Sharon and I drove to Calgary this weekend for a visit with our sons, daughters-in-law and granddaughters. We arrived in mid-afternoon in time for me to join my son Michael, who was going to the Stampeder - Rider game at 5:00.
In other years I would be in the pressbox, but this year there are limits on pressbox capacity and seating is preferred for resident media.
As we walked up to the stadium we could see, as usual at Rider games in Calgary, lots of green mixed amid the Stampeder red fans. Michael actually wears Rider green at Stampeder home games not involving the Riders.
I was struck as we entered the stadium by how old McMahon Stadium has become. The walls are pitted here and there. The floor is worn. It is showing its age. It reminded me of old Taylor Field.
The new Mosaic Stadium in Regina has all of the presence and features of current stadiums. After almost a lifetime of Calgary having the newest in business and public buildings it is far behind Saskatchewan in its football stadium.
We moved through the crowds to the southeast corner a few rows from the field, near the goalline, where Michael has seats with a group of friends.
They are a mixture of Stamps and Rider fans. From Saskatchewan are Michael from Melfort and Tyler from Assiniboia.
What they share is a love for Canadian football. All care about the CFL.
Looking around the stadium, they said COVID had affected the crowd size. It was the smallest crowd for a Rider-Stampeder game anyone could recall. Most of the last four decades the games have been sold out.
Some years ago I was going to be in the pressbox and tried to get a ticket for Michael. With the game sold out there were no tickets left to buy. In those pre-electronic ticket exchange times it was not easy to try to find a ticket. I asked the Stampeders if they might have one for sale. They generously gave me a ticket for Michael. It turned out to be in the Uecker seats at the top of the stadium in the northwest corner. As so often the Riders were blown away that game. In the second half Michael moved down to an almost empty section. Suddenly he heard a chant from the crowd saying “fan on his own” and realized it was directed towards him. He stood up and waved.
Returning to last Friday night being close to the field reminded me how fast the players are during games. Sitting in the pressbox you lose that perspective.
During the game it was interesting how our group was divided in cheering. When the Stamps did well the Stamps fans were on their feet and the reverse when the Riders did well. On Friday the Stamps fans were up far more often.
While not easy to see plays near the far end zone the jumbotron replaying every play makes every seat a reasonable viewing option.
As the game wound down it seemed the Riders slow start had doomed them.
And then Cody Fajardo lofted a pass directly towards our section as Kian Schaffer-Baker streaked down the sidelines. I thought it was too far but Shaffer-Baker reached out and plucked the ball from the air. There was no greater cheer in the stadium that night.
As the Riders went for the short kickoff after pulling within a touchdown there was ecstasy when Schaffer-Baker collected the bouncing ball followed by disgust over the reversal. Confusion reigned over the second short kickoff. When Brent Lauther recovered the third short kick it was an amazing electric moment for Rider fans.
As Cody went back to throw his final pass all the Rider fans in our group were hoping he would throw to Schaffer-Baker. There was magic that night with Schaffer-Baker. When he launched it to Ricardo Louis in double coverage we were disappointed. The Riders best chance was to have thrown in Schaffer-Baker’s direction. Our group believed he would have caught it no matter the coverage. And he was in single coverage.
It was a great CFL ending but yet again another tough loss in Calgary.
