Bring Back the Black

Bring Back the Black

Published: Thursday, Apr 20th 2023, 1:04pm

By Alex Dormuth (@RealAlexD)

 

Over the last few weeks, we’ve been subjected to new uniforms for the BC Lions and the Calgary Stampeders and it has me feeling a certain way about a certain Saskatchewan Roughriders jersey that needs to make a comeback.

 

This is my open letter to the Saskatchewan Roughriders: BRING BACK THE BLACK JERSEYS!!

 

For one night only.

 

The Riders announced their “theme” games for this year (though one could argue that 6 or 7 of them aren’t ACTUALLY themes), and it includes the Lights Out game (again, not a theme) where they turn off the lights for the pre-game ‘Bring Em Out’ and at halftime while 60% of the fans are still in the concourse. It looks cool, don’t get me wrong, but flipping a light switch is not a theme.

 

So, how do you make it a theme? Bring back these absolute beauties!

 

 

Yeah, yeah, the Riders are green and white and yes, basically every professional sports team has some sort of black alternate jerseys… but it’s time to bring back the black Rider jerseys for this one game and one game only.

 

You want to have an intimidating ‘lights out’ look pregame? They would sure help. When the Riders of the early-mid 2000s would come out at Taylor Field in the black jerseys, it amped up the crowd just a bit more. The players LOVED them. It creates that extra bit of something that just gets everyone going.

 

I remember back in 2004, the Riders made their run to the West Final (and likely SHOULD have been in the Grey Cup that year), but in that regular season run there was a game at the end of the year. A home game against a team they NEVER seemed to beat, even at home… the Montreal Alouettes. If you are the Riders and you could keep it close with them, you were doing alright that year. 

 

Well, the Riders entered that game with a record of 6-8 and they wore their black jerseys that game. I remember being up in section 27, row 34, seat 7 when Chris Szarka took a little walk out of the backfield on a play, was WIDE open and took a pass 53 yards from Henry Burris for a touchdown. THE CANUCK TRUCK! The Riders spanked the Als that night and the crowd was ELECTRIC the entire time. You will not convince me that at least some of that was because of the black jerseys.

 

 

Oh, and I haven’t even begun to talk about the merchandise opportunities here yet. Jerseys, hats, shirts, sweaters, coffee mugs, etc!! Make them a special, limited edition, whatever. Make some money here guys!

 

Don’t do it all the time, but do it once. Do it for Lights Out. Do it for the FANS!