untitled (Formerly Coooper's Corner)

“That’s the kind of sports print journalism that I find utterly and totally obnoxious!”
- Howard Cossell

Welcome all and happy May Day. For those of you unfamiliar with the origins of May Day please refer to the following link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMgM8BAJarQ

The arrival of May Day brings us ever so closer to Saskatchewan’s only professional sporting season that is if you want to consider the CFL “professional”. I am sure to strike a chord with many of you in this piece, as I do believe that the majority of the readers of this column are in fact like myself, Rider Priders. And when I say “strike a chord” I mean that I will most likely offend and anger the majority of you with what I have to say.

It seems to me that the majority of Roughrider fans have the self-righteous attitude that we are the best fans in the CFL, if not the best team supporters on the planet. This belief is complete horse(hockey) in my humble opinion. Ok the label of “best fans in the CFL” may not be that far a stretch. In an 8-team league that title is not too hard to obtain. But we as a collective group are still far from being great fans. Yes it is true that we have had to endure year after year of sub-par performances and constantly have our hearts ripped out of our chests and deficated on. But we are not alone. For examples see: fans of the Red Sox, White Sox, Cubs, Clippers, Cardinals, Browns, etc. However fans of these crappy teams still come out game after game, season after season to support their team. The Riders lose 2 in a row, everyone is phoning in to CKRM saying the sky is falling and we are lucky to get 19,000 fans out to a home game. Pathetic!

All too often I have found myself at a home game only to find myself as only one of a few people cheering loudly for the Riders in my section. With the exception of the University Section the majority of fans just sit on their hands and bitch and moan, granted the majority of fans at a home game are aged 60 +.

Yes I know I am rambling and have no “facts” or “statistics” to back any of my claims up. However after watching Liverpool at home to Chelsea today I was witness to see what REAL fans are like. And then I caught a glimpse of the Riders General meeting on CTV and some dirt farmer and pig farmer were interviewed saying how it sucks that the greatest fans in the world have to put up with such poor performances. That all just angried up the blood, so now I vent.

Not only do we need better support for our team, we also need to stand up as a group and demand better from the Rider organization. I know there is a cash crunch but if we want a first rate team and organization we need to demand as a whole that we house that team in a first rate facility. What was once known as “Taylor Field” is a disgrace. I have yet to be in Ivor Wynne or McGill stadium but I am willing to bet that we have the most decreped stadium in the CFL, if not professional football.

When I shell out $30 for a ticket I for one expect to be able to properly use the facilities, not have to take a leak in a sink or god forbid a porta-john. (Editor's Note: There are no longer any $30 tickets available to Rider games. If you are an adult, the cheapest ticket you will find is $48. FORTY-EIGHT DOLLARS!!! FOR A RIDER GAME!!! You can find the full ticket price list here.)

Just recently the Bombers accepted a plan to build a brand new multi-million dollar facility with get this, a retractable roof. I don’t expect a facility like Winnipeg is planning to build but something with say, the capacity to hold 40,000 plus for say Grey Cup or even the Labour Day Classic. A new stadium that has an adequate amount of restrooms, without the need for porta-johns. A facility that allows me to still watch the game on a tv when I go to get a drink or food.

And for god-sake get rid of that piece of garbage Percieval pick-up and bring back Gainers car. Whoever came up with that idea should be taken downtown, tarred and feathered and strung up from a tree.

That is all.