Calgary place to be on Labour Day

I miss Vern.
Last I knew, he was working in TV and film production. But, the first Monday in September, he always took on special duties at McMahon Stadium in Calgary.
Vern was the ringleader of devout fans who came out en masse for the Labour Day Classic between the Calgary Stampeders and the Edmonton Eskimos. He would guide the group through the gates at McMahon like a marching band leader taking his troops on to the field.
He also composed unique songs that only Stampeders fans would love. For example:


What do you do with a losing Eskimo?

What do you with a losing Eskimo?

What do you do with a losing Eskimo?

Early in the morning . . .

Put him on a bus to Winipeeeeeg!

Put him on a bus to Winipeeeeeg!

Put him on a bus to Winipeeeeeg!

Early in the morning . . .


Vern, built like a defensive end and as friendly as a car salesman, was just one of the many characters who shine away from the play as the Stamps and Esks battle in a game that often changes their respective seasons. Take a pre-game tour through McMahon Stadium's east parking lot, where tailgate parties are in full force, and you'll see sizzling burgers, flapjack flippers, a barbershop quartet, a wide range of unholy singers, face painters, painted faces, a sea of red Stamps jerseys and green and yellow-clad Eskimos fans who love to drag their flag on enemy turf.
It's hard to find the same atmosphere anywhere else in Canada on Labour Day. The Hamilton-Toronto matchup probably has a long way to go before it can live up to that level.
Vancouver, where the B.C. Lions meet the Montreal Alouettes on the Labour Day weekend, only because they are the only CFL clubs without regional rivals, does not come anywhere close. The buzz in BC Place was impressive Friday as the Lions beat the Als 19-17, especially as the crowd roared while the Als were forced to run the same third-and-one play three times because of some officiating snafu. And, the marriage proposal in the stands, near the press box, was not something you see every day.
He bowed down on one knee and gave her the ring while some other fans looked on. By the way, she said yes, wrapped her arms around him, and gave him a kiss to remember forever.The best part? It was not shown on the jumbo screen.
But the memorable moment, and a decent game, still did not compare to Calgary on Labour Day.