Rams home games should be an event
Sadly though, university football team attracts few fans, despite great lineup
The University of Regina Rams are to open their regular season Friday at Mosaic Stadium against the University of Calgary Dinos.
Plenty of good sections are still available.
In fact, the Rams could welcome a larger-than-average crowd and still end up displaying their talents before more than 30,000 empty seats.
It’s baffling, really.
Canada West football is a fabulous form of entertainment, regardless of who is playing.
The Rams just happen to boast two of U Sports’ premier players — quarterback Noah Picton and all-purpose tailback Atlee Simon.
Simon, a sixth-round selection of the Calgary Stampeders in the 2018 CFL draft, is already the collegiate Rams’ all-time leader in rushing yards (2,943), touchdown runs (20) and overall TDS (29).
Picton, who attended the Toronto Argonauts’ 2018 training camp as an undrafted player, became a Rams legend in only his third season with the team. He received the Hec Crighton Trophy in 2016 after being named the best player in Canadian college football.
The following year, Picton and Simon were part of the inaugural event at new Mosaic Stadium, where they helped the Rams defeat the University of Saskatchewan Huskies 37-29 before 16,500 eyewitnesses.
Picton, Simon, et al, put on a tremendous show. But, alas, it seems that most of the people were there to ogle the new stadium.
It will be a shock if the 2018 Rams play before 16,000 spectators all season at Mosaic Stadium.
And that’s a shame.
Picton and Simon are both homegrown success stories. They excelled in the Regina Intercollegiate Football League ranks — Picton for the Leboldus Golden Suns; Simon for the Thom Trojans — and have carried over that tradition of excellence to the U Sports ranks.
Unfortunately, another tradition continues.
The Rams generally attract modest crowds — last season’s average being a mere 2,313 — despite being based in a city that is routinely referred to as a football hotbed.
On Sunday, for example, the Saskatchewan Roughriders will play host to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 54th Labour Day Classic.
Who know show the often unpredictable game will turn out? This much, however, is assured: The attendance will be 33,350, and the Roughriders’ streak of sellouts will be extended to three.
Fans eagerly devour Roughriders tickets, at prices that are exponentially higher than those charged by the Rams, to watch one of the CFL’S worst offences.
Nine games into the 2018 CFL season, the Green and White has yet to produce more than two offensive touchdowns in a game.
Jordan Williams-lambert leads the 2018 Roughriders in receiving yardage, with 406.
What did Hugh Campbell, Rhett Dawson, Joey Walters,
Ray Elgaard, Jeff Fairholm and Weston Dressler used to call the production of 406 yards? September.
At mid-season, the Roughriders have a league-low four touchdown passes.
Last year, Picton threw five TD passes in a single game. He had four touchdown passes in five of the 2016 Rams’ eight regularseason games.
Picton really does put on a great show, with plenty of help from his friends.
The production, however, will have a limited run. Local football fans may not have more than four more opportunities to watch Picton play at Mosaic Stadium before he graduates.
So why not seize the opportunity to watch and appreciate a local sporting legend while you can?
Friday’s game begins at 7 p.m., and parking should not be a problem.