The 2010s will have 8 different CFL teams with a title. Toronto and Calgary have won 2 Grey Cups each in the decade while Montréal, BC, Saskatchewan, Edmonton, and Ottawa have won a single Grey Cup in the decade. Hamilton (1999) and Winnipeg (1990) will vie to be that last Grey Cup winner in the decade.
Zach Collaros and Simoni Lawrence. Their paths literally collided knocking Collaros out for weeks and Lawrence served a 2-game suspension. They are on opposite sides of the final game of the 2019 CFL season.
Hamilton narrowly defeated Winnipeg at home 23-15 on July 26. Jeremiah Masoli got hurt in that game and Dane Evans took over for the Tiger-Cats. Hamilton had little trouble with the Blue Bombers in Winnipeg 33-13 on September 27.
Neither team has won the Grey Cup in high-definition or on TSN. The 2019 Grey Cup in Calgary will be long-awaited joy to one fan base and yet more tragedy to the other fan base.
ESPN2
Sunday
Hamilton vs. Winnipeg @ Calgary, 6:30p
TSN
Sunday
Hamilton vs. Winnipeg @ Calgary, 6:30p
We know the two teams in the game, but who has the edge at each position?
— CFL (@CFL) November 18, 2019
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The 2019 Winnipeg Blue Bombers are the first team that isn't a top seed to be in the Grey Cup since 2013 and only the 11th third-place team to reach the Grey Cup. When you hold the top seed in the West without a touchdown, that team can make a lot of history.
"We got down inside the five three times and couldn't score a touchdown. When you play like that, you don't deserve to win," said Saskatchewan quarterback Cody Fajardo. Fajardo went back and forth between comfortable and not-so comfortable with his oblique injury. He only has a single major run and that was late in the game. The Roughriders lacked a bit of imagination in the scoring zone.
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Edmonton chose to take the wind in the 3rd quarter when traditionally done in the 4th quarter. The Esks didn't score in the 3rd quarter with the wind and only 3 points in the 4th quarter.
The Esks had a couple of early turnovers. The Tiger-Cats had all the big offensive plays of the game.
While Edmonton was the third crossover team in the last 4 years to make the East Division final, no crossover team has ever made the Grey Cup.
2019 CFL division finals preview
Orlondo Steinauer has reached the Grey Cup in his first season as a CFL head coach. You might recall that June Jones had willingly stepped aside to let Steinauer be the head coach. Hamilton does owe some gratitude to June Jones and Jerry Glanville. Some American coaches come to Canada and are overwhelmed by the CFL nuances. Jones and Glanville embraced their time in Canada and made the Tiger-Cats better.
Steinauer played in three Grey Cups, winning twice in 1999 and 2004. The 1999 game was the last time the Tiger-Cats were CFL champions.
Mike O’Shea is also in his first Grey Cup as a coach. O’Shea won 3 Grey Cups as a player with Toronto.
Steinauer and O'Shea won a Grey Cup in 2012 as assistant coaches in Toronto: Steinauer as the defensive backs coach and O'Shea as the special teams coordinator.
O'Shea's team defeated teams coached by the Dickenson brothers: Dave with Calgary and Craig with Saskatchewan. Like Steinauer, this was Craig Dickenson's debut season as a CFL head coach.
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Jeremiah Masoli and Matt Nichols might be playing the Grey Cup in their minds as Dane Evans and Zach Collaros are on the field in Calgary. In the year of the backup quarterback, Evans and Collaros took different paths to get to Calgary.
2019 CFL playoffs preview
The NHL chose to move the Hometown Hockey game to nighttime on Grey Cup Sunday. In recent years, the game has been in the afternoon, like with the Super Bowl. The Edmonton Oilers are in Arizona opposite the Grey Cup. Edmonton sports fans would have had a tough dilemma if the Oilers and Esks were playing at the same time.
The Oilers play late on Saturday night and have to fly on Sunday, which is likely why the Oilers have to play at night. The NHL should respect the Grey Cup when making out its schedule.
The Oilers game is on national TV in both countries as the NHL Network will carry the Hometown Hockey game.
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The teams last met in the 1984 Grey Cup where Winnipeg won 47-17 over Hamilton. The 1984 Grey Cup was also the last time Winnipeg represented the West Division in the Grey Cup.
CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage
Those who read last week's CFL preview might have thought I predicted a Hamilton-Winnipeg Grey Cup. Not the biggest fan of predictions or speculation — just the idea that all the CFL teams should have recent success.
The current players aren't responsible for the frustration of these long streaks but they will feel it on Sunday. Collaros guided Hamilton to a Grey Cup in 2014.
Despite the recent droughts for Winnipeg and Hamilton, the franchises have been quite successful. Toronto (17) and Edmonton (14) dominate the standings of current teams. Winnipeg is third with 10 and Hamilton tied for fourth with 8 Grey Cup titles.
Calgary (8), Montréal (7), BC (6), Saskatchewan (4), and Ottawa (1) round out the current list. The Ottawa Rough Riders (9) won a lot of Grey Cups but none after 1976.
Hamilton was in the Grey Cup in 2013 and 2014. Winnipeg has had quite a few Grey Cup appearances since 1990 in 1992, 1993, 2001, 2007, and 2011.
Keith Urban will be the halftime entertainment star. The Beaches will play at the Grey Cup kickoff show. The opening festivities also has the Calgary Stampede Showband and a young guest vocalist performing the national anthem.
ESPN2 coverage is scheduled to start at 6 pm Eastern.
CFL crossover games
| Year | Team | Result |
| 2019 | Edmonton (8-10) | beat Montréal (10-8), lost to Hamilton (15-3) |
| 2018 | BC (9-9) | lost to Hamilton (8-10) |
| 2017 | Saskatchewan (10-8) | beat Ottawa (8-9-1), then lost to Toronto (9-9) |
| 2016 | Edmonton (10-8) | beat Hamilton (7-11), then lost to Ottawa (8-9-1) |
| 2014 | BC (9-9) | lost to Montréal (9-9) |
| 2012 | Edmonton (7-11) | lost to Toronto (9-9) |
| 2009 | BC (8-10) | beat Hamilton (9-9), then lost to Montréal (15-3) |
| 2008 | Edmonton (10-8) | beat Winnipeg (8-10), then lost to Montréal (11-7) |
| 2005 | Saskatchewan (9-9) | lost to Montréal (10-8) |
| 2003 | BC (11-7) | lost to Toronto (9-9) |
| 2002 | Saskatchewan (8-10) | lost to Toronto (8-10) |
| 1997 | BC (8-10) | lost to Montréal (13-5) |
Twitter capture: @CFL
photo credit: CFL
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