chris schultz article from tsn.ca

Energy is an interesting thing and it comes in many forms. Sometimes it's visual, sometimes it's auditory. It's a feeling you give and take when you are among a group of people, let's say 30,000, it's addictive and motivating.

The studio where we (Dave Randorf, Jock Climie, Matt Dunigan and I) do the CFL on TSN studio show is perfect, the technology is the best that money can buy and it's easy to concentrate. The studio is about the size of half a hockey rink and is worth millions. If you want to watch a football game it is the best place to be as everything is a button or request away.

The only thing it doesn't have is energy. There are no people screaming your name and no deafening applause. It's just not the same as being there.

Sunday's Labour Day game between the Bombers and Riders was an experience to be a part of. In the studio, you know exactly what is going on - how many yards Charles Roberts has, how many completions Michael Bishops has thrown - but when you are on the sidelines with the studio show, it's tough to follow. Although you can estimate this and that, you can't recognize trends or patterns but you do get to feel the energy.

Wes Cates runs a sweep in your direction, Kelly Malveaux comes up to make a crunching tackle and you can feel it, you can hear it, it's almost as if you are part of it.

One half of the stadium screams "GO" and the other half screams "RIDERS" back and forth, over and over.

The energy flies through the air all across the field, again and again and again.

On the sideline, you also get to watch the interaction between the players and coaches. Ten different conversations are happening at the same time, then silence as an opponent makes a big play and quiet overwhelms the bench. The players look to the field to see what happened and the silence remains but a few seconds later, it's over and bang, it starts again. Everyone is talking once more, sometimes yelling, sometimes complaining, and sometimes criticizing. Coaches scream at players on the field with the players barley able to hear.

"Call a timeout," somebody yells.

"Not yet," a coach yells back. "Just run the play, we're running out of time!"

Its pure energy and you can feel it.

Thirty-thousand Rider fans all dressed in green, very loud because of a big play and then dead silent because the opponent made a big play. Up and down, back and forth again and again and again.

I am often asked what I miss about not playing football anymore, truth is there are many things I miss, a few things I don't, but next time I am asked that question I'll have an answer. I miss the Energy.

I can't grab it or see it but on Sunday at Mosaic Stadium I could feel it. From my feet up to the top of my head and through my entire body, I could feel the energy.

Thank-you Roughrider football fans for showing up in force and treating all of us on the CFL on TSN panel so well. You yelled at us, stared at us, waved to us and made us feel like we played for the Riders ourselves.

Are you the best CFL football fans in Canada, with no disrespect to any other fans in any other cities, yes you are.

I could not walk 10-yards without someone screaming my name to get my attention and I loved it.

You made me feel like I was 22 again and like I was a player, not just someone who talks about the real players.

I don't know many places you can feel the emotion you feel at a football stadium. If I could find it I would go there tomorrow just to be a part of it, the sounds, the sights, the feel.

Pure energy.