Kwong: Kaitlyn Weaver, Andrew Poje back to drawing board

Rejection is never easy, but popular Canadian ice dancers Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje are determined to overcome early season disappointment by revamping their free program.

Rejection is never easy. Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje are trying to overcome early season disappointment by revamping their free dance.

When skaters are getting ready for the season, the goal is to find music and choreograph a program that will give them the edge over the competition. Weaver and Poje thought they had just the ticket with their concept program, in which Kaitlyn is a statue that is brought to life by sculptor Andrew.

For many skaters, getting two bronze medals at Grand Prix events this season would be reason to celebrate. For Kaitlyn and Andrew, it was alarming. They finished fourth in the world in 2012 and were looking to take their place on the podium this year. Getting beaten twice by the team of Ekaterina Bobrova and Dmitry Soloviev sent them a clear message that they had to do something:

Pj: Who did you go to for advice?

Andrew Poje: "Just about everybody. We asked many people that we trust, people to see what they thought the problem was. The frustrating thing for [coach] Pasquale [Camerlengo] was that no two people said exactly the same thing."

Pj: When did you start talking about possible changes?

Andrew Poje: "The day we got home from the Cup of China, we had an official meeting to discuss where to go from here."

Kaitlyn Weaver: "We knew we needed a plan. We aren't the type to just sit around and wait to see what happens."

Pj: Who was in the meeting?

Kaitlyn Weaver: "Pasquale, Anjelika [Krylova], us and Shae-Lynn [Bourne] by Skype. She is our go-to girl and will always be involved."

Pj: What was the problem, do you think?

Kaitlyn Weaver: "I wasn''t sure if it was me. The program technical score was low and it made me doubt myself. When I look back on the entire pre-season, I realize that we had a lack of connection. I wasn't feeling the connection to Andrew like I normally do and I felt like something was missing."

Andrew Poje: "I thought it might have been the elements themselves. But the more we thought about it, we realized that it was the set-up into the elements in a lot of the cases and not the elements themselves."

Pj: You are here in Toronto. What are you doing?

Kaitlyn Weaver: "We came here to re-do the program and to work on the connection."

Pj: What are you doing to fix that?

Kaitlyn Weaver: "The problem was in the program. The statue came to life at the beginning and then became a statue again at the end. In the middle of the program, we didn't really know what we were trying to express. We worked with Geoffrey Tyler a little bit last year, who is a performer that we met through Kurt Browning. He has been helping us to create the story and to try and understand why we are moving in certain places and to help us with the emotional connection. He has been giving us key words in certain places in the free dance to help us. Pasquale has been here too, so he knows the key words as well which will help us in our training."

Pj: Why didn't you just throw out the program and start with a new one?

Andrew Poje: "We loved the program and it's a story we wanted to tell. We are not the type of people who give up; we want to do the program justice."

Kaitlyn Weaver: "It's unique. It's special. We won't give up. We think this program can be great and memorable and we just need to tailor it more to our strengths."

Pj: What are your strengths?

Kaitlyn Weaver: "We feel that we are really good at connecting with each other through our programs. We just needed some help in getting to that."

One of the things I have always admired about this team is the way it handles challenges and disappointment. They have often said that they have their own goals in mind and will not let individual results affect what they want to accomplish.

In their characteristic, making lemonade out of lemons way, Kaitlyn said that not making the Grand Prix Final has been a bit of a blessing in disguise. They knew from their first competition at Skate America that they were going to need some help. If they had qualified for the Final in Sochi, Russia, they admit that they would never have had the time to rebuild the program in a way that will make them competitive in the second half of the season.

It is that attitude that makes them a special team and will go a long way to helping them fulfill their ambition and make the podium at worlds.

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NHL, union wrap up 2nd straight day of talks with no progress

After arriving at another dead end in negotiations, the NHL and NHL Players' Association emerged from two days of mediation with a new direction to consider.

Commissioner Gary Bettman proposed Thursday that the leadership from both sides step aside for the next bargaining session, leaving a group of owners and players to try and break the stalemate. The specific parameters of the meeting weren't set out and the NHLPA said it would take the offer to its executive board and negotiating committee for consideration.

Bettman's proposal came with the sides unable to bridge a gap in collective bargaining negotiations despite sitting through a series of sessions with U.S. federal mediators Scot L. Beckenbaugh and John Sweeney in Woodbridge, N.J., this week.

"After spending several hours with both sides over two days, the presiding mediators concluded that the parties remained far apart, and that no progress toward a resolution could be made through further mediation at this point in time," deputy commissioner Bill Daly said Thursday in a statement. "We are disappointed that the mediation process was not successful."

Mediation was also used on a couple occasions during the NHL's labour dispute in 2004-05 and didn't produce any discernable progress. According to NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr, the sides may sit down with representatives from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service again in the future.

"The mediators informed the parties that they did not think it was productive to continue the discussions further today," said Fehr. "The mediators indicated that they would stay in contact with the league and the NHLPA, and would call the parties back together when they thought the time was right."

Progress has remained elusive for the league and union despite a variety of different negotiation settings over the last several months. They've tried everything from large groups to the Big Four (Bettman, Daly, Donald Fehr and NHLPA special counsel Steve Fehr) to a private 1-on-1 session between the deputies without success.

There was a brief hint of optimism last week when the union tabled a new offer that Donald Fehr felt brought the sides within $182 million over five years.

Unresolved issues

However, a series of player contract issues remain unresolved and the terms of negotiations are bound to change the longer the lockout drags out. On Thursday evening, Daly confirmed that the league's Nov. 8 offer remained on the table.

The sides have each proposed a 50-50 split of revenues, but remain separated on payments to be made outside the system to help ease the transition from a deal that saw players receive 57 per cent. The NHL has offered $211 million in deferred compensation while the union has asked for $393 million.

With the lockout approaching its 12th week, some veteran NHLers have started drawing parallels between the current work stoppage and the one that wiped out the 2004-05 season.

"It seems bleak for having any sort of season," Hurricanes defenceman Joe Corvo told the Raleigh News & Observer. "It feels like [2004-05] again. It seems like we're getting nowhere."

With no end to the standoff in sight and players set to miss their fourth paycheque on Friday, speculation is expected to grow about the possibility of the union decertifying or disclaiming interest.

Disbanding the union would allow NHL players to challenge the lockout under antitrust laws and eliminate the need for a CBA, potentially making each of them independent contractors. The strategy was used by NFL and NBA players in recent labour disputes and has been discussed on internal NHLPA conference calls in recent weeks.

Considerable damage has been done to the NHL's business by the lockout. The league has cancelled 422 regular-season games through Dec. 14, plus the Jan. 1 Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium and Jan. 27 all-star game in Columbus.

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Field of Play: The People's Pick

The ardent fan is the apple of every athlete's eye and gives sport credibility, so we are once again inviting the fans to select Canada's athlete of the year for 2012 with the People's Pick.

Any way you slice it, the essential ingredient to sport is the patron, the supporter, the spectator.

It is, after all, the fan who matters most. The fan values the essence of performance, gets inspired, thrilled and excited and becomes, well, fanatical.

The ardent fan is the apple of every athlete's eye, but is too often taken for granted. Without great fans, there is nothing very appealing about sport.

The fans give sport credibility.

With that in mind, we are once again inviting the fans to select Canada's athlete of the year for 2012.

Let's call it The People's Pick.

With all due respect to all of the Canadian greatness out there, we offer six suggestions to vote for and we present these choices in no particular order.

Ryder Hesjedal

Hesjedal is the cyclist who won the Giro d'Italia. That victory in one of the Grand Tour races is a Canadian first. The 31-year-old from Victoria, the lead cyclist for the Garmin-Barracuda team, captured the imagination of the entire country for weeks on end.

His victory prompted this reaction from Prime Minister Stephen Harper: "We congratulate Mr. Hesjedal for providing a defining moment in Canadian sport."

Hesjedal was also in contention for the overall lead in the Tour de France before a crash in the sixth stage forced him to withdraw with an injury. He went on to be the lone male road cyclist for Canada at the London Olympics, competing in both the road race and time trial.

Christine Sinclair

Sinclair captained the Canadian women's team to an Olympic bronze medal in soccer at London and is arguably the best female player on the planet, despite being left off the list of three finalists for FIFA world player of the year.

Of most significance, the medal represented the first time that a Canadian team had ascended the medal podium at a Summer Olympics since the men's basketball team won silver at the 1936 Berlin Games. Without Sinclair, the medal would not have been won.

Sinclair also became the all-time leading goal scorer for the national team at age 29 and led the Olympic tournament in scoring with six goals. Her three-goal effort against the United States in the semifinals remains a landmark performance and she was rewarded with the honour of carrying the Canadian flag in the closing ceremonies in London.

Rosie MacLennan

MacLennan captured trampoline gold at London -- the only Canadian crowned Olympic champion in 2012.

Although her sport may be classified as niche, the fact remains that MacLennan delivered at the appointed hour, a moment which occurs once every four years.

She also won the test event for the Olympics at the same venue earlier in the year and, at 24, is acknowledged to be the future star of her sport.

Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir

This ice dancing duo has been unbeaten and untouched in 2012. Once again, they're World champions, Four Continents champions and have dominated the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating by winning events in Canada and Russia.

Virtue and Moir continue to post record scores and, as reigning Olympic champions and two-time world champions, are poised to surpass Jane Torvill and Christopher Dean as the greatest ice dancers of all-time.

Patrick Chan

Chan is world champion again. When it comes to men's skating, he is the dominant figure -- maybe for a generation. Chan won his fifth Canadian championship, the Four Continents in Colorado Springs, the Grand Prix title in Russia and the worlds in France.

The Lou Marsh Trophy winner as Canada's athlete of the year in 2011, he is proving he's still at the top of his game in spite of a coaching upheaval and, at 21, has an incredible future in front of him, which may include becoming the first Canadian male singles skater to capture Olympic gold.

