It's getting closer. 10 days until the first exhibition game. Live football at Taylor Field!! Nothing is better. I love to watch games on TV from every league but nothing compares to being part of a loud crazy Taylor Field crowd. Game day is a long day for me. I usually start getting ready at least 3 hours before kickoff. I paint my face, put on the jersey, pants, shoes, Rider flashers, then the mohawk. Then I double check the batteries in my lights and start loading up the utility belt. The camera(with fresh batteries and spares), smokes, money, tickets, cell phone, and extra batteries for my lights all have pockets in the belt. And I have a separate small pocket inside a larger pocket just for beer tokens. Then I attach one pompom and my airhorn to the loops on the belt. When that's all done it's time to don the cape and check on the neighbours. We usually hangout with them for a little while and try to convince them to come tailgating with us. They usually lame out and stay in the backyard. With 2 hours before gametime we grab the Rider flag and make our way to the Armouries parking lot to tailgate with the riderfans.com people. You never know who will show up there. We've seen anywhere from 15-150 people there depending on the weather and the game. Sudsy and Nugsy are always there representing Saskatoon. It took those two guys driving in from Stoon every game to get the tailgates really rocking. If you ever get the chance check one out. After hanging out there for a while it's time to hit the practice field. I usually grab a pregame beer and walk through the crowd and listen to the band for a couple of songs. That's just about when everybody decides to take pictures of the freak. I never have a problem posing for pics with anybody at a game. I tried to keep track of picture requests at a game last year and ended up with between 30-50 different people asking. And that's not counting the people who just click a shot of me without them being in the pic. Lots of flash bulbs by the end of a game. But that's OK because I'm a media slut. I make it on TV at the games pretty much all the time. Probably more this year with our season tickets being front row. And I love the Maxtron and it loves me. I missed being on it one game last year. And I was the very first fan to be on the Maxtron. No matter what you might read in Terry's book "Rider Pride on the American side" available from the Rider Store in person and online. If you haven't bought that book yet hurry up and do so. It's a good read, sorta like having a conversation with Terry. He's a great guy and one hell of a Rider fan. Lots of people we know are mentioned in it, but even if you have never met any of these people the book is well written and a new perspective on Rider football. Buy it!!!
And if anybody actually reads this and knows where to buy the Prince Albert Herald in Regina let me know. They are running an interview that Nicole Josin did with me to kickoff their Rider coverage for the year. It is supposed to run on Saturday May 27. I'm looking forward to it. They are supposed to be using 4 pictures of me and my family. So my son is looking forward almost as much as me. He is a media slut in training, he has already been on the cover of the Regina Sunday Sun and the Maxtron. He has never met a camera he didn't like. And unlike me he is cute.