Canadian Crossing

Winnipeg Blue Bombers are back-to-back Grey Cup champions

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers had to rise from 3rd place in 2019 to win the Grey Cup. The 2021 squad was the cream of the crop all year long. There were stumbles toward the end but the Blue Bombers won back-to-back CFL titles with a 33-25 overtime win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Hamilton.

Winnipeg trailed at halftime for the second week in a row. The Blue Bombers defence in the fourth quarter remained strong, holding the Tiger-Cats to a tying field goal near the end of regulation.

After a drought since 1990, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are the first CFL team to go back to back since the 2009-2010 Montréal Alouettes.

Every point counts: We make this point often and this Grey Cup game proved this to be true. The kickers were perfect last night in a season with missed field goals and extra points.

Winnipeg scored a punt single in the 1st quarter and 2 kick singles in the 4th quarter when the Blue Bombers had the wind. The wind was not surprisingly a factor in Tim Hortons Field, known for wind issues since its construction. The Blue Bombers did concede a safety in the 3rd quarter when the team did not have the wind at its back.

The Tiger-Cats could have won the Grey Cup in regulation without that final rouge in the 4th quarter.

Hamilton had a 22-10 lead early in the 4th quarter. Winnipeg has dominated the 4th quarter in 2021.

Splish, splash....goin' back to back!#CFL | @GatoradeCanada pic.twitter.com/tVj2Tv1wfT

— CFL (@CFL) December 13, 2021

In overtime, Zach Collaros, voted the Most Outstanding Player in the season and the 2021 Grey Cup, led the team to a touchdown (Darvin Adams) and 2-point conversion (Rasheed Bailey). Hamilton needed 8 points to stay alive. However, Jeremiah Masoli, in for an injured Dane Evans, threw a pass where Winnipeg defenders Deatrick Nichols and Winston Rose before Kyrie Wilson caught the ball to end the 2021 Grey Cup.

Nic Demski won Most Outstanding Canadian for the Grey Cup for Winnipeg.

Kameron Kelly had 2 interceptions for Hamilton. Dane Evans went 4-9 for 24 yards before the injury. Jeremiah Masoli was 20-25 for 185 yards for the Tiger-Cats.

Absolute SCENE at Portage & Main 😳#ForTheW #DefendTheCup pic.twitter.com/TaIj19s75a

— Winnipeg Blue Bombers (@Wpg_BlueBombers) December 13, 2021

2021 Grey Cup preview

This was the 4th overtime Grey Cup game ever. The first happened in 1961 when Winnipeg beat Hamilton 21-14. Edmonton edged Montreal in 2005 and Ottawa took care of Calgary in 2016.

The Blue Bombers previously won back-to-back Grey Cup titles in 1958-1959 and 1961-1962. This was under Bud Grant in Winnipeg. Grant coached Winnipeg for 10 seasons with 6 Grey Cup appearances and the 4 titles. Michael O'Shea is in good company.

We were told the capacity for the 2021 Grey Cup was 24,000. Turns out the actual attendance number was 26,324. Everything we said about the attendance figures last week remain true. Will be curious what the capacity will be for the 2023 Grey Cup in Hamilton.

The back to back wins is rather impressive in modern times. Doug Flutie and the Toronto Argonauts won in 1996-1997. The legendary Edmonton teams led by Warren Moon won from 1978-1982.

CFL attracting attention to the East final for very wrong reasons

2021 CFL division finals preview

pic.twitter.com/Zf5OAoZoXr

— Hamilton Tiger-Cats (@Ticats) December 13, 2021

The 2021 Hamilton Tiger-Cats became the first CFL team to lose a Grey Cup at home since the 2008 Montréal Alouettes at Olympic Stadium. The 2011-2013 Grey Cup games all had the home team win the title.

Hamilton has the longest streak in the CFL without a Grey Cup title going back to winning the 1999 Grey Cup. Montréal is second not having won a Grey Cup since 2010.

2021 CFL playoffs preview

The halftime show with the Arkells, Lumineers, and K.Flay was rather good. Robin Sparkles and Robin Daggers would have been proud.

Short-term solutions for TSN to replace Chris Cuthbert on CFL telecasts

TSN had extensive coverage leading up and including then 108th Grey Cup. The radio side had a new team with Dustin Nielson alongside analyst Natey Adjei. Nielson also did the TV introductions that Rod Black had done for years.

The TV call went well. Rod Smith and Glen Suitor called their first Grey Cup together. The drones could have been used more. We had injuries during the game and the crew barely went to Sara Orlesky and Matthew Scianitti.

Current Calgary quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell was on the secondary TSN panel.

ESPNews carried the last half hour (5:30 pm-6 pm Eastern) of pregame coverage, something we don't recall U.S. television doing. The U.S. channel carried the first few minutes of the regular coverage since ESPN2 joined in progress a few minutes past 6 pm.

CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage

The 14-game season went fairly smooth with a singular COVID-19 hangup. Having 3 East teams in the CFL playoffs was an improvement. A June 2022 kickoff to a season will be a welcome sight. The league still has a number of issues; the offence on the field needs to pick up as well.

The 2022 Grey Cup will be at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.

photo credit: @CFL
Twitter captures: @CFL; @Wpg_BlueBombers; @Ticats

2021 Grey Cup preview

For the first time since 2009-2010, we have a Grey Cup rematch with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The Montréal Alouettes beat the Saskatchewan Roughriders in both Grey Cups, each in the Alberta cities that have a CFL franchise.

The 2019 Grey Cup had the longest losing streaks for the Grey Cup: Hamilton (1999) and Winnipeg (1990). The Winnipeg win meant every CFL team won in the 2010s except for Hamilton. Toronto and Calgary won 2 Grey Cups in that decade.

