Saskatchewan Roughriders' defensive end Stevie Baggs celebrates a Roughrider victory. Expect to see a lot of Green in Calgary over the next week as the Riders prepare to face Montreal in the Grey Cup.
Photograph by: Troy Fleece, Canwest News Service
Photograph by: Troy Fleece, Canwest News Service
Vicki Hall
Calgary Herald
Regina
Gene Makowsky has some advice for businesses along Calgary’s 17th Avenue preparing to cash in on Grey Cup Week.
“Maybe they should turn the Red Mile into the Green Mile,” the elder statesman of the Saskatchewan Roughriders said, helpfully. “It should be fun.
“During the regular season, there’s a pretty good contingent for our home games — excuse me, their home games — in Calgary. I’m pretty confident we’ll have lots of Green and White next Sunday.”
That’s a safe assumption. So safe, the RCMP should assign more officers to patrol Highway 1 in the coming days.
That’s a safe assumption. So safe, the RCMP should assign more officers to patrol Highway 1 in the coming days.
In fact everyone with Saskatchewan roots living in Calgary should put sheets on the pullout couch in the basement for the unscheduled visitors heading their way.
An entire province is set to descend on Cowtown for the 97th Grey Cup against the Montreal Alouettes thanks to a convincing 27-17 victory for the green team Sunday in the West Division Final.
The losing Calgary Stampeders clean out their lockers today during their own personal green garbage bag day.
The Roughriders move in Wednesday, and defensive back Lance Frazier says the Calgary boys deserve every ounce of misery coming their way with their town about to turn green.
“They did a lot of talking this week,” Frazier said. “We just sat on our hands and didn’t say much. They were even talking trash before the game. We had nothing to say. We were just going to play behind our pads.”
“I wrote a quote on the status of my phone this week. It said: ‘Ninety per cent of people aren’t as big as their mouths.’ It came true today. They didn’t play as big as their mouths were.”
“They did a lot of talking this week,” Frazier said. “We just sat on our hands and didn’t say much. They were even talking trash before the game. We had nothing to say. We were just going to play behind our pads.”
“I wrote a quote on the status of my phone this week. It said: ‘Ninety per cent of people aren’t as big as their mouths.’ It came true today. They didn’t play as big as their mouths were.”
Throughout the season, quarterback Darian Durant heard all kinds of trash talk — from the mouths of his own fans. They said the Riders could never win with a backup masquerading as a starter.
They criticized his arm strength. They went wild over his penchant for tossing interceptions.
But Durant could probably run for mayor today in Regina and win in a landslide after throwing three touchdowns and zero picks, when it counted in the West Division Final.
His mentor, Henry Burris, tossed three interceptions and one touchdown for Calgary in a losing cause.
Durant took a victory lap around Mosaic Stadium Sunday, and the sea of green responded with a standing ovation for their new hero.
Durant took a victory lap around Mosaic Stadium Sunday, and the sea of green responded with a standing ovation for their new hero.
“It’s not about being popular,” said Durant, who completed 18-of-25 passes for 204 yards. “It’s just about letting fans have confidence in me — just making them realize that there are going to be some down points in the season, but you don’t have to call for my head, you know?
“It’s going to be like that at times. It may be like that in Grey Cup.”
It could very well be like that for Durant in the Grey Cup, if the swarming Montreal Alouettes defence has anything to say about it.
“Regardless of what was said about me, I love the fans here,” Durant said. “I love playing here.
“We’re going to try and bring this back home.”
“We’re going to try and bring this back home.”
Durant, 27, won a Grey Cup ring in 2007 as a backup for Kerry Joseph.
“I don’t have one as a starter,” he said. “That’s my goal.”
“I don’t have one as a starter,” he said. “That’s my goal.”
Eddie Davis, 36, talked all week long to his fellow ball hawks on defence about his goal of reclaiming his old stall in the Stampeders dressing room.
The one in the corner between where Kelvin Anderson and Fred Childress used to sit.
“I’m going to get my old locker back,” said Davis, who lives with his wife and two children in Calgary during the off-season. “All the DBs are going to be sitting in my old corner.
“I’m going to get my old locker back,” said Davis, who lives with his wife and two children in Calgary during the off-season. “All the DBs are going to be sitting in my old corner.
“It’s going to feel like a home game for me.”
He won’t be the only one feeling that way with the convoy of green plates destined for Calgary by the weekend.
“Our fans have been with us through a lot of down years,” Makowsky said. “When you’re born here in Saskatchewan, you’re born with green blood.
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