Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Leader of the Pride ... BC Lions introduce new ownership as Amar Doman brings industrial experience to franchise


From a lumber baron, provincial industrialist and British Columbia philanthropist;  to the latest CFL owner of a storied British Columbia franchise.  

That's the path that brought Amar Doman to the Surrey practice facility today, a Wednesday morning press conference called to announce the transfer of the franchise to the Doman collection of enterprises from that of the estate of David Braley.

Mr. Braley who passed away in 2020, had long been the financial white knight for the Lions franchise a long time and devoted member of the CFL infrastructure since 1987. Owner of three franchises during his tenure and serving as an interim commissioner at one point, Braley was the glue that kept the league solvent in some of its most dire days.  


In the case of the Lions, he took over a team in 1997 that had struggled to find local ownership and was suffering a malaise in the sports market which had embraced soccer's Whitecaps and as always stayed true to the NHL's Canucks.

Still, Braley to his credit never wavered in his commitment to the Lions and the community and that's a debt that was never paid back by the football fans of the province.

With his passing, the search to bring the ownership base back to British Columbia accelerated and today, the new face from the ownership box was introduced. 

The day one which was steeped with hopes that with a new generation of British Columbians at the helm, the team will once again become the focus for the province's sports fans that marked much of its time in the provincial spotlight in decades past.

“The Lions are part of the fabric of this great province. I’m honoured to take on this role because of  our team’s history. But I’m motivated, most of all, by the future I see ahead for this franchise. I am extremely excited to get started.”

The new owner will get to take in his first home game on Thursday when the Lions welcome the Edmonton Elks, the night at BC Place the first time that a Lions team has played at home in over 650 days, with high anticipation for the first large scale event in the province since COVID arrived and delivered a lost season.

Today Mr. Doman was saying all the right things that a football fan would want to hear, a commitment to an iconic sports team and league, setting a change for the future that brings a sense of optimism through some challenging times.

Commissioner Ambrosie spoke of the uncertainty that not only the Lions but the CFL faced in the last two years, and how today's announcement offers a sense of certainty for the BC franchise and the league, something that will be built on the foundation put in place by the former owner who was in the thoughts of many on the day.

“The support and patience shown by David’s estate, led by Grant, the hard work of Lions’ President Rick LeLacheur and the Lions’ staff, and the dedication of the players, coaches and the entire football operation, especially as we all navigated the challenges presented by the pandemic, are all a testament to David’s legacy and his vision for the future.

Now, the future has arrived in the person of Amar Doman. We look forward to working with him to move this great franchise forward and to help us build the Canadian Football League of the future.”

Still, the new owner will bring a businessman's view of the team's future, taking a blue print from the range of corporate interests that he is involved with and shifting elements towards the football team operations. 

In the end however, it is a business decision and part of the deal now is on the fans to return to BC Place Stadium in numbers that make Doman's investment one that brings a return that benefits both him and the fans and a sport that still remains part of the Canadian fabric.

The prospects look good, but as is always the case, time will tell how it all works out.

More on today's announcement is available here.

Some further background on the new Leos owner can be reviewed here.


Sunday, August 08, 2021

Frantic Finishes chart the path of Week One action in CFL Return


The CFL is back, and if you needed a quick refresher on what makes the CFL a full sixty minute experience, three of the four first week games provided more than enough action to keep those watching on TSN fixed to their couches and Easy Chairs.

After a lost season owing to COVID, the first game since November 24th of 2019, kicked off the return weekend with a Grey Cup rematch between the Blue Bombers and Tiger Cats, with the Blue and Gold showing little rust as they sent the Tabbies on their way with a first loss of the season.

The season opener, result one that really wasn't in much peril as the Bombers made the most of their opportunities with little push back from Hamilton making for a thirteen point bulge on the scoreboard for the home side, the Bombers taking their first victory for 2021 by a score of 19-6.

The rest of the weekend however, offered up some close contests, though for the most part that came out of two games in one, with the home side taking charge in the first half, then looking to hold off a strong push from the visitors, once successful, twice not.

