Do I play for the Canadian Roughriders or Sit the Bench?

Jon and I Become Roughrider Fans in Green

Recently I posted photos on Facebook of my recent Canadian adventure when Jon and I became true Saskatchewans by parking our bottoms and Canadian beers in the Mosaic Stadium in Regina to cheer on the Roughriders. The photos received many “thumbs ups” from family and friends, but one of my good friends was the first to notice what was “really” going on in the photos: “Do I spy a new shirt? :)” Beth wrote.

How do you end up going to a sporting event in a different country in the visiting team’s colors?  Well, simple. You could only bring enough clothes to fit in a suitcase and half of them were dirty from your recent fly fishing trip, so you take a chance on what is clean. I wore a black t-shirt and shorts.  When we arrived, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats were of course clad in black and yellow—go figure.

Flashbacks of being at my first Wisconsin Badger game came back to me. I remember watching a young man who wore a blue shirt (not even a color of the opposing team) get pointed at by huge sections of the crowds as he climbed the stadium steps to his seat—all the while being called an “A**hole” in unison.

I knew right away I would not be making a very good first impression on the multitude of fans painted thick in Irish green like it was St. Patty’s Day in Regina from the fresh cut-out watermelons on their heads to sparkly sequin flats embossed with the team’s “S” logo.  I have to say, I didn’t expect this. Being from the home state of the Green Bay Packers and Badgers, I didn’t think any fans could compare, but yes, Canadians too were serious football fans; their clothing said it all.

Thousands of Green Roughrider Fans at Taylor Field in Regina SK

Yes, Beth, readers, it is a new shirt that Jon (remember the bet is with him and not just me) insisted on, that I was proud to wear. After not buying any new clothes for almost 7 months now, and I still haven’t, I’m beginning to realize the magic that comes with clothing again. One person in Roughriders gear is just well, one person in Roughriders gear, but over 35,500 people in Roughriders gear is a community. I got to be part of that community by putting on that shirt on Sunday, and, now, whenever I sport my green gear again. . . .  I also justified the new shirt by claiming that it’s Jon’s size, so it’s his shirt too that we can share.