Kaillie Humphries

Humphries is a female bobsleigh pilot who has won six races in a row, including a world title, and she's done it with a variety of brakemen.

Since winning Olympic gold with Heather Moyse at Vancouver in 2010., she's partnered with Jennifer Ciochetti to win the worlds in Lake Placid and with Chelsey Valois in winning the first three races of the current World Cup campaign.

Here's the thing about Humphries -- she doesn't just drive the sled, she pushes it too!

We know there are others who merit consideration, but let's start the conversation with these superb six candidates.

Vote online at CBCSports.ca and we'll reveal The People's Pick next Saturday during our ISU Figure Skating coverage of the Grand Prix Final from the Iceberg Rink in the Olympic city of Sochi, Russia.

Let's face it, you fans are the ones who truly appreciate all the greatness on every field of play and we'd like you to have your say in choosing Canada's athlete of the year for 2012.

What's on CBC Sports Weekend

CBC Sports Weekend features championship alpine skiing, notably the women's speed events from Lake Louise, Alta.

We'll present two downhill races headlined by the amazing Lindsey Vonn. The American sensation also took the time to engage in a feature-length interview in which she discussed, for the first time, her desire to race against the men on the World Cup circuit.

At 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, we'll preview figure skating's Grand Prix Final, including the four Canadian entries, as Brenda Irving, Tracy Wilson and P.J Kwong set the table for the crucial Olympic test event.

At 1 p.m. local on Sunday, it's the women's super-G from Lake Louise with play- by-play from Scott Oake and Olympic champion Kerrin Lee-Gartner. Rob Snoek will be at the finish line to get reaction from the champions.

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VOTE: People's Pick: Canada's athlete of the year in 2012

It's time for you to pick Canada's 2012 athlete of the year.

There is no shortage of outstanding athletes to choose from.

We've narrowed the list down to six, including one figure skating duo.

Who's your pick for Canada's Athlete of the Year?

The process is easy.

Simply cast your vote and the winner will be revealed during CBC Sports Weekend on Saturday, Dec. 8.

Of course, our list may not be the definitive list — feel free to debate that below in the comment section — but we feel each of the candidates would make a worthy if not spectacular choice as Canada's top athlete in 2012.

CBC Sports Weekend host Scott Russell makes the case for all of them in his latest Field of Play blog.

Here are the candidates:

Kaillie Humphries, bobsleigh

• 2012 World champion
• Won six straight World Cup races

Christine Sinclair, soccer

• Led Canada to Olympic bronze at 2012 London Games
• Led all Olympic women scorers with 6 goals
• Scored her 143rd international goal, which ranks 3rd all-time

Rosie MacLennan, trampoline

• 2012 Gymnastics Olympic Test Event gold medallist
• 2012 Olympic gold medallist

Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir, figure skating

• 2012 World ice dance champions
• 2012 Four Continents champions
• 2012 Canadian champions
• 2012 Two-time Grand Prix winners

Patrick Chan, figure skating

• 2012 World champion
• 2012 Canadian champion
• 2012 Four Continents champion
• Three-time Grand Prix gold medallist

Ryder Hesjedal, cycling

• 2012 Giro d'Italia champion
• Won Stage 4 time trial at Giro event

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Vote: Would you send Bonds, Sosa or Clemens to the Hall of Fame?

Barry Bonds. Sammy Sosa. Roger Clemens.

Once upon a time, these players were unquestionably the best in Major League Baseball.

Today, those same names have been tainted with accusations of performance enhancing drug usage and conjure images of baseball's 'Steroid Era.'

These three players have posted some of the best stats in MLB history, but the accusations may keep them out of the Hall of Fame.

Who deserves to be in Cooperstown?

Some stats to consider from our friends at The Associated Press:

• Barry Bonds is baseball's all-time home runs leader with 762 and won a record seven MVP awards
• Roger Clemens ranks ninth in career wins with 354 and took home a record seven Cy Young Awards.
• Sammy Sosa is eighth on the home run chart with 609.

Many have weighed in on whether these three, or other players that made their names during the time when PEDs were running through the league, should be allowed access to Cooperstown, but we want to know what YOU think.

Which of these players should make it into the Hall? Should they all be in there? Should none of them? Let us know by voting in our poll and let us know why in the comment section below!

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NHL labour talks with mediators to continue Thursday

It's a good thing U.S. federal mediators aren't seeking to determine right and wrong while meeting with the NHL and NHL Players' Association this week.

According to sports management professor Aubrey Kent of Temple University, both sides have a valid reason to claim that they are in the right when it comes to their ongoing labour dispute.

"For me, the whole issue comes down to perspective," Kent said Wednesday in an interview. "Players feel as though they're being bullied and strong-armed and having things taken away — I can see that that's a legitimate perspective. Owners feel from a dollar-value perspective that the next seven years they've offered would be far more lucrative than the previous seven years were, even as good as that was.

"And if you crunch the numbers, that's actually true as well."

No wonder the sides remain so entrenched in their positions.

They met separately with mediators Scot L. Beckenbaugh and John Sweeney on Wednesday afternoon at an undisclosed location — something Kent didn't anticipate would result in a "seismic" shift in perspective from either side. The non-binding sessions are intended to try and help the sides find some common ground, and will continue Thursday, according to NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr.

"A small group of NHLPA staff and players met today with two experienced FMCS mediators," Fehr said in a statement. "We expect that these discussions will resume on Thursday."

The last move at the bargaining table came from the NHLPA, which presented a new offer last week that moved within $182 million of the league over a five-year deal. Despite that, commissioner Gary Bettman said they remained "far apart."

One reason for the gap is the clause in the proposal that stated the players' share couldn't go down from year to year — a mechanism meant to protect them in the event revenues fall. Fehr said last week that it was a good tradeoff since the players' share would drop from 57 per cent to 50 per cent in the new deal, but Kent doesn't believe the NHL would ever accept those terms.

"I know why the players would offer that, [but] in principle it doesn't seem like it's a deal that anyone in their right mind would accept — where you get half of everything that grows and you don't take any risk on it not growing," he said.

Finding common ground

The league and union must also find agreement on rules governing player contracts and the amount paid outside of the system by the NHL to ease the transition. The NHL has previously offered $211 million (the NHLPA is seeking $393 million), but Bettman has hinted that the offer won't remain on the table much longer.

Losses are piling up for everyone associated with the lockout. Players are scheduled to miss their fourth paycheques on Friday while owners have already seen two months worth of games go by the wayside.

The work stoppage comes at a time when NHL franchise values have never been higher, with the annual Forbes rankings released Wednesday seeing the Toronto Maple Leafs become the first team to be worth $1 billion. In all, 20 of the league's 30 teams were valued at $200 million or higher.

Despite that, the NHL and NHLPA have produced little during months of negotiations.

"Both sides feel they can get a better deal by waiting it out, but my view is that time only helps owners in these negotiations," said Kent. "And it's not just in this particular negotiation, but in any labour dispute. Employees are always at a disadvantage because salary lost is never regained.

"Whereas owners were there before the players and they'll be there after the players and they have plenty of time to make up anything that is lost."

Regular-season games have already been wiped out through Dec. 14 and there isn't much time remaining to strike a deal that would see the puck dropped immediately afterwards. In fact, it's conceivable another 10 days could pass before formal talks resume because key negotiators have full agendas next week.

The league's board of governors is set to gather in New York on Dec. 5 while representatives from both sides are scheduled to attend Quebec Labour Board hearings in Montreal on Dec. 6-7.

In other words, a quick resolution doesn't appear to be in sight.

"While the hockey fan really feels as though this is situation critical, the reality is it's just the end of November," said Kent. "With escrow cheques that have been paying in and the reality that the fall part of the season, especially in the U.S., is a fairly low yield revenue season for the hockey teams ... neither side has felt any intense pain yet.

"The real litmus test of how strongly the positions are being held as we creep towards Christmas, as we creep into the new year. That's an unfortunate reality but I think it was one that both sides were very prepared for going into this."

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Rycroft: Toronto FC president Payne has tough task ahead

I'm not so cynical to think that Toronto FC's hiring of Kevin Payne to front its soccer operations as president isn't a solution of sorts - it is - but I'm not foolish enough to think either that this can yet be declared a way forward.

Stop me if you've heard this one. 

Toronto FC holds a press conference to announce a new executive that is here to turn the club around. 

No, full stop, that's the joke. There is no punch line. 

I was going to go with: what's red, has been beaten black and blue and likes to start all over, but I figured most have already heard that one. 

In fact, Wednesday's scene at BMO Field was one that we've all heard before. Here is a new face brought into right the ship, with promises of a clear direction and assurances that success is just over the horizon. 

It has become so played out that I'm sure years from now, a historian with the hopes of finally identifying what went wrong with the club, will sit down and pull together all the transcripts from the hiring and firing press conferences Toronto has hosted. He'll discover that they were, shockingly, or perhaps not, completely identical. He'll then conclude that Toronto FC never found success because it was always looking for the solutions in the same places.

I'm not so cynical to think that Toronto's hiring of Kevin Payne to front its soccer operations as president isn't a solution of sorts - it is - but I'm not foolish enough to think either that this can yet be declared a way forward. 

Payne is one man. He is one man in an organization that took six full seasons of losing to discover that they needed to hire a president who knew a little something about this game called soccer. 

Yes, Tom Anselmi was the defacto-president for most of those years but as he has admitted on a number of occasions it has been a 'learning process' for them. Which if you're trying to decipher press conference speak, means lost in the woods. 

The man they've hired to point the way is one who comes with a mixed reputation. 

On one hand, the beat on Payne is that he is a man who had a tremendous amount of success in his early MLS years (four MLS Cups, four MLS Supporters Shields, two U.S. Open Cups) and has established himself as a well-connected league broker since. 

