HOPSON TOUCHED BY RIDER FANS RESPONSE TO HEART BREAK

Roughriders president and CEO Jim Hopson
Photograph by: Don Healy, Leader-Post files

One week ago, the Saskatchewan Roughriders were silently shuffling through the Calgary airport, preparing to fly back to Regina.

Given the intensely critical nature of some Riders fans, and the propensity of media types to regurgitate every morsel of information pertaining to the community-owned team, who knew what kind of welcome awaited the Green and White?

After all, the Roughriders had just committed the mother of all Grey Cup gaffes -- taking a forehead-slapper of a too-many-men-on-the-field penalty that prevented them from defeating the Montreal Alouettes in the CFL's championship game.

Damon Duval's 43-yard field-goal attempt sailed wide as the Roughriders celebrated what appeared to be the fourth championship in franchise history.

However, Saskatchewan had 13 men on the field -- one more than permissible -- and Duval was able to try again, from 10 yards closer. Given a second chance, he was unerring as time expired. Montreal won, 28-27.

In the immediate aftermath of an unfathomable last-second implosion, it was reasonable to wonder how the locals would react.

A few observers wondered if there would be an incident to parallel the infamous manure-gate

of 2004.

Granted, there was a Facebook site that targeted the mysterious 13th man. And, yes, a Roughriders fan did spill beer on Duval's wife and two young children during the fourth quarter of the game at McMahon Stadium.

But, all things considered, the fans' response to the Roughriders' plight was overwhelmingly positive, sympathetic and commendable.

"Honestly, I probably have received hundreds of messages in various ways, and the club has received them,'' Roughriders president-CEO Jim Hopson says.
"Everyone is saying, 'We're proud of you,' and, 'What a great season,' and, 'You'll be back,' and, 'We couldn't be prouder.' It just keeps going on.

"We've heard 'Thank you' countless times. We've heard, 'Thank you for a magical season,' and, 'Thank you for representing the province and us so well.' That has been very helpful, I think. I got a letter from a lady and she said, 'We love all concerned. Love, Anita.'

"It's very sincere. That's the kind of positive feedback we've had. You don't want to let your fans down, and if your fans are telling you, 'Hold up your chin and you've done well,' that sure helps you. But, I'll tell you, there's nobody here who isn't already thinking about 2010 and going back to the Cup.

"That's the motivation now: Let's fix this thing and bury that memory.''
Hopson had spent the previous 33 years trying to bury another memory -- that of the conclusion to the 1976 Grey Cup.

He was an offensive lineman with the Roughriders when they lost 23-20 to the Ottawa Rough Riders in Toronto.

Tony Gabriel caught the game-winning touchdown pass with 20 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

When Hopson entered the Roughriders' locker room after the 2009 Grey Cup, he noticed some similarities to 1976.

"It was heartache,'' he says. "They were almost stunned. It was, 'How did it happen?' ''
The mood began to change, albeit slightly, after the 2009 West Division champions landed in Regina and were taken by bus to Mosaic Stadium for a welcome-home ceremony.
"Of course, the flight home was tough,'' Hopson says. "The rally was good and appreciated, but hard.

"I gained a lot of respect for guys like Darian Durant, standing there for an hour or an hour and a half afterwards, signing autographs and talking to the fans. It would have been easy to run and hide, but he didn't. He's a stand-up guy. I had to go back to the airport and get my truck. Then I came back to the stadium and Darian was still standing outside, talking to fans and signing autographs. That's stand-up that he would do that, because he was hurting.

"I noticed on Tuesday that we had our little get-together and the sun had come up. It's what they tell you after a death in the family: It will get better. You have to move on and we will.''
The scenario was different after the 1976 Grey Cup. An aging team was near the end of the line. The 2009 edition, by contrast, exceeded expectations while developing a young quarterback. The presence of Durant, et al, engenders optimism about the seasons ahead.

"We want to keep it going so that we have a chance to go back and rewrite the story, I guess,'' Hopson says. "You can't help but be proud of the team and the fans and the province on this, but you also can't help feeling like we actually won the game.

"We won the 60-minute game, but we lost the game. Try explaining that one to your grandson one day. 'How did you do that?' 'Well, it's a long story ...' ''

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