CFL offseason promises a lot of change
One of the great what-if questions for me in the CFL 2017 season would have been taking in the 2017 Eastern Final.
Seeing the Riders in BMO Field is on my CFL bucket list, but I have to admit I was not really expecting them to make it to Toronto a couple of weeks ago. The trick of figuring out how to work this work-wise while trying to navigate the extornist Canadian airline air fares was more than I could muster.
A few fellow Rider fans made the trip and enjoyed themselves, noting the atmosphere at BMO Field and while it might not exactly rival the feel of Mosaic Stadium, or Dollarama Stadium in Winnipeg (Where Dreams Go To Die), it was definitely real and perhaps could be compared to the buzz around an Indie Rock Band that not only landed a recording contract, but actually had a hit album.
So while some may sneer and say the CFL wanted a Toronto win to help sell the team in the GTA, the scary reality is that while Marc Trestman may not be an NFL coach, his approach to building a team culture and encouraging responsibility and accountability moves Toronto to the list of teams who now seriously contend for the Grey Cup each year.