It's Just A Game

   And it's played every year. There's a tradition between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers that goes back quite a while. The 2 CFL teams play back-to-back home and home games in early September. The Riders host the Bombers in the Labour Day Classic, and the Bombers host the Green and White in the so-called "Banjo Bowl".
   As in any sport, there are rivalries. As in any sport there's some ribbing between fans of the 2 teams, usually in good spirited fun as the 2 teams trade shots with each other. But this crossed the line in my view, and a lot of other fans on both sides of the football.
   A 9 year old Winnipeg boy, Taylor, was taking in his 1st ever game this past weekend after he and his mom were gifted tickets to the big contest. The boy was wearing a sweater at the game, and that's when the trouble started. It was a green sweater. Green is the colour for the Riders, and in a lot of venues outside their home turf of Mosaic Stadium, it's like waving a red flag at a bull.
   In this case, it set off Bomber fans in the stands. The boys mother says he was sworn at, told to "go home", was told "you're a Rider fan. You stink" by a small girl, and allegedly had beer poured on him. The torment continued in the parking lot, and had the boy in tears. Mon says two Rider fans "saw what was happening, a woman comes up to me and she grabs my son and gives him a hug".
   To their eternal credit, the Bomber organization dropped off a gift basket for Taylor and is inviting the family to another game.
   Again, I know about sports rivalries. I know things get "heated" in the stands. I've even heard of scuffles among fans, and even beer throwing. I'm sure it's bad enough when your an adult, but to target a 9 year old boy just because he happened to be wearing a green sweater on a cool autumn day almost smacks of bullying. And it's just a game.
   This turned into a bit of a rant. Sorry.
   Oh, yeah. The Bombers won the Banjo Bowl 17-10.

TTFN