The Cup is ours for 19 more sleeps - Geri Micks/Leslie Wood alias “the Redcoats”

Well to say we are disappointed after the Stamps not so stellar performance at the Skydome (where they serve skyfoam) would be putting it mildly - especially as Geri is from Steeltown and Leslie is an Oskee Wee Wee fan.

But putting on a brave face, perhaps they have saved Pinball from future public speaking engagements or possible contracts with the Psychic Hotline.

In 19 more sleeps we will all be engaged in friendly warfare over beers and pretzels…may the best fan win.

In true Grey Cup fashion we head up to Edmonton just in time for the festivities – we tried to enter the parade but after our dismal ceaser whoops we mean season, our owner wouldn’t spring for the million-dollar liability insurance.

Dismal as our season has been, we embark on the journey to Edmonton proudly dressed in red (steel plated armour) and the only green we will be wearing is the green hue in our faces the morning after the night before.

We bring with us Doris – our eldest fan at 78 and Holly our youngest fan at 6…..after all, the young shall keep the tradition alive.

The excitement is building as the time draws near and we again strengthen our friendships with people we see once a year at the annual festivities.  We look forward to seeing you all there and if you see us “redcoats”, buy us a drink (or two). 

Go Als go!

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ONE TIME AT GREY CUP

PROOF THAT REAL FOOTBALL FANS WEAR KILTS

Canadian Football fans come in many shapes and sizes (and that has nothing to do with the beer drinking).  There is the occasional fan that will watch a game with a friend or attend games once in awhile or when they are given free tickets.  Then there is the closet fan that really loves Canadian football but is scared to display it to their N.F.L. loving office buddies.  And then there is the hard core Canadian football fan.  These fans live and breathe Canadian football.  They watch every game that they can, surf the Internet for stats, stories and message boards and attend the Grey Cup every year.  If you are reading this you would probably fall into the hard-core category and know about or have met the group of gentleman this article is focused on.  If you have ever been to Ivor Wynne Stadium or a Grey Cup party you would have definitely seen them, as it is hard to miss several guys in hard hats who are also wearing kilts.  These gentlemen we are talking about are known as the Box J Boys and they are one of the biggest supporters of the Hamilton Tigercats and the CFL.  The Box J Boys have had season tickets for the Hamilton Tigercats for several years and have made it a tradition to attend yearly Grey Cup events.  They have also been tailgating at Scott Park (a local school beside Ivorr Wynne Stadium used for parking) for a few years now in attempts to make going to a Tigercat game an all day and fun event.  We caught up with the Box J Boys at the Thanksgiving Day tailgate party where they were more than happy to share some stories, drinks and food.

1.      Who are the Box J Boys?

The Box J Boys are a group of childhood friends who have followed the Tigercats since we were kids.  We are just a bunch of fans who love the Tigercats and the C.F.L.  We are season ticket holders who sit in Box J.

2.      How did the Box J Boys come about?

We moved from Section 7 to Box J a few years ago.  But the whole idea came about at the Winnipeg Grey Cup in 1998.  From there we decided as a group on wearing the kilts and as a whole just wanted to spike up the atmosphere at the games.

3.      Why watch the C.F.L.?

We just love the game.  It is something we can call our own as Canadians and even more so as Hamiltonians.  The Tigercats is something we can call our own.  We can say it is ours and show some tradition and patriotism.  We can tell you how good it is but you really do not know until you come out and see what it is all about.

4.      On Thanksgiving Day you along with the Tigers Lair, Fansofcanadianfootball and the Tiger Cats challenged the community to join you at the tailgate party before the game.  How long have you been tailgating for and why should we come?

We have been tailgating at Scott Park for three years now.  It is a great time where you can share good drinks, good food and good fun with your fellow football fan and you do not even have to cross the border to do it.

5.      Attendance has been poor in Hamilton lately.  As a Hamiltonian why do you thin that is?

We are too Americanized in Southern Ontario and even in B.C.  Too many people are concerned with the N.F.L. and there is a lack of awareness on how good the C.F.L. game is.  How many people go on a bus trip down the Q.E.W to Buffalo, get drunk and do not remember the game.  Well you can do the same here, have the same fun and you only have to travel ten minutes but until people realize this it will not happen.  It’s kind of like if Moses will not go to the mountain then bring the mountain to Moses.

