Labour Day Classic weekend good, not great as it once was

Mosaic Stadium set for the national anthem on Sunday.

    On the surface, it looks hard to complain about the Labour Day Classic weekend in Regina, but the weekend as a whole has shown cracks in its lustre.

    On Sunday, the Roughriders got a walk off game-winning, 26-yard field goal from kicker Brett Lauther to pull out a 19-17 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Mosaic Stadium. Lauther and punter Jon Ryan proceeded to lead a charge of teammates to Pil Country in the south end zone for a celebration.

    Most of the sellout crowd of 33,356 revelled in the host side’s victory outside of the sizable contingent that came out to cheer for the Bombers. A number of fans from Winnipeg, Man., make it out to Regina for the annual Labour Day Classic.

Roughriders fans check out the pre-game party at the armory.

    The Roughriders also managed to sneak in a handful of extra bodies as sellout crowds at Mosaic Stadium were usually capped at 33,350 before Sunday’s contest.

    The game itself was a good defensive battle, and the game day presentation around the contest is a spectacle. The Roughriders have done an outstanding job with their game day experience since moving into their new stadium in 2017 and for a sizable chunk of years before that at their long time home in Taylor Field.

    Still, the weekend as a whole seemed to be a bigger event at one point in time not so long ago.

    No matter what, the Labour Day weekend in Regina is always busy. It is the place to be in Saskatchewan on Labour Day weekend.

Bombers fans chill at Wayne’s World.

    A boat competition took place on Wascana Lake on Saturday.

    Usually the Regina Dragon Boat Festival takes place at this time, but it wasn’t run this year as Regina hosted dragon boat nationals in July. The Regina Dragon Boat Festival returns to its normal slot next year.

    The Shake the Lake concert rock festival took over the Conexus Art Centre on Friday and Saturday.

    For people coming in from out of town for the Labour Day Classic football game, it seems in recent years they arrive on Saturday to go to the Roughriders Fanfest in the morning, party later on that night and depart for the home after the game on Sunday. For the out of town folk that do stay Sunday night, they seem to keep a low profile.

    At one point in time, a sizable contingent from out of town arrived in Regina on Friday night. Parties and various concerts or functions happened Friday, Saturday and after the game on Sunday night that had some sort of tie in with the football game.

    The heyday for this type of action seemed to run from 2005 to 2014. I have attended the last 12 straight Labour Day Classic games in Regina and 19 since 1996 and the last time I saw a sizable contingent stay after the game and fill the Dewdney Avenue strip was 2014.

“The Golden Boy” fires up the Bombers fans at Wayne’s World.

    This year I arrived in Regina on Saturday and went out that night. I noticed it was busy out on the town and the presence of people wearing Roughriders and Blue Bombers gear was there.

    It wasn’t like in past years. Most people wore regular clothes you would wear on a night out, and people wearing team gear of the Roughriders and Bombers were in the minority.

    From 2005 to 2014, it seemed like everyone that went out on Labour Day Weekend was wearing some sort of gear from either the Roughriders or Bombers.

    On Sunday, I went out and took part in pre-game festivities in the three hours before the game. After the game, I did take a couple of Halls cough candies to get my voice back from cheering.

Roughriders fans came game ready with fun jabs for their rivals.

    I visited at the stadium for an hour and went to finish an unrelated Labour Day Classic sports story.

    After finishing the sports story, I drove by the Dewdney Strip at around 10 p.m., and it was fairly dead. I opted not to try and find a party and drove back home to Saskatoon.

    In past years after the Labour Day game on Sunday, the restaurants and nightclubs would be full right up to 2 a.m.

    After the Labour Day Classic in 2000, I remember being on Broad Street where two nightclubs in Lauderdales and Barts on Broad existed at the time across the street from each other. There were massive lines to get into both and a party on the street.

    One Roughriders fan was slow driving down the street in a hearse done up in Roughriders colours and signs on the vehicle said the Bombers were somehow located in a coffin inside the vehicle. 

Cody Fajardo (#7) fires a pass downfield for the Roughriders.

    This type of over the top but still good fan thing isn’t seen as much anymore.

