Green ain’t the colour on Saskatchewan Roughriders’ plates

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Along with the other eight CFL teams, the Saskatchewan Roughriders got report cards this week. And they didn’t need to hide them under pillows until parents asked to see their grades.

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The Roughriders were ranked among the league’s best franchises in a survey conducted this past season by the CFL Players’ Association. Hoping to show potential free agents how prospective workplaces compare, the CFLPA also hopes its survey will “contribute to raising standards for conditions across the league.”

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A word of warning: Incoming Roughriders may want to pack their own lunches.

While the Roughriders received the only “A” awarded for football operations, plus a league-best A-minus for management/administration, their mark for nutrition and diet was a D-plus. Too much KFC or Popeyes, perhaps? And not enough broccoli, kale, spinach or other vegetables for a franchise that thrives on being green.

Most of the teams got poor grades in a category that asked about provided meals, their quality, if they were free, the availability of a club dietician, and whether nutritional supplements were available.

During a two-week period in October, 495 CFL players anonymously submitted multiple-choice, graded and open-ended answers to 58 questions in eight categories — football operations; management and administration; training and medical staff; equipment; family treatment; nutrition and diet; team travel; and training camp. The answers were compiled and translated into letter grades, like those awarded in school.

The Roughriders got Bs in the other five categories. So they’re well above average and wayyyyyyy better than the Edmonton Elks, whose new owner needs to revitalize a franchise that was graded badly during a season of management changes and poor performances.

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In two additional comments from anonymous Riders, one complained about the poor nutrition and food choices “especially at breakfast” while another said, “We need more athletic trainers, always rushed for treatment and pre-practice taping.” At least the Riders’ dietary choices were better than the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, described by one player as “cookies and goldfish and chips.”

Players from other teams didn’t particularly like their travel arrangements, having to pay for meals, the difficulty in arranging surgeries or rehab sessions and, in the case of the reigning Grey Cup-champion Toronto Argonauts, having to bus 30 minutes to and from their practice field. Calgary’s playing/practising surfaces were also criticized, but that was before McMahon Stadium announced its artificial turf would be replaced before next season.

Menus are easier to change so, if you’re in the Roughriders’ hierarchy, you should be pretty happy with the report card. How many workplaces have good bosses?

Those top-of-the-line marks mean the players truly liked first-year head coach Corey Mace and his assistants, plus they trusted general manager Jeremy O’Day and his staff.

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During this offseason, at least three Riders assistants were mentioned as candidates for other jobs — Marc Mueller (offensive co-ordinator) as B.C. Lions head coach, Joshua Bell (defensive backs) as Ottawa Redblacks defensive co-ordinator and J.C. Sherritt (linebackers) as Edmonton’s defensive co-ordinator.

Sherritt got the Elks’ job. He’s been replaced by long-time CFLer Travis Brown, plus the Roughriders added offensive assistant Josh Donnelly, who was the University of Regina Rams’ offensive co-ordinator during their conference-winning 2024 season.

With the rest of the staff remaining intact, that makes 12 coaches for the Roughriders. There had been a CFL bylaw limiting staffs to 11 coaches but, according to a spokesperson, each team can now divide its 25 football operations people any way between coaching and support staffs.

It’s a bit of a surprise that Mace is keeping his extra duties as defensive co-ordinator. Even Mace sometimes second-guessed his in-game strategies last season, wondering if he wasn’t aggressive enough on defence between decisions to punt or gamble on third downs. He still got a high grade, now with a reputation to uphold.

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