Since the Grey Cup win in 1999, Hamilton has been to the Grey Cup in 2013, 2014, and 2019. All the CFL teams would have a Grey Cup win in the last decade if there hadn't be an illegal block call on the 90-yard punt return by Brandon Banks.

The Tiger-Cats have 8 Grey Cup titles; Blue Bombers have 11 titles.

Toronto (17) and Edmonton (14) top the list for Grey Cup titles. Ottawa has 10 titles: Rough Riders (9) and RedBlacks (1).

The rest of the current CFL franchises rank this way: Calgary (8), Montréal (7), BC (6), and Saskatchewan (4).

Hamilton has 7 Grey Cup titles with different teams: Tigers (5), Flying Wildcats (1), Alerts (1).

The 108th edition of the Grey Cup is Sunday at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton. Either the Winnipeg Blue Bombers will be the first back-to-back winners since the Alouettes of 2009-2010 or the Hamilton Tiger-Cats will win their first Grey Cup in the 21st century.

ESPN2

Sunday
Hamilton vs. Winnipeg @ Hamilton, 6:30p

TSN

Sunday
Hamilton vs. Winnipeg @ Hamilton, 6:30p

CFL attracting attention to the East final for very wrong reasons

Andrew Harris made an impact last Sunday in Winnipeg with 136 yards and a touchdown. Fresh legs might be an understatement, given how much time he lost this year due to injuries. With not so great weather in December, the running game should be crucial on Sunday.

Winnipeg had 6 turnovers against Saskatchewan and won the game 21-17. The Blue Bombers continued its defence dominance in the 4th quarter, holding the Roughiders to 0 points in the final quarter.

Dane Evans went 16-16 for 249 yards and a touchdown in the comeback win over Toronto. The Papi White 92-yard 3rd quarter punt return for a touchdown lifted the hopes and spirits of the visitors. The Argos got all of their points from kicker Boris Bede and wasn't enough in the 27-19 loss.

The TSN coverage of the game mentioned the rough week for McLeod Bethel-Thompson. We ran an extra story to go over what happened. TSN, during the game, didn't mention the other 4 players or their status. Your humble narrator had to look that up after the game. Dexter McCoil and Jeff Richards did pass the COVID-19 protocols. Charleston Hughes and Llevi Noel were on Toronto's injured list.

The Arkells will be the halftime entertainment for the 2021 Grey Cup in Hamilton. While every selection can upset some people, this is an obvious and well-chosen selection, especially with the Arkells love for the CFL and being from Hamilton.

The Lumineers and K.Flay (not Canadian) will be a part of the halftime show.

If your Relationship Goals are to avoid hearing, yet again, What You're Made Of, you might want to skip the CFL pregame concert with Steven Lee Olsen. Jessia is opening up for Olsen for that mini concert. If you love hearing that song over and over, then tune in the show.

Juno Award winner Savannah Ré will sing O Canada. TSN rarely airs the anthem on the CFL telecasts but this anthem will air.

2021 CFL division finals preview

The 2021 Grey Cup opponents only met once due to the shortened schedule. They met on Opening Night with a 19-6 Winnipeg win over Hamilton at IG Field. Rod Black and Glen Suitor called that game for TSN that was simulcast on ESPN2.

2021 CFL playoffs preview

"We're coming home." -- Hamilton coach Orlondo Steinauer

In the modern era (1958-present), 6 CFL teams have won the Grey Cup on the home turf and 6 more teams have come up short on home turf.

Teams that got to celebrate at home: 2013 Saskatchewan; 2012 Toronto; 2011 BC; 1994 BC; 1977 Montréal; 1972 Hamilton

Home teams that watched someone else celebrate: 2008 Montréal; 2002 Edmonton; 1983 BC; 1982 Toronto; 1979 Montréal; 1963 BC

CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage

The 2021 Grey Cup has an attendance of 24,000, which is only because of COVID-19 and the decision not to have expanded seating. This will be the smallest Grey Cup crowd since 20,087 gathered at Varsity Stadium in Toronto for the 1949 Grey Cup.

The crowd in Hamilton won't be much larger than the 21,492 who came to see the East final in Toronto on Sunday. That mark is just under half of doubling the previous high attendance of 2021, 10,851 for the last Hamilton regular season game at BMO Field.

The mark is also higher than in 2014 where your humble narrator saw 2 Toronto Argos games in person in a week: 18,106 on Tuesday, August 12 against Winnipeg and 18,283 on Sunday, August 17 vs. the BC Lions. Both games were at Rogers Centre.

🏴 GREY CUP BLACKOUT DRESS CODE IN EFFECT 🏴

Hamilton, you know the drill. All black everything from head to toe again this Sunday.

Let’s black out the Donut Box and bring that infamous home-field advantage to the championship game!#Ticats | #GreyCup pic.twitter.com/IzUfYDsFLm

— Hamilton Tiger-Cats (@Ticats) December 8, 2021

Hamilton was a frequent host of the Grey Cup at the Hamilton Amateur Athletic Association Grounds or AAA Grounds. The stadium held the Grey Cup in 1910, 1912-1913, 1928-1929, 1932, and 1935. The stadium hosted the Hamilton Tigers.

The Hamilton appearances dropped off. Civic Stadium (later Ivor Wynne Stadium) hosted the 1944 Grey Cup. As Ivor Wynne Stadium, the Grey Cup was in Hamilton in 1972 and 1996.

The Grey Cup was not spread around in that time. From 1945-1966, Toronto hosted all but 5 games that were in Vancouver. Montréal had the game in 1931 and didn't get another Grey Cup until the Autostade in 1969.

Still, Hamilton (10) is third among Canadian cities to have hosted the Grey Cup behind Toronto (48) and Vancouver (16).

