inspired by the 1989 Grey Cup
    between the Hamilton Tigercats
    and Saskatchewan Rough Riders


Favoured by 4 points,
for the Ti Cats…it's feeding time.
With slap of hands and helmets,
the game is underway.
Saskatchewan has a different way of looking at it,
just defeating a cocky band of Edmonton Eskimos.
It's been 23 years since they've washed their hair
in the bubbly divine. Their fans,
faces painted with green and white stripes,
as if from a parallel dimension.

The whistle blows and the competition begins
with predicted animosity. Tony Champion,
despite bruised ribs, catches cannon shells
with his bare hands, escorting them into the end zone.
Hamilton is winning, not even five minutes
into the game!

But defeat fares poorly against
a determined Saskatchewan,
quickly shrugging off the early setback.
Like a human juggernaut, they gain yard after yard
with quarterback Ken Austin in command;
always trailing by a damnable five points.

“Close the gap!” orders coach Gregory,
as 54 thousand fans add electricity to the play,
and sure enough, fortune shifts.
Tim McCrae is a one yard sensation at 34-30,
but the game is far from over.

Mike Kerrigan has a few ideas of his own,
Hamilton's offensive line not to be underestimated,
but despite a double reverse and keep up score,
some begin to wonder if black and yellow stripes
aren't mere pussy cats in pyjamas.

Champion, well suited for his name,
dives over the one yard line to even the score.
The talk is of overtime; which way will it go?
The answer not long in coming.
In 38 seconds, one of the closest games
in CFL history comes thundering to an end.

The Rough Riders are victorious at 43-40!
Thanks to the punting foot of a jubilant Dave Ridgeway.


© 1989

750 hits as of April 2024

07/12/2014

Author's Note: Now that football season is upon us again, I thought this would be a good one to pull out of the vault. Especially now that Ottawa has a professional team for the first time in several years. Not overly crazy about the name, Ottawa RedBlacks, but just the fact the team exists at all far outweighs how they’re identified.

Posted on 07/12/2014
Copyright © 2024 Chris Sorrenti