It would be fair to say that I am a huge fan of the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Like most Rider fans, I live and die with the fortunes of the team. I am pleased to report that I have made some progress getting over the loss to Calgary in the 1970 Western Final.
With any luck, I should have my anger issues from that game under control by 2020 at the latest.
But I have evolved in one critical area during the last 40 years: I can now recognize the talent of players on other teams.
In a weird way, I could be classified as a fan of players from other teams, even if I retain a deep-rooted dislike of the other teams.
So this column is my open admission of CFL players that I personally like from a fan’s point of view.
These are guys who play for teams other than the Riders that I can actually enjoy as long as their efforts do not harm the ultimate success of Saskatchewan.
My first pick is public enemy number one in Rider world.
Calgary Stampeder quarterback Henry Burris last played as a Roughrider in 2004. Time has not healed the wounds for most Rider fans, but I still like Hank.
He is actually a good fit in Calgary because he has managed to compete with Jarome Iginla as one of the most recognized sports figures in the city.
That is no mean feat when one considers how the Flames have managed to bury the Stamps in the hearts and minds of Calgary sports fans.
The fact that Henry is a very personable guy who has given a lot of his free time to charity events has helped a lot.
Henry is good for the Stamps and even better for the league as a goodwill ambassador.
I also like Edmonton Eskimo quarterback Ricky Ray.
He plays for my least favorite team, but then Henry Burris plays for my second least favorite team.
Lately Eskimo fans have made Ricky their least favorite quarterback, but the guy is a winner, as in two Grey Cups kind of winner.
Nobody can ever take those championships away from Ricky and he is capable of more Grey Cups, but maybe not in Edmonton.
I like Montreal quarterback Anthony Calvillo.
He and Ray are both cool under fire, but they have a white hot fire in their bellies.
AC may even break Damon Allen’s passing records, if time and good health allow him.
Put Montreal receiver Ben Cahoon on my list.
He should have been too small and slow to play pro football, but nobody told him. He is a consummate professional on the field, so he resists the urge to act like a jackass after a touchdown.
Geroy Simon may seem like an odd addition to my list, but I have always appreciated that the guy was an instant game-changer on the field.
He was the kind of guy that could get open and get you 80-plus yards in a hurry.
The celebratory Superman touchdown pose was for his son, so I can almost live with it.
There are plenty of non-Rider players that make my A-list. Again, just not when they play the Riders.
Jim Sutherland is a local freelance writer whose columns appear on Tuesdays and Fridays. He can be reached at mystarcollectorcar.com