99th Grey Cup
Encyclopedia
The 99th Grey Cup was a Canadian football
game between the East Division
champion Winnipeg Blue Bombers
and the West Division
champion BC Lions
to decide the champion of the Canadian Football League
in the 2011 season
. The Lions defeated the Blue Bombers, 34–23, and became the first team in CFL history to win the Grey Cup after starting the season with five straight losses. They also become the first team to win the championship game at home since the 1994 Lions
did it in 82nd Grey Cup
— and only the fourth team in history. This, a rematch of the the 76th Grey Cup
, was the second time that these two teams met in the Grey Cup.
The game took place on November 27, 2011 at BC Place Stadium
in Vancouver
, British Columbia
. This was the eighth Grey Cup game played at BC Place, and the 15th in Vancouver, the most recent being the 93rd Grey Cup
between the Montreal Alouettes
and the Edmonton Eskimos
.
BC head coach Wally Buono
won his fifth Grey Cup, tying a CFL record.
In his first Grey Cup, Lions quarterback Travis Lulay
threw two second-half touchdown passes and was named Grey Cup MVP
. Lions tailback Andrew Harris
, also playing in his first championship game, was the Most Valuable Canadian.
, BC Place Stadium
. It was the 15th Grey Cup to be held in Vancouver (and 8th at BC Place Stadium), the most recent being the 93rd Grey Cup
in 2005, between the Montreal Alouettes
and the Edmonton Eskimos
, which the Eskimos won 38 to 35 in overtime. BC Place recently completed a roof replacement and this was the first Grey Cup played with its new retractable roof.
The game was announced as a sellout on July 21, 2011 after thirty days since the tickets went on sale to the public and 129 days until the game itself. This surpassed the previous Vancouver record when the game was sold out on October 7, 2005 for the 93rd Grey Cup
. The capacity for the crowd will be 52,511.
Prices ranged from $125 to $375 when they were released to the general public in June 2011, but 2011 Lions season ticket holders were able to get priority seating at prices that range from $100 to $295.
by both TSN
(English) and RDS
(French). TSN play-by-play was provided by Chris Cuthbert, while Glen Suitor
provided colour commentary
. Play-by-play man Denis Casavant and colour commentator Pierre Vercheval
announced the game for RDS. The RDS broadcast team also included Marc Labrecque, Mike Sutherland
and Claude Mailhot.
The game was watched on television by an average audience of 4.6 million people. Although this is down from 6.04 million viewers that the 98th Grey Cup
drew, it was still the highest-rated television program of the week in Canada. In the Vancouver market, over half the population watched game and, overall, more than 11 million Canadians watched some or all of the broadcast on TSN and RDS.
. The Pepsi Max Halftime Show was preformed by the Vancouver-based rock band Nickleback. They played songs off their albums All The Right Reasons
, Dark Horse
, and Here and Now
.
, Terrence Edwards
; FGs Justin Palardy
(3); cons., Palardy (2).
BC Lions (34) - TDs, Andrew Harris
, Kierrie Johnson
, Arland Bruce
; FGs Paul McCallum
(4); cons., McCallum (3); singles, McCallum (1).
First Quarter
Second Quarter
Third Quarter
Fourth Quarter
Venue: Olympic Stadium
, Montreal, Quebec
Venue: Commonwealth Stadium
, Edmonton, Alberta
Venue: Canad Inns Stadium
, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Venue: BC Place Stadium
, Vancouver, BC
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
game between the East Division
Canadian Football League East Division
The East Division is one of the two regional divisions of the Canadian Football League. Although the CFL was not founded until 1958, the East Division and its clubs are descended from earlier leagues.- Pre-1907 :...
champion Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
and the West Division
Canadian Football League West Division
The West Division is one of the two regional divisions of the Canadian Football League. Although the CFL was not founded until 1958, the West Division and its clubs are descended from earlier leagues.-Pre-1936:...
champion BC Lions
BC Lions
The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
to decide the champion of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
in the 2011 season
2011 CFL season
The 2011 CFL season was the 58th season of modern Canadian professional football. Officially, it was the 54th season of the league. The complete schedule was released on February 18 and featured the defending Grey Cup champion Montreal Alouettes opening the season against the visiting BC Lions on...
