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  • The CFL Game on a Frozen Shrunken Field

    Today I want to talk about fields. Canadian football fields, that is. There is still a lot of chatter about the CFL’s decision to adjust its field size in 2027, adopting a 100-yard-long field with 15-yard end zones. Previously, I have written about early Canadian football being played on 100-yard fields in the past. And there have been exhibition games played on similar length fields such as the 1992 game in Portland, Oregon.

    But what if I told you there was a CFL game played on a 90-yard-long field? Yes, 90 yards. And ten-yard end zones. Say what? This was no exhibition match, either; rather it was a regular season CFL game that counted in the standings. It happened on Sunday November 3, 1991 in Winnipeg for a game between the Blue Bombers and the Edmonton Eskimos.

    Column by Pat Doyle in the Winnipeg Sun about the CFL game on a shortened field (4 November 1991).
    Column by Pat Doyle in the Winnipeg Sun about the CFL game on a shortened field (4 November 1991).

    Thanks to a blizzard the previous day, the turf at Winnipeg Stadium was left covered in snow and ice. Although crews had worked diligently through the night, the field was still deemed too dangerous in the end zones and along the sidelines. So, a decision was made to modify the field dimensions in the name of player safety.

    More coverage in the Winnipeg Sun by Ed Tait and Darron Hargreaves (4 November 1991).
    More coverage in the Winnipeg Sun by Ed Tait and Darron Hargreaves (4 November 1991).

    After consulting with the two teams, the CFL reduced the length of the playing surface to only 90 yards. End zones were reduced to ten yards. And the goal posts were placed in the back of the end zone. The width of the field was also reduced to just 58 yards. Ironically there were concerns players would run into the goal posts at the back of the end zones.

    Article by Cam Cole in the Edmonton Journal about the shortened CFL field (4 November 1991).
    Article by Cam Cole in the Edmonton Journal about the shortened CFL field (4 November 1991).

    Both Winnipeg and Edmonton made the best of the less-than-ideal situation, though. In the end, Edmonton emerged as victors, winning 28-18 to secure first placed in the Western Division.

    So, as we football fans continue to debate the CFL’s pending field dimensions in 2027 let us remember the day the league played on a frozen shrunken field back in 1991.

    Sources:
    Edmonton Journal, 4 November 1991
    Ottawa Citizen, 4 November 1991
    Winnipeg Sun, 4 November 1991

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  • Argos Beat Lions 68-43 in CFL’s Highest Scoring Game

    Previously I wrote about the lowest scoring game in Canadian Football League history. Yes, that 1-0 doozy back in 1966. But what about the CFL’s highest scoring game? Ever since I’ve been a fan, CFL offences have been known to really rack up the points. This was no truer than on September 1, 1990 when the Toronto Argonauts hosted the BC Lions.

    Advertisement in the Toronto Star promoting the Toronto-BC game. (Toronto Star, 30 August 1990).
    Advertisement in the Toronto Star promoting the Toronto-BC game. The quarterback matchup of the season didn’t materialize (Toronto Star, 30 August 1990).

    To kick off the Labour Day weekend, the Argos hosted the Lions at the SkyDome. The Double Blue were led by quarterback Matt Dunigan who was making his first start after missing five games due to a leg injury. Dunigan had been traded to Toronto from BC earlier in the year, so he was playing against his former team.

    Leading the BC offence was Doug Flutie, who was the league’s new marquee player in 1990. The Lions were owned by Murray Pezim at the time and were a team somewhat in disarray. A few days before the game Pezim had publicly threatened to fire both General Manager Joe Kapp and Head Coach Lary Kuharich.

    Toronto Star article by Rick Matsumoto about the Argos' 68-43 win over BC (Toronto Star, 2 September 1990).
    Toronto Star article by Rick Matsumoto about the Argos’ 68-43 win over BC (Toronto Star, 2 September 1990).

    Dunigan struggled early (his first play was intercepted) but found his footing and ended up passing for 285 yards and three touchdowns. Receiver Darrel Smith scored two of those touchdowns. Other Toronto highlights included a 56-yard punt return for a touchdown by Michael “Pinball” Clemons and four field goals by kicker Lance Chomyc. Ricky Foggie, who had followed Dunigan from BC to Toronto, ran for a touchdown and passed for one, as well.

    Game summary (Toronto Star, 2 September 1990).
    Game summary (Toronto Star, 2 September 1990).

    By the end of the night Toronto put up a whopping 68 points. 22 of these points were scored within a three minute span in the second quarter, thanks largely to two BC turnovers. The 31,000 fans at the SkyDome who witnessed the wild shootout left happy.

    The Lions, on the hand, struggled. Flutie went 0-6 in passing attempts and was replaced by veteran Joe Paopao. But in the second half, Flutie redeemed himself by passing for three touchdowns. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to catch the Argos. The Lions’ 43 points was still well short.

    With the win, Toronto improved to 4-5 on the season. BC dropped to 2-6-1, last place in the Western division.