    In a weird bit of scheduling, Regina’s two post-secondary football teams in the CJFL’s Thunder and U Sports’ University of Regina Rams were both playing regular season games on the road for this year’s Labour Day weekend on Saturday night.

    The Thunder beat the Rifles in 52-45 in overtime in Winnipeg. The Rams thumped the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds 46-16 in Vancouver, B.C.

    For the longest time, the Rams would always try to start the U Sports campaign playing the University of Manitoba Bisons at home on the Saturday night before the CFL Labour Day Classic clash on Sunday. Winnipeg fans that came for the Bombers game usually went to the Bisons versus Rams game on Saturday night and spend a tonne on concessions.

RB William Powell (#29) follows his blocking downfield.

    In 2016, the Thunder hosted the Rifles in a very successful game at Leibel Field on the Saturday night before the Labour Day Classic.

    Those post-secondary games on the Saturday night usually acted as a primer for the CFL contest on Sunday.

    It seemed weird that both the Thunder and Rams would be scheduled to be on the road this weekend.

    Kudos go out to Rod Pedersen, Darren Dupont and the crew from The Rod Pedersen show for organizing the inaugural Rod Pedersen’s All-Star/Celebrity Football Game at Leibel Field on Saturday night. The touch football game was a fundraiser for Regina Minor Football and the Regina Riot of the Western Women’s Canadian Football League.

    Team White downed Team Green 30-28 and a fun time was had by all.

The Roughriders charge into Pil Country to celebrate their win on Sunday.

    The 2010 Labour Day Classic weekend might have been the most busy as the Roughriders were celebrating their 100^th anniversary. Throughout the weekend there seemed to be countless events going on throughout Regina that had a tie in with the CFL contest.

    There was a time around 2013 the Labour Day Classic used to sell out two hours after Roughriders put single game tickets up for sale usually on June 1. In recent years, the game hasn’t sold out until about two to four days before game day.

    The Labour Day Classic weekend is still good, but it is no longer that lost weekend of three nights of parties that it once was. The three nights of craziness might be something that doesn’t return.

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

-------

    If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.

Absence makes heart grow fonder of Roughriders game day

Hanging with Brendon LaBatte after the 2018 Labour Day Classic.

    For the first time this season, I am finally going to make a Saskatchewan Roughriders game day.

    Since returning to Saskatchewan to live in Saskatoon in the summer of 2014, I have tried to make as many Roughriders home games as possible. This year has been one of those years where the team’s home dates have conflicted with other things on my schedule.

    It feels like I might be lucky to make it to three home games this season. I haven’t made a Roughriders home game since last year’s Labour Day Classic.

    Today, I will depart Saskatoon and make the trek down Highway 11 to Regina as the Roughriders (3-3) host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (5-1) at Mosaic Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Saskatchewan time. Once I start making that journey, I know I will become jumpy with excitement.

The Roughriders Pep Band performs at the party in the park last season.

    I wasn’t able to head out to any of the Roughriders first three home games due to scheduling conflicts. When the Roughriders held their first two home games in early July, I was covering the Saskatoon Valkyries 9-0 Western Women’s Canadian Football League championship campaign to a conclusion.

    My energy was focused on the Valkyries, and I won’t trade that moment in time for anything.

    When the Roughriders downed the British Columbia Lions 38-25 at Mosaic Stadium on July 20, I was attending Donn Clark’s celebration of life in Kelvington, Sask.

The Mosaic Stadium crowd cheers a Roughriders touchdown last season.

    In that case, the Roughriders game was secondary, when it came to paying my respects for an old friend, who is best remembered for his time in the WHL as a player, coach and executive with the Saskatoon Blades and Prince Albert Raiders.

    I have focused on taking care of things in my personal life I have been putting off in the present time, but my schedule broke allowing me to be able to attend tonight’s game.

    I have a general admission ticket to Pil Country, which seems fitting considering that is the party section. 

Mosaic Stadium is an amazing sight.

    During the 10 years I lived in Medicine Hat, Alta., from 2004 to 2014, I gained a new appreciation in going to Roughriders home games, because I was going for the party and to enjoy myself.
    With that focus, I found I was able to enjoy Roughriders games, even if they played one of their classic stinker type contests. As a fan, you have to know you are in for at least three of those a season, even when the Roughriders are good.

