dewline | Entries tagged with saskatchewan roughriders

Got the Labour Day Classic - Canadian Football League match between Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers being played in Regina - on the TV for background noise. I've been a Riders fan almost since I started walking, because of my upbringing.

Meanwhile, there's a three-province police search underway for two suspects in a case of multiple-homicide - 10 dead, 15 injured - that started in a First Nation and a neighbouring settler-founded community a ways north of Saskatoon. The crimes and the search they've triggered have made the news as far away from Saskatchewan as the UK (The Guardian), Germany (DW News), and Australia (ABC News) by now.

There is a severe dissonance here when I look at these two things together in the same posting...

Current Mood: melancholy

I am a Saskatchewan-born kid, so regardless of where I live, I consider myself part of "Rider Nation".

While I am pleased at the results of last night's game against Ottawa - 23-10 for Saskatchewan's third win of a truncated-by-Pandemic season - I am worried by the things I've heard about that outbreak at Saskatchewan's home opener. Nine COVID infections, if memory serves? And it's not being acknowledged as an outbreak by the local health authorities.

I would really prefer that the CFL run this season the way the Japanese authorities ran the Tokyo Games this past July: no fans in the stands. At all. We have media companies with broadcast rights agreements in place, so we can make do with that arrangement. It may not earn as much money as the League and its teams want and need...but I prefer that public health and safety concerns be respected.

Current Mood: uncomfortable
Current Location: Home-for-now
Current Music: The Sunday Magazine on CBC Radio

Since Saskatchewan's not in the game today, I care just enough to hope that Hamilton cleans Winnipeg's scoreboard clock for revenge's sake.

May everyone playing manage to avoid CTE injuries. I know how unlikely that is, and feel growing guilt over that fact, but I guess I'm still not done with the CFL just yet.

Current Mood: busy

Job search resumes after the latest weekend.

Not happy with how the Banjo Bowl game went for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, but these things are indeed fleeting.

Getting the sense of fall kicking into gear in Ottawa-Gatineau. Leaves are falling, yet bees and butterflies are still zipping around.

More as it comes to mind.

Current Mood: busy
Current Music: Margaret Atwood interview on CBC Radio

Yeah, so the Roughriders are playing against the Redblacks in Ottawa tonight. Switching the TV on for background noise at the recommendation of one of my cousins out west, of course.

More on other topics later...

Current Mood: blah

First: I went to the ceremonies at the War Memorial today. Pix on my Flickr account: dwight_ew if you want to look it up.

You don't go to enjoy it, you don't go to be comfortable. The weather was blasphemously bright for the occasion, and if it weren't for my concern for the continuing health of our elder citizens (veterans and other alike)...

Anyway.

Second: I watched the Western Semi-Final CFL game today on TV. Seems near-blasphemous to have sports events on Remembrance at all, but there it was. Winnipeg vs. Saskatchewan. It did not go well for Saskatchewan. And some of the hits various players on both sides took make me feel even more hypocritical about wanting this sport and league to continue versus the concern for the players' health.

Third: I watched Doctor Who tonight. "Demons of the Punjab" addresses several issues dear to a lot of Whovian hearts, and a whole more non-Whovians' hearts as well. I'll leave it at that for the moment, except to note the setting: 1947, the Partition that sundered India/Bharat and Pakistan. The consequences of Empire for the lives of people on the street and/or the farm.

Current Mood: indescribable

I think I will leave my part in the discussion of the Canadian Football League's Eastern Final yesterday afternoon at that. Fair enough?

Current Mood: disappointed

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have just informed their Facebook followers that this year's edition of their training camp was sponsored to some degree by Molson-Coors.

For some reason, seeing that connection disturbs me deeply.

Yes, I know that beer and CFL football have a long history together. But there's that political history of the Coors family that I've been hearing about in recent years. I don't know how much truth there is to what I've heard to date, but it worries me.

And the Roughriders are the CFL team I've followed since childhood. So there's that.

I was hoping to gather with friends at a local pub for the game tonight.

The response to the Facebook event I posted, however, has been underwhelmingly clear. So...staying home tonight.

Apologies to anyone who was planning to show up...but one maybe and nine no-votes on Facebook made it clear that the event was going to fizzle.