Alberta has had 10 Grey Cups: Edmonton [1984, 1997, 2002, 2010, 2018] has 5; Calgary [1975, 1993, 2000, 2009, 2019] has 5. Winnipeg has 4 Grey Cups: 1991, 1998, 2006, 2015 while Regina, home of the 2022 Grey Cup, has had 3 Grey Cups: 1995, 2003, 2013.

Kingston (1922) and Sarnia (1933), both in Ontario, were non-modern CFL cities that hosted the Grey Cup.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats last hosted the 1996 Grey Cup at Ivor Wynne Stadium. Since then, the Grey Cup has been at a few stadiums.

CFL cities hosting the Grey Cup
Team	Year 1	Year 2	Year 3	Year 4
Edmonton	1997	2002	2010	2018
Winnipeg	1998	2006	2015
Vancouver	1999	2005	2011	2014
Calgary	2000	2009	2019
Montréal	2001	2008
Regina	2003	2013
Ottawa	2004	2017
Toronto	2007	2012	2016

 

CFL stadiums hosting the Grey Cup
Stadium	Year 1	Year 2	Year 3	Year 4
Commonwealth Stadium	1997	2002	2010	2018
Canad Inns Stadium	1998	2006
BC Place	1999	2005	2011	2014
McMahon Stadium	2000	2009	2019
Olympic Stadium	2001	2008
Taylor Field	2003	2013
Frank Clair Stadium	2004
Rogers Centre	2007	2012
IG Field	2015
BMO Field	2016
TD Place	2017

Goodbye, eh, to How I Met Your Mother

Fans of the U.S. TV show might remember that How I Met Your Mother referenced the 1996 Grey Cup in Hamilton, the last time the game was in the Steel City. Robin Sparkles and Robin Daggers will not be a part of the halftime show. Canadian celebrities might be at a Tim Hortons but they aren't required to be there.

We send our love to the folks behind the show for their love of Canada. If Cobie Smulders is at the game, we ask TSN to point her out in the crowd.

I called this Grey Cup for ESPN. Our producer decided we should go down to field level to record our opening. When I got back to our booth, it was covered in snow, the TV lights had been left on and my charts-written in Sharpie on file folders-had turned into unreadable soup. https://t.co/DZeIue5h7l

— Gord Miller (@GMillerTSN) November 24, 2021

Gord Miller did call a Grey Cup on TV, the last one in Hamilton in 1996. Miller called the game with Danny Kepley.

For the first time that we can remember, Miller didn't call a CFL game. Chris Cuthbert called 0 CFL games though his excuse is a bit better. Brian Williams is retiring from TSN. Williams has worked on numerous Grey Cups in his time at CBC and TSN.

That does it for my first FULL-TIME year in the booth. Great game to wrap up it up with the Ticats & Argos!

Huge thanks to everyone I worked with @CEdwardsTSN @rubedirector @jonperlberg Jon Hynes, Dave Moir @GlenSuitor & @DuaneFordeTSN!

Next up, radio call for Grey Cup! pic.twitter.com/Gfh1KAzXDn

— Dustin Nielson (@nielsonTSN1260) December 5, 2021

Short-term solutions for TSN to replace Chris Cuthbert on CFL telecasts

For the first time since 1995, someone other than Cuthbert and Mark Lee will call a Grey Cup on television. That honour will go to Rod Smith, who will work with Glen Suitor, who has called a lot of Grey Cup games.

Dustin Nielson will have the radio call. We are in a whole new era of the CFL on TSN.

Thank you to Chris Cuthbert for calling 21 of the last 24 Grey Cup games. An impressive feat not likely to be duplicated anytime soon.

photos credit: CFL
Twitter captures: @Ticats; @GMillerTSN; @nielsonTSN1260

Canadian film review: Long Life, Happiness & Prosperity

Mina Shum and Sandra Oh make a good combination: Double Happiness, Meditation Park. We've written and loved about these films and wanted to see if the magic continued with Long Life, Happiness & Prosperity.

Long Life, Happiness & Prosperity has 3 stories: single mother Kin Ho Lum (Sandra Oh) and her 12-year-old daughter Mindy (Valerie Tian); a middle-aged security officer loses his job and self-worth; and a man tries to win his father's love while his son doesn't want to fall in his father's footsteps.

The storylines are loosely linked; they live in the same Chinese neighbourhood in Vancouver. They revolve around trying to find luck and prosperity, especially from Mindy.

2017 WIFF Canadian films in review

The Filmmakers on CBC helps the audience to appreciate Canadian film

Shum takes us into a world where we are familiar from those other films. The relationship with generations matter in this world. Mindy tries to help her mother win the lottery but that luck went to the man caught in a generational pull. The winnings don't bring him happiness. Mindy wants her mother to fall in love with Alvin; Kin is cynical about love and men.

Bouncing between the stories isn't easy under the best of circumstances. Be patient and the stories merge better toward the end of the film.

Shum and her co-writer Dennis Foon incorporate luck, Taoist magic, and trying to improve one's life as common themes with the stories.

Mindy is the focus of the story. Oh, playing her mother, has a smaller role in this film than you would see in the other 2 films.

Long Life, Happiness & Prosperity (2002) tells the stories in a quiet and soft fashion. The film feels like we are peeking into their lives while retaining a fiction approach.

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

Long Life, Happiness & Prosperity won't compare in quality to Double Happiness and Meditation Park. If you are a fan of one or both of those films, you owe yourself the opportunity to see this film. Mina Shum is very good at digging into details of these immigrant stories in her world.

video credit: YouTube/Shaftesbury
photo credit: Long Life, Happiness & Prosperity film

Canadian film review: Men in Brooms

Men in Brooms is not a curling film but a film about curling. When non-Canadians try and learn about Canada, they gain some momentum and then they learn about curling. This film might give a little bit of insight about curling and Canada.