. The Lions defeated the Blue Bombers, 34–23, and became the first team in CFL history to win the Grey Cup after starting the season with five straight losses. They also become the first team to win the championship game at home since the 1994 Lions
1994 BC Lions season
The 1994 BC Lions finished in 3rd place in the West Division with a 11–6–1 record. They won all of their playoff games and won the 82nd Grey Cup at home in Vancouver, British Columbia.- CFL Draft:-Preseason:- Season Standings:-Season schedule:...
did it in 82nd Grey Cup
82nd Grey Cup
The 82nd Grey Cup was the 1994 Canadian Football League championship game played between the Baltimore Football Club and the BC Lions at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, BC. It was the first-ever championship in professional football history to feature a United States-vs-Canada matchup...
— and only the fourth team in history. This, a rematch of the the 76th Grey Cup
76th Grey Cup
The 76th Grey Cup was the 1988 Canadian Football League championship game that was played at Lansdowne Park in Ottawa, between the BC Lions and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Blue Bombers defeated the favoured Lions 22-21...
, was the second time that these two teams met in the Grey Cup.
The game took place on November 27, 2011 at BC Place Stadium
BC Place Stadium
BC Place is a multi-purpose stadium located at the north side of False Creek, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It serves as the home field for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League and the Vancouver Whitecaps FC of Major League Soccer . Originally opened on June 19, 1983 as the...
in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. This was the eighth Grey Cup game played at BC Place, and the 15th in Vancouver, the most recent being the 93rd Grey Cup
93rd Grey Cup
The 93rd Grey Cup game was held on November 27, 2005, at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia between the Edmonton Eskimos and the Montreal Alouettes, to decide the winner of the 2005 season of the Canadian Football League. The Eskimos prevailed over the Alouettes in a 38-35 overtime...
between the Montreal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
and the Edmonton Eskimos
Edmonton Eskimos
The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
.
BC head coach Wally Buono
Wally Buono
Pasquale "Wally" Buono is the head coach, general manager and alternate governor of the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League, and one of the most successful coaches in league history. He is in his 19th year of coaching, previously as head coach of the Calgary Stampeders and currently with the...
won his fifth Grey Cup, tying a CFL record.
In his first Grey Cup, Lions quarterback Travis Lulay
Travis Lulay
Travis Lulay is a professional American and Canadian football quarterback for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. In his first season as a full-time starter, Lulay won the CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award in 2011 and was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2011 Grey Cup...
threw two second-half touchdown passes and was named Grey Cup MVP
Grey Cup Most Valuable Player
The Grey Cup's Most Valuable Player award is awarded annually to the player deemed to have the best performance in the Grey Cup Game, the Canadian Football League's championship game.-Grey Cup Most Valuable Player Award winners:...
. Lions tailback Andrew Harris
Andrew Harris
Andrew James Harris , commonly known as AJ Harris, is an English cricketer. He is a right-arm medium-pace bowler and a right-handed batsman...
, also playing in his first championship game, was the Most Valuable Canadian.
Host city
On February 27, 2009, news agencies reported—and the league confirmed—that the game had been awarded to Vancouver. The game was played at the home of the BC LionsBC Lions
The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
, BC Place Stadium
BC Place Stadium
BC Place is a multi-purpose stadium located at the north side of False Creek, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It serves as the home field for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League and the Vancouver Whitecaps FC of Major League Soccer . Originally opened on June 19, 1983 as the...
. It was the 15th Grey Cup to be held in Vancouver (and 8th at BC Place Stadium), the most recent being the 93rd Grey Cup
93rd Grey Cup
The 93rd Grey Cup game was held on November 27, 2005, at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia between the Edmonton Eskimos and the Montreal Alouettes, to decide the winner of the 2005 season of the Canadian Football League. The Eskimos prevailed over the Alouettes in a 38-35 overtime...
in 2005, between the Montreal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
and the Edmonton Eskimos
Edmonton Eskimos
The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
, which the Eskimos won 38 to 35 in overtime. BC Place recently completed a roof replacement and this was the first Grey Cup played with its new retractable roof.
