The good news is that Nathan Rourke is back where he should be, which is in that QB position for the Lions. Rourke made quite the comeback after it was thought that he would be missing the entirety of the season due to an injury he suffered back in August.
But no, the young Mr. Rourke had surgery, recovered, went through grueling work to return, and he did, in record time I might add. And no, the first game back did not go as well as planned. It was last week of course that they would face the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and fall to a team that they did defeat just a few short weeks before.
Bad omen? If this were a horror movie from the long lost eighties cinematic era, perhaps, but this is sports, dear readers, and as I’ve written before in sports, anything is possible. As per a report at sportsnet.ca, the Lions do not have a chance to even make it to the West Division final in which they’d be heading up once again against the Blue Bombers.
Of course they have the Calgary Stampeders to deal with, and as stated above, the Stampeders are the favorite to win, according to many. They’ve been on one heck of a run as of late and are doing very well, and they have tons of momentum, which of course helps, but can they take the spot that Lions fans have been looking at all season as a dream spot for their team?
That’s the $64,000 question here, folks; one that sadly I cannot answer. Time will tell, but you really weren’t reading this to get the answer—a spoiler—to Sunday’s game, now were you? I wish I could tell you, but I’m no soothsayer, just a lowly scribe.
But if I were playing Gandalf the Grey for a second, I could predict the future a smidge and tell you all something big that’s bound to happen tomorrow…. Are you ready? Here goes…let me see…I see people…thousands of people in my crystal ball…maybe even, I don’t know, 40,000 people!
Okay, okay, I’ll get to the point. The projected number of fans at the game at BC Place is expected to exceed numbers they haven’t hit in a decade, so it’s pretty big news after all…at least worthy of a write up, I’ll say.
About the news, BC Lions owner, Amar Doman, had this to say:
“The lower bowl’s gone and we’re into the upper, which is fantastic…This playoff game is probably going to be the most attended out of any game we’ve had [during my ownership]…We’re trying to keep everything cost effective for the families to really be able to come to a game and enjoy a night out and not feel bad or worried about it…
In these inflationary times we’re in, I’m trying to hold everything down for our great fan-base…The crowd is building. I’m really excited because if we can get an extra edge, drowning out the Calgary offence. I’ll tell you what, that matters in football… Let’s try and drown these guys out.”
via Daily Hive
A major reason for this crowd many believe is Nathan Rourke himself. He’s brought a lot of eyes to the team and a lot of interest, or at least broadened interest. The proof is in the pudding, as they say, and records do not lie.
In the sport or branch of entertainment known as professional wrestling, bringing eyes to the product and selling merchandise is a key reason if an individual is pushed to be at the top of the business.
I can’t help but think of that here in this instance…looking back at Nathan Rourke’s whole season…the epic record breaking start, the fall to injury, the comeback…all that’s left to do is help bring the Lions to a West Division final…something many are saying isn’t likely.
I’d like to add a chorus in opposition. I started this piece by saying anything is possible in sports, and it is, especially when you have someone as driven as that young man right there, and a team and coaching staff that support him. Game is set to go down Sunday, November 6th at 4:30 PM EST.
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