    Sources:
    Toronto Star, 2 September 1990

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  • Grey Cup Stolen in Ottawa in 1969

    Just weeks after beating Saskatchewan to win it the Ottawa Rough Riders lost the Grey Cup. To thieves. On December 20, 1969, a bandit (or bandits) snatched the Grey Cup trophy from the Riders’ offices at Lansdowne Park.

    News article in the Ottawa Citizen about the Grey Cup being stolen (22 December 1969).
    News article in the Ottawa Citizen about the Grey Cup being stolen (22 December 1969).

    Ottawa police were quick to suspect the heist was more or less a prank given the monetary value of the trophy. The Grey Cup was reportedly worth a mere $50. That’s only $425 in today’s dollars. While the sentimental value was much higher, because there were more valuable trophies and items left behind, the “prank” theory made sense.

    Canadian Press article in the Toronto Star about the Grey Cup being stolen (22 December 1969).
    Canadian Press article in the Toronto Star about the Grey Cup being stolen (22 December 1969).

    It was actually the second time that the Grey Cup was stolen. Just two years earlier, pranksters stole the Grey Cup from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, only to have it reappear a few days later.

    Ottawa police continued their investigation well into the new year. I got a chuckle at some of the coverage in the Ottawa Citizen, including this Dragnet parody of the saga. Dragnet was a popular TV show at the time.

    Dragnet parody about the missing Grey Cup in the Ottawa Citizen (22 December 1969).
    Dragnet parody about the missing Grey Cup in the Ottawa Citizen (22 December 1969).

    A columnist in the Ottawa Journal had their own fun with the situation.

    Ottawa Journal column with some light-hearted humour when it comes to the Grey Cup's disappearance (6 January 1970).
    Ottawa Journal column with some light-hearted humour when it comes to the Grey Cup’s disappearance (6 January 1970).
    Cartoon in the Ottawa Citizen poking fun at the Grey Cup's disappearance around Christmas in 1969 (23 December 1969).
    Cartoon in the Ottawa Citizen poking fun at the Grey Cup’s disappearance around Christmas in 1969 (23 December 1969).

    The investigation generated plenty of rumours and several dead ends. It wasn’t until mid-February that the missing Grey Cup was finally found. After receiving an anonymous tip, Earl Grey’s trophy was found unscathed in a storage locker at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto. Before returning the trophy to the CFL, Toronto police jokingly affixed a sticker in the place reserved for the 1970 champion which read: Metro Police ETF Emergency Task Force.

    Continuing coverage in the Ottawa Citizen looking for the missing Grey Cup (10 February 1970)
    Continuing coverage in the Ottawa Citizen looking for the missing Grey Cup (10 February 1970).
    Canadian Press article in the Kingston Whig-Standard (11 February 1970).
    Canadian Press article in the Kingston Whig-Standard (11 February 1970).
    Grey Cup found! Article in the Hamilton Spectator (17 February 1970).
    Grey Cup found! Article in the Hamilton Spectator (17 February 1970).

    The CFL immediately turned over the Grey Cup to the Montreal Trust Company for safekeeping in a vault. Alas, the Grey Cup – the symbol of excellence in Canadian football – was safe and secure. As far as I can tell, that’s the end of the story. Police never did find the thief.

    Sources:
    Hamilton Spectator, 17 February 1970
    Kingston Whig-Standard, 11 February 1970
    Ottawa Citizen, 22 December 1969
    Ottawa Citizen, 23 December 1969
    Ottawa Citizen, 26 December 1969
    Ottawa Journal, 6 January 1970
    Toronto Star, 22 December 1969

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  • Matt Dunigan Passes for a Record 713 Yards

    On July 14, 1994, fans attending the CFL game at Winnipeg Stadium were in for quite the night. In a rematch of the previous year’s Grey Cup, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers hosted the Edmonton Eskimos. Edmonton had beaten Winnipeg in that game and were the defending Grey Cup champions. No doubt the Winnipeg faithful were eager for revenge.

    Matt Dunigan
    Winnipeg Quarterback Matt Dunigan (Winnipeg Sun)

    The game featured two of the CFL’s best quarterbacks at the time. Edmonton’s offence was led by Damon Allen. Leading the charge for Winnipeg was Matt Dunigan. Two future hall of famers.

    Dunigan’s go-to receiver on this night was clearly Alfred Jackson. Jackson, who previously played on defence, caught seven passes for 325 yards. He ended up scoring four touchdowns in the game. Winnipeg was up only 7-3 after the first quarter. It was during the second quarter when Dunigan and the Bombers really ramped up the aerial attack. Dunigan had already passed for over 300 yards by halftime. The dominance continued throughout the second half. After the final whistle, the game was over.

    Account of the record-setting game by Ed Tait in the Winnipeg Sun.
    Account of the record-setting game by Ed Tait in the Winnipeg Sun.

    Final score. Winnipeg 50 Edmonton 35. And a new record. Matt Dunigan passed for 713 yards, breaking the CFL record for most yards passed in a single game and easily surpassing Danny Barrett’s 601-yard record set just one year earlier.

