Canadian Crossing

2022 Canada Day notebook

Today is the 155th anniversary of the establishment of the Dominion of Canada with Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. The Dominion of Canada would keep the Union Jack for almost 100 years after the creation of Canada. Older people remember when July 1 was called Dominion Day.

We focus in on a few stories of note in our Canada Day notebook. Celebrate safe, perhaps with a Caesar and a Nanaimo bar.

Canada to finally lift pre-arrival COVID-19 tests for air and land border crossings

CanadianCrossing.com border crossings coverage

American travelers to Canada still need to use the ArriveCan app. This is true for land border crossings, something of great concern for border town mayors on the Canadian side. Ugh.

We have noted the significant difference in naming Kraft Macaroni and Cheese (U.S.) versus KD or Kraft Dinner (Canada). The U.S. version will soon change to Kraft Mac and Cheese.

As far as we know, there is no inherent difference between the products, though the Canadian version is likely made with better made Canadian cheese.

There is a grand difference in Canadian accouterments with KD such as hot dogs and ketchup.

You can see the Canadian version (left) or the new U.S. version (below). Which looks better to eat?

Barenaked Ladies mentioned Kraft dinner in the song If I Had a Million Dollars from the Gordon album from 1992.

We wouldn't have to eat Kraft dinner / But we would eat Kraft dinner / Of course we would we'd just eat more / And buy really expensive ketchups with it / That's right all the fanciest Dijon ketchups mmm mmm

If I were eating Kraft Dinner in Canada, I might use Canadian-made French's ketchup.

Remember the whole French-Heinz ketchup battle? Funny part is that Kraft and Heinz are now corporately married

Feeling more nostalgic than hungry, here is the (temporarily) reunited Barenaked Ladies performing that song at the 2018 Junos after being inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

Canadian cities are legalizing alcohol in parks (Cross Country Checkup from CBC Radio One)

There are 2 primary images of public drinking. People leisurely drinking wine with a picnic in a park. People drinking out of bottles in paper bags. People want the former but not the latter.

The pandemic set limits on drinking because of the viability of crowded bars being open.

Your humble narrator has seen people in Amsterdam and Rome drinking outside and having that be not a big deal.

Being able to selective drink in public would bring Canada closer to its European cousins and away from the puritanical United States.

We are big fans of @brittlestar, and we are honoured that he sent us a video tribute as Canuckle wraps up! CHECK IT OUT ⬇️🇨🇦👍 #ThankYouEh pic.twitter.com/MNpgxAsPN0

— Canuckle (@CanuckleGame) June 27, 2022

We meant to write about Canuckle, the Canadian version of Wordle. Same concept: 5 letter word, 6 guesses. The Canuckle word would have some tie to Canada. Some days, the word was fun. Other days, words such as "brier" threw me off.

Turns out today is the last Canuckle, at least for now. As you may know from our Twitter feed, we love playing Canuckle. Have been glad to give it some love and hopefully encourage others to learn a bit about Canada through guessing the words. The correct letters showed up in red, which was also cool.

Today's game is Game 142 on Canada Day. You can play the previous games through its archives.

If we get news of a comeback, we would be thrilled to pass that information along to our readers.

Also fans of Brittlestar, if you aren't following him. Really good Canadian sensibility.

2022 CFL Week 4 preview

The CFL is playing on and around Canada Day for the first time since 2019. The BC Lions were in Ottawa, the nation's capital, last night. The Edmonton Elks are in Hamilton tonight to take on the Tiger-Cats. The league is even playing on the night of the U.S. holiday yet the game is not on U.S. TV. Tonight's game is on ESPN+. All the games are on TSN in Canada.

The Toronto Blue Jays are at home for Canada Day, unlike Victoria Day. The team plays Game 2 of a 5-game series against Tampa Bay. Today's game has a 3:07 pm EDT start. Rogers Sportsnet has the game in Canada. The MLB Network has this as the backup game in the United States, meaning Boston and Chicago. The U.S. channel has been reluctant to use the Rogers Sportsnet feed, opting to use YES (Yankees) and NESN (Red Sox), even in Toronto.

Former Toronto Raptors star guard Kyle Lowry will have a street named after him in Toronto. The street will be at Don Mills Crossing, a new development in the northeast section of Toronto. We just celebrated 3 years since the Raptors won the 2019 NBA title.

The Athletic reported earlier this week that Rogers Sportsnet is ending Hometown Hockey after 8 seasons. The pandemic didn't help the situation. The move to Monday night was a noble idea but that didn't help as well. If yyzsportsmedia.com is correct, this is the first of many Rogers Sportsnet changes to NHL coverage in October. 

The Grand Seduction matches up well with Quebecois version

You might have seen The Grand Seduction (2013), the story of a small fishing village that has to draw in a doctor and convince that doctor to stay.

You might have seen La Grande Séduction | Seducing Dr. Lewis, the original Ken Scott film (2003) that is the same story though set in Quebec rather than Newfoundland. Scott co-wrote the English language version of the film.

If you are in Charlottetown this summer, you can catch the new musical Tell Tale Harbour, based on the Quebecois film La Grande Séduction.

Alan Doyle of the band Great Big Sea is in the production. You may remember his acting skills on display in Republic of Doyle (no relation). You can listen to Doyle with fellow Newfoundlander Tom Power recently on Q on CBC Radio One.

The films were pretty similar. Music from that part of the world is amazing. 2 musicals from Newfoundland: Tell Tale Harbour on top of Come From Away.

Thanks so much! What a time we’re having. https://t.co/38HBeuAJIo

— Alan Doyle (@alanthomasdoyle) June 24, 2022

Improving train travel options between the United States and Canada

2022 Canadian TV upfronts highlights

Season 2 of the Canadian TV show Departure involves a high-speed train from Toronto to Chicago. The concept of a high-speed ground option between those cities is pure fiction. Traveling from Toronto to Windsor would involve a infrequent train not much faster than a bus. Getting from Windsor to Detroit is complicated. Then there is the slow magic of Amtrak from Detroit to Chicago.

In the opening episode, the high-speed train flows smoothly out of Union Station in Toronto, flows through southern Ontario, and crosses some mythical structure over the Detroit River. The train stops to check passports, something that is often done in Canada before boarding a plane to the United States.

