Pass the popcorn.
I swear, this 2015 season for the Saskatchewan Roughriders is like a football movie. 聽You know, like Remember the Titans, Rudy, Any Given Sunday, When The Game Stands Tall and all the rest.
Is it a good movie, a great movie, or a bad one?
I don鈥檛 know.聽You鈥檝e got to watch it to the end to see how it plays out.
The Roughriders are 0-8 following their most recent loss, 34-31 at home to the Calgary Stampeders on Saturday before a sellout crowd of 33,427 at historic Mosaic Stadium.聽It was the franchise鈥檚 first sellout in almost a year and proof positive that the league鈥檚 best fanbase has not given up on its team.
However, let鈥檚 be honest, an 0-8 team has never rallied to make the playoffs in CFL history.聽That鈥檚 not to say it won鈥檛 happen, and that鈥檚 why you can鈥檛 leave the theatre just yet.
And my gosh it鈥檚 been a thriller! The games themselves have had your heart racing right down to the final play, for the most part.聽Last year when the club rattled off seven straight victories, fans complained that the games were too low scoring and boring.
Which would you rather have?
And outside of the games, there have been enough head-scratching situations to fill out a screenplay.
You know the ones. The ones that make you pinch the bridge of your nose between your eyes, shake your head and say, 鈥渄id that really just happen?鈥�
Like for instance what happened last Tuesday when the Roughriders reconvened on the practice field for the first time after their bye week. I wrote in this space what was required was a fresh start. Wipe the slate. Forget the prior seven weeks.
And then during the team鈥檚 stretching period, before practice even began, running back Anthony Allen and defensive line coach Mike Sinclair got into a heated spat over something really small. Sinclair reportedly needled Allen about not playing and the player went off. He had to be escorted to the locker room and didn鈥檛 return.
So much for the fresh start.
And then on the radio postgame show following Saturday鈥檚 loss to Calgary, our defensive star Marshay Green - a defensive back who spent four years in the NFL with Arizona and Indianapolis - seemed to be crying during the interview with us.
鈥淚 just want to say that I wouldn鈥檛 want to be playing for any other coach, any other staff, or go out there with any other team than this team,鈥� said the Bastrop, Louisiana product with his voice cracking.聽鈥淲e鈥檙e doing everything that we can. 聽Everything possible. We come here every day to work and do everything the coach asks us to do. But man, it鈥檚 just so unfortunate that the ball isn鈥檛 bouncing our way at the end of the game.鈥�
I looked at radio colour commentator Carm Carteri in bewilderment.
鈥淚s he crying?鈥� I asked.
Our producer confirmed that indeed, Marshay Green had been moved to tears.
Good Lord!聽That鈥檚 a first.
This stuff would have Steven Spielberg drooling. That is, if he were into sports movies.
So miraculously, despite eight consecutive weeks of losing, the Saskatchewan Roughriders are still in the race due to the fact division rivals Winnipeg and B.C. only have three wins each as we approach the halfway turn.
It鈥檚 setting up for a ridiculously implausible finish. Who would believe they鈥檇 ever make the playoffs, let alone make something happen after that?
Actually it doesn鈥檛 matter who does as long as the green and white believe it can happen.
And they do.
鈥淣obody鈥檚 hanging their head,鈥� Green said between tears. 聽鈥淲e still believe in each other. We just have to go back to the drawing board.鈥�
The path to that drawing board has been worn out so far this season but head coach Corey Chamblin continues to tinker and fiddle with his roster which produced generally good results on Saturday except for the final score.
Is it coming? 聽The 鈥渨hodunit鈥�-style ending? 聽Maybe.
鈥淜eep chopping,鈥� advised Marshay. 鈥淜eep doing everything we鈥檙e doing now.聽Coming to practice, watching film and getting better in every aspect of the game.鈥�
Pass the Kleenex. This one has turned into a tear-jerker as well.