Paul Gross (co-writer, director, star) brings us a Canadian film that is definitely Canadian. Men with Brooms is a mix of comedy and romance but not really a romantic comedy.

A curling team reunites after the death of its coach (James B. Douglas) in Long Bay, Ontario. Chris (Paul Gross) had left the community. The others are around but had gone away from curling: James (Peter Outerbridge), Eddie (Jed Rees), and Neil (James Allodi).

Chris also left behind his fiancée Julie (Michelle Nolden), daughter of the coach. Molly Parker plays Julie's sister, Amy.

The team struggles in its comeback, then turning to Chris' father Gordon (Leslie Nielsen).

The story does get into the intricacies of curling, giving the audience a learning curve. The film is much more about trying to figure out life.

Cameos include Winnipeg curler and three-time Brier champion Jeff Stoughton and members of The Tragically Hip.

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

The 2002 film inspired a television adaptation that ran one season from 2010-2011 on CBC. Gross was the only one from the film to appear on the TV series.

Men with Brooms is a nice, kind (Canadian) film telling a cute and sweet story. The film is easy to follow and watch.

Men with Brooms received 2 nominations at the 2003 Genie Awards for Molly Parker (Best Actress in a Leading Role) and the screenplay.

video credit: YouTube/truenorth1968
photo credit: Men with Brooms film

TIFF selects Top 10 Canadian films of 2021

20 years, 20 incredible Canadian films.

Announcing TIFF’s annual Canada’s Top Ten list of features and shorts, celebrating its 20th year in 2021: https://t.co/CiOVdl64tb #SeeTheNorth pic.twitter.com/zczeE0rC9t

— TIFF (@TIFF_NET) December 6, 2021

The pandemic was not good to the TIFF Top Ten list of 2020 Canadian films. Your humble narrator has seen 4 of them. Tried to watch The Nest but couldn't do it. The 2021 list is much more promising even if it might take a very long time to see some of these Canadian films.

Let's get acquainted with the list of Canadian films. Here is the 2021 Top Ten list with the directors and province of origin:

All My Puny Sorrows Michael McGowan | Ontario
Charlotte Eric Warin, Tahir Rana | Ontario
Drunken Birds Ivan Grbovic | Quebec
Learn To Swim Thyrone Tommy | Ontario
Night Raiders Danis Goulet | Ontario
Maria Chapdelaine Sébastien Pilote | Quebec
Scarborough Shasha Nakhai, Rich Williamson | Ontario
Ste. Anne Rhayne Vermette | Manitoba
Subjects of Desire Jennifer Holness | Ontario
The White Fortress Igor Drljača | Ontario

We have seen one film from the list so far and that was very boring and long (Maria Chapdelaine). This year, the Oscars entry is in the Top Ten list (Drunken Birds) as is the Best Canadian Feature Film (Ste. Anne).

There are 3 titles where I know little to nothing: Charlotte; Subjects of Desire; and The White Fortress. I am familiar with Jennifer Holness from Love, Sex and Eating the Bones and Shoot the Messenger. The Holness documentary sounds quite intriguing. None of these titles seem to have much Canadian connection.

All My Puny Sorrows, Night Raiders, and Scarborough would be my top picks with Drunken Birds and Ste. Anne not too far behind.

Not having the Windsor International Film Festival puts your humble narrator at a disadvantage. Patience is as required as oxygen.

Looking back on past versions of the Windsor International Film Festival

Canadian film review: Maria Chapdelaine

Les Oiseaux Ivres is Canada's selection to the Oscars for Best International Feature Film

The 2020 list only had Ontario and Quebec while the 2021 list added a Manitoba film (Ste. Anne). Contrast this with the geographic variety from the 2019 list with Black Conflux (Newfoundland/Quebec); The Body Remembers When The World Broke Open (British Columbia); Murmur (Nova Scotia); and One Day in the Life of Noah Piugattuk (Nunavut).

Black Conflux by Nicole Dorsey is the only 2019 title on the list that your humble narrator hasn't seen.

2021 TIFF wrapup

2021 TIFF preview

2021 TIFF Rising Stars

2021 TIFF Canadian film preview

The TIFF information points out there are 8 first appearances among the feature films (McGowan and Pilote have previous films on the list) and 6 debuts. Noting that Igor Drljaca, Thyrone Tommy, and Rich Williamson have had short films in the Top Ten.

Short films on this year's list come from well established directors including Zacharias Kunuk, Alanis Obomsawin, Terril Calder, and Albert Shin.

TIFF selects Top 10 Canadian films of 2020

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

You can read up on all the films, including the short film selections. If you are on Canadian soil, you can access the TIFF digital Bell Lightbox so you can see these films, even if you don't live in Toronto.

Twitter capture: @TIFF_NET
photo credits: Night Raiders; All My Puny Sorrows

CFL attracting attention to the East final for very wrong reasons

Is there anyone in charge at the CFL? Commissioner Randy Ambrosie has been rather invisible in 2021.

The CFL has a COVID-19 protocol policy where players are subject to missing 4 days for violating that policy. Toronto Argonauts players McLeod Bethel-Thompson along with Dexter McCoil, Charleston Hughes, Llevi Noel, and Jeff Richards violated that policy by attending the Toronto Raptors game Thursday night. They were reportedly there at the insistence of Maple Leaf Sports Entertainment (MLSE), owners of the Toronto Raptors and the Argos.

Then the CFL clarifies said policy into 2 days and 2 nights (not 48 hours) in a matter of hours with strict rules in place.

The players must quarantine for the 2 days and 2 nights, no practices or in-person meetings. They must undergo a PCR test on Friday, a PCR test on Saturday, and a Rapid Antigen Test on Sunday, the East final. Provided all the tests are negative, they can play on Sunday.

