Writing The Self 1: A Moment I Felt Canadian.
Lifting my arms up like a human scarecrow I wait as a man in a bright yellow jacket pats me down. I wait awkwardly for the head nod from him so that I can pass through the entrance gates. My dad and I walk through with hundreds of other people decked out from head to toe in green and white gear. I see 3 generations of one family walking together chanting “Let’s go Riders”, “Let’s Go Riders”, the Grandpa dyed his long white beard green, while his grandson is being held by his dad, wearing a green Jersey that could fit one of my daughters large stuffed animals.
Then my eye catches the horrendous colour combo of gold and blue. Fans from the opposing team have huddled together like a herd of cows. United they feel strong, safe, and protected from the dangers of their loud and intense competition. Feeling the support of their peers they find the courage to start a chant, yelling at the top of their lungs, “Go Bombers Go”, “Go Bombers Go”.
After spending what seemed like 3 hours in line with Green and White, and Blue and Gold fans shoulder to shoulder with one another. I finally got my beer, a staple to Saskatchewan, a Pilsner. I dodged through the crowds like I was in a life-sized version of frogger. I sucked in my stomach and made my whole body small as I inched may way through a row of knees to find my seat.
All 40,000 fans are charged up by a human sized gopher getting the Green and White Army chanting “Go Riders Go” at the top of their lungs. Then over the audio system a man says, “please rise, and remove your head wear as we sing our National Anthem”, a young man comes out to the fifty-yard line, followed by members of the Canadian Military holding the Saskatchewan Flag, and the Canada Flag. As if everyone in the massive stadium were all friends together everyone sings O’Canada. Their Right hand over their heart collectively we finish the song united singing,“ We stand on Guard for thee”. Then fireworks are set off, and three jets zoom over the stadium.
It was sitting there surrounded by fans from two provinces, I realized that what intertwined all of us was our love for our country. The Labour Day Classic has been a tradition my family and I have participated in every year for forever. One of my favourite parts is when Rival Fans come together singing the National Anthem united as one, all equals before we spend the next three hours either cheering or booing for our favourite team. It is in that two and a half minute song where we are no longer Green and White vs. Blue and Gold, and instead we are united together bleeding our flag colours Red and White that makes me proud to be a Canadian.
Scott Ayars 
Haha.. I enjoyed your story.. This probably makes me horribly unpatriotic, and not very Sask. either, but I am not a football fan. That being said, I enjoyed your story, and you did use enough descriptive writing to put me in the moment.. I especially enjoyed your description of the Bombers.. 😀
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Hey!
You nailed this blog post. I haven’t been to many rider games (yes shame on me) but the few I have pretty much seem to go hand in hand with your description of it.
Amen to waiting in liquor lines that seem to take an eternity to get a drink, although pilsner is not my beer of choice, again how do I even live in Saskatchewan?!
Also can vividly imagine myself back to shuffling through what seems like a million knees to find my seat, and then back and forth again for more drinks.
I can’t say I remember what the temperature was like this year for that game, but I’ve experienced both decent temperatures and then typical freeze your butt of Saskatchewan temperatures at those games too. Which leads me to think of the crazies you still see topless at the games with the body paint! What’s some of the memorable outfits you’ve seen?
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