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The time for Redblacks fans crying into their plaid lumberjack shirts is over.
Ottawa’s reputation for throwing a weeklong party, the 105th Grey Cup Game and Festival, is at stake. The festival, a raucous event once better known as the Grand National Drunk, officially begins Tuesday at noon with the arrival of the Grey Cup trophy at Parliament Hill. Consider it one of the few sober events of the week.
By now it’s old news, the reality that the Redblacks won’t get to defend their Grey Cup title on their own Lansdowne turf, after falling in the CFL east semifinal.
Timing is everything. To quote the great Maxwell Smart, we “missed it by that much,” trying to match the construction of a championship team with the host Cup duties in 2017. It’s hard to fault the organization for being ahead of schedule.
Ottawa’s football heroes reached two Grey Cup games in a row, 2015-16, led by the indomitable Henry Burris at quarterback. Ol’ Hank decided to go out on top, and who could blame him, after he directed an overtime win over his former Calgary Stampeders last November to deliver Ottawa’s first Grey Cup championship since 1976.
While the Lions Den was hopping with BC fans an impromptu Saskatchewan contingent gathered in front of the Parliament buildings to watch The Flame, Sandy Monteith of Saskatoon, light up his torch for the 2004 Grey Cup after their parade was cancelled and spontaneous parties erupted throughout the city by all the CFL team fans.
And so partisan fans in the Nation’s Capital will watch the rival Toronto Argos take on the role of eastern representative against the Stampeders in Sunday’s Cup game. At least we were spared the awkward possibility of a west vs. west encounter, which was in order until the Argos pulled off a last-minute win over Saskatchewan, the crossover playoff team.
Not having the local team in the game isn’t the worst thing for the stress-related heart and stomach linings of diehard Ottawa fans. All bets are off regarding liver health.
And there’s this: we have a proven reputation for staging outstanding Grey Cup bashes (witness 2004, 1988, 1967 …) without having an Ottawa team in the game. You have to go back to 1940 for a Grey Cup game at Lansdowne involving the host team, the Ottawa Rough Riders, winners over Toronto Balmy Beach.
This week’s party is so big it will have two major focal points: the newly developed Lansdowne area in the Glebe and the Shaw Centre/ByWard Market downtown. There is a free shuttle running between the two hubs, every 30 minutes.
Festival events are too numerous to list, but as always feature flavour from across the country, from Calgary’s traditional, free Grey Cup breakfast to the legendary Spirit of Edmonton party (the Eskimos spirits could use lifting after a sour ending in Calgary in the Western Final).
Just as the Eskimos got squeezed out of a Cup berth, their Spirit of Edmonton got bumped from its usual site, a ballroom in a major city hotel. This time, the S of E will be located in a couple of Market bars (Lowertown Brewery and the Sens House sports bar), along with pop-up party tents. For regular Grey Cup revellers used to the teeming masses in the Edmonton room, the jury is out on this one. Some traditions don’t get messed with. Expect Edmonton to be back in a ballroom next year.
Thousands pile into the stadium and party around the Aberdeen pavillion before the 2004 Grey Cup game. Julie Oliver
Other CFL teams will present their own party moments.
Then there’s the opportunity to see legendary NFL/CFL quarterback Doug Flutie — not behind centre, not behind a microphone as a football analyst, but behind a set of drums, on stage.
The Flutie Brothers Band will be performing for the VIP Tailgate Party at the Aberdeen Pavilion on the afternoon of game day. Doug’s brother, Darren Flutie, a fellow Canadian Football Hall of Famer, plays guitar. How perfect is this — Doug Flutie won Grey Cups with both teams in this year’s game, the Stampeders and Argonauts. Now, he’s determined to work with the good folks of Redblacks’ RNation.
“We’re going to put on the plaid and give them a great show,” said Flutie.
A master at scrambling out of the pocket, how will Flutie scramble from a drummer’s seat?
The Aberdeen will also be the host venue for the RNation party later this week. Next door at the TD Place Arena, a concert series will run each night from Thursday to Saturday, entertaining tastes from Country to Alternate to Classic Rock (April Wine lives).
This will be an inclusive Grey Cup, with a family zone, a Gridiron Gals event and the Capital Pride Grey Cup Party presented by You Can Play (Horticultural Building, Thursday). Riderville also has a two-day stint at the Horticultural Building.
There are alumni events, a street festival (Aberdeen Square) and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame Museum display at the TD Arena concourse. For more details check greycupfestival105.ca.
The festival sked is lighter early in the week. Use the time to rest up. You will need it.
wscanlan@postmedia.com
twitter/@hockeyscanner
查看原文...