The game was announced as a sellout on July 21, 2011 after thirty days since the tickets went on sale to the public and 129 days until the game itself. This surpassed the previous Vancouver record when the game was sold out on October 7, 2005 for the 93rd Grey Cup
93rd Grey Cup
The 93rd Grey Cup game was held on November 27, 2005, at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia between the Edmonton Eskimos and the Montreal Alouettes, to decide the winner of the 2005 season of the Canadian Football League. The Eskimos prevailed over the Alouettes in a 38-35 overtime...
. The capacity for the crowd will be 52,511.
Prices ranged from $125 to $375 when they were released to the general public in June 2011, but 2011 Lions season ticket holders were able to get priority seating at prices that range from $100 to $295.
Broadcasting
In Canada, the game was televised in high-definitionHigh-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
by both TSN
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
(English) and RDS
Réseau des sports
Réseau des sports , is a Canadian French language Category C specialty channel showing sports and sport-related shows. It is available in 2.5 million homes, and is owned by CTV Specialty Television Inc....
(French). TSN play-by-play was provided by Chris Cuthbert, while Glen Suitor
Glen Suitor
Glen Suitor was a defensive back who played eleven seasons for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. He ranks among the CFL all-time leaders in interceptions with 51. Suitor was a three-time CFL All-Star and a four-time Western All-Star...
provided colour commentary
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
. Play-by-play man Denis Casavant and colour commentator Pierre Vercheval
Pierre Vercheval
Pierre Vercheval is a former all star offensive lineman in the Canadian Football League.Vercheval played his university football at the University of Western Ontario, where he won the J.P. Metras Trophy top lineman in Canadian university football in 1987...
announced the game for RDS. The RDS broadcast team also included Marc Labrecque, Mike Sutherland
Mike Sutherland
Michael Sutherland is a former professional Canadian football offensive lineman who played ten seasons for four different teams in the Canadian Football League.-References:...
and Claude Mailhot.
The game was watched on television by an average audience of 4.6 million people. Although this is down from 6.04 million viewers that the 98th Grey Cup
98th Grey Cup
The 98th Grey Cup was a Canadian football game played between the Eastern Division champion Montreal Alouettes and Western Division champion Saskatchewan Roughriders to decide the champion of the Canadian Football League for the 2010 season...
drew, it was still the highest-rated television program of the week in Canada. In the Vancouver market, over half the population watched game and, overall, more than 11 million Canadians watched some or all of the broadcast on TSN and RDS.
Entertainment
Before the game, Canadian singer-songwriter Jann Arden sang the national anthemO Canada
It has been noted that the opening theme of "O Canada" bears a strong resemblance to the "Marsch der Priester" , from the opera Die Zauberflöte , composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and that Lavallée's melody was inspired by Mozart's tune...
. The Pepsi Max Halftime Show was preformed by the Vancouver-based rock band Nickleback. They played songs off their albums All The Right Reasons
All the Right Reasons
All the Right Reasons is the fifth studio album by Canadian rock band Nickelback, released on October 4, 2005. It is the band's first album with former 3 Doors Down drummer Daniel Adair, who replaced Ryan Vikedal in January 2005...
, Dark Horse
Dark Horse (Nickelback album)
Dark Horse is the sixth studio album by the Canadian rock band Nickelback, released on November 17, 2008 in Europe and a day later elsewhere...
, and Here and Now
Here and Now (Nickelback album)
Here and Now is the seventh studio album by Canadian rock band Nickelback. The album was released on November 21, 2011. It is the follow-up to their multi-platinum selling Dark Horse in 2008. On September 26, the band officially released two singles, "When We Stand Together" and "Bottoms Up". Both...
.
Game summary
Winnipeg Blue Bombers (23) - TDs Greg CarrGreg Carr (American football)
Greg Carr is a professional Canadian football wide receiver for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League. After playing college football at Florida State, Carr was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2009.-Early years:Carr played high school football at...
, Terrence Edwards
Terrence Edwards
Terrence Edwards is a Canadian football wide receiver who currently plays for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League. He was originally signed by the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2003...
; FGs Justin Palardy
Justin Palardy
Justin Palardy is a professional Canadian football placekicker for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League. He was drafted 36th overall by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the 2010 CFL Draft and was used as a punter...
(3); cons., Palardy (2).
BC Lions (34) - TDs, Andrew Harris
Andrew Harris (Canadian football)
Andrew Harris is a professional Canadian football running back who currently plays for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League.-Junior Career:...
