Thursday, November 8, 2007

The Real CFL

You know you are a die hard for the "Auld League" as my host on Saturday night puts it when you sit on a cold metal bench with no back support to watch a battle of the last place teams in an 8 team league. I hadn't been to a game at Ivor Wynne Stadium in about a decade, since Doug Flutie had played for my Argos, not for lack of interest, but for fear of personal safety when rolling into Ivor Wynne in the Double Blue!!!

In any event, Saturday nights clash of the Titans between the visiting Edmonton Eskimos (last in the west) and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (last in the east again), was one for the ages, not only did the Tabbies win (through no fault of their own offensive play i assure you), i met the wonderful people of Section 7 that Dick over at the Velvet Lounge sits with. A finer bunch of CFL fans i have not met in a long time , fun loving, friendly, and more than happy to rip into their own for yet another year where they failed to perform to the expectations of the loyal fans.

Even with a non-capacity crowd on a cold fall night, the fans overall created an atmosphere second to none, makes me wish the Skydome had 1/2 the personality that Ivor does, but alas, especially when the canopy is shut, the dome becomes a sterile and unfriendly place, as it will be for both the Eastern Final on the 18th and the Grey Cup on the 25th. Which is sad, because even as both games now run the chance of being sellouts (the Grey Cup already essentially is, and the East Final is apparently selling well), and no matter how much noise is made, i somehow doubt that it will top the experience of freezing in Hamilton for a meaningless last place duel in the regular season.

1 comment:

Dick said...

Too bad that after 13 years in those seats, I gave them up in protest.