THE RIDERS

AARON NAGY

Saskatchewan Rep

My name is Aaron Nagy. I am the Saskatchewan Roughrider rep for the 2002 season. I have volunteered for the Saskatchewan Roughriders as an usher since I was sixteen. Now I am writing for Fans of Canadian Football, giving you all the latest Rider News. If you have any questions or comments please email me at riderfan_82@yahoo.com

After a not so prosperous 2001 season the Saskatchewan Roughriders are trying to improve on their last place 6-12 season. Coming into the 2002 season the Roughriders had a big question mark surrounding their quarterbacking position. That question mark was answered when they acquired quarterback Neleon Greene from the Eskimos in a blockbuster deal which sent fan favorite running back Darren Davis, as well as Canadian offensive linemen Dan Comiskey and a second round draft pick to the Eskimos. In return the Riders got Greene and full back Simon Buffoe, Last year Greene struggled with the Eskimos and   was relieved of his quarterbacking duties by Jason Maas.

This year the Riders lost some familiar faces due to free agency. George White, Demetrious Maxie, and Scott Schultz all left to try their luck in the NFL. Jackie Mitchell also left to try the free agent market, but there are rumors that he will be back before training camp. The Saskatchewan Roughriders picked up two key free agents in the off-season, Calgary’s defensive star Ray Jacob, also lured over WR Quincy Jackson over from the Eskimo’s. Despite some departures from defense, the Riders have not lost a defensive back. They will be together now for the third year, making the Rider defense as strong as last seasons, if not stronger than they were last year.

The Roughriders have currently sold about 10,000, season tickets, which is about par for this time of year. As a special incentive if Rider fans purchase season tickets this year and next year they are guaranteed tickets for the 2003 Grey Cup game which is being held in Regina. So what are you waiting for? Get your Rider Tickets today! The Riders are in action at Taylor Field on June 14th against the Eskimos, so pack the park and show off your pride for the green and white.

The Riders this year have a lot to prove this year, as it is the third year of Roy Shivers and Danny Barrett’s three-year plan. As for me, I would just like to see the Riders be in every game, The Riders have a real chance of going at least .500 this year. Till next month, go Riders!

CITY REPS STILL NEEDED

Would you like to be a rep for fansofcanadianfootball.com?

What is a rep???

A rep is someone who will help us spread the word about the website and help increase the popularity of Canadian football.  As a rep we would ask you to submit monthly articles for the newsletter, hand out cards and pamphlets for our website at the games, take pictures and interview fans and attend training camps and practices to interview team officials and players.  We know your time is valuable to you and you go to the games to enjoy yourselves so as a rep you can choose which aspects of the website you wish to participate in and when.  Fact is we need a few contacts in each city to help us out.

What is in it for me???

We realize the work, time and effort a rep may put in and we would not let it go unrecognized.  We will provide you with personalized business cards to hand out to friends and fans in your city, we are currently designing t-shirts and golf shirts for our reps to wear and we are also working on obtaining media passes which would allow our reps access to the field and dressing rooms on game day for interviews of players and management.

If interested in helping us out and becoming at rep of fansofcanadianfootball.com e-mail us at cflfans@hotmail.com

WHO AM I?

ARGO DAVE

Toronto Rep

I chose that name because it tells you everything you need to know about me as a CFL fan.

I was created on a warm summery day at Ivor Wynne in Hamilton.

Back then I was a casual Argo fan (who had come back to the

CFL in 1991 after a 20 year lapse of Argo watching) and I thought

I would see a game in Hamilton now that we got Doug Flutie, in 96.

(The Argo teams from 92-95 were so bad I didn’t think going to Ivor

Would have been worth the trouble. And those years were lean

Financially too, but that’s another story.)

The girl at the Roar store deliberately gave me tickets in sec C

 (I think) where a bunch of Ticat season’s tix holders sat. (She told

 I thought I wouldn’t draw too much attention only wearing an Argo

 T-Shirt and hat…. no flag, jersey or foam finger.

By the time I left I was thoroughly sick of hearing “ARGOS SUCK”

after getting almost 4 hours of it shouted in my face. And I’m sure

the sausage vendor saved a particularly stale set of buns for Argo

fans; it was so bad I’ll never buy a sausage there again. Fortunately,

the flying garbage hit others around me more than it did me.

As it turned out the Ticat's QB was not having a good day and the

fans jeered him more than me towards the end of the game. After the

Argos won I got my revenge by shouting ‘Ticat’s Suck’ out the car

window as we rolled down Barton Street. And yes I received many

friendly hand gestures!

IT FELT GOOD!!

You people created a monster that day. A mad,

foaming-at-the-mouth rabid Argo fan!

Since then I’ve been a rabid Argomaniac, walking into Ivor

with my O’Shea jersey and big flag every Labor Day, into the

Valley Of Death, so to speak.

LONG LIVE THE CFL!!

My thoughts on the upcoming Argo season?

Well, obviously I’m excited over our defense; it could easily be

#2 or #1 in the league, barring injuries. I won’t argue stats with

anyone because stats can be manipulated to prove almost

anything. (Based on my number of visits to Ivor I could claim to

 be a better Ticat supporter than some professed catfans. That’s

 how ridiculous it could get)

We do still have offence questions, will Juan Johnson be any

good and will Morealle vindicate himself after the last season

he had? Can Mookie Mitchell still give us his ‘A’ game? Will

we Jenkins back for half a season or will the team find his

replacement from unknown stock? (Like they did with him?)

Will one QB candidate stand up and make the job his own?

Personally Bishop excites me yet his inexperience at the CFL

game makes me want a Vet starter, maybe Jackson, who at

least does have CFL game experience. Who knows, maybe

Bishop will take to the game quickly; maybe it will be a 3-year

project. I know I really don’t want Kemp as a starter; he’s good

but he’s had many shots and is just too inconsistent.

Will Drabinsky’s marketing plans work? Already I’ve seen more

Argo adverts than the last 4 years combined. If they fail at least

It won’t be for lack of trying.

For more info check out this link.

The official site of the Toronto Argonauts as powered by SLAM! Sports

Well, good luck to all and here’s to an exciting season!