I am Canadian

Opening Day in professional sports is an important occasion for any fan who follows their team with fervent passion. Opening Day ranks right up there with birthdays and anniversaries, and depending on the sport, carries different meanings for different people. But in a league that relishes the "rouge", its Canadian content and other similarly unique slices of Canadiana to sell and market its brand, the CFL will once again appeal to our greater patriotic conscience and reaffirm its rightful place as Canada's Game.

Beyond the Canada Day celebrations, the sea of red and white flags, fireworks, festivals and picnics, eight CFL teams and thousands of their football faithful will embark on an 18-game odyssey and a chance to take part in the 99th Grey Cup.

Few events have the ability to galvanize a country and reinforce pride and patriotism like Canada Day celebrations. For CFL fans across the country, it signals the first step in a long journey that will eventually find its end on a cold Sunday in late November. If the Grey Cup is the Omega of a CFL season, then Canada Day remains its Alpha. What a gift that Canada's two biggest celebrations, both a reflection of our national pride, are connected by the great game of Canadian football. That one is celebrated in July and the other in November works out just fine for those looking for a little recovery time.

With the hockey hangover just about lifted and the unfortunate stigma of "Fans Gone Wild" still fresh in our country's mind, the CFL's annual coming-out party couldn't come at a better time.

CFL fans, whether knowingly or not, will be looked upon to help undo a brush stroke that unfortunately has been painted on Canadian sports fans. Showing pride for both country and team, riding the thin line between FANatical and FAN, is nothing new for CFL diehards. Body paint and a six pack of beer. . . 15 bucks. Putting that passion on display for the whole country to see on Canada Day. . . priceless.

True ambassadors of the Canadian sports scene, where Vancouver Canucks fans need no sympathy, CFL fans need no introduction. They are loyal to a fault, creative beyond comical and passionate to the point of tears. The CFL fan will gladly choose a well placed "Oskee wee wee" or a hand-crafted watermelon helmet over looting and setting police cars on fire any day.

For the CFL brass, a lot is riding on Opening Day. If success is measured by game-day attendance, then a poor showing on the scoreboard may impact the fortunes of a team well beyond the turnstiles. Hope and optimism run pretty high moments before kickoff as CFL teams prepare to showcase this year's edition and let the fans know what they've been up to this offseason.

For head coaches, where you're measured on wins and losses, and your team's last performance, it can be quite an eye opener.� You never really know what kind of team you've put together until the real bullets start to fly. And although an opening-day loss may not be the end of the world and "no one has ever won the Grey Cup in July", make no mistake ? all the political sound-biting in the world won't change the very real disappointment of a loss on Canada's birthday.

Players will try to harness an overabundance of energy and adrenalin, get all the butterflies in a row and hopefully validate the coaching staffs' decision to keep them around after a hard-fought training camp. For a young Canadian kid from Moose Jaw, Halifax or Guelph, it's a dream finally come true that you're wearing the jersey of your favourite childhood team. Playing in front of friends and family on Canada's biggest day may seem too much for your senses to handle but just remember to take it all in.

That's especially truly when you straddle that sideline, one hand holding your helmet, the other covering your heart as you sing like you've never sung before, a version of 'O Canada' that will forever ring in your ears and dwell in your heart.

And if the mood should strike you, let the tears run freely down the sides of your face, thank God for the chance you've been given, and go out and remind your new American brothers how football is supposed to be played...Canadian style.

And remember, after the game is done whether on the winning or losing end, raise a cold beer, toast your team and country, and most importantly, give a fan some love.

Sandy Annunziata enjoyed an 11-year CFL career that culminated in back-to-back Grey Cup championships in 2004 and 2005. The former CFL All-Star will be writing for the 55-Yard Line on the league and everything Canadian about it. No stranger to covering the CFL before joining Yahoo! Sports Canada as an analyst for the Fan590 and Rogers Sportsnet, the former offensive lineman will take you beyond the field and inside the locker room as he examines the game, the health of the league, the business of sport and the sometimes fragile psyche of pro football players.

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