Congratulations to both the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the B.C. Lions for putting on a great game for the 99th Grey Cup Championship game here in Vancouver on Sunday. The home team Lions ultimately took the top prize in the Canadian Football League. This was first time the Lions won the championship at home since 1994. Interestingly, back in 1994, the Vancouver Canucks lost the Stanley Cup in seven games. In 2011, the Canucks again lost the Stanley Cup seven games, which was then followed by the Lions victory. I’m happy for the Lions but I’d rather not see the Canucks lose another Stanley Cup Final as a precursor to the Lions’ Grey Cup triumph.
I was in the downtown core on both Friday and Saturday evenings. It appeared that all of western Canada had arrived for Grey Cup festivities. There were fans from Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, all very visible on downtown streets. Everyone was wearing jerseys from their respective teams. Of note, there appeared to be more green-clad Saskatchewan Roughrider fans than any others (including Lions and Blue Bombers supporters) in Vancouver this weekend. For them to turn out in huge numbers in Vancouver, even when their team wasn’t even playing, is a testament to the love of football that all of Saskatchewan has. It’s also possible that since Saskatchewan doesn’t have an NHL team, everyone just loves the Roughriders.
Anyways, I hope everyone who came from out of town had an awesome weekend in Vancouver. It was great seeing all the visitors!
Today hurts in Manitoba…21 years and counting.
Agree with your comment on ‘Rider fans, its the only game in town.
The old joke is that Winnipeg was only settled when a couple of people got off the Toronto-Vancouver train in January for a smoke, lost three fingers to frost bite and stayed because they were afraid that if it was any colder further west they would die.
The cold, the mosquitos, being in the same division as the 80’s Flames and Oilers, 1996, Bomber Coaches Jeff Reinbold and Mike Kelly (google “Mike Kelly Mug Shot”), and 15 years of cheering for a hockey team that didn’t exist has given us resolve to handle such disappointment, get back to shoveling snow out of the driveway, and move on.
That said…I have Jets tickets Thursday night…which feels nice to say.
With the disappointment of last June still in my mind, I feel your pain.
I hope you have a great time on Thursday!