CFL 2017: Typical Start, The West is Best and the East is .500

Another year and another strong start for the West, this time Edmonton is undefeated, with Calgary in a shocking 2 wins, a loss and an opening tie against its Grey Cup counterpart from last year as start.  Saskatchewan has a win, so the extremes between undefeated and winless are not there this year.

In the East, the Argoooooooooooos are on top with a .500 record, and last year's Grey Cup winning REDBlacks are nowhere to be seen.  They must have been celebrating right through training camp....

2016 Grey Cup: East Versus West? or West Versus West?

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.