Canada Post teams up with the CFL to celebrate the 100th Grey Cup and the league’s history
The CFL's renowned for appreciating its history, and that's perhaps more important than ever this year with the 100th Grey Cup to be played in Toronto in November. There have already been plenty of special initiatives announced around that game, including a 74-day cross-country train trip with the Grey Cup, an expanded Grey Cup Festival and TSN's production of eight documentaries about the league, but another cool 100th Grey Cup initiative was officially revealed Monday with Canada Post's release of commemorative CFL stamps. As you can see from the ones at the top, these are pretty elaborate; there's one reflecting the 100th Grey Cup itself and one for each of the league's teams, celebrating both a famed player and a historic moment. Here are the ones for the next three teams from West to East:
And the final three Eastern teams:
What's neat is how many teams elected to celebrate both the past and the present; B.C.'s combination of Lui Passaglia's famed 1994 Grey Cup-winning kick and current CFL career receiving yards leader Geroy Simon stands out, as does Montreal's move to pair the famed 1977 Ice Bowl with franchise legend and current CFL career passing yards leader Anthony Calvillo. All of these are pretty impressive, though, and it's great to see moments like the Mud Bowl and the Fog Bowl recognized here; neither of those is likely to repeat in this year's Grey Cup, played in the enclosed Rogers Centre, but the elements have long been a crucial part of this league and have led to some of its most memorable games. There's something for fans of every franchise here, though, and the artwork is stunning; the foreground players and background photos combine perfectly for a neat overall effect, and the inclusion of the Grey Cup at the bottom-right of each stamp is a nice touch. This is a cool way for the CFL to display some of that history in a collectible, visual form, and it's one that could be a neat marketing tool, reminding people of both this league's remarkable history and of what's still to come.