Get ready to feast on a sporting buffet
In 30 years as one of the finest newspaper reporters in my family, I have seen various sporting spectacles come and go.
But never have I seen so many notable events on the horizon. Consider the slate between now and May 2018 ...
July 1, 2017: The Saskatchewan Roughriders, quarterbacked by (pick one) Kevin Glenn, Vince Young, James Franklin, Brandon Bridge, Jake Waters, Bryan Bennett, G.J. Kinne, Johnny Manziel, Michael Vick, Sonny Jurgensen or Peyton Manning, will play their first regular-season game at the gleaming new Mosaic Stadium.
Sept. 5-10, 2017: The Grand Slam of Curling’s season-opening Tour Challenge will be held at the Co-operators Centre.
Oct. 26-29, 2017: Skate Canada International, Brandt Centre.
March 3-11, 2018: Brier, Brandt Centre.
March 8-11, 2018: Canadian university women’s basketball championship, University of Regina, (inhale) Centre for Kinesiology, Health and Sport (exhale).
May 17-27, 2018: Memorial
Cup, Brandt Centre.
Amid the excitement over the Regina Pats’ successful Memorial Cup bid, there was also an element of shock — at least on the part of this prehistoric scribe — over the sheer volume of major events that are earmarked for
the Queen City over the next 15 months.
The aforementioned schedule does not account for variables, such as a possible championship chase by this season’s Pats, a Grey Cup run by (let’s arbitrarily select another long-retired quarterback) Ryan Leaf and the Roughriders or a surge toward the Vanier Cup by the University of Regina Rams — piloted by 2016 Hec Crighton Trophy winner Noah Picton.
“There will be a lot of activity, a lot of sporting activities,” Regina Mayor Michael Fougere said.
“This will be great, because we have a great amount of volunteers that make these things happen and a great tradition of celebrating.
“It will be a time when the whole city again celebrates the fact that we’ve got a national championship here — and we’ll have the Pats right in the middle of it, so it’s fantastic.”
Agreed, but could so many rapid-fire events put a strain on the volunteer base? Is there a risk of inducing big-event fatigue?
“I don’t think so,” Fougere said. “We’ve gone through these times when we’ve had lots of events in the same year. People will be tired, but we always do these things so very, very well, from the Junos to the Grey Cup and now to this.”
Yes, this — a period of sporting bliss.