The Saskatchewan Roughriders weathered the storm en route to a West Final appearance in 2024 and some unique motivational tactics from their head coach may deserve credit.
In an appearance on 980 CJME’s The Green Zone, Corey Mace confirmed rumours that he performed a costumed air-band rendition of ‘Can You Stand the Rain’ by New Edition for the team during their mid-season winless streak. The unconventional move helped keep spirits high and led to the end of the seven-game slump.
“I’d probably point to the blow-up in the locker room the Calgary week (as the turning point) but this was probably a part of it. Kian Schaff-Baker, I think he put it on his pre-game playlist. He’d always walk by and say, ‘Coach, we can stand the rain today,'” Mace chuckled. “You’ve got to find different ways to get the guys going. I can’t confirm it was a top hat and trench coat but, yeah, we’re on the right path.”
A former defensive tackle lip-syncing a ballad in front of a room full of macho players may seem absurd to football traditionalists, but Mace’s strategy came from a very reliable source: Super Bowl champion head coach Sean Payton.
With his team sputtering, the first-year head coach flashed back to a conversation that he had with the current Denver Broncos’ bench boss when he was the keynote speaker at the Saskatchewan Huskies’ annual Dogs Breakfast in May.
“I was fortunate enough to be a part of a group that invited me to have dinner with Coach Payton the night before, and he shared a story about something that he did that was off the wall to get his players’ attention. I left that conversation saying sometimes you’ve got to think outside of the box and, for whatever reason, that was the moment for us,” Mace recalled.
“I thought the guys had fun with it. I thought they understood the message. Obviously, it’s not just the fun, the karaoke — it’s not about that. It’s more about different ways to get to the guys, to have them understand the message. I’m glad they took heed.”
While it is unclear exactly what off-the-wall motivational story Payton shared with Mace, the former Ottawa Rough Riders quarterback became synonymous with subverting expectations when he called a surprise onside kick to start the second half of Super Bowl XLIV. The former New Orleans Saints’ head coach has also been associated with taking player incentivization a little too far, earning a suspension for the Bountygate scandal.
Mace’s approach was entirely his own, drawing on one of his personal favourite tunes to remind players to stick together through the hard times. Trevor Harris, Micah Johnson, and Philip Blake were the only Rider players alive when ‘Can You Stand the Rain’ peaked at 44 on the Billboard Top 100 in December 1988, but authenticity carries more weight than relevancy in the locker room.
“I’m an R&B guy through and through, I’m very open about that. New Edition was a great part of my childhood, my adulthood, and my grandkids will know New Edition. That’s riddled throughout my playlist, no doubt,” Mace said, noting that the performance wasn’t preceded by much planning.
“Those things come in the moment. Whatever jumps at me, we’ll roll with it. It’s good. You like to have a little bit of fun, even when things are getting hectic. I’m glad it worked out.”
The Riders found their sunny days once again with a 37-29 victory over the Stampeders on September 20 — the team’s first post-Labour Day win in three years. It set the stage for a promising playoff run and an offseason where the team retained every pending free agent all-star on their roster, a true testament to the type of locker room culture created by Mace.
“Every team is going to want to win the Grey Cup, we know that the steps are ordered. Day by day, the standard the players will set for the new blood coming in, it’s going to be exciting to see that,” Mace said. “They’re the contractors. They can build it within the locker room so that coaches don’t have to do much but focus on coaching. I think the foundation’s been laid. I believe we’re on the clock now.”