, Kierrie Johnson
Kierrie Johnson
Kierrie Johnson is a Canadian football wide receiver for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. Johnson signed as a free agent with the Lions on May 26, 2011. He played college football for the Houston Cougars....
, Arland Bruce
Arland Bruce III
Arland Richard Bruce III is a Canadian football wide receiver for the BC Lions in the Canadian Football League. In July 2011, Bruce declared his intention to change his name to "Runako Reth".- High School career :...
; FGs Paul McCallum
Paul McCallum
Paul McCallum is a professional Canadian football player currently playing as a placekicker and punter for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League...
(4); cons., McCallum (3); singles, McCallum (1).
First Quarter
- BC - TD Harris 19 run (6:54) (McCallum convert) 7 - 0 BC
- BC - FG McCallum 22 (3:42) 10 - 0 BC
- BC - Single McCallum 57 punt (00:48) 11 - 0 BC
Second Quarter
- BC - FG McCallum 16 (4:44) 14 - 0 BC
- WPG - FG Palardy 30 (2:41) 14 - 3 BC
- WPG - FG Palardy 15 (00:33) 14 - 6 BC
Third Quarter
- WPG - FG Palardy 33 (10:25) 14 - 9 BC
- BC - FG McCallum 22 (2:59) 17 - 9 BC
- BC - TD Johnson 66 pass from Lulay (McCallum convert) (00:30) 24 - 9 BC
Fourth Quarter
- BC - TD Bruce 6 pass from Lulay (McCallum convert) (7:13) 31 - 9 BC
- WPG - TD Carr 45 pass from Pierce (Palardy convert) (3:51) 31 - 16 BC
- WPG - TD Edwards 13 pass from Pierce (Palardy convert) (1:52) 31 - 23 BC
- BC - FG McCallum 34 (1:20) 34 - 23 BC
Playoff bracket
*-Team won in Overtime.East Semi-Final
Date and time: Sunday, November 13, 1:00 PM Eastern Standard TimeEastern Standard Time
Eastern Standard Time may refer to:*North American Eastern Time Zone, UTC-5*Australian Eastern Standard Time, UTC+10*An album by Hip Hop group Kooley High...
Venue: Olympic Stadium
Olympic Stadium (Montreal)
The Olympic Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district of Montreal, Quebec, Canada built as the main venue for the 1976 Summer Olympics...
, Montreal, Quebec
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton Tiger-Cats Hamilton Tiger-Cats The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium... |
10 | 14 | 3 | 17 | 8 | 52 |
| Montreal Alouettes Montreal Alouettes The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions... |
3 | 13 | 7 | 21 | 0 | 44 |
West Semi-Final
Date and time: Sunday, November 13, 3:00 PM Mountain Standard TimeVenue: Commonwealth Stadium
Commonwealth Stadium (Edmonton)
Commonwealth Stadium is a sports stadium located in the Norwood Area of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, primarily used by the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. The stadium is owned and operated by the City of Edmonton.- History :...
, Edmonton, Alberta
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calgary Stampeders Calgary Stampeders The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium... |
8 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 19 |
| Edmonton Eskimos Edmonton Eskimos The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895... |
3 | 22 | 1 | 7 | 33 |
East Final
Date and time: Sunday, November 20, 12:00 PM Central Standard TimeVenue: Canad Inns Stadium
Canad Inns Stadium
Canad Inns Stadium is a Canadian football stadium located north of Polo Park Shopping Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Stadium, named for hotel chain Canad Inns, and originally completed in 1953, seats 29,533 for football...
, Winnipeg, Manitoba
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton Tiger-Cats Hamilton Tiger-Cats The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium... |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Winnipeg Blue Bombers Winnipeg Blue Bombers The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded... |
0 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 19 |
West Final
Date and time: Sunday, November 20, 1:30 PM Pacific Standard TimeVenue: BC Place Stadium
BC Place Stadium
BC Place is a multi-purpose stadium located at the north side of False Creek, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It serves as the home field for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League and the Vancouver Whitecaps FC of Major League Soccer . Originally opened on June 19, 1983 as the...
, Vancouver, BC
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edmonton Eskimos Edmonton Eskimos The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895... |
0 | 3 | 6 | 14 | 23 |
| BC Lions BC Lions The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954... |
6 | 20 | 7 | 7 | 40 |