HAMILTON — For one day, CFL fans can forget about the trouble in Toronto, the lack of sizzle on offence and the wobbly direction of their beloved league.
The power of Grey Cup Sunday can make one put aside the harsh realities for three hours – especially when the home team is on the field in a proud football city such as Hamilton, forever linked to its Tiger-Cats in good times and bad.
“Sixty minutes of tough football played in a great environment – Hamilton-style football,” Winnipeg coach Mike O’Shea, who knows a thing or two about Steeltown, said when asked what he expects in the 108th Grey Cup – featuring his Blue Bombers and the Tiger-Cats. “We probably play the same brand. Good defences, offences that can get after it, big plays.
“It’s going to be a great setting. To me, it’s the biggest single-day sporting event in Canada every single year. It’s celebrated across the country. It’s important to people from one coast to another. I love that part. It’s awesome.”
After a one-year absence because of COVID-19, the Grey Cup is back in Hamilton for the first time since 1996 – and once again, much of the pre-game talk has been about the league’s issues.
O’Shea, a fan favourite in Hamilton before becoming a public enemy when he signed down the QEW with the hated Argonauts not once but twice, was here in 1996 as a linebacker for the Doug Flutie-led powerhouse Toronto team. The Argos’ appearance in a nearby title tilt did next to nothing to help ticket sales for a league experiencing plenty of turmoil – albeit not with the on-field product like this year.
The league sold heavily discounted tickets in the week leading up to the game to avoid the embarrassment of empty seats. Toronto Mayor John Tory, then the volunteer CFL commissioner, has told of how Tim Hortons provided the league with extra funds to ensure players’ game cheques would clear.
But despite all that, it was a magical night. In a heavy snowstorm at the old Ivor Wynne Stadium, the Argos beat Edmonton 43-37 – a game considered one of the best Grey Cups ever.
Now, we finally have another Showdown in Steeltown – at the seven-year-old Tim Hortons Field, on the same grounds as Ivor Wynne – and the Black and Gold have a chance to break the longest current Grey Cup drought in the CFL, dating back to 1999.
“I think it’s going to be a great game. Two great organizations going at it,” said Bombers quarterback and CFL most outstanding player Zach Collaros, also a former Ticat. “Really happy for the league, really happy for the country. Having the year off and being able to pull this off this year, it’s been an amazing season. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Collaros has experienced highs and lows in the Hammer. He made his mark as a CFL quarterback here with three strong seasons from 2014-16, and started the first game at the new stadium in ’14.
But Collaros lost his job after an 0-8 start in 2017 and was traded to Saskatchewan the following year.
Then, in the 2019 season opener in Hamilton – a game heavily overshadowed by the Toronto Raptors winning the NBA title that same night – Collaros suffered a concussion on a controversial head hit by current Ticats linebacker Simoni Lawrence.
Cody Fajardo took over for an injured Collaros before a fairy-tale story emerged – a trade to Toronto and then another deal to Winnipeg before the playoffs, where the Blue Bombers went on the road for two wins before upsetting the Ticats 33-12 in the Grey Cup.
“I try not to be too dramatic and sentimental, especially before a game,” Collaros said. “(On Saturday), I just felt like I was walking out to practice three or four years ago or whenever that was and it was windy (like it often is at Tim Hortons Field). It’s like, ‘Damn, I’ve got to throw in that wind today.’ I guess it’s good for me that I’ve played in something like that if that’s what it’s going to be (Sunday). But I’m really trying to stay focused on the task at hand. All those things about our careers, we can reflect on down the road.”
It’s a reverse scenario of 2019, when coach Orlondo Steinauer’s Ticats came in as favourites after finishing the season 15-3 and had the league’s MOP in receiver Brandon Banks.
But while Winnipeg had this year’s MOP and was the dominant team all season, it must deal with a hostile, sellout crowd urged to all wear black.
“It’s going to be us against the East Coast here a little bit, but we’re ready for it,” Winnipeg star running back Andrew Harris said.
Dane Evans, the Ticats’ starting quarterback after a 16-for-16 performance in relief of Jeremiah Masoli last week in the East final in Toronto, is 7-1 as a starter at home – with the lone loss in his first try.
“We’re comfortable here. We love this stadium,” Evans said. “We got lucky the Grey Cup was here this year and we found a way into it. It certainly wasn’t handed to us, by any means. That’s part of what we talked about in the meeting – there is going to be some advantage there.”
Added defensive back Tunde Akelede, who will be playing in his fourth straight Grey Cup: “We get a lot of energy off them and they really support us. It’s nice to have this game here and to be able to win in front of our fans would be huge.”
To do that, they’ll have to find a way to hand O’Shea his first loss in a Grey Cup. The North Bay, Ont., native is 5-0 in the big game (three as a player, one as an assistant coach, one as a head coach).
The Ticats also won’t have run-stuffer Ted Laurent, who underwent a procedure for appendicitis on Friday – though he was at the stadium Saturday for meetings, providing an emotional lift for his team.
Come Sunday, they’ll get another boost from 24,000 or so in Tiger Town.
The scene should be sensational – and loyal CFL fans, in the midst of a challenging stretch, sure deserve something to savour.
