he ran straight through the end zone, over the running track, and
into the Stampeders dressing room! Coach Buono elected to go for
only a single rather than a 2 pointer, and Stamps fans despaired
that Tracey Ham might lead his team into FG range for a win. With
half a minute left on the clock, the Calgary defence rose to the
occasion and shut down the subsequent Eskimo drive, cementing the
victory and sending the Stampeders to the 1991 Grey Cup.
= =
"The Catch" - (Ottawa Version) The last minute touchdown catch
by Tight End Tony Gabriel to win the 1976 Grey Cup 23-20 over the
heavily favoured Saskatchewan Roughriders. After Sask. had taken
a halftime lead of 17-10, they went into a defensive shell with
their only points coming from a FG to make it 20-10. In the final
quarter, Ottawa kicker Gerry Organ chipped two FGs to bring the
score to 20-16. With only 4:46 left, the dependable Gabriel, the
CFL's leading receiver that season, caught a 25 yard pass to
bring the ball to the Sask. 10 yard line. Art Green ran into a
wall on the next play, then Clements rolled right on a keeper
and fumbled as he was hit, though the referee had already blown
the ball dead and Ottawa kept possession! On the next play, a
third and inches goal-line QB keeper play, the defence made a
glorious stand and Sask. took over the ball with barely over two
minutes left. On the subsequent drive, QB Ron Lancaster could
have backtracked one step into the end zone and taken a 2 point
safety to make it 20-18, then kicked off from their 35. Instead,
the Green Riders felt that there was too much time left and were
wary of Ottawa's kicker having a stiff breeze behind him, so they
tried 2 plays, were stopped, then punted. Ottawa took over on the
Sask. 35 with only 44 seconds left to play. After a thwarted
running play, Clements threw a 10 yard toss to Gabriel, who took
a shot to the back of his neck which almost knocked him out.
Seeing stars, he returned to the huddle, unable to focus. Clements
ignored a play brought in and called a Gabriel play again. Tony
leapt off the line, dodged first past LB Roger Goree, then faked
a post pattern to Ted Provost. The Sask. DB bought it, and Gabriel
stepped outside to run under a perfect pass all alone in the end
zone. After the kickoff, Sask. were unable to use the remaining
few seconds, and Ottawa had come from behind to win the Grey Cup!
Their tight end was justifiably named the Player of the Game.
= =
"The Fog Bowl" - On Dec. 1, 1962, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers met
the Hamilton Tiger Cats in the Grey Cup Final in Toronto. At game
time, the temperature was well above normal (11C-52F) so swirling
mists of fog began to roll in off of Lake Ontario. By the third
quarter, visibility was reduced to almost zero. An emergency
meeting of the CFL executive decided, at 9:29 of the fourth
quarter with the Bombers leading 28-27, to postpone the game
until the next day. On Sunday, Dec.2, the game resumed precisely
where it left off. No further points were scored, and the Bombers
carried home the 1962 Grey Cup.
= =
"The Game" - The 1989 Grey Cup Championship game between the
Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at the SkyDome
in Toronto on November 26, 1989. Both teams played valiantly up
to the very last seconds, with a see-saw points battle providing
gripping entertainment. It was a pity that one team had to lose.
Most agree that this was the finest Grey Cup match ever played.
<From Keith Willoughby:>
Hamilton opened with two Paul Osbaldiston FG's. 'Rider P Terry
Baker added a single, then the Cats scored the first TD of the
game as QB Mike Kerrigan hit WR Tony Champion in the end zone.
Score at end of 1st quarter: Hamilton 13, Sask. 1. In the second
quarter, both offences were on fire. 'Rider QB "Colonel" Kent
Austin hit SB Ray Elgaard in the end zone and they trailed 13-8.
(Note: Sask. did not try a running play in the second quarter!)
Hamilton replied with a 1-yard TD run by RB Derrick McAdoo.
Saskatchewan answered immediately on the next play from
scrimmage as Austin hit SB Jeff Fairholm on a 75-yard pass
(Fairholm made a miraculous catch while being interfered with.)
