Rod Pedersen
CFL.ca
With back-to-back games against their prairie rivals behind them, the Saskatchewan Roughriders are ready for a real grudge-match within their own division.
Yes, the emotions, thrills, chills and spills that came with the home-and-home series against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers known as the Labour Day Classic and the Banjo Bowl were fun. But this Saturday night’s game for the 8-2 Roughriders against the 5-5 B.C. Lions in Vancouver is what rivalries are all about. The Riders and Bombers have a strong dislike for each other, but the Riders and Lions hate each other.
And nobody’s trying to hide it.
“The Lions have always been our achilles heel up until last year when we finally beat them in the West Final,” explained 14-year veteran Rider defensive back Eddie Davis. “We finally got over that hump and we always play great games against those guys. It’s always going to be a dogfight and it will never be a cakewalk for either team in a game between us.”
“It’s going to be a good game. It’s going to be a hard-fought game and really, you’ve got two teams that don’t like each other.”
The Roughriders enjoy tremendous rivalries with every team within their division including Edmonton and Calgary, and their back-to-back series with the East Division’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers is a highlight every season.
But each and every time they strap on the helmet and cross the sidelines to face the Orange and Black, it is war. The team’s have just about always met in the West Final in Vancouver over the past five seasons and it wasn’t until 2007 that the Riders came out on top. However a string of on field incidents leading up to that playoff game last season have made this a steaming cauldron of hate.
Former Lions’ quarterback Dave Dickenson’s never been the same since a hit by the Riders’ Fred Perry in Week 3 last season which left him with the third serious concussion of his career. Neither player plays for these respective teams anymore, but the hard feelings remain. The same can be said for the on field brawl late in the first-half of a September game at Mosaic Stadium last year between the Riders and Lions which saw Lions’ OT Rob Murphy pin down Rider DE John Chick by the throat.
Let’s just say these teams aren’t letting bygones be bygones. The Riders may have beaten B.C. 26-16 in Week 2 this year at B.C. Place, but the Leos were missing their heart-and-soul, Rob Murphy, and it’ll be different this time around.
As for the Riders, the CFL’s number-one defense hopes to have another solid outing. Eddie Davis says his squad takes pride in eating up other teams, and putting fear in their hearts.
“All of our coaches in practice yell at us ‘GET TO THE BALL’ and it carries over into games,” explained the St.Louis, MO product. “It’s so crazy because even in games we knock each other over trying to get to the ball. When other teams see that on film, they get scared of that. Guys are looking around, ducking and dodging. We are coming from every angle and trying to murder whoever has the ball.”
The Roughriders’ magic number to clinch first place and home field in the West Final for the first time since 1976 is seven, meaning any combination of Rider wins or Eskimo losses totaling seven will cinch it. That’s something the media and fans are talking about here in the Wheat Province, but not the players.
“No we’re taking everything in stride right now,” Davis reasoned. “We still like to go into these games thinking we’re the underdog. We’re a team that’s been kicked around the CFL for so long that now it’s time for us to do that.”
And because of that, following the Roughriders has never been so much fun.
Rod Pedersen is the Voice of the Roughriders on 620 CKRM Radio and Regina correspondent on The Score Sports Network. Check out his blog at www.rodpedersen.com for daily Rider news.