Friday gave us the Lions and Riders, with Saskatchewan fans once again showcasing why a trip into Regina makes for a challenging experience. With starter Mike Reilly sidelined at the start, the Riders cruised to a 32-9 half time lead that seemed insurmountable, though the Leos Canadian understudy Nathan Rourke showed some flashes of what could come as the league looks for a marquee Canadian QB to chart the future.

Reilly was inserted into the game at half time, and while clearly featuring little range to his arm, he fashioned a comeback making good use of his receivers on short patterns, the Leos pushing the Riders hard in the final half coming up just short of a remarkable comeback, falling to Saskatchewan by a score of 33-29.

The first of the Saturday Double headers, saw the Double Blue from Toronto show a fourth quarter surge to take their first two points of the year, that after a pretty tightly contested first half that saw the Stamps head to half time with a two point lead. The second half however saw the Stamps start to falter, the Argos making the most of their opportunities with eleven points in the final frame to claim the 23 to 20 victory.

The game a bit of work out for two of the CFL's top QB's in McLeod Bethel-Thopmson and Bo Levi Mitchell, who both had strong efforts in their CFL return.

The RedBlacks/Elks (careful folks old habits are hard to break) wrap to the weekend provided a defensive battle for the most part, the field goal teams playing a large role, a Pick Six in the final quarter making for the most exciting play of the day, securing the RedBlacks victory. 

Though not after a late game surge by Edmonton that almost took the victory, coming up just one yard short as the clock expired, the clock securing the 16 -12 victory for Ottawa.

While at times sloppy as would be expected with little in the way of exhibition games to work out the timing, the games still provided for their own cadence and after a year away from Canadian ball, we'll take the opening week and go along with the learning  curve in the weeks to come.

Things for the most part couldn't have gone much better, the finishes for the most part providing for the excitement that often marks a November playoff matchup, heralding more of the same as we travel through the upcoming months and our rendezvous at Grey Cup in December. 

There will still be some twists and turns before we reach what should be a much anticipated and iconic Canadian moment, COVID may still rise up and take a swipe at all the planning, the CFLPA has also served some notice that they're not really on board with the CFL's latest COVID planning on game day play should the virus wreak a bit more havoc.

Those however are housekeeping issues, that will sort themselves out, for most of us it's just fun to have Three Down Football back and on we go to week Two, which starts on Thursday when the Lions continue on with their prairie experience, taking on the Stamps at McMahon.

Til they tee it up in four days, we'll keep an eye on how the reviews come in for week one.

Saturday, August 07, 2021

CFL Schedule 2021

 



Below is our archive of scores from the 2021 season, tracked on a week to week basis.

The full CFL schedule can be found here.  

TSN hosts all of this years CFL broadcasts in Canada, while ESPN will be broadcasting CFL action on a number of platforms in the USA and worldwide.

TSN Website
ESPN Website

Regular Season


🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈

Week Three

Thursday, August 19

Edmonton Elks at British Columbia Lions 7 PM PST
Game Recap

Friday, August 20 

Montreal Alouettes at Calgary Stampeders 6:30 PST
Game Recap

Saturday, August 21

Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Toronto Argonauts 1 PM PST
Game Recap 

Ottawa RedBlacks at Saskatchewan Roughriders 4 PM PST
Game Recap

Bye Week -- Hamilton Tiger Cats

🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈

Week Two


Saturday August 14

Hamilton Tiger Cats 8 at Saskatchewan Roughriders 30

Montreal Alouettes 30 at Edmonton Elks 13

Friday, August 13

Toronto Argonauts 7 at Winnipeg Blue Bombers 20
Game Recap

Thursday, August 12

British Columbia Lions 15 at Calgary Stampeders 9
Game Recap

Bye Week -- Ottawa RedBlacks

🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈

Week One

Saturday, August 7

Ottawa Redblacks 16  at Edmonton Elks 12
CFL Recap

Toronto Argonauts 23 at Calgary Stampeders 20
CFL Recap

Friday, August 6

BC Lions 29 at Saskatchewan Roughriders 33
CFL Recap

Thursday, August 5

Hamilton Tiger Cats 6 at Winnipeg Blue Bombers 19
CFL Recap


Bye Week -- Montreal Alouettes


CFL Attendance 2021



Overall Attendance Leaders

(Regular Season Only -- Average of Attendance)

