots Vick's dog in the leg.'"
Bruce Dowbiggin in the Globeandmail.com, about the Stanley cup riot in Vancouver: "News organizations that might otherwise have ignored the hockey game were suddenly all over the riots like a wolf on a lamb chop."
Tweeted U.S. comedian Patton Oswalt as the riot was unfolding: "Have the Vancouver riot police turned on the maple syrup cannons yet?"
R.J. Currie of sportsdeke.com: "After Jeff Francoeur of the Royals - who is having a good year at the plate - took batting practice in his underwear, some sportswriters suggested the slumping Dan Uggla give it a try. This might be a case where two thongs don't make a right."
Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle: "Players around the NFL are staying in shape, but what about the owners? They're getting after it, too, holding their own conditioning camps - running wind sprints to the bank, bench-pressing bales of cash, stretching the truth."
Norman Chad, syndicated columnist: "Over the last generation, waiting for the Pirates to win has been like waiting for a toxic dump site to sprout tulips."
Greg Cote of the Miami Herald on the most recent meeting between the two sides in the NFL labour dispute: "I think both sides have begun to go overboard to not be seen as wealthy or greedy. Player representatives showed up dressed like hoboes, and owners arrived in Jed Clampett's truck."
Steve Schrader of the Detroit Free Press, on why LeBron James ought to give the Stanley Cup Final a try: "Nobody complains if you play only three good periods."
Bianchi again, on the Stanley Cup riot in Vancouver: "This is believed to be the most embarrassing incident in Canada since Loverboy sang, "The Kid is Hot Tonight."
Janice Hough of leftcoastsportsbabe.com: "Some sympathy for Vancouver hockey fans. Do you know how heartbreaking it is to lose a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup finals? Well, no, replied hockey fans in Northern California."
Another one from RJ Currie: "If the Canucks' Sedin brothers got traded to the Wild, would they be called the Minnesota Twins?"
Bill Littlejohn, on Wayne Gretzky's son, Trevor, being drafted by the Chicago Cubs: "Janet Jones and Wayne had hoped he would be selected by a major league team."