Traveling from Rome to Florence and back on high speed trains was an absolute joy. Getting from Brussels, Belgium to London, England in 121 minutes, like clockwork, was wonderful. That same joy should be found on trains from Toronto to Detroit and Chicago.

The Maple Leaf Train from Toronto-New York City, not nearly as fast, is back in business. The ViaRail service from Windsor to Toronto have recently returned to normal capacity, now 5 trains a day. Megabus is increasing U.S. bus service from Toronto as well as to other Canadian destinations such as Ottawa, Kingston, and Montréal. Megabus should look into a Windsor-London-Toronto route.

I discovered Cross Country Checkup many years ago on CBC Radio. This was in a time where I would be in Detroit, listening to CBC Radio One on AM 1550 (now on FM 97.5). Rex Murphy was the host back then.

The show had been in more capable hands with Duncan McCue and lately with Ian Hanomansing. Turns out Hanomansing is now the permanent host of Cross Country Checkup. He hosts the show from Vancouver where he anchors The National on Friday and Sunday.

The program airs Sundays live coast to coast to coast at 4 pm Eastern, 1 pm Pacific, and 5:30 pm Newfoundland time.

You can listen to the program on the CBC Listen app or download the podcast version.

CanadianCrossing.com Canadian TV coverage

CanadianCrossing.com television coverage

NBC is dragging out Transplant to the middle of summer. There is the end in sight. The season finale airs July 16 at 8 pm EDT. Hopefully, Season 3 is a smoother presentation.

Season 2 started 2 months after the CTV premiere in January. NBC gave the show a terrible timeslot and lifted the show for the May sweeps period.

The CW will run the final season of Coroner when the fall starts, but keep in mind that the CW starts fall when the weather is very warm.

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

Summarizing Kenneth Welsh's acting career would fall embarrassing short. Welsh, who passed away on May 5, had a storied career on both sides of the border. His portrayal of Windom Earle in the U.S. TV show Twin Peaks made a significant impact.

Welsh was enjoyable in recent Canadian films such as Wet Bum (2014) and And the Birds Rained Down | Il pleuvait des oiseaux (2019).

Welsh did 2 episodes of Twitch City and 3 episodes of Due South. He played himself in an episode of Slings & Arrows. Welsh even appears in the final episode of the new season of Kids in the Hall.

photo credits: CBC News; Kraft Heinz Canada; Kraft Heinz; CBC Radio
Twitter captures: @CanuckleGame; @alanthomasdoyle

2022 CFL Week 4 preview

Editor's note: The story has been updated to reflect a second starting Canadian quarterback in the CFL this week.

Happy Canada Day weekend!! For the first time since 2019, we have Canadian football on and around Canada Day.

The week starts out on Canada Day eve in the nation's capital as the BC Lions travel really far to Ottawa. ESPN2 will simulcast the TSN feed.

Edmonton goes to Hamilton on the actual Canada Day.

The Alouettes complete a home-and-home with the Roughriders with Montréal traveling to Regina on Saturday night. ESPN2 will show this game.

The CFL also plays on the U.S. national holiday with a Monday night game where the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are in Toronto. Andrew Harris will compete against his former team.

The Calgary Stampeders get to enjoy Canada Day weekend without playing football.

ESPN2

Thursday
BC @ Ottawa, 7:30p
Saturday
Montréal @ Saskatchewan, 7p

TSN

Thursday
BC @ Ottawa, 7:30p
Friday
Edmonton @ Hamilton, 7:30p
Saturday
Montréal @ Saskatchewan, 7p
Monday
Winnipeg @ Toronto, 7:30p

Bye week: Calgary

The price of groceries is a talking point in Canada and around the world. The Save-on-Foods promotion gives an opportunity to a selected person who could win a year's worth of groceries. A year's worth of groceries defined as $5,200 in Save-On-Foods gift cards.

"Skill testing required." The reason that could is in bold lies in the fine print. In Canada, you could win a prize but there is no guarantee.

From what we've heard, the skill testing is pretty simple, a math question. The idea is that you don't win just from luck; there must be skill.

Chandler Worthy's 88-yard opening kickoff return for Montréal could have given Celine Hicks of Saskatoon a year's worth of groceries. Chances are Hicks was rooting for the Roughriders but will be glad to get thousands of dollars in groceries, provided Hicks answered the skill testing question.

2 kickoffs returned for a touchdown could win someone $1,000,000. That is also subject to skill testing and is paid out in equal installments for 20 years.

Karen Kuldys just missed out on $1 million but gets prizes from CFL and sponsors

Karen Kuldys of Winnipeg was a illegal block in the back away from possibly winning that $1 million jackpot. Worth a look back to that story.

2022 CFL Week 3 preview

The Alouettes win snapped a 5-0 streak the West had over the East to start the 2022 season. The West teams had gone 3-0 at home and 2-0 on the road.

Thanks to Winnipeg and BC wins, the West is now 7-1 over the East. Every game this week is West-East.

2022 CFL Week 2 preview

2022 CFL Week 1 preview

The Winnipeg leap has been missing since 2019. We saw Willie Jefferson take the stairs in Winnipeg to greet the fans after he ran in an interception for a touchdown against Hamilton. Can't say that was the first leap since the pandemic started but a reminder of how cool that was in the before time.

Also sparking memories of Winnipeg in the before time was a lightning-related weather delay that moved up kickoff by 30 minutes. At least the game itself wasn't interrupted.

It was a historic night for @nathan_rourke 🇨🇦

436 passing yards the most ever in a game by a Canadian quarterback 🦁#RoarLikeNeverBefore pic.twitter.com/S5VPkJyFvf

— BC LIONS (@BCLions) June 26, 2022

Canadian QB Nathan Rourke set a record for most passing yards for a Canadian quarterback with 436 yards. The BC Lions have blown out Edmonton and Toronto by 40+ points in each game.

Gerry Dattilio had the previous mark of 427 yards in 1981.

The BC Lions have won 2 games at home. There could be doubts about how well this will go east of Vancouver.

The potential for 4 strong teams out of the West (every team but Edmonton) is there but divisional games can change that dynamic. The East has to realize that only 2 teams will make the playoffs unless this dynamic changes.

Late news: Edmonton is listing Tre Ford as the starter at quarterback. That makes 2 starting Canadian quarterbacks in the same week. Ford will be the first Canadian quarterback to start for Edmonton since Frank Cosentino on October 30, 1968.

