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First & Goal

Trophy names bear CFL heritage; let's recognize league's legends

By: Ed Tait

4/11/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 8

Calgary Stampeder Nik Lewis's TD celebration last week in Vancouver was an absolute CFL classic, definitely worthy of another look on the web.

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Calgary Stampeder Nik Lewis's TD celebration last week in Vancouver was an absolute CFL classic, definitely worthy of another look on the web. (GRANT BLACK / CANWEST NEWS SERVICE ARCHIVES)

Five storylines that jumped out while observing the past week of Canadian Football League action:

1 A personal pet peeve yours truly needs to spit out here...

Over the next few weeks leading up to the Grey Cup, the CFL will announce the team and divisional nominees for the Most Outstanding Player Awards. They are important, obviously, for the honour they bring to the individuals and may also put some more coin in their jeans if they have bonuses for such awards included in their contracts.

But what frosts our backside is how so much of the history of this grand league is forgotten at this time of year instead of trumpeted. And here's what we mean:

Does anybody, including media hacks like myself, know that the winner of the top defensive player award in the West Division is awarded the Norm Fieldgate Trophy? Or that former Bomber Jeff Nicklin, who died in action in the Second World War, has a trophy named after him?

It's up to the league to pay tribute to the past players who have these awards named in their honour because, as has been repeated often in this space, if the CFL doesn't honour its history, who will? To that end, let's starting hyping these awards and the people after which they are named. Namely...

"ö Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy: West Division most outstanding player;

"ö Terry Evanshen Trophy: East Division most outstanding player;

"ö Norm Fieldgate Trophy: top defensive player in West;

"ö James P. McCaffrey Trophy: top defensive player in East;

"ö Jackie Parker Trophy: West top rookie;

"ö Frank M. Gibson Trophy: top rookie in East;

"ö DeMarco-Becket Memorial Trophy: top O-lineman, West;

"ö Leo Dandurand Trophy: top O-lineman, East;

"ö Dr. Beattie Martin Trophy: top Canadian, West;

"ö Lew Hayman Trophy: top Canadian, East;

"ö Dave Dryburgh Memorial Trophy: West top scorer;

"ö Eddie James Memorial Trophy: top rusher in West.

 

2 AND while we're on the topic, further to the above...

Love the idea TSN's Chris Cuthbert and Glen Suitor were tossing around the other night about instituting more trophies -- leading passer, receiver, quarterback-sack leader, etc. -- and naming them after the legends of the game. The Ron Lancaster Award, George Reid Trophy and Milt Stegall Shield all have a cool ring to them, don't you think?

 

3 FAVOURITE moment from last week was watching the hilarious TD celebration of Calgary receiver Nik Lewis after he found the end zone for the first time in Vancouver. Lewis, the gregarious Stampeder slotback, stared at the ball in his hands as if he didn't know what it was and how it got there (check out the clip at: http://watch.tsn.ca/cfl-news-and-highlights/clip230659#clip230054).

Lewis also suggested on the sideline that TSN do a special on his first TD of the year and bake him a cake. Priceless.

Lewis was on pace to setting an unofficial record for the most receiving yards by a player in a single season without scoring a touchdown. Saskatchewan's Chris DeFrance had 696 yards and no TDs in 1985. Lewis has 64 catches for 948 yards and now one TD.

 

4 NOT sure how this will play out, but we'd kill to be able to sit in on CFL governors' meetings this winter as Argo owners David Cynamon and Howard Sokolowski pitch their idea of revenue-sharing to the seven other teams. The two businessmen have run the Argos with a great deal of class, even though the on-field product sucks. And now with the Buffalo Bills already muscling into their territory -- the CFL's biggest and most important -- their fight in that market becomes even tougher.

"It's not getting any easier," Cynamon told Citytv in Toronto. "One day there might be an NFL team full-time in Toronto and if that happens we'd better be prepared for it. That's what Howard and I are saying, that we need the league to help us be prepared for that."

The CFL's gate-equalization plan was dumped in 1993 and, understandably, teams that have fought to build their business in their own markets are reluctant to give up a chunk of that to the Argos.

 

5 AND, finally, an idea that could help compensate the Argos in their effort to remain relevant in southern Ontario: Why not use all the money raised from the fines of Mike Kelly as part of the subsidization? And, just for the record, Kelly said Tuesday he has received $203.69 from fans wanting to help him cover the $2,000 fine he was hit with earlier in the week for his "continued pattern of disrespectful behaviour toward the media."

Go figure.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 4, 2009 C3

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8 Commentscomment icon

One other thing, Ed, you do know that the money being donated by fans for the "fine fund" will be given to charity (likely the Never Alone Foundation).

They say that respect should be earned, not given and IMO most of the Winnipeg media don't deserve respect. I, for one, might respect them more if they admitted their mistakes and stopped being so overly dependent on unnamed sources. Perhaps the comments editor could explain why we so rarely see corrections in the sports section. I know myself and others have emailed proof of an error directly to some of your reporters, they've thanked us for pointing out the mistake but we have yet to see even one notice of correction. You do it in the news section, why not the sports?

I guess Mike Reinbold is one of those with his panties in a bunch. Nothing wrong with putting the media or whiny fans in their place. Mike Kelly is refreshing, honest and a good guy. Love having him as the coach. And even though he overreacted to the comments after the last game....It wasn't really a big deal.
For God sake Winnipeg, lighten up and have some fun

O ya Elizabeth,,you are the one who has the crush on that ignorant, overrated, no credentialed sociopath...how cute. Manx07, yeah, that is really good proof that he has the locker room, if it was me, I'd write BAD stuff about my boss on my company's website???!!!! Grow up...how pathetic. Running around the offices with a can asking for donations from staff....real hero like...I'm sure the people making 20K just loved that. Can not wait until he is gone...and we can become professional once again....wow what an improvement this year,,unprecedented......Go Kevin Glenn go !!!

I think its a case of the media reaping what it has sown. They have been against him from the start, you included and especially Mitch. I know players have also kicked into his fund. I personally don't care nor take offense to what he says about the media. Not sure why so many fans do either. But for those that doubt he has the locker room should read Sideeq Shibazz's forum comments. It's obvious the players love and respect him and I think that is more important.

It was a good column...right up to the last paragraph...
Whitey...right on!!

Whitey....are you really that ignorant, or just pretending? You can disagree with someone and still be respectful...the pattern of disrespect with kelly is unprecedented. It has nothing to do with agreeing or not agreeing. His juvenile tactics are embarassing to all involved....do you throw a 'hissy fit' everytime someone disagrees with you? Maybe you do....sad, real sad.

Just because Kelly doesn't agree with the media, it doesn't mean he's disrespectful. Come on you people in the media get the knot out of your shorts.

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