We are not disputing whether the players were there. TSN literally interviewed Bethel-Thompson at Thursday's Raptors home game against the Milwaukee Bucks. The photo (above) with Kayla Grey is definite proof.

2021 CFL division finals preview

2021 CFL playoffs preview

The impression is that the Argos are getting a huge break with the change. The question also rests with MLSE, which had to know the appearances would violate CFL protocol. The players didn't sneak off to a nightclub; the team knew where they were.

Antonio Pipkin would start at quarterback if Bethel-Thompson can't start. You might recall the Argos traded Nick Arbuckle to Edmonton.

There are fans who think the Argos already cheated this season when Chris Jones was brought in with as a defensive consultant who essentially has been a defensive coach. The CFL has cracked down in recent years over the costs of the coaching staff.

Hamilton wide receiver Brandon Banks pointed out on Twitter that he wanted to go to a Raptors game but the league said no. Ottawa wide receiver Kenny Stafford said he had to quarantine and miss a week of practice just for sitting in the stands to support his team.

Tiger-Cats defensive end Ja'Gared Davis missed a game against Montréal back in August for breaking COVID-19 protocols.

"The CFL playoff rosters could have a hiccup with the division finals and the Grey Cup. Players who are unvaccinated (even in an Aaron Rodgers kind of way) can't participate beyond the division semifinals. The restrictions are for air and rail travel but would also affect traveling by car or even GO train."

Arash Madani of Rogers Sportsnet is, well, reporting that a prominent Hamilton player is unvaccinated and is playing on Sunday. The paragraph above says any unvaccinated player can't play. We aren't mentioning the player's name because we don't have verification.

Maybe Madani's sources are correct. The motivation is questionable because playoff time has been open season for some in the Canadian sports media to tear down the CFL. Damien Cox of the Toronto Star leaps to mind. They did not need extra help from the Toronto Argonauts and the CFL.

Note that none of these people work for TSN.

Hearing @TorontoArgos QB MacLeod Bethel-Thompson has been sent home and is being held out of practice today because of attending the @Raptors game at his team’s request. It's a violation of CFL Covid protocol, which states he must now quarantine 4 days. Game day is Sunday.#CFL

— Dave Naylor (@TSNDaveNaylor) December 3, 2021

Dave Naylor of TSN reported this early on Friday because this was the rule on Friday morning but isn't the rule now.

The players were trying to promote the East final, something where the CFL struggles: self-promotion. In the COVID-19 era, this backfired significantly.

There was always going to be a question of how many fans would come out to Toronto for the East final. The empty seats in Regina were a bit of a shock last week. The Argos have drawn poorly even with a good team.

CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage

A Hamilton win tomorrow will make most of this go away leading into the 2021 Grey Cup in Hamilton. A Toronto win, especially a close win, puts the integrity into question. That isn't fair but certainly where we are.

The CFL took a strong stance after Edmonton released offensive lineman Jacob Ruby reportedly had a fake vaccination card. The league told the other teams they could not sign him for 2021.

Right or wrong, the impression is that the CFL stepped into help because the Toronto Argonauts receive special treatment. As much as the CFL needs success in Toronto, this shouldn't affect the on-field performance of the team.

We are excited to find out which teams are going to the 2021 Grey Cup. We are not excited about this latest development.

photo credit: Toronto Raptors/TSN
Twitter capture: @TSNDaveNaylor

2021 CFL division finals preview

Editor's note: Toronto quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson status for Sunday is in doubt over COVID-19 protocols for attending last night's Toronto Raptors game. The path to playing is harsh but possible for Bethel-Thompson as well as fellow Argos Dexter McCoil, Charleston Hughes, Llevi Noel and Jeff Richards. 

2 of the top 3 Labour Day rivalries in the CFL will be featured in the 2021 CFL division finals in the playoffs. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats make the very short trip to BMO Field in Toronto in the opener. Saskatchewan Roughriders work their way east to Winnipeg to battle the Blue Bombers.

The 33-30 Saskatchewan win over Calgary was the 10th overtime game in CFL history. A touchdown return from a missed field goal that should have counted. A recovered onside kick to start the second half. Missed field goals from 2 very good kickers. Cody Fajardo, the winning quarterback, threw 4 interceptions.

This was the first home playoff win at Mosaic Stadium for the Roughriders. The Stampeders have not won a playoff game in Regina since 1971.

Montréal dominated the first quarter in Hamilton yet only had a 3-0 lead. Hamilton came back with 20 straight points to finish the half. The defence was in charge in the second half for both teams.

The Alouettes had the running game but William Stanback wasn't effective enough and the team didn't really utilize Cameron Artis-Payne in the backfield. The Tiger-Cats took good advantage of the turnovers.

The start times are 30 minutes earlier than traditional. Toronto at Winnipeg in hockey on December 5 got pushed back an hour to 7 pm Central. The games was moved to accommodate Winnipeg sports fans. The NHL team plays downtown while the CFL team plays 10 km (6 miles) south of the arena.

ESPNews

Sunday
Hamilton @ Toronto, 12:30p
Saskatchewan @ Winnipeg, 4p

TSN

Sunday
Hamilton @ Toronto, 12:30p
Saskatchewan @ Winnipeg, 4p

Toronto and Hamilton played 14 games, 4 of them against each other from Labour Day through mid-November.

• September 6 Hamilton 32-19 @ Hamilton
• September 10 Toronto 17-16 @ Toronto
• October 11 Toronto 24-23 @ Hamilton
• November 12 Toronto 31-12 @ Toronto

The teams last met in the 2015 East semifinal in Hamilton with a 25-22 Tiger-Cats win. This will be the first Hamilton-Toronto playoff game at BMO Field. Toronto last hosted the teams in 2013 in the CFL East final. Hamilton won that day 36-24 at Rogers Centre. You might recall, or prefer not to recall, that was days after Rob Ford told the world he had more than enough to eat at home. The Argonauts were ahead when Ford arrived and then the team collapsed on the field.