Hamilton responded with another drive. This time, Kerrigan read
the 'Rider blitz and hit McAdoo on a 30-yard pass over the middle
to make the score 27-15 Hamilton. Saskatchewan capped the half
with a 5-yard TD pass from Austin to WR Don Narcisse. The first
half (whew!) ended with The Tabbies in front 27-22. Saskatchewan
opened the third quarter with a FG by PK Dave Ridgway. Hamilton
responded with a FG of their own to go in front 30-25. 'Rider
P Terry Baker nailed a punt out of bounds at the Ti-Cat 3-yard
line, and the Cats could not move from there. They gave up a
safety touch when the snap to Osbaldiston was a little too high.
Now trailing 30-27, the 'Riders went ahead when RB Tim McCray
scored on a 1-yard run. The 3rd quarter ended with Sask. on top
34-30. Ridgway and Osbaldiston traded FG's to give Sask. a 37-33
lead. Then, with 2 minutes left in the game, Ridgway added
another and made the lead 40-33. Hamilton then marched the ball
downfield, and on 3rd down on the Sask. 7, Kerrigan hit Champion
in the end zone. Champion made, IMHO, the greatest catch in
football history (especially given the fact that he was playing
with broken ribs at the time!) Now tied at 40, Sask. RB Tim McCray
returned the ensuing kickoff to the 'Rider 35. 38 seconds remained.
Austin's first pass went incomplete and used up five seconds. On
second down, he found Elgaard all alone on the sidelines for a
20-yard pickup. 26 seconds remained. Then, 'Rider WR Mark "The
Forgotten" Guy made an incredible catch at the Ti-Cat 35, as he
was simultaneously hit by 3 Hamilton defenders. Only 20 seconds
were left. On the next play, Austin scrambled, eating up lots of
precious time, and hit Guy on a short out-pattern at the Ti-Cat 25.
Just 9 seconds remained. Austin backed up to the 28, then went down
on one knee. The 'Riders called a time-out with 7 seconds left.
Ridgway then took to the field, the ball was snapped, and he booted
his 4th FG of the day. With only 2 seconds remaining on the clock,
Saskatchewan snuffed out the kick return and won 43-40!
<From Taras Ciuriak:>
I was at the SkyDome for "The Game." It was heaven and it was hell.
When Champion made that catch, I thought for sure that there would
be overtime. I never wanted the game to end, but once Robo-Kicker
came onto the field I knew that it was done. When it was over, I
was simply numb. I congratulated the 'Riders fans who were around
us, then my buddies and I drove back home to Hamilton. Not a word
was spoken in the car. It was the best football game we'd ever seen.
= =
"The Labour Day Classic" - This label applies to both the annual
Ti-Cats / Argos tilt held on Labour Day Monday at Ivor Wynne
Stadium in Hamilton, and the Calgary / Edmonton matchup held on
the same day at McMahon Stadium in Calgary. Winnipeg and
Saskatchewan play their traditional matchup on the previous day.
Sellouts are common at all three games. Due to scheduling problems
caused by the dissolution of the Las Vegas Posse franchise, the
1995 version of the Tabbies / Argos matchup will not take place.
= =
+"The Mud Bowl" - The Grey Cup final of 1950 went down in history
for its awful field conditions. The Toronto Argonauts faced the
Winnipeg Blue Bombers on a field which resembled a war zone, due to
poor removal of wet snow from the night before. Argos QB Al Dekdebrun played with filed-down thumbtacks taped to his finger tips, so that
he would have grip on the pigskin. 27,000 fans saw the Argos squirm
through the muck for a 13-0 Grey Cup Championship victory. The game
is also noteworthy for the fact that the Bombers' Bud Tinsley had
been knocked out and fell face down in the ooze. Unnoticed, he lay
there while the play went on. Finally, referee Hec Creighton glimpsed
his inert body, jogged suspiciously over to him, and rolled him over
just in time to save his life! Subsequent to the game, the Canadian
Rugby Football Union purchased a tarpaulin for future Grey Cups.
