Pass the popcorn.
I swear, this 2015 season for the Saskatchewan Roughriders is like a football movie. You know, like Remember the Titans, Rudy, Any Given Sunday, When The Game Stands Tall and all the rest.
Is it a good movie, a great movie, or a bad one?
I don’t know. You’ve got to watch it to the end to see how it plays out.
The Roughriders are 0-8 following their most recent loss, 34-31 at home to the Calgary Stampeders on Saturday before a sellout crowd of 33,427 at historic Mosaic Stadium. It was the franchise’s first sellout in almost a year and proof positive that the league’s best fanbase has not given up on its team.
However, let’s be honest, an 0-8 team has never rallied to make the playoffs in CFL history. That’s not to say it won’t happen, and that’s why you can’t leave the theatre just yet.
And my gosh it’s been a thriller! The games themselves have had your heart racing right down to the final play, for the most part. Last year when the club rattled off seven straight victories, fans complained that the games were too low-scoring and boring.
Which would you rather have?
And outside of the games, there have been enough head-scratching situations to fill out a screenplay.
You know the ones. The ones that make you pinch the bridge of your nose between your eyes, shake your head and say, “Did that really just happen?”
Like for instance what happened last Tuesday when the Roughriders reconvened on the practice field for the first time after their bye week. I wrote in this space what was required was a fresh start. Wipe the slate. Forget the prior seven weeks.
And then during the team’s stretching period, before practice even began, running back Anthony Allen and defensive line coach Mike Sinclair got into a heated spat over something really small. Sinclair reportedly needled Allen about not playing and the player went off. He had to be escorted to the locker room and didn’t return.
So much for the fresh start.
And then on the radio postgame show following Saturday’s loss to Calgary, our defensive star Marshay Green – a defensive back who spent four years in the NFL with Arizona and Indianapolis – seemed to be crying during the interview with us.
“I just want to say that I wouldn’t want to be playing for any other coach, any other staff, or go out there with any other team than this team,” said the Bastrop, Louisiana product with his voice cracking. “We’re doing everything that we can. Everything possible. We come here every day to work and do everything the coach asks us to do. But man, it’s just so unfortunate that the ball isn’t bouncing our way at the end of the game.”
I looked at radio colour commentator Carm Carteri in bewilderment.
“Is he crying?” I asked.
Our producer confirmed that indeed, Marshay Green had been moved to tears.
Good Lord! That’s a first.
This stuff would have Steven Spielberg drooling. That is, if he were into sports movies.
So miraculously, despite eight consecutive weeks of losing, the Saskatchewan Roughriders are still in the race due to the fact division rivals Winnipeg and B.C. only have three wins each as we approach the halfway turn.
It’s setting up for a ridiculously implausible finish. Who would believe they’d ever make the playoffs, let alone make something happen after that?
Actually it doesn’t matter who does as long as the Green & White believe it can happen.
And they do.
“Nobody’s hanging their head,” Green said between tears. “We still believe in each other. We just have to go back to the drawing board.”
The path to that drawing board has been worn out so far this season but head coach Corey Chamblin continues to tinker and fiddle with his roster which produced generally good results on Saturday except for the final score.
Is it coming? The “whodunit”-style ending? Maybe.
“Keep chopping,” advised Marshay. “Keep doing everything we’re doing now. Coming to practice, watching film, and getting better in every aspect of the game.”
Pass the Kleenex. This one’s turned into a tear-jerker as well.
