For the W.
Andrew Harris, a Winnipeg native, wears #33 for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Blue Bombers scored 33 points in the 2019 Grey Cup win 33-12 over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Calgary
Since the Most Valuable Canadian award started in 1971, Harris is the only Canadian to win both Most Valuable Player and Most Valuable Canadian in the Grey Cup. The last Canadian to win Most Valuable Player was Russ Jackson in the 1969 Grey Cup.
Harris also won Most Valuable Canadian in the 2011 Grey Cup while with the BC Lions, ironically against Winnipeg.
On Sunday, Harris had 134 yards on 18 carries along with 35 yards on 5 receptions, scoring a touchdown each on the ground and in the air.
The 2-game suspension was a buckle in an otherwise impressive season for Harris and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Congratulations to the @Wpg_BlueBombers on winning the #GreyCup! 🏆 #GreyCup2019 #ForTheW pic.twitter.com/Keez5zVgW8
— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) November 25, 2019
We've seen this favorable pattern in other cities. The Winnipeg Jets sent their love for the Blue Bombers in the CFL championship win.
2019 Grey Cup preview
How long has it been since Winnipeg won the Grey Cup? The Beachcombers, which started in 1972, ended its run in 1990 on CBC after 387 episodes.
2019 CFL division finals preview
Seemed fitting for the 2019 Winnipeg Blue Bombers that the starting quarterback would have fewer passing yards than his opponent. Zach Collaros went 17-for-23 for 170 yards while Dane Evans was 16-for-27 for 203 yards. Chris Streveler only threw 3 passes, all completions, for Winnipeg for 39 yards with a 18-yard TD pass to Andrew Harris. Collaros and Streveler combined for 209 yards, barely surpassing Evans.
When Matt Nichols was healthy, his passing yards weren't that impressive but that was the way Winnipeg won all season.
Streveler was seen limping at times in the postseason. While we know he's thrilled to win the Grey Cup, Streveler is likely happy to let his legs recover in the offseason.
I was 10yrs old the last time the Bombers won the Grey Cup, so it was pretty cool to get a pic of MY 10yr old watching tonight when they finally won it again. #CFL
— Sara Orlesky (@saraorlesky) November 25, 2019
There is no cheering in the press box. There isn't. This was a nice human moment after Winnipeg won from TSN's Sara Orlesky. She is based in Winnipeg. There is an emotional impact. Journalism is about honesty. Thanks for being open and sharing with us.
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Paul LaPolice on offence and Richie Hall on defence. We don't often reflect on the coordinators but both were outstanding this season. Hall's defence only gave up a single touchdown in the West final and the Grey Cup. The lone Hamilton major came late in the 3rd quarter.
2019 CFL playoffs preview
The perception of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers changed before the 2016 season when Andrew Harris and Justin Medlock signed with the Blue Bombers in free agency. Harris came home from BC while Medlock came over from Hamilton.
Medlock went 6-for-7 on field goals in the 2019 Grey Cup. He hit the last 6 attempts from 45, 17, 39, 41, 17, and 18 yards. Medlock was the fourth kicker to hit 6 field goals in a Grey Cup.
CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage
We noted in our 2019 Grey Cup preview that the losing fan base would be crestfallen by the result. Hamilton has lost 3 Grey Cups in the 2010s in 2014, 2015, and now 2019. The streak will be 21 years in 2020. Montréal will have the second-longest streak at 10 years in 2020.
Ottawa had a 40-year drought between CFL title championships. The city didn't have football from 1997-2001 after the loss of the Rough Riders and 2006-2013 after the loss of the Renegades. About a third (13) of the drought were seasons where Ottawa didn't have the CFL.
Hamilton had an amazing run with a all-time best 15-3 record. The Tiger-Cats struggled on offence and had the first 6 turnovers of the game.
"It's not up to the standards of modern sport...I'd like to say this is the last time we'll have a Grey Cup at McMahon."
— Andrew Brown (@browncbc) November 22, 2019
CFL Commissioner @RandyAmbrosie says he wants to start a conversation with @nenshi about a new football stadium in Calgary.#GreyCup107 #GreyCup #yyccc pic.twitter.com/lnrGdSR6S7
McMahon Stadium has a great intimacy but isn't high on the list of ideal CFL stadiums. The stadium (1960) is the second-oldest CFL stadium to Percival Molson Stadium (1915). There isn't an outcry in Montréal since that situation is very different. Calgary had a need to replace both McMahon and the Saddledome but the talk has been mostly about the Flames, not the Stampeders.
Calgary voters say no to 2026 Winter Olympics
The 2026 Winter Olympics bid would have solved both of those issues with a large payday for Calgary, but the voters said no.
The 108th Grey Cup will be on November 22, 2020 at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, Saskatchewan. Regina will host for the fourth time and the first at Mosaic Stadium. The 2021 Grey Cup will be at Tim Hortons Field for the first time in Hamilton since 1996. Those stadiums are the newest crown jewels in the CFL.
photo credit: TSN/CFL
Twitter captures: @NHLJets; @saraorlesky; @browncbc
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