THE CANADIAN PRESS
The great thing about sports is they can be whatever you want them to be. From a simple distraction to a lifetime obsession or something in the middle, sports will fit into your lifestyle. On the positive, they represent individual achievement at the highest level; on the negative, they can be a symbol of crass consumerism and over indulgence. Hey, whatever floats your boat.
That is what I love about sports; about football — is that it can be so many different things to so many people. And on Friday night in Ottawa it was. For some of the fans at TD Place stadium the REDBLACKS/Alouettes game represented a return to normal after Wednesday’s tragic shooting on Parliament Hill. It was a welcome distraction from 48 hours of anguish. For others, the game meant nothing. I imagine there are many people who weren’t ready to watch a football game.
In both cases, the fan’s perspective is the right one.. sports are so emotionally malleable. Do sports and politics mix for you? Perfect, there are so many insightful writers that weave those worlds together. Let’s talk about the impact of Prime Minister Steven Harper being in the stands and that big gulp sized cup of Pepsi he was wielding. Do you believe politics have no place? Perfect, let’s talk about the rise of the Alouettes since Jonathan Crompton took over and the fact they have a player on their roster named Bear Woods, who had a great game on Friday. Bear Woods! That may be the best name in all of professional sports. 
For me, I was happy the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators cancelled their scheduled game. It just felt too soon. On the flip side, watching the pre game ceremonies honouring the two soldiers who passed away this week was a beautiful, emotional, goose bump-inducing series of moments. On Friday night, sports felt right.
Watching the players from both teams standing next to each other in solidarity waving the world’s largest Canadian flag (on loan from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats), while the crowd was singing the National Anthem was my favourite moment from the 2014 season. I understand why some people question the singing of the Anthem before sporting events. Personally I like it, and on Friday that moment was picture perfect.
I’ll be honest: I, like so many of you, was rooting for Ottawa on Friday night. After listening to Henry Burris’ pre-game speech (credit to Coach Rick Campbell for giving the floor to Burris) I was hoping he would pass Ron Lancaster for third all-time in touchdown passes after struggling all season at home. Burris talked about honouring the city, the fans, that the team had a bigger responsibility. There is a reason Burris has been so successful in this league for so long — the man knows how to lead.
When soon to be touchdown pass number 334 was floating in the air heading towards Marcus Henry I was yelling at my TV screen for the ball to be caught. Burris deserved that honour and that home crowd deserved the chance to cheer not only for Burris but for themselves. It was fantastic to see the people of Ottawa get to celebrate collectively.
Of course, this was a real life game and not Hollywood. After that first drive, reality set in as Montreal’s pass rush just kept getting better and better and the turnovers started to pile up against Ottawa. Montreal would go on to score the next 23 points as it is firmly making its case as the best team in the East. Ottawa did manage to make it interesting in the fourth quarter as Scott MacDonell turned a routine short catch into a nifty 58 yard touchdown, the first of his career. On any other day I may have focused on the bad tackling, but for this game I’ll remember the crowd cheering.
So again, full credit to Ottawa and everyone else involved for putting together such a stirring and dignified tribute. I can only imagine how nice it was for some many residents of Ottawa to be able to get lost again in the world of sports. And for people that weren’t ready, don’t worry — sports will always be around whenever you may need them.
