Red, green and frosty
Posted By DIANA STOREN
Posted 2 months ago
Imissed the how-to newspaper article a few years back, but I recently found an instructional video online that gave me all the information I needed. Now, if I want to carve a football helmet out of a watermelon, I know how to do it!
You'll notice I said "if."
As the first-born child of two ardent Montreal football fans, it was a given I would inherit the Alouettes gene, carrying on the tradition of watching all Canadian Football League (CFL) games, but cheering especially hard when my Als play.
So, on Sunday, when they meet the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Grey Cup game, I will be wearing something in Alouettes red. I'll leave the traditional green, fruity head gear to Saskatchewan supporters, who wear it with pride. Although, since the outdoor game is in Calgary, they'd be forgiven for choosing something warmer!
Back in 1948, the Saskatchewan team needed new uniforms but couldn't afford them. When a team executive found a set at a surplus store in Chicago, the team changed its colours to the colours of the new shirts -- green with a bit of white.
By now you have figured out that this column is not about Christmas. I'm sorry if I misled you with my title. I hope you'll keep reading anyway.
What I like about football is that it is a sort of gentlemanly sport. Sure, there is aggression, but it is supposed to be controlled. When it isn't there are penalties, some of them severe. Fighting is not tolerated.
When a player tackles an opponent, it is not uncommon to see him extend a hand to the guy he just knocked over, helping him to his feet. At the end of every game, opposing team members team greet each other with hugs and handshakes in an unorganized display of sportsmanship.
There have been 96 previous Grey Cup games, but never have the Roughriders met the Alouettes in the national championship. After seeing both teams defeat their opponents with some spectacular play last weekend, I am really looking forward to the big game.
I don't know why so many people revere the NFL, looking down on the CFL as a less-talented little brother barely worth mentioning. I think our game is more fun to watch. Played on a longer, broader field, it's a wide open affair that features a lot of motion.
The CFL quarterback has just 20 seconds to get a play underway, whereas in the NFL it is 40 seconds. American teams have four chances to advance the ball; we have three. Factor in unpredictable weather, where a slippery ball might pop loose, and you get fast-paced, exciting action.
Professional sports should be entertainment for the fans -- sports are games, after all -- and the CFL, while still a business, appreciates this. The league does not ask fans to subsidize huge payrolls.
The National Football league has a salary cap of $127 million per team. According to USAToday.com,a first-year player in the NFL receives $310,000. This rises to more than $800,000 after 10 years.
The cap for each CFL team, which has a 42-man active roster, is $4.2 million. Do the math: there are no mega-salaries.
Hockey, on the other hand, rewards many of its players with obscene amounts of money. The wages of Pittsburgh Penguin Sidney Crosby, who gets $9 million for this year, would more than cover the player salaries of two CFL teams. Even though the NHL has a much longer season than the CFL, the pay difference is still staggering. There are 17 Toronto Maple Leafs who will each get at least $1 million for a year's work. CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon says, "Our league is as accessible as it is affordable for families."
He adds that it is "an authentic part of Canadian culture." All eight teams are located here. Approximately half of each roster must be made up of non-imports. Both the Alouettes and the Roughriders have outstanding Canadian players, some of whom were born in the provinces where they play.
The Grey Cup has become a festival that embraces more than just football fans. Canadians everywhere celebrate Canadian professional football supremacy by hosting or attending special parties and events. Unlike hockey playoffs that drag on for weeks, the CFL determines the Grey Cup contestants in just 14 days, and the champions are crowned after one final game.
The Grey Cup itself was originally intended to be a trophy for amateur senior hockey, but when someone else stepped in to donate the hockey award, Gov. Gen. Earl Grey promised a prize for what was then rugby football. Unfortunately, he forgot about his offer. An order was eventually placed for a sterling silver cup, which cost $48, but it was not ready until three months after the game!
Sunday's winner will get the Grey Cup on November 29. I hope it is the Alouettes but, if Saskatchewan triumphs, I can live with that. The fans in this prairie province are so loyal and passionate, turning up in every city where their team plays, decked out in green garb (including those melon helmets), that it would be great for them and the league if their team came out on top.
Reebok makes jerseys for sports teams. The three most popular bought by fans across Canada are those of the Montreal Canadiens, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Only in Canada.
