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| Huskies OL Ryan Breadner in the halftime fog. |
Well, it is pretty
obvious what drew the most attention at Saturday’s University of Saskatchewan Huskies football game at
Griffiths Stadium.
As part of the Blackout promotion
that went along with the Canada West conference regular season football game
against the UBC Thunderbirds, the hosts fired off a spectacular fireworks
display at halftime. The show more than delighted the 5,347 onlookers in
attendance.
The festivities also created a smoke
haze that created a thick fog that hovered over the field. The teams came out
to the field only to be sent back to their dressing rooms to allow the smoke
fog to clear.
The contest eventually resumed after
what ended up being a 55-minute halftime break. The visiting Thunderbirds, who
fell 31-25, filed a complaint to conference officials.
So what does one make about the
man-made fog spectacle?
For one thing, it created an
opportunity to get some great pictures. There was also ample time to visit with
friends in the stands.
With that said, Huskies football
games have been the go-to event for decades in the City of Saskatoon. That is
still the case this season more than ever. The promotions the marketing
department creates to go along with the game nicely compliment the spectacle.
The spectators that were in the
stadium on Saturday night were quite pleased with what went on up until the end
of the fireworks show. When it became clear halftime was going to be extended,
it seemed everyone used the extra time to make a washroom break or buy
something from the concession. There was also intrigue to see how long the fog
would last.
Over the years, I have run into more
than a few former players from Canada West teams that suited up for squads that
opposed the Huskies. A common comment was that Griffiths Stadium was their
favourite place to play in the conference because of the atmosphere at games.
What happened Saturday shouldn’t be more than something just happened, because
the smoke fog was obviously not intentional.
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| The UBC Thunderbirds emerge in the halftime fog. |
Really, more concern should be paid
towards some of the strange things that occurred in the final two minutes of
the contest, which showed the officials might not have had their best finish.
The Thunderbirds managed to call
three time outs in the final two minutes. Of course, teams are only allowed two
time outs per half in Canadian amateur football.
There was also confusion around
Shane Buchanan’s fumble on his own 34 yard line with 31 seconds to play. The
officials originally ruled the Thunderbirds had the ball, which meant they
would have had a chance to march a short distance for a potential winning
score.
The UBC players were celebrating,
while the Huskies offence walked off the field looking dejected and the defence
took the field.
Several seconds later, the call was
reversed. The hosts punted the ball away, and the Thunderbirds were unable to
score on one last desperate play. The Huskies improved to 4-1, while the
Thunderbirds fell to 1-4.
When the final whistle blew, you can
be sure everyone at the contest will not forget the night man-made fog rolled
into Griffiths Stadium.
If you have any feedback on this
blog, feel free to email comments to stankssports@gmail.com.
