Wild-and-crazy Grey Cup puts shine on CFL's tarnished week

TORONTO — This was in so many ways exactly what the Canadian Football League needed.

After a sometimes dreadful seven days, a Grey Cup week dominated by speculation about the league’s dimming future in Canada’s largest city, the commissioner’s tone-deaf denial of football’s role in concussions and shockingly under-attended events, all seemed to vanish thanks to a classic football game and one of the biggest upsets in league history.

It was supposed to be a walk in the park for the Calgary Stampeders, what with them fielding all the starters who led them to a near-record 15-2-1 season and the Ottawa Redblacks coming off a losing season and going with backups at running back and placekicker.

The odds were firmly stacked against the bicolours from the nation’s capital, who had the ignominy of being the first team to win a CFL division championship despite a losing record (8-9-1).

But, as they say, that’s why they play the games.

Instead of getting the blowout many expected and the CFL feared, the capacity crowd of 33,421 at BMO Field was treated to a thrilling 39-33 overtime victory by Redblacks.

It featured a record 852 yards of passing, with Ottawa’s ancient Henry Burris throwing for 461, all kinds of great plays, some crazy ones and nine turnovers. In other words, a typical CFL game.

While scalpers were starting the bidding at half price two hours before game time, by the time The Tenors warbled O Canada (with the proper words) the stadium was pretty close to full. And despite all the negative publicity, those in attendance were into this game from the start.

And that’s the thing about the Grey Cup: It’s almost always a good show.

And despite Toronto’s apparent indifference to the CFL, it’s almost as if the Grey Cup gods said, “Who cares what you think? We’re going to have fun.”

Even the halftime show by One Direction was met with unToronto-like enthusiam.

Given the crowd’s energy level throughout, you have to wonder whether rumours of the CFL’s death in Toronto haven’t been somewhat exaggerated. After all, organizers all but ensured a chilly reception when applied Super Bowl ticket prices to the Grey Cup.

A horrible season by the Toronto Argonauts all but ensured a big yawn in the Big Smoke.

But despite that, the game endured.

It certainly wasn’t lacking for drama, even before the game started.

During the pre-game warmup, 41-year-old Burris limped off the field and didn’t join his teammates for the pre-game introductions. Head coach Rick Campbell told TSN that Burris was undergoing treatment and might not play. It looked as if former starter and current backup Trevor Harris might be making an emergency start.

But just after the coin toss, in what looked like a scene out of a bad TV movie, Burris emerged from the Ottawa locker room, running instead of limping and pumping his fist as if he’d just been won the Olympic 100 metres.

He then put on one of the greatest performances in Cup history and was named player of the game in what some think may be his final CFL appearance.

“I can’t say that right now because right now I don’t want to take away from this moment with any decision,” he said.

Burris added: “For all those haters out there, there are organizations who haven’t won a Grey Cup in decades, but ours … Her we are: Grey Cup champions.”

“Everyone just believed,” said Ottawa receiver Brad Sinopoli, named Canadian of the game. “Henry is just amazing.”

As for the game, it was a corker from the start.

After Calgary’s first drive stalled, Burris shook off whatever was bothering him and took the Redblacks 65 yards in eight plays, calling his own number on a 2-yard touchdown plunge. Apparently whatever treatment he got worked.

“My knee locked up on me before the game,” Burris said.

Less dramatic, but equally impressive, was Calgary’s subsequent drive that travelled 79 yards in four plays, with Jerome Messam catching a 7-yarder from Bo Levi Mitchell for a touchdown to tie the game at 7-7.

After the Redblacks kicked a 37-yard field goal on the next play, the Stamps started to struggle, no doubt affected by the loss of star receiver Marquay McDaniel with a game-ending shoulder injury.

They stopped Ottawa midway through the second quarter, but a fumble by punt returner Roy FInch at his own 40 led to a 6-yard touchdown pass to Patrick Lavoie and a 17-7 Ottawa lead.

After Forrest Hightower intercepted Mitchell’s next pass in Ottawa territory, it looked like one of the greatest upsets in the game’s 104-year history was in the works as the Redblacks took a 20-7 lead into halftime.

When the Redblacks marched 69 yards in six plays, finishing with a 9-yard TD pass to SInopoli to open the second half and take a 20-point lead, it looked like it was all over for the Stampeders.

And then it wasn’t. In the matter of three minutes, the Stamps scored a field goal and touchdown to narrow the gap to 27-17.

And the game was on.

The Stamps scored, with former University of Calgary quarterback Andrew Buckley 90 seconds into the fourth to draw within four. (Rene Paredes missed the convert.)

But the Redblacks answered that with another Burris TD plunge and a 10-point lead with 8:22 to play. It looked like the upset was ensured.

Or, at least ensured if this wasn’t the CFL.

Calgary DaVaris Daniels scored on a 19-yard end around with 1:38 to play and the Stamps were suddenly within three. After Glenn Love recovered Rob Maver’s onside kick, the Stamps got as far as Ottawa’s three, but had to settle for a field goal to tie the game and head to overtime.

And you know it had to be a crazy overtime, with Ottawa’s Ernest Jackson bobbling a ball not once, but twice, for a touchdown on the first possession. Naturally, the two-point convert attempt failed.

It wasn’t until a third-and-10 pass to Bakari Grant was knocked down on Calgary’s possession that the madness ended.