One week after the Riders 2017 season came to an end, the province’s attention turns to the nation’s capital and the 105th Grey Cup.
The question that might be on your mind right now is who am I cheering for? Am I cheering against someone? That’s on top of the usual stuff like decisions around snacks and beverages (assuming you haven’t made the trek to Ottawa).
Ultimately, I can’t tell you how you should feel heading into this game. I don’t even know how I feel about the game yet. However, there are a few different paths you could take to add a little spice to your Grey Cup Sunday.
(Keep in mind this is all in good fun)
ABC
When it comes to teams that Rider Nation loves to hate, the Calgary Stampeders have often been at or near the top of the list. As the Riders returned to respectability this season, their rivalries with other teams like the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Edmonton Eskimos have certainly heated up on the field as well. That said, once the Rider season ends, especially when things haven’t gone well, you’ll often hear “anyone but Calgary” said around Saskatchewan.
As someone who dislikes teams like the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots, sometimes cheering against an enemy can be pretty fun.
If you find yourself around a group of ABCers and want to be difficult, cheering for Calgary might be fun option too.
Corey Chamblin
This one really could go either way, depending on how you feel about the Riders former head coach. Time does have a way of healing all wounds, and I don’t feel like Rider Nation doesn’t have the same overly emotional feelings toward the man often known as Corey Chamberlin on the radio post-game shows. I could also be very wrong about this, something I am quite often according to some of you.
If you still haven’t gotten over the way things ended, then maybe cheering against Toronto might actually be for you.
If you’re over it and have come around to appreciating the fact that Chamblin is one of four coaches to bring a Grey Cup to Saskatchewan, then he’s easy to cheer for. Both sides have landed on their feet since the break up and there’s no reason to be bitter anymore.
Some good players
There’s plenty of players worth cheering for in this game.
Guys like S.J. Green and Bear Woods got a rough ride out of Montreal and sure are making their old teams look bad. Ricky Ray is simply a legend and might have a shot to go out on top if he wishes.
Like him or not, you probably have some kind of opinion on Bo Levi Mitchell, however you feel might persuade you to think one way or the other. There’s also Jerome Messam, who I think Rider Nation still has a bit a soft spot for even though he wasn’t here long.
Playing the odds
When push comes to shove, if you really can’t get excited about either team, their players or coaches, then your best bet might be to put a few dollars on the line. Naturally, I don’t endorse going overboard but there’s no harm in a little fun.
While it’s not quite the Super Bowl when it comes to prop bets, there are certainly some to be made at the Grey Cup. Outside of the usual over/under and the spread. You can spice things up by trying to pick the highest scoring quarter, the team to score first, and individual numbers for a variety of players including quarterbacks, running backs and receivers.
If at this point nothing has tickled your fancy, well, there’s always beer.
Cheers to Grey Cup 105.
