(Unfortunately It's) A Prairie Grey Cup?

I think this Grey Cup story has legs - might as well hitch my wagon to it.

Anyway, everything not in brackets in my title was the title of Stephen Brunt's article in today's Globe and Mail - A Prairie Grey Cup. A more misleading title this could not have been. 2/3rd's of the article dealt with Toronto, 1/3rd dealt with Winnipeg and 0/3rd's dealt with Saskatchewan. I have no desire to get into that old Toronto as the Centre of the Universe argument, the comments on Brunt's article paint a pretty grizzly picture of that whole debate. But I think my title might have been more to the point than Brunt's - and I love Brunt, he's my favorite Canadian sportswriter by far, but not even mentioning one of the two teams in the CFL Championship doesn't seem quite right. However, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and believe that his deadline came before the end of the B.C/Saskatchewan game. Maybe it did, maybe it didn't. But enough of all that.

Cooper and I were just discussing what this game would be like if it were held in either Regina or Winnipeg - he actually emailed me about Brunt's column, which I had already read. So I'll give Cooper the story credit but I'll take the writing credit. And if this Saskatchewan/Winnipeg Grey Cup was held in either, well... Saskatchewan or Winnipeg, I think I can sum up what would happen with this quote:

Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria - Dr. Peter Venkman

Cooper's thought was that the two cities would be left in total financial ruin - due to a complete lack of productivity during the week leading up to the Big Game. I was leaning towards the host city being left in actual ruin. Not because any specific bad behaviour but just from the sheer collective will of both fan bases. But at least the host city, whichever it might be, would actually care about the game - before it was razed to the ground that is. And then possibly sown with salt for good measure. Just like war on terror jokes, you have to use Carthage jokes whenever you get the opportunity.

I suspect that both Saskatchewan and Winnipeg fans will be well represented in Toronto and will make Grey Cup Week interesting - even if nobody from Toronto actually cares.

More than anything I hope that Winnipeg can find a way to keep the game close and actually make it interesting. But honestly, I don't see that happening. Saskatchewan is riding a wave of good karma and better play and have become a force akin to Lex Luger after he body slammed Yokozuna on the deck of the U.S.S Intrepid - sadly it appears no video of this seminal moment in human history exists.

Is it too early for predictions?

Saskatchewan 28 - Winnipeg 13