The Saskatchewan Roughriders' Centennial season of 2010 ended in anti-climactic fashion with a 21-18 loss to the Montreal Alouettes in the 98th Grey Cup at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium on Sunday.And for a second-straight year the Riders' season ended with a devastating loss to Montreal in the CFL championship game. It was a tough ending to an absolutely fabulous Grey Cup festival which I have no problem saying is the best I've ever attended and I've been to eight of them.It seemed every Rider fan in the world was in the Alberta capital as it appeared Rider fans outnumbered those of other teams by at least 20-to-1. I am not exaggerating. That's not the case though as literally millions more were watching Grey Cup from other spots around the world.What it shows me is how far this franchise has come and that the love for Canada's Team is unbridled.So it made it even more crushing to see Darian Durant throw a basically game-ending interception with 57 seconds left to snuff out any chance of another miracle Rider comeback. Our little warrior refused to go down and take a sack, and threw a duck which landed in Montreal's hands to seal the win (or loss). Rider coach Ken Miller was asked if Durant was trying to do too much on the play."Perhaps," Miller reflected. "He didn't want to take a sack in that situation and we didn't want him to take a sack. It's a tough play in that situation. He wanted to throw it away but there were too many people hanging on his body to get that accomplished."Miller's right. Darian looked like a gazelle being mobbed by a pack of lions on one of those wildlife TV shows. It was sad to see.As for Miller, he said after the game it would be tough to retire from coaching after an ending like that. Had the Riders won, I could have seen him riding off into the sunset with the Grey Cup tucked under his arm. But not now.So here we are back to Next Year Country as we stare at a long, cold off-season. At least now we know the team is on the right track having appeared in three of the last four Grey Cups.
We're just scratching the surface of what this team's capable of, and how massive the Rider Nation will grow.Thanks so much for your support and readership during this remarkable 100th season of Roughrider football.See you next year!(Rod Pedersen is the Voice of the Riders on 620 CKRM)
