Thoughts on Ex-Lions winning the Grey Cup

[cromartie]

Don't really care, and don't understand people that do. I found it pathetic, for example, when Ray Bourque brought the Stanley Cup back to Boston - the cup he won as a member of the Avalanche. Not so much for Ray, but for the fans who cheered him on at personal appearances.

[Robbie]

Perhaps to some extent, some Lions fans were happy to see Jim Evanson capture the Grey Cup with Ottawa in 1973.

What I'm trying to do is to see if there is an analogous situation as that of Ray Bourque in the CFL. I say with absolute certainty that Boston Bruins fans were certainly not indifferent to see their longtime hero finally lift the elusive Cup.



Bourque took the Cup to Boston where thousands of Bruins fans showed up to congratulate him at a rally. And even though he only played 1.5 seasons in Colorado, the Avalanche felt that those 1.5 years were significant enough for them to retire his #77 as well.

Can there (or has there) ever be an analogous case in the CFL?

Although it doesn't involve a case of changing teams, I'd say most Lions fans so so relieved to see Al Wilson hoist the Grey Cup in 1985 for the first time since starting his career in 1972.



I know that some of you will say that this is not a good comparison, but I will say it anyways. Would it be fair to compare Ray Bourque with Paul McCallum? After well over a decade of playing in the CFL, McCallum finally managed to hoist the elusive Grey Cup in 2006 with his MVC performance.



But unlike the Avalanche and Bourque, I really don't think the Lions will retire McCallum's #4 simply because of that one moment.

Or how about Dickenson finally winning the Grey Cup as a starting QB in 2006?

I suppose the best example in the CFL will be that of Milt Stegall. Although Winnipeg made it to the Grey Cup last year, I'm not so confident of their chances of making it to the big game again this year. If two thirds into the season, the Blue Bombers are dead last in their division, will they trade Stegall to a better team (say the Lions ) for a final chance for him to win the elusive Cup?



If such a scenario does play out and he does win the Cup with his new team, I'm sure those in Winnipeg will react the same way Boston did for Bourque and feel very happy for him. I wonder if his new team will retire his #85. :lol:

[lion24]

That's a far out theory Robbie The Bombers will be the strength of the East again and it may be the Lions having more troubles coming out of the West..........maybe we will have to trade Geroy back to the Bombers

[Tighthead]

Don't really care, and don't understand people that do. I found it pathetic, for example, when Ray Bourque brought the Stanley Cup back to Boston - the cup he won as a member of the Avalanche. Not so much for Ray, but for the fans who cheered him on at personal appearances.

Bruins fans quietly being happy for Bourque - understandable.

Cheering him like a returning hero - sad moment for an historical franchise.

[Big Time]

I know Stegall is a Hall of Famer but personality plays a big part of it. Stegall came across in a number of pre and post Grey Cup interviews as a complete jerk. When you really think about it, it's kind of amazing a player can play as long as he has and NOT win a Grey Cup in an 8 team league but I guess their kicker is in the same boat. Either way, unless Stegall is playing for the Lions, I don't want to see him hoisting the Grey Cup any time soon. He does play in the weak East so it's more or less a crap shoot whether he'll be back in the Grey Cup this year. Either way, watching players get traded to championship teams has always struck me as a cheap way to win a championship. At least Paul McCallum earned his Grey Cup with the Lions. I wouldn't feel the same way if he had been traded two thirds of the way through the season to the Lions.

[iso_55]

I saw Milt dress down a local Winnipeg CTV reporter during GC week by basically saying that since he never played pro football he has no right to ask him questions. Or at least doesn't understand how a pro athlete like Milt thinks. When Milt accused him of never playing high level sports, the reporter said he had. Milt asked him where he played. He said the Westen Hockey league... junior hockey. At which point Milt mocked both him & junior hockey at the same time.
To me, that was not a great moment in the professional football life of Milt Stegall. I think it was the lowest point of his career.
Now, I admit that I don't know what the conversation was prior to that, but man... did Milt ever come across as an ass.

[Solar Max]

I recall that interview, iso; wasn't it around mid-August to mid September though? I could be wrong.

Winnipeg fans love Milt regardless of what he says though. They seem to just wipe it from memory when he says something abrasive.

