The Toronto Argonauts are the Grey Cup Champions, surging early to drop the Calgary Stampeders Sunday by a count of 35-22.
Not only are the Argos the 2012 Grey Cup Champions, but in terms of Canadian history, they win the 100th anniversary of the game.
Furthermore, they did so in front of a sell out crowd of more than 50,000.
From a Canadian Football League standpoint, this is a win-win-win scenario, or is it ?
An East-West Final on an historic occasion, where Canada’s biggest corporate market defeats probably the second largest corporate market for the National Championship in front of a packed house should be more than enough to celebrate and create sky high optimism for the league and the sport.
But this is the CFL, and while there’s plenty to be proud of at every level, history tells me any momentum will be short term.
Toronto is the big time, and in too many eyes, corporate or otherwise, the CFL is not.
So the Argos in short order will likely be relegated to the back seat, well back of the Leafs, if they ever come back, and in massive competition for the sports/entertainment dollar.
Almost fittingly, on Grey Cup Sunday I was at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga in front of an announced crowd of just 1.983 for the Attack-Steelheads game, less than 2 years after their epic OHL Championship series.
The 2011 OHL Championship and hosting duties for the Memorial Cup did not lead to a revival in Mississauga, and sadly, I doubt the Argos Grey Cup in the 100th edition of the CFL Championship will do a great deal more for the team or league in Toronto.
I’m Fred Wallace