There are few things as purely Canadian as the Grey Cup.
The brutally cold weather. The mounties carrying the trophy onto the field at the end of the game and presenting it to the Champion of the nine team league. It’s the one day a year when the entire country takes a day, or a week in the case of the host city, to recognize the undeniable charm that is the Canadian Football League.
And tonight, our very own Ottawa RedBlacks have a chance to win the league’s top trophy when they take on the Edmonton Eskimos.
The Eskimos come into this game as pretty substantial favourites but you would be foolish to count out this Ottawa team after the season they’ve put together.
A year after finishing dead last in the Canadian Football League, with a disappointing 2-16 record, this RedBlacks team has turned things around in a hurry. Their 12-6 earned them top spot in the East Division and a handful of achievments at the league’s year-end awards. I mean, people expected this team to improve in year two but I don’t think anybody expected it to happen this fast.
Their offence has been night and day when compared to last season. Last year, this team had trouble completing the most simple pass. This year? They have four receivers with more than 1,000 yards passing in Chris Williams, Greg Ellingson, Ernest Jackson and the league’s Top Canadian Brad Sinopli.
And even though his receiving core was pretty dreadful last year, there were times when it seemed like their quarterback Henry Burris was a little bit over the hill and just didn’t have what it took to be a regular starter in this league anymore. How wrong that was. Burris turned in one of the best seasons in CFL history, en-route to winning the award for the league’s Most Outstanding Player.
It has been a truly remarkable turnaround for Rick Campbell and the East Champion RedBlacks.
The one thing that has been consistent through both years though has been the support from the fans.
This city was starved for the return of football to the Nation’s Capital and it showed from the first game of last season. If you haven’t been, TD Place is well worth a visit. The crowds there are as energetic and lively as any in the CFL and provide a sports atmosphere that is usually only found in Ottawa come playoff time.
That home field win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats last weekend ends up right near the top of my list of live sporting events.
These Ottawa RedBlacks are a team and an organization that this city can truly be proud of and today, they have a shot at bringing home a Championship to a city that has been without one for a long, long time.
If you’re a Canadian, gather round the TV tonight at 6:00 PM, like so many will from coast to coast, and take in a football game that has become a Canadian institution. If you’re an Ottawa resident, admire the fact that a sports team from our city is in a Championship game. And if you’re an Ottawa football fan, sit back and enjoy a game that has been a long time coming.
LET’S GO REDBLACKS!
We’ll get back to that other Ottawa sports team tomorrow 🙂
