The 108th edition of the Grey Cup is set. The Hamilton Tiger Cats will play host to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in a rematch of their 2019 final which saw the Bombers emerge victorious 33-12.
With no season in 2020, Sunday’s 6pm showdown will mark the first time the CFL will hand out its most prestigious trophy in over 2 years. Evidently anticipation for the big event, coupled with the hometown Ti-Cats punching their ticket to the finals, made tickets a hot item over the last 48hrs. Hamilton announced Monday morning that the Grey Cup was officially sold out.
Winnipeg was the class of the CFL for most of the season, finishing with the league’s best record at 11-3, while Hamilton weathered ups and downs throughout the year to claim 2nd place in the East at 8-6. The Bombers’ path to the finals may have been smooth by comparison to their opponents but was not without its own drama. Hamilton meanwhile had to overcome multiple deficits in their playoff matchups and even switched quarterbacks in their semi-final game against Toronto.
Trailing 12-0 at halftime, Ti-Cats backup QB Dane Evans orchestrated a masterful comeback which saw him go a perfect 16/16 passing for 249yds and 1TD. The 28 year old Texas native also added 2 rushing TD’s for good measure to guide Hamilton to a shocking 27-19 come from behind win over the rival Toronto Argonauts.
Winnipeg, to their credit, navigated biting cold and howling winds to earn a 21-17 win over Saskatchewan on a day where they turned the ball over six times. Despite their miscues on offense, the Bombers defense stepped up time after time to keep their club in the ball game.
Even though this year’s Grey Cup is a rematch of the last edition, there are storylines galore leading up to the big event. Will Winnipeg get off to another slow start next Sunday, or did they right the ship in the 2nd half this weekend? Will Evans get the start for Hamilton or will longtime signal caller Jeremiah Masoli be back under centre? How much of an advantage will Hamilton have playing in their home stadium with a decidedly pro-Ti-Cats crowd on hand? And what kind of weather can we expect for the Grey Cup this year?
Currently the forecast in Hamilton calls for clouds and temperatures hovering around freezing on Sunday. However with plenty of rain in the forecast Friday and Saturday, what effect this will have on field conditions remains to be seen.
The action kicks off Sunday at 6pm ET as the beasts of the east take on the best in the west for the rights to call themselves CFL champions.