September 20, 2008

So we went to see the Roughriders (RR) play the BC Lions tonight. It was a night game so I didn't take my camera, hence the picture of one of my kitties sitting on a Rider flag. I have been to many football games, but I have never seen anything like what I saw tonight.

During the fourth quarter, there was a play that resulted in a RR player fumbling the ball and BC recovering it. During the course of the play, the BC player very obviously facemasked the RR player but no penalty was called. The replay was shown inside the stadium on the maxtron and was slowed down to highlight the facemasking and the crowd went nuts pointing at the screen and shouting about the abysmal reffing. The BC player who recovered the fumble then ran over to the stands behind the BC bench (which is where we sit - in the 3rd row), gave the stands the finger, and launched the football into the stands. The already outraged fans then launched a battery of beer cans, water bottles, really anything they could throw at the BC players. The BC players then started shouting and flipping off the stands again and a couple of them picked up some of the beer cans and threw them as hard as they could at fans. Then the entire team was moved to the center of the field before a riot started.

First let me say that the behaviour of the RR fans was disgusting. It was uncalled for and was in no way, shape, or form justifiable. I did not throw anything - once the beer assault started I simply sat down and covered up my head with my hands and hoped I didn't get hit with anything. HOWEVER, the behaviour of the BC lions was definitely not something they should be proud of. Giving the fans the finger? Throwing a football into their midst out of spite? Picking up half-full cans of beer and throwing them hard at directly at fans? Come on guys, you're professional players. You wear protective equipment and you get payed to be out there on that field. Yes, the behaviour of the fans was despicable but so was yours BC! Do the Riders come into BC place and start flipping off your fans and throwing beer at them? I highly doubt it.

I think the thing that bothers me the most about the whole incident is the fact that the media is portraying it as an unprovoked attack by the fans against the BC bench, when that was most certainly not the case. Now the rider fans are being portrayed as a bunch of thugs while the BC Lions come off looking blameless. OK, BC, if that's what you need to tell yourselves so you can sleep tonight, then go ahead.

But I know what really happened. I was there.