On the Riders

I am really proud of the 2007 Saskatchewan Roughriders – on a great many levels.

Winning the Grey Cup was indeed a marvelous achievement. But the fact that it was done with so much class makes that victory even sweeter. The Roughriders don’t showboat, beat their chests, or trash talk their opponents to the media. Instead, they express their gratitude to their teammates, their coaches, their families, their fans.

What a great season. No scandals involving HIV infected players having unprotected sex. No talk of racism. No “bad-boy” behaviour at Regina nightclubs.

The fans who conducted themselves so well in Regina and Toronto – painting the latter city green — in the pregame and postgame celebrations are to be commended. Thank you for not tarnishing a great moment in our sporting history.

The players – whether they are Saskatchewan born and bred like Scott Schultz or from the southern US like Fred Perry – love to represent our province. I recall a time when some football players thought coming to a whistle stop like Saskatchewan was the end of the world.

Maybe players will feel differently from now on. It is pretty evident that this year’s team has been a part of something very special. Something they may never again experience.

We in Saskatchewan are fortunate to have a team that represents us all – not just one city. The Riders unify us and define us.

In the CFL it is still possible for athletes to connect with their fans. Our gentlemen wearing green and white are a far cry from some of the spoiled, egotistical millionaires who make their living in professional sports.

If you are an athlete, please remember one thing. Your primary responsibility is not to yourself – but to the young people who look up to you. Be the role model they so desperately need. Demonstrate good sportsmanship and class in everything you do. And, if in the heat of the moment you forget to do this, suck it up and apologize. And then change your behaviour. Your fans will forgive you.

Maybe you’ve heard about the line brawl involving 8 year olds in a Triple A Novice tournament in Guelph. I could write a year’s worth of blogs on elitism and parental over-involvement in minor sports. Where did children learn to act like this? It doesn’t take much imagination. Thanks to the miracle of the mass media, we can watch brawls involving adults just about any time we like.

But . . .I digress.

Back to the Riders.

The Grey Cup win wasn’t pretty. It was downright ugly in fact. It was a defensive battle that had few highlights.

But team sports should never be about the achievements of one individual. Not even Jamie Johnson, who had three interceptions.

I’ve seen NFL broadcasts. I’ve listened to the way commentators wear out names like Tony Romo and Tom Brady – as if there were no other individuals on the field. What about the rest of the players who are working their butts off?

Kerry Joseph was visibly shaken at the end of the game. In fact, it was difficult to tell from his expression if his team had just won — or lost. I said to my husband, “I think he realizes just how close he came to letting victory to slip through his fingers.”

My husband said, “No, I think he’s overcome by the way his teammates lifted him up.”

Lifted him up.

And that’s what you’ve done for all of us, Roughriders.

You’ve lifted US up.

This entry was posted on November 27, 2007 at 11:55 pm and is filed under On Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.