Current Mood: sad

This is what happens when a Saskatchewan Roughriders game is broadcast when local game time in Regina is 730 PM: if you're a Rider fan in Ottawa-Gatineau, you stay up at 930 PM EST.

Oh well...at least there's still three quarters to play as I was originally typing this.

Current Mood: hopeful

Okay. So I'm going downtown again this morning to honour the occasion. There's a parade organized by a coalition of various unions' locals set to start at noon at Ottawa City Hall and run from there to McNabb Park. It seems proper to be there for this. Also, I'd recommend reading John Doyle's latest for the Globe and Mail on TV drama and comedy and the lack of material covering certain aspects of modern working life. On either side of the US-Canada border.

Preparations for CAN-CON 2011 continue and I'm confirmed to participate in several panel discussions there. I do not have a dealers' room table this year, but may consider it for next year's edition depending on scheduling and other factors yet to be figured out.

About yesterday's CFL (Canadian-rules football) match between Saskatchewan and Winnipeg(nicknamed the "Labour Day Classic"): I'm glad to see Saskatchewan break their losing streak. It was long overdue. But I remain disturbed by the anger that got vented at several points in the game. One Winnipeg player was ejected from the game, and towards the end of the final quarter, I was shocked by hostilities that reminded me of the bench-clearing brawls that often marked NHL playoff games in the mid-1970's. Scary.

And over to you for the moment. I'll be back later today.

Current Mood: busy

Well, the Argos gave my Riders what-for last night, didn't they?

Nuts.

Granted, we're still locked into a playoff spot at this point, but it still feels a pain. And our home-field advantage depends on how someone else's game goes tomorrow.

Bah.

Current Mood: Multi-tasking

First, to the friends and acquaintances at the New York Comic-Con this weekend, I hope you're having fun! Even better if you're making good money off the show!

Second, to everyone in Canada reading this, wishing you the best of our Thanksgiving weekend!

Third, to any other Saskatchewan Roughrider fans reading this, here's to trouncing the Argos tonight!

Fourth, to the Ottawa Senators fans, the same goes vis-a-vis the Maple Leafs!

More later as it comes to me...unless you beat me to the mark, of course...

Current Mood: busy
Current Music: "My Thanksgiving" by Don Henley

Item One:

Okay, that itch that was bugging me about subways, Bank Street and Lansdowne that some of you have been arguing with me over at

octranspo about? Spacing Ottawa let me take the thought a little further today:

http://spacingottawa.ca/2010/07/02/the-meeting-of-the-mega-projects-a-tunnel-for-bank-street/

Item Two:

I just found out that Ghana got turfed from the World Cup. Not happy about that at all.

Item Three:

I thoroughly enjoyed the outcome of last night's game between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Montréal Alouettes.

Back to you!

Current Mood: busy

...but wishing all my US friends well nonetheless. I'll be indulging in a similar ritual this afternoon by meeting up with a very local, very unofficial Saskatchewan Roughriders fan club branch down in the Glebe for the Western Division Final of the CFL playoffs. The Riders are one of two or three things I've regretting leaving behind when I moved to Ottawa with the rest of my family, so keeping an eye on what they're up to during the Canadian football season still matters to me.

Hoping to see the Calgary Stampeders properly rounded up at today's game!

Current Mood: busy

I'll be at the ByMUG meeting from 1 to 3 this afternoon at Patty Boland's in the Market on Clarence Street. After that, I'm hoping that I'll be meeting up with a bunch of fellow Saskatchewan Roughrider fans to watch the Labour Day Classic at one of the other watering holes of the city. No idea which watering hole that'll be, though.

At least I won't be bored today! :-)

Current Mood: Looking forward to the day!

Longtime Saskatchewan Roughriders fan am I. And yet, for all I rack my brains, I cannot recall seeing even in 1960's archival footage and still photos a helmet with ye aulde "football, wheat stalks and ribbon" insignia on them such as we see at assorted Riders games this year. The not-so-old Spaulding-logo-derived "S" with laurel wreathing, yes. I remember that very well!

But not this design I've been seeing on TV on the Riders' "retro" suits this year.

How'd that happen? Anyone?