RIP Riders
What to do without Saskatchewan’s favourite team
Paige Kreutzwieser
Contributor
The main reason I like watching the Canadian Football League – Saskatchewan Roughriders mostly – is because of the atmosphere while watching games.
That is a huge part of sports. Now, this is nothing against the CFL, but I prefer the talent of the NFL way better. But watching CFL games does have its perks.
The way I watch the Riders is usually involving lots of food, and more importantly, beverages.
Whether it is with a group of friends screaming at a TV, or celebrating a Sunday Funday with my roommate with the game on, or even hitting up Mosaic Stadium, Rider games for me are so much more than just the game of football itself.
With that being said, it is sad that Rider games will be on hiatus until next season, but life without the Green and White will be liveable; there is still the NFL.
And yes, it is a shame for those hockey fans that don’t get to shift their attention to the National Hockey League, but that just means students can spend more time studying for finals. Plus, there are still many other sports in full swing.
For myself, I am a curling junky – not sure if I should be admitting that or not – but that means without hockey, curling could take a decent portion of the spotlight on sports channels in Canada, and I couldn’t be happier.
However, when watching curling the atmosphere is incomparable to football or, I’ll even admit, hockey games. But with the void of going for drinks to watch an NHL game, and apart from chilling with my dad and watching the NFL, life without the Riders is going to subdue my social life a bit.
However, after the Nov. 11 game, maybe both the Rider athletes and fans need a break. Am I devastated by the loss? Absolutely. Will I let it affect my love for the Green and White? Absolutely not – I’m a Bills fan if that tells you anything about my dedication principles. But it is time to move on, looking in a positive direction for next year, and watch other sports.
NCAA football is a great choice. Just had my first Ultimate Fighting Championship event night experience, and those fights were interesting, to say the least. The NBA is also underway and it is not too late to get into that. Golf is an all-year TV sport, so why not give that a try? With the latter two I understand I don’t put up a very good argument, but you get my drift.
As far as what should happen with the Riders, let the managing units do as they please with trades, cuts and the like. I have no place making any judgments on those aspects. But whatever it comes down to, the Riders are and always will be the Riders.
They continuously break our hearts, no matter who is on the team or not, while keeping us grasping for “our year” every upcoming season.
For most fans, it’s a love/hate relationship that fades away during the off-season to only subject ourselves to it again come June.
And after the semi-final playoff game, it is easy to just forget about the team, because they “let us down.”
Their season is done and over, nothing more we can do as fans, and the only thing left in the CFL to really look forward to now is Justin Bieber at halftime, if that tells you anything.
So unless Saskatchewan CFL football is the only thing you watched, life without the Riders should be, and will be, easy.
Photo courtesy cjme.com
