Monday Morning Semtimoines: Theme Nights

Before long the Riders will be unveiling their “new” and “innovative” theme nights for the 2025 home schedule. I’m sure we can all predict with some level of certainty that it will be same recycled list as every year: Home Opener, Country Night, Retro Night, Labour Day, Legends Night, Fan Appreciation Day, etc… For the Simpsons fans among you “but she has a new hat” pretty much summarizes it. They may change the name (clearly there are stark differences between country night and prairie pride night) but its always the same, year after year.

So for today’s post we are going to look at some ideas for theme nights that don’t just involve phototyping last year’s list and calling it marketing.

Actual Retro Night – Alright I realize it’s a bold choice to make fun of the Riders’ lack of creativity and then start my list by just recycling a night that’s been done ad nauseum… but hear me out. I don’t want the Riders’ half assed versions of retro night. I want all in. I want old school Gainer (pre-creepy eyes) AND cousin Leonard. I want the entirely black faceless Worksafe Bob. I want drink tokens and bars that offers me only my choice of rye, rum or Pink Drink. Retro night needs pink drink. I want paper 50/50 tickets that are drawn from a raffle drum from a 1950s bingo hall. Retro prices on food on food and drinks. Rename Pil Place Hemorrhoid Hill. Re-create a one night only university section that offers cheap tickets. Put a hot tub beside and assume nothing bad will come of that.  Riders in 90s style jerseys. I want the full Taylor Field experience. Lean into it fully and it could be awesome.

Wrestling Night – With WWE now on Netflix, popularity of wrestling is at levels not seen in a long, long time. Get in on that. Encourage fans to come dressed as their favourite wrestler. Have Bret Hart do the coin toss. Better yet have someone dressed in a Bomber jersey about to do the coin toss then have them get hit with a chair and then have Bret step in. Have players cut promos leading up to the game. Partner with the local wrestling promotion to put on a match at half time. Make it a couple celebrities teaming with wrestlers and build hype leading up to the contest. Hell if you promoted that there was a chance Ballsy gets put through a table it would make it the must see event of the year. Sell Rider branded championship belts and luchador masks. Bring back Kulkamania (does anyone but me remember that?). Have a ref get “knocked out” inadvertently at some point (say when a measurement is required) and have another ref come sprinting from the tunnel. Invite the Road Dogg to do intros in the traditional New Age Outlaws way “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, the Saskatchewan Roughriders proudly bring to you…”. Last but not least, gratuitous crotch chops.

Social Media Night – Admittedly I’m too old to care about this one but I think it would be a hit with young fans. Now understand I know very little about all of this so someone younger and more with it would need to fully flesh this out. Have alternate streams of the game on YouTube or Twitch. Have local influencers take part. Encourage fans to post on IG Live have hashtag contests. Basically turn the game into something that everyone over the age of 40 would hate/not understand. Focus one game exclusively on young fans. 

Sci Fi Night – This is basically Star Wars night but you are trying to avoid copyright infringement. Have people dress up as their favourite Sci Fi character. Sell green lightsabers and phasers. Have Gainer show up in a Green tardis. Just find the biggest nerd you can and let them plan it.

Simpsons Night - Ok, this one might be a bit self-serving but I think it could be fun.  Have the Riders wear Atoms jerseys in warm-ups. Sell nacho sombreros, squishies, pink donuts, Duff beer, Krusty burgers. There are so many classic football scenes from the show you could spoof: I liked your hustle that's why it was so hard to cut you; I crippled him myself to inspire you; the Denver Broncos!; Flanders! Games out there!; football in the groin.

Chippendale/Thunder From Down Under Night - Logic here is simple. Ripped dudes with their shirt off will attract women. Where large groups of women congregate, men will invariably follow.

Fowl Supper Night – Few things are more Saskatchewan than a fowl supper. Have your concessions be like a small town Fowl Supper. I’m talking turkey, stuffing, pie, etc…

F Trudeau Night – Look I have no particular political leanings but all I’m saying is based purely on sales of vehicle decals on the prairies, labelling a game F Trudeau night may lead to record ticket sales. Whether it’s a good thing to have a large gathering of that demographic is a debate for another day… this is purely about filling the stadium.

What theme nights would you like to see?