Labour Day Classic!

In Saskatchewan, die-hard football fans look forward to an annual extravaganza.  Saskatchewan Roughriders play the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Labour Day weekend.  This year was warm, sunny and the type of environment bound to produce results.

There was another game, equally important and certainly a classic.  It had Swan dives, half-Baked plays and Johnny come-lately’s.  The grass had been groomed by a hail storm in the past few days.  The football was inflatable (more than once during the game).  The players were young and old (and the old ones were pretending they were young).

Two hand touch (or was that tackle?) with no rules.  The goal lines were firmly indistinguishable.  Whichever team felt they had gotten near the end of the field was awarded a touchdown.  Four downs for the field or first down after ten yards (Oh — sorry — meters!).

I witnessed (although I’m not sure I would want to sign an affidavit) some of the most spectacular athletic feats I have seen in some time.  There was the end zone pass that floated into the arms of the awaiting receiver.  And the blocking wall that crumbled the opposition (or did they crumble?).  The great story is yet to be told of all that was accomplished.

In the end our team won (that’s the story and we’re sticking to it!).  We went back to the arms of the adoring women who had so faithfully watched, cheering us at every spectacular movement (I think I need a hearing aid — I must have missed that cheering), letting us know how much they looked forward to hearing more of these tales in coming days (something about “no whining allowed”), and all of them waiting to see the results published to the world on this blogsite!

I understand our official photographer, Peggy Kornelson, has pictures available for your viewing — or for bribery!

Thanks all — for Labour Day Classic 2006!!