ROBSERVATIONS: Season-ticket renewal deadline looms … marvelling at the military … curling is on the calendar … remembering J.J. Barnagel

The Saskatchewan Roughriders’ final season-ticket renewal deadline arrives on Tuesday.

For the better part of a half-century, the deadline has been my cue to renew.

It all started on March 24, 1976 — the day Peyton Manning was born. So, yeah, it has been a while.

I should note, though, that I attended every home game (in the company of my sainted mother) during the 1975 CFL season.

Back then, the Roughriders’ ticket office was on Rose Street, adjacent to The Bay. On 10 occasions, I took the bus to downtown Regina for the sole purpose of buying two tickets — without using my own money, of course.

(Paying my way at age 11? Unthinkable!)

(See also: age 61.)

Then came March 24, 1976, which just happened to be Mom’s birthday. Me being me, I shamelessly asked Mom to give me a present on her birthday.

My eminently reasonable, logical and economical sales pitch: “We’re going to attend every game, anyway, so why don’t we get season tickets and save money?”

The thoughtful pleading for the expenditure of someone else’s money was expertly timed to coincide with what was then an annual televised sales blitz on CKCK (now CTV).

For four hours, beginning at 7 p.m., a live program called Target 2000 was aired on Channel 2, back in the pre-cable days.

The objective was to sell 2,000 season tickets by having people call in and place orders.

Earlier in the day, the Roughriders had announced the signings of linebacker Cleveland Vann and running back Alonzo Emery.

Vann and Emery had both played for the Southern California Sun of the short-lived World Football League (1974-75).

In 1974, Vann intercepted three passes and Emery — who was known to cover 100 yards in a blazing 9.7 seconds — scored seven touchdowns, one of which was on a 76-yard kickoff return.

Highlight reels of both players appeared on Target 2000.

Vann turned out to be a star. He was inducted into the SaskTel Plaza of Honour 24 years after joining the Green and White.

Appropriately, one of the stars of Target 2000 entered the Riders’ shrine in 2000.

Vann was enshrined alongside Dave Ridgway and Bruce Cowie, the latter of whom was the Roughriders’ volunteer president at the time Target 2000 was aired.

Mom, bless her heart, was eventually worn down after being the target of my begging.

She called the number that was flashing on the TV screen and purchased two season tickets.

We ended up being the occupants of Section 10, Row 10, Seats 9 and 10.

Fittingly, we overlooked the 10-yard line.

We were treated to a Roughriders team that finished first in the Western Conference, played host to (and won) the division final, and advanced to the 64^th Grey Cup Game.

Precious points we accrued by virtue of being season-ticket members afforded Mom the option of purchasing Grey Cup tickets. Off we went to Toronto.

I will tastefully refrain from going into too much detail about Saskatchewan versus Ottawa, Nov. 28, 1976, except to assert that the CFL final’s most outstanding defensive player was (drumroll, please) Cleveland Vann.

MARVELLING AT THE MILITARY

The Regina Armoury is conveniently located next-door to Mosaic Stadium. So, naturally, I drove from one landmark facility to the other.

In fairness to this motorist, a fence that lines George Reed Way prevents anyone except a pole vaulter from taking a direct, Point-A-to-Point-B route.

With the invaluable assistance of Google Maps, I arrived at the Armoury on Wednesday at 1:03 p.m. Upon entering the expansive building, I was greeted by Kelsey Lonie and Harvey Linnen, with whom an introductory meeting had been scheduled.

I figured it would take an hour, tops, to preliminarily touch base and establish the groundwork for documenting the Roughriders’ history as it relates to the military.

Three hours later, I was surprised that a military person was not summoned to escort me out of the building — because, honestly, I did not want to leave.

Kelsey and Harvey could not have been more generous with their time and insights during a fascinating visit that, frankly, left my weathered head spinning.

Harvey — like yours truly, an erstwhile reporter with the Regina Leader-Post — is the vice-president of the Royal United Services Institute of Regina (RUSI).

In January, the RUSI had the foresight and wisdom to hire Kelsey as its executive director and chief historian.

She embraces the accompanying role of advocating for the Saskatchewan Military Museum, located in the Armoury.

Kelsey, who in 2023 received a master’s degree in history, sported a 93-per-cent grade-point average at the University of Regina.

I, too, am a U of R graduate … and a historian! The latter title is part of my job description with the Roughriders.

Unlike Kelsey, I am not the proud owner of a master’s degree, although I did graduate with great distortion.

The grade-point averages are somewhat comparable — mine being 9.3 per cent.

Ergo, I was a little out of my element when discussing history with Kelsey, but she and Harvey were remarkably kind and patient while giving me a guided tour of the Armoury.

First stop: The drill hall.

The sheer size of the area still floors me. There is enough room for three, perhaps four, half-court basketball games to take place simultaneously.

