It is also one of the favourite sports in Canada, alongside hockey, curling, and lacrosse. The League comprises nine teams, divided into two divisions, four teams in the East and five in the West Divison. The game is very famous and loved not only by adults but also by kids and teenagers.
The League gained so much popularity these days that big admirers are even making sports bets on Canadian online casinos or play games with a sports theme. We can’t deny that this can also occur thanks to the casino bonuses offered and the entertainment but the football league certainly has a great impact on them.
Even if you’re a big fan, there are still some things that you might not know about your favourite sport. If the curiosity knocks on your door, scroll down to discover some fun facts and release some dopamine in this process (yes, curiosity does release dopamine)!
1950’s
The 1950s was a transitional decade for this sport. Colour TV was initiated in 1950 and the first year of Grey Cup was broadcasted on television, in 1952. The only station to air the game live was CBLT Toronto, which was paid for the rights with $7500 by CBC.
The Grey Cup game was named the “Mud Bowl” and was held in Vancouver two times and eight times in Toronto. During that period, Toronto and B.C. only combined for two appearances.
In the same year, the West approved a third playoff team and played the first professional playoff game under the lights, at night. Also, the use of a helmet became compulsory only a year before 1950. Even the value of the touchdown changed during this decade, in 1952 to be more exact, from 5 to 6 points.
Football field
The Canadian football field is covered entirely in glass and wire. Since so many balls got caught in the overhead wires, in 1947 CFL cancelled the post-score kickoffs in favour of a jump-ball.
In the NFL, there’re three ways for the team to score: safety, touchdown, or field goal. Unlike NFL, the CFL has thousands of permutations possible, points and fractions being granted for what could appear to be the same play.
The post-score “extra point” is rated as 65 points and it is rewarded if the coach of the team can toss the ball into an apple crate from the center field.
The most watched game of the Grey Cup was on November 29, 2009, at McMahon Stadium, which was built in 1960, in only 103 days. The Montreal Alouettes beat the Saskatchewan Roughriders by just a single point.
Teams
The CFL teams are selected by the local fan-base, similar to the Canadian parliamentary elections. Another result of a vote is the annual Grey Cup champion.
You might have heard the peculiar fact that at some point two teams were named the Rough Riders, but it was just a little misunderstanding. A team was named “Saskatchewan Roughriders” and the other, “Ottawa Rough Riders”. Both of them are relics of an ill-fated league-wide sponsorship by a condom producer that required every CFL team to be named the Rough Riders for Francophone Canada and the Roughriders for Anglophone Canada.
A few other interesting facts about CFL
Back in 1995, the movie star and former WWE wrestler Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson has spent time on the Stampeders practice roster as a defensive lineman. Unfortunately, he was cut after just two months.
The award for the CFL Most Outstanding Player was given to the running back Jon Cornish in 2013, making him the first Canadian to win that award since Tony Gabriel in 1978.
In 1962, the “Fog Bowl” Grey Cup was played over the course of two days, as a consequence of very bad weather conditions. The same Cup was stolen from Lansdowne Park in Ottawa and was held for ransom for two full months before it was recovered and returned safely.
The well-known Canadian Football League has made some changes of its own over the years, not only modifying the name of the Cup into Fog Bowl but also the value of the touchdown. They even had some tough times, being required to play the first professional playoff at night and the Grey Cup over the course of two days, not to mention losing the so famous Cup. We’re glad everything turned out just great and that the sport keeps on being adored by the public of all ages.
