I grew up in a suburb of Detroit, MI, and – as such – benefitted from the ability to occasionally tune into Windsor, Ontario, television Channel 9, CBET.
In addition to first being introduced to a wok with the cooking show, Wok with Yan, the Windsor CBC affiliate was also responsible for me learning about five-pin bowling, curling, the NHL (see Hockey Night in Canada) and the Canadian Football League (CFL).
The CFL, in particular, intrigued me.
It was, essentially, the same as the National Football League, but radically different all at the same time. There are 12 players on offense and defense, forward motion is allowed prior to the snap of the ball, the field includes a Center/55-yard-line meaning it’s 10-yards longer than the NFL, the goal posts sit on the goal line, the endzone is 20 yards deep instead of the 10 in the NFL, and the field is nearly 12 yards wider than an NFL field, the ability to score single points (aka rouges), and – oh yeah – the offense has only three downs to achieve a first down (e.g. failure to gain 10 yards in two downs usually led to a punt).
Channel 9 and my occasional daliances with CFL football is also where I learned about future Pro Football Hall of Famer, Warren Moon (Edmonton Eskimos – now Elks – from 1978-84), Dieter Brock (Winnipeg Blue Bombers from 1974-83), and where Notre Dame speed burner, Rocket Ismail, formally launched his pro career (Toronto Argonauts from 1991-92).
It was good fun to tune in on occasion, witness the exotic rules by which it operated, and swap stories about the legend of Dieter Brock and others with my neighbor Jim from down the street whenever a game of side yard football would break out on Junior Street.
So when I began charting my course for Around the World in 80 Sporting Events, the CFL Grey Cup (the league’s annual championship game) was not high atop it, but after tuning in to the 2024 final, won by the Argonauts over the Blue Bombers (41-24), it moved up … way up.
And when I found a willing travel partner in my friend Wayne, well, it was settled.
We planned to be in the Winnipeg’s Princess Auto Stadium on Sunday, November 16, to see the CFL equivalent of the NFL’s Super Bowl … the 112th CFL Grey Cup.
The Journey North
As noted in Event No. 31 (Where the Bison Run Free), flying from Detroit to Winnipeg and then staying in Winnipeg during Grey Cup weekend, was cost prohibitive.
That said, Wayne and I put on our cartography hats and began searching for relatively nearby that we could travel to and then drive to Winnipeg.
Fargo, ND, came back the hands down winner in terms of cost (under $300 round trip) and proximity (under three hours drive time), and a bonus event that was most assuredly not on my original list of 80 – a North Dakota State Bison home football game in the Fargodome!
So Sunday morning, following the Bison’s shellacking of the University of Northern Iowa, 48-16, Wayne and I climbed in our rental and began the journey straight up Interstate 29.
When I say there was not much to see along the way, I really mean there was not much to see along the way.
Once we passed Grand Forks, home to the University of North Dakota, it was pretty much prarie and farmland for as far as the eye could see.
It did dawn on me though – about halfway into our journey – that this plan to fly into Fargo and drive to Winnipeg could have gone sideways in a hurry had an early-season blizzard descended upon this part of the country. As with many highways throughout the Great Plains, I-29 featured gates on nearly every entrance ramp and even a few on the highway proper, to close it down in the event of unsafe traveling conditions.
Fortunately for us, we had bright sun and cloudless skies for our journey into Manitoba.
Speaking of Manitoba, shortly after we crossed the border near the community of West Lynne, MB, I spotted what appeared to be a Manitoba Welcome Center. To my eyes, at least, it appeared closed as no cars appeared out front, though upon circling the facility we found one in the back.
Wayne agreed to run in and see if it was open. He sent word that it was and ambled in.
Greg, the elder of two employees who were manning the operation, was delighted to engage us in conversation, give us his tips on Winnipeg, and who his favorite CFL team was (the Blue Bombers, naturally). He did let us know, however, that – unlike the American Super Bowl that prices many out of attending – we’d likely see fans of all nine teams and maybe even a few fans of the Baltimore Stallions (the only non-Canadian team to ever win the Grey Cup in 1995) who still make the annual pilgrimage to the event.
Before we parted ways, Greg handed us several pins (Canada, Manitoba, and Churchill, [home to the polar bears]) and even tossed in a custom-made key chain that Greg told us he fashions himself and wished us a safe journey.
The Forks
Clockwise from upper left, the we were gifted a sample of the cold lemon-pepper pickerel bites from Fergies Fish & Chips were delightful in the Market’s food hall; I did not return home with this fox hat; table tennis was an option for visitors off the food hall; the park offered terrific views of the Canadian National stage, museum, and Winnipeg sign; speaking of which, I am in this photo, though difficult to see; a look across the Red River at the grounds of Saint Boniface Cathedral.
We didn’t have much time to see central Winnipeg, but the handful of people I’d talked to who had visited prior, suggested a stop at The Forks as a sort of quick-hitter.
The Forks is a neighborhood located at the confluence of the Red River and Assiniboine River that includes, among other things, plenty of green space, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, a river walk, and The Forks Market.
With limited time, we realized a worthwhile tour of the museum was out, so we focused our efforts on the park area and the market.
Though an overcast and generally grey day (I wonder why!?!) it was not terribly difficult to see how the park area would be lively in the summer months (and, presumably, winter too). It offered views of the Red River, plenty of pathways, and open spaces for picnics and the like.
The Forks Market was, primarily, food-based, with purveyors encircling a dining area to create a thriving food hall. As we peered into Fergies Fish & Chips display case, one of the employees graciously provided us with samples of the cold lemon-pepper pickerel bites: Delish! There were a handful of shops as well, but Wayne and I weren’t on the lookout for exotic fur hats, sundries, or any new books so it was a quick stroll through those areas.
