BEAST FROM THE EAST AGAINST THE BEST IN THE WEST

Saskatchewan Roughriders' Jason Clermont
Photograph by: leaderpost.com, photo illustration

Then there were two. The Beast from the East taking on the Best in the West.
This is the week that all eight teams talked about in training camp. Every single coach stood up in front of his players and outlined how and why his team was going to be the Grey Cup champion. Only one of those coaches will be right, and only two remain.

Both coaches are faced with not only preparing their teams for the game, but doing so in a neutral city amidst endless distractions. While the weeklong festivities are outstanding, there are two things that can be very distracting for the players:

1. Friends and family all want to be at the game. Players can get stressed out trying to arrange travel, tickets and finding time to see everyone who makes the trip (even for a cup of coffee). We all want to share the experience with our friends, family and fans but not at the expense of being underprepared for the game. Thankfully, the Riders have done an incredible job of arranging travel, accommodation and tickets for family members to let our players focus on preparing for the game.

2. Events surrounding the game are fun, and players are encouraged to participate in them and meet the fans! While the accessibility of our players is what makes the league truly unique, it also increases the possibility of problems arising before the big game. Teams can't lock the players into cages all week, letting them out for practice and meetings only, but they also want to avoid any issues.
That's why the Riders are going to do things during Grey Cup week the way we have done them all season ... as a team. Our schedule has us going to the player awards to support our teammates who are up for league awards.

We also have a planned dinner with the team and our families, as well as a chance to get to the Riderville pavilion (although we have to platoon our visit in small groups because it is such a hot ticket and will be PACKED).

With all the talk of the Riders' 33-year drought for hosting the West Final, it may have been overlooked that the organization has successfully planned for Grey Cup week as recently as two years ago.
While building a great house depends on quality materials and skilled trades, it is impossible to come together without a solid blueprint.

We have that, as well as the skilled talent with the right tools and we plan to make McMahon Stadium our house. We can only put 12 on the field at a time, but are confident that we will have a 13th man in the stands painting our house green.

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