Grey Cup/Coupe Grey
The Grey Cup is one of Canada's biggest single sporting events every year. It is the equivalent of the Super Bowl for the Canadian Football League. It usually features a lot of pomp, with big name entertainers and performers on display, and a huge audience tuning in, particularly in Canada, although some recent Grey Cups have been broadcast here in the United States, as well.
So, the 106th Grey Cup took place yesterday in Edmonton, Alberta. Canadian country singer Brett Kissel sang the Canadian national anthem prior to kickoff, and rising singer Alessia Cara performed for the halftime show.
The two home teams in last weekend's games both won, which means that the Calgary Stampeders took on the Ottawa Redblacks in the Grey Cup in Edmonton. Calgary had beaten the 22, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, 22 - 14 to punch their ticket to the Grey Cup, while Ottawa Redblacks had knocked out the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 46 - 27.
Both of these teams had managed to win Grey Cups in recent years. The Calgary Stampeders won it in 2015, and the Ottawa Redblacks managed to win it the year after Calgary, taking their first championship in the present incarnation of the franchise in 2016. Both teams had also been tops in their respective conferences this season, as well.
So, it was a hotly anticipated showdown. Calgary had won it in 2015, but they had gone to the Grey Cup and lost both of the last two seasons, including an overtime loss to this same Ottawa team in 2016, and then a loss in the snow against Toronto in last season's Grey Cup. So, they were hungry to win this thing again, while Ottawa was looking for their second title in recent memory as well.
The highlight in the first half was a Grey Cup-record 97-yard punt return touchdown by Calgary's Terry Williams. at 14:59 of the second, giving Calgary a 21-11 advantage.
Calgary's quarterback, Bo Levi Mitchell, the CFL's most outstanding player during the regular season after throwing 35 touchdown passes, threw two first half touchdowns and threw for 253 yards overall. For his efforts, he was named the MVP for the 106th Grey Cup.
He shared this thoughts after the game:
"It feels surreal. I know we talked that [the two previous losses] didn't mean anything but we couldn't make the game bigger than it was. We had to understand that this was one game and you can only win one game and win only one Grey Cup.
"I think the guys who were on those two teams, even on the team last year, the emotions at the 30-second mark kind of hit. It wasn't about redemption against anybody else or the league ... it felt like as an organization we've been at the top too much not to finish the job. It feels amazing to get it done for the city of Calgary."
Stampeders end Grey Cup misery with win over Redblacks by Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press, November 26, 2018:·
https://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/cfl/cfl-grey-cup-stampeders-redblacks-recap-nov-25-1.4920123
Stamps' Grey Cup victory in pictures: Calgary defeats Ottawa to capture CFL championship CBC News, Nov 25, 2018
The highlight in the first half was a Grey Cup-record 97-yard punt return touchdown by Calgary's Terry Williams. at 14:59 of the second, giving Calgary a 21-11 advantage.
Calgary's quarterback, Bo Levi Mitchell, the CFL's most outstanding player during the regular season after throwing 35 touchdown passes, threw two first half touchdowns and threw for 253 yards overall. For his efforts, he was named the MVP for the 106th Grey Cup.
He shared this thoughts after the game:
"It feels surreal. I know we talked that [the two previous losses] didn't mean anything but we couldn't make the game bigger than it was. We had to understand that this was one game and you can only win one game and win only one Grey Cup.
"I think the guys who were on those two teams, even on the team last year, the emotions at the 30-second mark kind of hit. It wasn't about redemption against anybody else or the league ... it felt like as an organization we've been at the top too much not to finish the job. It feels amazing to get it done for the city of Calgary."
Stampeders end Grey Cup misery with win over Redblacks by Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press, November 26, 2018:·
https://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/cfl/cfl-grey-cup-stampeders-redblacks-recap-nov-25-1.4920123
Stamps' Grey Cup victory in pictures: Calgary defeats Ottawa to capture CFL championship CBC News, Nov 25, 2018
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