= =
+The "Rouge" - This single-point play came into existence in 1890
when the Ontario Rugby Football Union abandoned the previous system
of scoring by "goals" and "tries" in favour of a points system and
the present day field size. By 1902, the ORFU had cemented the
major features of today's game: 12 men per side, 3 downs, lines of scrimmage, and a scoring system of touchdowns, field goals, drop
kicks, safety touches, and "rouges." To score a rouge (worth 1
point), the kicking team had to prevent the defending team from
returning, back onto the field of play, a missed goal kick (of either
field goal, drop kick, or punt type) which was caught or fielded
within the end zone. Put simply, defenders had to get the ball out
of the end zone or give up a point. Under these rules, the "goal
line" was truly a goal-scoring line and the uprights were not the
only way of scoring from kicks. This was due to the fact that size specifications for uprights were not standardized until decades
later, nor were hash marks. The rouge was meant to encourage a
continuous transition from defence to offence and vice versa, with
few "dead ball" interruptions in game action. Since the point value
of field goals varied over the years (sometimes worth only 1, 2, or
3 points) the rouge was historically considered an important
point-scoring play in it's own right. In modern times though, with
the field goal value set at 3, with highly skilled kickers, with
shallower end zones and standardized uprights, with the questionable American decision to have a "dead ball" after a kick, and with a
clear break in the action as teams switch from defence to offence and
vice versa, some have questioned the continuing need for the rouge,
arguing that it can be interpreted as a "reward" for having missed
a field goal. Countering this, CFL purists maintain that a dying
seconds runback or puntback out of the end zone (to avoid giving
up a single point during a close scoring game) makes the rouge a
uniquely thrilling and worthwhile aspect of Canadian football.
= =
"The Sleeper Play" - Prior to the 1948 Grey Cup, reports of a
mysterious sneak play in use by Ottawa began to filter west to
Calgary. After Stamps Head Coach Les Lear had complained loudly and frequently about it, the teams apparently felt that the surprise
was now lost, so that the play was now useless. Ottawa were 5:2
favourites, and had a measurably better team. With one minute left
in the first half, Lear pulled a double-cross. Stampeders wide
receiver Norm Hill lay flat on the ground in front of the team bench,
but still in play, while the rest of the offence huddled. Everyone
in the stadium saw this except for the Ottawa team! The Stamps'
quarterback lofted the ball wide just over the goal line where Hill
was hit by a defender while trying to catch it. The ball was tipped straight up and landed in Hill's hands as he lay on his back.
The Stampeders went on to win 12-7 for their first Grey Cup victory.
<From Dick Dinelle:>
The "Sleeper Play" was not officially outlawed until the early
60's when it was ruled that all players must attend the huddle
or be on the field of play prior to the snap. The reason I bring
this up is ...
tried 2 plays, were stopped, then punted. Ottawa took over on the
Sask. 35 with only 44 seconds left to play. After a thwarted
running play, Clements threw a 10 yard toss to Gabriel, who took
a shot to the back of his neck which almost knocked him out.
Seeing stars, he returned to the huddle, unable to focus. Clements
ignored a play brought in and called a Gabriel play again. Tony
leapt off the line, dodged first past LB Roger Goree, then faked
a post pattern to Ted Provost. The Sask. DB bought it, and Gabriel
stepped outside to run under a perfect pass all alone in the end
zone. After the kickoff, Sask. were unable to use the remaining
few seconds, and Ottawa had come from behind to win the Grey Cup!
Their tight end was justifiably named the Player of the Game.
= =
"The Fog Bowl" - On Dec. 1, 1962, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers met
the Hamilton Tiger Cats in the Grey Cup Final in Toronto. At game
time, the temperature was well above normal (11C-52F) so swirling
mists of fog began to roll in off of Lake Ontario. By the third
quarter, visibility was reduced to almost zero. An emergency
meeting of the CFL executive decided, at 9:29 of the fourth
quarter with the Bombers leading 28-27, to postpone the game
until the next day. On Sunday, Dec.2, the game resumed precisely
where it left off. No further points were scored, and the Bombers
carried home the 1962 Grey Cup.
= =
"The Game" - The 1989 Grey Cup Championship game between the
Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at the SkyDome
in Toronto on November 26, 1989. Both teams played valiantly up
to the very last seconds, with a see-saw points battle providing
gripping entertainment. It was a pity that one team had to lose.