2022 CFL preview

Edmonton is improving. Calgary really shows up in the second half of their games. The Elks get to experiment with Hamilton before the return of the Battle of Alberta in Edmonton.

Why the Canadian ratio is so important in the CFL

2022 CFL preseason schedule

As we've learned, the ESPN hierarchy is that if one thing gets bumped, everything gets bumped. The College World Series (ESPN) bumped UFC to ESPN2 so the CFL game in Vancouver got bumped to ESPNews. ESPN claimed the game was on the ESPN app, which eventually became true.

Your humble narrator was watching live (ugh). As much as getting CFL games on ESPN cable channels is important, sometimes watching is easier on ESPN+ since there are no random interruptions. 

CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage

Rod Smith and Duane Forde were with John Lu in Montréal on Thursday and Sara Orlesky in Calgary on Saturday evening. Dustin Neilson and Glen Suitor were with Orlesky in Winnipeg on Friday night and Farhan Lalji in Vancouver late on Saturday.

The rules are very different in the post pandemic era. Forde doesn't often get to cover the Battle of Alberta but those old norms are gone. A 2022 trend is that Orlesky will cover any and every game in the West outside of Vancouver.

logo credit: CFL
photo credit: TSN/CFL
Twitter capture: @BCLions

2022 CFL Week 3 preview

The green from Saskatchewan travels to La Belle Province to start out the week in the CFL. As we noted earlier, if you are a Roughriders fan living in the nation's capital, this is the closest your team will come to playing live. Montréal is not that far away.

We finally get the 2021 Grey Cup (and 2019 Grey Cup) rematch as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats go to Winnipeg on Friday night. ESPN2 will have that game in the States.

The Saturday doubleheader has a very early dose of the Battle of Alberta in Calgary. The late game has the Toronto Argonauts in Vancouver in what was the David Braley Bowl.

ESPN2 will have the late game on Saturday.

After playing Winnipeg twice to start the season, the Ottawa RedBlacks enjoy a nice summer weekend.

ESPN2

Friday
Hamilton @ Winnipeg, 8:30p
Saturday
Toronto @ BC, 10p

TSN

Thursday
Saskatchewan @ Montréal, 7:30p
Friday
Hamilton @ Winnipeg, 8:30p
Saturday
Edmonton @ Calgary, 7p
Toronto @ BC, 10p

Bye week: Ottawa

No lead is safe. Duane Forde noted this after Hamilton surrendered a 24-0 lead with the 33-30 overtime loss to Calgary.

Your humble narrator tuned in with the partial comeback in place early in the 4th quarter. Even I had my doubts that the Stampeders would come back. I was wrong.

A 1-1 Hamilton team would have been ½ game out of the East Division lead.

2022 CFL Week 2 preview

The editor voice within would "kill" the idea of using "kill" in a sports headline. While we like the enthusiasm of Montréal owner Gary Stern, his prediction that the Alouettes would "kill Toronto on Thursday" was over the top.

With a worldwide pandemic and the hell that is happening inside Ukraine, this is just sports.

Stern reportedly apologized for his words. As for the game, Toronto pulled out the 1-point win in the home opener.

The Argonauts scored 2 rouges in the first half, rouges that literally create the margin of victory. Toronto also scored 2 points on missed field goals while the Als had a point for a missed field goal.

Had there been more touchdowns, especially from the Alouettes, those points might not have mattered too much.

Montréal has a position of strength with Vernon Adams Jr. and Trevor Harris as quarterback possibilities. Coach Khari Jones s going with Harris in the short term because Adams got COVID-19 this week.

2022 CFL Week 1 preview

Ottawa didn't play Winnipeg in 2021. The RedBlacks are done playing Winnipeg 2 games into the 2022 season. Ottawa is tied with Hamilton and Montréal for second place after completing its schedule with the Blue Bombers.

Only Montréal and Toronto have played a division game. RedBlacks fans can see some optimism though one of these teams has to finish last. The 2021 season was the first one in a long time where only 1 East team didn't make the playoffs (Ottawa).

2022 CFL preview

Dustin Neilson and Glen Suitor spoke with new Edmonton president Victor Cui, who spoke of being patient with progress for the Elks. This is difficult to do when your home losing streak now stands at 9 games, worst in the team's long history. The final home game in 2019, all of 2021, and the first home game in 2022.

The Toronto Argos get very little support but if you go to an Argos home game, odds are very good you will see an Argonauts win.

Cui's goal of moving forward was sidelined when Suitor made another reference to the old racist nickname.

Edmonton fans really need a home win live in person this decade. The next Elks home game is July 7 hosting Calgary.

Any recommendations for the softest sponges for a sponge bath? pic.twitter.com/Om6WRIOUcQ

— Dan Clark (@DanClark67) June 20, 2022

Saskatchewan is 2-0 (along with Winnipeg and Calgary with BC at 1-0) but that second win had a few issues. Centre Dan Clark suffered a broken fibula. The wave of players giving love to Clark as he was being carted off speaks volumes to his impact on and off the field.

The Roughriders made Suitor tear his hair out with 14 penalties for 134 yards. Saskatchewan might have played down to its opponent but the Elks weren't the reason for being so undisciplined.

Why the Canadian ratio is so important in the CFL

Odell Willis retired as a member of the Edmonton Elks. Willis spent 11 seasons in the CFL with every single West Division team, especially Edmonton where he was the "Mayor of Commonwealth."

Willis had been with the Toronto Argonauts but never played a down for them. On February 2, 2018, Willis was with the Ottawa Redblacks for 17 minutes.

He was fun to watch going after CFL quarterbacks.

2022 CFL preseason schedule

The ritual for your humble narrator has been to deactivate the CFL app after the season ends and then add the app when the season starts. Can't find the app for Android at the moment.

The app didn't do much other than give the upcoming schedule and allow us to watch the 8-minute video summaries of recent games. Still, that was helpful.

The CFL needs an app and a good one.

CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage

Rod Smith and Duane Forde with Matthew Scianitti were in Toronto on Thursday and Hamilton on Saturday. No hotel rooms needed.

