Grey Cup a fantastic experience

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/11/2023 (662 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

HAMILTON — It started out as a Christmas present.

Chris Murash bought her husband Terry, a diehard Winnipeg Blue Bombers fan, a trip for two to the 2007 Grey Cup in Toronto.

The Blue and Gold ended up making it to the big game, but it’s one most Bombers fans wish they could forget.

For those that need a refresher, it was the year quarterback Kevin Glenn broke his arm in the East Final which forced the Bombers to give backup Ryan Dinwiddie the near impossible task of trying to win the Grey Cup in his first career CFL start.

The Bombers defence played lights out, but it wasn’t enough: the Saskatchewan Roughriders prevailed 23-19.

Despite the traumatic loss, Chris and Terry fell in love with the whole experience and haven’t missed one since.

They’re in Hamilton this week for Sunday’s 110th Grey Cup featuring the Bombers and the Montreal Alouettes.

“It’s just a great event to meet people all across Canada. Everybody’s friendly,” said Chris, 62, moments after the Bomber House team party kicked off Friday afternoon at the Hamilton Convention Centre.

“When you consider the amount of alcohol that’s consumed at this event, I’ve never seen a fight. Never. No matter who you’re cheering for, everybody’s friends until gametime.”

Terry, 61, admits his wife is now more devoted to the Bombers than he is. On Friday Chris was rocking a team jacket and a blue cowboy hat featuring pins from 15 years of Grey Cups.

“When I met her, she said there wouldn’t be a day in hell that she would go outside in the cold for a football game,” said Terry while wearing a Zach Collaros No. 8 jersey.

“Now, when it’s cold, I’ll stay home and watch it on TV, but she’ll say ‘No, we’re going to the game.’”

Raelene Robertson and Charlene Larsen, who were browsing the team’s pop-up gift shop at the party, have been friends for 30 years and are no strangers to Grey Cup week either. Robertson, 58, has been going every year since 2003 and Larsen has been to 12.

“I’ve been a Bombers season-ticket holder since 1987. In that whole time, I’ve missed two games. One was because a friend had a wedding. Like pfft, they should’ve planned better,” said Robertson with a grin.

Larsen lived in Winnipeg for 25 years but now resides in London, Ont., which is a 90-minute drive from Hamilton. Her favourite team is playing for a third championship in four seasons and she couldn’t be happier that kickoff is near her new home.

“It doesn’t even matter if our team isn’t in it. It’s about fans, it’s about commitment to the CFL,” said Larsen, 62.

Bomberland is loving the run their team is currently on. Riderville, not so much. That hasn’t stopped the green jerseys from checking out this week’s festivities, though. Travis Currah, a 35-year-old who grew up in Lloydminster, Sask., was hanging out at the Grey Cup Music Festival Thursday afternoon in a Riders jersey and hat.

This year stings as both quarterbacks — Collaros and Montreal pivot Cody Fajardo — are former Riders. Alouettes head coach Jason Maas was also fired as Saskatchewan’s offensive co-ordinator last season.

“I feel good for Cody, though. It ended badly in Regina, but all of sudden, he’s won seven in a row with Montreal and they’re back in the big game,” said Currah.

“I’m kind of tired of seeing Winnipeg win, to be honest.”

Rob Solmundson, 51, attended his first Grey Cup in Calgary 2019 when the Bombers snapped a 28-year championship drought. He was also there last year in Regina when the Bombers fell to the Toronto Argonauts.

Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter

Mike McIntyre | On Sports

Thursdays

Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter.

Sign up for Mike McIntyre | On Sports

Sign Up

I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

Solmundson won’t have to dress as warm as he did on his previous two trips as Sunday is supposed to be a high of 4 C.

“We only bought our tickets last minute, and to be honest, one of the factors was taking a peek and seeing what the weather was going to be like,” said Solmundson on Thursday.

“… This is something really, really special here as we’re just walking around in hoodies.”

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

X: @taylorallen31

Taylor Allen
Reporter

Taylor Allen is a sports reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. Taylor was the Vince Leah intern in the Free Press newsroom twice while earning his joint communications degree/diploma at the University of Winnipeg and Red River College Polytechnic. He signed on full-time in 2019 and mainly covers the Blue Bombers, curling, and basketball. Read more about Taylor.

Every piece of reporting Taylor produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.