greycup Originally uploaded by AccessWinnipeg

The stage is set for the 96th Annual Grey Cup. The game will be played next Sunday, November 23rd 2008. Sadly, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers will not be hitting the stage. If they do they’ll be in the stands. :(. This time last year our city had Grey Cup fever. Now the Bombers in the Grey cup are but a mere memory from a year ago. Don’t worry guys I believe in Blue in 2009.

After avenging the Bombers by defeating the Edmonton Eskimos yesterday (36-26), the Montreal Allouettes captured the East Division. After battling a hard fought win over the B.C. Lions yesterday (22-18), the Calgary Stampeders earned their ticket to Montreal to duke it out against the home team Allouettes at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium.

Calgary finished the 2008 season with the best record at 13-5 while the Montreal Allouettes finished a-top the weaker East division with a  11-7 record. Which makes Calgary the heavy favorite. But here are a couple of tasty tidbits that will stir-up the pot…..

  • The host team hasn’t won the Grey Cup since 1994. The last team to do so were the B.C. Lions who defeated the Baltimore Stallions (now the Montreal Allouettes) 26-23 at B.C. Place in Vancouver B.C. during the 82nd Grey Cup.
  • The last team to win the cup in their own province were the Toronto Argonauts when they defeated the Edmonton Eskimos at Ivory Wynne Stadium in Hamilton Ontario, 43-37 during the 84th Grey Cup in 1996.
  • Montreal is 6-16 while playing in the Grey Cup game.
  • Calgary is 5-11 while playing in the Grey Cup game.
  • 2001 was the last time Calgary took home the Cup.
  • 2002 was the last time Montreal took home the cup.
  • Calgary has never defeated Montreal in the Grey Cup. They met in 1949 and 1970.

Tsn will be broadcasting the game at 6:00 pm eastern time. For more details on the game or the CFL visit the CFL website @ www.cfl.ca