Rocky formative years

He helped MLS navigate through its rocky formative years and was widely regarded as a pioneer - even visionary -- for North American soccer. He gave Bruce Arena, one of MLS' most successful coaches, his first pro deal as a coach and even helped bring D.C. United (and MLS) one of its first big money shirt sponsorships. 

On the other hand, his detractors have suggested bluntly that his best years are behind him and that he isn't as adept at wading through the modern and often murky MLS set-up. It has been five years since D.C. United won a Supporters Shield and eight since their last MLS Cup. 

And at age 59, there is some question whether Payne still has the drive to build winning franchises the way he once did. 

When he left D.C. United in 2001 it was a dynasty. He joined AEG soccer, the entertainment group that oversaw a number of MLS teams, and took on a role more focused on the business side of the game. 

He returned three seasons later to once again head D.C. United as its president, but this time only saw a modicum of success compared to the force he had once created in the league's early days.  

It's a standard that is still miles beyond anything Toronto FC has ever seen but the question of which Payne has come to Toronto is one that will still need answering. 

For now, what is clear, is that this is a soccer executive that has left a club with very few resources and has managed to have a history of success, to come to one with nearly every modern amenity afforded to it and six seasons of losing. Payne alone will not be able to end the suffering for Toronto fans but he is capable of putting together an organization that perhaps, in a few years, can find on-field success. 

Although, for the long-suffering Toronto FC fans, most would probably just be happy to not have the 'Payne' of being a bad joke. Cue rim shot.

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Chick: Knicks-Nets rivalry brewing in Gotham

The New York Knicks started off the season 6-0, but they've come back down to earth since and now the Brooklyn Nets are emerging as a threat. In terms of who's better between the Gotham teams, it's close, but it's going to be fun watching this storyline develop in the fight for the Atlantic Division, writes John Chick.

It wouldn't be fair at all to say the New York Knicks were winning with smoke and mirrors when they started the season 6-0. 

They were defeating good teams behind Carmelo Anthony, Raymond Felton and J.R. Smith, with less conspicuous contributions from Tyson Chandler and Jason Kidd. 

Coach Mike Woodson had them holding opponents to under 88 points per game in their first nine, and even with the Nets set up over in Brooklyn, Gotham had visions of the Knicks' '90s heyday dancing in their collective heads. 

All of this without Amar'e Stoudemire or Iman Shumpert. 

But as multiple cliches attest, things change quickly in New York -- and the Knicks have simply come back to earth. They've lost four of seven since Nov. 16, and have surrendered 410 points in their last four contests -- including 96 in Monday's long-awaited, Hurricane Sandy-delayed showdown with the Nets at the Barclays Center.

There are some similarities between the Knicks and the Toronto Maple Leafs -- mostly that a hot start to a season can quickly cloud the judgement of fans and media. The reality is there were some big holes in the Knicks lineup when they were playing well. Even while holding opponents to fewer points than last season, New York is near the bottom of the league in rebounds per game. 

"We needed about three more Tysons," Woodson said of Chandler after Monday's loss.

Their perimeter defence is suspect. Due to the absence of Shumpert, Kidd has been playing a lot of shooting guard. 

Plus how long can you really rely on Felton, whether he's lost weight or not?

You can point to the expected December return of Stoudemire and January return of Shump as solutions here, but are they really? 

Lock-down defender

Well, one of them is certainly. A healthy Shumpert is a must for the Knicks, a lock-down defender who had endeared himself to the MSG faithful before tearing an ACL during last year's playoff series against Miami. 

But what about Stoudemire?

Here we go again with questions about whether he and Anthony can properly co-exist. Stoudemire will never be mistaken for a defender, and the legitimate question is where Woodson's defensive advances will go once two wholly offensive players take the floor together. And will there be enough shots to go around?

Whatever happens, it's safe to say they have a true local rival in the Nets now. 

Monday night's game was raved about for its atmosphere in Brooklyn, and while there were some notable poor performances (Felton 3-of-19 shooting, the Nets' Joe Johnson 3-of-12) it had the makings of a classic overtime battle. Heck even Jerry Stackhouse (14 points), Rasheed Wallace (2-of-11, but both, awesomely, treys) and Kurt Thomas were in on the act -- three dudes drafted in 1995, the same year Canadian prep phenom Andrew Wiggins was born.

In terms of who's better between the Gotham teams, it's close. The Nets are right up there with Memphis in allowing the fewest points of any team in the league. It's going to be fun watching this storyline develop in the fight for the Atlantic Division. 

After Monday's game, Nets co-owner Jay-Z tweeted "The city is under new management." 

But not so fast HOVA. You can't really say that until the Nets have some protracted success at the Knicks' expense -- sort of, but not really like how the Mets dominated parts of the '80s while the Yankees came up short.

The Miami Heat have to be loving this; with all this New York basketball talk and the Mike D'Antoni story in L.A., for the first time since LeBron and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade, they are pretty much sliding under the radar early in the season. 

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3rd and Long: Behind the scenes at 100th Grey Cup

Listen in as 3rd And Long hosts Andy McNamara and Carlan Gay recap the 100th Grey Cup game, and get a visit from CFL legend Damon Allen to help them break down the contest.

Listen in on 3rd and Long as hosts Andy and Carlan take you through their behind-the-scenes Grey Cup experience at Rogers Centre as well as discuss the big game itself. 

Former CFL cheerleader, Shannon Kelly, also jumps in on the conversation to share her 100th Grey Cup stories.

CFL Hall of Fame quarterback Damon Allen drops by to give his thoughts on all of the Grey Cup festivities. The former Argos pivot also tells the guys why Toronto took down Calgary, his thoughts on the 2012 season, and who is the best active quarterback in the CFL today.

A special thanks to all our fans who supported us all year. Season two of 3rd and Long is in the books, we look forward to 2013! 

Find & rate us on iTunes.

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The Package: Zack Kassian

Today, we check in with Vancouver Canucks dose of sandpaper-on-the-wing Zack Kassian, who has done his part with the Chicago Wolves by racking up penalty minutes while still finding the back of the net.

We at CBCSports.ca will be keeping an eye on the next generation of NHL stars on Canada's seven clubs, whether they're working on the "farm" in the AHL or honing their game overseas, waiting for the end of the lockout.
We'll periodically check in with these players throughout the 2012-13 season, no matter what league they'll be lacing up their skates in. Today, we check in with Vancouver Canucks' does of sandpaper-on-the-wing Zack Kassian, who has done his part in racking up penalty minutes in the AHL while still finding the back of the net.

Zack Kassian
Age/ Birthplace: 21, Windsor, Ont.
Position: RW
NHL club/draft position: Vancouver Canucks, drafted 13th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 2009
NHL GP: 44 (17 with the Canucks)
Junior team: Peterborough Petes/Windsor Spitfires
Current team: Chicago Wolves (AHL)
Stats on current team: 16GP, 5G, 6A, 40 PIM

As we stated last time we spoke of Kassian, we talked about how the Canucks traded away a "natural goal-scorer in Cody Hodgson in exchange for Kassian and the skill set they believe the big forward possesses: size (6'3", 214 lbs.), physical presence and an offensive upside."

Kassian seems to be fitting the bill so far with the Wolves, after just 16 games with the club he has 40 minutes in penalties, with moderate offensiove production. One case in point of his role going forward with the parent club Canucks is his performance in Abbotsford, B.C. last month, torching the Heat with what one commenter called a "Kassian hat trick;" that is a goal, fight and shootout tally:

Highlight: Slow-motion score

Bonus highlight: Chucking knuckles in Abbotsford

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Golf to ban anchoring of belly putters, long putters

Adam Scott sinks the winning putt at the Australian Masters in Melbourne on Nov. 18. (Michael Dodge/Getty Images)

Golf's governing bodies, worried that players will turn to long putters as an advantage instead of a last resort, proposed a new rule Wednesday that would ban the putting stroke used by three of the last five major champions.

The Royal & Ancient Golf Club and the U.S. Golf Association said the rule would not outlaw belly putter or broom-handle putters, only the way they are currently used. The proposed rule would make it illegal for golfers to anchor the club while making a stroke and not take effect until 2016.

"More players are using it, and instructors are saying this is a more efficient way to putt because you don't have to control the whole stroke," USGA executive director Mike Davis said. "The game has been around for 600 years.

"Fundamentally, we don't think this is the right way to go."

Orville Moody won the 1989 U.S. Senior Open using a long putter that he held against his chest, allowing for a pendulum motion. Paul Azinger won the 2000 Sony Open with a putter that he pressed into his belly. Long putters began getting serious attention last year when Keegan Bradley became the first player to win a major with a belly putter at the PGA Championship. This year, Webb Simpson won the U.S. Open and Ernie Els won the British Open using belly putters.

Davis and R&A chief executive Peter Dawson said the catalyst for the new rule was not who was winning tournaments, but the number of players switching to long putters.

Their research showed no more than four per cent of golfers used the clubs for several years. It went to six per cent in 2006 and to 11 per cent in 2011, with some PGA Tour events having as much as 20 per cent of the players using the long clubs. There was no empirical data to suggest a long putter made golf easier. Carl Pettersson (21) and Bradley (27) were the only players among the Top 30 in putting this year on the PGA Tour who used long putters.

"We don't think putting in an anchored way is easy," Dawson said. "You have to learn how to do it, but it takes one of the potential frailties out of the stroke … we have to retain the skill and challenge inherent in golf."

The R&A and USGA will take comments for three months on the proposed rule before it is approved. Because the Rules of Golf are updated every four years, any ban on the anchored stroke would not take effect for another four years.

The decision figures to be divisive.

Tim Clark of South Africa and Pettersson have used broom putters their entire careers, and they have suggested a new rule would affect their livelihoods. Els once mocked Vijay Singh for using a long putter, but then Els switched to a belly putter last year when his putting suffered.

