Mitchell Blair
No one needs to tell the Saskatchewan Roughriders the significance of Sunday’s Grey Cup and what it means as they get set to meet the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on their home turf. However, for several members of the team it is a chance to live out something they have likely dreamed about since holding a football.
11 players on the roster come from Saskatchewan and all of them have likely thought about playing for the Riders and winning the Grey Cup as they were growing up. Receiver Chris Getzlaf is one of those 11. He has played Regina Minor Football, High School football with the Robert Usher Unicorns, and University football on the Mosaic Stadium turf before playing his first game as a Rider in 2007.
“Of course I’ve dreamed about this moment, “Getzlaf confessed on Tuesday. “Going out there in front of Rider Nation to play for a championship will be something off the charts. It’s the home team and I’ve cheered them on from those seats while growing up. Having an opportunity to play for your hometown team is an honour and it’s even more so when that team is given a chance to play for the title in your own backyard.”
Getzlaf will be doing everything he can to win the Grey Cup in what is his 3rd appearance in the big game. He says after coming up short twice to the Alouettes in 2009 and 2010, it is imperative the football team punches its ticket and becomes CFL champions on Sunday and while it will be special, the birthplace of he and his teammates doesn’t matter.
“Having so many guys on the team is an added element, but at the end of the day it doesn’t change anything.” Getzlaf said. “We’ve been given another opportunity to play in this game and it’s time to capitalize. We’ve got to win this time.”
Another Regina product looking to hoist the Cup up high on a field where he has played many times while working his way up the ladder is running back Neal Hughes. Like Getzlaf, Hughes has played a lot of football on the Mosaic carpet whether it be RMF, his days with the Thom Trojans, the Rams and now the Riders. As a member of the 2007 team, Hughes says it was great to be able to win the game and represent his home city and province, but to do it again in the place where he grew up learning the game would be simply surreal.
““It was a dream and my dream has come true to play in the game,” Hughes said. “However, there’s still that extra step that we need to go and that’s something all of us guys have to keep our eye on. Its one thing to get to the game, but it’s another thing to win the game and we know Hamilton has a good football team. We’ve just got to focus on that.”
Hughes also believes it will be a challenge to curtail the excitement he will be feeling even though he is no stranger to the Grey Cup having played in three games along with a Vanier Cup and a Canadian junior title during his days with the Regina Rams,
“This is something that a lot of Saskatchewan boys dream about when they play the game and I am so fortunate to have this opportunity.” Hughes said. “It’s not hard to focus and get past the hype surrounding it because there is hype surrounding every Rider home game because of our fans. I don’t know how I will feel come game day, but I’m already vibrating thinking about this game.”
It’s safe to say there are many others across Saskatchewan who feel the same way even though they aren’t suiting up.
The 101st Grey Cup will kickoff late Sunday afternoon with the game getting underway at 5:30 pm. Temperatures are expected to be near or just above freezing at kickoff with lows in the minus 9 area which should make it a comfortable night for football if the November prairie wind stays silent. 620 CKRM will have radio coverage of the game starting at 1 o’clock Saskatchewan time with an extended version of “Roughrider Game Day” while TSN will bring the game into living rooms of Canadians starting with their pre-game show at noon Saskatchewan time,
