This weekend was supposed to be a great celebration of Canadian football, but instead CFL fans can only dream about what could have been.
The 108th Grey Cup was scheduled to be played this Sunday in Regina, that is, until our world was flipped upside down by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2020 season didn’t kick off as scheduled in June due to coronavirus-related lockdowns and the CFL, the players’ association and government officials couldn’t agree on a financial framework to even hold a shortened campaign.
So instead of cheering on a rematch of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats against the defending champion Winnipeg Blue Bombers, or the league’s first west vs. west Grey Cup matchup, or east against east (like that would ever happen), we’re left with a canyon-sized empty feeling.
And while virtual Grey Cup week festivities have brought CFL players and fans together, we can all admit that it is just not the same.
For the first time since 1919, when the world was dealing with the Spanish flu pandemic and was a year removed from the end of the First World War, the Grey Cup will not be awarded to the league’s champion.
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The 108th Grey Cup will now be waged in 2021 in Hamilton — at least, that’s the plan.
Commissioner Randy Ambrosie showed an unwavering optimism during his state of the league address on Monday in which he said he was looking forward to the 2021 Grey Cup being held at Tim Hortons Field.
Frankly, all we can do is wait, and hope, that 2021 brings us a much better world — and a CFL season.
Rick Zamperin is the assistant program, news and senior sports director at Global News Radio 900 CHML.
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