Even though this season has been about as much fun as sticking pins in your eyes, there is no disputing this is a golden age for the Saskatchewan Roughriders Football Club.
The team is an incredible success on so many levels it really boggles the mind. I remember in the '80s when things were so bad they had to hold a Save the Roughriders Telethon just to keep the franchise afloat.
Nowadays they are reporting profits in excess of $6 million and the Rider logo is on almost everything known to man. Although I am waiting with some trepidation for Riders toilet paper.
(Seriously folks, you can say no to some things. The world was not waiting for Rider steak branders.)
Fan support never really wavered even during the down years but it too is at an all-time high with record attendance and a sell out streak in the double digits. And even though my frame of reference only goes back to the '70s I would hazard a guess that the level of dedication shown by current Rider fans is unparalleled.
It's that dedication that gives the Riders the best fan base in the CFL and, arguably, among the best in all of professional sports.
It also makes them among the most annoying.
That's right, I said it - annoying. Yes I know that might be tantamount to blasphemy to some, but have you been to a game lately? They bitch about almost every call and there is nothing more grating on the nerves when they start chanting - insert team or player name here, sucks - when the Riders are losing. I don't why but it makes me want to throw a bag full of starving rats into the crowd when I hear that. And the Heeeeenry chants whenever Calgary is at Taylor Field gotta go. If you think that has any impact on ol' Smilin Hank my oceanfront property outside of Hirsch is still for sale. And last time I checked it actually looks like there is an ocean there now.
The latest trend among the Rider Nation is quickly becoming the most annoying - this notion that if you dare criticize the Riders you are not a good fan or, even worse, a bandwagon jumper which for my money is the worst thing you can call a sports fan.
A few days ago I was reading the comments on a story Riders' play by play man (and Mercury columnist) Rod Pedersen posted on his blog about the Edmonton Eskimos adding some players that were cast off by the NFL; in particular, a defensive lineman which is something the Riders could certainly use.
First off, I should have known to stay out of the comments section. Not only are they where the English language goes to die, they are home to the Internet's biggest cretins.
Since I refused to take my own advice I read a few of the comments.
Cue the blood pressure.
The first few commenters noted that the additions sounded like positive moves for the Eskimos and asked why the Riders, with so many holes to fill, weren't making similar moves.
Then came the "fans." The next few comments questioned the loyalty of the other posters and if memory serves, one even said if you like the Eskimos so much move to Edmonton. That was just on one story. There are similar comments on other postings on Pedersen's blog and pretty much any other site with anything about the Riders.
What kind of crap is this?
As a sports fan, it's your God-given right to be able to criticize your team. And not just your right, your responsibility. If your team sucks, you should voice your opinion. A team with an angry fan base reacts a lot quicker than a team with a bunch of mindless sheep in the stands and in many respects that has become the norm at Taylor Field.
Criticizing is not bandwagon jumping and it does not make you any less of a fan. It means you expect more from your team for the money you are shelling out for tickets or that bowl of Darios.
Most of all it means you care. Let's face it, if fans didn't care, they wouldn't say a thing. They wouldn't be buying tickets or any of that overpriced merchandise and the Riders would be back to begging for dollars at telethons.
So the next time you think about calling someone a bandwagon jumper, think twice or risk being chased by a pack of rabid rats.
