I was just looking at the East Division standings, and it’s almost safe to say that Winnipeg and Montreal have the top two spots locked. There’s a rather large gap between them and the rest of the division…
The standings…
Winnipeg: 5-2-1 (11)
Montreal: 5-3-0 (10)
Toronto: 2-6-0 (4)
Hamilton: 1-7-0 (2)
It’s pretty obvious that Hamilton won’t be making a comeback any time soon… but is Toronto out of the running as well…?
:?Probably yeah, but don't count Toronto out just yet. Bishop may be able to help the team win games and if he can stay healthy, who knows what can happen.
Looks like Hamiltons season is a definite write off though, unfortunately (for cats fans).
Toronto plays back to back games against Hamilton while Edmonton plays back to back against Calgary. All Toronto has to do is win both those games and they will be back in the mix for the last spot. Worst thing that could happen is a split for Toronto and one of the Alberta teams to sweep.
If Toronto Loses any more, the Western Cross over will become a reality!
I'm not a fan of the crossover. Selling the CFL in Ontario is tough enough as it is. Having no Ontario teams in the playoff is really bad for the league.
I’d still like to see some day, BC cross over, win both games and represent the East in the Grey Cup. What a marketing nightmare that would be! 
At the same time, do you really think a 2-6 team should be in the playoffs?
Especially when one of those wins was against Hamilton, and the other one was against a team (Calgary) that smoked Toronto the very next week?
Its not like we're talking about a legitimate contender being forced out due to the crossover, here.
OK!
So what if Calgary crosses over having been beaten by that 2-6 team?
Lose the crossover. If was implemented to quiet the whiners
If it was me in an 8 team league I would have one division with the winner getting a by and the next two fighting it off in a semi.
Keep in mind that teams crossing over have always lost.
It was implemented when the West had more teams then the East. It really should go.
Heh I never really thought about the crossover when I created this topic.
I just thought it’d be pretty hard for Toronto to challenge either Montreal or Winnipeg for the second seed. Montreal already has a 3 game lead over them, and there are only 10 games left. Montreal would have to go on a bit of a slide in order for Toronto to be able challenge them.
So Cheif, your Eskimos would be in the Playoffs if they started today......
I suppose they would be...
The crossover was born (although no one may have realized it at the time) in 1981 - the year a 5-11 Ottawa team and a 3-13 Montreal team BOTH made the playoffs (with Ottawa representing the East in the Grey Cup) while a 9-7 Sask. team failed to make the playoffs.
Any league where that can happen and no one in control felt it was a problem goes a long way in explaining the League's troubles in the 1980's and early '90s.
The thing is, it can, and does happen in every sport!
That's crap.
And, let me say, had the situation been the same, but reversed, where the 4th place Eastern team perenially missed the playoffs to a Western weak sister, we would have had a crossover long before we finally got one.
ro doesn't like our slogan..."The West is the Best!"
But, an 8-8 team passes over a 9-7 team is one thing... a 3-13 team passing a 9-7 team is something completely different. That's ridiculous. A 3-13 team should never make the playoffs.
Ottawa had 5 wins that year and got a home playoff game for god's sake.
Besides, it would make a great Trivia question...."What Western Team won the Eastern Conference Championship and the Grey Cup?"
Calvillo and or Glenn go down, and those two teams get real bad real quick. Lots of ball to go yet.