FootBall Day

It's a CFL Football day today, the Quarter Finals for the Canadian game. Our league is so much smaller than the NFL, but the game is much faster, and much more exciting in my opinion. With a larger field and larger ball, the game requires speed and the ability to change plans suddenly. With only 3 downs, as opposed to the NFL 4 down game, it is a much more offensive game with lots of passing.

Today we have both the East and West Quarter finals. Yet, in the oddity of a nine team league, today we have the western team of Edmonton playing the eastern team of Hamilton for the Eastern division. This is due to those nine teams. In years past, with a 5 and 4 split, west to east, it was possible for a very poor team in one division to get to the playoffs while a very good team in the other division might miss the playoffs. So they instituted the "crossover" rule.

The crossover has only happened a few times over the years, but it makes for some interesting possibilities. For example, Edmonton is the crossover team this year. It had a more winning record than either of the bottom two teams in the east. Calgary, on the other hand, is the winningest team in the CFL this year. If Edmonton wins against Hamilton this week, and against Ottawa next week, it would win the Eastern Division. If Calgary, who gets this week off because they won the West, beats the winner of today's game between BC and Winnipeg, we could see an All Alberta Grey Cup, something never before seen in CFL history.

While those of us in Alberta would love this, it would definitely displease the Governors of the CFL. Canadians are notoriously parochial. It is almost a certainty that eastern Canada would tune out an all Alberta Grey Cup, even though it will be played in Toronto. I know who the governors are rooting for.

Then there is me. I went to my first BC Lions game at aged 9, with my Uncle Peter. I have been a lifelong BC fan, having lived most of my life within an hour's drive of the stadiums, both the old Empire Stadium and the new Stadium at BC Place. I even had seasons tickets for a few years.

So today is a football day. Beer, snacks, chili for dinner. I can take it!