Where are the Cardiac Kids when you need them?

My Report friend ColbyCosh, a big fan of the Edmonton Eskinos of the Canadian Football League, has been posting a series of funny posts about his team's fate in the CFL playoffs thus far. (They play Montreal for the Grey Cup on Sunday.) As he mentions, the CBC is again broadcasting Grey Cup Classics late at night, old Grey Cup games. Alas, I am a fan of the B.C. Lions, the Brooklyn Dodgers of the CFL, but I was there in person when Lui Passaglia kicked a field goal to win in 1994.

Aside from the Lions games, my favorite Grey Cup game on tape is the 1962 Grey Cup game, the infamous "Fog Bowl" between Winnipeg and Hamilton at CNE Stadium in Toronto. A heavy fog rolled in from nearby Lake Ontario, almost completely obscuring the game. (It's funny to watch. The ball disappears as it comes down during a pass. The commentators say things like. "I think that was a completion on the 15, no, that was the five.") The game had to be stopped, and the last eight minutes played the next day.

Next favourite non-Lion Grey Cup? The 1976 Grey Cup, where Tony Gabriel caught the winning touchdown with under a minute to go. (Colby would love the player photo of Wonderful Monds of the Rough Riders. His afro is about a block wide.)

I must confess, though, that I don't share Colby's love of the Eskimos. The first year I really followed the Lions, as a boy, was 1977, the year of "Jerry Tagge and the Cardiac Kids", when the team roared to a 10-2 record, winning four games in the last minute of play, then fell to 10-6. In the playoffs, the Lions beat Winnipeg, but were crushed by the Eskimos 40-1 in the Western Final.

In my home, it was a tradition to have people over to watch the Grey Cup. It was an iron rule to cheer for the Western team, but I was so annoyed at the Eskimos that year that I deliberately cheered for Montreal. That year's Grey Cup (1977) was "The Staple Game". The field was covered in ice, and some bright Alouette players grabbed a staple gun at halftime, and put staples in their shoes. With better traction, the Als won handily, able to complete passes and scoot for extra yards while the Esks flailed helplessly. Little Rick does :)

A little revenge was sweet back then. But now, I am just hoping for a good game on Sunday...it's okay if the Eskimos win. (Please note "okay". Not "excellent"...unless the Eskimos come back from 40 points down or something like that. :) )