HARTLEY’S HART ATTACK – (Grey Cup has lost some lustre) November 18th, 2022 EDITION 915
It stays a Canadian custom though one can argue that curiosity is fading.
The 109th Gray Cup championship recreation can be performed in Regina on Sunday (kickoff simply after 3:00 PT).
The 2-time defending champion Winnipeg Blue Bombers are 4.5 level favourites over the Toronto Argonauts.
Canada Day (July 1st) and Thanksgiving (the second Monday in October) are different notable traditions in our nice nation.
Positive, there are different outstanding customary festivities, however the three aforementioned traditions have had a manner of rallying Canadians collectively no matter whether or not they reside in a metropolis akin to Prince George or a province akin to Prince Edward Island.
The Gray Cup has been generally known as a celebration, a gala, a particular occasion, and sure one large bash.
It’s for the younger and outdated, wholesome and unwell, wealthy and poor, and soccer and non-football followers.
Gray Cup can also be in regards to the Better of the West battling the Beasts of the East.
All through the years, my curiosity within the CFL has declined and I do know I’m not alone.
I’m unsure there’s one particular purpose why I watch fewer Canadian Soccer video games than 20 or 25 years in the past, however the lure of the NFL contributes to the change.
If the common Canadian was requested to select one, watching the Gray Cup or Tremendous Bowl, I believe we all know what the reply could be and the response could be overwhelming.
Actually, are you going to observe the Blue Bombers and the Argos Sunday afternoon or the (6-3) Dallas Cowboys in opposition to the (8-1) Vikings in Minnesota?
Followers in Manitoba and maybe a small part of Southern Ontario could also be glued to the CFL title recreation however for many of the nation, the Cowboys-Vikes recreation is extra compelling.
The Dallas-Minnesota recreation ought to be over by the second quarter or halftime of the Winnipeg-Toronto contest so maybe there’s a likelihood to catch at the very least a part of each.
This doesn’t imply the CFL isn’t a terrific recreation or doesn’t fill a necessity, however the NFL glitz has grabbed our consideration.
Let’s be trustworthy, how many individuals have you learnt that take part in a CFL pool in comparison with one within the NFL?
As well as, how many individuals can title extra CFL than NFL gamers?
Outdoors of Manitoba or maybe components of Toronto, what number of followers actually care about who wins this weekend?
Sure, the CFL appears to have turn out to be extra regional.
As soon as the B.C. Lions misplaced the Western Ultimate to Winnipeg, most followers in British Columbia felt just like the season was over and the one league recreation left, even for a championship, was an afterthought.
Toronto Argonauts’ Andrew Harris considering ‘driving off into the sundown’ following Gray Cup: Toronto Argonauts’ operating again Andrew Harris is contemplating writing his ultimate chapter on the sport’s largest stage. The 35-year-old will… https://t.co/8j1PFFX6WD through @TheJCAbbott pic.twitter.com/P969YjU7XW
— CFL Headlines (@CFL_Headlines) November 16, 2022
Not surprisingly, television ratings for the Gray Cup have taken a serious hit over the past a number of years.
Viewership on TSN has regarded like this:
- 2015: Ottawa/Edmonton 4.079M
- 2016: Calgary/Ottawa 3.6M
- 2017: Toronto/Calgary 4.072M
- 2018: Ottawa/Calgary 3.1M
- 2019: Hamilton/Winnipeg 3.6M
- 2020: No recreation because of the pandemic
- 2021: Hamilton/Winnipeg 2.873M
Final 12 months’s recreation was watched by lower than half the quantity of those that tuned in for the 2009 Gray Cup when the common was 6.1 million in Montreal’s 28-27 victory over Saskatchewan.
(The 2009 Gray Cup was the 13th-man game that price the Riders the title).
The sport itself is normally thrilling and stuffed with suspense.
A whopping 21 of the earlier 23 Gray Cup video games have been determined by 13 points or less.
The 2021 championship recreation at Tim Hortons Area in Hamilton was the fourth Gray Cup to enter additional time.
The Blue Bombers beat the Ticats 33–25 making them the primary group in 11 years to seize back-to-back titles.
Gray Cup Assure: Any individual 3 Peats, However Whom? It isn’t fairly often that within the CFL that we are able to assure that any individual goes to three peat as a Gray Cup champion. Nonetheless, in 2022 it is a stable assure. https://t.co/NZDCPZNRgg through @DonCruickshank1
— CFL Headlines (@CFL_Headlines) November 16, 2022
Winnipeg (15-3) has been the most effective group from the beginning of the season and will turn out to be the primary group in some 40 years to win three in a row.
The final group to do it was the Edmonton Eskimos who gained five straight from 1978 to 1982.
In a a lot weaker East Division, Toronto was first however with simply an 11-7 report.
I admit I haven’t adopted the CFL very carefully this 12 months, but when Winnipeg can beat B.C. by eight (28-20) within the Western Ultimate, they need to be capable of outscore Toronto by at the very least 11.
Soccer fan or not, the Gray Cup offers an excuse to celebration.
And for some that’s sufficient of a purpose to at the very least watch a part of the sport.
Cat Scan podcast:
On this week’s Cat Scan #podcast @PGCougars coach-gm Mark Lamb talks in regards to the group’s report, offensive success, inconsistent play, acquisition of Cole Dubinsky, his scouting report on top-10 scorers Koehn Ziemmer & Riley Heidt plus the addition of coach Jim Playfair. https://t.co/hZRPCSQUNA
— Hartley Miller (@Hartley_Miller) November 16, 2022
Taking Word:
Hurricanes make room for Thomson’s return in aim . . . People add depth in Picklyk . . . Savoie’s six-pack leads Ice previous Pats https://t.co/rQsGZGRWJC
— Gregg Drinnan (@gdrinnan) November 18, 2022
FROM THE QUOTE RACK:
The Indianapolis Colts fired Frank Reich and instantly named ex-Indy heart Jeff Saturday — who has no faculty or professional teaching expertise — as their interim head coach. Guess they didn’t have time for ZipRecruiter.com.
*Dwight Perry of the Seattle Instances http://www.seattletimes.com/author/dwight-perry/
Golden State Warriors at the moment are 0-8 on the street. Effectively, many playoff groups determine video games within the common season don’t depend. However the ticket costs are the identical…
*Comedy author Janice Hough of Palo Alto, California www.leftcoastsportsbabe.com
Within the US Election, the Nevada Senate race was determined when Adam Laxalt–after main many of the manner, was edged out by Catherine Cortez Masto. It’s becoming since this occurred within the dwelling state of the Las Vegas Raiders, who’ve blown leads all 12 months.
*Contributor Invoice Littlejohn of South Lake Tahoe, California
In Case You Missed It:
College of Cambridge scientists discovered a worm that turns its mouth inside out and walks on its tooth — actually put its toes in its mouth. They known as it Kyrie Irving.
*Western Canadian comedy author RJ Currie www.Sportsdeke.com
Hartley Miller is the information and sports activities director/supervisor plus morning information anchor for 94.3 the GOAT and Nation 97fm. He’s in his tenth season because the radio color commentator for P.G. Cougars’ dwelling video games. Hartley has been on the Prince George airwaves since 1979 and is the creator of You Don’t Say (sports activities quotes).
