The Fall Classic

   That's the Holy Grail of Canadian football, the Grey Cup. And Sunday the Calgary Stampeders play the Hamilton Tiger Cats at Vancouver's B.C Place for the whole enchilada. That's November 30th, by the way, and I happen to feel (along with quite a few others) that the Championship Game is played too late in the year.
   With the exception of Vancouver and Toronto, all CFL stadiums are open-air. That's fine in spring, summer and fall, but not so nice in winter. Yes, I know there are a lot of purists out there who say cold, snowy conditions are all part of the game. But there are also lots of folks who'd rather not sit shivering in the cold. I did a quick check of all CFL cities to find out what conditions will be like Sunday. Here's what I found (and keep in mind, the temperatures are daytime highs, not at kick-off, 6:00 p.m Eastern). Edmonton: Sunny and -13. Calgary: Sunny and -15. Regina: Sunny and -22. Winnipeg: A few clouds and -20. Hamilton: Rain and 12. Ottawa: Rain and 9. Montreal: Rain and 8. And the rain and plus temperatures are not normal for this time of year down east.
   So, what's been suggested is starting the season a month earlier, and have the Grey Cup at the end of October. To me, it makes sense. Start training camp in late April or early May and start the regular season in June, rather than July. That would mean the weather would be considerably better, and the CFL season wouldn't conflict as much with the NFL.
   Will this happen? I don't know, but if anyone wants to, you can add my voice to those saying "yes" to the proposal.
   And, for the record, I'll be cheering for Calgary Sunday.

TTFN