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For current information on this topic, see 2008 Saskatchewan Roughriders season |
| Saskatchewan Roughriders | |
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| Founded | 1910 |
| Based in |  Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Home field | Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field |
| League | Canadian Football League |
| Division | West Division |
| Colours | Kelly green, white, black and silver |
| Nickname(s) | Riders, Roughies, the Green and White |
| Head coach | Ken Miller |
| General manager | Eric Tillman |
| Owner(s) | Community owned |
| Grey Cup wins | 1966, 1989, 2007 |
| Mascot(s) | Gainer the Gopher |
| Website | www.saskriders.com |
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a Canadian Football League team based in Regina, Saskatchewan, founded in 1910. They play their home games at Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field. The team draws fans from across the province and country who are affectionately known as the "Rider Nation". The fans are known for their loyalty and "Rider Pride", and it is not odd to find a group of Rider fans following the team on their road games across the country. The Roughriders play in the CFL's West Division.
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Team facts
- Formerly known as: Regina Rugby Club 1910 to 1923, Regina Roughriders 1924 to 1947
- Helmet design: Green helmet with a black and white "S" and stalks of wheat on each side with a black background. Prior to 2008 they had silver and green stripes behind the "S" like yard lines from a football field.
- Retro helmet design: Green helmet with logo of a green wreath surrounding a green S on a white background
- Uniform colours: Forest green and white with black and silver accents
- Nickname: Riders
- Western regular season championships: 6—1951, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1976
- Grey Cup final appearances: 16;—1923 (lost), 1928 (lost), 1929 (lost), 1930 (lost), 1931 (lost), 1932 (lost), 1934 (lost), 1951 (lost), 1966 (won), 1967 (lost), 1969 (lost), 1972 (lost), 1976 (lost), 1989 (won), 1997 (lost), 2007 (won)
- Hosted the Grey Cup two times: 1995 (83rd Grey Cup), 2003 (91st Grey Cup)
- Main rivals: Winnipeg Blue Bombers (see Labour Day Classic and Banjo Bowl); Edmonton Eskimos, Calgary Stampeders, BC Lions
- 2008 regular season record: 12 wins, 6 losses, 0 ties. 24 points
Franchise history
The team was founded as the Regina Rugby Club in 1910. They changed their name to the Regina Roughriders in 1924 and officially to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1948, the same year the team changed their team colours from red and black to green and white. The formation of what became the CFL brought them into the same league as the similarly named, but differently spelled, Ottawa Rough Riders. The Ottawa team was named for the log rollers of the region's rivers. The presence of two teams whose names were pronounced the same in one league came about only when two leagues merged, and the teams were reluctant to change (and allowed to keep) their established nicknames.
Tragedy
The Roughriders' darkest day came in 1956 when four members of the team were killed in a plane crash while returning from the CFL All-Star game in Vancouver. Gordon Sturtridge, Mel Beckett, Ray Syrnyk, and Mario DeMarco were killed when Flight 810 crashed into Slesse Mountain near Chilliwack, British Columbia. The team retired the numbers of the four players shortly after the tragedy.
Grey Cup championships
The franchise has won three Grey Cup championships; a 29–14 victory over the now-defunct Ottawa Rough Riders in 1966, a 43–40 victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1989 and also a 23–19 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2007. Four times, the Roughriders and (Ottawa) Rough Riders met in Grey Cup finals, prompting joking predictions from sportswriters that 'the Riders' would win it all. Led by Hall of Fame quarterback Ron Lancaster, a string of 11 straight appearances in the Western finals 1966–76 remains a CFL record. The Roughriders also posted the best regular season record in all of pro football over that time period. [1]
2007 season
In the 2007 season, the Riders jumped out to a 7–2 start, their best since 1976. Notable was a last-minute victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the annual Labour Day Classic. The Riders wore retro uniforms for the first time and their helmets harkening back to their glory days.
