Grey Cup observations

The 2013 edition of the Grey Cup is in the books and the Saskatchewan Roughriders claimed the top prize in convincing fashion over Hamilton but what did we learn from this year’s classic.

I can tell you what I learned, in no particular order.

– Regina puts on a party like nobody’s business and you didn’t need to be a football fan to appreciate the week.

– Thousands of football fans will sit in cold weather to watch the backs of the half time entertainment but only if there are snowmobile riders doing jumps and flips with their machines.

– The Rider players have pity on the fans at the stadium and at home who can’t wait for the drawn out introductions and take the field after one player is introduced. As if the people don’t know who they are by this time. (Bonus to the preceding was it took away air time from Rod Black).

– Riders head coach Corey Chamblin outcoached Hamilton’s Kent Austin from start to finish. He had an answer to what the Ticats were doing on both sides of the ball and Austin came with no running game in late November and no clue how to stop one.

– Hedley is pretty good and those kids could go somewhere in the music world but they’re no Black Eyed Peas (many were grateful).

– Riders offensive line was absolutely crushing the life out of the Ticats d-line all day long and could have played another half of football if they had to.

– Henry Burris was the bad ‘Hank’ and Hamilton should have given Dan LeFevour a sniff even just to shake things up or give Henry a time to recall what game he was in.

– The only muscles Dwight Anderson exercised were in his jaw. I don’t believe he made a tackle all day.

– Riders have set the bar high when it comes to home grown talent and other teams could learn a lesson from that.

– Fans of the NFL seem to make a point of telling anyone who will listen they are not watching the Grey Cup but instead watching the other league. It always happens and nobody who enjoys the CFL for what it is seems to care.

– The colour commentator in the car commercial during the telecast does a better job than Glen Suitor in breaking things down.

– Darian Durant may not be the best QB but he does get his team mates to follow him.

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