By Canadian Press

Riders receiver Carter not looking for more punishment against Bombers fan

Sep 5, 2017 | 3:45 PM

Regina Police say they aren’t pursuing any criminal investigations following reports that Roughriders receiver Duron Carter was spit on and Saskatchewan’s mascot Gainer the Gopher was roughed up by rival Winnipeg fans during a game Sunday at Mosaic Stadium.

And that’s fine with Carter, who had calmed down by Tuesday after calling out Blue Bombers fans on Twitter on Monday.

“It’s just spit, no police, none of that,” Carter said at practice. 

Carter said the incident occurred after the pre-game introductions before the Riders’ 38-24 victory, their third straight win.

“We ran out and I do my normal thing, run all the way down the field,” Carter said. “I’m giving high-fives to guys and some guy just reaches over and spits on me.

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“I was pretty upset but I went and grabbed one of the security ladies and they escorted him out of the game.

“That’s good enough. I mean, everybody makes mistakes.”

The two regional rivals, whose fans share no shortage of bad blood, meet again Saturday in Winnipeg.

Blue Bombers CEO Wade Miller declined to comment Tuesday but the team released a statement.

“We ask that all fans, blue or green, behave in a way that makes us all proud,” the Bombers said.

There were also reports another Winnipeg supporter tried removing Gainer the Gopher’s head, but Regina police said they aren’t investigating either alleged incident.

Carter added fuel to the fire Sunday night by ranting about the incident on Twitter, calling the Bombers supporters the “worst fans in the league.”

But Carter said he wasn’t reminded of the spitting incident until he went on Twitter well after the end of the game.

“To tell the truth I played too much football I completely forgot about it,” Carter said. “Then I get on Twitter and I see the picture and I see the guy right there in the picture.

“I was sitting in my bed and had a little fun with Twitter and it just got completely out of control. If I met any of those people from Twitter on the street, it would be nothing but love. For me, I’m just having fun, living life. I think people take it just a little bit too seriously.”

Carter expects to receive a rousing reaction from Bombers fans at Investors Group Field this weekend.

“I guess a bunch of people yelling at me,” Carter said. “I love it.”

In fact, Carter welcomed Bombers fans to be creative.

“Make signs,” he said. “Anything outside of physically touching me, go ahead.”

Carter, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Cris Carter, said the spitting incident was a first for him. But he also recalled another altercation with a Bombers fan last season while a member of the Montreal Alouettes.

“I think last year I knocked over a beer from a guy from Winnipeg,” Carter said. “He was saying some stuff to me that I can’t repeat.”

Carter said while he understand the passion of fans, there are clear lines that should never be crossed.

“I understand the trash talk, I understand being fanatics,” he said. “I’m a fan of most sports myself.

“But if it was any player, if it was (Winnipeg quarterback) Matt Nichols, (Bombers’ receiver) Weston Dressler, our fans shouldn’t be spitting on them. It’s just classless.”

The six-foot-five, 205-pound Carter is in his fourth CFL season, first with Saskatchewan. The 26-year-old has 47 catches for 541 yards and seven TDs with the Riders.

— With files from Jennifer Graham in Regina and Judy Owen in Winnipeg

Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press