Jason Clermont signs with Riders

THE CAT CAME BACK

• Hometown hero Jason Clermont declares 'the place to be from' as 'the place to be' by signing with the Riders.
  

Like that business partner who bailed at last minute to join the competition, or that awfully questionable girl you dated who then dumped you after realizing good looks...Jason Clermont was for seven tantalizing seasons of teasing, trickery and touchdowns, the one that got away. It may well be the only signing GM Eric Tillman will ever get consensus agreement on so he may as well enjoy the fact he's made up for not one...but two gaffes.

" you familiar with Jeff Foxworthy and 'you might be a redneck' jokes? The red coiffed GM deadpanned, "well you might be an idiot if you passed on Jason Clermont twice. And we did."

Consider him third time lucky.

The ultra tough Regina born receiver, famous for taking hellacious hit after hellacious hit, will bring that gusto and needed size (6'2, 227 Lbs.) to an already deep receiving corp. In fact, he seems to be the perfect epidemic to a team that seemed to acquire injuries just by merely existing.

This deal comes with a particular amount of irony. While 98% of fans will speculate and be 98% right that the reason Clermont signed was all about coming home, there are some other underlying reasons. Back in 2006, Clermont faced the option of resigning with the B.C. Lions or going elsewhere, 'elsewhere' likely being Saskatchewan. Backed by unpopular demand, he signed 2 years plus an option to stay on with the Lions, choosing to continue splitting his life into many places and many ways while playing for a winner. The Lions were fresh off a Grey Cup championship, the Riders meanwhile were mired in a 17 year Grey Cup drought. Since then, the Riders won the crown in 2007 and have established themselves as a consistent force in the league.

In what became a daily facebook beak-off, one Lions fan remarked to me after Clermont decided to stay in BC ...

"I see Clermont signed for two years plus an option...I guess he really wants to win"

The comment had left a bitter taste in my mouth. Could Clermont be spurning the Riders' for greener pastures...just as many other established stars had done? The truth hurt.

The next two years as previously mentioned, tell the tale. This signing is a dawning of a new day, an indication of a new era, an era of winning, of great expectation and reputation. Something the Green and White have not been able to experience since the golden sixties. Jason Clermont came here not only for the home-cooked meals, family time, a permanent bed to sleep in to go along with hometown lore. He came here to be a winner.

If Clermont wanted solely to be with his family, and live in Regina where he works in the offseason, he wouldve been just as well off going full time as a Realtor at Royal LePage where he's employed. Professional athletes are driven by a desire to win. Completing a 7 year stint with he showed where his true colours were. Where he was born to play. The truth has never felt this good.

The Riders' receiving corp now looks better than ever along with their new addition, they sport the likes of Andy Fantuz, DJ Flick, Weston Dressler, Chris Getzlaf, Matt Dominguez and Adarius Bowman. With free agency looming for Flick, expect him to be the odd man out. Clermont was the piece in the puzzle Rider fans have been waiting for

"I wanted to be respectful and not try to leverage an offer between two teams and try to play them that way. I didnt want to put any undue pressure on any team"

In this case, no pressure was needed.