9/1/2007 8:59:11 PM
Labour Day

When I first arrived in Calgary and made the team, one of the first things that a fan said to me was regarding the Labour Day Classic, “I don’t care if you guys don’t win any other games all year, just beat Edmonton in the Classic!” he said. That certainly wasn’t the only time I heard that particular opinion regarding the game while I was there. Coming from the University of New Hampshire, our big rival was the University of Maine. Certainly a big rivalry in those parts, make no mistake about it, but not exactly Michigan Vs Ohio State or anything like that. I was a starter in my first year in Calgary and I can recall the veterans trying to make me understand what the magnitude of the Labour Day Classic actually was. Nothing could have prepared me for how electric the atmosphere was once I saw it firsthand.
Having played in 3 separate CFL Labour Day rivalries, I can honestly say that the battle of Alberta is my personal favorite. While the animosity is strong in both the Hamilton/Argo and the Rider/Bomber games, this Alberta matchup seems to be so deep seeded in its resentment that it is impossible not to let it seep into your own demeanor. I remember feeling that I had no quarrel with those Eskimos up north, and couldn’t see myself feeling any different about them then I did towards any other team. I was quite wrong when it was all said and done. The atmosphere that the fans create is so wild and electric that you can almost feel the pulse of the stadium flow through you. The close proximity of the two cities plays its part because it allows both sides to enjoy support on some level regardless of which team is hosting the game.
The fact that you know in the back of your mind as a player that you’ll be seeing these same guys only a few days later plays on your mind as well. Knowing that you’ll have very little time to recuperate is not something that you can allow yourself to think about during the first game or one would surely try to salvage some energy for the second battle. Competing against the same man across the line from you in such a short time becomes very personal indeed. Very much like a heated practice battle, the familiarity that develops is what true competition is all about. When all tricks and scheme is thrown out the window, because so much film has been digested. When muscle memory kicks in from so many reps against the same opponent. That’s when the battle is at its purest to me.
This two game contest could be the end-all-be-all for both teams involved. If one team could find a way to win both of these games it could catapult them to through the standings, and into the final third of the season with momentum. While losing both games could send one team spiraling out of contention, and into a gaping chasm from which the climb out may be too much to bear. If there was ever a time for the real 2007 Edmonton Eskimos to stand up and be accounted for…Gentlemen this is the day.
Prepare for greatness fellas, and it shall be yours. ©

KP8