Winnipeg and Saskatchewan haven't played since the Banjo Bowl. The Roughriders started that series 3-0 and came out at 3-2.

• September 5 Winnipeg 23-8 @ Saskatchewan
• September 11 Winnipeg 33-9 @ Winnipeg

The teams met in the 2019 West final with the road team Blue Bombers pulling out the 20-13 upset over the Roughriders.

Your humble narrator has been to a game in every CFL city and Moncton. The 2 stadiums on display on Sunday — Mosaic Stadium in Regina and Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton — are the only current stadiums where I have not been. I came close a couple of times to get to Hamilton but circumstances did not go my way. I would love to see those stadiums in the near future.

Those stadiums will host the 2021 Grey Cup and 2023 Grey Cup (Hamilton) and the 2022 Grey Cup (Regina) in case someone wants to invite me to those Grey Cup games.

2021 CFL playoffs preview

The viewing audience had better drone coverage in Regina versus the coverage in Hamilton. The quality of the production out west suffered with discolorations at times. We realize colder temperatures could account for the trouble. The production issues will turn off casual fans, especially ones randomly searching for something to watch.

The CFL playoff rosters could have a hiccup with the division finals and the Grey Cup. Players who are unvaccinated (even in an Aaron Rodgers kind of way) can't participate beyond the division semifinals.

The restrictions are for air and rail travel but would also affect traveling by car or even GO train.

2021 CFL Week 16 preview

For many CFL fans, the festivities preceding the Grey Cup is the best part of the end of the CFL season. While the activities are a bit subdued thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are still gatherings in the coming week.

There is a section about what to do in Hamilton. After all, the Grey Cup hasn't been to Hamilton in 25 years. The Canadian Football Hall of Fame is inside Tim Hortons Field.

Your humble narrator has been to Hamilton once and that was for a CFL game at the old Ivor Wynne Stadium. There are buses that run from the GO Train station in downtown Hamilton to the stadium. I recall taking the #2 bus to Ivor Wynne Stadium. The new stadium is on the site of the old stadium.  

The guide will also be helpful if you come to Hamilton for a regular season game, the 2022 NHL Heritage Classic in March, as well as the 2023 Grey Cup.

CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage

We have seen a few CFL voices disappear lately. Bob Irving, the legendary radio voice of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, will call the West final as his final game for 680 CJOB. The team is dedicating the game to him and will recognize Irving in a pre-game ceremony.

Irving called the 1988 and 1990 Grey Cups for the Canadian Football Network (CFN), the official TV syndication service of the league from 1987-1990. He also called the first half of the 2011 Grey Cup for Bell Media Radio. Rick Ball called the second half.

Short-term solutions for TSN to replace Chris Cuthbert on CFL telecasts

The TSN coverage is laid out for the division finals. The regular pattern gets mixed a bit with Dustin Nielson, Duane Forde, and Matthew Scianitti in Toronto and Rod Smith, Glen Suitor, and Sara Orlesky in Winnipeg. Expect Orlesky to pull double duty at Canada Life Centre for TSN3 for the Winnipeg Jets game that night.

James Duthie set up in Regina with Jim Barker with extra analysis.

Rod Black has done play by play for the Grey Cup since 2012. Black worked with his traditional partner Duane Forde in 2012 and 2013 and with Giulio Caravatta since 2014.

Dustin Nielson would be a good replacement for Black on the radio call, though there are regular CFL radio people who would be fine candidates.

photos and video credit: CFL

Canadian film review: Oscar Peterson: Black + White

Your humble narrator listens to Saturday Night Jazz with Laila Biali on CBC Music (aka Radio 2). Was a huge fan of Tonic with Tim Tamashiro on the old CBC Radio 2.

Oscar Peterson came up a lot as a Canadian jazz legend. Even as a fan of jazz music, I had no clue about Oscar Peterson or his career. Fortunately for all of us, we can learn more about him through a new documentary, Oscar Peterson: Black + White.

We learn about how Norman Granz managed Peterson's career and often stood up for him when touring through the U.S. South. The story about how Peterson made his New York City debut is noteworthy.

The documentary notes the significant musical collaborations, especially double bassist Ray Brown and guitarist Herb Ellis. We hear about Peterson from Jon Batiste, Quincy Jones, Ramsey Lewis, Herbie Hancock, Branford Marsalis as well as Billy Joel. Still not quite sure why Joel is in the documentary. There are contributions from Dave Young, Larnell Lewis, Jackie Richardson, Joe Sealy, Measha Brueggergosman, Denzal Sinclaire, and Robi Botos.

Peterson had a stroke late in life that affected his left hand. The imagery is set of 3 hands playing the piano instead of 4 hands before the stroke.

CBC Radio 2 still exists but under the CBC Music banner

CBC Radio 2 drops Tonic and The Signal; jazz relegated to Saturday nights

Oscar Peterson: Black + White takes us through the basic notes of Peterson's story. The best parts are when he is playing and talking. Showing us how great Peterson is a lot more fun than hearing others talk about how great he was.

Feels like a lot is missing from the musician's story. He was married 4 times but we only hear from his widow and youngest child. There is little to no context of Peterson's impact on jazz. The artists who used Peterson as inspiration exist but not in this documentary.

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

Director Barry Avrich takes us briefly through Peterson's childhood in Montréal. Avrich hits the basic notes but the melody of Peterson's life is missing. You could learn a lot more from the Wikipedia page.

Still, you get a basic introduction to Oscar Peterson (1925-2007), who was a major impact on jazz, regardless of country. See the documentary and then do some more research.

