Grey Cup teams arrive in Winnipeg

Punted back and forth and back again so many times, as teams were acquired and folded and reborn, who can blame the hometown fans if they don’t know which side they ought to be cheering for in Sunday’s Grey Cup game?

The duo was singled out by their teammates as the players they really want to hoist the Grey Cup trophy on Sunday. They were the most in a single season since Montreal’s Anthony Calvillo produced 6,041 yards in 2004. The Football Reporters of Canada and the league’s head coaches conducted the voting.

So the expectation is Burris will capture the honour Thursday night. The 40-year-old said the fact the Redblacks are in the championship in the franchise’s second year is a tribute to the way the players and coaches have gelled.

Quotable: “Not a chance (I win)”, Mitchell said. So I think collectively when he starts feeling like that, we kind of relate to it as well. “Henry had an incredible year”.

The finalists are linebackers Adam Bighill of the B.C. Lions and Simoni Lawrence of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The five-foot-seven 153-pound dynamo was third overall in all-purpose yards (2,073) and punt return yards (930) and became the first CFL player to return a missed convert for a score. I’m not saying I want revenge but to be able to go out and achieve what we did was the easiest way to get revenge. Burris was named the game MVP after throwing for 328 yards and a TD and rushing for a team-high 79 yards on nine carries. “All the success and credit goes to them, that’s for sure”. “Henry has stayed in this league for a long time for a reason”.

Quotable: “I had an OK season”, Banks said. “I get to see family, I have a house here, my fiancé’s here, my little one’s here”.

Fans from all over the country have begun to arrive in Winnipeg.

Jovan Olafioye – B.C. Lions – Most outstanding offensive lineman.

Foremost was the Eskimos’ organization in exhibiting patience for him to get back to where he now says his injured limb is better than his other leg. “He was a good player in college and he’s been a good CFL player”.

“And I’m angry this week because I felt like I played like crap last week”.

“How do you top that?” he asked. Film don’t lie. Watch my film.

DE Jamaal Westerman, Winnipeg – finished second in the league with 17 sacks in 18 games and led the loop with eight tackles for a loss. The sun came out midway through the session but the temperature of minus-four Celsius was said to feel like minus-10. I coached those guys for a lot of years, they were good players for me and they continue to be good players.

“Well, it sounds like a good deal to me, I don’t even have to win the Grey Cup and I get to win coach of the year?” said Campbell.

“So, yeah, it wasn’t fun, but I do think that part of that made us into the team that we are today”.

For Edmonton Eskimos wide receiver Shamawd Chambers, the start to his 2015 Canadian Football League campaign was rather frustrating to say the least when he was placed on the six-game injured list after incurring an ACL injury to his left knee late last season.

Ending Hamilton’s season last weekend was something to savour for Burris, who recalled being on the phone learning that the Ticats no longer wanted him as his wife read on her iPad that the Ticats had signed Zach Collaros.

“Well, I bet a lot of people thought that about Rick because he’s very quiet and very unassuming, but I’m going to tell you something: he’s good”, said Nelson. Maybe one on an interception, I think?

Burris admits he plays better when he’s angry.