Friends will become foes tonight when the Saskatchewan Roughriders host the Toronto Argonauts at Mosaic Stadium. There is a lot of familiarity between the two teams entering the contest, where a Riders victory would clinch first place in the West Division. The defending Grey Cup Champion Argos and their 5-and-11 record will miss the playoffs. Riders receiver Tommy Nield spent four seasons with the boatmen but isn’t feeling for them.
"There are a bunch of guys over there; those are still some of my brothers. I played with them for four years and have those close relationships off the field. But once we step on the field, they're not my friends anymore. It's go time, and that goes for them, too. That's the game of football; you're not friends with your opponent. You're competing at that point."
That said, Nield still does communicate with his former teammates.
“There are a couple I've stayed in touch with throughout the season, just following what they're doing. It's always good to see my old teammates, who are my friends, do well, and I'm still rooting for them to do well. But when it comes to playing them, they're competitors too, and that's when your competitive edge as an athlete comes out."
You can hear tonight’s game across the 620 CKRM Cooperators Rider Broadcast Network starting at 4 with the Countdown to Kickoff.
AND that’s between the lines for Sheppard Realty in Regina. Specializing in farm and ranch real estate in Saskatchewan. Call Harry, Justin or Devan at 352-18-66.