2021 TIFF wrapup

2021 TIFF Canadian film preview

CanadianCrossing.com music coverage

Oscar Peterson: Black + White premiered at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival. The film is available in Canada on Crave.

photo credit: Oscar Peterson: Black + White film
video credit: YouTube/TIFF Trailers

NHL the month in preview December 2021

The Edmonton Oilers factor into both TNT games in December. The Oilers host Sidney Crosby and his team tonight on December 1. Edmonton goes to Los Angeles on December 22.

Montréal and Chicago dominate the NHL Network December lineup. The U.S. channel has Les Canadiens on Hockey Night in Canada in Nashville (4) and hosting Boston (18). Chicago is on tap in Toronto for Hockey Night in Canada (11) and hosting Calgary on Hometown Hockey (13).

A bit surprised that the Ottawa Senators Saturday matinee (11) isn't part of the NHL Network showcase. The channel chose to have no showcase game over showing Ottawa.

The NHL Network has been extremely reticent about its upcoming schedule this season. We will update this story if the channel adds more games. 

The lone ESPN+/Hulu game has the Habs in a 2021 Stanley Cup final rematch on December 28.

The NHL takes a holiday break from December 24-26.

You might recall that Rogers Sportsnet gave itself exclusivity over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday nights a few times last season. The December 18 Toronto-Vancouver game will be on Sportsnet only and not on CBC. CBC and Citytv will carry different games that night. Rogers Sportsnet is doing this on purpose to get Canadians to subscribe. This will be one of several times where this will happen.

Toronto at Winnipeg in hockey on December 5 will start at 7 pm Central, an hour later than scheduled. The game was moved back to accommodate the Winnipeg Blue Bombers hosting the CFL West Division final. The football game starts earlier at 3 pm Central. The NHL team plays downtown while the CFL team plays 10 km (6 miles) south of the arena.

TNT

December 1
Pittsburgh @ Edmonton, 10p
December 22
Edmonton @ Los Angeles, 10p

NHL Network

December 4
Montréal @ Nashville, 7p (HNIC)
December 11
Chicago @ Toronto, 7p (HNIC)
December 13
Calgary @ Chicago, 7:30p (HH)
December 18
Ottawa @ PhiladelphiaToronto @ Vancouver,Boston @ Montréal, 7p (HNIC)

ESPN+/Hulu

December 28
Montréal @ Tampa Bay, 7p

Hockey Night in Canada

December 4

Toronto @ Minnesota, 7p/Montréal @ Nashville, 7p/Colorado @ Ottawa, 7p/Pittsburgh @ Vancouver, 10p

December 11

Chicago @ Toronto, 7p/Montréal @ St. Louis, 7p/Carolina @ Edmonton, 10p/Boston @ Calgary, 10p

December 18

Toronto @ Vancouver, 7p/ Boston @ Montréal, 7p/Ottawa @ Philadelphia, 7p/Edmonton @ Seattle, 10p/Columbus @ Calgary, 10p

Hometown Hockey

December 6 Los Angeles @ Vancouver, 10p (Pembroke, ON)

December 13 Calgary @ Chicago, 7:30p(Sydney, NS)

December 20 Montréal @ NY Islanders, 7p/Anaheim @ Edmonton, 9:30p(studio only)

December 27 Toronto @ Columbus, 7p/Ottawa @ Washington, 7p/Edmonton @ Calgary, 10p(studio only)

Rogers Sportsnet national telecasts

December 1 Colorado @ Toronto, 7:30p/Vancouver @ Ottawa, 7:30p/Pittsburgh @ Edmonton, 10p

December 3 Calgary @ Anaheim, 10p

December 5 Calgary @ Las Vegas, 10p

December 7 Calgary @ San Jose, 10:30p

December 8 Boston @ Vancouver, 9p

December 9 Boston @ Edmonton, 9p

December 14 Calgary @ Nashville, 8p

December 16 Columbus @ Edmonton, 9p

December 22 Montréal @ NY Rangers, 7p/Edmonton @ Los Angeles, 10p

December 23 Edmonton @ San Jose, 10p

December 29 Boston @ Ottawa, 7:30p/Chicago @ Winnipeg, 7:30p/Pittsburgh @ Toronto, 7:30p/Edmonton @ St. Louis, 8:30p/Vancouver @ Anaheim, 10:30p

December 31 Edmonton @ New Jersey, 1p

The Ottawa Senators lost 3 games to postponement due to a COVID-19 outbreak. San Jose and Pittsburgh had similar outbreaks but no postponements. The postponed games were a road game in New Jersey (16) and home games with Nashville (18) and New York Rangers (20). The latter game was a NHL Network showcase game.

We knew this might happen even with vaccinated players.

The NHL Network replacement game knocked out the Sportsnet pregame on that Saturday (20). The U.S. channel blew off the Sportsnet pregame (27) without an obvious reason.

The road game in New Jersey has been rescheduled for December 6. The New York Islanders also had postponed games at the end of this month.

I’m grateful to have the support of everyone at @hometownhockey_ who encouraged me say what was in my heart last night.

Some thoughts on the NHL’s broken culture. pic.twitter.com/DkhJ7S2jOL

— Tara Slone (@TaraSlone) November 2, 2021

Given how much pressure Gary Bettman has put on Rogers to not say anything negative about the NHL, this was necessary music (from a musician).

"And anybody who thinks that this culture is not deeply broken is wrong." Kudos to Tara Slone for saying what needs to be said. More needs to be said but this was a good start.

For those tempted to think of Kyle Beach as ancient news (2010), Slone brought up (not by name) Logan Mailloux, who was convicted in Sweden for photographing and circulating a compromising photo of a young woman without her consent. Mailloux asked NHL teams not to draft him. The Montréal Canadiens drafted Mailloux in the 1st round in late July.