Ottawa’s reputation for throwing a weeklong party, the 105th Grey Cup Game and Festival, is at stake. The festival, a raucous event once better known as the Grand National Drunk, officially begins Tuesday at noon with the arrival of the Grey Cup trophy at Parliament Hill. Consider it one of the few sober events of the week.
By now it’s old news, the reality that the Redblacks won’t get to defend their Grey Cup title on their own Lansdowne turf, after falling in the CFL east semifinal.
Timing is everything. To quote the great Maxwell Smart, we “missed it by that much,” trying to match the construction of a championship team with the host Cup duties in 2017. It’s hard to fault the organization for being ahead of schedule.
Ottawa’s football heroes reached two Grey Cup games in a row, 2015-16, led by the indomitable Henry Burris at quarterback. Ol’ Hank decided to go out on top, and who could blame him, after he directed an overtime win over his former Calgary Stampeders last November to deliver Ottawa’s first Grey Cup championship since 1976.
While the Lions Den was hopping with BC fans an impromptu Saskatchewan contingent gathered in front of the Parliament buildings to watch The Flame, Sandy Monteith of Saskatoon, light up his torch for the 2004 Grey Cup after their parade was cancelled and spontaneous parties erupted throughout the city by all the CFL team fans.
And so partisan fans in the Nation’s Capital will watch the rival Toronto Argos take on the role of eastern representative against the Stampeders in Sunday’s Cup game. At least we were spared the awkward possibility of a west vs. west encounter, which was in order until the Argos pulled off a last-minute win over Saskatchewan, the crossover playoff team.
Not having the local team in the game isn’t the worst thing for the stress-related heart and stomach linings of diehard Ottawa fans. All bets are off regarding liver health.
And there’s this: we have a proven reputation for staging outstanding Grey Cup bashes (witness 2004, 1988, 1967 …) without having an Ottawa team in the game. You have to go back to 1940 for a Grey Cup game at Lansdowne involving the host team, the Ottawa Rough Riders, winners over Toronto Balmy Beach.
This week’s party is so big it will have two major focal points: the newly developed Lansdowne area in the Glebe and the Shaw Centre/ByWard Market downtown. There is a free shuttle running between the two hubs, every 30 minutes.
Festival events are too numerous to list, but as always feature flavour from across the country, from Calgary’s traditional, free Grey Cup breakfast to the legendary Spirit of Edmonton party (the Eskimos spirits could use lifting after a sour ending in Calgary in the Western Final).
Just as the Eskimos got squeezed out of a Cup berth, their Spirit of Edmonton got bumped from its usual site, a ballroom in a major city hotel. This time, the S of E will be located in a couple of Market bars (Lowertown Brewery and the Sens House sports bar), along with pop-up party tents. For regular Grey Cup revellers used to the teeming masses in the Edmonton room, the jury is out on this one. Some traditions don’t get messed with. Expect Edmonton to be back in a ballroom next year.
Thousands pile into the stadium and party around the Aberdeen pavillion before the 2004 Grey Cup game. Julie Oliver
Other CFL teams will present their own party moments.
Then there’s the opportunity to see legendary NFL/CFL quarterback Doug Flutie — not behind centre, not behind a microphone as a football analyst, but behind a set of drums, on stage.
The Flutie Brothers Band will be performing for the VIP Tailgate Party at the Aberdeen Pavilion on the afternoon of game day. Doug’s brother, Darren Flutie, a fellow Canadian Football Hall of Famer, plays guitar. How perfect is this — Doug Flutie won Grey Cups with both teams in this year’s game, the Stampeders and Argonauts. Now, he’s determined to work with the good folks of Redblacks’ RNation.
“We’re going to put on the plaid and give them a great show,” said Flutie.
A master at scrambling out of the pocket, how will Flutie scramble from a drummer’s seat?
The Aberdeen will also be the host venue for the RNation party later this week. Next door at the TD Place Arena, a concert series will run each night from Thursday to Saturday, entertaining tastes from Country to Alternate to Classic Rock (April Wine lives).
This will be an inclusive Grey Cup, with a family zone, a Gridiron Gals event and the Capital Pride Grey Cup Party presented by You Can Play (Horticultural Building, Thursday). Riderville also has a two-day stint at the Horticultural Building.
There are alumni events, a street festival (Aberdeen Square) and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame Museum display at the TD Arena concourse. For more details check greycupfestival105.ca.
The festival sked is lighter early in the week. Use the time to rest up. You will need it.
wscanlan@postmedia.com
twitter/@hockeyscanner
查看原文...
