Culture will eat strategy for breakfast, says the wisdom of the business world. As the Roughriders introduce a new head coach, that adage has never been more poignant.
How is that two key people – Jason Maas and Cody Fajardo – could be cast out of Riderville as unable to meet the bar held by a fourth place team? Only to be picked up by a team without an owner and considered the outfit that would be the doormat of the league in 2023? And then they did what they did?
Did Maas suddenly find a super-coach potion? No, he found the most unlikely of tonics — French Canadian culture. He convinced his gang of misfits to embrace their new home, to learn the French language and culture.
Did you see Cody before the game? An American singing the Canadian national anthem in French?
It wasn’t trick plays that saw the Alouettes defeat the number teams in each division on their way hoisting the Cup. Culture does eat strategy but Les Alouettes ate poutine from the Cup while Saskatchewan begins the search for a winning character.