Tucked in behind them is the museum, which is open for a portion of every Wednesday afternoon. Honestly, I didn’t know where to look, because every artifact fascinated me.

(A typewriter! I used to use a typewriter!)

From the museum, we proceeded upstairs to the library and chatted … and chatted … and chatted.

Harvey, as it turned out, worked for the L-P in the early 1970s.

His first L-P byline appeared on Page 12 on Sept. 24, 1971. My father (Alan Vanstone) was mentioned on Page 14. Nice coincidence, that.

While in the library, I marvelled at war artist Orville Fisher’s 1949 portrayal of the Royal Regina Rifles landing on Juno Beach on D-Day (June 6, 1944).

When my attention unavoidably turned to the bookshelves, I couldn’t help but notice hardcovers that were titled LANCASTER, LANCASTER, LANCASTER, LANCASTER …

Lancaster, of course, pertained to a bomber — not a quarterback.

Mind you, Ron Lancaster’s proficiency as a long bomber was such that he completed 98 passes for gains of 50-plus yards while wearing our No. 23 from 1963 to 1978.

The other Lancaster/Armoury connection: On Nov. 27, 1966, the newly crowned Grey Cup champions were welcomed back to Regina by thousands of fans who were shoe-horned into the drill hall on Elphinstone Street.

“It was chest to chest,” Mike O’Donnell told me in 2006 during an interview for West Riders Best — my book on the Roughriders’ first Grey Cup championship team. “We didn’t move and we didn’t care. There wasn’t a person without a smile on their face.”

I can relate. I was grinning from ear to ear on Wednesday afternoon and the 10,000 square feet of floor space were virtually empty.

While leaving the library, l looked at the drill hall and tried to process everything that has unfolded within those walls since the building opened in 1926.

A few days have elapsed and I am still attempting to digest it all — including the fact that so much history, and so many all-star people, are just a few first downs away from my workplace.

HAVE AN ICE DAY

The Roughriders will be well-represented on Sunday at the world men’s curling championship in Moose Jaw.

The Harvard Media Rider Cheer Team will perform in the Original 16 Patch — located in the Moose Jaw Curling Centre, adjacent to Temple Gardens Centre — from 12:30 to 1 p.m.

During the afternoon draw, which is to begin at 2 p.m., Gainer the Gopher will be conspicuous.

Roughriders players will be on hand during Sunday’s evening draw, which commences at 7 p.m. Players will engage with fans, sign autographs and hand out miniature footballs.

COMBINED EFFORTS

A highlight from last week’s CFL Combine …

One of the interested observers was 2020 Canadian Football Hall of Fame inductee John Hufnagel, who is now a special advisor and consultant to Calgary Stampeders president Jay McNeil.

Hufnagel returned to Regina, where he was once a player and assistant coach, as part of the Stampeders’ delegation for the Combine.

While leaving the AffinityPlex after one session, Hufnagel was spotted and approached by a Roughriders fan, who gleefully exclaimed “J.J. Barnagel!”

Hufnagel beamed. So did I.

Barnagel, for the uninitiated, was the Roughriders’ quarterbacking hybrid of 1981.

Hufnagel and Joe Barnes combined to throw 33 touchdown passes in 16 regular-season games while helping Saskatchewan post a 9-7 record — a tonic after back-to-back 2-14 ordeals.

In 1981, one out of eight passes completed by Hufnagel produced a touchdown.

Barnagel, if you will, helped Joey Walters enjoy the best season by any Roughriders receiver. The spectacular No. 17 caught 91 passes for 1,715 yards and 14 TDs in 16 games.

Walters’ team-record single-season yardage total has rarely been approached, let alone threatened, even though the CFL’s regular-season schedule was expanded to 18 games per team in 1986.

Of the 14 majors Walters produced in 1981, 12 resulted from passes by Hufnagel.

Just seeing one half of J.J. Barnagel at the Combine reminded me of a fabulously fun season.

Judging by one fan’s response last weekend, I wasn’t the only one who felt that way.

ROLL CREDITS …

• Nice people who deserve a plug: Craig Smith, Cathy Smith, Kelsey Lonie, Harvey Linnen, Ed Staniowski, Randy Brooks, Destiny Desjardins, Danae Christian, Cleveland Vann, John Hufnagel, Joe Barnes, Chopper Hippe, Paul LaPolice, Logan Ferland, Telia Thiemann, Barry Clarke, Dave Pettigrew, Maryse Daze-Wilson, Derrick Mann, Gene Makowsky, Gennadiy Chernov, Jeff Stusek, Seth Hundeby, Ethan Vibert, Bob Dyce, Nevin Markwart, Rod Donison, Jean Lefebvre, Claire Dore, Bob Huber, Will Egan, Dale Isaac, Kevin Gallant, Herb Beckert, Steve Meyer, Lynn Gidluck, Mike Woytowich and Pat Rediger.