For what you ask? The NFL season is underway, the MLB Play - off's are in full swing and the night after tomorrow sees the NHL drop the puck on another season. While I look forward to these each and every fall, there is one reason in particular which makes the arrival of these sporting events that much more welcomed by me and my household....the Roughriders.
I am sure you all watched the last two performances...and well, what can one say? They have looked absolutely horrible and I don't think I would be out of line in saying that at this very moment, the Saskatchewan Roughriders are the worst football team on the planet. What reasons have they given us the last two weeks to think that a berth in the play - off's is even a possibility? For that matter, why are we to think things will improve for next season? The only way I see things improving for 2012 is by blowing this team up...top to bottom I don't see more than a handful of players who are a sure thing to be on the opening day roster next July.
Coaching first...I was one of the biggest proponents of the firing of Greg Marshall and Doug Berry. While I was really only calling for Berry's job, getting rid of Marshall didn't bother me. Why...because it meant the return of Ken Miller. The same Ken Miller who seemed to have a way to inspire these guys...the same Ken Miller who took us to the last two Grey Cups, and gosh darnit, with a break here and a break there, it could be Ken Miller, HC of the two time defending champs.
And you know what, the first two weeks with Mr. Miller at the helm we were a different football team. We played with zeal and a passion for the game. They were fun to watch again. I was proud to wear my green and looked forward to the drive from Pelly, SK to Mosaic. I was excited, Rider Nation was excited, Ken Miller was going to turn the season around, and then.....
You start with the BC beatdown where we looked horrible. More troubling to me than the result though was Miller's anger at the suggestion that his team was flat on that horrible Saturday afternoon in the Saskatchewan sun. Really Ken...myself and 30, 000 others were there (at least until halftime) and if that team wasn't flat, your definition and mine of flat are polar opposites. That was my first inclination that perhaps Miller's best days in football were behind him.
THEN....despite that embarrasement at home, we still had a hope...we just had to play they way we could and we realistically had a fighting chance. We go into Calgary, half the stadium was green with those of use who still had a belief and a hope for the 2011 season. And what happened? We were worse than the week before, we couldn't tackle, or perhaps didn't want to tackle and flat out got hammered. Is Calgary that good? No, not by a long shot...we are just that bad. And notice I used the word are, not were. Troubling again...Darian Durant tells a TV audience in an interview a the Regina Airport upon returning from Calgary, "We are still a great team"...Really, Darian, WTF????Great teams don't get outscored 82 - 8 in back to back weeks with the season on the line! Great teams try to win???? Great teams, well..I could go on and on but you get the point.
I consider myself a pretty loyal fan, through thick and thin, I always believe the Riders are going to win that week. But you know what? For the first time in a real long time, I don't have much hope for this week, next week, or the week after. I don't expect them to win another game this season. In fact, I am not going to make that three hour drive on the 16th of October. Why you ask? Well I will save myself gas money, beer isn't $6 per at my place, and ten hours away from my kids to watch these guys isn't worth it. In addition, they (the players; well most of them) along with the coaches and management haven't done anything in the last two weeks to deserve the time and effort I have faithfully put in to attend home games. What needs to happen is Mosaic needs to be a ghost town that Sunday as well as on the 29th when Hamilton is in town. Then and only then will the entire organization from the top down realize that this isn't acceptable. Things HAVE to change.
You can call me a part time fan, you can call me a band wagon jumper, you can call me Donna or whatever you want. I don't care....I know I am still a fan, and yes I hope they win, and I will be there full of enthusiasm and optimism next season when we kick things off again. However, I can not justify time, effort and spending hard earned money to watch a team who has quit on themselves, their coaches, but most importantly a team who has quit on the greatest fan base in the world; those of us who pay to be a part of the Rider experience. We aren't making money to be a part of this like Ken Miller, Brendan Taman and Darian Durant are to name a few...we are taking money out of our pockets to watch this? I don't spend money on stale beer and moldy bread so why would I spend anymore on this team this season.
I was going to go off to talk about how great the play - off's have been to watch the past five days, and I was going to talk about the wonderful Sunday's the NFL has provided with their parity and closely contested games. I was going to get myself and you the reader excited about the NHL season, and the optimism I feel as an Oiler fan. HOWEVER, writing about the Riders has just pissed me off to the point I don't think I would give these great sports the respect and justice they deserve.
I think I am safe in saying I am not the only Rider fan who is beyond frustrated with this club. Keep Weston Dressler, Craig Butler, James Patrick, Brandon West, Cole Berquist, Jerrel Freeman and Chris Milo...as for the rest of you, coaches and players both....you better do a much better job the rest of the way to prove you deserve to be a part of the proud tradition that has been and will continue to be RiderNation...unfortunatley I don't think we will see much pride until 2012.
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