Quarterback Darian Durant’s decision to retire on Friday without apparently telling the Bombers and keeping $70,000 in bonus money he’s already been paid has earned him the ire of one fan base… and the appreciation of another.
Rider fans, many of whom still have a soft spot for Durant given his success there, took to social media to express a little schadenfreude towards their prairie counterparts. The two teams meet on Labour Day and in the Banjo Bowl the following week in what’s become one of the best rivalries in the CFL.
A sampling…
https://twitter.com/Eesh29/status/994975569237422081
https://twitter.com/MouradB/status/994965308522708993
https://twitter.com/LuvChaos/status/994952124021854209
https://twitter.com/ClassCJones/status/994944368120283141
Of course, Bomber fans were less impressed, particularly after reports emerged about the bonus payments and the cap implications…
https://twitter.com/TjHeath34/status/994947974747877378
https://twitter.com/LawsonJeff/status/994945694522904577
There’s also plenty of debate surrounding the ethics of Durant’s decision as well as the relatively standard practice of team’s cutting players before roster bonuses are due.
Durant has always been something of a polarizing figure, given his occasional struggles and the will-he-or-won’t-he dance with the Riders after 2016 season – the debate over his true legacy has already begun – so it seems kind of fitting that even his retirement should be embroiled in controversy.