Marshall Ferguson made his 2022 CFL debut on TSN in Ottawa on Friday with Glen Suitor with Claire Hanna. Dustin Neilson also didn't need a hotel room to cover the game in Edmonton on Saturday with Suitor with Sara Orlesky.

logo credit: CFL
Twitter capture: @DanClark67

2022 CFL Week 2 preview

The Toronto Argonauts start out their CFL season welcoming the classic rival Montréal Alouettes to BMO Field on Thursday night.

Winnipeg and Ottawa complete a home-and-home series in the nation's capital on Friday night. After Friday, they won't meet again (barring a crossover) until the Grey Cup. ESPN2 will air the Thursday and Friday games in the United States.

The action stays east on Saturday with the Calgary Stampeders in Hamilton. The lone game west of Ontario has a green battle as Saskatchewan arrives in Edmonton. ESPNews airs the late game.

Edmonton hasn't won at home since 2019 before the pandemic and with the old racist nickname.

The BC Lions get to relax in the Vancouver sunshine (hopefully).

ESPN2

Thursday
Montréal @ Toronto, 7:30p
Friday
Winnipeg @ Ottawa, 7:30p

ESPNews

Saturday
Saskatchewan @ Edmonton, 9:30p

TSN

Thursday
Montréal @ Toronto, 7:30p
Friday
Winnipeg @ Ottawa, 7:30p
Saturday
Calgary @ Hamilton, 6:30p
Saskatchewan @ Edmonton, 9:30p

Bye week: BC

Toronto rests atop the East Division with a 0-0 record. All 3 eastern teams lost in western cities in Week 1. Not much of a surprise given the strength of the West Division teams and usually doing better at home.

In the West, BC, Calgary, Saskatchewan, and Winnipeg are all 1-0. Edmonton is 0-1 with a -44 point differential.

The BC Lions didn't really want a bye this week. Winning by 44 points in the home opener where the upper deck was open for fans was an incredible start. The OneRepublic concert was pretty good as seen on TSN and ESPN+.

We also saw 3 Canadian quarterbacks in the same game with BC starter Nathan Rourke, BC backup Michael O'Connor, and Edmonton backup Trey Ford. That might be a modern record.

Rourke had 3 passing TDs and 2 rushing TDs. O'Connor added a rushing TD.

2022 CFL Week 1 preview

We hate to see significant injuries from major players. Montréal running back William Stanback suffered a fractured ankle in Calgary. Stanback is on the 6-game injured list. Unlike a lot of players who aren't out for the full 6 weeks, Stanback should be out at least that long.

2022 CFL preview

The Montréal Alouettes fell just short of a first down in the opening quarter in Calgary. Vernon Adams Jr. left the field and Dominique Davis came on to get a 3rd-and-short opportunity. This marked the return of the 3rd quarterback.

The CFL's mangled experiment with teams only had 2 quarterbacks. The league argued that teams could have a 3rd quarterback but had to sacrifice a roster spot.

Winnipeg needed all 3 quarterbacks in its comeback over Ottawa.

There were a few games where a team had offence troubles, not having that extra quarterback. The extra quarterback also extends drives, which leads to fewer punts.

We didn't know how poor the game would be with only 2 quarterbacks. May we never have to think about that again.

Why the Canadian ratio is so important in the CFL

2022 CFL preseason schedule

The ESPN cable channels aired 0 games in Week 1 but 3 games in Week 2. That is 15% of the cable channel games in about 53 hours.

The schedule is top heavy in that most games air before Labour Day. None of the 2022 Labour Day weekend games are on the cable channels.

CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage

If you see empty seats in the stands, especially in the prairies, consider that football draws regionally, especially in Canada. The sharp gas price increases makes short trips rather tough these days.

.@GlenSuitor took him all the way to game 2 to say the @GoElks old racist nickname. You aren't getting paid to say the old nickname. Last season, we suggested a swear jar where Suitor donates $ to #Indigenous projects. @CFLonTSN @CFL @TSN_Sports

— Chad Rubel (@canadian_xing) June 11, 2022

Glen Suitor knew what he was doing in 2021 and now in 2022. Suitor thinks he's the cool kid in the back of the classroom with the wisecrack. Using the old racist nickname is his way of relating to those frustrated by the name change.

If Suitor literally had to pay the price, he might still do it but perhaps less often. The idea of Suitor holding up a big check of his own money is better than the status quo.

As we noted in the CFL season preview, TSN has several sideline reporters. TSN has Sara Orlesky and Ryan Rishaug in the west along with Farhan Lalji in Vancouver. TSN used to have Claire Hanna out west before moving her to Ottawa.

Orlesky was in Calgary on Thursday, Winnipeg on Friday, and Regina (via Calgary) on Saturday. She had to be in Winnipeg as the MC for the unveiling of the newest Grey Cup banner in her home base in Winnipeg. TSN referred to Air Sara for all her travels this week.

Sara Orlesky's doubleheader last December of being the sideline reporter at IG Field followed by hosting the Winnipeg Jets at Canada Life Centre is legendary.

We are in favour of more Sara Orlesky. Hopefully, she got a lot of sleep starting on Sunday.

The eastern sideline reporters are Matthew Scianitti (Toronto and Hamilton), John Lu (Montréal), and Hanna (Ottawa).

Rod Smith and Glen Suitor kicked off the season in Calgary on Thursday and Saturday in Regina. Dustin Nielson and Duane Forde worked in Winnipeg on Friday night and then a quick flight out to Vancouver (Farhan Lalji) for the Saturday late game.

logo credit: CFL
Twitter capture: @canadian_xing

2022 CFL Week 1 preview

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect that ESPN2 is not carrying Saturday's late game.

The traditional Grey Cup rematch is not on tap for the start of the 2022 CFL season. We do have a matchup of the teams that lost in the opening round of the 2021 CFL playoffs as Montréal travels to Calgary for a Thursday night game.

The Grey Cup champs are at home Friday night hosting Jeremiah Masoli and the Ottawa RedBlacks. A Grey Cup reunion of sorts.

The Grey Cup runner-up the past 2 seasons will be in the stadium hosting the 2022 Grey Cup. Hamilton travels to Saskatchewan for the opening game on Saturday.

The 2 teams from the West Division that didn't make the playoffs comprise the late game as the Elks are in Vancouver.

We were a bit surprised to find that the ESPN cable channels are not carrying any games in the opening week.

