Roughriders always in season in these parts
The importance of a good starter — as a quarterback or a component of a vehicle — was underlined once more on Thursday.
On a bitterly cold day, several dozen of my newest friends and a few familiar faces visited the Royal Hotel Regina for the monthly Canadian Club of Regina luncheon.
The guest speaker was yours truly, who was shamelessly flogging (here we go again) a new book, 100 Things Roughriders Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die.
To my immense relief, the welcome was much warmer than the weather.
Everyone wanted to talk about football, football, football — in the dead of winter.
Once again, it occurred to me that there is never an off-season when it comes to the Roughriders.
In what other CFL burg would a team’s jingle be audible in mid-january?
Amber Macleod, a former Roughriders director and one of the great volunteers in franchise history, played a recording of “Green Is The Colour,” in addition to displaying several forms of memorabilia.
One of the items was Touchdown Cooking, a 1985 publication that included recipes provided by assorted Roughriders luminaries. Amber served on the committee that worked tirelessly to make the cookbook, issued in conjunction with the team’s 75th anniversary, a reality and a success.
Flipping through the pages, the not-inconsiderable stomach growls while examining the ingredients for crab puffs (Glenn Dobbs), Mexican spoon bread (Larry Dumelie), nacho dip (Greg Fieger), hors d’oeuvres (named Donnelly’s Bench Warmers, courtesy of Tom Donnelly), pickerel chowder (Steve Mazurak), prairie peach pancakes (Alan Ford), zucchini squash casserole (Cleveland Vann), Mrs. Bahnuik’s perogies (Don Bahnuik), pork and bean bake (Jim Hopson),
7Up cake (George Reed), and sweet and sour chicken (Dave Ridgway).
(Memo to the Roughriders: Update the cookbook and include a corn dog.)
Attendees were also invited to peruse Amber’s copy of the Roughriders’ 1968 media guide — an 18-page publication that included the team’s airline travel schedule. Back then, chartering an aircraft was out of the question.
Only one Roughrider weighed more than 250 pounds, namely 285-pound offensive tackle Clyde Brock.
Nowadays, any offensive lineman who does not tip the scales at 300, minimum, need not apply.
It did occur to Thursday’s guest speaker that he currently weighs more than any member of the 1968 Roughriders, except for Brock.
The enthusiasm and speed with which the lunch was Hoovered by this correspondent did not alleviate the discomfort created by the ill-fitting suit.
Thank goodness there were only two stairs leading to the stage, where I chatted with Regina Leader-post alumnus Will Chabun before fielding questions from the audience.
Fortunately, nobody saw fit to throw a bun — or even a Cha-bun — as I yakked about ...
■ Kent Austin, who in 2007 did the best coaching job in Roughriders history.
■ A forgotten classic between the Roughriders and Calgary Stampeders, who on Oct. 23, 1993 combined for nearly 1,100 aerial yards. Austin and Doug Flutie, both in their prime, treated the audience to a breathtaking aerial display. On the game’s penultimate play, Ridgway’s 34-second field goal gave Saskatchewan a 48-45 victory. Later that day, Joe Carter hit a World Series-winning home run for the Toronto Blue Jays. A classic CFL contest was rendered an afterthought.
■ Bob Shaw, who in 1958 spied on a New York Giants practice during his time as an assistant coach with the NFL’S Baltimore Colts. Shaw was the Roughriders’ head coach in 1963 and 1964.
■ Reed, Ridgway, Ron Lancaster, Joey Walters, Glen Suitor, Steve Myhra, Frank Tripucka, Dean Griffing, Frank Filchock, Bobby Jurasin, Wayne Shaw,
Ron Atchison (after whom a lake is named!), Jeff Fairholm, Ray Elgaard, Don Narcisse, R.J. Reynolds, Bob Ptacek, Lee Grosscup, Jim Eddy, Darian Durant, Jason Armstead, Sean Lucas, Louie Sakoda and, naturally, Cody Fajardo.
Will asked if there was a valid comparison, popularity-wise, between Fajardo and Dobbs — two quarterbacks who were a sensation during their debut seasons with Saskatchewan.
Not long after signing with the Roughriders, Dobbs was introduced at a Quarterback
Club gathering. The old Grand Theatre was packed. The lineup spilled on to the sidewalks, as fans braved a blizzard and minus-30 conditions on Feb. 25, 1951.
Dobbs shrugged off the prospect of frostbite and went outside to greet everyone who wasn’t able to buy a ticket for the sold-out event.
Some things never change. Even on the coldest of days, the Roughriders are a hot topic.