SHARON HIGGINS
CFL.ca
Sharon Higgins is the wife of CFL Director of Officiating Tom Higgins and is a regular blogger for CFL.ca. This week, Sharon discusses her greatest Grey Cup memories which include the Argos 1991 and 1996 victories.
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In the big picture of a football season, the Grey Cup game is merely a moment.
In my 25 football seasons of being part of this league I have experienced in person 14 such games; each year special and memorable in its’ own way.
Grey Cup 1991 in Winnipeg: Calgary vs. Toronto
*My first trip to the big show! Mary Kwong (husband of Normie Kwong, the President of the Stampeders at the time and now Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta) saw to it that the coaches’ wives were treated splendidly. She arranged for us to attend lunches and dinners and the Miss Grey Cup Gala. The fun never seemed to stop.
*The game was coming to an end and it didn’t look like we were going to win. The coaches’ wives were lead by security before the end of the game to a holding place deep in Winnipeg’s stadium, where we could meet our men. The room was stark, cold and wet with leaks on the walls. It felt like hell, which was what I felt like at the time. Sande Buono and I hugged, cried and commiserated with each other in that horrible dungeon.
*I took a quick stroll on the field before boarding the bus back to the hotel after the game. The stadium lights were off. Wind whipped through at about 150 km/hr, sucking up programs and food wrappers into its vortex. The temperature had plummeted throughout the game but it felt cold, cold, cold. When you lose, it gets colder…
*I felt heartbroken at the post game meal. Danny Barrett, the quarterback, made a point of attempting to cheer me up. He had to be hurting but he put his own sorrow on hold to console me.
Grey Cup 1992 in Toronto: Calgary vs. Winnipeg
*On the morning of the game I jumped in the elevator along with Doug Flutie who happened to be barefoot. I couldn’t believe what I was witness to. Didn’t he know he was quarterbacking a football game in a few hours?
*The coaches’ wives organized our own pre-game chapel service. A certain calm prevailed. It was a sign.
*Winning the Grey Cup against Winnipeg!
*Tom and I hosted a Grey Cup open house for all of our family and friends in the Stampeder locker room. Hundreds of people came and had pictures taken with the cup, in front of Doug Flutie’s’ locker. The room was abuzz with excitement. It was an amazing experience to share with people close to us.
Grey Cup 1996 in Hamilton: Edmonton vs. Toronto
*Snow was falling at the beginning of the game. There was one sweeper to keep the field clean. It couldn’t keep up to the snow piling up. The game was a loss before it even got going.
*One of the most memorable plays in Grey Cup history occurred during this game. Receiver (Downtown) Eddie Brown, running at full speed, bobbled the ball, kicked the ball up off of his foot and made the catch.
*Eskimos Head Coach, Ron Lancaster, never mentioned to the media at the conclusion of the game about the controversial third down gamble by the Toronto quarterback. This play allowed them to keep a critical drive alive which helped determine the outcome of the game.
*The same Doug Flutie who led us to a Grey Cup win in ’92 was now on the other side of the ball and took Toronto to a victory.
Grey Cup 2002 in Edmonton: Edmonton vs. Montreal
*A dream came true when we not only were the host city for the game but also participated in it. The dream quickly became a nightmare when we played well statistically but weren’t able to win the most important statistic: the scoreboard. Still goes to show, statistics are for losers.
Grey Cup 2003 in Regina: Edmonton vs. Montreal
*A big shemozzle occurred when players’ wives were put in a hotel far from downtown Regina, away from the action and their men. So many upset players and wives! Fortunately a few days and some juggling fixed the hotel debacle and allowed the players to focus on the game.
*The league requires that players’ names be submitted to them, who will accept the Grey Cup in the event that you win. I felt honoured when Tom asked me to help him choose. The following players accepted the cup: Malcolm Frank (Import – Defensive Back), Leo Groenewegen (Canadian – Offensive Lineman), Jason Maas (Import – Quarterback), and Roger Reinson (Canadian – Special Teams)
*The night before the game in the hall of our hotel, our daughters Holly and Hillary, painted a sign to hang in the stadium on game day. So many players and onlookers stopped to check it out.
“D–EE-feat the Als!” I guess it worked… we won!
*Arrangements were made for the families to visit the locker room the day before the game to see it prepared for game day. Many of the wives and children wrote notes of encouragement and left them in the lockers for their men to see on game day.
*We screamed… and screamed… and screamed some more, to create noise in the stadium during each Montreal offensive play.
* It was a feeling of bliss knowing with 1:36 minutes left in the game that we would win. For a moment in time, all was right with the world, as the stars aligned and life was perfect.
*We hosted our second Grey Cup open house for family and friends but this time in the Eskimo locker room. Hundreds came once again to have their pictures taken with the cup. There is an immense sense of pleasure in seeing the delight in so many people when you can share part of your football experience with them.
Grey Cup 2009 in Calgary: Montreal vs. Saskatchewan
*This year’s moments will be very different as I experience the festivities and game as the wife of the Director of Officiating. Although this year’s teams have been decided, the team that I will be cheering for has already been selected: The Officials.