Toronto gets to watch the season unfold with a bye.

TSN

Thursday
Montréal @ Calgary, 9p
Friday
Ottawa @ Winnipeg, 8:30p
Saturday
Hamilton @ Saskatchewan, 7p
Edmonton @ BC, 10p

Bye week: Toronto

🚨 BC LIONS SEASON KICKOFF CONCERT 🚨

JUNE 11th | @OneRepublic kicks off the 2022 season IN STYLE! 🎙🎵
🔥 TICKETS: https://t.co/EMKc9S86QO#BCLions #RoarLikeNeverBefore pic.twitter.com/ETizQBZIqD

— BC LIONS (@BCLions) May 5, 2022

New BC Lions owner Amar Doman wants a new beginning for the franchise. Having a group such as OneRepublic open the season is a good sign. We talk a lot about struggles in Toronto with fan support but things haven't been rosy in Vancouver.

Closing the upper deck has been a bad sign. Those were great seats that were more financially accessible. The upper deck is reportedly open for the home opener.

Doman is fighting an uphill battle against concession prices at BC Place. He wants a tailgate party before each game.

The Lions have only had a single playoff game in the last 4 seasons and that was in the eastern portion of Canada. BC has missed the playoffs the last 2 seasons, which hasn't happened since 1989-1990.

2016 marked the last BC home playoff game and playoff win (same game).

The post Michael Reilly era quarterback core is talented but unproven.

While we don't pull for specific CFL teams on the field, we hope the Lions generate excitement to get that fan base back into BC Place.

Doug Ford and the PCs win a second term in Ontario

We did some extensive research last year of Canadian athletes who crossed over into politics. Add Neil Lumsden to that list.

Lumsden, at 69, is having a career change as the new MPP for the Hamilton East-Stoney Creek riding. Lumsden, representing the Progressive Conservatives, won 34.6% of the vote. Paul Miller, an independent after being kicked out of the NDP, held the seat since 2007. Miller finished a distant fourth.

Lumsden, who is in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, was a running back and kicker/punter for Toronto, Hamilton, and Edmonton from 1976-1985.

2022 CFL preview

Why the Canadian ratio is so important in the CFL

We updated our CFL preview with the ESPN press release. ESPN will have 20 regular season games on ESPN2 and ESPNews as well as all playoff games. All other CFL games will be available on ESPN+. All feeds come from TSN.

2022 CFL preseason schedule

CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage

ESPN+ ended up carrying 3 of the 4 CFL preseason games that aired on TSN. The initial preseason game (Toronto @ Ottawa) never materialized on the schedule. The other 3 games did appear on the schedule

Marshall Ferguson and Duane Forde were in Ottawa. Dustin Nielson and Glen Suitor stayed out west in Regina on May 31 and Vancouver on June 3. Rod Smith and Forde were in Montréal on June 3.

As we noted, these are the primary people who will cover the games. Matt Dunigan and Farhan Lalji will fill in as needed.

logo credit: CFL
Twitter capture: @BCLions

2022 CFL preview

The 2022 CFL season resembles the 2019 CFL season: an 18-game schedule starting in early June. The 2021 season only had 14 games with a single COVID-19 rescheduling. The CFL season ended a few days before Omicron hit with closures.

The anguish of getting a new collective bargaining agreement that led up to (finally) the preseason; your humble narrator can deal with tension on the field. Off the field tension? We've had enough.

There is a significant change: normally every CFL team hosts all the other teams and travels to the other cities. One example: Saskatchewan will host Ottawa but not travel to Ottawa. The 2-time Grey Cup champion Winnipeg Blue Bombers will be the only team to travel to every other CFL city.

This creates more division games. As we saw in the 2021 NHL season, this isn't always a good idea. If you are a Roughriders fan in the nation's capital, you have to travel to Montréal to see your favourite team. Where is the logic in this scenario?

There is a full slate of games for Labour Day weekend (BC Lions are off but that is normal). Hamilton hosts Toronto on Labour Day but the revenge game won't be the following Saturday. We have a single Thanksgiving game, 1 fewer than traditional yet 1 more than in some seasons.

Tradition vs. change is a constant battle. The drawback to the CFL playing around with the schedule is we haven't seen the advantage in the changes.

.@CFL is trying to get a football stadium in #Halifax. The league planned to have a game in Halifax in 2020. So where does the league put a game in 2022? #Wolfville, NS. Just over 90 km north. SMH https://t.co/7q5eMIs87L

— Chad Rubel (@canadian_xing) March 25, 2022

We have the return of Touchdown Atlantic. The 2020 plans were to finally have a regular season game in Nova Scotia, specifically Halifax, the destination city of a franchise. So where is the 2022 version of Touchdown Atlantic? Wolfville, Nova Scotia, about 90 km north of Halifax.

The Toronto Argonauts sacrifice another home game, welcoming the Saskatchewan Roughriders to Raymond Field in Wolfville on July 16. The regular 3,000 capacity will be expanded to 10,000 seats.

Those teams were scheduled to be at the 2020 Touchdown Atlantic at Huskies Stadium on the campus of Saint Mary's University.

Why the Canadian ratio is so important in the CFL

Let's start with quarterbacks because the league emphasizes quarterbacks.

Michael Reilly has hung up his spikes and retired. After bouncing around offseason and practice squads with 4 NFL teams from 2009-2010, Reilly started his CFL career in 2010 with the BC Lions. Reilly jumped to Edmonton in 2013, winning a Grey Cup in 2015 (also won a Grey Cup with BC in 2011). Reilly finished his career in Vancouver.

The BC Lions are going with Canadian quarterbacks Nathan Rourke and Michael O'Connor.

Jeremiah Masoli goes from Hamilton to Ottawa. Masoli had spent 2013-2021 as a Tiger-Cat. Dane Evans is the incumbent in Hamilton.

A few other quarterbacks shifted within the East Division. Montréal signed quarterback Dominique Davis, formerly of Ottawa. Quarterback Matthew Shiltz went from Montréal to Hamilton.

Toronto released QB Antonio Pipkin during training camp; Pipkin signed with the BC Lions.

Switching to running backs, Andrew Harris went from Winnipeg to Toronto. A very exciting player in the CFL's largest market could be intriguing provided Harris stays healthy

Wide receiver Kenny Lawler went from Winnipeg to join Edmonton. His now former Winnipeg receiver Darvin Adams will be in Ottawa.

