Distant memories of a forgotten Grey Cup.
It was Grey Cup Sunday, 1997, and I awaited the big game with all the excitement of someone who was about to receive an inoculation.
I knew that I had to be there, so I dutifully showed up, without any prospect of deriving considerable enjoyment from the proceedings.
This is from someone who loves, loves, loves football.
I have attended the past seven CFL championship games that have involved the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Long before I could even dream of covering a Grey Cup for my favourite newspaper, the decision was automatic. If the Riders were in the Grey Cup, I would be there.
As a 12-year-old sapling, I was in the stands at Toronto's Exhibition Stadium when Tony Gabriel caught THAT pass on Nov. 28, 1976.
At 25, I occupied an upper-level seat at SkyDome when Dave Ridgway made The Kick. Three days later, my voice returned to normal (nasal).
At 33, I was dispatched to Edmonton to cover a matchup between Saskatchewan and the Toronto Argonauts.
And there I sat, in the press box at Commonwealth Stadium, with my blankest expression since I had been forced to absorb details about the Renaissance in Grade 10 social studies. (Boring!)
Everyone knew that Doug Flutie and the Argos would win the '97 Cup.
My Scottish terrier, Oscar, was also astute enough to recognize that Toronto could not possibly lose.
Sure, the Reggie Slack-quarterbacked Roughriders had upset the Calgary Stampeders and Edmonton Eskimos in the West Division playoffs.
But, in so doing, the Roughriders earned the right to oppose one of the greatest teams in the history of Canadian professional football.
Roughriders fans descended upon Edmonton and revelled in the Grey Cup festival. The green army was the story of the week until the game loomed and the parties were over.
As I watched Roughriders rooters file into the stadium, long before opening kickoff, I was overcome by curiosity. These were the pre-Internet days, remember, and the TVs in the press box were tuned to the Grey Cup pre-game show.
Being the staunch nationalist that I am, I craved NFL scores. I was especially interested in how my beloved Denver Broncos were faring against the Kansas City Chiefs, so I placed a (collect?) phone call to my great friend Mark Anderson.
“You're not going to like this,” Mark told me. “Pete Stoyanovich kicked a 54-yard field goal late in the game. Kansas City won 24-22.” Thank you for the information. (CLICK.)
I proceeded to despise everyone and everything in Commonwealth Stadium. I glowered at anyone who dared to approach me.
Pete Stoyanovich ...
The game began and, surprisingly, the Roughriders were competitive. They opened the scoring on a Paul McCallum field goal and, well into the second quarter, the teams were separated by less than a touchdown.
Yet, it reminded me of professional wrestling. Even in a gross mismatch, the jobber usually enjoys a few minutes of glory before being vacuumed off the mat.
By halftime, the Argonauts had fattened their lead to 20-9.
Then came the intermission, in which Trooper performed. Its repertoire included the classic We're Here For A Good Time, Not A Long Time.
It was not a long time before the game became a complete laugher.
Adrion Smith returned the opening second-half kickoff for a touchdown — the first of three third-quarter majors Toronto would score.
Flutie scored on a 10-yard run before hitting another future Canadian Football Hall of Famer, Michael (Pinball) Clemons, for a touchdown.
And the disappointment was palpable.
Pete Stoyanovich ...
It was the strangest experience. I was watching the Roughriders play in a Grey Cup and it was a completely unemotional experience.
It felt like watching a PVR of a football game while already knowing the score — which turned out to be 47-23.
It was, all things considered, a nice run for the Roughriders, who won eight regular-season games before catching fire in the playoffs.
I felt genuinely good for many of the people associated with that 1997 team — all-star human beings such as Dan Farthing, Gene Makowsky, Don Narcisse, Mike Saunders, Jim Daley, Alan Ford, Tony Playter and Fred Wagman.
And Slack, for all the flak he took as the team's starting quarterback, was actually a thoughtful, intelligent and pleasant guy — even when the circumstances were not the best.
Those were not easy years for the Roughriders, who missed the playoffs six times in a seven-season span, beginning in 1995.
The 1997 playoff spasm was nicknamed the “November To Remember,” and it was exciting to follow the Roughriders during the post-season.
But then came game day, and you know the rest.
Pete Stoyanovich ...