Ron Rimer - Sports Comment

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The CFL’s 90th Grey Cup title takes place right here in the City of Champions Sunday November 14th It’s a date all nine CFL clubs will be shooting for, but no doubt, one that’s firmly stamped on each and every forehead in the Edmonton Eskimos locker room.

Locker rooms are the key words here, I can still remember the disappointment everywhere in our city, especially in equipment Manager Dwayoe Mandrusiak’s castle, when green and gold had to make way for the green. and white of the Saskatchewan Roughriders win in 97, the last time Edmonton hosted the big one.

As the old saying goes. `what goes around comes around`. The Eskimos did it to the Stampeders, taking over their most sacred of digs in 93 in Calgary, adding insult to locker room injury by sipping out of Lord Grey’s mug after beating the Bombers 33.23 for their 11th Grey Cup tide.

Speaking of the Bombers, they’re back where they belong, here in the CFL’s Western Division and that in itself is going to make the Eskimos trek even more difficult. Hugh Campbell once said to me ‘you’ve got to knock o the door before you an knock it over Well, the Bomber, knocked on the door last season making ‘ to the Grey Cup game only to lose to the Stamps. That bitter taste will last until they get to quench it with a Grey Cup Victory.

With the defending champions from Calgary, who always seen to know what it takes to get there, the B.C Lions with anything an happen Damon Allen still at the helm, and an improved Saskatchewan club with former Eskimo Nealon Greene. with plenty to prove, barking out the signals, all making their home in the wild wild west, it’s not going to be easy.

Still, you’ve got to like the Eskimos chances of keeping their shrine come November 24th. They’ve got a scary offensive backfield with Ronald Williams and former NFL first round draft pick John Avery. They’ve got a stronger and a year wiser Jason Maas at Q.B. and a receiving core including Vaughn, Hervey, Walters Brazzell and October and one that should give opposing DB’s nightmares.

On paper the defense looks deadly as well. Doug Petersen Albert Reese, Stephen Anderson. and super sack man Elfrid Payton up front, and the likes of Ray, Mobley, Gass and newcomer Clen Young one of the leagues finest, at Linebacker. But as Terry Ray pointed out to me during training camp, the football club has been told for years, now that they look good on paper.

Now it’s time to make it work, and keep the enemy out of their locker room. Ron Rimer