Most agree that this was the finest Grey Cup match ever played.
<From Keith Willoughby:>
Hamilton opened with two Paul Osbaldiston FG's. 'Rider P Terry
Baker added a single, then the Cats scored the first TD of the
game as QB Mike Kerrigan hit WR Tony Champion in the end zone.
Score at end of 1st quarter: Hamilton 13, Sask. 1. In the second
quarter, both offences were on fire. 'Rider QB "Colonel" Kent
Austin hit SB Ray Elgaard in the end zone and they trailed 13-8.
(Note: Sask. did not try a running play in the second quarter!)
Hamilton replied with a 1-yard TD run by RB Derrick McAdoo.
Saskatchewan answered immediately on the next play from
scrimmage as Austin hit SB Jeff Fairholm on a 75-yard pass
(Fairholm made a miraculous catch while being interfered with.)
Hamilton responded with another drive. This time, Kerrigan read
the 'Rider blitz and hit McAdoo on a 30-yard pass over the middle
to make the score 27-15 Hamilton. Saskatchewan capped the half
with a 5-yard TD pass from Austin to WR Don Narcisse. The first
half (whew!) ended with The Tabbies in front 27-22. Saskatchewan
opened the third quarter with a FG by PK Dave Ridgway. Hamilton
responded with a FG of their own to go in front 30-25. 'Rider
P Terry Baker nailed a punt out of bounds at the Ti-Cat 3-yard
line, and the Cats could not move from there. They gave up a
safety touch when the snap to Osbaldiston was a little too high.
Now trailing 30-27, the 'Riders went ahead when RB Tim McCray
scored on a 1-yard run. The 3rd quarter ended with Sask. on top
34-30. Ridgway and Osbaldiston traded FG's to give Sask. a 37-33
lead. Then, with 2 minutes left in the game, Ridgway added
another and made the lead 40-33. Hamilton then marched the ball
downfield, and on 3rd down on the Sask. 7, Kerrigan hit Champion
in the end zone. Champion made, IMHO, the greatest catch in
football history (especially given the fact that he was playing
with broken ribs at the time!) Now tied at 40, Sask. RB Tim McCray
returned the ensuing kickoff to the 'Rider 35. 38 seconds remained.
Austin's first pass went incomplete and used up five seconds. On
second down, he found Elgaard all alone on the sidelines for a
20-yard pickup. 26 seconds remained. Then, 'Rider WR Mark "The
Forgotten" Guy made an incredible catch at the Ti-Cat 35, as he
was simultaneously hit by 3 Hamilton defenders. Only 20 seconds
were left. On the next play, Austin scrambled, eating up lots of
precious time, and hit Guy on a short out-pattern at the Ti-Cat 25.
Just 9 seconds remained. Austin backed up to the 28, then went down
on one knee. The 'Riders called a time-out with 7 seconds left.
Ridgway then took to the field, the ball was snapped, and he booted
his 4th FG of the day. With only 2 seconds remaining on the clock,
Saskatchewan snuffed out the kick return and won 43-40!
<From Taras Ciuriak:>
I was at the SkyDome for "The Game." It was heaven and it was hell.
When Champion made that catch, I thought for sure that there would
be overtime. I never wanted the game to end, but once Robo-Kicker
came onto the field I knew that it was done. When it was over, I
was simply numb. I congratulated the 'Riders fans who were around
us, then my buddies and I drove back home to Hamilton. Not a word
was spoken in the car. It was the best football game we'd ever seen.
= =
"The Labour Day Classic" - This label applies to both the annual
Ti-Cats / Argos tilt held on Labour Day Monday at Ivor Wynne
Stadium in Hamilton, and the Calgary / Edmonton matchup held on
the same day at McMahon Stadium in Calgary. Winnipeg and
Saskatchewan play their traditional matchup on the previous day.
Sellouts are common at all three games. Due to scheduling problems
caused by the dissolution of the Las Vegas Posse franchise, the
1995 version of the Tabbies / Argos matchup will not take place.
