I know I write a lot about football; it is a big part
of my life, and a big part of my family’s life.
From our local university team to the pros, with some occasional
involvement in minor and high school football, we have all been involved in
various ways: formally, through coaching and managing, or in other ways like
counselling, teaching, tutoring, feeding, befriending, and fanning (is that a
word?). Even though you might not share
our family’s interest or passion about football, I hope you enjoy reading about
it.
It’s hard to believe that just over a week ago, my
family and I were still revelling in that magical post-exciting-Grey Cup-snow-game
high. We have all returned to reality
with a bit of a hard landing. We are
left with memories from a really fun few days in the nation’s capital.
Grey Cup 105 in Ottawa was my third Grey Cup in as
many years, as you probably know. Each
experience was different. The first
year, my team was in the game but lost.
Last year, my team was in the game and won (you can read about it here). This year, my team did not make
it to the finals at all, so I did not have a vested interest in the outcome. Also this year, for the first time, my whole
family was able to share in the Grey Cup experience together. 
Before my husband arrived in Ottawa on Saturday
morning, my kids and I managed to have a bit of fun. The best day was Friday, which was a day off
school for my young nephews. We all went
down to the Grey Cup Festival Headquarters at Lansdowne, and enjoyed an
afternoon of activities. My nephews and
I became virtual reality quarterbacks (I was 3 for 5 if you’re interested), and
they enjoyed climbing all over a military tank and asking questions of the
Coast Guards (not sure what that has to do with football, but they had fun). We visited the exhibit from the Canadian
Football Hall of Fame. The adult-sized
agility drills that we enjoyed last year in Toronto were nowhere in sight, but
there was a little kids’ agility test, and it was fun to watch big Zack Evans
stepping over the hoops that his toddler son was struggling through. We all enjoyed pancakes from the Calgary
Stampeders free pancake breakfast (although mine came without sausage), and we
picked up a bunch of free loot (pencils, Canada 150 pins, a water bottle for my
daughter, and all kinds of other stuff).
We met (and re-met) players from the REDBLACKS and a few other teams,
took lots of photos and got some autographs. One of the silver linings of the REDBLACKS not
being in the game was that the players did not have curfews or practices; fans
were able to meet and mingle with them at a variety of venues. 
After the little kids went home for the day, my kids
and I checked out the RNation Party. I
was super pumped about the Friday night edition; the headliner was Dwayne
Gretzky, a cover band that we heard last year at the Argo Shipyard Party. The Dwaynes opened for Sloan, who were
performing next door at the Arena, and then came over to RNation and played for
another 90 minutes. They definitely did
not disappoint. Within about 15 minutes
of their arrival, the place was packed. I even got out on the dance floor, something I
have not done for a very long time (no, there is no photographic evidence!). If you live in southern Ontario and ever have
the chance to hear Dwayne Gretzky, I highly recommend them. 
My kids went to see Sloan, but when they came back to
RNation, they met up with a few of the Ottawa players, and for the rest of the
evening, we hung out with a group of highly entertaining young men.
They were mostly from Quebec, with a Californian thrown in for good
measure. (I understand that he has adopted poutine as his favourite meal, and has
a fine repertoire of French swear words). There were a few shenanigans, a lot of
laughter, and a lot of fun.
The game itself was classic CFL. The forecast called for flurries, but before
the game even started, there were people out on the field shovelling and
ploughing snow (flashback to last year’s Eastern Final!). We passed on the “ice cold beer” in favour of
hot chocolates and hot dogs, and settled in for a game that started slow. Eventually, the players found their grooves
(and their traction), and the game picked up speed, and once again, it ended with
the Eastern champions (the Argonauts) stunning the heavily favoured Calgary
Stampeders with a last minute field-goal, followed by an interception (right in
front of us) to win!
My Dad was a huge fan of the CFL, and I grew up
watching CFL football on television. My
affection for the Canadian game solidified when I worked for the team physician
for one of the CFL teams when I was much younger woman, and I actually came to
know some of the players (the injured ones).
In all of my growing up years, we never lived near a football city, and
I never had the opportunity to go to a live game until I was an adult. When football became such a big part of my
son’s life, and we saw some of our university’s players go on to careers in the
CFL, somewhere in the back of my mind was the hope that someday I would be able
to take my son to a Grey Cup -- preferably in Saskatchewan, because THAT would
be a party!
But events like this cost money. Airfare, hotels, food, game tickets…. Being a
family with a single income for most of the time, and living on the East Coast,
we have never been in the income bracket where attending an event such as the
Grey Cup would be easy. So deep down, I
thought I might not ever get to a Grey Cup.
Not in a million years could I have ever dreamed that
not only would I go to one Grey Cup, but THREE!
Or that my team would win, and I would celebrate in the stands, on the
field, in the locker room and at the Grey Cup champion party, with players and
their families, some of whom I have come to know over the past few years, and
with my family. Or that my son would be
a GREY CUP CHAMPION! (that still blows my mind!).
My son has decided that it is time for him to pursue
some other career goals, so this year marks his last season of employment
within the CFL. It has been, for me, a
magical four years football-wise, and I am so grateful to my son for sharing it
with me, and with the rest of our family.
