Grey Cup Broken Again In Post Game Celebrations
Posted November 20, 2006 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It’s the most treasured icon in all of Canadian football.
So why is the Grey Cup the Rodney Dangerfield of sports trophies?
In the late and legendary comedian’s grammatically incorrect words, it “can’t get no respect, no respect at all.”
The latest proof came Sunday, when the B.C. Lions took the prize with a 25-14 win over the Montreal Alouettes in Winnipeg.
As the storied symbol was being passed over to Lions’ guard Kelly Bates, it broke in two, with the bowl that rests on top becoming separated from the base.
“I just started shaking it and it snapped,” the 296-pound player shrugs. “What are you going to do?”
The incident didn’t seem to faze him in the least. “I’m still happy, they’ll put it back together and we’ll go get drunk out of it,” he laughs.
It’s the latest indignity the Grey Cup has had to endure since it was first awarded to the top Canadian rugby football champions in 1909. (The U. of T. won the inaugural award that year.)
Since then, it has been set on fire, held for ransom, forgotten about in post game parties, left behind in hotels, and broken in pieces in both 1987 and 1993.
And now this.
It’s a pretty shabby way to treat such an iconic treasure, but by now CFL fans are used to the indignity. And not even warnings to players seem to make any difference.
“I do remember when I had it in ’98 that they told you not to grab it by the handles,” remembers Lions quarterback Dave Dickenson. “So obviously we didn’t get enough education before we handled it this time.”
Toronto fans are hoping the trophy meets with a little more dignity next year, regardless of whether the Argos are in the finals or not. The 2007 Grey Cup will be played here at the Rogers Centre.
