Engraved On A Nation - Celebrating the 100th Grey Cup

[Mowich]

Powered by a slate of documentaries directed by some of Canada's most acclaimed and award-winning filmmakers, TSN announced the broadcast schedule for the network's ambitious original documentary series, Engraved on a Nation, leading up to its broadcast of the 100th Grey Cup on November 25. The series premieres Thanksgiving Monday (October 8) at 7:30 p.m. ET on TSN and TSN Mobile TV.

Kicking off Engraved on a Nation is The 13th Man - a documentary that examines the unique love affair between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and their fiercely loyal fans against the backdrop of the team's heartbreaking loss at the 97th Grey Cup. The 13th Man airs immediately following the CFL On TSN game with Saskatchewan at Toronto beginning at 4 p.m. ET.

Encore presentations of the documentaries will air Saturdays at 7 p.m. ET on CTV Two and Sundays at 5 p.m. ET on CTV (visit CTV.ca to confirm local broadcast times). Fans can also watch all the documentaries on demand following their television broadcasts online at TSN.ca and will be available for purchase on iTunes. RDS has French-language presentations of the documentaries in October and November.

TSN's complete Engraved on a Nation broadcast schedule is as follows*:

Monday, Oct. 8 - THE 13TH MAN at 7:30 p.m. ET
Friday, Oct. 12 - STONE THROWER: THE CHUCK EALEY STORY at 10:30 p.m. ET
Thursday, Oct. 18 - THE KID FROM LA PUENTE at 9 p.m. ET
Friday, Oct. 26 - PLAYING A DANGEROUS GAME at 8 p.m. ET
Friday, Nov. 2 - THE CRASH OF FLIGHT 810 at 8 p.m. ET
Friday, Nov. 9 - THE PHOTOGRAPH at 10 p.m. ET
Friday, Nov. 16 - WESTERN SWAGGER at 10 p.m. ET
Tuesday, Nov. 20 - THE GREATEST TEAM THAT NEVER WON at 8 p.m. ET
*Schedule subject to change

DOCUMENTARY SYNOPSES

THE 13TH MAN, directed by Larry Weinstein - premieres Monday, Oct. 8 at 7:30 p.m. ET on TSN
The unique love affair between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and their fiercely loyal fans - known as the "13th man" - lives far beyond what happens on the field. On the cusp of winning the 97th Grey Cup, the Roughriders suffered a 13th man penalty that triggered a dramatic defeat. The unprecedented twist in CFL history shattered an entire province and left millions of Canadians heartbroken. In the wake of the team's Grey Cup defeat, the faithful fans in Riderville staunchly stood by the Roughriders - proving why they have forever been the team's symbolic "13th man" on the field.

Engraved on a Nation premieres Thanksgiving Monday on TSN

 

[Mowich]

After the Riders gave us a win and yet another reason to celebrate Thanksgiving - I was looking forward to watching TSN's first Engraved on a Nation series, entitled The 13th Man. I came away with slightly mixed feelings.

I really got a kick out of the nuns, "God wears a Rider jersey".......rock on ladies! :smile: I liked the interviews with the players and was very touched by hearing Darian talk about how he and Andy went to the training room and cried after the 13th man fiasco. I listened with interest to what Rob Vanstone had to say, especially when he mentioned how the need to know who the culprit was evolved into private individuals stating that 'they' were the 13th man - if nothing else tells you about Rider fans - that alone should enlighten you.

I thought the filmmaker, Larry Weinstein did a good job of getting ordinary folks to talk about the Riders and the loyalty they have to the team. I identified with the fellow who came of age with Ronnie and George and I understood completely how he felt about the team. I also identified with the chap whose comment about losing the 2009 Grey Cup was "nobody died, it just felt like it." I also knew how excited the house-keeper was about having the Rider players on her floor - I cleaned for a few years and had I been the one to get those guys rooms, I would have been over the moon. Finding out that many fans are wearing their Rider gear when they go to the great beyond gave me a couple of great ideas.

I think that using the loss as a starting point for his film was a bit of genius on Mr Weinstein's part. Apparently, he was not a CFL fan prior to making this film but he now watches every single Rider game and has started watching other teams as well - welcome aboard the Rider train, Larry. :icon_smile: In bringing up one of the most painful memories in Rider Grey Cup history, Larry got to the meat and bones of Rider fan support. As one of the interviewees stated, ' if you are a Rider fan, you have to be prepared to face adversity'..........truer words and all that.

There were many great interviews and the bit of history about the team put things in perspective. The Rider franchise is pure gold and understanding that it was the fans themselves who built it really explains what Rider Pride is all about. All in all, I thought it worth another watch the following night and am thinking of getting the series.

That said, I could have done with just a little less coverage on the actual game itself - even these many years down the road - that is one game that will always hurt more than any other. No matter what Duval said - and I give him all credit for making the second kick - yet he simply wouldn't have had the chance without the Rider's help. It was bittersweet to see the Rider's utterly devastate the Als in their first meeting of the 2010 season and right in front of their fans.


The next one is Stone Thrower: The Chuck Ealey Story premiers this Friday on TSN.