William Powell, who was in Ottawa from 2015-2018 before moving on to Saskatchewan, is back in Ottawa.

Brandon Banks (aka Speedy B) flips from Hamilton to Toronto.

Adarius Bowman retired with Edmonton.

Duron Carter is back in the CFL as a defensive back with Edmonton. Chris Jones is back with Edmonton; Carter played DB in Saskatchewan under Jones.

Sean Whyte hasn't been in BC for a long time but he is back in Vancouver after 6 seasons in Edmonton. Some of us remember when Whyte was in Montréal. Kicker Sergio Castillo goes from BC to the Elks.

The BC Lions hired Tanya Walter as a defensive assistant, the first full-time female coaching hire in the CFL.

The Lions hired Henry Burris as an offensive consultant. That lasted for about 10 days before Burris took a NFL coaching position.

Jeff Reinebold had been the special teams guru in Hamilton for the last 7 seasons. Reinebold left to take a similar gig in Montréal but left the team for personal reasons.

A couple of legendary CFL players have new roles: Anthony Calvillo is the new Alouettes quarterback coach and Geroy Simon is an assistant GM in Edmonton.

Jacob Ruby may not be memorable but he was a big story in the 2021 CFL season. The league suspended Ruby for misrepresenting his vaccination status. The Edmonton offensive lineman was banned from the league for the rest of the 2021 season.

Ruby is now vaccinated and a member of the Ottawa RedBlacks.

2022 CFL preseason schedule

Hamilton is the only CFL team not to win a Grey Cup in the 2010s. The Tiger-Cats streak goes back to 1999.

Calgary has made 16 straight playoff appearances. Winnipeg (6) and Saskatchewan (5) have strong streaks. The East best streak is Hamilton with 3 followed by Montréal at 2 and Toronto at 1. BC, Edmonton, and Ottawa missed the playoffs in 2021.

Winnipeg, Saskatchewan, Toronto, and Hamilton had home playoff games in 2021. Calgary and Montréal last had a home playoff game in 2019. The 3 teams that missed the 2021 CFL playoffs and their last home playoff game: Ottawa (2018); BC (2016); and Edmonton (2015).

The CFL on TSN is pretty much what we saw from last season. Rod Smith, Dustin Nielson, Marshall Ferguson, and Farhan Lalji will call games with Glen Suitor, Duane Forde, and Matt Dunigan providing colour analysis.

Kate Beirness anchors the studio coverage with Davis Sanchez, Dunigan, and Milt Stegall. Jim Barker leaves CFL on TSN to go back to Toronto Argonauts for the third time, now as senior advisor.

Lalji and Dave Naylor supply news and deal with hot-button issues. The sideline reporters are Lalji, Matthew Scianitti, Sara Orlesky, Ryan Rishaug, John Lu, and Claire Hanna.

Derek Taylor will have the honour of replacing Bob Irving as the voice of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Irving retired after a half-century on the air.

Taylor, who has worked on TSN, had been the radio voice of the Saskatchewan Roughriders for the last 3 years. He previously spent 9 years doing play-by-play for the University of Manitoba Bisons.

Michael Ball is the new play by play person for Saskatchewan on radio.

ESPN will have 20 regular season games on ESPN2 and ESPNews as well as all playoff games. All other CFL games will be available on ESPN+. All feeds come from TSN.

CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage

We will have our 2022 debut CFL week in preview tomorrow.

photo credit: CFL
Twitter capture: @canadian_xing
logo credit: CFL on TSN

Why the Canadian ratio is so important in the CFL

"A Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian" — Justin Trudeau to Stephen Harper, September 28, 2015

Duane Forde likely understands the Canadian ratio based on his colour analysis on the CFL on TSN. Forde and Glen Suitor was "national" players meaning they were Canadian. Matt Dunigan was considered an American player. (Forde, Suitor, and Dunigan are colour analysts on CFL games on TSN.)

We haven't brought up the Canadian ratio in all the years in covering the CFL. We have mentioned when some CFL players are Canadian, such as Jon Cornish and Andrew Harris. The Grey Cup has a Most Valuable Canadian award for the championship game.

While the details are extensive, all you really need to remember is 7 and 21. Each CFL team must have 21 nationals, 7 of them being starters. The quarterback, on the rare occasion where a Canadian quarterback plays, is excluded from the 7 number.

Canadian starters tend to be on the offence and defence line. The beauty of a Canadian running back or a wide receiver, such as Ben Cahoon and Chris Getzlaf, is that you can add an American in another position.

In the new CBA with the CFL and CFLPA, the Canadian ratio remains at 21 on the roster and 7 starters for 2022. Teams add a nationalized Canadian on top of the other 7 Canadian starters and can rotate 2 nationalized Canadians — Americans with either 4 years in the CFL or at least 3 with the same team — in 2023 for up to 49% of snaps on either side of the ball.

Teams can move to 3 nationalized Canadians in 2024; the 2 franchises that play the most Canadians at the end of the season will receive additional draft picks.

The changes might give Duane Forde a headache. We suggest a couple of "2222" (aka Canadian pain reliever with codeine) pills.

2022 CFL preseason schedule

The CFL owners made modifying the Canadian ratio a significant issue in negotiations. They know this is a concern for Canadian players to lose starting positions.

The requirement for national players is as follows:

• (a) Canadian citizens at the time of signing of the Player's first contract;
• (b) A Player classified as a non-import prior to May 31st, 2014; OR
• (c) A Player who was physically resident in Canada for an aggregate period of five (5) years prior to attaining the age of eighteen (18) years.

The CFL is able to have the Canadian ratio because the teams play in Canada. When the CFL expanded to the United States, those U.S. based teams (Sacramento Gold Miners; San Antonio Texans; Las Vegas Posse; Baltimore Stallions; Shreveport Pirates; Birmingham Barracudas; and Memphis Mad Dogs) were exempt from maintaining the Canadian ratio.

Final @CFL post of the day (barring a settlement): Why not have 7 starting Canadians plus a nationalized American or 3 of them. The #Canadian players would take that. The #American players would take that. Owners might take that. https://t.co/be3tEpadOw

— Chad Rubel (@canadian_xing) May 25, 2022

My genius is sometimes practical. American players should get rewarded for sticking with the CFL. They should get points for staying in Canada in the offseason. Rewarding loyalty for staying with the same team. All good.