Montreal   
Ottawa      
Toronto     
Hamilton   
Winnipeg -- 25,760
Saskatchewan -- 29,233
Edmonton  -- 27,709
Calgary -- 22,475  
British Columbia  

League Average as of August 14, 2021

26,294



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Team by Team
Week by Week


Montreal Alouettes





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Ottawa RedBlacks  





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Toronto Argonauts



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Hamilton Tiger Cats



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Winnipeg Blue Bombers 

August 13 -- 22,143
August 5 -- 29,376

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Saskatchewan Roughriders

August 14 -- 27,076
August 6 -- 33,350


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Edmonton Elks

August 14 -- 25,116
August 7 -- 30,302

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Calgary Stampeders

August 12 -- 21,029
August 7 -- 23,921

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British Columbia Lions



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CFL 2021 ... Welcome Back old Friend



After a far too long sabbatical, Canadians had a chance to catch up with an old friend this weekend, with the return of Canadian football to four fields as the 2021 season kicked off an unusual year, but one welcomed into the homes of football fans across the nation.

Having put this blog into hibernation for a lengthy period of time, we've caught some CFL fever and are just glad that the league survived the last year that we felt it time to give this venture a reboot and share some enthusiasm for our unique Canadian tradition.

As we move forward into this start of the season, we'll rebuild some of our archive pages and introduce new features, as we look to revise our work and celebrate the game that has shaped many of our memories over the years.

There are so many things to catch up on, and so many new faces to take note of that it will take some time time to get up to speed, but we're hopeful of building the blog back to hosting some original material to track this season all the way through the sweltering summer to the frigid days of Mid December that bring us the Grey Cup, the 108th edition to take place in Hamilton.

There's something about having been denied something for a lengthy period of time, to give one cause to remember how much you enjoyed it. With a year lost to reflect on the key moments of the past and the impact that the CFL has had on this nation for over a century.

The league which at times is venture that at times seems on thin ice, but one that remains a social compact for many of its communities and reminder of the importance it has held through the decades. 

Having come through the last year of uncertainty, it remains a symbol of normalcy for a nation that is looking for the familiar themes of the past.

As Joni Mitchell might put it ...

Don't it always seem to go 
That you don't know what you've got till it's gone

Hopes remain high at least for this author, that we'll never have to know ... 

Bring on a season of thrills, Canadians are more than ready to follow along!



Saturday, January 07, 2017

CFL Arrivals 2017




A look at some of the off season signing by CFL clubs as they look to fill holes, upgrade at positions or bring in some untapped talent for the 2017 season.


Montreal

December 22 -- Alouettes sign Maïko Zepeda, rusher Jean-Samuel Blanc


Ottawa



Toronto



Hamilton




Winnipeg




Saskatchewan

January 4 -- Riders sign former Dolphins running back Daniel Thomas


Calgary




Edmonton



Vancouver





CFL Departures 2017



With the New Year, some of the stars of 2016 will be testing the waters of the NFL, with auditions and roster signings making for a good portion of the early news for the CFL in 2017.

Below we will track the departures to the NFL from all nine CFL squads.


Montreal



Ottawa

January 6 -- Richards determined to make NFL dream come true with Panthers

Toronto




Hamilton

December 13 -- Another Ticat gets tryout with Saints



Winnipeg




Saskatchewan




Calgary





Edmonton


January 5 -- Eskimos release Walker to sign futures contract with Tampa Bay
January 3 -- Release and catch: Eskimos cut Lacey free to sign futures contract with Dolphins



Vancouver

January 4 -- B.C. Lions' Adam Bighill marches to the New Orleans Saints
January 3 -- With NFL looming, Lions set Richie Leone loose
December 9 -- Adam Bighill chasing NFL work, but has to sign by Jan. 27 or returns to B.C. Lions
December 8 --  B.C. Lions release LB Adam Bighill so he can pursue NFL opportunities





Monday, January 02, 2017

Bowling for prospects -- US Bowl Season keeps CFL Scouts hopping




While fans of the CFL settle in for the long winter, counting down the days until the first of the training camps and then the launch of the 2017 season, CFL GM's, coaches and scouts have been facing a hectic few weeks as the US college Bowl season gets underway.

