Anticipation is building in Saskatchewan as Roughrider fans await this weekend’s Canadian Football League West Final showdown from Winnipeg against the Blue Bombers.
The Bombers won both regular season meetings against the Riders.
And while some Rider fans would prefer not to remember it, Winnipeg defeated Saskatchewan in Regina the last time these teams met in the playoffs. It was on Nov. 17 when the Bombers won 20-13.
Considering it’s a game against Saskatchewan’s biggest rival, it’s fair to say fans in Saskatchewan will make sure their schedules are clear on Sunday afternoon for this fixture.
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Janice Owen, a longtime Rider fan from Saskatoon, has travelled to the last 12 Grey Cups.
She is driving over eight hours from Saskatoon to Winnipeg for this weekend’s game.
Owen expects she’ll be one of the only fans wearing green amongst a sea of blue and gold on Sunday at Investors Group Field.
“I’ll be going back to that 1989 energy by wearing my number 71 Bobby Jurasin jersey. So hopefully that will bring us some luck,” said Owen.
She witnessed the Riders defeat a favoured 11-2 Edmonton side back in the 1989 West Final. Owen has a feeling the Riders could repeat that history in Winnipeg despite Saskatchewan being considered as the underdogs.
“It’s a one and done kind of game. Anything can happen,” Owen suggested. “Even the mightiest of teams can have a rough game.”
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Fans who usually travel to see the Riders in action may choose to watch from the couch rather than the stands between COVID-19 concerns or the expected snowfall this weekend.
The reported capacity at last weekend’s West Semifinal game against the Calgary Stampeders at Mosaic Stadium was 24,001 — much lower than the standard capacity of 33,000.
While the game this Sunday has sold over 30,000 tickets, there are some still available.
Scott Jocelyn, president and CEO of the Manitoba Hotel Association, said the event will be one of the biggest in the province since before the pandemic.
“If you told me six months ago that we would be having a game here and basically there would be no restrictions on the capacity and the stadium, I probably wouldn’t believe you,” stated Jocelyn. “We really see it as a ray of sunshine.”
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He said the impact to the local economy will serve not only hotels well, but also restaurants and other businesses affected by the pandemic.
However, Jocelyn understands there will be some fans who usually travel to see the Riders and Bombers play not be make the trip this time around.
“We want to see people go out and congregate, get together with a group of friends or travel. This is all a big part of what we do,” he said.
The Bombers enter the contest as the favourites to win it all after posting an 11-3 record during the regular season. Saskatchewan finished at 9-5.
No matter what oddsmakers are saying about who will win this weekend, fans of the Green and White are confident the Riders have a shot at punching their ticket to Hamilton for the Grey Cup on Dec. 12.