Princess Auto Stadium
The stadium sits on the campus of the University of Manitoba south of the city.
While the campus was quiet when we arrived a few hours before what we thought was kickoff (5 p.m. CST), the area surrounding the stadium was hopping.
And, as our man Greg at the visitor’s center predicted, it didn’t take long to spot the colors of all nine CFL teams in the crowd as we queued up to get into the official tailgate area.
That’s when we really experienced the largese of the crowd.
As we stood shoulder-to-shoulder with a crush of people listening to a band we were unfamiliar with, we quickly abandoned the idea of those promised inexpensive drinks and hot dogs and began working our way to the upper level and the entry gates.
Clockwise from upper left, the entrance gate into Princess Auto Stadium; various views of the crowd at within the official CFL Tailgate area … and a selfie while waiting in line.
Countdown to Kickoff
Much like my two recent experiences in Canada (the Montreal Canadiens-Toronto Maple Leafs season opener and World Series Game 6) the crowd pushed through the gates early and was amped up for the night.
As is, seemingly, the case with any major standalone event such as this, there was a pre-game on-field concert; this time by the Canadian band, Our Lady Peace (I was unfamiliar with the setlist). Likewise, there were plenty of dignataries introduced and, because Canadian sports leagues hold their trophies in high regard (see the NHL’s Stanley Cup, sports’ oldest trophy), a pair of Canadian Mounties stood sentry near a goal line with the Grey Cup (sports’ second oldest trophy).
Beyond that, and – of course – a ceremonial coin flip featuring Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney (who, as is a global phenomenon apparently, was booed), there was a flyover featuring the Royal Canadian Air Force’s CF-18 fighters (which we could not see due to the stadium’s overhang), the run up to kickoff was not unlike the many other football games I’ve attended.
Some of the sites during pregame inside Princess Auto Stadium. From left, a Montreal Alouettes fan was ready for action as was this Saskatchewan Roughriders supporter; onfield fireworks highlighted the pregame introductions; and I discovered this jersey was not an homage to me, but rather for Winnipeg Blue Bomber linebacker, Adam Bighill.
The Game
Like I noted at the top, once the game began, it was not unlike the many other football games I’ve seen through the years … except I got to witness a rouge/single when Sakatchewan punter Jesse Mirco‘s 69-yard boomer was not returned, continued to marvel at the forward motion on a field that was both wider and longer than those found in the States, and had to keep reminding myself that second down acts like third down in America, which – combined with the other differences – makes for a more free-wheeling style of football.
Wayne and I were rooting for the Roughriders.
Similar to the NFL’s Green Bay Packers, the Roughriders are community-owned, that is, by community members and fans who are shareholders. Widely considered one of the most financially successful and stable CFL franchises, it was hard not to rally behind the ‘Riders.
About a 6-hour drive along the Trans-Canada Highway from Regina to Winnipeg, there was a strong presence in Princess Auto Stadium’s stands for Saskatchewan as well.
And if that wasn’t enough reason to get on board the Roughrider bandwagon, this was the franchise’s 20th appearance in the Grey Cup. It had only won four of the previous 19.
I’m pleased to report our team won.
After Montreal took a 7-1 lead near the end of the first quarter (remember those singles!), Saskatchewan scored the next 24 points before the Alouettes cut the deficit to 25-17 midway through the fourth quarter.
That’s the way it ended when the Roughriders’ defense stood firm on a final minute drive by Montreal that began at the Als’ own 23-yard-line with 57 seconds left and ended on a Hail Mary attempt from the Saskatchewan 53-yard-line as time expired.
Final – Saskatchewan 25, Montreal 17
Clockwise from upper left, the Roughriders scrimmage from deep inside their own territory; this Saskatchewan fan was so stoked following the win he lost his shirt; this trio who sat next to me were three generations of Roughriders’ fans and they’d attended every home game this season; the names Dieter Brock and Bud Grant on the Blue Bombers’ ring of honor brought back some memories; Wayne was splitting his attention between the action on the field and the Detroit Lions’ game in Philadelphia on his phone; the formation just before Montreal’s final play of the game.
Why, Yes, there was a Halftime Performance
As we looked back at the recent history of Grey Cup Halftime Performances we were somewhat hopeful. Those acts who’d previously graced the stage included Green Day, Keith Urban, Jonas Brothers, The Lumineers, One Republic, and Imagine Dragons.
You can imagine our general indifference when it was announced about a month prior that MGK, formerly known as Machine Gun Kelly, was scheduled to appear.
Neither Wayne nor I were familiar with his body of work nor did we devote much time in studying up beforehand. I recognized one tune, “Lonely Road,” and I dare say that was only because the hook he samples on the track (which was recorded as a duet with Jelly Roll) is John Denver‘s “Take Me Home, Country Roads.”
Speaking of Lonely Roads
Once we cleared the crazy post-game traffic in and around the stadium and made our way onto Manitoba Highway 75, Wayne and I enjoyed a few hours of a lonely road.
Wayne watched the Lions’ game (another in a season-filled with frustrating losses) until the stream konked out on his phone and we enjoyed – thankfully – a worry free and relatively quiet drive the remainder of the way back to Fargo.
If I don’t make it to a Super Bowl (a real possibility due to the high-cost of tickets) I’ll walk away from my Around the World in 80 Sporting Events project content that I did, in fact, experience a professional football championship game where it was accessible to fans from across the country at a price point that made it affordable for families to attend and experience the joy of seeing their team win in person, together.