"As long as it's legal, I'll cheat like the rest of them," he said.

'Art of putting is swinging'

Tiger Woods is among those who have been outspoken about anchored putters, saying it takes away from the nerves in the hands in trying to make putts.

"I just believe that the art of putting is swinging the club and controlling nerves," Woods said Tuesday. "And having it as a fixed point, as I was saying all year, is something that's not in the traditions of the game.

"We swing all other 13 clubs. I think the putter should be the same.

"I don't know if there's any statistical data on it … about whether or not anchoring the putter does help on a certain range of putts, especially the guys who have gotten the twitches a little bit," he said. "But one of the things that I was concerned about going forward is the kids who get started in the game and starting to putt with an anchoring system.

"There have been some guys who have had success out here and obviously everyone always copies what we do out here. And that's something that I think for the greater good of the game needs to be adjusted."

That's ultimately what got the attention of golf's governing bodies.

Adding to the attention was Guan Tianlang, the 14-year-old from China who used a belly putter this month when he won the Asia Pacific Amateur, which earned him a spot in the Masters. He will be the youngest player ever at Augusta National. Guan started using the belly putter about six months before his big win.

Davis said there has been a dramatic increase in anchored putting styles in the last 18 months to two years at all levels of the game — tour players, elite amateurs, all the way down to the junior level. Previously, he said such putting was used by players who either "lost their way with conventional putting" or went to a broom putter because it was difficult for them to bend over for long periods of time in practice.

For years, there was a stigma attached to those who used long putters. They were considered poor putters who needed help. Davis said certified instructors began to realize that anchored putting would take some of skill out of putting, and it could lead to the majority of golfers using long putters.

"Throughout the 600-year history of golf, the essence of playing the game has been to grip the club with the hands and swing it freely at the ball," Davis said. "The player's challenge is to control the movement of the entire club in striking the ball and anchoring the club alters the nature of that challenge."

'It's a false premise'

The proposal is for Rule 14-1(b) which reads, "In making a stroke, the player must not anchor the club, either 'directly' or by use of an 'anchor point."'

To anchor the club directly is defined by players intentionally holding the club or the hand gripping the club in contact with any part of the body.

Putting styles such as the "claw" or "cross-handed" are still allowed. Matt Kuchar uses a belly-length putter that he rests against his arm. That would be permitted. Belly putters are allowed, as long as they don't touch the stomach, such as the style Angel Cabrera used when he won the 2009 Masters. Broom putters, such as used by Clark, Pettersson and Adam Scott, can be used provided it is held away from the chest.

Golf research has shown that golf participation is dwindling, mainly in the United States and Europe through cost and time it takes to play. Davis does not believe outlawing the anchored putting stroke will further decrease the number of golfers.

"We really feel strongly that it's a false premise," he said. "The game has been around for hundreds and hundreds of years.

"For 570 years, people figured out how to play without anchoring. Now they can't do without it?

"It's not, 'How can we make it harder?' Or 'How can we make it easier?'

"By doing this, we feel this clarifies the game. This is about the future of the game."

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Vote: Would you send Bonds, Sosa or Clemens to the Hall of Fame?

Barry Bonds. Sammy Sosa. Roger Clemens.

Once upon a time, these players were unquestionably the best in Major League Baseball.

Today, those same names have been tainted with accusations of performance enhancing drug usage and conjure images of baseball's 'Steroid Era.'

These three players have posted some of the best stats in MLB history, but the accusations may keep them out of the Hall of Fame.

Who deserves to be in Cooperstown?

Some stats to consider from our friends at The Associated Press:

• Barry Bonds is baseball's all-time home runs leader with 762 and won a record seven MVP awards
• Roger Clemens ranks ninth in career wins with 354 and took home a record seven Cy Young Awards.
• Sammy Sosa is eighth on the home run chart with 609.

Many have weighed in on whether these three, or other players that made their names during the time when PEDs were running through the league, should be allowed access to Cooperstown, but we want to know what YOU think.

Which of these players should make it into the Hall? Should they all be in there? Should none of them? Let us know by voting in our poll and let us know why in the comment section below!

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Oldfield: Expect NHL mediators to work quickly, discreetly

How will mediation work?

Finally. A glimmer of hope. Both sides have agreed to mediation.

So now what? First, a reminder.

There is often confusion between mediation and arbitration.

An arbitrator can issue a decision binding on both parties. But a mediator's role is to help the sides reach common ground. Mediators cannot impose a settlement.

The U.S. Federal Mediation Conciliation Service (FMCS) is a world leader in interest-based negotiations.

In plain English, that means its mediators will attempt to uncover the real needs of the parties — as opposed to the wants — and bring them closer to satisfying those needs.

Needs, of course, are different than wants. Sure, I want to win the lottery, but I need to pay my bills. And I'm reminded of that every time I check my losing ticket. And I still get by.

Mediators are not miracle workers though. They will only succeed based on the good faith and willingness of the parties to reach agreement.

You can probably expect at least a day or two where the mediator(s) will meet separately with the parties in order to appreciate what their perspectives are and what is keeping them apart.

In fact, they might never bring the parties into the same room.

Once the mediators have an understanding of the issues, they will attempt to explore different ways of addressing the parties' interests.

In likely what will be an exercise in shuttle diplomacy, they sometimes play what's called the "What if" game.

They'll ask: What if the league does this, and the players do that? And they will keep drilling down.

By putting options on the table, the mediators are separating the settlement options from the participants.

In other words, it's blameless. Neither side can accuse the other of unacceptable demands. A whole range of potential solutions can be explored without any of them constituting a position of either party.

In the course of collective bargaining, there is no shame in asking for help.

I've done it several times when it appeared the only way to move toward a resolution is to invite an adult into the room. It is much harder to maintain an unreasonable or unhelpful position in the face of a neutral third party.

Normally, the time, place and frequency of meetings are dictated by the mediator, which tends to take some of the control away from the parties.

Expect FMCS to move quickly to determine if it believes a deal is possible.

The FMCS is no stranger to the NHL. It has been asked to intervene before. In the 2005 lockout, it was asked to step in. Belatedly.

Days later, the season was cancelled.

This time, both parties have agreed to outside help much earlier. That's a positive step.

As well, expect the mediators to request a media blackout. If they agree, it may well be that for the first time in this dispute, no news may signify good news.

There's no guarantee here of success. but this is likely the last best chance for the NHL and its players to find resolution and save what's left of the season.

Dan Oldfield is the lead negotiator for the Canadian Media Guild, a former journalist, and a longtime hockey fan.

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Kwong: Grand Prix figure skating season a head-scratcher

I have to be honest, the Grand Prix season left me scratching my head on more than a couple of occasions. My biggest issue is the fact that the fields are so small now that if there is a withdrawal during the event, it can compromise the quality of the competition for the viewers.

The Grand Prix season is over.  

The skaters who ranked in the top six over the course of the six-event campaign are on their way to Sochi for the Grand Prix Final in early December.

I have to be honest, the series left me scratching my head on more than a couple of occasions. 

My biggest issue is the fact that the fields are so small now that if there is a withdrawal during the event, it can compromise the quality of the competition for the viewers. 

The most glaring example that comes to mind is the field at the Cup of China where there were only nine men to hit the ice initially instead of 10. Two more then withdrew before skating their free programs, leaving seven men in total and not much of a competition.

My other issue is how the substitutes are chosen. It would have been a no-brainer for me to have Skate Canada champion Kaetlyn Osmond be the first person to be offered a place if one became available in the ensuing four events after her victory. There were spots that came up because athletes withdrew and yet none came Osmond's way. It is the hosting federation of each of the six events which gets to extend the invitation to the athlete for their competition. 

Re-examining the process

I believe that this process needs to be re-examined in favour of the athletes, the competition and not just the federations. However, since it is the hosting federations that vote on the rules, I am not sure it will happen. The federations after all foot the bill for the event, while the ISU's obligations are only for the Grand Prix Final and the prize money, making this beyond their control.

Let's start with the ladies. I am not worried that Japan's Mao Asada took the title over teammate Akiko Suzuki.  What was surprising was that she did it while 'popping' four of her jump elements. There was a lot of chat on Twitter commenting that it didn't seem fair given the superb performance turned in by Suzuki on her way to winning the free program. 

In checking things out for myself, what I discovered was that what Asada did, she did very well and was appropriately rewarded. The same could be said for Suzuki. The issue came down to the math and the fact that for the second time in a row, Suzuki placed fifth in the short program and was unable to close the gap in the free.

The final and very small .05 margin separating the gold and silver medallists should serve as a cautionary tale for these two at the Grand Prix Final.

Yuzuru Hanyu is turning out to be the man to beat this season. He set another mark in the short program, besting his own world record from Skate Canada by .25. Hanyu also won the free program to give him the title ahead of Daisuke Takahashi. 

Earning Grand Prix Final spots

Both men have now earned spots for the Grand Prix Final, giving Japan an unprecedented four out of six entries in the men's event.

American ice dancers Meryl Davis and Charlie White were going to walk away with the NHK title unchallenged in my opinion, which is exactly what happened. Paying closer attention to their free dance, I am still unmoved. Set to the music and story of the Hunchback of Notre Dame, Esmerelda and his unrequited love, I am still waiting for the passion and the suffering to become apparent. 

For me it's just not there.  

Davis and White have hit so many home runs in the past with their free dances that I guess I just want more. Regardless, I am really looking forward to their head-to-head match-up in a couple of weeks against Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir in Sochi.

The Russian pair of Vera Bazarova and Yuri Larionov came to Sendai in order to clinch the title and their spot for the Grand Prix Final. Mission accomplished. 

Canadians Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch had a much stronger showing in Sendai in winning the silver medal and qualifying as the last entry for the Grand Prix Final.