With the Christmas and New Year's period now a long running festival of football, the traditional Bowl Games of the past have at times tended to get lost in the shuffle and more importantly the growing list of bowl games makes for a lengthy list of potential prospects for CFL teams to explore.

As well as keeping an eye on talent for future CFL rosters, fans can also follow the path of a number of Canadians playing in NCAA football this year.

Those playing in the Bowl games are listed below, you can find their biographies under the Game Summary.

Below we'll track the results of the Bowl Madness of the last few weeks and should we stumble across any CFL related notes that are tied into the games we'll share those as well.

College Play Off Related Games

January 9

College Football National Championship Presented by AT & T

Alabama vs Clemson
8PM ET/5 PM PT  ESPN/TSN


December 31

Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (College Playoff Semi-Final)
Alabama 24 vs Washington 7
Game Summary

Brayden Lenius, WR, (Washington) North Vancouver, BC

PlayStation Fiesta Bowl (College Playoff Semi-Final)
Clemson 31 vs Ohio State 0
Game Summary



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Non Playoff Related Bowl Games

January 2

Outback Bowl
Florida 30 vs Iowa 3
Game Summary

Faith Ekakitie, DT, (Iowa) Brampton, Ontario
Alaric Jackson, OL, (Iowa) Windsor, Ontario


Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
Western Michigan 24 vs Wisconsin 16
Game Summary



Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual
USC 52 vs Penn State 49
Game Summary

Daniel Joseph, DE, (Penn State) Brampton, Ontario


All State Sugar Bowl
Oklahoma 35 vs Auburn 19 
Game Summary

Neville Gallimore, DL, (Oklahoma) St. Catherine's, Ontario



December 31 

Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl
LSU 29 vs Louisville 9
Game Summary



TaxSlayer Bowl
Georgia Tech 33 vs Kentucky 18
Game Summary



December 30

AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Georgia 31 vs TCU 23
Game Summary



Hyundai Sun Bowl
Stanford 25 vs North Carolina 23
Game Summary

Wesley Annan, DT, (Stanford) Whitby, Ontario


Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl
Tennessee 38 vs Nebraska 24
Game Summary

Jonathan Kongbo, DL, (Tennessee) Surrey, BC.
David Knevel, OL, (Nebraska) Brantford, Ontario



Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl
Air Force 45 vs South Alabama 21
Game Summary



Capital One Orange Bowl
Florida State 33 vs Michigan 32
Game Summary



December 29

Birmingham Bowl
South Florida 46 vs South Carolina 39 (OT)
Game Summary



Belk Bowl
Virginia Tech 35 vs Arkansas 24
Game Summary



Valero Alamo Bowl
Oklahoma State 38 vs Colorado 6
Game Summary

Amen Ogbonbbemiga, LB, (Oklahoma State) Calgary, Alberta
Shane Richards, OL, (Oklahoma State) Calgary, Alberta

December 28 

Russell Athletic Bowl
Miami 31 vs West Virginia 14
Game Summary



Foster Farms Bowl
Utah 26 vs Indiana 24
Game Summary



New Era Pinstripe Bowl 
Northwestern 31 vs Pittsburgh 24
Game Summary



AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl
Kansas State 33 vs Texas A & M 28
Game Summary



December 27

Military Bowl Presented by Northrop Grumman
Wake Forest 34 vs Temple 26
Game Summary



Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl
Army 38 vs North Texas 31 (OT)
Game Summary



National Funding Holiday Bowl
Minnesota 17 vs Washington State 12
Game Summary

Jonathan Femi-Cole, RB, (Minnesota) Vaughn, Ontario
Julien Kafo, DL, (Minnesota) Mont-Tremblant, Quebec


Motel 6 Cactus Bowl
Baylor 31 vs Boise State 12
Game Summary



December 26

St. Petersburg Bowl
Mississippi State 17 vs Miami of Ohio 16
Game Summary

Justin Senior, OL, (Mississippi State) Montreal, Quebec


Quick Lane Bowl
Boston College 36 vs Maryland 30
Game Summary



Camping World Independence Bowl
North Carolina State 41 vs Vanderbilt 17
Game Summary



