2013 Grey Cup was Rider Nation’s best day at Taylor Field

Me, left, next to Chris Schultz on TV.

Thanks to looking over Chris Schultz’s shoulder, I had my moment at the 101^st Grey Cup.

Following the Saskatchewan Roughriders 45-23 romp over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to win the Grey Cup at home on the frozen concrete of Taylor Field on November 24, 2013, I found myself heading to the booth on the north side of the legendary facility that was hosting TSN’s game day panel.

I was part of the group that got to look in through the window as the members of the panel gave their final thoughts on the contest. I was looking over the shoulder of Schultz, who was a former offensive tackle and 1991 Grey Cup winner with the Toronto Argonauts.

Later on that night, I noticed my TV appearance was captured on photo by a couple of buds in Mike Kaye and Jeff Urkevich, who posted the images on Facebook. I laughed when I saw them, and they are still a good keepsake memory.

This past Sunday, the CFL wrapped up a Grey Cup Unite promotion that began on Monday, Nov. 16. It marked a week long virtual celebration of the CFL and its iconic title game that dates back to 1909.

Grey Cup Unite ran during the same time this year’s Grey Cup festival was to be held in Regina, and the championship contest was to be played on Sunday at Mosaic Stadium.

With the world locked in the grips of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the 2020 CFL campaign got outright cancelled.

Rider Nation mingled in the streets before the 2013 Grey Cup.

There was talk about playing a shortened CFL season in a hub city format in Winnipeg, Man., but the entire campaign was officially terminated on August 17.

During the Grey Cup Unite week that just wrapped up, my mind drifted back to that seasonably pleasant day and night in Regina on November 24, 2013. That game was played seven years ago today, and it feels like some kind of other lifetime ago.

Still, I wish something could make me go back in time to relive that day again. Even just being seven years younger that I am today, I felt I was able to truly soak in and enjoy that day.

At that time, I was still working at the Medicine Hat News as a beat writer that covered the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers. I had booked a vacation week that started on that Grey Cup Sunday.

With how the stresses were in the workplace at that point in time, I aimed to use my vacation weeks as tools to give myself strategic breaks. Looking at the CFL schedule, I thought the Roughriders could be in that game.

Fans walk to Taylor Field for the 2013 Grey Cup.

Even if they weren’t, I expected to attend a Grey Cup party in Medicine Hat and had plans to enjoy the day that way.

I was actually in Calgary a week earlier on November 17, 2013 at McMahon Stadium, when the Roughriders hammered the host Calgary Stampeders 35-13 in the CFL’s West Final.

When I got home, I did check Ticketmaster’s website to see if there were tickets available for the Grey Cup. Of course, the game was a sellout.

During my career as a sports reporter, I knew usually at big events like the Grey Cup a portion of tickets are set aside for dignitaries and special guests. Tickets that are set aside for those purposes that aren’t used usually go back on sale to the general public.

On the Tuesday just two days after the West Final, I was able to buy one of those tickets that were put back up for sale to the public.

The Saturday before the Grey Cup game, I actually worked a WHL regular season contest, where the host Tigers downed the visiting Regina Pats 5-1 at The Arena in Medicine Hat. The Tigers crew knew I was heading to the Grey Cup game, and they all told me they hoped I had fun.

Fans gather outside Taylor Field before the 2013 Grey Cup.

I believe I only slept five hours that night and began my jaunt to Regina at 7 a.m. on Grey Cup Sunday.

When I arrived in Regina, it was like everywhere I went in town was a joyful, feel-good party. After wandering the streets around Taylor Field enjoying festivities with the rest of Rider Nation, I made my way to the stadium to ensure I got to see the pre-game show.

During pre-game show, the sellout crowd of 44,710 spectators was already in a walking on air mood when the Saskatoon-based band the Sheepdogs was on the field playing. As game time neared, you believed this would be the perfect dream night for Rider Nation.

This belief was backed up when the Roughriders charged the field in their traditional “Bring ‘Em Out” style.

The game’s signature moment came early in the first quarter, when Roughriders franchise quarterback Darian Durant scrambled up field, got hit and fumbled the ball high into the air to be pulled down by star running back Kory Sheets.  Sheets rumbled off a magical 39-yard game for the home side.

Fans line up to get into Taylor Field for the 2013 Grey Cup.

As a Roughriders fan, you had a big gut feeling that this game was going to go your way after seeing that play.

That drive eventually resulted in a diving 15-yard touchdown reception by legendary CFL receiver Geroy Simon that put the Roughriders up 7-3. Saskatchewan scored 24 points in the second quarter to take a 31-6 lead into halftime.  The outburst included another beauty 42-yard touchdown catch by Simon.

After Hedley’s entertaining halftime show, Hamilton scored the first 10 points of the second half to create a little worry for the Roughriders fans cutting Saskatchewan’s lead to 31-16. That was as close as the visitors got.

A four-yard touchdown run by Sheets and a 26-yard touchdown reception by receiver Weston Dressler put the Roughriders up 45-16, and the victory celebration in Saskatchewan started in earnest.

Sheets had two major scores along the ground and piled up a Grey Cup record 197 yards rushing on 20 carries to be named the game’s MVP. He ran with power and authority.

The inside of Taylor Field at the 2013 Grey Cup.

Durant completed 17-of-24 passes for 245 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Slotback Chris Getzlaf was the contest’s most outstanding Canadian player hauling in three passes for 78 yards.

The game was also highlighted by two big sacks from Roughriders defensive lineman John Chick.

On a fan front, I was pumped to see the Roughriders run over Tiger-Cats star quarterback Henry Burris, who once played for the Roughriders in the early 2000s. Crazy part was I would met Burris about four years later after he quarterbacked the Ottawa Redblacks to a Grey Cup win in 2016.

I learned Burris was a gem of a person, and also having a better understanding of the business of sports, I regretted the fan heckles I sent his way over the years at CFL games including the 2013 Grey Cup.

Even with that noted, I still relish and have the greatest memories of the Roughriders Grey Cup win in 2013, which was fourth Grey Cup victory in team history. It felt like the right outcome for the final Grey Cup ever played at Taylor Field.

Taylor Field shortly after the Roughriders win the 2013 Grey Cup.

When the clock ticked to zero, people were hugging their neighbours all around them. The image of Durant hoisting the Grey Cup with a huge smile on his face will also live forever. The green and white confetti raining down on the Roughriders players was also a site to behold.

For the longest time after that game ended, I remember just sitting in the stands and soaking everything in. On the fan front, it was the greatest day.

I also had four buds who were University of Regina Rams football team grads on that Roughriders team in Neal Hughes, Brendon LaBatte, Getzlaf and Jordan Sisco. Thanks to those connections, I actually spent some good social time with a number of players on that Roughriders team over the years including Durant.

They are all great guys, and I was really proud that they got to achieve that moment in their careers.

Actually, the idea of the Roughriders winning the Grey Cup at Taylor Field wasn’t even something that seemed conceivable for the bucket list.

The final scoreboard of the 2013 Grey Cup.

After reveling in the moment, I made my way to the booth where the TSN panel was to get my TV moment.

From there, I disappeared to “the Green Mile” and into the Regina night to enjoy the celebration, which went well into Monday morning.

For like a 24-hour period, it really felt like life was just truly good. Even now, I feel fortunate I got to enjoy that feeling.

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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