CONTEST: 2018 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 (twice) 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. 25, 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 106th 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 Ottawa Redblacks.  These two teams met two years ago, and the Redblacks won in a huge upset.  This will be Ottawa's third Grey Cup game in the past four years.  But that's nothing.  It will be Calgary's fifth in the past seven years.  Calgary's long term success has been due primarily (IMO) to their General Manager John Hufnagel.    

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 again the best team in the league, until after they clinched a playoff spot.  Their quarterback is Bo Levi Mitchell, who played for Eastern Washington U.  He won the Most Outstanding Player Award two years ago, and will likely win it again Thursday night.

The Ottawa Redblacks were an expansion team in 2014.  They were the best Eastern team this year, but were not consistent.  Their quarterback is Trevor Harris, who played his college ball at Edinboro University in Pennsylvania. 

The location of the game is chosen years in advance. This year's game will be played in Edmonton, which is just up the road from Calgary.  Eastern fans always root for the Eastern champion, and Western fans always root for the Western champion.  I fully expect the vast majority of the crowd to be cheering on the Stampeders.     

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.  I expect Calgary to win, and win big.  So I'm going to go with the Redblacks.

Ottawa - 50

[T.D.]

Calgary 55

Since I know nothing about the CFL, I went as close as possible to current point spread / over-under indications.

[sidewinder]

Calgary 50 for me.

For once, they will be cheering for them at the stadium in Edmonton. 

[kh1958]

Ottawa 60

[BFrank]

Calgary - 60

[Soulstation1]

Calgary 80

[medjuck]

Ottawa 55.  

[JSngry]

Poutine 4.

[ejp626]

Calgary 75

[Hardbopjazz]

Calgary 30

[Bright Moments]

Calgary 65

[B. Clugston]

Calgary 45.

[GregK]

Ottawa 45

[jeffcrom]

Ottawa 40

[Big Al]

Calgary 70

[GA Russell]

5 hours ago, GregK said:

Ottawa 45

I had Paul Secor down at Ottawa with 45, but now I don't see it.  Paul, did you delete your pick?  Mods, is something up?

[JSngry]

Big Al has returned from the wilderness, that's up for sure. Other than that, not that I can tell?

[GA Russell]

Last call!  The deadline to play is 6:00 pm eastern.

I'm going across the street now to a sports bar where I have a table and TV screen reserved.  Everyone is welcome to post comments during the game.

Good luck everyone!

[Soulstation1]

Hope you are not driving !!!

First round on you ??

Edited November 26, 2018 by Soulstation1

[GA Russell]

Calgary 27....Ottawa 16

So the winner is the person who picked the closest to Calgary - 43, and that is BClugston with Calgary - 45!!!

Congratulations Brendan!  Please PM me your address, and I'll order your gift card immediately.

Brendan, if you prefer, I will purchase for you an Amazon Canada gift card for the amount equivalent to $17 plus international postage.  Let me know!

Edited November 26, 2018 by GA Russell

[BFrank]

Damn! I was convinced I had the winning number this time! 

[Soulstation1]

Congrats

Brendan!!!!!

[B. Clugston]

Woo-hoo! I figured any game in Edmonton in November would be a low scoring affair and there's no way Calgary was going to lose another one. Thanks GA Russell!

[sidewinder]

1 hour ago, B. Clugston said:

Woo-hoo! I figured any game in Edmonton in November would be a low scoring affair and there's no way Calgary was going to lose another one. Thanks GA Russell!

Is that because everyone on the pitch would be semi-permafrost?

Why didn’t I think of that ? 

[GA Russell]

Brendan, I have emailed you a gift card in Canadian dollars.  Let me know if you think it should be more.

And tell us what music you spend it on!