The 2007 season brought along with it the Roughriders' first home playoff game since 1988, which was played at Mosaic Stadium on November 11 against the Calgary Stampeders. The Riders once again wore their retro uniforms and took a close victory 26–24. this was also their first home playoff win since 1976.
The team followed up on November 18 with a 26–17 win at BC Place over the BC Lions in the West Division final to give the Roughriders a berth in their first Grey Cup final since 1997.
On November 25, 2007, the Riders played the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 95th Grey Cup. This marked the first time that two Labour Day Classic opponents played each other in a Grey Cup game. Saskatchewan won 23–19 in a game where James Johnson recorded three interceptions. He was named MVP of the 2007 Grey Cup, with Roughrider Andy Fantuz being named the Canadian MVP in the game. He had 70 yards receiving and the game-winning touchdown.
2008 season
A month and a half after capturing the 2007 Grey Cup, Kent Austin stepped down as head coach to become the offensive co-ordinator at Ole Miss. In accepting this position in the NCAA, Austin turned down a very lucrative contract that the Riders had offered. On February 6, 2008, Eric Tillman announced that the new head coach would be Ken Miller. Miller was formerly an offensive coordinator under Austin.
On April 5, 2008, a report was released saying that the Roughriders set a new record for earnings in a single season. In 2007 the Roughriders generated $22,950,489 in revenue, with a profit of $1,737,377. These earnings were due in part to the championship season the Roughriders sported, which included 8 home game sellouts and their first home playoff game in 19 years.
The 2008 season began with a 6–0 record with wins shared between three quarterbacks. This is the team's best record since 1934 when they were still known as the Regina Roughriders. This was despite suffering 6 broken legs and a total of 18 injuries.
On August 24, 2008, the team's General Manager, Eric Tillman, announced the acquisition of Michael Bishop; the Toronto Argonaut backup quarterback at the time of the trade, he went 11–1 as a starter for the Argonauts in 2007. As predicted, this was the end of Marcus Crandell's run with the Roughriders, who released him four days later.
A devestating 33–12 loss to the BC Lions in the western semi-final game on November 8, 2008, caused the Roughriders to announce that Michael Bishop had played his last game with the green and white.
Mascots
The Roughriders have had various mascots over the years. During the 1980s, an unofficial mascot for the Roughriders was a man known as "The Flame. Each time the Roughriders scored, a 12-to-15-foot flame would shoot up from his helmet. The current official Rider mascot is Gainer the Gopher.
Players of note
Current roster
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Saskatchewan Roughriders roster
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| Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Slotbacks
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Offensive Linemen
Defensive Linemen
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Linebackers
Defensive Backs
Special Teams
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Reserve List
Developmental Squad Injured Lists
Suspended List
Italics indicate Import player |
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Canadian Football Hall of Famers
- Ron Atchison
- Roger Aldag
- Bill Baker
- Al Benecick
- "Gluey" Hugh Campbell
- Ken Charlton
- Bill Clarke
- Ray Elgaard
- Edwin "Eddie" "Dynamite" James
- Bobby Jurasin
- Ron Lancaster
- Ed McQuarters
- George Reed
- Dave Ridgway
- Martin Ruby
- N. J. "Piffles" Taylor
