Fill The Stadium

One of the biggest parties of the year is taking place this weekend. It’s not at a club, at someone’s apartment or even at Gert’s. It involves turf, cleats, facemasks, short skirts, back-flips, bullhorns, body paint and morphsuits. Last year, a large part of the McGill population attended this event held at McGill’s own Molson Stadium.

                It’s that time of year again, when fans of sports, buff men, cheerleaders and loud noises gather to “Fill the Stadium” in support of the McGill Redmen Football team. So far this season, the Redmen have lost all of their games but that should definitely not deter anyone for showing up to this epic event. When myself and 3,144 others attended the season opener back on September 7^th, there was more than enough excitement both on and off the field to turn even skeptics of the sport into believers.

Although the Redmen ended up losing that game 39-13, they managed to hold the visiting Sherbrooke Vert et Or to within a few points for the entire first half. McGill actually had the lead early on when they converted a Sherbrooke fumble into a touchdown, giving the hyped-up crowd something to cheer about. Expect the team to be in even better form this weekend when they face Bishop’s University. In their game on September 25th, the Redmen managed to hold one of the country’s top teams, Universite de Laval, to only 12 points in a 12-4 loss.  

If everything I just said was extremely boring to you and you could not care less about what you perceive to be a bunch of guys running around bashing into each other and occasionally catching a funny-shaped ball, do not worry! Because of the culture and excitement surrounding the sport, there is much more to football than just football. The cheerleading team has been practicing together for a month now, perfecting some impressive routines and stunts. Also, Red Thunder will definitely be out in large numbers making lots of noise and starting some serious cheering. Although this can be entertaining from far away, be warned that if you are sitting in their section you might not be able to hear for a few days afterwards.

The party starts at 6pm with a DJ, beer and hotdogs (ie: everything you need in life). I hope to see you all there enjoying the day and cheering for the Redmen team. With the support of the home crowd behind them, maybe McGill football will be able to pull off their first win since 2009.