Running Grey Cup thread.....

Beef, I believe CBC is in 13 million Canadian households compared to 9 million for TSN. That's a lot of eyeballs so it'll be interesting to see what the ratings are like

I'm not as critical of football coverage as I am of hockey so I don't see much difference between CBC & TSN although Rod Black annoys the crap out of me.

You're probably not old enough to remember when both CBC and CTV broadcast the game.

 

Has anyone scored a rouge yet?
Because I think "scoring a rouge" is probably the most sexually ambiguous phrase in all of sports.

 

Yeah, not really. All I know is that CBC never started until Labour Day. I figured there was probably someone else who broadcasted it pre-TSN. When did they stop?

 

If it means quite litterally scoring a single point, how ambiguous can it be?

 

These Grey Cup fans are hoping for the rouge (well, it's almost rouge)

 

CBC & CTV were co-broadcasters from the early 60's to mid 80's. If I remember correctly, CBC (usually Don Wittman) would do one half and CTV (the awful Pat Marsden) would do the other half.

Grey Cup is a big deal but during its heyday in the 60's and early 70's, before the Superbowl showed up, it was practically a national holiday. When the game was on the streets were absolutely deserted.

Hamilton will be there next year.

 

The Grey Cup is one of my favourite days of the year, just pisses me off I keep having to work on Grey CUp Sunday. Stupid profession that I chose.
It should be a national holiday. No other sport brings the country together quite like the Grey Cup.

Oh and a thought just hit me, of the aprox. four milion households that can't get TSN that get CBC, how many of them are sports fans? How many of them would be making a point to watch the game anyway? Like I said, the ones that really care about watching it will find a way.

 

Beef,

Apparently someone rode a horse into a downtown Montreal hotel. Probably one of you damn westerners

CFL is really pissed at Les Canadiens because they chose this weekend to honour Patrick Roy and raise his number to the rafters.

Apparently Grey Cup coverage in today's Gazette was on page ten of the sports section.

As one of the players said, "They have 41 games at home to do this. Why pick this weekend?

Sorry you have to work on Sunday.

 

Funny thing about the Grey Cup is seeing the resurgence of the popularity of it (and the CFL in general) amongst people in my generation (gen X for lack of a better term)

When I was a kid I loved the CFL but as I got in to my teens and twenties migrated to all things NFL.

Over the last 6 or 7 years I have seen friends buy season tickets and actually travel to road games in other cities. Having seen quite a few CFL games and NFL games live my opinion is that while there is more spectacle with the NFL games, the CFL game is more entertaining and a funner time.

The Grey Cup has also turned into a reunuion of sorts for friends across the country in the host city. I can't make it to Montreal this year but I know of 3 house parties for Grey Cup that people are going all out for.

It seems that there has been some embracing of the CFL that I am not sure I would have ever anticipated. I have a feeling though that this feeling may not apply to the GTA based on the tepid atmosphere around the city during the last Grey Cup played there.

A friend of mine who is somewhat prominent in Winnipeg media was asked by a CBC radio personality who did not recognize him in Toronto what he thought of the festivities. He went on a pretty funny rant that ended up going coast to coast on the network about how lame Toronto was after an event was cancelled due to weather.

Hopefully the competent Hank Burris shows up and leads the Stamps to victory!

 

Toronto's a terrible CFL city, despite actually averaging more than 30,000 a game this year I believe. The feeling I get is that the city thinks itself too major league to have time for the CFL. It's fine for now, but they are looking for the next bigger and better thing to replace it (ie the NFL). It's sad because as Iron Chet said, it is a more fan friendly game in terms of excitement and relateablity. I love the NFL as well, but it's dominating advantage is the multi-billion dollar spectacle and all that it provides.

 

How's Larry Taylor doing? [/UConn fanboi]

 

They cancelled the pancake breakfast I believe.

By and large last year's Grey Cup in Toronto was pretty succesful and pretty boisterous thanks to all the Green Rider fans.

Funny thing is, two of my kids play CIS football but they're only marginally interested in the CFL--they're US college & NFL fans.