HARD FINALITY HITS HOME FOR THE RIDERS
The Saskatchewan Roughriders’ 2019 season ended with a thud — the impact of a football hitting the crossbar.
One last throw could not produce one more storybook ending.
From eight yards away, on the final play of Sunday’s CFL West Division final against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Roughriders quarterback Cody Fajardo looked toward Mosaic Stadium’s north end zone.
Kyran Moore, who ran a post pattern, appeared to have a step on a defender, but ... CLANK!
Just like that, the finality hit home for a Saskatchewan team that had placed first in the West’s regular-season standings with a 13-5 record, only to lose 20-13.
No more meetings. No more practices. No trip to Calgary for the Grey Cup.
Instead, the next obligation for the players was to attend Monday’s year-end meetings, followed by the usual locker-room cleanout — with black garbage bags everywhere, to be stuffed with personal items.
The memory of the heartbreaking loss will never go away for players who are now going their separate ways for an off-season that began one week too early.
Mental replays of the “whatif?” plays will likely carry over until the first day of 2020 training camp.
The sting is severe and the bitterness of being eliminated for the second year in a row by the dreaded Blue Bombers will make things worse. So what happened?
There were so many ebbs and flows, especially during a fourth quarter in which the Roughriders were at or inside Winnipeg’s five-yard line on three different possessions.
With so many opportunities to score, the Roughriders were playing like they wanted the Blue Bombers’ Grey Cup drought — which dates back to 1990 — to end in short order.
There was an incomplete pass on first-and-goal from the threeyard line.
Let’s not forget the Abbott and Costello impersonation of a handoff, with the quarterback (Bryan Bennett) colliding with the tailback (William Powell) after lining up in the shotgun formation from the 1½-yard line.
There was also a stuffed quarterback sneak on third down from the one-yard line.
It was shocking to see from the outside. What must it have been like for the players? To come so close to scoring a key touchdown, so many times, must have elevated the frustration level.
The West Division championship trophy being presented to a Winnipeg team on the new Mosaic Stadium turf ... could it be worse?
Lost in the disappointment, at least in the short term, was a season in which the Roughriders accomplished so much.
They finished first in the West for only the second time in a span of 43 seasons.
They found a solid starting quarterback: Fajardo.
The players bought into the “team above self” philosophy.
And yet, there was emptiness at the end. No rings will be designed. No victory parade will occur. No statues will be erected for anyone.
The sad reality is that these opportunities don’t come along very often. Rare is the season in which the Roughriders have to win a West final at home to advance to the Grey Cup.
The fall from first place back to the start line with the rest of the teams for 2020 will be a bitter pill to swallow, but that is the reality of life in the CFL.
One of the teams that won on Sunday — the Blue Bombers or Hamilton Tiger-cats — won’t recall, or won’t want to remember, the presentation of a division-championship trophy.
Without the Grey Cup tagging along for some fun in your off-season of activities, can you really deem the season a success?
Players and coaching staffs aren’t involved in the business of professional football to be graded as “much-improved,” to receive awards or all-star recognition, or to sell out every game.
No, they do it simply to be known as a champion.
One more prediction this season ...
GREY CUP
Hamilton vs. Winnipeg (Sunday, 5 p.m.)
Taman: The Blue Bombers finally get the Grey Cup win they have been craving. Blue Bombers by eight.
Rob Vanstone: Hamilton is the class of the league, as will be demonstrated yet again on Sunday. How do we break the tie in overall records once my prediction is proven correct?
Tiger-cats by 12.
Season records: Taman 56-29 (1-1 last week); Vanstone 55-30 (1-1).
Hero: Winnipeg linebacker Shayne Gauthier. He made the play of the game on the 58-yard punt return by Saskatchewan’s Nick Marshall late in the fourth quarter. His key tackle, the result of hustle and determination, likely saved a touchdown.
Zeros: (1) Blue Bombers defensive end Willie Jefferson, who has been virtually invisible for the past three games. He must create some havoc on Sunday to help Winnipeg slow down Tiger-cats quarterback Dane Evans. (2) Saskatchewan’s short-yardage philosophy. One word: Abysmal.