Here are some — choke! gasp! — nice words about Rider Nation
It’s with bitter sweetness — a lot more bitter than sweet — these words come under the scrutiny of your eyeballss. As long as unicorns and dragons have roamed the earth I have been a fan of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. My co-host Cassie has a differing opinion on the correct to team to root for and is one of a multitude of Rider Nation fans, otherwise known as the arch nemesis of the Big Blue. With pride on the line, Cassie and I squared off in a wager where the loser had to pen a positive and feel-good story about the team they dislike the most. Being a man of my word because that’s all we have at the end of the day, the following is a gathering of poorly constructed thoughts touting some of the good that the Roughriders may or may not have been known for.
1. What came first, the Roughriders or the Rough Riders? Despite the fact that Saskatchewan wasn’t creative enough to create a name all by their lonesome, you can’t call them moniker thieves. The year is 1924 and the Ottawa football club changed its name to The Senators from the Rough Riders, only to change back a few years later. But like a plate of leftover stuffing complete with gravy, that tasty handle was snatched up by none other by The Regina Rugby Club, now known as The Roughriders and not The Rough Riders. Not only did the pride of the prairies pull a fast one on the nation’s capital, they did it all on the up and up. Score one for Rider Nation.
2. Fans of the Roughriders, of which there are many, lovingly refer to themselves as Rider Nation. Like a sea of gophers, Rider Nation exists not only in the province without any natural borders, these fans who bleed green have spawned worldwide. From the far side of the Rockies and east through the Great Canadian Shield all the way to the Atlantic and points beyond, including all seven continents, you won’t find a more dedicated fan in all of the Canadian Football League although with the way they’re performing this season that may change.
3. If you’re unfortunate enough to continually get wind of the passion about “bleeding green,” this too is a representation of the fans and their dedication to the club which has only won four Grey Cups despite plying their pigskin trade since 1910. Until 1946, Team Green was black and red, however a how-do-youdo team executive for the club was loading up his shopping basket in a surplus store and came across a full set of team uniforms which just happened to be green and white, the colours which the Roughriders wear with pride. Since I’m also a believer of getting things for cheap, I’ll give a nod of my hairy thinker to the Roughriders for saving some serious scratch.
4. Details aren’t necessary as anyone boasting Rider Pride will have serious disdain for number 13. Just be thankful it wasn’t 14-15 and a reminder for the team to keep their abacus nearby.
And so concludes my loosely veiled positive jottings of the team that has created the grinding of teeth and more curse words than a drunken sailor on shore leave. And now if you’ll excuse me, a delousing is in order to remove of what Rider Pride remains on this Blue Bomber fan.
And if you've got something on your mind, you can find Poncho weekday mornings on Medicine Hat's Best Rock, Rock 105.3. You can also track him down at www.rock1053.ca or on Twitter @ponchoparker