Happy holidays from all of us at the Canadian Football League! And thank you for a tremendous 2008!
Thank you for attending our games, for watching the CFL on TSN, for making Grey Cup in Montreal a tremendous success.
Thank you for rallying to our league in what was a tremendously important year in our history.
You should know we’re already focused on expressing our gratitude in the best way we know how: by making 2009 even better.
That’s why our teams are putting together playbooks, recruiting players, hiring coaches and developing and, in many markets, already selling season’s ticket packages for next season.
But before we turn the page completely on this past year, I want to reflect one more time on some of my most vivid memories:
Calgary’s triumph. The Alouettes’ class. The tears shed by the Burris family once the goal had finally been reached. The inspiration the Calvillo family provided to so many. The dominance of Cameron Wake. The courage of Jason Tucker. The emergence of Weston Dressler. The determination of Dominique Dorsey. Yet another milestone for Milt Stegall. Tiger-Cats spending their bye week not on vacation, but on a community visit to a remote native community. The young fan from Edmonton dressed as a giant Grey Cup in the centre of Montreal. The older gentleman who told me he comes to Grey Cup to “see our country”. The pride on the faces of everyone from TSN, come Grey Cup Sunday and their first broadcast of our national championship. The sight of Jake Ireland, about to referee his last Grey Cup, signing autographs for fans who once, I’ll bet, booed him. The Rider fans at Olympic Stadium, handing out homemade “Thank you, #23” t-shirts, as Ron Lancaster Jr. looked on. The shock we felt at the loss of his Dad, and Bobby Ackles, and Jake Gaudaur, and so many others. The way that shock slowly gave way to perspective, and respect for their legacy. The dedication of our Board of Governors, the often unsung heroes of the CFL. The “This is Our League” video, and the way it made me feel, every single time I saw it.
All of these things, and so much more, were possible because of you. Our coaches craft the plans, our players generate the excitement, and the board works with all of us in the league office to run the business.
But you, the fan, are the CFL. You are its history, its future, its constant. You defy the naysayers. You confound the critics. You not only keep us going. You keep making us stronger.
So we thank you, and we wish you all the peace and joy of the holiday season. And we look forward to seeing you in 2009, for what is our favourite season: CFL season.
Mark
