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Mixed feelings in Rider Nation as Cody Fajardo leads the Montreal Alouettes to a Grey Cup victory

Montreal Alouettes quarterback Cody Fajardo (7) hoists the Grey Cup as fullback Alexandre Gagne (34) looks on as the Alouettes celebrate defeating the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 110th CFL Grey Cup in Hamilton, Ont., on Sunday, November 19, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

Just one season after quarterback Cody Fajardo was let go by the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Fajardo is now a Grey Cup champion and Grey Cup MVP.

On Sunday, Fajardo led the Montreal Alouettes to a last-minute victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, winning the Grey Cup in electric fashion 28-24.

But now that Fajardo is not only champion, but the best player in the leagues toughest game, fans of the Roughriders can only watch from afar.

“It’s just typical Riders,” Roughrider fan Dylan Earis said. “Another player goes to another team after they exchange a green jersey, and they end up winning the Grey Cup.

“It never seems to happen here, not a lot anyway.”

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For others, questions on whether or not the Riders made the right decision quickly formed.

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“Your team could be good or bad and the quarterback can always be blamed right?” Rider fan Kyla Ortman said.

“I think the Riders needed to show that yeah it was Fajardo’s fault and that’s why we got rid of him, and Jason Maas didn’t know how to call a game, so we got rid of him, but now what?”

Ortman said it was a bittersweet moment watching Fajardo etch his name in history.

“I’m excited for him in the sense of when you are in a low in sports and you think people don’t really believe in you and then you’ve gotta work for yourself to prove that you deserve to be at the level you’re at,” she said.

And to make matters worse, not only did Fajardo win the Grey Cup, but the Riders didn’t even make the playoffs.

That’s something that caused the team to fire head coach Craig Dickenson. And now that the off-season is here, the Riders’ first order of business will be to fill the position in hopes of winning a Grey Cup, just like their former quarterback.

Click to play video: 'Alouettes return to Montreal with Grey Cup after pulling off upset win against Winnipeg Blue Bombers'
Alouettes return to Montreal with Grey Cup after pulling off upset win against Winnipeg Blue Bombers

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