Sunday at 3:00 p.m. marks the start of the Saskatchewan Roughriders two week stretch that is between them and playing in the 2013 Grey Cup at Taylor Field as hosts. This season by all accounts is supposed to a special one, and likely the last time the venue that has housed Rider greats such as Ron Lancaster, George Reed, and Kent Austin will ever host a Grey Cup as the franchise and their fans continue to push for a new, cushier stadium that is surely going to get built eventually.
This excitement also led to the Riders getting aggressive this offseason, bringing in big name free agents such as Geroy Simon to help meet the expectation that the Riders would make the Grey Cup and have a magical season. They also were planning on selling out a majority of their games and having a distinct homefield advantage thanks to the added capacity at Taylor Field reaching close to 45, 000 thanks to the installation of temporary bleachers to bowl the North and South ends of the stadium.
There is just one problem, Rider fans are balking at the notion of having the sit through -11 on Sunday and around 15,000 tickets were left unpurchased at one point on Wednesday morning. Something that would have been dismissed as crazy talk during the two decade period when the Riders went without playoff football at Taylor Field is now sadly possible, there is a good chance that the Roughriders fanbase will fail to snap up every chance to see their favourite team play in the postseason. I am here to tell you that it is unacceptable.
We here in Saskatchewan love to talk up our love for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. How we bleed green, drink copious amounts of Pilsner and flock to Regina nine weekends a year to give the best fan advantage in the CFL. We infamously refer to ourselves as the 13th Man, and those same fans have been so hurt by playoff losses and failures that they have been driven to pouring manure over their kicker's front lawn after ending their season with a miss. You can't go a Friday without seeing green at several local stores that have "Roughrider Day" on Fridays and you will see even more green on gameday. There is no dispute that the Riders remain king in Saskatchewan ahead of the province's WHL clubs and Western Canada's NHL franchises.
So why the lack of excitement for Sunday at the box office? Yes it is cold, but -10 in November is far from what could potentially be one of the coldest Grey Cup's ever in two weeks time from Sunday when Regina hosts the big game without being afforded sunlight. That game will surely be a sellout regardless of if the Riders play with a large number of Regina residents filling the stands.
Yes television hurts attendance, especially with the NFL playing a full slate of games on Sunday afternoon and the fact that it is pretty nice to watch a game on a 50 inch HDTV in the comfort of your heated home with a long list of snacks rather than bundled up under two jackets and a ski mask to avoid frostbite. But a true fan wants to be there to give a homefield advantage, especially one that truly believes that Taylor Field is a fortress once the temperatures get into the negatives and the going gets tough.
Have Rider fans became spoiled to the point that a first round playoff game bores them? Despite the fact the franchise has hoisted just three Grey Cups in their over 100 year history?
Sunday is not a bye, the BC Lions have came into Taylor Field and won earlier in the season 24-22 and they have the weapons to do it again. The homefield advantage that makes the Riders favorites to win this game only exists if there is a Sky of Blue and a Sea of Green there to rattle the Lions snap count, to prevent the officials from making calls in the Lions favour, to turn momentum. Without the noise, without a full stadium there is no 13th Man. It is plain and simple.
If the Riders are upset on Sunday and fail to reach the highly anticipated rematch with Calgary in the West Final, I know that my twitter account and facebook will be filled with finger pointing in all directions. Corey Chamblin's job security will be in question, as will offensive coordinator George Cortez', you will be calling for the heads of Darian Durant, Kory Sheets, Dwight Anderson, John Chick for letting you down. This if a fact.
But if the game isn't sold out you will also be hearing me, pointing the finger at those who complained who didn't make the trip to Regina, who didn't help the 13th Man come out and lift the Riders to victory.
If you want the right to complain as a fan on Sunday, to me it comes with the price of admission. Go to Taylor Field, enjoy one last Rider game of 2013 in person, be loud and be proud. Anything can happen on Any Given Sunday, it might be your last chance this year to watch your team.