The first word in CFL is "Canadian." Canadian players need to be a significant part of the league. Teams need incentives to recruit Canadian players, especially if they are not on the line of scrimmage.

While Canadians make up almost 50% of the league, Americans make up the majority of the starting positions (17 vs. 7). Virtually every quarterback is American.

The Canadian ratio hasn't been an issue until now.

The most lucrative contracts go to quarterbacks, who are virtually all American. A Canadian at a skill position is valuable because having them in the lineup means you can slip in an American on a line. Canadians aren't fighting to get more starting positions. Canadians aren't fighting the concept of the "nationalized American." The Canadians don't want to lose starting positions because that diminishes their value in the league.

CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage

Canadian radio stations have to play a certain number of Canadian songs. Their artists get noticed as a result. The Canadian content in music and the Canadian ratio help get Canadians noticed.

The argument is that younger fans don't care about the Canadian ratio. Possible. They may not even know about the Canadian ratio. CFL owners want to save money and messing with the ratio helps them. They will likely save some money signing their American veterans instead of signing an American free agent.

Play football with Canadians, Americans, and global players. Keep them all happy.

video credit: CBC News
photo credit: TSN
Twitter capture: @canadian_xing

2022 Victoria Day notebook: Alberta in the spotlight

Welcome to Victoria Day 2022, the unofficial start of summer in Canada. We gathered a few recent items of note and reflect on where Canada is at the moment. You don't have to be at the cabin or cottage to enjoy this notebook. If you do need help to get started, Simu Liu has a few tips from the opening monologue from hosting the 2022 Junos.

Jason Kenney to step down as UCP leader and Alberta premier

Just before the hockey version of the Battle of Alberta, the United Conservative Party had their own battle within Alberta leadership. Jason Kenney did get a 51.4% approval mark from voting party members but a bare margin wasn't enough.

Brian Jean, Danielle Smith, and a few from Kenney's cabinet could be in line to be the new Alberta premier.

Canadian film review: C.R.A.Z.Y.

Celebrating National Canadian Film Day 2022

Telefilm Canada brings back more Canadian films for rent

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

"Hey, it's summer. We don't want to sit inside and watch your stupid Canadian films. Give us a break."

The 99¢ rental through the Apple TV app is still going. Maybe you need a break. Maybe you want to get away from your loved ones. Maybe you have no loved ones.

The current title for rent is Akilla's Escape, which we recently reviewed. We were pleasantly surprised about that film. Tomorrow's film for the week is C.R.A.Z.Y., which we reviewed last week, truly one of the best Canadian films you can see. Every Jean-Marc Vallée fan should see this film.

Toronto Blue Jays should get creative in broadcast booth with Buck Martinez's cancer diagnosis

We saw Joe Siddall fill in for Pat Tabler. Ben Wagner did a series where the Toronto Blue Jays did a TV/radio simulcast. Matt Devlin did a solid job filling in for Dan Shulman in the broadcast booth.

On the field, the Toronto Blue Jays have hit a few road bumps and injuries. The Blue Jays are normally at home on Victoria Day with an afternoon game. This year, the Blue Jays start a road trip tonight in St. Louis.

The Blue Jays are 22-19. The team just wrapped up a 4-2 homestand, losing the series finale to both Seattle and Cincinnati. Toronto hasn't swept a series in 2022.

“I watched Jays baseball every single day. It was part of my daily routine."

Joey Votto returns home to Toronto tonight to face the #BlueJays, the team who made him fall in love with baseball. From @GregorChisholm:https://t.co/FD5KpPeSWN

— Toronto Star Sports (@StarSports) May 20, 2022

Joey Votto, the best current Canadian MLB player, plays for the Reds and doesn't get back too often during the season. Votto is from Etobicoke, part of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Votto just came off the COVID-19 list in time for the games in Toronto.

Votto was the Cincinnati hero on Sunday with a solo home run to give the Reds a 3-2 win. That was Votto's first HR of the season.

In what might be Votto's last games on Canadian soil, Votto went 3-for-11 with 2 doubles and that home run. Votto has played 12 games in Toronto, going 11 for 44 plate appearances with 4 homers.

Speaking of Canadians and MLB, the Chicago Cubs just unveiled a statue to honour Fergie Jenkins. The Canadian hurler was a star for the Cubs among several teams. Jenkins was the first Canadian player to make the Hall of Fame.

2022 CFL preseason schedule

The 2022 CFL strike didn't last long and the Alberta teams didn't miss a day of practice. There was a lot of anxiety over how negotiations were handled: too much, too close to training camp.

The settlement was the third most important story in Alberta on Wednesday behind Jason Kenney and the wildest NHL Stanley Cup playoff game in recent memory.

There was supposed to be a CFL preseason game from Mosaic Stadium tonight but that game got moved back to next week. The preseason now starts on Friday. The regular season is scheduled to start on time on June 9.

2022 NHL Stanley Cup notebook: Battle of Alberta is back after 31 years

The only 2 Canadian teams left in the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs are from Alberta: Calgary Flames and the Edmonton Oilers. Evander Kane had a natural hat trick last night as the Oilers won 4-1 to take a 2-1 lead in the series.

Game 1 was a classic even for the Battle of Alberta: the 9-6 Flames win was not a typical playoff hockey game. Game 4 will be tomorrow at 9:30 pm Eastern on CBC in Canada and ESPN in the United States.

Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig finally on their way home

China really wanted Canada to use Huawei for its 5G technology. Canada wouldn't commit either way long after its allies had decided against 5G. 

China kidnapped Canadian citizens Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, holding them in horrific conditions for 1,020 days. This was in retaliation for the detention of Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou at the request of the United States.

Odd that Canada would hold some leverage yet that didn't seem to matter to the fate of the 2 Canadians. 8 months after the release of the Canadians, the Trudeau Government finally decided to exclude Huawei from Canada's 5G technology.

Smart decision. The timing is bizarre. Why now?

Norm Macdonald was a truly funny comedian not just because he was Canadian

Norm Macdonald passed on last September. The comedic legend was 61 years old. Turns out Macdonald taped a comedy special before he died.

Netflix will release Norm Macdonald: Nothing Special on May 30. We presume that will also be Netflix in Canada.

