Photo : Michael Burns-Curling Canada
As one of the premier journalists in my household, I am constantly being recognized by members of the adoring public.
Take Monday, for example, when I was a few minutes late for the afternoon draw at the Brier.
Just outside the Brandt Centre, a motorist rolled down the driver’s-side window and bellowed, “Hey!”
I turned to my left, whereupon the gentleman inquired: “Are you the parking guy?”
“No,” I replied, eloquently and with the utmost attention to detail.
As my new friend frustratedly rolled up the window and sped away, in search of a living, breathing parking attendant, I completed the race-walk into the arena on a chilly day.
Suddenly, the temperature was much warmer, as were the interactions.
The ticket-scanner, who had admitted most of the attendees much earlier, stopped me and said: “I have to show you a picture. You’ll appreciate this.”
Very soon, I was cooing over an image of her eight-year-old Scottish terrier, Rudy. I responded with tales (tails?) of my two Scotties, Oscar (1991-2001) and Elway (2001-2012).
Having expertly combined the Brier and the Scotties, I proceeded to the top row of the east side, presumably to watch the Canadian men’s curling championship as a rather obvious loner.
As soon as I sat down, a fellow spectator turned to his right and inquired: “How do you like your new job?”
It was Don Cherneski, a long-time family friend whose allegiance to the Saskatchewan Roughriders was evident by taking one look at his green jacket.
So much for anticipated solitude. I joined Don, his wife Judy Samuelson, and her cousin, Jocelyn.
Then the stories started flying.
Don flashed back to Nov. 28, 1976, when he was participating in a curling bonspiel in Brandon.
It was Grey Cup Sunday so, minutes before kickoff, all matches were suspended for three-plus hours. All the rocks were left on each sheet in mid-end as all the curlers headed to the lounge.
Saskatchewan supporters sat on one side of the room. Everyone who was cheering for the Ottawa Rough Riders sat on the other side. Don’s own team was divided as a result of this arrangement.
“Once the Grey Cup was over,” Don recalled, “we went back on to the ice and finished the match.”
Thirteen years elapsed before the Roughriders returned to the CFL’s championship game.
At the time, Judy and Don were living in Ottawa, so they purchased tickets for a Nov. 26, 1989 trophy tilt between the Roughriders and Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
They were part of a six-person travelling party that made the trip from the nation’s capital to Toronto’s SkyDome (now the Rogers Centre), where the Roughriders won 43-40 on a last-second field goal by Dave Ridgway.
“I took a Saskatchewan flag to that game,” Don remembered, “and it hasn’t been unfurled since.”
With images of Ridgway’s field goal, Kent Austin’s 474-yard passing performance and everything else dancing in their heads, Judy, Don and friends made their way back to Ottawa.
“Around 9 or 10 that night, we stopped at a Tim Hortons between Toronto and Ottawa,” Don said, “and the place was full of Rider fans.”
Sort of like the Brandt Centre on Sunday, when a “Celebrate Saskatchewan” event was held during the Brier.
Two Saskatchewan-born Roughriders players — receiver Mitch Picton and offensive lineman Logan Ferland — were on hand to chat with fans, sign autographs and pose for a succession of selfies.
“It was great to get out to the Brier and interact with the fans,” Picton said. “As usual in Saskatchewan, they were all-in when Sask was playing. Me and Ferland both had a lot of fun.
“I think they wanted a couple of curling celebrities there to come visit, because me and Logan won the Frost Week curling tournament in 2022.”
The reception was anything but frosty, especially when Picton and Ferland distributed miniature curling stones.
“People were loving the curling rocks,” Picton said on Monday. “My shoulder is sore today from throwing them out (to the fans).”
Worry not, Rider Nation. The upper-body injury is expected to heal in time for training camp.
Ditto for the eardrums of the people who sat near me during Monday’s afternoon and evening draws.
Yes, I am too chatty.
While Saskatchewan (skipped by Mike McEwen) opposed Nova Scotia (Matthew Manuel) on Monday night, I yakked on incessantly in the fine and tolerant company of Arielle Zerr (the Roughriders’ Director of Communications) and her parents (Barry and Cindy).
After talking about my dog to no end, for several ends, I deftly changed the topic and subjected all of Section 207 to a lengthy dissertation on the best demolition derby ever (Lloydminster Fair Grounds, September 1986).
While I fondly recalled the amusing sight of one maniac in a station wagon, most occupants of Section 207 silently wished that the time clock could be applied to my larynx.
Naturally, we also talked about football.
Cindy recalled the first Roughriders players she ever met — Bill Baker, Dale West and Alan Ford.
Barry noted that he attended Regina’s Central Collegiate at a time when Ron Lancaster taught and coached at the Regina high school.
I lamented, for the umpteenth time, that I was born a few years too late to recall watching Hugh Campbell play in person.
It was such an easy, breezy conversation that, before I knew it, the evening draw was over and it was time to head for the exits.
While many of the attendees made their way to the Brier Patch for post-draw refreshments and conversation, I walked over to REAL District’s other major sporting venue to dive into this column, which is suitable for framing.
While I was en route to Mosaic Stadium, not once did anyone ask if I happened to be “the parking guy.”
The identity crisis, I fear, will not soon subside.
