95th Grey Cup Saskatchewan-Winnipeg 11/25/07:
“A Night For Rider Nation”
The idea of regional pride in a sports team is hardly a new phenomenon. In New England, the Red Sox have a well-documented, passionate fan base. But they're not the only show in town. The Patriots and the Celtics have large and devoted followings and there are still a few Bruins fans left around. College teams also happen to have passionate boosters as well. But there are some places on the North American landscape, where there are not so many things going on to divide loyalties. Such a place is the province of Saskatchewan and such a team is their beloved Roughriders, who just brought back the franchise's third CFL Grey Cup to their rabid fans following their thrilling 23-19 victory over Winnipeg on Sunday night the 25th.

The Roughriders, like the Green Bay Packers, are a community owned team and they are the pride and passion of the province. The Grey Cup celebration and the parade that followed were probably the biggest thing that hit Regina in the last 25 years. It was absolutely wonderful to see such passionate fans brave the bitter cold to celebrate their team's victory. The term "Rider Nation" was coined decades before the similar marketing phrase that is now used when discussing our Beloved Nine.
People in the States may think. "Ah, that's only Canadian football, who cares, eh? If you don't know anything about the game, I suppose it's your loss. It is anything but "three yards in a cloud of dust". It doesn’t pretend to be American football. There are a number of variations that make the game special and worth viewing every week from July through November. Because there are only three downs, the game is far more dynamic and wide open than its American counterpart. Special-teams play a far greater role in the outcome of the game, because ball possession changes so frequently. It is more of the speed and quickness game than a smashmouth one, and the action never lets up. The quality of talent is not as good as the NFL, however the speed and quickness demanded by the Canadian game would leave many NFL behemoths on all fours sucking wind.

This year’s championship was a defensive struggle. James Johnson picked off Winnipeg’s Ryan Dinwiddie three times en route to winning MVP for the game, and the Roughriders scored only one offensive touchdown on the night. Dinwiddie performed well in his first professional start, getting pressed into service when starter Kevin Glenn suffered a broken arm in the Division final a week earlier against Toronto. Also, the game may have been the final professional appearance for Winnipeg’s Milt Stegall, who was the Jerry Rice of the CFL. Yet his magnificent career may end without his having attained a Canadian title. With less than a minute remaining in the fourth quarter the Bombers were driving and within reach of taking the lead when Johnson picked off Dinwiddie to seal the deal. Fans across North America were treated to a thrilling conclusion. Unfortunately, 99.9% of New Englanders were preoccupied with Patriots-Eagles on Sunday night.

Congratulations to the Roughriders and to Rider Nation for a hard-fought Championship.