Written by Guest Blogger: Myk Aussie mykaussie.com
Well I can say this, I’m not very happy about the 0-5 start for my favorite CFL team. Am I really worried? No. Should I be? Yes but the CFL hasn’t changed the one rule that makes the great game and great league look a little unprofessional. What is that you ask? Well it is that 6 out of the 8 teams make the playoffs. I don’t know of any other professional or semi professional sporting league where more than 50% of the teams make the playoffs. I believe it is very obvious why this is so. It’s so that the CFL can make significant revenue from the extra playoffs game but come on, I firmly believe it weakens the league and the game as it promotes mediocrity during the 18 game regular season. I believe only 4 teams of the 8 should make the playoffs.
In 2000 I had the pleasure of being at the Grey Cup in Calgary where the BC Lions upset the favored Montreal Alouettes. The BC Lions finished the regular season with an 8-10 record. Did they deserve to be in the playoffs? No, but damn I was real happy that they won and it was one crazy great night in Calgary with BC Lions mates. The night ended after I was asked to leave/escorted from the Cowboys nightclub by a big “no fun” guy in a Cowboy hat that was a bouncer. Damn all I was doing was interlocking arms with Mr Viagra from the Booze Brothers on the dance floor and running around in a circle getting all dizzy and happier. But then after hundred or so BC Lions fans including myself were made to leave McMahon stadium by the Calgary cops for simply “singing and cheering” for the Lions players as we waited for them to come out of the locker rooms, I realized that many Calgarians were still upset that the BC Lions defeated them, the Calgary Stampeders the week before. My second Grey Cup was fantastic.
The year after at the 2001 Grey Cup in Montreal I was also at the game and saw the Calgary Stampeders upset the favored Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Guess what? The Stampeders also finished the regular season with an 8-10 record. It was another great five days of Grey Cup. There were many highlights but the beautiful Candice showing me and the TotalCFL TV viewers her “lucky Bomber bra” in a pregame interview was the best natural unscripted interview that I have ever done. So there we have it, 2 of the 10 Grey Cups that I have been to, the winning team finished the regular season with an 8-10 record.
The BC Lions need to start winning real soon, aiming for 10 wins out of their last 13 games should safely get them in the playoffs and then hopefully to the Grey Cup. At the start of the season, TSN’s Chris Shultz who I respect a lot and some other CFL media were tipping the BC Lions to represent the West at this years Grey Cup. This had me worried, too much hype. Maybe the Lions players listened to these guys too much. I will say that Lions QB Travis Lulay missing open receivers in two of the games in the final minutes was not good, damn I was pissed off.
The 99th Grey Cup will be in Vancouver this year and I’m hoping the BC Lions will be playing. I’ve attended two Grey Cups in Vancouver my 1st in 1999 and then in 2005. Are these two of my favorite ever? Yes, for several reasons. 1999 being my 1st was incredible. The 1st Digital video camera’s had just been released and I went for it hard for four days, filming everywhere and getting some great footage and comedy with the amazing fans, beautiful cheerleaders and the friendly players. Some of the great fans I met at this Grey Cup are still up there with my favorite Canadian mates.
The 2005 Grey Cup in Vancouver was a fantastic game with the Edmonton Eskimos defeating the Montreal Alouettes in overtime. Cwoc (Cool Woman Of Canada) Pamela Anderson the BC Lions famous fan was the Grey Cup Parade Grand Marshall. Many non-CFL fans flocked to the downtown Vancouver streets to see Pamela. The great CFL Grey Cup fans put on one amazing Grey Cup Parade. I of course was on the parade route with my BC Booze Brothers mates filming and having one great time. I also had a funny chat and amazing filming experience with Pammy at the start of the parade. Wow! My Aussie mates still can’t believe it.
So how can Scott Ackles and the 2011 Grey Cup organizers outdo the great 2005 Grey Cup marketing effort of getting Pammy there? I spoke to Scott at the BC Lions party at the 2010 Grey Cup in Edmonton and asked him that question.
Then I said “Scott I think you got to get Pammy back again!”
Go Lions!
Next week. The Edmonton Eskimos great start. The 2002 and 2010 Edmonton Grey Cups were fantastic.