Win, and they adore you.
Lose, and the only argument is whether heads should roll or be served on a silver platter.
In the era of social media, sports fans can be fickle at the best of times. And at the worst of times, may we suggest just leaving the phone turned off?
But Brock Sunderland has another way to describe football fans in the city.
“I think the fan base here is extremely passionate, which is one of the best things about working for this organization and there’s high expectations, as it should be,” said the Edmonton Eskimos general manager. “So I think, yeah, it’s a little different than some other places I’ve been for sure. But that’s part of the love affair with working here and having a fan base that cares to that level.
“I’d much rather have that than people not care. It’s unique but I don’t necessarily think that’s a negative. I think it’s a compliment to how much the city cares about this organization.”
There was plenty of noise going on outside the Eskimos locker-room over the back half of a season that saw them go 2-7 on the way to an 8-10 finish. And while they rallied to a semifinal playoff win over the Montreal Alouettes, it’s hard to drown out the displeasure of having their season end in Sunday’s divisional final.
“Everybody stuck together and the coaches are the ones that are hands on with the players in the locker-room and there was no divisiveness, there was no finger pointing so they deserve a lot of credit for keeping this nucleus together and doing a good job through that,” Sunderland said. “Adversity happens.
“Ultimately, we didn’t win (Sunday) so we’re all disappointed.”
Email: [email protected]
On Twitter: @GerryModdejonge
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