Air quality concerns in Regina forced the Saskatchewan Roughriders to move last week’s Friday Night Football matchup against the Calgary Stampeders to Saturday afternoon.
Rumours that the smoke would complicate things began swirling on Friday afternoon, and no further updates into the evening led to business as usual before the game — fans entering the gates, going to their seats, and waiting for a 7:00 PM kickoff that never came.
The first rescheduling attempt slated kickoff for 7:45 PM. When that didn't happen, the goalposts kept moving, the CFL's last-ditch attempt at playing the game being an 11:15 PM kickoff that would have taken the league's Week 6 opener well into early Saturday morning.
The call to postpone the game to Saturday was officially made at 10:45 PM, leaving fans frustrated and disappointed, though the Roughriders did honour the game ticket with a voucher for a future game, season ticket holders being given a $50 voucher for the store.
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If it makes the fans feel any better, the players were just as out of the loop.
Roughriders' offensive lineman Logan Ferland phoned in Wednesday morning and gave us a perspective from inside the Roughriders locker room.
"You really just try to stay cool, and calm," said Ferland. "Because you get the pre-game hype like you normally would, but then find out it's delayed, now all the adrenaline has to be held back, if it's not used already."
Everybody is different how they pass the time during a delay, TSN cameras catching one player laying belly down in the locker room watching highlights on his phone.
Not much different than the fans, Ferland shared his go to move when all you can do is wait.
"The only way to do that for me is chill out, go on my phone... Scroll Instagram."
Between the memes, Ferland said it's conversations with teammates and going over the gameplan, keeping family informed, and anything else that can help the players keep loose and stay ready.
Staying rigid mentally is one thing, but Ferland also made sure to mention how they keep things prime physically.
"One of the biggest issues we have is nutrition. Guys aren't prepared to be needing supper.... You are expecting to play during that time, but now you have to refuel."
Oatmeal, smoothies, and any extra fuel the staff could find helped keep the stable of athletes fed.
"The team did a great job having our back that way," complimented Ferland. "That is one of the bigger things that throws off a lot of timing in the locker room."
Over in the visitors' locker room the Stampeders were under the same conditions, waiting it out and not leaving the stadium until nearly midnight.
A few snacks may have been funneled to the opposing locker room, but once the Mosaic Stadium doors locked, one thing Ferland and the Roughriders had over their Calgary counterparts was the ability to sleep in their own bed.
"They definitely had the disadvantage in that case," said Ferland on their Week 6 opponents, as hotel rooms in Regina were almost fully booked up thanks to the nearby Country Thunder Music Festival, forcing a majority of the Stampeders to go back to their school days and dorm up at the University of Regina.
Perhaps playing angry after their bunk bed sleep, the Stampeders fired on all cylinders Saturday for a dominating 24-10 win.
"Hats off to them for coming out and playing the way they did. We did not play the way we should have, and obviously that reflected in the score."
No excuse for the team's performance, Ferland admittedly didn't have a great sleep himself.
But he still can't help but wonder what would have happened if the teams kicked off under the lights with all the pent-up energy.
"Your adrenaline is still going; you almost want to have played that game by then. Now you have to be ready in the morning, be there a lot earlier than we normally would have, for a 2 o'clock game, so just throws all the timing off."
"Clearly (Calgary) was prepared for it in some way or another, and they came out."
The real MVP Friday night were the fans who stayed through it all.
Many left the stadium questioning how things could have been handled better from a communication standpoint, and Ferland shared a message to any fans who felt slighted.
"I know if I were a fan, and I was there on my own time to have a good time, then I would not be having a good time during that situation."
It's an understandably upsetting situation, but Ferland wants people to know it was a decision left out of their hands in the name of safety.
"We wanted that just as much as you guys," he said. "Obviously, we want to stay healthy and be safe around that situation as well. It's going to be what is best for both worlds, and unfortunately it was something uncontrollable. It is what it is."
As the 4-1 Roughriders head to BC Place for their Week 7 matchup with the 3-3 Lions, they’ll get a break from the smoky conditions back home.
Regina has two weeks to clear the air before Saskatchewan returns for their next home game on July 25 against Edmonton.