WEDNESDAY GREY CUP BLOG

– Can’t be at the 101st Grey Cup?  That’s too bad.  We are very fortunate to be here in our hometown for the CFL championship.  As expected, it’s already a Grey Cup for the ages.  As Rider DB Terrell Maze said on Monday, “This city’s on fire right now!”  You truly would have to be here to believe it and we’re just getting warmed up.

– From Steve Milton of the Hamilton Spectator: “The 2013 Grey Cup was a success as soon as it was announced.  It’s like Homecoming on steroids.  In a tuque.”

– Two notes from the Riders: 1) Beware of counterfeit Grey Cup tickets which are making the rounds.  There are Grey Cup tickets for sale, legitimately, at the website www.101greycupfestival.ca through their ticket exchange.  2) Because this is the Grey Cup, and not a regular home Rider game, we can’t play BRING ‘EM OUT to welcome the Riders to the field.  Therefore the Riders are asking the fans in attendance to do it themselves.

– Don’t worry, you’re not missing much yet (as of Wednesday).  People are still scrambling around setting up venues and getting everything in place.  However by Thursday, the city will have been fully taken over.

– The Ticats arrived in town Tuesday evening and will practice at Mosaic Stadium on Wednesday.  The Roughriders will practice indoors at Moose Jaw’s Yara Centre on Wednesday.

– All signs, statistically, point to a Roughrider victory in Sunday’s 2013 Grey Cup between Saskatchewan and Hamilton.  That’s scary. The Riders are 10-1 against the Ticats in their last 11 meetings at Mosaic Stadium and 18-4 in the last 22 meetings.  The average score was 34-16.  Thanks to our friend Bubba O’Neill of Sportsline in Hamilton for sending that statistic.

– As we predicted on Monday, the Roughriders have been installed as 5-point favourites by the oddsmakers for Sunday’s game.

– Kent Austin is 4-0 in Grey Cups (2-0 as a player, 2-0 as a coach).  Meanwhile Henry Burris has never beaten the Riders in the playoffs.   One of those streaks will end on Sunday.  Which one will it be?  The suspense is agonizing and gut-wrenching.

– Rider linebacker Mike McCullough is doing his best to keep the team loose.  He was asked on Tuesday what it will be like to have 45,000 fans chanting ‘HENNNNNRY, HENNNNRY, HENNNNNRY’ in the Grey Cup.  “I hoped they’d be chanting ‘MIKE’?” McCullough said with a puzzled look on his face.

– The Roughriders confirmed on Monday to CBC that the 5-story high banner of Kent Austin will stay up this week and for the game.  I was torn up over it at first but after walking by the tribute early this week, and seeing Kent in green, I got a comforting feeling.  He’s always be a hero here.

– However on Monday Kent said he receives too much credit for the Riders’ 1989 and 2007 Grey Cup championships.  Not a chance!  They wouldn’t have happened without him and deep down he has to know that.

– Henry Burris?  He’s not as loved here.  In fact in an ongoing online poll, 57% of respondents said Burris the #1 villain in Roughrider lore.  37% said it’s Tony Gabriel while only 5% said it’s Kent Austin.

– The referee for Sunday’s game is Kim Murphy.  The was the head official in the West Final when the Riders beat Calgary 35-13.

– Corey Chamblin said on Tuesday he has told his team, “You’re 60 minutes away from a Grey Cup”.  It reminds me of 2009 when Ken Miller told his charges at halftime of the West Final in Regina, “You’re 30 minutes away from the Grey Cup”.  It was a single-sentence halftime speech.  The Riders then went out and blew away the Stamps to ride into the CFL title game.

– Some civic officials are worried about a riot, win or lose, come Sunday after the game.  Frankly we all feel Rider fans are too smart for that but, like Crimestoppers says, if you see something, say something.

– There are still tickets available for Gregg Zaun’s annual Grey Cup Bash Saturday night at the Exchange.  Rider greats Jeff Fairholm and Dan Rashovich have confirmed their attendance.  You can get your tickets at www.gzfoundation.com.

– Met with Casino Regina staff on Tuesday and there are still tickets left for Friday’s Breakfast of Champions in the Show Lounge for which I’ll be the MC.  The event features a breakfast buffet and then a roundtable Q & A with Damon and Marcus Allen, Pinball Clemons, George Reed and Don Narcisse.  Tickets are only $25!  You can get them from the Casino Regina Show Lounge Box Office but you’d better phone ahead for availability.

– Classy gesture from Shawn Churchill and Troy Westwood, both of TSN 1290 radio in Winnipeg.  Both have offered “Good luck” messages.

– The Grey Cup Trophy will be at the Four Seasons Sports Palace tonight from 8 – 9 pm for your viewing and picture taking pleasure.  Please come on down.

– We may find out once and for all if Mosaic Stadium is the loudest stadium in football.  With 45,000 fans coming on Sunday and the Riders in the game, we have a few people with digital decibel meters who will be on the sidelines ready to take a reading.

– GET LOUD!

(For daily Rider news follow Rod on Twitter at @sportscage)