Courtesy Calgary Herald:

Rider Nation Goes Home:

A caravan of green is rumbling eastward from Calgary on the Trans-Canada Highway this morning.

Its members who bump into each other on bathroom breaks in Medicine Hat and gas stops in Swift Current are easy to pick out.

Some might wear watermelons. But the glimmer of hope that has fed Saskatchewan Roughriders fans near and far for years is the true unifier.

As fans make the road trip — for which many have waited nearly two decades — that hope is ready to burst out, finally, in full force. The call is out.

Members of ‘Rider Nation — come home.

“We’re hitting the road early (this morning) so we can make the rounds in Regina,” said Govind Achyuthan, 39, who’s piling into his silver Nissan Altima with two other Calgary pals to tear up the highway to Regina for the Stamps-’Riders playoff tilt at Mosaic Stadium on Sunday.

Sure, Stamps fans are trekking down to support their team.

But their red jerseys will have to fight through the waves of green expected to flood the stands at Regina’s Mosaic Stadium.

The 28,000 tickets to see the Roughriders first playoff game on the hallowed home turf in 19 years sold out within half an hour.

“There was going to be a huge crowd of us going out,” said disappointed Stamps diehard Dale Johnson, 29.

He and four friends had planned a rip-up roadtrip to Regina in an ‘89 Lincoln limo. Despite best efforts to secure tickets, they’ll spend game day at home on the couch in front of the TV or in a Calgary sportsbar.

“I blame Saskatchewan. Their team is all they’ve got,” joked Johnson.

Having taken in a few games at Mosaic Stadium in the past, he’s envious of the thousands of fans who’ll experience the playoff match first hand. “The atmosphere in Regina is phenomenal.”

The power of green pride is the stuff of legends in these parts.

Indeed, the two blood sports of Saskatchewan have dominated headlines in recent weeks. After voters turfed the 16-year NDP government in favour of the centre-right Saskatchewan Party, the dust is starting to settle on this week’s election.

Now it’s football fever alone that’s gripping the province.

A giant cabaret is planned for tonight at the Agribition Building to ramp up the hype to fever pitch. Sports bars across the city are preparing for bank-busting crowds.

Game day kicks off with the Playoff Pep Rally at the Agribition Building, featuring a concert by the Poverty Plainsmen and that mischievous mascot, Gainer the Gopher. The ‘Riders Pep Band will lead the psyched up crowd to Mosaic Stadium for the moment they’ve all waited for - kick off.

And the hometown crowd, infamous for it’s frenzied passion for the team, will be joined by droves of greenies from afar.

For decades, the population of the Land of the Living Skies has streamed outwards in search of greener pastures. But as any ‘Rider fan will explain, they may have left the province but they’ve never left the Nation.

Season ticket holder Achyuthan has missed just one game at Mosaic Stadium, flying, driving and carpooling from Calgary to make the matches.

“When people talk about supporting their team, I realized I should put my money behind the Riders,” said Achyuthan.

Bringing fans home for football, it seems, is easy. Keeping them here is another matter.

Saskatchewan top brass put out heartfelt pleas this year, beckoning long lost children home with promise of a thriving economy and quality of life.

“It would have to take a multi-million dollar offer for me to go back,” said Calgarian Ron Taylor, who plans to take in the game from his seats on the 40 yard line.

With his wife, his job, and his two homes back West, “I’m just here for the game,” said Taylor, a former Saskatchewan Social Club of Calgary president who moved from Regina in 1992.

Achyuthan admits returning home for good has crossed his mind, but says work-wise it’s not practical right now.

This weekend, he’s just pumped to join forces with ‘Rider fans who stretch from border to border across Saskatchewan.

With so much pressure on the team (an 18-year Grey Cup win drought) he’s leery about looking ahead to the Western final scheduled for the winner next week against the B.C. Lions for fear of jinxing the team.

Though he can’t help himself from adding, “I totally expect to play well and win.”