Finals Sunday: when the Eastern and the Western championships are played and the Grey Cup contestants are decided. The best day in the CFL schedule year in and out.
Today it's cold and rainy in Ottawa and what a perfect environment for playoff football. As Jocko said "Let's knock 'em cold in the cold!"
Anyway we'll play outdoors until just before one this afternoon.
Terrible day in this part of Southern Ontario, heavy rains, forecast of snow, high winds and gale like wind gusts. Sort of glad not to be sitting at a playoff game right now, can barely see across the road! Would be a brutal day at the stadium.
Of course, taking a clue from our southern cousins, Hamilton can claim no one has beaten them, so the Cats are still Eastern Conference champs!
"We" is the family at home. We traditionally close the yard around this time. Usually the game is on and visible through the window. We'll watch the start and then go outside and work and check up on the scores in a timely way. Usually we quit around the end of the third quarter and come in for the fourth. Then there's that thirty minute break and it's the Western Final. That we leave on through dinner.
Today the yard work was done early with no game on!
Remember the game the field goal blew short of the goalline: the ball just stopped dead in the air. I think that was at Guelph with the checkerboard end zones.
Inclement games are usually more enjoyable when watched from home!
...well, if the western final was being played in Calgary this afternoon you’d see blue skies, a blazing sun, a temp of +5C and a breeze out of the west...a perfect day for football....
When I think of a Calgary final - at least in the modern era - I think of Mike Labinjo in 2008. The Stamps beat the Leos and went on to win at Montreal by getting the Alouettes "right where they wanted them".
Mrs MadJack and I were at that Grey Cup final. I remember well the wrecking ball that was Mike Labinjo. What a shooting star he was. Too bad he flamed out far too soon.
My memory is of three sacks by Mike Labinjo in the West Final versus B.C.
I picked Montreal to win that Grey Cup by about five touchdowns; that was Marc Trestman's first year. Sandro DeAngelis was accurate and kicked about five field goals. Ken-Yon Rambo had a good game and number twenty one - I forget his name - made some key gains. Joffrey Reynolds. Brock Ralph scored just before halftime and ran into the television camera.
Burris outdueled Calvillo that day. And Hufnagel Trestman.
Miguel Robede. Randy Chevrier. Jeremaine Copeland.