CONTEST: 2017 Grey Cup

[GA Russell]

It's that time of year again! It's time for the annual Grey Cup contest.

Past winners have included Noj (twice), indestructible, Bright Moments, brownie, paul secor, Soulstation1, danasgoodstuff, B. Clugston, ejp626 and BFrank.

Here are the rules:

1) Pick the winning team.

2) Pick the number of total points scored by both teams (aka the tiebreaker).

Since approximately half of us will pick the winning team, picking the total points is necessary to win the contest. Your total points prediction must be a number which is a multiple of five (5).

The winning tiebreaker will be the one closest to the correct answer. If two are equally close, the winner will be the lower pick.

If two people pick the same thing, the first to make the pick will be the winner.

THE PRIZE: A $17.00 Mosaic Records Gift Card. The $17.00 represents one CD of a Mosaic box set.

Deadline: Sunday Nov. 26, 6:00 pm eastern

*****

The Grey Cup game: The Grey Cup is awarded to the world champion of what I think is the greatest game in the world, Canadian rules football. That is to say, the champion of the Canadian Football League.

The Grey Cup was first awarded in 1909. They have played for it every year since then except three years during World War One. Therefore, this year's will be the 105th Grey Cup game. Fans from throughout Canada will attend the game.

This year's game will see the Western champion Calgary Stampeders face the Eastern champion Toronto Argonauts.    

The Stampeders went undefeated in 1948.  One of their players that year was one of the first great black pro football players, Woody Strode.  He later became an actor with a significant role in Spartacus.  This year, the Stampeders were the best team in the league, until they clinched first place and played their substitutes more.  Their quarterback is Bo Levi Mitchell, who played for Eastern Washington U.  He won the Most Outstanding Player Award last year. . 

The Toronto Argonauts were founded Oct. 4, 1873.  Their quarterback is future Hall-of-Famer Ricky Ray, who played at Cal State Sacramento.  Their head coach is past Grey Cup winner Marc Trestman.  The Argos finished in first place in the East with a 9-9 record.  At age 38, Ray had a terrific year this year.  But if he goes down, the Argos don't stand a chance..

The location of the game is chosen years in advance. This year's game will be played in Ottawa.  Eastern fans always root for the Eastern champion, and Western fans always root for the Western champion.  Ottawa is an Eastern city, and I expect the majority of the fans at the game will be rooting for the Argos.   

The game will be carried live in the US on ESPN2, starting at 6:00 pm eastern Sunday.

You can listen to the game here:

http://www.tsn.ca/radio

(To listen to the game, you will need Windows Media Player which you can download for free. So you might want to plan ahead if you don't already have it.)

You can study articles analyzing the upcoming game as well as articles about the season as it unfolded in the CFL thread, which I will be updating during the course of this week.

Good luck everyone!

*****
Here's my pick:

I'm going to do you a favor.  Last year I picked Calgary - 50, and Ottawa won in what was the greatest upset in Grey Cup history.  Since I have to think that the Stampeders will be the clear favorite again this year, I will go with the Argos.

Toronto - 50

[T.D.]

Whoa, I usually enter this very late (and lose pathetically).

I know nothing about CFL, but looked on a gambling site and saw Calgary listed as 7 point favorites with over/under of 53.

So the unoriginal pick is...Calgary 55. 

Edited November 20, 2017 by T.D.

[paul secor]

Calgary - 65

[GregK]

Calgary 62

[ejp626]

I actually picked Ottawa last year but was off by 5 or so. 

I'm pulling for Toronto -- 55.

[GA Russell]

4 hours ago, GregK said:

Calgary 62

Greg, your tiebreaker pick must be a multiple of 5.  Please pick a new number!

Edited November 21, 2017 by GA Russell

[kh1958]

Toronto 65

[B. Clugston]

Calgary 50.

[sidewinder]

Calgary 60

Edited November 21, 2017 by sidewinder

[BFrank]

I'm picking Toronto, cuz I like the name "Argonauts": 70

[GregK]

11 hours ago, GA Russell said:

Greg, your tiebreaker pick must be a multiple of 5.  Please pick a new number!

70

[Soulstation1]

Calgary 75

Edited November 21, 2017 by Soulstation1

[John Tapscott]

Calgary 45

[danasgoodstuff]

Toronto 60

[Soulstation1]

Ask this question every year 

Is Marcus Allen’s brother still playing in the CFL?

[T.D.]

3 hours ago, Soulstation1 said:

Ask this question every year 

Is Marcus Allen’s brother still playing in the CFL?

Retired 2008.

[B. Clugston]

1 hour ago, T.D. said:

Retired 2008.

After 23 seasons! He was good for a very long time. B.C. traded him to Toronto when he was 39. He beat them in the Grey Cup the next year.

[GA Russell]

Damon Allen came to my 1995 Grey Cup party!  That was the year Baltimore won.  Nice guy, as was his friend Reggie Pleasant.  The last year Allen played, he was a grandfather!

[GA Russell]

Here's a surprise.  The computer says the Argos should be the favorite.
https://www.cfl.ca/2017/11/21/cfl-simulation-unexpected-grey-cup-favourite/

[JohnJ]

A bit late this year.

Calgary 80.

[GA Russell]

At this point, I see the following to be available:

Calgary - everything 40 and below
Calgary - everything 85 and above

Toronto - everything 45 and below
Toronto - everything 75 and above

Please correct me if this is not right.

[Hardbopjazz]

Toronto 45.

[medjuck]

Calgary: 40. 

[Bright Moments]

Toronto 40

[Jazzmoose]

Toronto 75.  I'm pulling for the Argonauts, but I'll probably get fleeced again.