An onslaught of monetary penalties handed down by the Canadian Football League (CFL) to the Saskatchewan Roughriders has been the talk of the national football community.
First, a $15,000 fine was handed down Aug. 3 for failing to comply with the national-international ratio.
Next, a whopping $60,000 fine on Aug. 11 for roster violations.
READ MORE: Saskatchewan Roughriders fined $60K for CFL roster violations
Most recently, the Riders found themselves on the hook for a $5,000 fine after standing on the Calgary Stampeders midfield logo during team introductions at an away game on Aug. 4.
The barrage of fines has members of Riders Nation wondering aloud whether or not their team — the wealthiest in the league — is being unfairly targeted.
“I find it a little concerning that all the heat is coming on the Riders,” Riders fan Jared McLeod said.
“Maybe [the CFL is] trying to teach the Roughriders a lesson,” Toby Kelsch echoed.
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Others hope the $80,000 in fines will encourage the organization to keep a closer eye on the rules.
“We did some things we’re not supposed to do and we got caught. So we’ve got to stop doing it,” football fan Nathan Diehl said.
“I’m a little troubled by the fines but I think they’ve learned their lesson,” Donna Kriekle added.
At practice Tuesday, Riders head coach Chris Jones appeared ready to move forward, and responded with humour to a question about his team receiving more scrutiny than others.
“Some people have brought that to my attention that other teams have done some things and maybe it goes unnoticed,” he said.
“The league does what they do. I’m not going to sit here and comment negatively and have them fine us again because that’s exactly what’ll happen,” Jones added jokingly.
Impact on the rest of the league
Sports editor for the Regina Leader-Post, Rob Vanstone, said the torrent of fines aimed at the Riders is something he has never seen before and could be a sign of things to come league-wide.
“Now that they’ve penalized the Riders from a point of fairness. I think they have to treat every team equally,” he said.
“I think everyone is going to be questioning their practices just to make sure that they don’t run afoul of the regulations now that it seems there’s more attention being paid to them and now that perhaps they’re being enforced more stringently than they once were.”