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AHL Notebook: Abbotsford goalie Barry Brust bringing Heat

This week's AHL notebook addresses Abbotsford goalie Barry Brust's record shutout streak, the outstanding play from St. John's netminder Eddie Pasquale, the surging Oklahoma Barons, the road Syracuse Crunch's road success and Boyd Kane's longevity.

So what do James Wright and Lou Jankowski have in common?

Yes, both were born in Saskatchewan, 59 years apart. Before the Jankowski family moved to Hamilton, the late Lou Jankowski, who passed away at age 78 two years ago, was born in Regina. Wright hails from Saskatoon.

They both won junior championships. Jankowski was 16 and with the Hamilton Aerovox when they became provincial junior B Sutherland Cup champions. Wright celebrated a Memorial Cup title with the 2006-07 Vancouver Giants.

Over the weekend the 22-year-old Wright joined Jankowski as the players who ended the longest shutout streaks in AHL history.

Fifty-five years ago, Jankowski played for the Buffalo Bisons and scored on Cleveland Barons goalie Johnny Bower on Dec. 7, 1957 to end Bower's record shutout string of 249 minutes and 51 second that spanned over five games.

Abbotsford Heat goalie Barry Brust broke Bower's record on Saturday, but had his incredible shutout streak ended at 268:17 when Wright of the San Antonio Rampage beat him on a rebound during a second-period power play.

Brust began his streak on Oct. 20 by blanking the Chicago Wolves over the last 51:41 of the game after surrendering a first-period goal from Zack Kassian. Brust then checked in with three consecutive shutouts before Wright's goal in a 3-2 shootout win for Abbotsford.

The 29-year-old Brust, who won a Calder Cup championship with the 2010-11 Binghamton Senators, has five wins in five starts this season for a remarkable 0.59 goals-against average and .978 save percentage. The native of Swan River, Man. has stopped 131 of 134 shots.

Pasquale near perfect

Eddie Pasquale doesn't have a lengthy shutout streak like Brust, but the St. John's IceCaps netminder enjoyed a strong week. The 22-year-old Winnipeg Jets prospect, who won 24 games for St. John's a year ago, stopped 123 of 126 shots in three games which the IceCaps picked up five out of a possible six points.

The impressive play from the Toronto native has improved his save percentage to .929, good for eighth in the league.

Oklahoma on a roll

The Oklahoma Barons finally are seeing the results expected of them with their skillful young foursome in Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jordan Eberle and rookie defenceman Justin Schultz. Since Hall joined the lineup 11 games ago, the Barons have gone 7-3-1 and have won their last five in a row.

Schultz continues to be the surprise leader in the AHL scoring race with 10 goals and 28 points. Eberle is closing on his teammate. He's second with 11 goals and 26 points.

Nugent-Hopkins is fifth in the scoring race with eight goals and 20 points. Hall already is 39^th in the league with four goals and 15 points.

Road success

The Syracuse Crunch picked up two more road wins over the weekend to keep them a near perfect 9-0-1 away from home this season. The defending champions only have one road loss in regulation time - a 4-1 defeat to Connecticut on May 7 - in their last 32 road games. 

Last season, when Tampa Bay Lightning's AHL affiliate was based in Norfolk, they went on a pro record 28-game win to streak and won the Calder Cup Trophy. They won their final 13 regular season road games, went 8-1 away from home in the post-season and now have gone 9-0-1 on the road to start this season.

Kane keeps on going

Sometime in the New Year, 34-year-old Boyd Kane will become the 13^th player in AHL history to play in his 900^th career AHL game. The native of Swift Current, Sask. played in his 881^st and 882^nd career games over the weekend.

The former Regina Pats forward has won three Calder Cups with the 2004-05 Philadelphia Phantoms, 2005-06 and 2009-10 Bears.

If you throw in the 31 NHL games he played earlier in his career Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals as well as another 74 games in the ECHL and UHL, Kane also is closing in on a 1,000 career pro regular season contests. He's at 987.

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Frers: Argonauts quickly evolved into a champion

The Argos have just created a case study that proves it only takes one season to rebuild a CFL team.

So how long does it take to build a championship team?

One season, if you're the Toronto Argonauts.

The Argos have just created a case study that proves this statement. I for one have thoroughly enjoyed watching the Argo's evolve into a championship team right before my eyes.

And, I hate to say I told you so...no I don't, I love it.

We had just come off a season when the B.C. Lions, after a horrible start to the 2011 season, regrouped, made some slight adjustments and finished as champions. We were once again reminded that it is not how you start the season, but rather how you finish that counts.

"The team that I believe will evolve the most this season and the team that I am most interested in watching is the Toronto Argonauts," I wrote in June.

"General manager Jim Barker has done a fantastic job of bringing together very talented coaches and players to round out his team for this season. It will be interesting to see if these individuals come together as a good football team by November to make a push for the 100th Grey Cup in Toronto"

Dream season

Not only was it entertaining to watch the Argo's grow and eventually win the Grey Cup, it was the best thing that could have possibly happened for the CFL.

Commissioner Mark Cohon was all smiles Sunday night as he watched the Argos control the game from start to finish. Oh sure, he made politically correct statements heading into the game, but he knows that the success of the league falls largely on the back of football in Southern Ontario.

That being said, Toronto and Hamilton were the only two teams this season that lost money.

Without hockey competing in the sports market, Cohon had the perfect storm to thrust the CFL onto centre stage, rather than the usual last page of the sports page.

If this year can't get the football fans in Ontario excited about the CFL, then I don't know what will.

This victory will secure the CFL for the next five years.

Milanovich deserves credit

Head coach Scott Milanovich has to be given a ton of credit for understanding exactly what he needed to duplicate from his offensive success in Montreal.

Obviously, the key to everything that the Argos were able to accomplish this year is easily traced to "The Trade" that brought Ricky Ray to Toronto in the off-season. Whether it was a back-room conspiracy or not, Ray coming to the Argos gave them a legitimate shot at winning the Grey Cup. This depended on how fast he could grasp the offence, and how quickly his supporting cast could be assembled.

The fact that Ray was able to get this done inside of a year places him as one of the all-time great quarterbacks ever to play in the CFL. He also is a sure bet for entrance into the CFL Hall of Fame.

Chad Kackert comes through

Milanovich's first big in-season decision was highly criticized after he cut CFL leading rusher Cory Boyd during the team's bye-week in the summer. Many shook their heads at the idea of kicking one of the most productive offensive weapons out the door.

"After evaluating our entire football team through the first third of the season, we felt this was one of the changes necessary to move our team forwards," Milanovich

stated."

Milanovich knew that if the Argos were going to make a push to be a championship team, they needed to embrace the idea of being a pass-first offence. Unfortunately, Boyd had a difficult time grasping the protection schemes, and if he figured out who to block, he was brutal at it.

Ray had to have time in the pocket.

But Chad Kackert, really? 

This was the gutsiest move of the season.

Milanovich was clear that cutting Boyd was only one of the changes necessary to move forward. If the Argos were to forge ahead, their offensive line had to improve. I believe that moving Wayne Smith to guard and bringing in Tony Washington to play left tackle was just as significant as getting rid of Boyd.

The fact that Barker was able to claim Washington from the Calgary Stampders as a late training-camp casualty only adds to the irony.

I believe that these two moves were what started the Argos moving in the right direction. It eventually produced one of the strongest offensive lines in the league at the end of the season.

Argos more than Chad Owens

I would first like to say congratulations to Chad Owens for an amazing year. The ability for one player to accumulate over 3,800 yards of offence is mind blowing. However, if the Argos were to turn into an offence that could score majors rather than constantly settling for field goals, other offensive threats needed to step forward.

Dontrelle Inman, Jason Barnes, Andre Durie and Maurice Mann emerged as a dangerous group of receivers. The fact that Calgary was able to hold Owens to only two catches for 14 yards speaks to how far the other receivers have come.

I hope that we get to see more of Inman next season. The catch and near touchdown catch by Inman at the goal-line required a ridiculous amount of talent.

It was a smart move by Milanovich to challenge the ruling on the field of down by contact at the one-yard line, even though it wasn't overturned. It looked like he broke the plane of the goal-line with the football but there wasn't a camera angle that could provide conclusive evidence to change the ruling on the field. From what I saw, it sure looked like a touchdown.

Speed kills

Defensive co-ordinator Chris Jones assembled a young, athletic group of players that competed with a tremendous amount of speed. In order to create some space on the field, Calgary utilized nine different receivers. At the end of the day, Toronto had too many interchangeable parts and too much speed for the Stampeders to handle.

Calgary QB Kevin Glenn never felt comfortable in the pocket and a large part of it had to do with the Argonauts' defence, which completely erased Jon Cornish from the football game. Without the threat of a running game, Glenn was forced to distribute the ball, something he didn't do particularly well.

The Stampeders' offence had no answer for the defensive speed of the Argos. I guess Calgary offensive co-ordinator Dave Dickenson has some work in the off-season.

How long does it take to build a championship team? The Argos did it in one year.

It will be now be interesting to see if Southern Ontario finally embraces this team once again.

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Grey Cup champion Argos in Toronto victory parade today

Quarterback Ricky Ray and the Toronto Argonauts will celebrate Sunday's Grey Cup victory with a downtown parade on Tuesday morning. (Frank Gunn/Canadian Press)

The Argonauts will be lauded and help Toronto celebrate the team's win in Sunday's 100th Grey Cup with a downtown parade this morning.

The Argos defeated the Calgary Stampeders 35-22 on home turf Sunday for the club's 16^th Grey Cup win and first since 2004.

The City of Toronto's parade is set to begin at 11:30 a.m. ET Tuesday at the corner of Wellington and Yonge streets.

It will move west on Wellington to Bay Street, turn north on Bay and conclude at Nathan Phillips Square, in front of city hall, where Argo players will take the stage and address the crowd.