NHL the month in preview November 2021

NHL the month in preview October 2021

The pressure on Canadian NHL teams is part of why no Canadian team has won the Stanley Cup since 1993. The Montréal Canadiens have been the most successful Canadian team in the playoffs in the last 2 seasons. The team has legitimately good reasons why the team is off to a struggling start. Yet the team underwent a cleansing almost at the level of the Edmonton Elks in the CFL.

Former New York Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton is the new executive vice president of hockey operations. Assistant GM Scott Mellanby resigned over not getting a promotion. The team let go general manager Marc Bergevin, assistant general manager Trevor Timmins, and senior VP of communications Paul Wilson.

The requirement for the coach and general manager to be bilingual in French and English limits the pool of candidates. As Air Canada found out this fall, there are a few jobs in Canada that require bilingualism. Governor General Mary Simon is bilingual but not in French. The Habs are the only NHL team where that is a requirement; presumably that would also be true if the Quebec Nordiques return to the NHL.

This was the final year on Bergevin's contract. Few expected him to return but he was expected to last through the end of the season. Montréal is hosting the NHL draft so that timing might be a consideration.

There are some who are thrilled that Bergevin and others are gone just based on the drafting of Logan Mailloux in July. This will never be listed as the reason but some solace can be found. 

We don't know if Gorton is bilingual but his position may not require that since the GM and coach deal more with the media. Gorton has a good resume and perhaps this layer will improve the team in the long term.

The Montréal Canadiens had a 6-15-2 record with all these changes. No Carey Price, Shea Weber, and several others.

Last season, the team fired coach Claude Julien with a 9-5-4 record. Dominique Ducharme went 15-16-5 but had an extraordinary playoff run.

"I strongly believe that this organization needs a fresh start." We get owner Geoff Molson wants results. Some patience would be good, though getting players healthy will help as well.

An update on the Rogers Hometown Hockey stop in Greater Sudbury —

Due to increasing COVID case numbers in the area, this weekend’s Rogers Hometown Hockey festival and broadcast have been postponed. pic.twitter.com/ukF79T3uzh

— Rogers Hometown Hockey (@hometownhockey_) November 10, 2021

Hometown Hockey had to miss a weekend due to COVID-19 numbers in Sudbury. Feel certain the tour will make its way back to the Nickel City. With the crowd gathering being a key point of the show, this may not be the only postponement this winter. That happened to be a Monday where there were no Canadian teams in action.

Hometown Hockey normally travels throughout Canada, not just Ontario. The idea of a Monday night would be that Ron MacLean would have more time in between Hockey Night in Canada.

So far, the HH crew has been rather close to Toronto in a time of year where flying is fine. There is an argument that this is pandemic-related but like so many moves in a pandemic, some of those moves are a way to do things on the cheap.

The Hometown Hockey page allows you to filter stops based on province. That is only Ontario until December 11-13.

Don't know the work of 2 of these people. Some back bench fill-ins on #HNIC. @Sportsnet @NHL https://t.co/51DkKeeBSN

— Chad Rubel (@canadian_xing) November 13, 2021

November 13 had a few missing pieces on Hockey Night in Canada: Elliotte Friedman and Kelly Hrudey in the studio; John Bartlett, Cassie Campbell-Pascall, Louie DeBrusk, Jason York among others in the field. Rob Faulds and Sam Consentino were brought into help. Craig MacTavish helped out in the studio.

A difference between hockey and football in Canada is you can find hockey announcers somewhere.

Rick Ball and Garry Galley ended up together in Ottawa as Calgary was in that direction. This is my new favourite combination who will almost never work together again.

Tracking the NHL 2021 media changes

2021 NHL preseason schedule

Our guide to the NHL Canadian teams coverage

November 6 Tampa Bay @ Ottawa, 2p E.J. Hradek/Stu Grimson NHL Network
November 12 Edmonton @ Buffalo, 7p John Buccigross/Ryan Callahan/AJ Mleczko ESPN+/Hulu
November 23 Edmonton @ Dallas, 8:30p Bob Wischusen/AJ Mleczko ESPN+/Hulu
November 24 Toronto @ Los Angeles, 10p Kenny Albert/Eddie Olczyk/Keith Jones TNT

E.J. Hradek is a strong contributor to the U.S. channel. Play by play isn't his strength; then again, the NHL Network doesn't want strong play by play. Hradek isn't bad but does need to get better.

The scheduled NHL Network Showcase game on November 20 was postponed due to the COVID-19 situation with the Ottawa Senators.

The ESPN crews have been solid. You feel how much John Buccigross loves hockey. AJ Mleczko is more comfortable with ESPN than with NBCSN. Ryan Callahan was fine and that was fine.

The Oilers game in Dallas was my introduction to Bob Wischusen. He did fine.

Even if the TNT crew are veterans of the old NBCSN regime, they sound better and more comfortable at TNT. They were way more interesting to listen to in the Maple Leafs big win.

CanadianCrossing.com NHL coverage

The November 20 game had plenty of opportunities to air 6 CBC promos. The U.S. feed may have lost one; so hard to tell.

Sort Of played at the Toronto International Film Festival and has been streaming on CBC Gem. The show debuted on CBC television on November 9.

The Buzzer is a daily CBC Sports e-mail newsletter. Olympic Channel is available on CBC Gem.

War of the Worlds is a British (and French) seat filler.

November 6 early game: Great Canadian Baking Show (1st); Strays; War of the Worlds; Dragons' Den (2nd); Sort Of; The Buzzer (3rd)

November 20 early game: CBC Gem; Olympic Channel (1st); CBC Listen; The Buzzer (2nd); Olympic Channel (3rd)

photo credit: NHL
Twitter captures: @TaraSlone; @hometownhockey_; @canadian_xing