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- 2002-10-07
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WINNIPEG — It’s an annual migration like no other in Canada, with fans arriving from points east, west, north and south, to take part in the 103rd Grey Cup festivities. And make no mistake: so many of these fans didn’t come to Winnipeg’s Investors Group Field simply to watch the final match of the season, they came to be a part of it.
They came from Ottawa, from Montreal, from Calgary, from Regina. And in the case of the Harbic family — father James and sons John and Rob — they came from all those places.
“Ten seconds after (Greg) Ellingson made that catch (in last Sunday’s Eastern Conference final), I told Rob, ‘Get tickets.’
“So we had to drive to Montreal, fly from there to Calgary, then get another flight to Regina, rent a car and drive here.
“And we have a 5 a.m. flight tomorrow, so we have to leave right after the game, drive back to Regina, then fly to Toronto, then to Quebec City, and then to Montreal and drive back.”
When asked why such a circuitous route of almost 10,000 kilometres, the three reply in unison, as if it’s self-evident: “We’re Southsiders.”
“You have to understand,” added James. “In the 1960s, my dad offered me the opportunity to go to Toronto to watch Ottawa in the Grey Cup, and I said no because I was interested in this young lady and had other things to do, and besides, I figured Ottawa would be in the Grey Cup many times.”
Fans arrived Sunday in various states of preparedness. Karen Milne, 50, and Brittany Druery, 28, fashioned their own outfits, with woolen wigs, hand-painted T-shirts and sunglasses, and each wearing between four and six layers of clothing, taking about 90 minutes beforehand to transform themselves into a Redblacks version of the Michelin man. Each also brought a knapsack with a hunter’s Heat-a-Seat warmer and newspapers (God love them) for further insulation.
They also brought reasonable expectations about the outcome of the game. “We’re just happy to be here,” said Milne. “Meeting the other fans and the camaraderie . . . . Other than the Olympics, this is the most Canadian thing there is. I think every Canadian should HAVE to come to at least one Grey Cup.”
Outside the stadium, meanwhile, fans took part in pregame football drills, had their photos taken with a mean-suited Michael “Pinball” Clemons (sponsored by the official pizza of the CFL), or stood in line to get autographed photos of Montreal Alouette Marc Olivier Broullette (whose photo only showed his back) and Blue Bomber Matt Buckner.
“Who are they?” one woman whispered to me as she waited in line, eventually tucking the photos into a bag of other freebies she’s acquired.
Chris Ryan, Justin Dean, Nikki Domingo and William Lance had also prepared for the game. The coach and members of the Algonquin College Loggersports — the ones who saw logs into touchdown cookies after each Redblacks touchdown — had pre-cut four cookies after the league ruled that they couldn’t use their chainsaws at the game. After Redblacks major scores, the group planned to celebrate and wave the cookies.
“We’re disappointed,” said Loggersports spokesman Jamie Bramburger, “but the students are still thrilled to be here. This is about the game that gets played on the field, and that’s where the focus should be, not on us.”
“Besides,” added Lance. “We cut four cookies, because we know it’s going to be 28-0 for the Redblacks at the end of the first quarter.”
And Kimberley Filion wore her lucky cowboy boots, the ones she’s worn to every one of her son Redblack Jake Harty’s games. Although now a Calgarian, Filion grew up in Buckingham and sees the story coming full circle.
She and her husband, Paul Parr, have season tickets to both the Redblacks and Stampeders games, and flew to most of the Ottawa home games, as well as a few on the road. On Saturday, along with daughter Jessica Davies, they visited the University of Winnipeg, where the Grey Cup was on display. She refused to touch it.
And when asked how she might react to the possibility of a Redblacks loss on Sunday, she replied, “I haven’t thought about it. We’re going to win.”
查看原文...
They came from Ottawa, from Montreal, from Calgary, from Regina. And in the case of the Harbic family — father James and sons John and Rob — they came from all those places.
“Ten seconds after (Greg) Ellingson made that catch (in last Sunday’s Eastern Conference final), I told Rob, ‘Get tickets.’
“So we had to drive to Montreal, fly from there to Calgary, then get another flight to Regina, rent a car and drive here.
“And we have a 5 a.m. flight tomorrow, so we have to leave right after the game, drive back to Regina, then fly to Toronto, then to Quebec City, and then to Montreal and drive back.”
When asked why such a circuitous route of almost 10,000 kilometres, the three reply in unison, as if it’s self-evident: “We’re Southsiders.”
“You have to understand,” added James. “In the 1960s, my dad offered me the opportunity to go to Toronto to watch Ottawa in the Grey Cup, and I said no because I was interested in this young lady and had other things to do, and besides, I figured Ottawa would be in the Grey Cup many times.”
Fans arrived Sunday in various states of preparedness. Karen Milne, 50, and Brittany Druery, 28, fashioned their own outfits, with woolen wigs, hand-painted T-shirts and sunglasses, and each wearing between four and six layers of clothing, taking about 90 minutes beforehand to transform themselves into a Redblacks version of the Michelin man. Each also brought a knapsack with a hunter’s Heat-a-Seat warmer and newspapers (God love them) for further insulation.
They also brought reasonable expectations about the outcome of the game. “We’re just happy to be here,” said Milne. “Meeting the other fans and the camaraderie . . . . Other than the Olympics, this is the most Canadian thing there is. I think every Canadian should HAVE to come to at least one Grey Cup.”
Outside the stadium, meanwhile, fans took part in pregame football drills, had their photos taken with a mean-suited Michael “Pinball” Clemons (sponsored by the official pizza of the CFL), or stood in line to get autographed photos of Montreal Alouette Marc Olivier Broullette (whose photo only showed his back) and Blue Bomber Matt Buckner.
“Who are they?” one woman whispered to me as she waited in line, eventually tucking the photos into a bag of other freebies she’s acquired.
Chris Ryan, Justin Dean, Nikki Domingo and William Lance had also prepared for the game. The coach and members of the Algonquin College Loggersports — the ones who saw logs into touchdown cookies after each Redblacks touchdown — had pre-cut four cookies after the league ruled that they couldn’t use their chainsaws at the game. After Redblacks major scores, the group planned to celebrate and wave the cookies.
“We’re disappointed,” said Loggersports spokesman Jamie Bramburger, “but the students are still thrilled to be here. This is about the game that gets played on the field, and that’s where the focus should be, not on us.”
“Besides,” added Lance. “We cut four cookies, because we know it’s going to be 28-0 for the Redblacks at the end of the first quarter.”
And Kimberley Filion wore her lucky cowboy boots, the ones she’s worn to every one of her son Redblack Jake Harty’s games. Although now a Calgarian, Filion grew up in Buckingham and sees the story coming full circle.
She and her husband, Paul Parr, have season tickets to both the Redblacks and Stampeders games, and flew to most of the Ottawa home games, as well as a few on the road. On Saturday, along with daughter Jessica Davies, they visited the University of Winnipeg, where the Grey Cup was on display. She refused to touch it.
And when asked how she might react to the possibility of a Redblacks loss on Sunday, she replied, “I haven’t thought about it. We’re going to win.”
查看原文...
