All it took was one playoff game for Connie Fekete to be hooked.
And her trademark red wig, that is.
Previously an occasional spectator at Stampeders games after arriving to Calgary in 1994 from her native Newfoundland via Sparwood, B.C., Fekete was quick to recall her fondest post-season memory at McMahon Stadium.
“Well, I think the first playoff game that I ever saw, which was the 2008 Western Final,” explained Fekete, who together with friends Tanya and Belinda comprise the triple-threat of diehard Stamps fans affectionately known as Trio Grande. “That was the first game I ever wore my crazy red wig to, so it kind of sticks in my head as the start of my madness.”
The home team reaped the benefits of a sold-out crowd that November afternoon, securing a 22-18 win over the third-place Lions. Quarterbacked by Henry Burris, the Stamps were led defensively by then-rookies Brandon Smith and Charleston Hughes, still both valuable contributors to the Red and White in 2016 as heavily relied-upon veterans.
“There’s two things (that stand out from that game),” Fekete recalled. “One of them is the first touchdown that Ken-Yen Rambo got. It felt like it was so long before they scored in that game, and so watching him with the big run – and it was a long pass to the end zone – was really exciting. The other thing was when there were just a few seconds left on the clock and Hank (Henry Burris) threw the ball up into the stands, but he didn’t wait quite long enough, so when the ball went out of bounds, there was still actually a second left on the clock. So BC got possession of the ball and for that one second it was like, ‘Oh my god, if they score they’re going to win the game.’ ”
Calgary carried that momentum into Montreal seven days later and left with the Grey Cup in tow, defeating the hometown Alouettes 22-14. Six years later, the Stamps’ championship in 2014 followed a similar script as the Stampeders embarked on their playoff journey by hosting – and winning – another Western Final.
To those still wavering about attending this time around, Fekete wants you to be there and knows first-hand the importance of taking in this year’s Western Final while witnessing the record-breaking squad for one final time at McMahon.
“You can’t manufacture the type of electricity that’s in the stadium when you’re watching on TV,” explained the Section-E fanatic. “You win or you’re done, and you can see the guys feeding off the energy from the fans. And you might not know their names, but you get to know the people that you sit with. Different sections have their own shared little rituals that they do and getting that connection with somebody and being part of that huge football family just shrinks everything down so tight. You just can’t get that on TV.”
You can bet Fekete and her customary red wig will be there on Nov. 20 when the Stamps will look to win one more to complete a 10-0 record at home and thus qualify to compete for Grey Cup glory once again.
“I am very excited.”
Be at McMahon on Sunday, Nov. 20 and create one more memory. Kickoff is at 2:30 p.m.