December 24

Hawai'i Bowl
Hawai'a 52 vs Middle Tennessee 35
Game Summary



December 23

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Louisiana Tech 48 vs Navy 45
Game Summary



Popeyes Bahamas Bowl
Old Dominion 24 vs Eastern Michigan 20
Game Summary



Dollar General Bowl
Troy 28 vs Ohio 23
Game Summary

Maleek Irons, RB,  (Ohio) Chilliwack, BC
Matt Seymour, WR, (Ohio) New Westminster, BC


December 22

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Idaho 64 vs Colorado State 50
Game Summary

Mason Woods, OL, (Idaho) Port Coquitlam, BC



December 21

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl
Brigham Young University 24 vs Wyoming 21
Game Summary



December 20

Boca Raton Bowl
Western Kentucky 51 vs Memphis 31
Game Summary



December 19

Miami Beach Bowl
Tulsa 55 vs Central Michigan 10
Game Summary

Keegan Markgraf, LS, (Central Michigan) Hamilton, Ontario


December 17

Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl
Grambling 10 vs North Carolina Central 9
Game Summary



Gildan New Mexico Bowl
New Mexico 23 vs USTA 20
Game Summary

Las Vegas Bowl Presented by Geico
San Diego State 34 vs Houston 10
Game Summary

Alex Fontana, OL, (Houston) Toronto, Ontario


Raycom Media Camellia Bowl
Appalachian State 31 vs Toledo 28
Game Summary

AutoNation Cure Bowl
Arkansas State 31 vs UCF 13
Game Summary

R and L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Southern Mississippi 28 vs Louisiana-Lafayette 21
Game Summary

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Notes from Bowl Season of interest to CFL fans

December 31 -- Rose Bowl Safety inherited CFL standout grandfather's skills, but lessons learned offer a different future
December 26 -- CFL guide to post-Christmas NCAA Bowl games
December 20 -- College Football Players Sit out Bowl Games in Anticipation of NFL Draft
December 20 -- Surprised NCAA players are skipping bowl games? It was bound to happen in a system that exploits athletes for profit
December 20 -- Are the lesser Bowl Games getting Flushed Away?
December 16 -- The real reason there are so many bowl games in college football - ESPN












Is this thing working ... is this thing on?




Having stumbled across the soundtrack above to relaunch our efforts to track the CFL, we offer up some cautious optimism that as we dust off our blue print and turn our attention back to our favourite league of pigskin, we can hold to a regular schedule of updates for the 2017 CFL season.

And while we'll admit that owing to any number of reasons, some of our past attempts ended up sidelined by the Labour Day break, we look to building a site that will maintain itself to a fashion on those days where our blogging plans go astray.

Hope as they say springs eternal, and the reality is that only time will tell if our ambition can put some pace into our delivery ... but considering we still have folks checking our archives on a daily basis, there still appears to be some interest in how we chronicled our observations of the past on the CFL.

We launch the site this first week of a brand new year,  and with it being the season of resolutions, we'll put one aside to seek to make a steady diet of CFL information a part of our blue print for 2017.

Over the holiday period we've been tossing around a few ideas on how best to relaunch our blog and as they come on stream, we think that they'll make for a helpful guide to the off season work in the CFL and provide some enthusiasm for the 2017 campaign.

With the US Bowl season in the final stages of the US season, we are putting the finishing touches on a recap of the results of the last two weeks and any notes related to the CFL that may come out of the month long festival of football in the USA.

We also have noticed a surge of video offerings on Canadian University players over the last few months, so one of our plans is an archive of sorts of some of those contributions with an eye on the CFL college draft for 2017.

As well, our early plans include the creation of dedicated pages for each CFL team with links to media items and other sources of information in the lead up to the 2017 season. You can wander through some of those past segments from our right hand column area to get an indication as to where we hope to take the blog as we get back into the swing of it all.

With a range of other blog properties to maintain, we don't guarantee a daily contribution to the themes of the CFL, though as we get closer to kick off we do anticipate that our pace will pick up and the blog will begin to expand on some of its offerings heading to the start of the year.

One thing that won't change will be the volume of work that will make use of our right hand column features where we will once again keep the file pages updated on a regular basis, while looking for new items to add to that roll call of CFL information.

