CFL
It didn’t start out like a classic, but it sure did finish as one. The 102nd Grey Cup at BC Place had most on the edge of their seats, and it had absolutely everything. There were signature performances, enduring moments, controversies, and more. In the end, the Calgary Stampeders are deserving champions in 2014, and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats have nothing to hang their heads over.
One for the ages
Bo Levi Mitchell didn’t throw a touchdown. In fact, he ended up throwing more interceptions (one) than he did touchdowns. But make no mistake, the performance we saw from Calgary’s starting quarterback was as impressive a Grey Cup outing as we’ve seen in years.
Mitchell was on right from the very get go, and put together scoring drives of 55, 66, and 87 yards in the first half as the Stamps had a 17-7 lead after two quarters. He was accurate, poised, and composed throughout, and looked as if this was nothing new to him.
But it was Calgary’s final scoring drive that needs to truly be highlighted. That was when Mitchell engineered an 11-play masterpiece that ended in a Rene Parades 20 yard field goal in the third quarter. The drive, which started at the Calgary 27, saw Mitchell convert under pressure. It saw Mitchell come through in long yardage situations. And it ended up putting crucial points on the board for the Stampeders.
The only unfortunate thing is it didn’t end with a major. If Mitchell is able to get that thing in the endzone, we might be talking about one of the most legendary Grey Cup drives we’ve ever seen. Regardless, it was something to behold, as Mitchell continues to show the entire country what he’s all about.
Mitchell finished with 334 yards on 25-for-34 passing. On Sunday, however, the numbers don’t even begin to do justice to the type of game he had. He was the perfect choice for Grey Cup MVP.
Announcement coming?
In a conversation with Sportsnet’s Arash Madani on the field, Stampeders Head Coach and General Manager John Hufnagel got lots of people talking. When asked about his future plans, Hufnagel’s quote was quite interesting.
“I’ll make an announcement in a couple days,” he said. “But I’ll still be on the sidelines.”
Well, that’s certainly ambiguous, is it not?
For Calgary fans, it just adds a little more fuel to the conversation that has been percolating for some time. Ever since Dave Dickenson decided to come back as Calgary’s offensive coordinator prior to this season, the question had been out there. Is there a succession plan in place on the Calgary sidelines?
I know Dickenson told me, among others, that he had turned down some other potential head coaching jobs prior to coming back with the Stamps. That led many to wonder whether there is some sort of plan to see Hufnagel move upstairs and allow Dickenson to take over duty on the sidelines. It wouldn’t be the first time something like that would happen, and it would leave the Stampeders in very capable hands
But is that what Hufnagel was hinting at on Sunday night? There are so many different ways to read into those comments, and in the end, there might be nothing that changed. But knowing the job that Hufnagel has done since taking over in 2008, he has the right to go about things however he wants next season and beyond.
Quotable
I heard two outstanding quotes from Stampeders players following Sunday’s win. The first came on the field at BC Place when I was interviewing offensive lineman Dan Federkeil. The former Super Bowl Champion with the Indianapolis Colts sure did enjoy his first Grey Cup experience.
“The Super Bowl was great,” Federkeil told me. “Big experience, but I think with the Super Bowl I fed more off of the other players emotions, the guys who had been for six, seven, ten, 12 years and at the time that was their first shot at.
“But here, I worked hard to get to this point, I’m just so happy, it’s just awesome when the work you put in amounts to the goal you want at the end of the season.”
That says quite a bit right there. As does receiver Nik Lewis, who spoke to my colleague at Sportsnet 960 The FAN inside the Stamps locker room. Lewis wasn’t holding back when talking about how good he felt this team is.
“I told the young guys two weeks ago, I said when you win the Cup, all that disappointment goes away,” Lewis said. “All those failures go away.
“Every time somebody said no, it’s out the door. Every time somebody said you couldn’t, it’s done. When we lost last year, it’s over. Because right now, there’s nobody better, and I’ll put this team up against anybody, even that other league down south.”
Face the music
It’s going to take quite some time for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to get over their loss. They’ll be kicking themselves for their start, and they’ll be lamenting the points they left on the field. But, in the end, the Ticats should leave Vancouver with their heads held high, because they played a hell of a football game.
And special mention needs to go to Taylor Reed. The first year linebacker was the culprit flagged on Hamilton’s negated punt return touchdown in the final moments of Sunday’s game. It was him who was crouched on the ground, head in hands, at the Hamilton ten-yard line while everyone else was celebrating. He knew he’d been flagged, and he knew it had very likely cost his team a chance to win the Grey Cup.
And it was also Taylor Reed in the locker room, ready to answer the tough questions. Reed took the responsibility, put it all on himself, and didn’t for a second criticize the officials. That’s how a true professional handles making a mistake, costly or not.
In the end, the Tiger-Cats didn’t lose because of Reed’s penalty. You lose as a team and you win as a team, and that was very evident on Sunday. But that won’t make Reed feel any better, at least not right away. But, in time, when the Beaumont, Tex. product reflects back, he’ll know he didn’t shy away. He stood up and handled it like a true pro, and he deserves a lot of credit for it.