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has officially proclaimed Tuesday as Toronto Argonauts Day. He won a friendly bet with Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi, who will wear an Argos jersey in an upcoming council meeting and donate Ford's weight in food (more than 300 pounds) to a local food bank.

The CFL team's players and coaches will also address the crowd.

Drivers heading downtown Tuesday can expect closures on the roads on or near the parade route.

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Argonauts corral Stampeders for Grey Cup on home turf

All week the story of the 100th Grey Cup had been pointing to Chad Owens.

On Sunday night, Chad Kackert stole the script and ran with it.

The Toronto Argonauts running back, who didn't become a starter until after Cory Boyd was cut in mid-August, turned pre-game predictions he would be the X-Factor into reality by leading the Double Blue to a 35-22 victory over the Calgary Stampeders in the 100th Grey Cup, at the Rogers Centre.

Yes, the truth was out there, and it was found both on the ground (20 carries for 133 yards) and in the air (8 catches for 62 yards and a 195 overall total) for the New Hampshire-grad, who had bounced around a pro career looking for a home until he arrived in Toronto last year.

Well, he's home. And he has the game Grey Cup Most Valuable Player award to put on his mantle piece.

After scoring two majors in the first playoff game against Edmonton, Kackert added 139 yards on the ground in Montreal in the East final. That kind of output opened things up for quarterback Ricky Ray then, and it did the same in the championship game.

A first half of 101 yards from Kackert begat a second half of 94 on this Sunday, and it was more than enough to bring the silver chalice home to Toronto for the first time since 2004, and 16th overall.

"You can't make this up," said Kackert afterwards, still with a look of incredulity about him. "It's a great end to a story and the next chapter will be starting pretty soon. We're going to enjoy this."

The running back, who actually had a short tryout with Calgary after being cut by the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars two years ago, now is a key part of a Toronto offence that struggled in the early going of 2012 as it tried to pick up the complicated scheme brought west from Montreal by rookie head coach Scott Milanovich.

"We've been in a rhythm since Saskatchewan [Week 18, and the start of a five game winning streak] when we had to win to get in and ever since them we've realized the opportunity we had."

Ever humble, Kackert deflected credit.

"You know, we've got a lot of guys in this offence who can do the job," he said. "I just did my part."

Milanovich was not unsparing with his praise.

"He's been amazing all year. He's stepped up huge in the playoffs, he did it again tonight. He's been a sparkplug for our team."

Ray, winning his third Grey Cup in four tries and his first for the Argos since being traded over from Edmonton last December in one of the most lobsided deals in CFL history, was 18-for-30, 231, two TDs and a pick.

"It was hard to get into a rhythm tonight," he said. "Man, it was like the longest game I've ever played. The pre-game, and the [40-minute] halftime, just not being able to get into the whole flow of the game.

"But we were able to make enough plays and score enough points to get this win."

Owens, the league's Most Outstanding Player who had been held in check by the Stamps in two regular season games, again struggled to pile up the yards, getting 103 from catching and run backs.

He didn't care a bit, pointing out afterwards there are so many weapons in the Argo offence that shutting him down only opened another avenue. That would be Kackert.

Quarterback Kevin Glenn, always second choice for Calgary coach John Hufnagel as long as Drew Tate was healthy, and a man who had an outstanding year in relief, was just 14 of 27 for 222 yards, no touchdowns and an interception that went back for a touchdown.

League top Canadian Jon Cornish was a non-factor with 15 carries for 57 yards.

Rene Paredes provided the bulk of the scoring for the West champs, going 4-for-4 in field goals.

Chance for Calgary was there

Trailing 27-11 into the fourth quarter, Glenn was given a chance on a questionable pass interference call to Ahmad Carroll, who television replays suggested did not actually touch Maurice Price.

Again, as had been the case all game when prosperity came to call, the Stamps refused to answer and settled for a three, making it 27-14 with 9:46 to go.

Andre Durie wrapped things up by taking a short dump pass from Ray for a seven yard major at 9:38 of the fourth, making it 34-14 and sealing the deal. That score had again been set up by a long run from Kackert.

Calgary added a meaningless touchdown from Maurice Price in the final minute of the game.

The teams had traded field goals in a third quarter that might have turned things around for Calgary if they had remained mistake free.

One example saw the Stamps, down 21, spring Larry Taylor for an apparent 105-yard touchdown return off a kickoff. Keon Raymond was caught holding, however, and it came right back.

That kind of night.

Half to forget for Calgary

Turnovers and poor play selection turned the first half into a nightmare for the Stampeders.

Both teams struggled on offence to open the game, so it made sense a turnover might help Toronto, given they led the league in giveaway-takeaway.

Glenn handed the ball to Cornish at his own 45 and the CFL most outstanding Canadian fumbled it, recovered by Ricky Foley (who would go on to be the game's top non-import).

Even then, the Argos looked to be stalled until a bad face mask penalty gave them 15 extra yards from where, two plays later, Ray rolled in desperation to his right, found Owens as his outlet man, and the diminutive runner skipped by a defender to score the opening touchdown for a 7-0 lead.

Finding nothing from Cornish, Glenn instead dropped a nice outlet pass into Taylor's hands and the Stamps' own little guy danced down the right side for 42 strong yards.

It came for naught again, however, when the Toronto defence swamped Cornish and Calgary settled for a 30 yarder from Paredes to make it 7-3 into the second quarter.

Stamps had just 48 yards in total offence to Toronto's 78.

Glenn opened the second 15 deep in his own end, mixing up a pass route for Mo Price who was no-where near the ball. Pacino Horne said hello to the little pigskin and ran it back 25 yards for the pick-six and it was suddenly 14-3 for the Argos.

All 14 of those points came off Stamps turnovers.

Next time Glenn had the ball back, he tried to force one into triple coverage and almost had another pick on his hands as Jordan Younger got the paws on it but couldn't squeeze.

Later, Calgary was third and one just inside Toronto territory and went for it, handed off and turned it over.

The Stampeders couldn't even stare fortune in the face without turning away. Bad Toronto tackling on a pass to Nik Lewis sent him 42 yards to the 25. That looked promising until a second down in the shadow of the posts went horribly wrong.

Glenn looked downfield, saw nobody open and rolled to his right on what turned into a naked bootleg stopped by Ejiro Kuale, resulting in a field goal.

Ray came right back, using Kackert's skills to set up a deep pass that went to Dontrelle Inman on a corner pattern that beat Brandon Smith and put them on the one.

Potential trouble. Last week, Toronto's offence embarrassed itself on three straight shots from the one against Montreal. Kackert going nowhere this week on the first try was a nasty piece of déjà vu.

Time for something new. Backup QB Jarious Jackson actually rolled out, found a wide-open Inman (Calgary was shocked as well) and he danced in for the 24-6 halftime lead.

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Wharnsby: Foley, Argonauts defence full value for championship

The Grey Cup champion Toronto Argonauts are full of good stories. Defensive lineman Ricky Foley, who only has been playing football for a decade, watched his old team in the B.C. Lions win the championship a year ago. Now Foley has a title of his own.

As far as Toronto Argonauts defensive end Ricky Foley is concerned, even Oscar-winning Canadian screenwriter Paul Haggis would have difficulty writing a script better than the one that played out for the Grey Cup champions.

New Toronto Quarterback Ricky Ray, traded by the Edmonton Eskimos in the offseason, beat his old team in the East semifinal two weeks ago. In the East final last Sunday, rookie Argos head coach Scott Milanovich led his charges over his old team, the Montreal Alouettes.

Toronto running back Chad Kackert ran roughshod over the Calgary Stampeders, the team that once cut him, in the final. Argos defensive coordinator Chris Jones also got the best of his old boss, Stampeders head coach John Hufnagel, in the 35-22 championship victory on Sunday.

Foley neglected to mention himself. The defensive lineman has only been at the game of football for a decade. He also heavily second-guessed himself when he signed with the Argos last season, especially when his old team, the B.C. Lions, went on to win the Grey Cup at home.

"It was tough last year with B.C. winning it," said Foley, named the game's most outstanding Canadian. "I love those guys out there. But I'll trade in a 1,000 sacks and a B.C. championship to win the 100th Grey Cup in my hometown.

"It couldn't be any better."

The game could not have started any better for Foley and his defensive teammates. The Argos knew they had to stop Stampeders running back Jon Cornish, the runner-up for the 2012 most outstanding player award earlier in the week.

The plan was to try to keep Cornish in the backfield and prevent him from getting any steam into the Argos defensive backfield. He didn't gain any more than four yards in his first eight touches of the game and one of those touches he fumbled, which Foley pounced on.

That turnover led to an Argos touchdown, and the boys in double blue never looked back. Cornish only managed 57 rushing yards on 15 carries. This was the third time the Argos held Cornish in check this season.

"The key to their offence, and we knew it was no small task, we had to stop Jon Cornish," Foley said. "We had to stop him in the backfield. We had to get penetration. If it wasn't the first guy getting penetration, it was the next guy cleaning up. The main thing was stopping him behind or at the line of scrimmage.

"We did that."

And the Argos defensive line did that without Adriano Belli in the fourth quarter. He was tossed late in the third quarter for his attempted arm bar on Calgary offensive lineman Jon Gott.

The 6-foot-3, 257-pound Foley was in on five tackles and sacked Stampeders quarterback Kevin Glenn once. Not bad for an athlete who didn't play a down of high school football and had to plead with then York University head coach Tom Gretes for a walk-on tryout.

Foley grew up on his family's cattle farm near Oshawa, Ont. His high school in Courtice didn't have a football team, so in his last year he transferred to Paul Dwyer Secondary in Oshawa, but it's program was on hiatus because of a work-to-rule ploy from the board's teachers, who were in the middle of a contract dispute.

Instead, Foley trained to be a triathlete. But he turned down a scholarship offer to Baylor in order to attend York.