You have to love the fans that come dressed in costume.

    There were times I might make just two games a year during my time living in Medicine Hat, so I tried to ensure the experience would never be dampened.

    Looking back, Roughriders home games were likely at their party peak in the era from 2005 to 2013, with 2007 and 2008 being the high-point years. During the 2007 and 2008 seasons, it seemed like every Roughriders home game was a Labour Day Classic type game with the atmosphere.

    Roughriders games are one of those things I prefer to attend as a fan. I have worked a home game here and there in the media world, and I worked the team’s last two training camps in Saskatoon for The Canadian Press. I have enjoyed that experience.

    I find it better being in the stands as a fan during Roughriders games. I try to reserve those games as my chance to go out and cheer and just be a fan at a game.

    That feeling goes to the fact there was a period of time from 2004 to 2014 that it always seemed I had a number of friends on the team who were players. Often, I had gone to school with those friends who were players during the years I attended the University of Regina and was involved with the Rams football team.

The Roughriders Drum Line does their thing.

    There were a few times after Roughriders games I would head out to a social function with those friends, and those times were so enjoyable for me.

    On that note, it will be cool to see punter and Rams alum Jon Ryan play live in a game for the first time since 2005, when he was with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. From 2006 to 2017, Ryan played 12 seasons in the NFL split between the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks.

    Offensive lineman Brendon LaBatte is the another friend I have on the current Roughriders team that is a Rams alum.

    Outside of Ryan and LaBatte, the only member of the Roughriders I know decently well is long snapper Jorgen Hus,who is an alum of the CJFL’s Saskatoon Hilltops and the Rams.

Game action viewed from Pil Country in 2018.

    When I moved back to Saskatchewan in the summer of 2014, I found another joy in heading to Roughriders games. I was able to make games on a more regular basis, and I got to know a number of the regular fans in the stands.

    So far this season, I would see pictures on social media from those regulars, and that made me miss being at games.

    Tonight, I am looking forward to seeing a number of old friends in the stands. Actually, I one of those that could go watch any CFL game in any stadium and enjoy it.

    On the field, I can’t wait to see how Cody Fajardo, who took over as the team’s starting quarterback, looks on the field live in person.

All smiles after a Roughriders win last season.

    It will be fun to do something familiar and will bring back great memories of the past. Win or lose, I will have a great night, but with that said, here is hoping the Roughriders win.

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

-------

    If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.

Roughriders’ Carter has right to be upset at alleged incident

This photo of Duron Carter led to uncovering an alleged incident.

    I never expected posting a harmless photo on social media would uncover a disappointing alleged incident.

    Following the Saskatchewan Roughriders 38-24 win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Labour Day Classic on Sunday at new Mosaic Stadium in Regina, I posted a photo of Roughriders receiver Duron Carter giving high-fives to fans of the host side during the pre-game introduction of the team.
    Since joining the Roughriders, Carter has been tremendous in interacting with Rider Nation, and that photo of him meeting the faithful along the bottom row of the Pil Country section was a great representation of that.

    What I didn’t clue into was the fact something ran afoul, when I was at that contest as a ticket buyer. During my drive from Regina back to Saskatoon on Monday, I received a couple of messages that my picture of Carter was going viral.

    Upon arriving in Saskatoon, I found Carter’s Twitter post alleging a Bombers fan spat on him and that my photo was taken before that alleged incident happened.

This is before a trash ass bombers fan spit on me... Worst fans in the league... can't wait to kick y'all ass again! https://t.co/ezU9XHbhqD

— Duron Carter (@DC_CHILLIN_8) September 4, 2017

#Saskatchewan #Roughriders receiver @DC_CHILLIN_8 mets #RiderNation before the LDC. #CFL. pic.twitter.com/9iThXi6M1M

— Darren Steinke (@StanksSports) September 4, 2017

    He wrote that Bombers fans were the “Worst fans in the league.”