= =
+"The Mud Bowl" - The Grey Cup final of 1950 went down in history
for its awful field conditions. The Toronto Argonauts faced the
Winnipeg Blue Bombers on a field which resembled a war zone, due to
poor removal of wet snow from the night before. Argos QB Al Dekdebrun
played with filed-down thumbtacks taped to his finger tips, so that
he would have grip on the pigskin. 27,000 fans saw the Argos squirm
through the muck for a 13-0 Grey Cup Championship victory. The game
is also noteworthy for the fact that the Bombers' Bud Tinsley had
been knocked out and fell face down in the ooze. Unnoticed, he lay
there while the play went on. Finally, referee Hec Creighton glimpsed
his inert body, jogged suspiciously over to him, and rolled him over
just in time to save his life! Subsequent to the game, the Canadian
Rugby Football Union purchased a tarpaulin for future Grey Cups.
= =
+The "Rouge" - This single-point play came into existence in 1890
when the Ontario Rugby Football Union abandoned the previous system
of scoring by "goals" and "tries" in favour of a points system and
the present day field size. By 1902, the ORFU had cemented the
major features of today's game: 12 men per side, 3 downs, lines of
scrimmage, and a scoring system of touchdowns, field goals, drop
kicks, safety touches, and "rouges." To score a rouge (worth 1
point), the kicking team had to prevent the defending team from
returning, back onto the field of play, a missed goal kick (of either
field goal, drop kick, or punt type) which was caught or fielded
within the end zone. Put simply, defenders had to get the ball out
of the end zone or give up a point. Under these rules, the "goal
line" was truly a goal-scoring line and the uprights were not the
only way of scoring from kicks. This was due to the fact that size specifications for uprights were not standardized until decades
later, nor were hash marks. The rouge was meant to encourage a
continuous transition from defence to offence and vice versa, with
few "dead ball" interruptions in game action. Since the point value
of field goals varied over the years (sometimes worth only 1, 2, or
3 points) the rouge was historically considered an important
point-scoring play in it's own right. In modern times though, with
the field goal value set at 3, with highly skilled kickers, with
shallower end zones and standardized uprights, with the questionable
American decision to have a "dead ball" after a kick, and with a
clear break in the action as teams switch from defence to offence and
vice versa, some have questioned the continuing need for the rouge,
arguing that it can be interpreted as a "reward" for having missed
a field goal. Countering this, CFL purists maintain that a dying
seconds runback or puntback out of the end zone (to avoid giving
up a single point during a close scoring game) makes the rouge a
uniquely thrilling and worthwhile aspect of Canadian football.
= =
"The Sleeper Play" - Prior to the 1948 Grey Cup, reports of a
mysterious sneak play in use by Ottawa began to filter west to
Calgary. After Stamps Head Coach Les Lear had complained loudly and frequently about it, the teams apparently felt that the surprise
was now lost, so that the play was now useless. Ottawa were 5:2
favourites, and had a measurably better team. With one minute left
in the first half, Lear pulled a double-cross. Stampeders wide
receiver Norm Hill lay flat on the ground in front of the team bench,
but still in play, while the rest of the offence huddled. Everyone
in the stadium saw this except for the Ottawa team! The Stamps'
quarterback lofted the ball wide just over the goal line where Hill
was hit by a defender while trying to catch it. The ball was tipped
straight up and landed in Hill's hands as he lay on his back.
The Stampeders went on to win 12-7 for their first Grey Cup victory.
<From Dick Dinelle:>
The "Sleeper Play" was not officially outlawed until the early
60's when it was ruled that all players must attend the huddle
or be on the field of play prior to the snap. The reason I bring
this up is that I attended the 1960 Eastern Final in Toronto
between the hated Argos and my beloved Ottawa Rough Riders. This
was the second game of a two game total point affair that Toronto
took a 12 point lead into. Toronto, as usual, had already "won"
the Grey Cup before the season started on the strength of having
Tobin Rote, of NFL fame, as their QB. He also had a pretty good
cast with him (Cookie Gilchrist and Dave Mann to name a couple.)
Midway through the 4th quarter and still down by a few, the
Riders' Bobby Simpson decided to lie down by the Ottawa bench.
