Running Grey Cup thread.....

Calgary Stampeders vs Montreal Alouettes, Sunday at 6:00.

Game's as the Big Owe in Montreal and a crowd of 65,000 plus is expected.

Great QB matchup: Henry Burris and Anthony Calvillo. Should be a doozy of a game.

Ok, Flash & Beef, I'm picking Als by a field goal.

Score will be something like 42-39.

First time the game has not been on CBC in 56 years.

I think it's on American One down in the States.

 

Why isn't it on CBC?

 

On Versus in the U.S.

 

TSN outbid them for it.

TSN owns exclusive broadcasting rights now to all CFL games. They do a pretty good job but they don't reach nearly the number of homes that CBC does.

It'll be interesting to see the ratings. Traditionally it's the highest rated program of the year. Way more than the Stanley Cup.

 

Watched by 55 people coast to coast.

 

I'll be one of them.

 

JR, why do you hate Hawaii so?

 

Not to mention Alaska.

 

I got the Als winning this one, let's say 27-13. Montreal almost always has some trouble in the Grey Cup, but I like the experience and smoothness of Calvillo. Plus they are at home, and they are going to have that crowd noise streaming in through the speakers. They'll just be more comfortable and professional.

The Stamps are already showing cracks by getting all pissed off by being snubbed at the award show. Some will say that's just added motivation, I say that their mind isn't in the right place, being far too concerned about something as trivial as individual awards with the Grey Cup two and a half days from kickoff. Burris, until this year has never been able to handle the pressure of the big game, and although I didn't watch the West final, it sounded like he didn't play so hot then. The B.C. Lions practically gave it to them by failing to punch it into the endzone (or you can say their defence carried them to victory). Either way I wouldn't trust Burris with a potato gun, let alone trying to win the Grey Cup where QB play will be paramount. He'll probably throw something like 300 yards as he always does, with 1 TD and at least 2 INTs.


As a side note about the awards: Boo fucking hoo. The last time the Eskimos had won any of the Most Outstanding awards before last night was 2002 and since then they have won two Grey Cups and I believe just lost in their second Division Final, plus there are two years in there most eskimos fans would like to forget. Moral of the story, especially in the CFL, you don't play to win individual awards. I don't know of anyone who grew up thinking 'I'm going to win Most Outstanding Special Teams player in the CFL some day.'

 

Beef, I read about Burris throwing a hissy fit about the Stamps being shut out.

And I'm thinking, "Gee, tough shit. You got a football game to play on Sunday".

On a depressing note, media coverage is way down this year.

William Houston's column in today's Globe:

http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081121.wspt_truth21/GSStory/GlobeSports/home

Neither of the Ottawa papers--what's that a three hour drive to Montreal--won't be there.

Terry Jones of the Edmonton Sun won't be covering it---his first miss in 35 years.

One guy, God bless him, puts it into perspective:

"Frankly, it was hard for me to disagree with the decision," said Jonathan McDonald, sports editor of the Province. "I think that about 550 people at [Province owner] Canwest are going to lose their jobs in the next little while. I'd sound really pathetic if I thought it was all about us."

 

I don't think they are missing a giant segment of the population, and for most of those not able to get it, it shouldn't be hard to find somewhere if they really want it.

TSN is part of every basic cable package and satellite package in Canada. The only way someone can't get it is if they live on a farm in the middle of nowhere with out a dish. I know litterally hundreds, if not thousands of farmers and the vast, vast majority of them have a dish. And I suppose there are those who can't afford cable/Sat, but this might be the one day to make a point of saving up $20 to go have a couple of beers and watch it at a bar or restraunt that has a TV.

Besides, I'll take TSN's football production over the CBC's every day of the week, especially if it means I don't have to listen to Chris Walby. Plus the panel was far superior on TSN for the last number of years. Sorry Elliotte, but their ex-football players can actually talk and make it interesting. Frers was terrible, Duane Ford wasn't very good (although now that TSN has picked him up and don't force him to really interact with anyone, he is better but still not great. he can just say his well rehearsed bit as a CFL Insider and get off the air), and I can't remember who else they had . . . Millington? I just remember it was hard to watch.

It was frustratingly one of the few sports CBC didn't do so well at and seemed almost underfunded and almost a second thought, especially compared to their hockey, olympic, curling (except for recent years where Curling has been treated like a demented step child and swept away on a specialty channel few had heard of and even fewer got, but if you could find it it was well done), amateur sport coverage. Even their figure skating I thought was done better. Cuthbert leaving for TSN also hurt their play-by-play huge.

 

Wow. Did not realize coverage was going to be down that much. So is everyone just relying on wire service then? I can't believe the Sun would dare cut so far into Terry Jones' legendary travel budget that he would not be able to cover the Grey Cup.

This sucks -- for the industry in general that it is getting this tight. To me the Grey Cup should be a prioritized expense if I was a major daily in a CFL city or region. I can't think of a single more important guaranteed annual sporting event to be covered in Canada. The Olympics are only every four years, and unless like 2010 it is in Canada or there is a large contingent going from your city, it's easy not to send someone (unless you are one of two national papers). Also, especially of late, it is tough to really count on an annual long push by the local hockey team into the playoffs. The only other thing that even comes close would be the Brier, but I'm not even sure how big the media push is for that out East. Out West, of course, it is pretty big. I'm sure Jones will be covering it in Calgary this year, but I wonder if he will in 2010 when it goes to I think Halifax.