We invite you to check back from time to time to see how it's all coming together.

Sunday, November 29, 2015

RedBlacks and Eskimos ready to bring curtain down on 2015 CFL season

The hoopla, awards and Grey Cup week commitments now behind them, Sunday brings the focus back to the field at the 103rd edition of the nation's November celebration of the Canadian game.

The Ottawa Redblacks the storyline of the season looking to write that final chapter in a story that was one of the more positive of themes for a CFL season that offered a few concerns for those that have a strong attachment to the three down game.

Issues of attendance for some cities has provided for the customary bit of reflection as to the state of the nine team league, a dip in television ratings as well noted by more than a few, though some terrible play by the teams most mentioned perhaps had something to do with the slippage in both areas.

An epidemic of Quarterback injuries left teams scrambling from week to week to revisit offensive plans to fit replacement pivots, a situation which gave those following at the need to research pretty well every week, sometimes looking up to their screens to proclaim ... who the heck is that?

One of the main stories was the fact that the residents of the nations largest market for the most part were left unaware to their own team this year, owing to any number of reasons that left the Toronto Argonauts to be CFL Bedouins, wandering from city to city seeking a few fans and a little respect.

They are issues that will be examined we imagine as part of the season review, but should  make for a task that can wait for 24 hours.

Today is Grey Cup Sunday, there is but one question to ask on this day, can the RedBlacks make a remarkable run through November last one more game, or will the Edmonton Eskimos a team with their own pretty impressive back story this year return a championship title to Northern Alberta.

You go back a few decades in the CFL history books and the concept of an Ottawa - Edmonton championship game would be an expected match up, the two cities fixtures in championship games that remain vivid for fans who can rattle off the participants on the field from memory, heart breaking moments still to be mourned, levels of excitement and success for others to be relived.

This final Sunday of November, will bring new additions to those reports, tales of exploits yet to be written at Grey Cup 103.

There are of course the sub plots, the return of Ottawa to the championship in only its second season of rebirth and the timeless nature of Henry Burris who has taken this squad and brought them along for a most fascinating ride. A coach in Rick Campbell with famous CFL bloodlines about to face the team that his father made a perennial champion. And the work ethic of the RedBlacks defensive unit, a group that brings back memories for the long starved fans of the days of the Capital Punishment units of the seventies and eighties. A time when a trip to Ottawa meant a win wasn't guaranteed and a toll would be claimed from the turf at Lansdowne Park, the personality of the team and their dedication to task quickly found favour with the fans, who having been burned by owners of the past have been quick to embrace the RedBlacks, a team that has brought a new attitude and work ethic to town.

The Eskimos offer their own stories for today's finale,  a team which has responded so well to head coach Chris Jones, the turnaround from the dark years of but two seasons ago replaced by a team that has resembled the machines of the glory years. The key feature a defensive unit that shows no weaknesses, holding the opposition in check. A team with depth in many positions, the most important at the Quarterback position, with starter Mike Reilly injured and out until late August, it fell to James Franklin to hold the fort, a process which delivered valuable playing time and key game time experience. When a healthy Reilly returned by Labour Day, the energy level for Edmonton built with each week,  his performance against the former Champs last week an indication that he and his offence are on mission, with only sixty minutes left to see that blue print through for the year.

When you reach the final game of the season you want the two best teams to be the one's standing, both Edmonton and Ottawa have earned their way into the Grey Cup the best way, through hard work and a commitment to their work.

No one will argue the point today that the representatives of the East and West don't deserve their place on the field when the anthem is played.

Whichever team claims Lord Grey's Cup at the sound of the final gun, one thing will be certain, both teams will have left all they had to offer on Winnipeg's near frozen field, neither has travelled this far into the 103rd season to take a day off now.