The rookie Ottawa QB Ron Lancaster didn't understand and was
yelling at him to get back in the huddle but was quickly muffled
by the other Riders who had caught on. Even the fans knew what
was happening and were yelling, but the Argos were too late to
pick it up. When the ball was snapped, Lancaster lobbed a perfect
spiral to an all-alone Simpson in the flat. Simpson was known for
his ability to get open or catch in a crowd, but not for his
blinding speed, so one of the faster Toronto DBs tracked him down
at the Argo 15. The play covered 60 yards and Ottawa soon scored
to lead for the first time, then held on to win the East Final.
They went on to defeat Edmonton for that year's Grey Cup.
=================================================================
+[H] Stadia
===========
The Autostade - Montreal home field 60s-70s
The Big Marshmallow - B.C. Place Stadium now
The Big O - Stade Olympique. Montreal home field 70s-80s
Buffalo Stadium - Calgary home field 10s-40s
Clark Stadium - Edmonton home field 50s-70s
Empire Stadium - B.C. home field 50s-80s
Exhibition Stadium (or CNE Stadium) - Toronto home field 50s-80s
Lansdowne Park - Original name of Ottawa's Frank Clair Stadium
Mewata Stadium - Calgary home field 40s-60s
Never Win Stadium - Argos nickname for Ivor Wynne Stadium in
Hamilton, 70s-80s
The Polo Grounds - Winnipeg home field 20s-60s
The Teflon Tent - ...
Sask. 35 with only 44 seconds left to play. After a thwarted
running play, Clements threw a 10 yard toss to Gabriel, who took
a shot to the back of his neck which almost knocked him out.
Seeing stars, he returned to the huddle, unable to focus. Clements
ignored a play brought in and called a Gabriel play again. Tony
leapt off the line, dodged first past LB Roger Goree, then faked
a post pattern to Ted Provost. The Sask. DB bought it, and Gabriel
stepped outside to run under a perfect pass all alone in the end
zone. After the kickoff, Sask. were unable to use the remaining
few seconds, and Ottawa had come from behind to win the Grey Cup!
Their tight end was justifiably named the Player of the Game.
= =
"The Fog Bowl" - On Dec. 1, 1962, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers met
the Hamilton Tiger Cats in the Grey Cup Final in Toronto. At game
time, the temperature was well above normal (11C-52F) so swirling
mists of fog began to roll in off of Lake Ontario. By the third
quarter, visibility was reduced to almost zero. An emergency
meeting of the CFL executive decided, at 9:29 of the fourth
quarter with the Bombers leading 28-27, to postpone the game
until the next day. On Sunday, Dec.2, the game resumed precisely
where it left off. No further points were scored, and the Bombers
carried home the 1962 Grey Cup.
= =
"The Game" - The 1989 Grey Cup Championship game between the
Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at the SkyDome
in Toronto on November 26, 1989. Both teams played valiantly up
to the very last seconds, with a see-saw points battle providing
gripping entertainment. It was a pity that one team had to lose.
Most agree that this was the finest Grey Cup match ever played.
<From Keith Willoughby:>
Hamilton opened with two Paul Osbaldiston FG's. 'Rider P Terry
Baker added a single, then the Cats scored the first TD of the
game as QB Mike Kerrigan hit WR Tony Champion in the end zone.
Score at end of 1st quarter: Hamilton 13, Sask. 1. In the second
quarter, both offences were on fire. 'Rider QB "Colonel" Kent
Austin hit SB Ray Elgaard in the end zone and they trailed 13-8.
(Note: Sask. did not try a running play in the second quarter!)
Hamilton replied with a 1-yard TD run by RB Derrick McAdoo.
Saskatchewan answered immediately on the next play from
scrimmage as Austin hit SB Jeff Fairholm on a 75-yard pass
(Fairholm made a miraculous catch while being interfered with.)
Hamilton responded with another drive. This time, Kerrigan read
the 'Rider blitz and hit McAdoo on a 30-yard pass over the middle
to make the score 27-15 Hamilton. Saskatchewan capped the half
with a 5-yard TD pass from Austin to WR Don Narcisse. The first
half (whew!) ended with The Tabbies in front 27-22. Saskatchewan
opened the third quarter with a FG by PK Dave Ridgway. Hamilton
responded with a FG of their own to go in front 30-25. 'Rider
P Terry Baker nailed a punt out of bounds at the Ti-Cat 3-yard
line, and the Cats could not move from there. They gave up a
safety touch when the snap to Osbaldiston was a little too high.