6.      What can the Cats do to increase attendance?

Hamilton is a nickel and dime city and people want something free or a deal.  Therefore, when asking for season tickets do not ask for the full amount in November like they did this year.  You need to market to the middle class fans and run promotions to get them in the stands.  You need to get people in the stands then you can work on making money.  It is a five-year plan where you may lose or give away money to begin with.

7.      Finally, realistically who will win this years Grey Cup?

Edmonton and Montreal both look strong but the Cats will win.  Last year the East was stronger than the West but Calgary came from nowhere to win.  The Cats will do the same this year.

To learn more about the Box J Boys go to their website www.boxjboys.ca where you can look at pictures from games, talk on their message boards and enjoy many other features.

FANS OF THE MONTH

TAILGATING WITH THE BEST

On Thanksgiving Day the Box J Boys, Tigers Lair, Hamilton Tigercats and Fansofcanadianfootball.com challenged the Hamilton community to come out and tailgate before the Tigercat/Argo game.  There was a nice turnout of various tailgaters who displayed their colors in their own fashions and served various kinds of foods.  The Tigercats donated a kid’s winter jacket and an adult jacket to the best tailgaters.  The winners were Michael Kuz, Paul Elliot, Grant Philpott and Boomer Woodard for their great display of a hanging Joe Montford (that was burned after the game).  These men were attending their second tailgate and have been season ticket holders for five years.  Congratulations guys and well done on a creative way to show your team spirit and feelings towards our friends east of the Q.E.W.

What, me  worry??

After that wonderful win over Hamilton at home things looked rosy, no?

Well, lets say the game against the Als was the sorriest excuse for a football game I’ve seen in years.

UGH!  I’m sure that lulled the Als into a true sense of security. It pains me just thinking about it, the less said the better. Brain cramps all around that week. Too much Saturday in Montreal partying I’d bet.

We didn’t play all that badly against the Lions the next week, some sloppy tackling gave it away at the end, but not a bad effort, some hopeful signs in that game for improvement.

ALI!!

I thought the tribute to Ali went well, a couple of technical ‘snafus’ and some untimely comments from Mats Sundin as to the Leafs being “Toronto’s Team”, well yeah, of course they are but he could have not said it or said ‘other’ team. Really thought there’d be more than that there, officially just under 25,000. I got to wonder how well it was promoted in Toronto’s Islamic and Black communities, as I didn’t see as many as I thought there might be. And we laid a good beating on the Rens, keeping our playoff hopes alive.

The Crossover Looms….

But thanks to some truly uninspired play from the Tiger-Cats and a spanking from the Bombers our playoff hopes are in our own hands, for the first time this season we can get out from under the shadow of Hamilton and control our own destiny. Of course if we had played better all year it would have not mattered since we had the season series between the 2 teams. But being deprived of a playoff berth by an OTL point would have really stuck in my craw since I firmly believe it doesn’t belong in a league that plays so few games a year. With OTL points a team could theoretically tie every game, not win one, and still have 18 points and perhaps a playoff berth. REDICULOUS!

The Nail biter…

Against Calgary with all the hopes for the year on the line and we STINK for the 1^st half!! I wanted to crawl under a chair and die when we were down 29-10 at the half! But I tried an old trick where I leave my seat and don’t return, usually once a year it works and the Argos come back and win. Sure enough, I went to stand by the railing after the half time show by the better half of the Guess Who, who did take care of business and did a nice acoustic set for a pair of geriatric rockers. Then the Argos scored in the 3^rd, which is a rarity by itself. And held the Stamps scoreless. At that point I began to believe it was possible. And then of course The Interception, by Bonner, and the crowd goes wild and doesn’t sit down again until the finish. Nice pressure by Argo D to force Crandell to panic throw rather than lose all that yardage in a sack. Some terribly sloppy penalties by certain Stamp players helped too. And the pressure kick by Pre to respond to the Stamp FG in the dying second sealed the playoffs for the Argos and the horrible season for the GC Champs. Man, it was a rare thing to hear the Dome so loud with cheering fans, not since the East Final in 97 was it that loud. Let’s hope the enthusiasm and momentum carry on against the crossing over Riders next week, who have their own offence problems and a truly crappy road record. Still, I wish it were the Ticats we face, beating them would be so much more satisfying, and the crowd would likely be bigger too.

GO ARRRRRGOOOOOOOSSSSSSSS!!!!!!