Here are some rambling thoughts as I leave Regina and head to Calgary for the 97th Grey Cup.
Congratulations to the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Montreal Alouettes. Both teams deserve to represent the West and East in this year's Grey Cup; these are the two best teams in the Canadian Football League.
It is amazing that as much as it's the beginning of a special week, it really is the last week in a long journey for both teams. From off-season conditioning, to mini-camps, to training camp, to the exhibition season, through the 19 weeks/18 game schedule (the bye week for both teams), and finally the East and West Final.
For the winners it was all worth it while for the losers, a void of missed opportunity.
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The best things about this year's Grey Cup are the quarterbacks. You have Anthony Calvillo ending his career and Darian Durant is just starting his. Both have unique skills, but what makes it more attractive is that each has ability and humility in balance. Sometimes success changes people and they feel they are special or entitled to special treatment but not these two. If anything, you have to pull words of self-description out of them. If ability and humility were always in equal balance, pro athletes and entertainers would be the best people and performers to associate with. We know it's not like that but in this year's Grey Cup, it is.
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I think the Riders fans are going to invade Calgary in a big way. Everyone at Mosaic Stadium was wearing green this past Sunday and because it's a road trip, it's different than even if the game was in Regina. It's always more fun to party in someone else's backyard than your own because when it's all over, you don't have to clean up the mess.
Speaking of CFL fans, how impressive was it to see Olympic Stadium sold out, or just about sold out, this past weekend? A big time revenue day for the CFL and the Alouettes and a visual that made the game look big time. Congratulations to the Montreal Alouettes football fans, I hope it diffuses the disappointment of the University of Laval loss.
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Trust me when I say this; there are Calgary Stampeders players, coaches and management that hate the idea of either the Als or Riders using their facilities and locker room, the area where you go to work every day. The thought of some other football players taking over for even only a week makes you burn inside. When I played, I never went to the Grey Cup unless I was going to play. I was totally dispassionate about who should win or lose; I would watch the game casually and would secretly hope everyone on each team would injure a knee or two. It was never a good day.
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Joel Bell; not many people know about him but he is the right tackle for the Riders, No. 65, and he has done an excellent job being a right tackle. Completely unnoticed and from an unusual background as a player, Bell has been absolutely key to the Riders' success. Remember the Riders lost four offensive linemen to injury. Chris Best, Marc Parenteau and especially Bell have made a difference.
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There will be a lot of discussion about Canadians in the CFL this week. I believe this in my heart: for every reduction of Canadian talent, whether it's on the 42-man roster or by rule, the seven that play is a step closer to being absorbed by the NFL. Now understand this; I adore the NFL, its style, rules and everything about it but I believe we should separate from American football and not try to compete or compare. What is wrong with going your own way and creating your own identity? If you take the on-field jobs away from Canadians, who does it affect? The Canadians that want to play football and the Canadians that want to watch Canadian football. Chris Getzlaf, Rob Bagg and Andy Fantuz are stars in Saskatchewan and a reason is because fans can relate to their background - being Canadian.
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What will be my biggest challenge in Grey Cup week? Keeping appointments and commitments. This is the week where TSN can use us up if they wish and we always say yes. I say this in a positive way, but it's not unusual to have a 15-hour day and you're just not sure when the other five hours went to...in the course of the day, that is.
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Is the ring the really thing? Yes, it really is. The money is nice but it comes and goes and then you need more. I have three rings - a Grey Cup ring, Fiesta Bowl ring and a Burlington Stampeders championship coaching ring. They all represent different blocks of time that I will never experience again, ever. It freezes memories in your mind, for good and bad, but it's yours and you earned and deserve it. Yes, the ring is the thing.
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Remember their names: Bryan Chiu, Anthony Calvillo, Anwar Stewart, Ben Cahoon, Davis Sanchez for Montreal, and Gene Makowsky, Ken Miller, Eddie Davis for the Riders. It is extremely rare that you can end a football career by winning your last game and for these veteran players, the ring isn't the thing - it's everything.
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Finally, the conversation will be many and the criticism very limited, but this is a good week to come to Calgary and enjoy the weekend. From CIS championship football to the Grey Cup, every now and then it is good to be Canadian and realize it.