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The Edmonton Eskimos welcomed their supporters to the annual $300-a-plate dinner last night on the verge of missing the Western Conference playoffs four years in a row for the first time since 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965.
Don't say they don't have a sense of humour.
The team which lost all three home games wearing their 1965 retro uniforms this season, chose the league's '60s retro theme to backdrop their 46th annual breaking of bread at the Shaw Conference Centre.
Historically the dinner has been one of the fun nights of the year, but for the last several seasons it's like everybody has been walking into the room on eggshells.
The Esks lost their last games prior to the dinner three straight years (back-to-back losses going in last year and three straight losses prior to the dinner three years ago).
But last night everybody could put the latest depressing series of calamities -- six losses in their last eight games dating back to Labour Day when they went into the annual classic in first place --aside for the evening.
With no chance remaining of the Eskimos hosting their first home playoff game since 2004, the dinner date ended up on the eve of Bryan Hall calling his last play-by-play game in Commonwealth Stadium tomorrow night against the Toronto Argos.
The fact he called his first game in 1965 fit perfectly into the theme of all this. Hall is going out where he came in.
The Eskimos may not be that much fun to watch. But if you can't have fun at Huggie Bear Hall's expense, you can't have fun.
The Eskimos invited his old colourman Fred Fleming, another old colour commentator in John Farlinger and Global TV segment host Darren Dutchyshen now of TSN to celebrate the evening.
John Sexsmith set up the segment.
"A man who was in his '60s in the '60s," he said.
Dutchy piled on after that.
"Hallsy predated radio. He called Moses parting the Red Sea. That's where he found his hairpiece."
Hall's old colourmen mostly talked about never being given a chance to talk.
The fun reminded everybody of their own Hallsy stories.
My favourite Hall memory involved being invited as a half time guest on the broadcast of a Labour Day game back in the early '70s. I was to follow Rogers Lehew, the then Calgary Stampeders GM.
Hall has a trademark of asking unbelievably long questions, answering them himself and then putting the microphone in front of his guest.
"No," said Rogers.
So Hall asked the question again, answered it again and put the microphone back in front of Lehew's face.
"No, Bryan," he said and left the booth.
Five-minute interview. Three words.
Or the time Hall fell asleep in the pre-game press gathering only to wake up to laughter when I pointed to the broadcaster and asked coach Danny Maciocia, "How do you think your press conference is going so far?"
But the all-time classic was Ricky Ray throwing left-handed.
Hall: "There's the snap. He's in trouble. Rolls to his left. And Ricky Ray throws the ball left-handed!"
Dave Campbell: "No."
Hall: "Yes."
Campbell: "No."
Hall: "Yes."
Campbell: "No, that was Stefan LeFors."
Hall: "Oh yeah. I didn't notice they changed quarterbacks."
And there was the one earlier this year when he started interviewing equipment assistant J.J. Tomlinson thinking he was linebacker Rod Davis.
Hall was rewarded for being subjected to all this.
In addition to the spoiled surprise of the naming of the Bryan Hall Media Centre at Commonwealth Stadium, the Eskimos also presented Hall a cruise for he and his wife Lilian.
Bryan Hall provided the Eskimos the occasion to make the dinner a success.
As Huggie Bear himself would say: "Touchdown, Eskimos!"
TERRY.JONES@SUNMEDIA.CA