Robservations: “Halloween Candy” has new meaning … big campaign for Bane … Jeremy O’Day trivia … and please buy my book!
It takes a fertile imagination to dress up as someone who lacks imagination.
With the intent of impersonating a sartorially challenged colleague, Karina Peterson concocted a Halloween costume that was reminiscent of, well, me.
Saskatchewan Roughriders cap.
Roughriders hoodie.
Roughriders golf shirt.
Roughriders lanyard.
Black pants.
Black laptop bag, with handle and (vitally) wheels.
Karina planned the get-up in collaboration with Roughriders colleague Karlie McGeough — who dressed up as my dog, Candy.
Halloween Candy! Perfect, right?
“There wasn’t a moment of magic or an ‘aha!’ moment,” says Karlie, the Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation’s Marketing Communications Associate.
“We went for drinks after the last home game,” Karina begins. “We were sitting there visiting about Halloween and wondering, ‘What are we going to be for Halloween?’ ”
A tried-and-true formula was soon revisited.
In 2022, Karina (the Roughriders’ Community Operations Co-ordinator), Angela Bailey (Graphic Designer) and Tyler Daku (Social Lead) all dressed up as the team’s Digital Media Producer, Blake Tiedeman.
“Supposedly, I’m on a staff theme,” Karina says. “I’m not sure who next year’s going to be.”
Karlie also extracted a page from the 2022 Halloween playbook.
“Last year, Mitch (Cook, Game Day Stage Manager) and I were Scooby and Shaggy, so I think the dog was fresh in my mind,” says Karlie, who played the role of Shaggy.
“Part of the inspiration was how faithful you and Candy were as far as coming to watch the Roughriders’ slow-pitch team.”
At 59, I have been reduced to the coming-to-watch stage of life when it comes to recreational sports. My preferred position in slow-pitch: Designated sitter.
Candy joined me at every game because, well, I am hopelessly attached to — and clearly synonymous with — the dog.
“You’ve been faithful to the company culture and Candy’s been faithful to the company culture,” Karina says. “This is just the company culture giving back.”
Or throwing me a bone, as it were.
“We knew it would be a hit,” Karina says. “We knew the people would love it. And once I found that suitcase in the community room, that was it. I was locked in.
“I was like, ‘We’re doing it!’ ”
And in thorough fashion.
“Karina went into Instagram and screen-shotted a picture of you on the field so she could make sure she had every aspect of the outfit,” Karlie says.
“And,” Karina says, “we also creeped your Instagram to find pictures of Candy so we could see what kind of collar she has. We were doing our research.
“It’s really funny, because sometimes people are really secretive for Halloween, but this year we chose to not go the secretive route. We were just so excited about it that we told everyone.”
Expect for me.
I waddled into the office on Tuesday at 9:59:59 a.m., a millisecond before the Roughriders’ annual Halloween costume parade was to begin.
There was a semblance of panic, considering that I had been conscripted as the master of ceremonies. It was my responsibility to introduce each Halloweener and the accompanying costume concept.
I was so sheepish about my near-tardiness that I initially managed to overlook the genuine, ingenious sheepishness of Brittany Boczulak (Talent Management and Business Operations Co-ordinator) and Rebecca Perigny (Manager, Marketing and Community).
Brittany and Rebecca both dressed up as the runaway sheep — you know, the woolly creatures that inadvertently played a prominent role in the Aug. 6 halftime show at Mosaic Stadium — and were duly honoured for having worn the most creative costume.
Neetika Mahawar (Marketing Co-ordinator, Ticketing), Megan Herber (Assistant, Retail Operations) and Shiane de Jong (Administrative Assistant) finished in a three-way tie for Scariest Costume.
The coveted best-costume award went to Julia Vaughan (Graphic Design Intern) and the aforementioned Angela Bailey for their interpretation of characters from the 2007 animated film, Ratatouille.
As for my own costume, I visited Halloween Alley — conveniently located near Mosaic Stadium — on Oct. 30.
Within minutes of entering the store, I was stopped by several people who pointed at my face and marvelled at the exacting realism of my skeleton mask.