An e-mail he sent to Gretes asking for a tryout proved fruitful. Gretes only had to find a position for his new player. He tried Foley at linebacker, receiver, then back at linebacker, safety and finally because a couple players were injured Foley was put at defensive end and he finally found a home.

"I will always have a special place in my heart for that man," said Foley, who saw Gretes at the York-University of Toronto game last month. "I wrote him an e-mail and he gave a farm kid a chance who had nothing before."

Foley also thanked his brother Don for making this week easy to prepare for. Don spent between $8,000 and $9,000 worth of Grey Cup tickets for their mother and father, other family and friends.

"It was good for me," said Foley, who has had tryouts with Baltimore, Seattle and the New York Jets in the NFL. "He took away that part from me. I didn't have that distraction. I didn't have that pressure."

It simply was on to the game for Foley, who played a big role in the team's five straight wins to end the season.

"I just know when we get on a roll like we did, we had so many guys coming up to make big plays," Foley said. "We had a new offence and a new defence. Once we all got used to everything new, we just got on a roll."

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Argos fans thrilled with Grey Cup in city starved for a championship

Over one hundred years after the first Grey Cup was played, the Toronto Argonauts brought the iconic trophy back to where it all started.

A sold-out crowd of 53,208 at the Rogers Centre rose to their feet and erupted into a deafening roar as the final seconds ticked off the Argos' 35-22 win over the Calgary Stampeders on Sunday in the 100th Grey Cup game.

Argos fan Ben Westerik said it's fitting that his hometown team was able to claim a place in Canadian football history with this win.

"It means a lot," said the 22-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ont., after the game. "Since the first Grey Cup was won here, and now the 100th has been won ... it's pretty fantastic."

The first Grey Cup was won in 1909 by the University of Toronto Varsity Blues on a field in what is now the upscale neighbourhood of Rosedale.

City in need of a championship

Westerik says the championship title also comes at an appropriate for a city that has been struggling to hold onto its football fans amid a myriad of other professional sports options.

"I mean this city hasn't had a championship star for a couple of years now. Everyone kind of feels like we are the sports city that always loses and it's kind of felt that way for a good long time now," he said.

"And now we finally have ourselves a championship. So I'm feeling pretty ecstatic."

The highly anticipated match got off to a quick start with Chad Owens, this year's CFL outstanding player, scoring the first touchdown minutes into the game.

The crowd — many dressed in Argos blue — waved flags, blew into plastic horns and bellowed out the team's trademark chant — "Arrrrgoooooooos!" — throughout the high-stakes match between the East and West Division champions.

Disappointment for Stamps fans

Those dressed in Stampeders red could also be heard screaming "Go Stamps Go!" at the start, but were given little chance to cheer in the second half of the game.

Defeated fan Dan Schaffer had little to say following the loss.

"The Stamps got crushed," said the 50-year-old from Fort Erie, Ont. "They stink."

But says he still believes they have can make it up next year.

"They always have a chance," Schaffer said.

Calgary native Julie Ward said Toronto just played a better game.

"They played a tough game but Toronto beat us. What can we say?" she asked. "[The Stamps] tried their best and they did their best."

The atmosphere outside the stadium was rowdy as joyous Argos fans whooped and chanted in the streets. Cars driving by honked their horns and flew CFL flags from their windows.

There was a noticeable police presence outside the stadium before and after the game, but cold temperatures most likely deterred raucous fans from getting into trouble.

Both CFL teams had a lot on the line for a win. Calgary hadn't won a Grey Cup since 2008 and Toronto hadn't hoisted the trophy since 2004. And the last time the Argos won the Grey Cup at home was in 1952 when they beat the Edmonton Eskimos.

Many dignitaries in attendance

Governor-General David Johnston, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford and Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi were among the dignitaries at the game.

Harper, who is from Toronto but has his political riding in Calgary, sent a tweet after the game congratulating the Argos on the win.

Ford and Nenshi had made a bet on its outcome, with the mayor of the losing city promising to donate his weight in food to a food bank and wear the winning team's jersey to a council meeting.

After the final whistle Nenshi sent out a tweet congratulating the Argos on a great game, and thanked the Stampeders for "an incredible season, and to Toronto for putting on an amazing event."

Meanwhile, Alberta Premier Alison Redford and Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty had bet before the game that the premier of the losing province would have to donate 100 warm clothing items to a charitable group of the winning premier's choice. They agreed towards the end of the game that both would make a donation.

Argos fan Justine Bertrand came to the game from nearby Ajax, Ont., with her mother, father, husband and six-year-old son Aedan.

She says a win will show the rest of Canada that Toronto is a still a football town.

"It would mean a lot to this city because the city has nothing to cheer about right now," Bertrand said. "It will mean a lot to the fans because there are faithful fans in this city that nobody remembers."

Bertrand was ecstatic at the turnout for the game.

"This feels good to see everybody out here," she said.

Inside the stadium, the mood was jovial between Argos and Stamps fans, along with others representing the league's remaining teams.

But the crowd was quick to show its distaste for the halftime show performer, teen idol Justin Bieber.

Both times when a photo of the Stratford, Ont., native was shown on the JumboTron, the crowd erupted into boos.

And when the superstar hit the stage following performances by Carly Rae Jepsen Jepsen, pop-punk bank Marianas Trench, and Canadian rock legend Gordon Lightfoot, the football fans continued with long and enduring jeers.

Argos fan Jamie Wolodarskym says the Argos are long overdue for a title and a win at home is just icing on the cake.

"It means everything," said the 40-year-old Toronto man.

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Vote: Which Toronto team will win a championship next?

The Toronto Argonauts brought a much needed win to the capital of Ontario, long-starved for sports glory since…well, since the Argos last won the Grey Cup in 2004.

Next Toronto team to win a league title?

Since the Argos are the cream of the CFL crop this year, we want you to tell us which team you think will be the next from the 'Big Smoke' to win it all and your choices are as follows:

• The Toronto Blue Jays last won a World Series in 1993, meaning that next season will mark the 20th year since Major League Baseball's championship headed north of the 49th parallel. The Jays have made some drastic moves in the off-season, but will it pay off?
• The Toronto Raptors last made the playoffs in 2008, and since then they've lost their (arguably) franchise cornerstone in Chris Bosh, but have drafted high (Ed Davis, Jonas Valanciunas) and are putting more focus on team defence with new coach Dwayne Casey.
• The Toronto FC have yet to gain any momentum since joining Major League Soccer in 2007, failing to even qualify for the playoffs. However, the fledgling Vancouver Whitecaps are proof that Canadian teams can do battle with the best in the North American soccer league.
• The Toronto Maple Leafs. 1967. 'Nuff said?

There are your choices, ladies and gentlemen. Which of these Toronto-based clubs do you think will shake off their losing seasons first and goes all the way?

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The 100th Grey Cup in Toronto

The Toronto Argonauts and Calgary Stampeders are set to battle for a milestone CFL title when they play the 100th Grey Cup at Toronto's Rogers Centre.

Check out our Scribble Live blog to follow the festivities all week through news, notes, photos, analysis and more from CBC reporters and contributors, right through the big game on Sunday night.

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Kelly: Losing a Grey Cup simply 'makes you sick'

There are no moral victories in the Grey Cup game. Losing hurts. You never forget it. It doesn't matter the circumstances. That's what worries today's players as they head to Sunday night's game. Losing, and never getting another shot.

There are no moral victories in the Grey Cup game.

Losing hurts. You never forget it. It doesn't matter the circumstances.

At this writing, the Saturday before the 100th edition of the classic, it has been 31 years and five days since the rag tag 5-11 Ottawa Rough Riders came within a last-second field goal of pulling the greatest upset in Grey Cup history against the greatest team in CFL annals, the heavily favoured Edmonton Eskimos.

J. C. Watts is still annoyed.

The former Oklahoma star, and more recently two-term U.S. Congressman, author, and successful businessman, took his Riders into Montreal where Warren Moon and the Green and Gold were waiting with three straight Cup rings already on their fingers and two more to go.

And Edmonton almost blew it. They trailed 20-1 at halftime to a team that only made the playoffs because Montreal and Toronto were even worse, and the Eskimos had to rely on a Dave Cutler 27-yarder to steal it back.

Don't ask Watts if he's happy about how the Riders played. Proud they competed hard, sure. Pleased the pre-game pundits who called the match-up a travesty and an embarrassment were made to eat their words, you bet.

But not happy.

"When you get a chance to win it all, or to excel, or close the big deal, it's right now," said Watts, over the phone from Washington, where he runs a consulting business. "You don't wait to next week. You don't wait to next quarter. You do it now.

"We had a 'right now' moment, and didn't seize it."

Losing, you see, simply sucks. 

Ask a half-dozen modern players who've lost a Grey Cup if they understand where Watts is coming from and to a man they nod their heads.

"Of course," says Toronto guard Marc Parenteau, who has played in three of these with Saskatchewan and lost two of them. "None of those memories go away. They are vivid images. I can still see losing. The feeling of a crushing defeat.

"It's hard to explain to people who haven't had it."

Tasting defeat

Etienne Boulay has had it both ways. As a Montreal Alouettes defensive back he won those two games Parenteau lost, and has tasted defeat as well. 

"It feels like crap," the now-Argonaut says of losing. "You've worked really hard all year and for six months-plus you have to live with regrets of 'what if I could have done more.'"

A few minutes later, Boulay wanted to come back around and try that thought again.

"When I answered you earlier, I probably didn't answer you the right way when I said for six months you think 'What if?' It's more than six months," he said. "More than six months. Even 2006, 2008, ones we lost, I still wish I could have back."

He shook his head, thinking about the feeling.

Calgary returner Larry Taylor has been on both sides, and he jumped on Watts's emotions right away, especially the part about being a huge underdog, playing well and still losing.

"[Losing] is a feeling that will never be erased. No matter if you are the underdog or the favourite, a loss will have an effect on you, no matter what.