Now trailing 30-27, the 'Riders went ahead when RB Tim McCray
scored on a 1-yard run. The 3rd quarter ended with Sask. on top
34-30. Ridgway and Osbaldiston traded FG's to give Sask. a 37-33
lead. Then, with 2 minutes left in the game, Ridgway added
another and made the lead 40-33. Hamilton then marched the ball
downfield, and on 3rd down on the Sask. 7, Kerrigan hit Champion
in the end zone. Champion made, IMHO, the greatest catch in
football history (especially given the fact that he was playing
with broken ribs at the time!) Now tied at 40, Sask. RB Tim McCray
returned the ensuing kickoff to the 'Rider 35. 38 seconds remained.
Austin's first pass went incomplete and used up five seconds. On
second down, he found Elgaard all alone on the sidelines for a
20-yard pickup. 26 seconds remained. Then, 'Rider WR Mark "The
Forgotten" Guy made an incredible catch at the Ti-Cat 35, as he
was simultaneously hit by 3 Hamilton defenders. Only 20 seconds
were left. On the next play, Austin scrambled, eating up lots of
precious time, and hit Guy on a short out-pattern at the Ti-Cat 25.
Just 9 seconds remained. Austin backed up to the 28, then went down
on one knee. The 'Riders called a time-out with 7 seconds left.
Ridgway then took to the field, the ball was snapped, and he booted
his 4th FG of the day. With only 2 seconds remaining on the clock,
Saskatchewan snuffed out the kick return and won 43-40!
<From Taras Ciuriak:>
I was at the SkyDome for "The Game." It was heaven and it was hell.
When Champion made that catch, I thought for sure that there would
be overtime. I never wanted the game to end, but once Robo-Kicker
came onto the field I knew that it was done. When it was over, I
was simply numb. I congratulated the 'Riders fans who were around
us, then my buddies and I drove back home to Hamilton. Not a word
was spoken in the car. It was the best football game we'd ever seen.
= =
"The Labour Day Classic" - This label applies to both the annual
Ti-Cats / Argos tilt held on Labour Day Monday at Ivor Wynne
Stadium in Hamilton, and the Calgary / Edmonton matchup held on
the same day at McMahon Stadium in Calgary. Winnipeg and
Saskatchewan play their traditional matchup on the previous day.
Sellouts are common at all three games. Due to scheduling problems
caused by the dissolution of the Las Vegas Posse franchise, the
1995 version of the Tabbies / Argos matchup will not take place.
= =
+"The Mud Bowl" - The Grey Cup final of 1950 went down in history
for its awful field conditions. The Toronto Argonauts faced the
Winnipeg Blue Bombers on a field which resembled a war zone, due to
poor removal of wet snow from the night before. Argos QB Al Dekdebrun
played with filed-down thumbtacks taped to his finger tips, so that
he would have grip on the pigskin. 27,000 fans saw the Argos squirm
through the muck for a 13-0 Grey Cup Championship victory. The game
is also noteworthy for the fact that the Bombers' Bud Tinsley had
been knocked out and fell face down in the ooze. Unnoticed, he lay
there while the play went on. Finally, referee Hec Creighton glimpsed
his inert body, jogged suspiciously over to him, and rolled him over
just in time to save his life! Subsequent to the game, the Canadian
Rugby Football Union purchased a tarpaulin for future Grey Cups.
