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You are here: Home / Archives for Grey Cup 2012

2012 Wrap: Musings, Ramblings and Thanks

December 1, 2012 By Brian Wawryshyn

Now that the 2012 CFL season has come to an end and I have recovered from Grey Cup (minus the annual cold I get when I come back), I thought I’d just ramble on a bit about Grey Cup and some of the news that’s happened since the final whistle blew on the season. I hope it promotes some discussion!

The Champs

Congratulations to the Toronto Argonauts on their championship season, and also to the city of Toronto who put on a great party for CFL fans from across the country. Certainly it would have been nice to see more locals involved in the fun, but the fans that do support the Argos are just as passionate as any in the country and I’m pleased to call many of them friends. Here’s hoping the fun and the passion that invaded their city converted a few more into fans of the league and of the Argos.

The Game

I thought the game itself lacked drama but full credit to the Argos who were certainly ready to play, while the Stampeders looked as though they left their game in BC Place following the Western Final. Chad Kackert was an easy choice as the MOP and Ricky Ray showed his poise and experience as well. As a neutral fan it was nice to watch a stress free game, but as a Lions fan I was certainly left wondering what might have been.

The Events

Everyone knows about the great party rooms at Grey Cup, but some of the lesser known events often tend to be the best. This year, I was pleased to attend the CFL Fans Fight Cancer fundraiser at Joe Badali’s. The event was organized by the eastern chapter of the national fan group and led by Jen Mulder who did a fantastic job organizing a silent auction, raffle prizes, a 50/50 and a live auction. Prizes were donated from businesses and fans from across the country. At last count over $8000.00 was raised for the Wellspring Centre in Toronto, a facility that provides various levels of help and support for people living with cancer and their families. Congrats to all the organizers of this event on its huge success.

The 4th annual Official CFL Grey Cup Tweetup was held at Shoeless Joe’s Sports Bar. The event has become a staple since the original tweetup in Calgary in 2009. Fans that use twitter gathered together to get social and put faces to the Twitter handles. There were lots of prizes and great food, as well as a visit from a few players, the commissioner and the Grey Cup itself.

New this year was the “Grey Cup Fan March” where fans gathered at Toronto’s Varsity Stadium and carried the Grey Cup through the streets of downtown Toronto and onto the Rogers Centre. I was fortunate enough to be asked if I wanted to carry the Grey Cup for a segment near the beginning of the march, and I gladly accepted the chance to do so. It was a great experience, and the march itself was a success. Fans chanted “CFL” and sang the national anthem with CFL commissioner Mark Cohon marching right along with them. Imagine that, Gary Bettman.

Lions News and Notes

Speculation has begun about how the Lions roster will be altered this off-season. So far it has been reported that Solomon Elimimian has reportedly asked for his release to pursue another opportunity in the NFL.

Jovan Olafioye will also entertain offers from south of the border but has indicated he won’t be auditioning for teams like he did last season. Olayfioye told the Vancouver Sun that if a decent offer with a solid signing bonus doesn’t come his way, he’ll have no problem staying in Canada.

Wally Buono will wait for personnel reports and recommendations from head coach Mike Benevides and will have his work cut out for him when he returns from his annual Hawaiian holiday. He’ll attempt to get Shawn Gore’s name on a new contract, and will have tough decisions to make regarding the secondary, the receivers and the offensive line, which is likely to look quite different next year, especially if Angus Reid retires and Olafioye heads south.

For the first time, people are questioning the role of Geroy Simon who had a subpar year that was plagued by nagging hamstring injuries. Simon is not making any noise about retiring, so one of the biggest decisions the club has had to make in years is looming. Personally I’d like to see him back, possibly in a reduced role and likely a reduced contract as well. Whether that is something he would entertain is another issue. Regardless, Simon is one of the greatest to ever play the game and he certainly deserves some say in what his future holds. I doubt Arland Bruce will be back, and the Lions have shown they have some good talent waiting in the wings in Nick Moore, Ernest Jackson and Courtney Taylor.

Then there is the kicking game, where Paul McCallum showed signs of his age in 2012. His punting, which was his strong suit suffered this past year and his kickoffs and field goal range are starting to deteriorate as well. With Hugh O’Neill looking good the last two seasons in training camp and at practice, the Lions may feel it is time to pass the torch before they lose another kicker they have taken the time to groom. Last time the club chose McCallum over Sean Whyte, now with Montreal, but it could be a different story next season.

Odds and Ends

Anyone find it odd that the furor over Adriano Belli’s move that got him tossed from the Grey Cup game got very little mention from the media compared to Khalif Mitchell? Belli has played on the edge his whole career, but it looks like his penchant for kissing people and his forays into the media world got him a pass. The CFL fined Belli, who is expected to retire but we certainly didn’t hear the comments about “disgrace to the game” from the people that persecuted Mitchell. Speaking of Mitchell it remains to be seen if the Lions will be willing to take a chance with him for another season.

