Taking a look at the 2010’s Grey Cup games
The CFL has released the final collection of Grey Cup Portal games. This time looking back to the preceding decade, – the 2010’s.
‘On Demand’ Portal games are now showcasing Grey Cup games from 2010’s onwards. Now that the Grey Cup Portal has opened up the 2000’s, this covers a run of games from the 98th Grey Cup (2010), to the 107th Grey Cup (2019). The last one still being the last Grey Cup to have been played.
This is the final selection of ‘Grey Cup Portal games’. Following on from the first wave covering 1946-1959 here, the second wave covering 1960-1969 here, and the third selection of games covering 1970-1979 here. As well as a fourth collection covering 1980-1989 here, and a collection covering 1990-1999 here. With the penultimate collection covering 2000-2009 which can be found here.
The 2010’s Grey Cup Portal Games
An Eastern Perspective
Looking back at the last decade in the CFL we can see that consistency and championships don’t always go hand in hand. Take the Toronto Argonauts, they went 75-105 between 2010 and 2019. Yet they went 6-3 in the playoffs, and were one of only two teams to win the Grey Cup on multiple occasions (managing it twice in 2012 and 2017).
Montreal had come into the 2010’s on a high. The title the fifteen win Als had taken in 2009 has gone down in Grey Cup folklore. The ‘thirteenth man‘ game remains a classic moment. By winning the 2010 Grey Cup, Montreal had created a Dynasty and things looked good. However this would prove to be their only 2010’s Grey Cup game appearance.
The Ottawa RedBlacks had arrived newly into the league in 2014. Between 2015 and 2018 the RedBlacks made the playoffs every year, contested the Grey Cup on three occasions and won it all in 2016. A remarkable return to the CFL that saw the city of Ottawa break its’ longest title drought.
Finally in the East, Hamilton made three Grey Cup appearances. Unfortunatley for them they lost on all three occasions in 2013, 2014, and the last Grey Cup game played in 2019.
A Western Perpsective
Since we started watching the CFL in the UK one team has been pretty dominant. Especially in the regular season. That team is the Calgary Stampeders. Because since we started watching in 2015 they have gone 67-21-2 and appeared in 3 Grey Cup games. However, we have also seen them upset twice (2016 & 2017) before winning it all in 2018. In fact across the decade the Stamps amassed an astonishing 132-46-2 record. They appeared in the playoffs ten times and went 10-7 in playoff games. Here you can see them in 5 Grey Cup contests going 2-3 overall.
Winnipeg started the decade in the East Division and made it to the Grey Cup in 2011 (a game they lost) as East Division champions. But with the retrun of a team to Ottawa the Blue Bombers could return ‘home’ to the West Division once more. Their second appearance, and only win of the decade comng as West Division champions in 2019.
The only other West Division team to make multiple Grey Cup appearances during the 2010’s was the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Although they lost for the second year in a row to Montreal in 2010, they bounced back. Winning it all in 2013.
The BC Lions only made one 2010’s Grey Cup appearance. That being in 2011 when they defeated Winnipeg 34-23. Having made 8 playoff appearances in the 2010’s fans of the Leos will hope for more glory than the 3-7 playoff return they saw here in the coming decade.
Like the Lions, Edmonton made one appearance in a 2010’s Grey Cup game, and made it count. Winning 26-20 against Ottawa in 2015.
Where to start
If you are a fan of the CFL, or of any of the teams involved here, then it is easy to know which games to watch first. But if that is the not case, then I would suggest checking out our rankings for each of the 2010’s Grey Cup games. For the first time too there is a sense of familiarity for the UK viewer as we start to look back to the half a decade of Grey Cup games we have had broadcast by BT Sport.
2010’s Grey Cup games offered some classics. Perhaps none better than back to back upset wins for the Ottawa RedBlacks and Toronto Argonauts against a dominant Calgary Stampeders team.
Ottawa won one of only three Grey Cup games to go into overtime. Their dramatic 39-33 win was a real thriller.
Following an 8-9-1 regular season, the RedBlacks found themselves clear second favourites to the 15-2-1 Calgary Stampeders. Who were looking to take their second Grey Cup title in three years (following a 15-3 season in 2014 they had won it all).
But Ottawa built a lead, held out against a furious comeback and won it all in only their third season in the CFL.
Another 2010’s Grey Cup favourite was the 2017 matchup. Here the Argos managed a ‘sneaky win‘ in a game dubbed the ‘Snowglobe Game’. It had it all. Some of the biggest plays in Grey Cup history. A game that went to the wire. And a game that could not have looked and felt more Canadian if it tried. Quite a remarkable turnaround win for the Argonauts too.
The truth is, whichever Grey Cup games you choose to watch from 1946 to 2019, I guarantee you will have a LOT of fun and soak up LOT of league history.
Now if we could just get the CFL to do this all again for the Eastern and Western Finals!
Banner image from bclions.com