CFL 2014 Begins Tonight; Redblacks Begin Inaugural Season Next Thursday

The CFL season is back this weekend!

Much needed news for all gridiron fans after the league faced a lot of labor issues. Thank goodness they don't need a lockout.

Last year was the inaugural year for the Bombers at Investors Group Field (pictured), and despite missing the playoffs, they needed a new place that is state of the art in this day and age. The Bombers will host the Alouettes tonight. Investors Group Field will be among the venues for next year's FIFA World Cup for Women as Canada will be the host nation.

The defending Grey Cup champions begin their 2014 season on Sunday as the Roughriders travel to Commonwealth to take on the Eskimos.

One more thing, the new Ottawa Redblacks will kick off their season in Winnipeg next Thursday. Good to see football back in Ottawa. Every game is on TSN exclusively in Canada with some games on TV here in the states.

Grey Cup (Coupe Grey) Moment #4: Dinwiddie Dinwiddled

Another Grey Cup (Coupe Grey) moment is the 2007 game, played at SkyDome, site of the game on Sunday. It was a rough day for one Ryan Dinwiddie:

That was the Riders' 4th Cup in their 100+ years of existence. First Grey Cup since 1989.

Sadly to this date, it is the last CFL game ever for the CBC, as all games in the CFL are exclusive to TSN, including the Grey Cup Centenary on Sunday.

99th Grey Cup (Coupe Grey): Home Sweet Home

NO. Not those Lions. The BC Lions.

Congrats to the BC Lions! First Grey Cup in five years and the first to win at home since the '94 Lions
did on the foot of one Lui Passaglia as time expired. Lions defeated the Bombers 34-23. The Bombers drought still reaching 21 and counting!

Lions quarterback Travis Lulay was most valuable player while tailback Andrew Harris was the most valuable Canadian in this game.

And of note, Paul McCallum was 4/5 on field goals on the night.

99th Grey Cup: A Small Preview.

The oldest professional football trophy in north America will be awarded this Sunday as the Lions and Bombers are ready for themselves to tackle on 60 more minutes to their season.

It's been five years since the Lions won the Grey Cup while the Bombers, whose last Grey Cup appearance was in 2007, haven't won since 1990. One of the longest droughts in the league.

However it's the crowd that will make the difference, for the first time since 2008, the host venue will have the host team in the game as the Lions will play in the newly-refurbished BC Place Stadium, which took over a year since the closing of the Olympics in February 2010. The new BC Place, which reopened this year, is complete with a flat-screen video board at center field, almost similar to Cowboys Stadium.

The game will be LIVE and exclusive to TSN and ESPN3 Sunday night.

CFL Playoffs 2011: Conference Final Weekend.

It's down to the final four as the Lions, Bombers, Esks and Ti-Cats are paving their way to next Sunday's 99th Grey Cup (Coupe Grey).

The Ti-Cats came off their win over the 2-time defending Grey Cup champ Montreal Alouettes on Sunday. They travel to Winnipeg to take on the Bombers in the Eastern final.

The Esks just came off their win over the Stamps in the West semifinal Sunday and will travel to BC Place to take on the Lions.

EAST Final (Sunday)
Bombers v Ti-Cats

WEST Final (Sunday)
Lions v Esks

Both are on Sunday and LIVE and exclusive to TSN and ESPN3.

Only in the CFL!

Check out this touchdown celebration after an interception return for a touchdown in the Bombers' season opener against the Ti-Cats!

In the NFL, it's a 15 yard penalty. Same in college, where celebrations used to be a norm until the early '90s.

This is why CFL, AFL (Arena) and UFL, even the old USFL and XFL are the best football leagues for fun!