Ed Philion
CFL.ca
I know things in sports often go in cycles and for the last two years the Western Division has had the upper hand. With the West winning the last two Grey Cup championships is there anything that will have us believe that the shift in power will change any time soon.
The Alouettes’ loss to the Stampeders in Calgary on Friday night showed me that a few things have to change before the balance of power shifts back to the East. Why is it that the East Division is having such a difficult time beating its counterparts from the West? Is there that much of a difference in talent from division to division?
Well the simple answer is “yes”.
Without a doubt, from top to bottom the West has more talented younger players. While the East has some stars of their own, many of them are starting to get a little long in the tooth. I’ve often found that the most successful organizations have a great mix of youth and veteran leadership. It’s the influx of younger players each season that continue to reenergize franchises that otherwise begin to become stale.
Teams such as Saskatchewan, Calgary and Edmonton seem to have found the right mix so far this season. Don’t forget Calgary and Edmonton were two of the worst teams in the CFL last season and have been able to turn their fortunes around this season. Although Saskatchewan and BC have won the last two Grey Cups respectively, they too continue to add new players to their rosters including starting quarterbacks.
While adding younger players does not guarantee success in the CFL, adding talented football players does. The good news for Alouette supporters is that the other teams they are competing with for the division crown haven’t seemed to have received the same memo as their Western brethren. Come playoff time while the BC’s and Calgary’s of the world are beating each other’s brains in trying to get to the Championship game, the Alouettes may be able to save their sling shot and rock for a wounded Goliath come Grey Cup time.
Ed Philion played eight seasons along the defensive line for the Montreal Alouettes. He was a three-time East Division All-Star and helped the Alouettes win the Grey Cup in 2002. Currently, he is a member of the Alouettes’ broadcast team on CJAD Radio in Montreal.