"Especially when you knew a game you should have had [was lost]," he said, after the Friday practice on the Rogers Centre turf. "If you knew you had a chance, a legitimate chance to win that ball game, it was yours to lose, that's going to have an effect on you."

It is, he says, what makes you a champion.

Watts was almost a Grey Cup champion, one of the most famous. If the Riders had pulled that one off, they would be celebrated in song and verse, perhaps by Gordon Lightfoot.

"We happened to get hot at the right time, in the last seven games we won five of them," said Watts, who, when asked, can remember every moment of that game, every one of his teammates. "You make it to the championship, anything can happen, and anything almost happened."

Destined to be embarrassed

No-one on that team, in the week before the game, thought for a moment they were destined to be embarrassed.

"I guess there were some folks who thought it would be a laughable game, and I surely could understand that, but as the quarterback of the team I felt we had as good a chance of beating them as they did of beating us."

In the dressing room at halftime, with a stunned stadium and TV crowd staring at the scoreboard and wondering if they had stayed in the bar too long the night before, Ottawa's Riders weren't in shock. They were confident.

"In the second half, the Eskimos came out and played like the Eskimos, but a couple of series we played like a five win team, a crucial fumble, missed a couple of passes when the ball was in the hands of the receivers. 

"We had some things jump up out of our background that kind of haunted us."

Watts's father used to say that what's been done can't be undone. 

"I don't dwell on it and sit around and say 'By golly, we let it slip away.' There's nothing we can do about it, you move on, you try and do better next time.

"But, I never got another shot."

That's what worries today's players as they head to Sunday night's game. Losing, and never getting another shot.

Because, losing is crap. Ask Toronto QB Ricky Ray, who is 10-2 in the post-season and owns two Grey Cup rings, losing one other. 

"Being so close, and you know how it's going to change you life ... to be so close and not win it, it makes you sick."

Something we didn't mention about Watts in that 1981 game - he was chosen the game's most valuable player. He didn't mention that, either.

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Vote: Which Grand Prix Final event will be fiercest?

In many ways, figure skating's Grand Prix Final is like a mini world championships.

Which Grand Prix Final event will be fiercest?

Given the skaters who will compete in Sochi, which event do you think will be the most fiercely contested? The men's, ladies', pairs' or dance?

Cast your vote!

And don't forget to keep in touch with CBC Sports figure skating expert Pj Kwong, who is blogging and tweeting all season long @skatingpj on Twitter.

Plus, you can watch championship figure skating on CBC and CBCSports.ca, and chat with Pj.

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Canadian pair Moore-Towers, Moscovitch win NHK Trophy silver

Canada's Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch finished second in the pairs event at the NHK trophy to secure a spot at next month's Grand Prix final.

Moore-Towers, from St. Catharines, Ont., and Toronto's Moscovitch scored 180.63 points to finish behind Russia's Vera Bazarova and Yuri Larionov, who won with 192.02.

"Our skate wasn't ideal and we could have been better but we're happy to go the GP final," Moscovitch said. "The fans here today were incredible, the love they have for the sport is remarkable."

Bazarova and Larionov also advanced to the GP final, which will be held in Sochi, Russia, from Dec. 6-9. The NHK Trophy is the sixth event of the International Skating Union's GP series.

Marissa Castelli and Simon Shnapir of the United States were third with 174.51 points.

"We're very happy to win," said Bazarova. "This is the first time for us to win a GP event at the senior level. There were a few mistakes with our jumps and that is something we have to work on. We're also happy to qualify for the GP final in Russia."

Barazova and Larionov were deducted points for an under-rotated combination jump early in their routine but recovered by executing some difficult throws to impress the judges.

Russians Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov had previously qualified for the GP finals along with compatriots Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov.

"The level of figure skating is improving in Russia," Bazarova said. "We have many new skaters in pairs, especially before the Olympics, so it is very competitive right now which is good."

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The 100th Grey Cup in Toronto

The Toronto Argonauts and Calgary Stampeders are set to battle for a milestone CFL title when they play the 100th Grey Cup at Toronto's Rogers Centre.

Check out our Scribble Live blog to follow the festivities all week through news, notes, photos, analysis and more from CBC reporters and contributors, right through the big game on Sunday night.

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Quiz: Grey Cup halftime shows

The days of marching bands are over.

These days, halftime shows at the Grey Cup (and the Superbowl south of the border) feature some of the hottest stars in the entertainment world.

Take this Sunday's 100th Grey Cup game in Toronto, which will showcase performances from the likes of Justin Bieber and Carly Rae ("Call Me Maybe") Jepsen, along with pop-rockers Marianas Trench and beloved singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot.

How well do you know your halftime acts?

Take the quiz!

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Laval wins Vanier Cup, exacts revenge on McMaster

Maxime Boutin rushed for a staggering 253 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries, including an electrifying 84-yard run in the third quarter, as the Laval Rouge et Or defeated the McMaster Marauders 37-14 in the 48th Vanier Cup on Friday night.

Boutin's rushing total was the second best ever in a Vanier Cup as Laval avenged last year's thrilling 41-38 double overtime loss to McMaster to win a record seventh Canadian university football title.

The performance earned Boutin the game's MVP honour.

Tristan Grenon was 11-for-25 passing for 234 yards and a touchdown as the Rouge et Or rolled up 605 yards of total offence and outscored the Marauders 25-0 in the second half to snap McMaster's CIS-record 21-game winning streak.

Laval's Seydou Junior Haidara was the top receiver on the night, hauling in three catches for 106 yards.

Hec Crighton Trophy winner Kyle Quinlan threw for 335 yards on 25-for-40 passing and one touchdown in front of a Vanier Cup record crowd of 37,098 at Rogers Centre in his final collegiate game. Quinlan also ran in another score but was intercepted twice.

Turning point came in 3rd quarter

The turning point came in the third quarter after McMaster scored two quick touchdowns late in the first half to grab a 14-12 lead heading to the locker-room.

Laval took the opening kickoff of the second half and looked to be stopped at midfield, but a Rouge et Or fake punt and an unnecessary roughness penalty brought the offence back on the field at the McMaster 19-yard line.

Boutin then ran in untouched from 11-yards out two plays later as Laval regained the lead at 19-14 and the Rouge et Or stretched their advantage to seven when McMaster conceded its second safety midway though the quarter.

Boutin was at it again with under five minutes to go in the third, taking a handoff from Grenon and weaving his way through the Marauders defence for a stunning 84-yard TD run that silenced the pro-McMaster crowd. Laval's No. 1 saluted Marauders fans seated behind the end zone for good measure after the third-longest touchdown run in Vanier Cup history.

Boris Bede booted a 37-yard field goal to make the score 31-14 heading to the fourth quarter, before adding kicks from 20 and 31 yards in the final period.

McMaster's offence, which had its lowest point output of the season, couldn't get anything going in the second half against a tough Laval defence led by linebacker Frederic Plesius and defensive lineman Arnaud Gascon-Nadon.

Trailing Laval 12-0 late in the first half, Quinlan capped a much-needed six-play, 75-yard drive with a one-yard plunge. The Marauders' undisputed leader was mobbed by his teammates in front of the McMaster fans seated at the south end of the stadium to make the score 12-7 with 1:41 left in the half.

The momentum shifted further as the Marauders' defence forced a two-and-out on the ensuing Laval possession.

After a Rouge et Or punt, Quinlan found Ben O'Connor on a 42-yard pass play to get McMaster to its own 51. The fifth-year pivot then hooked up with Dahlin Brooks on a 59-yard catch-and-run TD that sent the McMaster supporters into their second frenzy in just over a minute. The three-play, 96-yard drive that took just 24 seconds gave the Marauders their first lead at 14-12.

After the ensuing kickoff, Grenon hooked up with Haidara on a 75-yard catch and run that brought the Rouge et Or to the McMaster two with 13 seconds left. But after a Grenon incomplete pass, the clock ran out and Laval didn't get a chance to attempt a short field goal. Rouge et Or head coach Glen Constantin rushed after the officials to complain, but to no avail.

Great crowd at Rogers Centre

Fans from both teams showed up early, with the smaller Laval contingent doing its best to be heard against the backdrop of a pro-Marauders crowd that also included a rainbow of jersey-clad CFL fans in town for Sunday's 100th Grey Cup.

McMaster supporters young and old came out in maroon to support the university, whose campus is just 70 kilometres from Rogers Centre.

After a scoreless first quarter, the Rouge et Or took the lead on their first drive of the second as their offence finally found its rhythm on a five-play, 69-yard drive that was capped by a 28-yard touchdown pass by Grenon to Matthew Nozil.

Quinlan got the Marauders to midfield on the next possession but McMaster was forced into its fifth straight punt. Laval also punted on its next possession but a great tackle by Luke Ricard on Joshua Vandeweed pinned McMaster on its one-yard line.

The Laval defence stood tall and forced the Marauders into conceding a safety on third down as the Rouge et Or grabbed a 9-0 lead.

On the ensuing drive, the Rouge et Or's pounding running attack behind their mammoth offensive line took over but stalled in McMaster territory and had to settle for a 22-yard field goal from Bede before McMaster exploded for two late touchdowns in the half.

Both teams clearly felt some nerves in the first quarter, which saw six punts, an interception and a field goal. Quinlan was picked off on the opening drive by Thomas Girard, who ripped the ball from the arms of McMaster's Robert Babic at midfield.

Laval could do nothing with the early momentum swing as Grenon, who was off target at times, overthrew receivers on back-to-back plays before the Rouge et Or were forced to punt.

The teams continued to stifle each other on offence, with aggressive play calling on both sides failing to gain much ground. Laval got something going with about five minutes to go in the first quarter, but a dropped pass on second down and a missed 39-yard field goal attempt by Bede left the teams still scoreless.

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