All They do is Win Games

The Calgary Stampeders had the CFL’s best record at 13-5. They came out of the best division in the CFL. Yet, they didn’t win any individual awards and they were the underdog in the 96th Grey Cup game. Yes, some of that was due to the over 66,000 being decidedly pro-Montreal, but Calgary still came into the game that cemented their place in history with a chip on their shoulder.

The Calgary Stampeders had the CFL’s best record at 13-5. They came out of the best division in the CFL. Yet, they didn’t win any individual awards and they were the underdog in the 96th Grey Cup game. Yes, some of that was due to the over 66,000 being decidedly pro-Montreal, but Calgary still came into the game that cemented their place in history with a chip on their shoulder.
“We felt like second-class citizens,” said defensive lineman Mike Labinjo. “We were the underdog even though we beat them both times we played them. We wanted to come in and make a statement and that scoreboard says 14 points. I think that’s a big enough statement.”
The Stampeders beat the Alouettes 22-14 in the CFL’s championship game on Sunday at Olympic Stadium and beneath the smell of cigars in the celebratory Calgary locker room, safety Wes Lysack said it no longer mattered what everyone thought.
“We don’t want respect from other teams, we don’t want respect from the media,” he said. “We want respect from the people in this locker room and we’ve had that all year. We earned respect, we kept respect and we deserve respect.”
The Stampeders, aside from being 3-0 against the East Division champion Montreal Alouettes were also 4-0 against the West Division runner-up British Columbia Lions.
“Essentially what we’ve done this year is beat all-star teams,” Labinjo said. “Hopefully we’ve done enough now that people say this Calgary team is for real and will be for years to come.”
At the CFL Player Awards on Thursday night both Stampeders who were nominated for individual honours – Most Outstanding Player candidate quarterback Henry Burris and DeAngelis for Special Teams player – lost to their East candidates. Both were visibly upset at being slighted that night, but said at the time that they came to Montreal for a Grey Cup. Both were vindicated after Sunday’s game.
“I’m angry because I wanted people should have done their due research and it wasn’t done,” DeAngelis said. “This was huge redemption because it was based on skill and not someone’s opinion.”
“We’re going to be remembered forever,” he said. “That trophy is going to outlive us and outlive our children and my name will always be on it.”
The other side

While the Stampeders’ locker room was filled with champagne and cigar smoke, the only things in the Alouettes’ locker room were tears and silence.
Montreal centre Bryan Chiu was perhaps the most emotional. He is the longest tenured Alouette, being with the team since 1997. He has seen the heartbreak of five Grey Cup losses compared to only one win.
“We’re getting good at this aren’t we,” he said with tears in his eyes. “It hurts. It’s not the way a story ends, but it did and life goes on. In the end, it’s a game. There are a lot of other things going on in this world that are a lot more serious. It’s a game and it’s what we do for a living, we just do it in the spotlight.”
“It isn’t going to happen again,” said Montreal quarterback Anthony Calvillo. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and we just let it slip through our hands.”
Montreal was attempting to be the first team since 1994 and fourth team in the last 50 years to win a Grey Cup at home. Ironically, Montreal won their only Grey Cup in 2002, against Edmonton when they hosted the championship game.

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