GREY CUP 101 (part three) CELEBRATION

So the final play ended and it was time for what the media called the Riders "coronation" (which is crap because we did actually have to, you know, PLAY and stuff to get 45 points--plus the fans managed to scream so loud that Henry Burris missed a snap--you think that just happened all accidental???).

At the running out of the clock, the team streamed out on the field. Security also swarmed out on the field to keep the fans off. Which completely sucked and was lame, and it's not like we didn't try to get out there. We helped win that game dammit! 2013 was the year the 13th man worked for good. And helped BEAT KENT AUSTIN.

But some of the players did come to us. Dwight Anderson ran around the field with a Riders flag. 

Tyron Brackenridge and Diamond Ferri also came all around the stadium. I was about to take a pickshur when some MORON stepped right in front of me so I only have the back of Tyron Brackenridge.

Tyron + MORON.

 While a few people left, most of us hung around to see the awards handed out, and the cup presented. We wanted to see, in the twilight of Taylor Field's lifespan, the final cup ever presented in it handed to a ROUGHRIDER.

Kory Sheets, game MVP.

Chris Getzlaf, Regina boy and most valuable Canadian.  He got a lot of flack afterwards for insisting on wearing his cap Fresh Prince style. 

Presentation of the Cup! #BlameDarian

My fave pic is this one posted by the team taken at the same time of Dressler with his arms up but too little to reach the cup. lol. 

All of the screens of course immediately lit up with "101 Grey Cup Champions" but this one included all the championship years, which as I said previously, were ALL legendary WINS.

 Meanwhile, the fans who watched at home were already making their way to Vic and Albert and the "Green Mile"--Albert street from Dewdney to the Leg, so dubbed in 07 when we last won. Did not see any evidence of Tom Hanks turning up down there, but then again there were a crap tonne of people, so maybe he did.

As we left the field we saw green and white fireworks being let off from the top of City Hall. 

...And the lights on every side lit up to make an "S". 

Half the city converged on the green mile, which was shut down from 12th to 14th for close to three hours before the police started making the revelers move along. 

Someone took a pic of the green mile from above, in which you can see the corner of Vic and Albert with the stadium in the background. This has gone viral on facebook (don't know who the original photographer is but the pic is too great not to post): 

It took a good half an hour to walk the 6 blocks to home, but no one minded. It was all partying and elation with several thousand best friends and no destruction of property....Regina FTW! Although some MORON actually tried to get past the police barricades from Albert to Vic. MORON. 

Many people phoned in sick on Monday or likely wished they could. 

On Tuesday the Green Mile was the scene of the Grey Cup parade, where the cup and the players made a trip down Albert to the Leg for a presentation. I didn't go to the presentation because it was at one and I worked both the night before and the night after, but I did stay up until 11 to cheer on the Riders as they rode victorious through the heart of the city. This is why it's awesome to live downtown btw even if the parking sucks. 

Parade making it's way down Albert. The players were in two flatbed trucks, which reminded me of a lot of parades in Saskatchewan where grain haulers make particularly good parade vehicles and  no one sees a problem with this. 

 Draft horses pulled the lead vehicle (and yes the one has ice on its coat--it didn't feel THAT cold to me but apparently it was) which carried the precious cargo...

They had the players in two trucks. It would appear the first was offence and the second defence. I was too busy trying to recognize players to take a pic of the first truck, but when I saw DD I thought about yelling "IT'S DARIAN'S FAULT". I thought better of it because of the close proximity of mama's hitting arm. She hits hard. I think it would have made him smile though. 

I did get a pic of the second truck though. 

And one of John Chick, whose name mem should not make fun of because he could snap mem in half with like a frickin twig. 

The parade carried on to the leg, with fans following in the wake of the team. They then did presentations, pictures of which were posted to the Riders FB page, while I went to sleep for work that night. Many of the players went home afterward, some were likely not to return. But at least they gave Regina one of the best weeks EVER.