Saskatchewan Roughriders Capture 2013 Grey Cup

By - Brad Heerschop

While my American friends are preparing for Thanksgiving and the NFL action that accompanies it, north of the border, football season has come to an end.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders took home the 101st Grey Cup on Sunday evening, in a 45-23 route of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. This year's Grey Cup was only Saskatchewan's fourth in their entire 103-year existence. This was the first time the two clubs had squared off in the big game since 1989. It also was the third-straight won by a team in front of their home crowd.

Photo by: Don Healy

Largely accomplished on the shoulders of running back Kory Sheets, the game was never really in question. Despite unseasonal warm temperatures of -2 C (28 F), Saskatchewan kept the ball on the ground for a large portion of the contest, with Sheets running all over the Ti-Cats to the tune of 197 yards and 2 scores. The 28-year-old was awarded MVP while setting the Grey Cup rushing yards record.

While Hamilton fans may have left wanting more, the victory was more than deserved for the Saskatchewan fan base.

In North America's second-smallest football market (Green Bay being the smallest), the Roughriders earned the pleasure of winning their second Grey Cup in the last 6 years, but this time they did it for the first time ever in their own building.

Mosaic Stadium was electric for the game, but it's not exactly like excessive noise in that building is anything new. Fans in the prairie province of Saskatchewan are raucous, notorious travelers, and are unequivocally the loudest and best fan base in the entire league.

The crowd of 44,710 that packed into the building formerly known as Taylor Field would have counted as the third-largest city in Saskatchewan. Here's some perspective for you; Saskatchewan would be the third-largest state in the United States in area, just barely smaller than Texas. Its population? Just over 1.1 million people.

The reputation of Riders fans precedes them. Growing up in Calgary, Alberta, our local Stampeders have long been rivals with Saskatchewan. The amount of green seen in an otherwise red building each and every time the Roughriders are in town never ceases to amaze me.

Is Football's All-Time Passing Leader Not Cut Out For the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

By - Brad Heerschop

It has long been a discussion as to whether or not Canadian Football League (CFL) players should be honored in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. However, it is well known that CFL players will not be inducted unless their NFL achievements have made it possible.

That said, the name in itself lends to the thought process that all "pro" football players with lifetimes of unheralded accolades and achievements should be considered for Canton. So why then shouldn't Anthony Calvillo, football's all-time passing leader, be given a nod into those hallowed walls?

Photo by: Olivier Jean

Calvillo, currently of the CFL's Montreal Alouettes, has thrown for a staggering 78,494 yards during the course of his career, which places him well ahead of Brett Favre's NFL record of 71,838 yards. Calvillo ranks second in all-time passing touchdowns with 449, has a career completion percentage of 62.5% and boasts an incredible quarterback rating of 95.9. He has won 3 Grey Cups (the CFL's equivalent of the Super Bowl) in 2002, 2009 and 2010, and was named the game's MVP in 2002. Calvillo has also received the CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award on three separate occasions (2003, 2008 and 2009) and has been named a CFL All-Star 10 times.

Bear in mind that Calvillo is still active when considering this already long list of notable achievements.

On the other hand, people would argue that the CFL has their own Hall of Fame, and thus, their players should not be eligible for the Pro Football one.

In addition to that, the CFL is a pass-first league, due to the much larger field. Calvillo's incredible numbers can be attributed to a few key components: Not only is the field 10 yards longer than the standard 100 yard field we are used to, but it is also 65 yards wide, compared to the 53 and 1/3 yard fields of the NFL. The extra size of the field allows for many more options and views downfield for a CFL quarterback. Add to this the fact that the CFL has 12 men on the field at a time, giving Calvillo an extra option on every passing down.

One could argue as well that the defenses that Calvillo dissects are much more susceptible to breakdowns in coverage than those in the NFL.

To top things off there are 18 games per season, compared to only 16 in the NFL, again giving the edge to the quarterbacks of the CFL.

Anthony Calvillo Becomes Professional Football's All-Time Passing Yards Leader

By - Kris Fletcher

With a 50-yard completion to Jamel Richardson yesterday against the Toronto Argonauts, Montreal Alouettes quarterback Anthony Calvillo became pro football's new all-time passing yards leader.

Photo by: Peter J. Thompson

The eighteen-year Canadian Football League veteran eclipsed the 72,381 yard record set by Damon Allen back in 2007. It was the third time this season that Calvillo broke one of Allen's records against the retired QB's former team. Calvillo also set new marks for touchdown passes and completions earlier this year.

Entering Monday's contest, Calvillo needed 258 yards to break the record. He ended up with 305 yards, completing 23 of his 39 attempts.