THE CANADIAN PRESS
There always seems to be a story on this weekend.
I had to enlist the help of the CFL on TSN’s Paul LaPolice on the radio this week to recall some of the best Labour Day Classic memories between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
He’s been on both sides of it, so his feelings are mixed. However he brought up some recollections that had slipped my mind, and we’ll get to those in a minute.
As they say, you never forget your first. For me – broadcasting the games on CKRM radio – my first Labour Day Classic was 1999. It was Cal Murphy’s first and only year as head coach of the Saskatchewan Roughriders and they were going up against Murphy’s former club, the Blue Bombers.
At the time I’m not sure I fully understood how the two franchises are endlessly intertwined on this particular weekend. The fact Murphy had led Winnipeg to three Grey Cup titles in the decade prior shouldn’t have fazed anyone in terms of irony.
It was also Geroy Simon’s first-ever Labour Day Classic, as he was a rookie with the Blue Bombers in 1999. And, a young centre named Jeremy O’Day was in his first Labour Day Classic with the Green and White. His name will come up further down in the column.
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