Locker Room Sale

The Lions held their annual locker room sale on December 1st and while there were some good deals to be had it was disheartening to see the prices on game worn jerseys and helmets. These items ranged in price from $250 to $750 depending on the player. Reports from similar events in other CFL cities had these items much cheaper. It’s always sad when the diehard fan ends up getting shut out because the prices are set so high. In 2004 I bought Antonio Warren’s Grey Cup game worn jersey for $150.00. That’s just a pipe dream today.

Thank you

Thanks to Monique Gendron who provided us with some great videos this year, and I hope she’ll be back to help us out again next season.

Thanks to Lowell Ullrich who approached this blogger two years ago with an idea to add a fan perspective to the Province.com. I’ve had a blast doing post game reports and I look forward to doing it again if they’ll have me.

It was also a pleasure as always to work with Kristina Sinclair and our friends at the Rosedale on Robson and we hope to continue that relationship in 2013.

Most of all, thanks to all of you who followed along with me during the 2012 season. Whether you read the blog, my post game stuff on The Province.com of just follow me on Twitter or Facebook, I appreciate you doing so and always enjoy the feedback.

I’ll make every effort to keep your informed and promote Lions discussion this off-season and hope you continue to check our social media platforms out. I’ll be thinking of ways we can be better and hope to add some quality features and a few more people to our team next season.

Until then, enjoy the off-season and as always, roar you Lions roar!


Filed Under: Den Talk, Featured, From The Couch, Grey Cup 2012 Tagged With: 2012 Season, BC Lions, CFL, Grey Cup, Lowell Ullrich, Monique Gendron

100th Grey Cup Train is a fun CFL history lesson.

September 10, 2012 By Brian Wawryshyn

Those who are diehard fans of the Canadian Football League will likely know a fair bit about the history of the league. For those new to the game, or the casual fan, the Grey Cup 100 Tour Train serves as a travelling history lesson of the game and the league so many of us love.

Starting its 40 plus stop journey across the country in Vancouver, the train celebrates the past while also focusing on the current stars of the game, effectively captivating fans of all ages. It is beautifully wrapped with the 100th Grey Cup logo and stars of the league such as Travis Lulay, Anthony Calvillo and Fred Stamps. The 100th Grey Cup stamp collection is also prominently featured in the design.

Travis Lulay hoists the cup on the side of the Grey Cup train. - Photo: BCLionsDen.ca

There are two sections to the train, one focusing on the Grey Cup itself, while the others celebrate the rich and storied history of the league in a museum type setting.

On the Grey Cup car, fans can hear the motivational speeches of Grey Cup coaches as they prepare their teams for battle. Interactive touch screen displays allow fans to pull up the name plates of every championship team in the history of the trophy, or browse a fan photo montage. The rings of past champions are prominently displayed. The Grey Cup itself awaits visitors at the end of this car. Fans can have their picture taken with the trophy and have it receiver it by e-mail.

The history cars take fans from the beginning in 1909 and its eastern roots, to the inclusion of the west and right through to the present day. You can learn about the league during war time, the depression and about classic clashes like the Mud Bowl, the Fog Bowl and the Snow Bowl. (Why don’t they call them cups?). Did you know the price of a Grey Cup ticket in 1971 was $15.00?

The Beginning - Photo: BCLionsDen.ca

There is another car (which I apparently wasn’t supposed to be in) that will cater to VIP’s and sponsors along the journey, complete with a bar. I did envision myself travelling to Toronto in November on the train. Oh what a party that would be as we picked up fans on our journey east!

Even as a major CFL fan, there were several stories I wasn’t aware of before touring the train, so there is definitely something for everyone on board.

In addition to the train itself, there is a festival type atmosphere at the event. There was a strong presence by the Lions who had current and former players signing autographs. There were interactive football type activities for the kids and live music as well.

One of the coolest ideas to come from this tour is the Fan Cup presented by Telus. Fans can sign up and have their name included on new trophy to be called the Fan Cup that will eventually reside in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in Hamilton. Telus has come up with a penny press that turns your penny into a keepsake, while ensuring a piece of your penny will be used to create the new cup. The whole process takes a while, so be prepared to stand in line for a bit.

The train is a great way to celebrate the 100th Grey Cup Championship and the history behind it. In addition to the scheduled train stops the Grey Cup will also make several other appearances in communities all over the country, leading up to the big game in November. The cup itself will make a total of 100 appearances by the time the tour is done.

Get out and see it when it comes to your community and celebrate the storied 100 year history of the Canadian Football League!

Filed Under: Den Talk, Events, Featured, Grey Cup 2012, News Tagged With: 100th Grey Cup Tour, BC Lions, CFL, CFL History, Grey Cup 2012

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Brian Wawryshyn is 44 year BC Lions fan who extends his passion for the Leos and the Canadian Football League to the podcast world as host and producer of the BCLionsDen.ca Pawdcast.

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