    Game stats (Winnipeg vs. Edmonton) in the Winnipeg Sun.
    Game stats (Winnipeg vs. Edmonton) in the Winnipeg Sun.

    Here are some of the quotes that appeared in the newspapers that help put the spectacular performance in perspective:

    “That’s a lot of yards. Oh my, that’s a lot. That’s about as well as I’ve ever seen anyone play.”
    – Winnipeg Head Coach Cal Murphy

    “That was impressive. When Matt is hot, he is dynamite.”
    – Edmonton Head Coach Ron Lancaster, a former quarterback himself

    “Something happened out there. I don’t know what it was. They were catching everything. I was throwing everything. It just happened.”
    – Matt Dunigan

    “They were ungodly numbers…I’ve never seen anything like that.”
    – Winnipeg Offensive Coordinator Mike Kelly

    By the way, the record still stands.

    Fred Greenslade's photo of Chris Walby picking up Matt Dunigan appeared on the front page of the Winnipeg Sun on July 15, 1994.
    Fred Greenslade’s photo of Chris Walby picking up Matt Dunigan appeared on the front page of the Winnipeg Sun on July 15, 1994.

    One of my favourite quarterbacks to play the game is Matt Dunigan. His style of play was so exciting to watch. The man played quarterback like a linebacker.

    I was over the moon when he joined the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1996. After one particular game, we fans were invited onto the field to meet the players and get autographs.

    Of course, I like everyone else made a beeline towards Dunigan. I was a tall, lanky first year university student. When I finally made it to the table where Dunigan was sitting, he looked up and remarked at my height. He then stood up and came to the other side of the table to stand next to me. Towering over him by several inches he looked up and said something along the lines of “that’s how I like my receivers.”

    Sources:
    Winnipeg Sun, 15 July 1994

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  • New Canadian Football League Kicks Off in Winnipeg, No Interlocking Schedule Just Yet

    On August 14, 1958, the Canadian Football League played its first-ever game with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers hosting the Edmonton Eskimos at Winnipeg Stadium. The new CFL was founded earlier in the year when the Canadian Football Council withdrew from the Canadian Rugby Union to become a completely separate entity, renaming itself the “Canadian Football League” in the process.

    The 1958 WIFU schedule (Edmonton Journal, 14 August 1958).
    The 1958 WIFU schedule (Edmonton Journal, 14 August 1958).

    One thing that stands out to me is the general lack of branding around the “CFL” moniker in the news coverage. Most news articles of the day stick to the established Western Interprovincial Football Union (WIFU) and Interprovincial Rugby Football Union (IRFU)/Big Four branding when covering the new league.

    Advertisement for radio broadcasts of the first CFL games (Regina Leader-Post, 14 August 1958).
    Advertisement for radio broadcasts of the first CFL games (Regina Leader-Post, 14 August 1958).

    For all intents and purposes, the CFL was a new league in name only. The Big Four and the WIFU were still their own entities under CFL umbrella, and they maintained a high degree of independence still. While the rules of the game were uniform, the western clubs played 16 regular season games (four games against each opponent in the division) while the eastern clubs played 14 games. When it came to the playoffs, the western final was a best two out of three series while the eastern final was a two-game total point series.

    Canadian Press article about lack of interlocking schedule for the new CFL. (St. Catharines Standard, 8 August 1958).
    Canadian Press article about lack of interlocking schedule for the new CFL. (St. Catharines Standard, 8 August 1958).

    I also find it a bit humorous that from the onset of the CFL’s conception, the teams were at odds over adopting an interlocking schedule. It appears Montreal and Ottawa both initially opposed the implementation of an interlocking schedule. I guess self-interest and lack of big picture vision have always been built into the CFL’s DNA. It wasn’t until 1961 that the CFL finally adopted a partial interlocking schedule. Until then, the only time the east played the west was in the Grey Cup.

    Article about the Ottawa Rough Riders and Montreal being opposed to an interlocking schedule in 1958 (Ottawa Citizen, 6 August 1958)
    Article about the Ottawa Rough Riders and Montreal being opposed to an interlocking schedule in 1958 (Ottawa Citizen, 6 August 1958).

    Now, back to that historic CFL debut in Winnipeg. The Bombers and Edmonton were seen as two powerhouses in the WIFU. In a rematch of the previous year’s western final, a crowd of 18,206 watched Winnipeg rush for 364 yards to overpower their rival. Here’s how the Edmonton Journal reported the game:

    Account of the first CFL game (Edmonton Journal, 15 August 1958)
    Account of the first CFL game (Edmonton Journal, 15 August 1958)

    Final score. Winnipeg 29 Edmonton 21.

    Sources:
    Edmonton Journal, 14 August 1958
    Edmonton Journal, 15 August 1958
    Ottawa Citizen, 6 August 1958
    Regina Leader-Post, 14 August 1958
    Regina Leader-Post, 15 August 1958
    St. Catharines Standard, 8 August 1958

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