    At that point, I wanted to check my photos immediately after the one I posted of Carter and the Roughriders fans. Thinking back, I remembered fullback Spencer Moore followed Carter to start high-fiving fans too, and I tried to get photos of Moore as well.

    I remember seeing Carter peel back to the Roughriders bench looking upset. I found a shot later on in my sequence further down the row of a small group of Winnipeg fans mixed in with the Roughriders supporters.

    I tweeted to Carter asking if those Bombers fans in the picture were the problem ones. He replied by identifying the alleged spitter as the fan with blue and gold face paint.

Wow! That's him with the blue and gold face paint! https://t.co/7J8uGT8zQx

— Duron Carter (@DC_CHILLIN_8) September 4, 2017

Hey @DC_CHILLIN_8. On serious side, I checked photos after the high-five one I posted. Were these the problem WPG fans? You look upset. pic.twitter.com/F3KZAFYISp

— Darren Steinke (@StanksSports) September 4, 2017

    On top of that, I found another post of a picture of a Winnipeg fan trying to rip the head off of Roughriders mascot Gainer the Gopher.

    CBC reporter Alicia Bridges contacted Regina Police, and they said they were aware of an incident between a fan and the mascot. The Police said there were no formal complaints and no criminal investigation into either claim.

    On Twitter, fans responded with most expressing sympathy for Carter, and some apologized on behalf of Bombers fans. There were fans that sent chirps Carter’s way too, but those were in the minority.

    I am pretty certain something happened to upset Carter, and due to the fact the alleged incident happened pre-game, there is a likelihood it was on the unprovoked side. When Carter scored a touchdown in the south end zone in front of Pil Country in the second quarter, he did taunt the Winnipeg fans in that section likely due to what happened pre-game.

Duron Carter, left, does a TD celebration on Sunday.

    The 26-year-old had an outstanding game hauling in 10 passes for 101 yards.

    At this point, I believe Carter’s claims of the alleged incident. How it plays out for the rest of the week remains to be seen.

    I suspect the incident will come up during media interviews on Tuesday.

    Overall no matter what walk of life you are in, you morally can’t spit on a person. It is just wrong, and it crosses all sorts of lines. Carter has every right to be upset over what happened.

    On the Winnipeg side, the actions of a couple of people don’t reflect the entire fanbase.

    Back in the day, the Bombers had their section of rowdies that inhabited the east side of their former home in the now demolished Winnipeg Stadium. There were a lot of times you didn’t want to sit on the east side of Winnipeg Stadium, if you were a fan of a Bombers opponent due to fears that you might be harmed.

    In today’s day, the large majority of Bombers fans, especially the one that travel to Regina for the Labour Day Classic, are good. At this year’s Labour Day Classic, I spent an hour pre-game hanging out with Winnipeg fans at “Wayne’s World,” which is the party spot for Bombers fans located across the street from Taylor Field, which is the Roughriders old stadium.

    All my interactions with Winnipeg fans were good ones, and just over a year ago, I wrote a column about how Winnipeg fans add to the atmosphere of the Labour Day Classic in a good way.

    With that said, every sports team has bad apple fans, and Carter wrote in another tweet he wouldn’t condone terrible “fansmanship” for any team.

Just to let you know! I wouldn't condone terrible "fansmanship" for any team... y'all stop comparing who is worse...

— Duron Carter (@DC_CHILLIN_8) September 4, 2017

    At the moment, I believe it is too early to determine what affect it will have on the next encounter between the Roughriders and Bombers, when the Bombers host “the Banjo Bowl” at 1 p.m. Winnipeg time on Saturday at Investors Group Field.

    A search over Twitter occurred on Monday in an effort to find the accused spitter.

    If the accused spitter is found, I would suspect there would be some sort of ban from attending CFL games, but depending what is said, I don’t believe the ban should be a permanent one.

    As far as a criminal aspect is concerned, that would rely on how Carter felt about how things play out in the coming days. The same would go for how the person inside the suit of Gainer the Gopher felt about the Bombers fan that tried to rip his mascot head off, if an accused is found in that situation.

    When the Roughriders and Bombers meet on Saturday, I hope everyone in attendance remembers the two teams are just playing a game, and it is not life versus death struggle.

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