Fuh’baw
Funding a new stadium just shows how backwards this province truly is
Well, it finally happened: the disease that is known as ‘Rider Pride’ has finally infected the brain of social consciousness, and green and white zombies have swamped the streets, groaning about “FUH’BAW!” Meanwhile, the paranoid social pariahs such as myself have armed ourselves to the teeth, and shut ourselves in the nearest shopping mall. You know, the one without the Rider Store.
Recently, the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Company, the provincial government, and Mayor Pat Fiacco came to an agreement on the new home of the Riders. For the lowly sum of $278 million (or $675 million if you count lifetime costs), the Roughriders will get a 33 000-seat stadium that is comparable to ours in every way imaginable. The City of Regina will jack the cost of football tickets and bring in national cheerleading competitions to pay up its share of $173 million (with interest!) and the provincial government is ponying up another $80 million.
Wait. Hold on just a god-damned minute. What in the flying fuck? $80 million? Is that not the exact sum to be saved by the provincial government after ten years for cutting the Saskatchewan Film Employment Tax Credit? The same government who posed the hypothetical – and I quote – “If an industry cannot survive without constant taxpayer subsidy, should the public subsidize indefinitely?” I guess so long as that industry involves football, it’s ok to subsidize the shit out of it.
"Well, Mr. Wall, I got the message loud and clear; if I play professional sports or work in the potash mines, I am worth the province’s time and money. If I do not, I can take a fucking hike."
Those of you who know me know that I'm rather outspoken on this issue. It’s no secret that I thought a children’s hospital in this backwards-ass province should have taken precedence over a new football stadium. But that, it seems, was wishful thinking.
As for the Rider’s being an important and profitable industry as opposed to film, do I have to remind everybody that the Saskatchewan Roughriders weren’t exactly the economic juggernauts they are now? Do I need to remind people that a few short years ago, such “important” games as the Labour Day Classic were blacked out on TSN because of poor live attendance? It wasn’t until the miracle season in 2007 that the vast majority of these bandwagon hicks started disrobing and painting their gargantuan tits with uranium paint and whale spunk.
I can safely say that I am disgusted with the actions of this government. Well, Mr. Wall, I got the message loud and clear; if I play professional sports or work in the potash mines, I am worth the province’s time and money. If I do not, I can take a fucking hike. And that is exactly what I plan on doing. Enjoy your run at the top, you phony bastard. If your majority government continues on this way, everyone who would reasonably vote against you will be voting NDP in neighbouring provinces. Something tells me that’s just fine by you.
Kyle Leitch
Contributor
