After being welcomed home by about 1,000 cheering Saskatchewan Roughrider fans on Monday afternoon, players leave the turf at Mosaic Stadium for the final time this season. The Riders lost in the Grey Cup 28-27 to the Montreal Alouettes in Calgary on Sunday.
Photograph by: Bryan Schlosser, Leader-Post
Photograph by: Bryan Schlosser, Leader-Post
REGINA — Saskatchewan Roughriders players usually cannot wait to get on the field in front of a horde of the CFL team's devotees at Mosaic Stadium. Monday was not one of those days.
Clearly appreciative of the support, players walked to the stage set up at midfield as some 1,500 fans cheered from the west-side grandstand, Sunday's 28-27 loss in the Grey Cup game after a second-chance, last-second field goal by Montreal Alouettes kicker Damon Duval still fresh in everyone's mind.
The setting for Monday's homecoming was entirely the same for the Roughriders' return in 2007 after they defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 23-19 to win the Grey Cup. This time there was an obvious lack of excitement on behalf of the Roughriders, who in a matter of two minutes Sunday went from thinking they were CFL champions to barely being able to comprehend what had just happened.
But while there was little enthusiasm from the players, that of the fans was not far off from two years ago.
"I was really surprised (players) actually could (be there)," said Reginan Ron Thomas. "I don't think any of us have any idea the work, the preparation, that went into this and the total devastation these guys must feel. It must have been one of the hardest thing to put in that brief appearance. It's wonderful they did it, though. Everybody really appreciated it."
"I was really surprised (players) actually could (be there)," said Reginan Ron Thomas. "I don't think any of us have any idea the work, the preparation, that went into this and the total devastation these guys must feel. It must have been one of the hardest thing to put in that brief appearance. It's wonderful they did it, though. Everybody really appreciated it."
After players took the stage, chairman Rob Pletch, president and CEO Jim Hopson, veteran centre Jeremy O'Day, quarterback Darian Durant and head coach Ken Miller each made quick speeches to thank their co-workers and the fans.
"It's one of the most difficult things to come up here after a difficult loss like that," O'Day told the gathering, most of whom were decked out like any other game day. "I'd be lying to say we're not hurting."
The game's finale, which saw Duval miss his first field-goal attempt but get a second chance when the Roughriders were flagged for having 13 players on the field, left the entire Rider Nation — and many other CFL fans — in shock.
The game's finale, which saw Duval miss his first field-goal attempt but get a second chance when the Roughriders were flagged for having 13 players on the field, left the entire Rider Nation — and many other CFL fans — in shock.
While the shock for some fans was beginning to wear off by Monday morning, it did not seem the same could be said for Roughriders players.
"That game is something that's going to stay with us for a long time," O'Day said as players left the field, with fans still cheering loudly. "It's not going to go away real quick. It's the toughest way you can ever lose a sporting event so it's going to stick with us for a while. But this team will bounce back. It always has.
"(Monday's crowd) means a lot. It's a been a pretty quiet morning and night so it's nice to see everyone still behind us. Not a lot of guys were looking forward to coming out here on the stage, but after we were out here, it helped us."
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