Well it's that time of year in Canada - the leaves are changing
colour, hockey season is back, people are thinking of winter vacations and the
Canadian Football League ("CFL") playoffs are about to start. For
those not familiar, the CFL rules are a little different than American or NFL
or college football. Secondly, with a nine team league, the playoff format is:
the first place team in each division (West and East) receive a bye while
second and First place teams play one game with the winners moving on to face
the first place team the following week. Those division winners punch their ticket
to face off in the Grey Cup final (104th Grey Cup this year, yes more than
twice a old as the Superbowl) this year in Toronto. Under the
"crossover" format and due to only six teams qualifying, if the
fourth place team in either division has a better record than the third place
team in the opposite division (that is, more points) that fourth place team
will compete in the opposite division. This year, the Edmonton Eskimos, sitting
fourth in the West Division, have more points than the third place Toronto
Atgonauts, sitting third in the East Division. It is likely that Edmonton may
actually advance and win the East Division title although coming from the West.
Dominating the West Division and the CFL are the Calgary Stampeders (arguably,
Grey Cup champs already, just hand it to them). If the two face each other in
the Grey Cup Final, an unlikely prediction to make at the beginning of ANY
season, not just this one, would result in a rare "All Alberta " Grey
Cup Final. A lot of eyebrow raises to come in November as this becomes noticed.
Grey Cup will are place Sunday November 27th in Toronto.
Well, I was wrong on that one. But the Grey Cup is back in the East!
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