Alas, I wasn’t wearing a mask at the time.
BANE’S WORLD
Shawn Bane Jr. was an inspired free-agent signing by Roughriders Vice-President of Football Operations and General Manager Jeremy O’Day, who landed the CFL’s receptions leader for 2023.
Bane Jr. became the eighth Roughrider to lead the league in receptions, following Jack Hill (60 catches in 1958), Molly McGee (68 in 1977), Joey Walters (102 in 1982), Craig Ellis (91 in 1984; 102 in 1985), Don Narcisse (123 in 1995) and Curtis Marsh (102 in 2000).
Only five of those players lined up at a receiving position. Ellis and McGee were running backs — as members of the Roughriders, anyway.
Upon joining Edmonton in 1989, Ellis moved to slotback and became a game-breaker at that position.
He is the only player in CFL history to exceed 100 catches while lining up at two different positions.
In 1990, Ellis turned 17 of his 106 receptions into touchdowns. He had previously scored 17 majors with the 1985 Roughriders, for whom he rushed for 14 scores and added three aerial TDs.
O’DAY’S DIAMOND DAYS
GM trivia: O’Day was an accomplished baseball player at Lockport (N.Y.) High School.
On May 11, 1992, he homered twice for the Lockport Lions in a 17-0 victory over Tonawanda in the Niagara Frontier League.
Another O’Day homer — on June 3, 1992 — helped Lockport defeat Orchard Park 14-3.
He received honourable mention as the designated hitter when the 1992 All-Western New York All-Star team was announced.
BUY MY BOOK!
Shameless self-promotion: My latest book hits the market on Tuesday.
I hope you will enjoy Brave Face: Wild Tales of Hockey Goaltenders in the Era Before Masks, published by Triumph Books.
Dating back to the early 1970s, I was fascinated by the notion of a maskless goalie. Back then, there were still a few bare-faced netminders in the NHL (Gump Worsley, Joe Daley, Andy Brown) and, unbeknownst to me at the time, in the minor leagues.
My interest in hockey was sparked by the sight of a goalie (Gerry Cheevers) and his trademark mask (on which faux stitches had been painted).
Cheevers was one of the first people I interviewed for a 2021 Regina Leader-Post feature that soon morphed into a book. Glenn Hall, Ken Dryden and Bernie Parent were the other three Hockey Hall of Fame goalies who kindly set aside some time to chat with me for the project. So did Jerry Sawchuk (Terry’s son) and John Bower III (grandson of the legendary Toronto Maple Leafs puck-stopper).
It was also fabulous fun to tell the stories of lesser-known goalies such as Gaye Cooley (a fabulous and funny guy about whom an entire book should be written), Ian Young, Wayne Rutledge, Bob Perreault and Russ Gillow, to name just a few.
The result of it all was a dream project that came to fruition.
Now, I never imagined that I would be employed by a football team while promoting a hockey book. Here’s to life’s little surprises.
ALL RIGHT, ALBRIGHT!
Roughriders defensive end Christian Albright had the CFL’s ninth-best single-game rating during the 2023 regular season, according to Pro Football Focus.
Albright graded out at 91.8 during Week 16, in which the Roughriders faced the host Ottawa REDBLACKS on Sept. 22. Albright, playing in his first CFL game, registered two sacks, a forced fumble and three defensive tackles.
ROLL CREDITS …
- Nice people who deserve a plug: Ken Linnen, Barb Lewis, Gaye Cooley, Russ Gillow, Ian Young, Mickey Redmond, Glenn Hall, Gerry Cheevers, Bernie Parent, Ken Dryden, Joe Daley, Sharyn Rutledge, Al Murray, Harvey Kehler, Shannon Kehler, Jayson Kehler, Brian Harelimana, Riece Kack, Adam Korsak, Larry Dean, Jason Johnson, Karina Peterson, Karlie McGeough, Reid Massier, Kolten Bridgeman, Jakob Brook, Parker Berge, Tammy Berge and Ken Schneider.