Nice avatar, by the way. Mind if I use it? 8)

[ziggy]

I could see feeling good for a long serving Lion who won the cup with another team. If he had been a good team player active in the community , at the end of his career (last hurrah) and never had a chance to play for a contender. That however rules out all the current Lions so the question is really hypothetical not to mention vague.To use the hockey analogy being bandied about ,I could never cheer for any organization that Pavel Bure was part of, but if it was Linden I could be happy for him. I would also add to that he would have to be playing for a team I did not distain (oh wait that is anyone other than the Lions)and certainly not win the cup over the Lions. If either of those two criteria were not met I wouldn't be happy for him even if he was a close relative!!

[notahomer]

I would have been quite happy for Austin winning a Cup as a Coach if he didn't go through my Lions on the way to winning it.

Another ex-Lions thought I was having. Boy are there some ex-Lions that are now businessmen here in the Lotusland. Benefields Tacos, Mills Paint, Cantor @ Veras Burgers just off the top of my head.

Back to players winning Grey Cups after suiting up for the Leo's the most painful one has got to be Damon Allen/Argo's in 2004. It hurt but they earned it.

[TheLionKing]

Were any of you happy for Paul McCallum winning the cup with BC after flubbing that field goal with the Riders ?

[Solar Max]

Were any of you happy for Paul McCallum winning the cup with BC after flubbing that field goal with the Riders ?

Hmmm...a toughie.

Given the choice of WINNING a Grey Cup, or losing a Grey Cup with Paul McCallum, I would have chosen WINNING one. Hindsight is 20/20 though. Oh and what's "Riders" ?

8)

[Robbie]

Were any of you happy for Paul McCallum winning the cup with BC after flubbing that field goal with the Riders ?

Of course. Why should I have any ill will for McCallum when he indirectly helped BC advance to the 2004 Grey Cup? Besides, despite that blunder, I'm sure we can all agree he still served the Lions much better than O'Mahony did. I have no problem cheering and being happy for "foe turned friends".

I'm sure we were all happy with Less Browne as part of the 1994 team despite the fact that he couldn't properly cover Ned Armour in the 1985 Grey Cup. After the 2000 GC, we were grateful to Allen despite his interception pass in the 1994 WDSF and the fumble in the 1999 WDF. We were grateful to Robert Drummond and his 2000 GC MVP performance despite the fact that with Baltimore, he dropped a near certain TD pass in the 1994 GC. We were all glad to have Bob O'Billovich as Director of Player Personnel in 2006 despite the fact that he was the opposing coach in the 1983 GC and had a horrible 1992 season as Lions HC that costed him his job. The same for Dave Ritchie and his two stints with the team, even though his Blue Bombers easily demolished the Lions in the 2002 WDSF. Finally as the best example, everyone loved Dickenson after his 2006 GC MVP performance despite the fact that as a Stampeder, he beat the Lions in the 1999 WDF, couldn't deliver in the 1999 GC, and lost to the Lions in the 2000 WDF.

[swervyn mervyn]

I cheer for the name on the front of the jersey, not the back. I take absolutely no consolation in seeing players that used to play for the Lions win championships for other teams. I don't care what the circumstance are, if it's not the Lions winning the championship, I'm not happy. The only exception is when players from the Lions go on to the NFL. This is why I cheered for Casey in KC but do not cheer for him any longer now that he's in Hamilton. It's nothing personal, I just don't care much for consolation prizes.

to quote meatloaf 'you took the words right out of my mouth'
geroy is my favorite player but the second he is not a lion, he is dead to me.
lions rule

[Lionheart]

Robbie, when that hot girl friend of yours breaks up with you then tells you she's having great sex in fact the best ever had with another guy do you cheer YES!! Good for you girl! I am sooo happy?

[Robbie]

Robbie, when that hot girl friend of yours breaks up with you then tells you she's having great sex in fact the best ever had with another guy do you cheer YES!! Good for you girl! I am sooo happy?

:lol:

Well, come on. I think we can all agree that relationships with sports stars are totally different than personal, intimate relationships.

A better comparison might be an ex-best friend who has achieved success. We may have drifted apart, but are still happy for their success. As good examples, I'm sure Wayne Gretzky was very happy for his best friends Mark Messier and Kevin Lowe for their Stanley Cup with the Rangers.