Murray Wood: A special Grey Cup edition of who's hot... and who's not
Every Friday, Murray Wood takes a look at the week's news and decides who's hot... and who's not. This week, Wood is pre...
Winnipeg Blue Bombers fans appear to finally be outnumbered in that team’s home city, as Rider Nation has descended upon the sea of blue.
“We were in Vancouver last year and there’s way more people already, you can tell there’s more of an atmosphere,” Tannis Fahlman said while enjoying the Riderville festivities.
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Leanne Woodhouse and Ivonne Lutz called the energy around the event “amazing,” and are expecting a close and exciting game on Sunday from two teams “with chips on their shoulders.
“Just go get them, I know they can,” Lutz shared in support of the Riders. “They’re an exciting team, we’re really proud of them and we know they can win the game.”
Conrad Black stands out at the Grey Cup street festival in downtown Winnipeg in his bright green Rider ensemble. (Libby Gray/650 CKOM)
Fans from Saskatchewan aren’t asking for much this weekend. The sea of green seen in any of the Grey Cup festival hotspots seems to have reached a consensus in requests for the weekend: a good game and, hopefully, a Grey Cup win for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Dan Petrowski has been to 21 Grey Cups and hopes this will be his second seeing the Riders hoist the trophy.
“It’ll be a home field advantage for us,” he said, despite being in Bomber territory. Petrowski speaks highly of the team this year while visiting Riderville at the RBC Convention Centre.
“They’re doing a great job and they’re going to continue on Sunday,” Petrowski commented. “I think we have the best, strongest deepest team and the deepest coaching in the whole CFL.”
Petrowski was especially complimentary of head coach Corey Mace. “He did an awesome job over the weekend,” Petrowski said. “He did a superb decision making late in the game and I thought that was great.”
It’s been six decades of cheering for the Riders for Ed Fahr. He’s been to nine Grey Cups, four that the Riders have played in.
“It’s not going to be a blowout,” Fahr predicted, noting that his ability to cope with stress is high. “It’s going to be very close.”
Fans take photos at the Riderville team stage at the RBC Convention Centre in downtown Winnipeg. (Libby Gray/650 CKOM)
Joanne and Trent Weber moved from Saskatchewan to Winnipeg years ago, but have never lost their Riders pride and spent Thursday night back among fellow Saskatchewan fans in Riderville.
“Some years it’s really tough being a Riders fan in the sea of blue, but this year it’s amazing because now we can rub it in their face,” she laughed.
Trent said it’s been “too many [years] to count” waiting for another chance for the Roughriders to make it to the Grey Cup.
He compared this year’s Grey Cup game to the 2007 Grey Cup in Toronto, when Saskatchewan beat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
“We’re going to hope for the same this time,” Trent said, encouraging the Riders to “do what you did to B.C. … make that Montreal quarterback pay in blood.”
The CFL Cheerleader Alumni team performs the popular Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader’s “Thunderstruck” routine in Riderville at the RBC Convention Centre. (Libby Gray/650 CKOM)
Ray and Betsy were taking in the Riderville experience all the way from Thunder Bay, Ont. The elderly couple was showing their support for the team with Riders merch and said they feel connected to the team because they’re too far away from any of their home or neighbouring province teams.
“I love the way the Riders have such great, loyal fans,” Ray shared.
Betsy had a message for Riders running back, A.J. Oulette: “Just keep playing like you’ve been playing!”
From left: Shelly Hanson, Dan Petrowski, Kathie Boha, Kim Herperger and Ed Fahd take in the Riderville festivities at the RBC Convention Centre. (Libby Gray/650 CKOM)
Riders fans are also hoping for some wish list plays this weekend. Vincent was at the RBC Convention Centre with Donna and said he hopes to see Brett Lauther kick a fifty-yard field goal.
Amanda Stith and Kurtis Sullivan could be spotted from down the street with their group of 10, repping huge, chunky Riders necklaces and in their team merch. It’s the group’s 12th Grey Cup.
The group has been getting a lot of attention while in Winnipeg.
“A lot of people cheering or jeering us, so getting a little bit of both,” Sullivan said. “Walking down the street, people are yelling and people are cheering, so you have one or the other.”
“Go home or go and win,” Stith quipped.
While at the street fair, the two spun a wheel to see what prize they would win. While hoping for a bag of chips each, both of them ended up landing on a brand-new jersey.
“Something to cover up that horrible green thing,” the lady spinning the wheel joked.
Conrad Black (right) and friend Mike enjoy the Grey Cup street festival in downtown Winnipeg. (Libby Gray/650 CKOM)
Conrad Black travelled thousands of kilometres to be in Winnipeg for this Grey Cup. Originally from Kamsack, Sask., Black lives now in New Brunswick. When he first moved to that province, he immediately connected with a Rider fan club there to keep his team spirit alive in the Maritimes.
“It was Rider Pride Atlantic so that helped keep the Riders pride going,” he shared.
Dressed in head-to-toe Riders green with a watermelon touque on his head, Black stands beside his friend Mike, similarly dressed in red in support of the Calgary Stampeders, holding a red horn and toy horse. Mike calls himself the “Grey Cup Wizard.”
“I keep it a little more low-key than he does,” Black joked. It’s the pair’s ninth Grey Cup.
“We try to fill up on all the classic stuff that you need to see at a Grey Cup,” Black said.
He had words of encouragement for Trevor Harris: “You got to win one in a row … just do your thing,” he encouraged, saying that the whole province of Saskatchewan and beyond has Harris’ — and the team’s — back.
Brandon and Kent (left to right) occasionally heckle Winnipeg Blue Bombers fans passing them, yelling “Go Riders!” at the RBC Convention Centre. (Libby Gray/650 CKOM)
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