“With it being a home game for Hamilton, it will certainly be loud,” Collaros said. “We’ve been practising different snap counts. We’ll be ready for anything. I think it’s an amazing week for the CFL and I’m just really happy for the fans they get to celebrate the season.”
The French league’s legal commission has ordered Paris Saint-Germain to pay Kylian Mbappé the 55 million euros ($61 million) in unpaid wages that he claims he’s entitled to, the league said Thursday.
The league confirmed the decision to The Associated Press without more details, a day after the France superstar rejected a mediation offer by the commission in his dispute with his former club.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former football star Reggie Bush was at his Encino home Tuesday night when three male suspects attempted to break in, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.
“Everyone is safe,” Bush said in a text message to the newspaper.
The Los Angeles Police Dept. told the Times that a resident of the house reported hearing a window break and broken glass was found outside. Police said nothing was stolen and that three male suspects dressed in black were seen leaving the scene.
Bush starred at Southern California and in the NFL. The former running back was reinstated as the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner this year. He forfeited it in 2010 after USC was hit with sanctions partly related to Bush’s dealings with two aspiring sports marketers.
VANCOUVER – A fresh face has been gracing the B.C. Lions‘ highlight reels in recent weeks.
Midway through his second CFL campaign, wide receiver Ayden Eberhardt has contributed touchdowns in two consecutive games.
The 26-year-old wide receiver from Loveland, Colo., was the lone B.C. player to reel in a passing major in his team’s 37-23 victory over the league-leading Montreal Alouettes last Friday. The week before, he notched his first CFL touchdown in the Lions’ win over the Ottawa Redblacks.
“It’s been awesome. It’s been really good,” Eberhardt said of his recent play. “At the end of the day, the biggest stat to me is if we win. But who doesn’t love scoring?”
He’ll look to add to the tally Friday when the Leos (7-6) host the Toronto Argonauts.
Eberhardt signed with B.C. as a free agent in January 2023 and spent much of last season on the practice squad before cementing a role on the roster this year.
The six-foot-two, 195-pound University of Wyoming product has earned more opportunities in his second season, said Lions’ head coach and co-general manager Rick Campbell.
“He’s a super hard worker and very smart. He understands, has high football IQ, as we call it,” Campbell said.
The fact that Eberhardt can play virtually every receiving position helps.
“He could literally go into a game and we could throw him into a spot and he’d know exactly what he’s doing,” the coach said. “That allows him to play fast and earn the quarterback’s trust. And you see him making plays.”
Eberhardt credited his teammates, coaches and the rest of the Lions’ staff with helping him prepare for any situation he might face. They’ve all spent time teaching him the ins and outs of the Canadian game, or go over the playbook and run routes after practice, he said.
“I’ve played every single position on our offence in a game in the last two years, which is kind of crazy. But I love playing football,” he said. “I want to play any position that the team needs me to play.”
While B.C.’s lineup is studded with stars like running back William Stanback — who has a CFL-high 938 rushing yards — and wide receiver Justin McInnis — who leads the league in both receiving yards (1,074) and receiving TDs (seven) — versatility has been a critical part of the team’s back-to-back wins.
“I think we’ve got a lot of talented guys who deserve to get the ball and make big plays when they have the ball in their hands. So it’s really my job to get them the ball as much as possible,” said quarterback Nathan Rourke.
“I think that makes it easy when you can lean on those guys and, really, we’re in a situation where anyone can have a big game. And I think that’s a good place to be.”
Even with a talented lineup, the Lions face a tough test against an eager Argos side.
Toronto lost its second straight game Saturday when it dropped a 41-27 decision to Ottawa.
“We’ll have our hands full,” Rourke said. “We’ll have to adjust on the fly to whatever their game plan is. And no doubt, they’ll be ready to go so we’ll have to be as well.”
The two sides have already met once this season when the Argos handed the Lions a 35-27 loss in Toronto back on June 9.
A win on Friday would vault B.C. to the top of the West Division standings, over the 7-6 Winnipeg Blue Bombers who are on a bye week.
Collecting that victory isn’t assured, though, even with Toronto coming in on a two-game skid, Campbell said.
“They’ve hit a little bit of a rut, but they’re a really good team,” he said. “They’re very athletic. And you can really see (quarterback Chad Kelly’s) got zip on the ball. When you see him in there, he can make all the throws. So we’re expecting their best shot.”
TORONTO ARGONAUTS (6-6) AT B.C. LIONS (7-6)
Friday, B.C. Place
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: The Lions boast a 4-1 home record this season, including a 38-12 victory over the Redblacks at Royal Athletic Park in Victoria, B.C., on Aug. 31. The Argos have struggled outside of BMO Field and hold a 1-5 away record. Trips to the West Coast haven’t been easy for Toronto in recent years — since 2003, the club is 4-14 in road games against B.C.
CENTURION: B.C. defensive back Garry Peters is set to appear in his 100th consecutive game. The 32-year-old from Conyers, Ga., is a two-time CFL all-star who has amassed 381 defensive tackles, 19 special teams tackles and 16 interceptions over seven seasons. “Just being on the field with the guys every day, running around, talking trash back and forth, it keeps me young,” Peters said. “It makes me feel good, and my body doesn’t really feel it. I’ve been blessed to be able to play 100 straight.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