Some background on today's match up can be found below:

CFL.ca Preview
CFL Writers Picks
Keys to the Game
Players to Watch

Ottawa

Loggers banned after Esks raise stink
CFL to Redblacks chainsaw team: You're cut
Winterpeg painted RedBlack on eve of Grey Cup
RedBlacks looking to 'set the world on fire' against Eskimos in 103rd Grey Cup
No Respect? Nothing new for Ottawa RedBlacks
Finally, a Grey Cup to get excited about
For some Ottawa football fans, it really has been a lifetime since last Grey Cup win
'Take advantage' of opportunity Redblacks tell themselves
Pressure's on" The story of the Grey Cup football
Ottawa Redblacks fans huddle up the jammed pregame party

Edmonton

Eskimos Mike Reilly could match Getty and Warren Moon Grey Cup success
Will the Grey Cup be much of a game?
Eskimos slipping under the radar amid RedBlacks fanfare
Edmonton Eskimos invade Winnipeg for the 103rd Grey Cup
Spirit of Edmonton Hospitality room 'always the best party at Grey Cup'
Eskimos QB Reilly creates relationships with receivers on and off the field
Eskimos back in Grey Cup after a decade away, want to contend for years to come
Eskimos part of Edmonton's history, not its future

National

Grey Cup could be life-chafing for Ottawa RedBlacks offensive coordinator Jason Maas
Edmonton Eskimos QB Mike Reilly looks to add second Grey Cup to resume which includes engineering degree
Redblacks' Henry Burris knows no guarantees head into Grey Cup weekend
Redblacks  coach Rick Campbell almost out of father's long shadow
CFL kickers Chris Milo and Sean Whyte's nomadic journeys to the Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is small, quaint and distinctly Canadian
Team commitment, co-operation a recipe for Ottawa RedBlacks success
Henry Burris' cuts from previous CFL teams has driven his MVP season
Redblacks' defensive coach Mark Nelson knows old-school football
Eskimo defence may get the headlines but RedBlacks shouldn't be overlooked


Saturday, November 28, 2015

And the winner is ...

Henry Burris was a double award
winner at Thursday night's
SHAW CFL Awards
The CFL recognized excellence from 2015 on Thursday evening, handing out the SHAW CFL Awards at the annual ceremony this year held at the Club Regent Event Centre in Winnipeg.

The event, which signals the start of the real countdown to Grey Cup Sunday featured 11 different presentations and by the evening's end it became a familiar refrain to hear ... representing the Ottawa RedBlacks  is ....

The remarkable second season for the reborn entry for the nation's capital was recognized frequently at the awards podium on Thursday, as RedBlacks accepted five trophies on the night, with Quarterback Henry Burris making two trips to the stage.

Burris, the team leader and most amazing story for 2015 was honoured as the League's Most Outstanding Player, the second time in his career that the has been awarded that trophy, he also received the Tom Pate Memorial Award which is awarded to the player who displays qualities that distinguish him from his peers.

The RedBlacks also were honoured for the work of SirVincent Rogers who claimed the Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman award and Brad Sinopli, who provided the RedBlacks with big play after big play through the season, was recognized as the Most Outstanding Canadian.

Rounding out the RedBlack night was head coach Rick Campbell, and there surely is no more deserving candidate for the Coach of the Year award, with Campbell having led his team from expansion to Grey Cup finalists in but two seasons of play.

Thursday's awards show may provide a bit more motivation for the Edmonton Eskimos, the Esks only received one award on Thursday as receiver Derel Walker claimed the Outstanding Rookie award for 2015.

Other award winners on the night include the Tiger-Cats Brandon Banks, the explosive receiver and kick return specialist for the Cats received the Most Outstanding Special Teams player award, while the Commissioner's Award also honoured a player with ties to the Cats organization, with Berine Custis, one of the trail blazers in the fifties was honoured for his contribution to the game.

The Most Outstanding Defensive player of the year award went to Adam Bighill, a standout on the BC Lions roster this year during a year off challenge for the west coast team.

The Jake Gadaur Veteran's Award was presented to the Montreal Alouettes Offensive Tackle Jeff Perrett, who used his own story of struggles with alcoholism, to raise awareness across Canada on the impact that addiction can have on families and to stress that help is available.

And Bob Iriving, the longtime CFL broadcaster in Winnipeg and walking encyclopedia of Canadian football history, was recognized for his contribution to the game. Irving was awarded the Hugh Campbell Distinguished Leadership Award.

You can learn more about the CFL Awards here.

The re-broadcast of the Thursday presentation can be viewed below: