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10 unusual facts about Grey Cup


1941 American Football League season

At the beginning of the 1941 season, the Bullies accepted a challenge from the defending Western Interprovincial Football Union champion Winnipeg Blue Bombers for a three-game series; the Bombers had been banned from Grey Cup contention that year due to rules discrepancies between the WIFU and the other organizations playing Canadian football at the time.

CFRC-FM

(At that time, the University's football/rugby team, the Queen's Tricolour, were the winners of the Grey Cup for three consecutive years, and it is a common myth that when the current call letters CFRC were assigned, their meaning was "Canada's Famous Rugby Champions", however the relationship was purely coincidental).

Hugo Ross Trophy

When the WCRFU joined with the Canadian Rugby Union in 1921, the Hugo Ross Trophy champion were able to play for the Grey Cup against teams outside of Western Canada.

Norm Marshall

CBC Television's pre-game segments for the 95th Grey Cup in November 2007 featured Marshall's recollection of the early Grey Cup broadcasts.

Pop Ivy

Over the next four years, Ivy compiled a record of 50–14, starting off his tenure with three consecutive Grey Cup championships.

Tom Manastersky

The high point of his football career was being part of the Alouettes first Grey Cup in 1949.

Thomas Timothy Manastersky (March 7, 1929 – March 11, 2012) was a Grey Cup Champion Canadian Football League halfback and the youngest to ever play in the CFL.

Trans-Canada Air Lines Flight 831

Also killed was Charles Stone of Montreal, a former co-owner of the Canadian Football League's (CFL) Montreal Alouettes; his death occurred during the CFL's Grey Cup week in Vancouver.

TSN Radio

As part of TSN's television contract extension with the Canadian Football League, TSN Radio also owns the radio broadcast rights to the Grey Cup from 2013 to 2018.

Vince Lombardi Trophy

Unlike trophies such as the Stanley Cup and the Grey Cup, a new Vince Lombardi Trophy is made every year and the winning team maintains permanent possession of that trophy, with one notable exception being Super Bowl V's, won by the then-Baltimore Colts.


1909 in Canadian football

Lord Earl Grey, the Governor General of Canada, donated a trophy to be awarded for the Dominion Football Championship of Canada.

1950 Toronto Argonauts season

The team finished in second place in the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union with a 6–5–1 record and qualified for the playoffs for the first time since their Grey Cup win in 1947.

2007 International Bowl

The on-air ESPN crew included John Saunders, who was born and raised in Toronto and graduated from WMU; and Doug Flutie, who played two seasons with the Toronto Argonauts, both of which ended in Grey Cup championships.

55th Grey Cup

The 55th Grey Cup was played between the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Saskatchewan Roughriders on December 2, 1967, at Lansdowne Park in Ottawa, before 31,358 fans and was won by the Tiger-Cats by a score of 24 to 1.

61st Grey Cup

Ottawa Defensive End Charlie Brandon was named Most Valuable Player and Garry Lefebvre was named Most Valuable Canadian.

75th Grey Cup

The Edmonton Eskimos and Toronto Argonauts engaged in a back-and-forth battle for Earl Grey’s Cup in 1987, which was determined with a late field goal.

93rd Grey Cup

The Black Eyed Peas, who also performed during halftime of the Grey Cup game, appeared on scene and performed, marking the culmination of a large celebration to welcome the Grey Cup to British Columbia.

Al Brenner

He was a CFL All-Star in 1972, the same year he set a record of most interceptions in a season at 15, and also won the Grey Cup with the Tiger-Cats.

Christopher Milo

During his college career, Milo won the Vanier Cup twice, and he has helped the Saskatchewan Roughriders win a Grey Cup in the CFL.

Dave Randorf

Since returning to TSN, Randorf has covered numerous sporting events, including U.S. Open golf, the Grey Cup, the Super Bowl, men's and women's Ice Hockey World Championships, Memorial Cup, Pan Am Games, and Canada Games.

Emery Barnes

He played 3 years, from 1962 to 1964, for a total of 30 games and was champion in 1964 (though an injury prevented him from playing in the Grey Cup game.) He also received a Bachelor of Social Work degree from the University of British Columbia.

Rob Waldrop

He gained his greatest recognition with the Argos, when he was a member of their back-to-back Grey Cup championship teams in 1996 and 1997, and was selected as a CFL All-Star in both years.

Rod Smylie

His sons Rod and Doug both played professional football for the Toronto Argonauts and won the Grey Cup.

Sam Abbott

Sam Abbott was a Grey Cup champion Canadian football player and a sailor in the Royal Canadian Navy during World War Two .

Yip Foster

Foster, a graduate of Malvern Collegiate Institute (he played on the football team and later on the Malvern Grads junior team under coach Ted Reeve) also played football for the Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers of the Ontario Rugby Football Union from 1924 to 1930, winning two Grey Cups.