This week's match ups, the history of the rivalries, and so forth.
First up, Montreal @ Ottawa. This will be the third and final installment of the 2018 series, barring a highly unlikely playoff run by the Als. Ottawa won the first game by ten in Quebec, and the second game by seven at home. FWIW, Ottawa also won the preseason game by twenty at home. Ottawa is @ BC next week.
Next up, Winnipeg @ Saskatchewan. This will be the first of three meetings this season. The Bombers will host both the Banjo Bowl as well as game three in October.
Third, The Battle of Alberta. Edmonton @ Calgary. They only play twice this year, with a return game next week.
Finally, Toronto @ Hamilton. This is the first of three match ups, with the Argos hosting both the return game next week as well as game three in October. FWIW Toronto won the preseason game by eighteen on the road.
Calgary wins. Enough said
I’m afraid the 2nd half of the regular season in the west, will be a competition between Edmonton, Saskatchewan, Winnipeg and maybe BC to see who gets the privilege of making the annual trip to historic McMahon stadium on Nov 18 for the Western Final.
So which one of them do you figure the Stamps will lose to in the Western Final ? Or do you just figure that they will wait until the Cup once again as usual to go for the hat trick or trifecta if you like in once again losing the game that counts for the most at the end of the season ?
I won’t speculate on what will or won’t happen in the post season. We are talking about the regular season here. And once again, Calgary enters Labour day in the most enviable of positions.
Great to see Labour Day Classic being advertised in Ontario. This is only about 20 years (at least) overdue.
Great commercial covering the history of the game and the 2 teams involved.
It seems that higher TV numbers trump attendance considerations for the league.
I prefer the old format (east game first followed by west afterwards), as I remember hearing how parents didn’t want to take kids out that late to a game on essentially a school night.
The cottage crowd in southern Ontario is home by then ahead of back to school/work. These same people are usually driving home in the afternoon and wouldn’t be able to watch the game.
I like the 6:30 time, it’s earlier than a regular night game. And they have either a university or CJFL game earlier with a concert in between, so it works out pretty well.