= =
+The "Rouge" - This single-point play came into existence in 1890
when the Ontario Rugby Football Union abandoned the previous system
of scoring by "goals" and "tries" in favour of a points system and
the present day field size. By 1902, the ORFU had cemented the
major features of today's game: 12 men per side, 3 downs, lines of
scrimmage, and a scoring system of touchdowns, field goals, drop
kicks, safety touches, and "rouges." To score a rouge (worth 1
point), the kicking team had to prevent the defending team from
returning, back onto the field of play, a missed goal kick (of either
field goal, drop kick, or punt type) which was caught or fielded
within the end zone. Put simply, defenders had to get the ball out
of the end zone or give up a point. Under these rules, the "goal
line" was truly a goal-scoring line and the uprights were not the
only way of scoring from kicks. This was due to the fact that size specifications for uprights were not standardized until decades
later, nor were hash marks. The rouge was meant to encourage a
continuous transition from defence to offence and vice versa, with
few "dead ball" interruptions in game action. Since the point value
of field goals varied over the years (sometimes worth only 1, 2, or
3 points) the rouge was historically considered an important
point-scoring play in it's own right. In modern times though, with
the field goal value set at 3, with highly skilled kickers, with
shallower end zones and standardized uprights, with the questionable
American decision to have a "dead ball" after a kick, and with a
clear break in the action as teams switch from defence to offence and
vice versa, some have questioned the continuing need for the rouge,
arguing that it can be interpreted as a "reward" for having missed
a field goal. Countering this, CFL purists maintain that a dying
seconds runback or puntback out of the end zone (to avoid giving
up a single point during a close scoring game) makes the rouge a
uniquely thrilling and worthwhile aspect of Canadian football.
= =
"The Sleeper Play" - Prior to the 1948 Grey Cup, reports of a
mysterious sneak play in use by Ottawa began to filter west to
Calgary. After Stamps Head Coach Les Lear had complained loudly and frequently about it, the teams apparently felt that the surprise
was now lost, so that the play was now useless. Ottawa were 5:2
favourites, and had a measurably better team. With one minute left
in the first half, Lear pulled a double-cross. Stampeders wide
receiver Norm Hill lay flat on the ground in front of the team bench,
but still in play, while the rest of the offence huddled. Everyone
in the stadium saw this except for the Ottawa team! The Stamps'
quarterback lofted the ball wide just over the goal line where Hill
was hit by a defender while trying to catch it. The ball was tipped
straight up and landed in Hill's hands as he lay on his back.
The Stampeders went on to win 12-7 for their first Grey Cup victory.
<From Dick Dinelle:>
The "Sleeper Play" was not officially outlawed until the early
60's when it was ruled that all players must attend the huddle
or be on the field of play prior to the snap. The reason I bring
this up is that I attended the 1960 Eastern Final in Toronto
between the hated Argos and my beloved Ottawa Rough Riders. This
was the second game of a two game total point affair that Toronto
took a 12 point lead into. Toronto, as usual, had already "won"
the Grey Cup before the season started on the strength of having
Tobin Rote, of NFL fame, as their QB. He also had a pretty good
cast with him (Cookie Gilchrist and Dave Mann to name a couple.)
Midway through the 4th quarter and still down by a few, the
Riders' Bobby Simpson decided to lie down by the Ottawa bench.
The rookie Ottawa QB Ron Lancaster didn't understand and was
yelling at him to get back in the huddle but was quickly muffled
by the other Riders who had caught on. Even the fans knew what
was happening and were yelling, but the Argos were too late to
pick it up. When the ball was snapped, Lancaster lobbed a perfect
spiral to an all-alone Simpson in the flat. Simpson was known for
his ability to get open or catch in a crowd, but not for his
blinding speed, so one of the faster Toronto DBs tracked him down
at the Argo 15. The play covered 60 yards and Ottawa soon scored
to lead for the first time, then held on to win the East Final.
They went on to defeat Edmonton for that year's Grey Cup.
=================================================================
+[H] Stadia
===========
The Autostade - Montreal home field 60s-70s
The Big Marshmallow - B.C. Place Stadium now
The Big O - Stade Olympique. Montreal home field 70s-80s
Buffalo Stadium - Calgary home field 10s-40s
Clark Stadium - Edmonton home field 50s-70s
Empire Stadium - B.C. home field 50s-80s
Exhibition Stadium (or CNE Stadium) - Toronto home field 50s-80s
Lansdowne Park - Original name of Ottawa's Frank Clair Stadium
Mewata Stadium - Calgary home field 40s-60s
Never Win Stadium - Argos nickname for Ivor Wynne Stadium in
Hamilton, 70s-80s
The Polo Grounds - Winnipeg home field 20s-60s
The Teflon Tent - ...
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