- Ted Urness
Retired numbers
- 23 Ron Lancaster
- 34 George Reed
- 36 Dave Ridgway
- 40 Mel Beckett
- 44 Roger Aldag
- 55 Mario DeMarco
- 56 Ray Syrnyk
- 73 Gordon Sturtridge
Recent regular season and playoff results
The 1990s
Legend:
F = For, A = Against
| Season | Coach | Won | Lost | Tied | Points | F | A | Home | Away | Division | Standing | Playoff Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | John Gregory | 9 | 9 | 0 | 18 | 557 | 592 | - | - | 4–6 | 3rd | Lost West Semi-Final 43–27 to Edmonton |
| 1991 | Gregory/Matthews | 6 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 606 | 710 | - | - | 3–7 | 4th | Missed Playoffs |
| 1992 | Don Matthews | 9 | 9 | 0 | 18 | 505 | 545 | - | - | 6–4 | 3rd | Lost West Semi-Final 22–20 to Edmonton |
| 1993 | Don Matthews | 11 | 7 | 0 | 22 | 511 | 495 | - | - | 5–5 | 3rd | Lost West Semi-Final 51–13 to Edmonton |
| 1994 | Matthews/Jauch | 11 | 7 | 0 | 22 | 512 | 454 | - | - | 4–6 | 4th | Lost West Semi-Final 36–3 to Calgary |
| 1995* | Ray Jauch | 6 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 422 | 451 | - | - | 5–7 | 6th* | Missed Playoffs |
| 1996 | Jim Daley | 5 | 13 | 0 | 10 | 360 | 498 | - | - | 3–7 | 4th | Missed Playoffs |
| 1997 | Jim Daley | 8 | 10 | 0 | 16 | 413 | 479 | - | - | 5–5 | 3rd | Won West Semi-Final 33–30 over Calgary
Won West Final 31–30 over Edmonton Lost Grey Cup 47–23 to Toronto |
| 1998 | Jim Daley | 5 | 13 | 0 | 10 | 411 | 525 | 4–5 | 1–8 | 2–8 | 4th | Missed Playoffs |
| 1999 | Cal Murphy | 3 | 15 | 0 | 6 | 370 | 592 | 3–6 | 0–9 | 1–9 | 4th | Missed Playoffs |
| Totals | - | 73 | 107 | 0 | 146 | 4667 | 5341 | - | - | - | - | - |
* For the 1995 Season, all 8 Canadian teams were featured in the Northern Division.
The Danny Barrett era
| Season | Won | Lost | Tied | Points* | F | A | Home | Away | Division | Standing | Playoff Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 5 | 12 | 1 | 11 | 516 | 626 | 2–6–1 | 3–6 | 3–6–1 | 4th | Missed Playoffs |
| 2001 | 6 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 308 | 416 | 2–7 | 4–5 | 3–7 | 4th | Missed Playoffs |
| 2002 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 18* | 435 | 393 | 7–2 | 1–8 | 4–6 | 4th | Crossover: Lost East Semi-Final 24–14 to Toronto |
| 2003 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 22 | 535 | 430 | 7–2 | 4–5 | 7–3 | 3rd | Won West Semi-Final 37–21 over Winnipeg
Lost West Final 30–23 to Edmonton |
| 2004 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 18 | 476 | 444 | 6–3 | 3–6 | 4–6 | 3rd | Won West Semi-Final 14–6 over Edmonton
Lost West Final 27–25 to B.C. in OT |
| 2005 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 18 | 441 | 433 | 5–4 | 4–5 | 6–4 | 4th | Crossover: Lost East Semi-Final 30–14 to Montreal |
| 2006 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 18 | 465 | 434 | 6–3 | 3–6 | 4–6 | 3rd | Won West Semi-Final 30–21 over Calgary
Lost West Final 45–18 to B.C. |
| Totals | 57 | 68 | 1 | 117* | 3176 | 3176 | 35–27–1 | 22–41 | 31–38–1 | - | - |
* From 2000–2002, the CFL awarded a single point to teams losing in overtime. The Riders had two such losses during the 2002 season.
The Post-Barrett Era
| Season | Coach | Won | Lost | Tied | Points | F | A | Home | Away | Division | Standing | Playoff Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Kent Austin | 12 | 6 | 0 | 24 | 517 | 393 | 6–3 | 6–3 | 6–4 | 2nd | Won West Semi-Final 26–24 over Calgary
Won West Final 26–17 over B.C. Won Grey Cup 23–19 over Winnipeg |
| 2008 | Ken Miller | 12 | 6 | 0 | 24 | 500 | 471 | 7–2 | 5–4 | 5–5 | 2nd | Lost West Semi-Final 33–12 to B.C. |
| Totals | - | 24 | 12 | 0 | 48 | 1017 | 864 | 13–5 | 11–7 | 11–9 | -- | -- |
See also
External links
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