442much

Don't know if you guys in the states get to see Canadian football. Today was our version of the Super Bowl, it was the 97th Grey Cup game between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Montreal Alouettes.

It looked like a Hollywood movie. Montreal were the favorites but Saskatchewan (who have IMO the best fans in the league) took the lead and held it the whole game. The game was in Calgary so most fans were from Saskatchewan.

At the half it was a Saskatchewan lead 17-3. The end of the third quarter they now lead 27-11. With two minutes in the game Montreal had brought the score to 27-25 with two TD plays and hold Saskatchewan to 0 points in the fourth. Montreal tried for the two point convert but missed as a Sask player got away with an interference penalty. Montreal complained to no avail.

Montreal gets the ball with 41 seconds left in the game and passes the ball which is ruled incomplete. They challenge it and it goes to video which is inconclusive so it stands. They need to get closer for a 3 point convert and with 3rd and 6 they go for it (with CFL you only get 3 downs). They make the play and get first down and have one play left. The clock is now a 0.00 and Montreal will try to kick a 52 yard field goal. The kicker had practiced 60 yard FG all week but has had a bad game all day and kicks it wide.

The Saskatchewan players and fans go nuts but there were flags on the play. Saskatchewan has too many men on the field and get a 10 yard penalty and Montreal gets a do over kick with 0.00 on the clock. The ball is snapped and the kicker puts it straight through the up-rights. Montreal leads for the first time in the game but the game is over.

Montreal 28 Saskatchewan 27. What a great game! I feel sorry for Saskatchewan because they played a great game and it was only a few mistakes they made the Montreal capitalized on. Although Montreal won, hats off the Saskatchewan who have a great team. Now I have to face the 5 odd Saskachewan fans at work tomorrow and the others at work who will chear for a western team vs an eastern team. Talk about a Hollywood finish.

Bluevista

Sounds exciting.

I've never seen a CFL game.
Do the players wear ice skates??

derek nesdoly

Watched the game and was ecstatic to see how well the Riders were playing both on offence and defence. Still wasn't worried about Montreal's comeback near the end. That catch came off the turf!Some assistant coach's head is gonna roll from that last penalty...too many men?Heck,the Sask. "D" should have just lined up at scrimmage with their arms in the air,'cause that kicker wasn't going to make that field goal. As a Saskatchewan native,whose cousin played for the Rider's, I will be wearing all black in the office today. Any patients making snide comments about my team will be getting their flushot with a dull,used horse-tranq needle!!

Jamesbo

But I'll bet your a regualr at Roller Derby. Remember Joan Weston, "The Blond Bomber"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdFXpIJiqKw

zed

That was a devastating end but it was an exciting game.That's for sure.

jaunty75

Back in the 1990s, there were actually a few CFL teams IN the U.S., but none survived past 1996.

CFL games are now carried in the U.S. by something called the "America One" network, which is a network of over-the-air, mostly low power stations around the country. These stations are apparently not always carried on local cable outlets, so if even if you lived in a city that had a station that was a member of this network and you subscribed to a cable or satellite provider, you might still have to get out some rabbit ears to watch.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America_One

Bluevista

I think I saw her in 1967 or '68 at "The Arena" in Cleveland.

Her hair had green and red polka dots at the time.


I did have a cool official North Bay Tiger Cats jersey a native North American guy gave my sister as a gesture of international good will and misguided suck-up-iness on a family vacation to Lake Nipissing in '71.

He gave it to her then wanted it back before we left, I guess what they say is true????


"Ty-Cats" as the locals called them.

442much

Only when they're not wearing ski's. CFL is like NFL except the field is longer, wider and the game is faster....oh yeah, our ***** are bigger! The footballs I mean.

The game was exciting. I was sweating like Mike Tyson at a spelling bee.

jaunty75

I think the biggest difference is that a team gets only 3 downs to go 10 yards instead of 4. Makes for a lot more passing.

Allan R

Not necessarily. There's lots of running plays too. But you're right that it encourages / promotes the passing game. I've seen a few increble running plays this year - one for a 117 yard runback TD from the endzone after a kick. Others that shoulda been stopped at the LOS went for 35-55 yards. Those are the guys who git'rdone. Short yardage passes are boring IMO and could easily be replaced by QB sneaks or running plays. The short passes are really what Calvillo does best. When it comes to the long bomb though, that's what makes the QB and recievers wake the fans up. The heart pounding "will he make it" is to die for, no matter what league you're watching.