Marta Kierkus

As thousands of fans packed into Gee-Gees Field, the team prepared to live up to the hype after an entire offseason of work. The tunnel inflated and smoke machines billowed as Jay Z & Kanye West’s ominous “No Church in the Wild” blared, leading the Gees onto the field. It was only a matter of minutes until the team would impose their will on the Gaels.

Regardless of what games you choose to attend, there are some rules that cannot be ignored: show up, wear the colours, and be loud, bold, proud, and unafraid to get silly.

Almost 30 minutes after the scheduled start time, a platform of lights lowered towards the Bell stage at Ottawa’s 2015 RBC Royal Bank Bluesfest and Kanye West finally walked out. The antsy crowd instantly forgave West’s tardiness as the familiar beats of his 2007 hit “Stronger” pounded out of the speakers.

Ottawa led for the beginning of the first set, taking advantage of Toronto’s mistakes at the net. But it was Toronto’s attackers that made the difference in the long run, which the Gee-Gees couldn’t respond to consistently. Ottawa went on to win the next two sets, only to fall to Toronto in the final two.

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