As sad as his passing was, there was joy in seeing how much of an impact he made on comedians and those who love comedy.

Where to visit Canada in 2022

CanadianCrossing.com travel coverage

This is a different kind of Canadian travel story.

Pope Francis will be in Canada July 24-29 visiting Edmonton, Quebec City and Iqaluit. The latter is the capital of Nunavut, the eastern most territory in Canada, as we learned years ago from Samantha Bee.

The focus on the trip will be the Catholic Church's impact on residential schools and an expected apology from the pope.

We don't know what kind of public events the pope will have on Canadian soil if you want to follow him during his Canadian stops.

CanadianCrossing.com Prince Edward Island coverage

An American friend from the Detroit area asked me if I knew about this walking route in Prince Edward Island. This was news to me.

The route covers 435 miles (707 km) with lots of pleasant distractions. You don't have to walk the entire distance.

We know PEI gets the short end of the stick tourism wise in that part of Canada. Such a beautiful area and the food is really good.

CanadianCrossing.com television coverage

The U.S. game show channel Buzzr was running promos for a game show called Talk About. The footage looked a bit dated (turns out to be 1988-1990).

Talk About ran on CBC and was taped in Vancouver. There is plenty of information here about the show. Back then, CBC had more money and could produce more shows.

The episodes debut on Buzzr on May 30 at 8 pm Eastern.

CUSMA/USMCA punishes Canada for wanting to export baby formula

Would Americans get an abortion in Canada?

Simu Liu mentioned in the video from the Junos that women have the right to choose in Canada. This is true. Access is a different story. If you have been following what is happening in the United States, this can be a good time to read what access is like in Canada. Better but could also be even better.

Adding baby formula to the proverbial list of what you can get in Canada but having difficulty finding in the United States.

Canadian TV notebook: Shoresy and Kids in the Hall debut on May 13

We noted for our U.S. readers that NBC took Transplant off the schedule for the May sweeps. Episode 7 ran on April 24 on the U.S. network. Episode 8 will run Saturday, May 28 at 8 pm Eastern. The season finale is scheduled for June 19. NBC picked up Season 2 in March and gave it a poor timeslot Sundays at 10 pm Eastern.

Canadians can stream episodes through CTV.ca.

Shoresy has aired 4 episodes so far in Canada with the bulk of the show coming to Hulu in the United States on Friday. Your humble narrator has seen the first 2 episodes. Jared Keeso had a difficult challenge taking an unseen character and developing stories in an arc. If you really like the hockey mentality in Canada, Keeso hits this target spot on. The scenes where he refs high school hockey to supplement his income feel like he hid a tape recorder somewhere to get the proper feel.

Not sure I could stream all 6 episodes in a row. A slower pace might be smart.

As for Kids in the Hall, we abhor remakes in general. The tarte sketch in the opening episode is absolute KITH genius. The return of Kathie and Cathy was excellent. If you are a KITH fan, watch this. If you are too young, start out with the originals and then work your way here.

Our Doug Ford Ontario coverage since 2018

2022 Ontario election preview

2022 Canadian politics preview

Canadian politics coverage on CanadianCrossing.com

CanadianCrossing.com Ontario coverage

Our hope was to do Sunday notebooks on the Ontario election leading up to the June 2 election. That failed for a host of reasons and we feel bad we don't have more resources to do a lot more on this election.

Our current plan is to do a couple of weekday notebooks on the 2022 Ontario election. This promise we hope to keep.

video credit: YouTube/CBC Music
photo credit: C.R.A.Z.Y. film
Twitter capture: @StarSports

2022 CFL preseason schedule

Date	Game	Time
May 27	Toronto @ Ottawa*	7:30p
May 27	Edmonton @ Winnipeg	8:30p
May 28	BC @ Calgary	4p
May 28	Montréal @ Hamilton	7p
May 31	Winnipeg @ Saskatchewan*	8:30p
June 3	Ottawa @ Montréal*	7p
June 3	Hamilton @ Toronto	7:30p
June 3	Calgary @ Edmonton	9p
June 3	Saskatchewan @ BC*	10p
All times Eastern. * TSN broadcasts should be available on ESPN+.

The 2022 CFL preseason was supposed to be a return to normal. There was no 2020 season. The 2021 season started late without a preseason. The play on the field suffered as a result.

The brief strike, the first for the league since 1974, made fans feel uncomfortable about talking about football until a settlement was reached with the CFL and CFLPA.

We have a relatively normal 2022 CFL preseason, though the Winnipeg vs. Saskatchewan game, set up for the end of the long weekend, gets pushed back a week to a Tuesday night.

We almost feel like we have to explain the CFL version of a preseason schedule. The league hasn't had preseason games since 2019. So long ago.

Each team plays 2 preseason games: home and road. Games reside within the division so no crossovers.

This should come as a shock: not every preseason game is televised. The CFL approach feels very different if you are used to the NFL approach.

The recent pattern has been to give all the TSN crews a chance to do a single game. The TSN games should be on ESPN+ in the States. The Winnipeg-Saskatchewan game was scheduled to be televised.

The CFL contract with TSN and RDS likely doesn't allow for local channels to produce the other preseason games.

For the first time in awhile, the Toronto Argonauts home preseason game is at night. The Argos are training at the University of Guelph and will play the Tiger-Cats in Guelph. You might recall that Hamilton played its home games in Guelph in 2013 while Tim Hortons Field was under construction.

The Argos had played recent home preseason games at Varsity Stadium at the University of Toronto in the daytime at 11 am. Varsity Stadium has hosted more Grey Cup games than any other structure in Canada.

If I lived in Toronto, I would have found a way to sit at Varsity Stadium and watch a 11 am Toronto Argonauts preseason game. The Boston Red Sox play a 11 am baseball game on Patriots Day. That would be so cool.

The CFL should make a Victoria Day game part of the preseason in future years. The prairie teams were scheduled for Victoria Day, which is Monday. Quite a few people who bought tickets for that game will need their money back, given the rescheduling..

2019 CFL preseason schedule

CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage

If you checked the CFL preseason schedule some time ago, there are changes from last month.

The regular season is scheduled to start June 9. Let's hope for a relatively uneventful CFL season where the excitement is only on the field.

logo credit: TSN/CFL

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