CALGARY — Years from now, when both the heartbreak and elation has long subsided, the 97th Grey Cup will make one of those TSN Top 10 lists entitled ‘worst ways to lose’ or ‘biggest second chances.’
It will be then the 46,020 fans who attended the game Sunday at McMahon Stadium can say, ‘I was there to witness it.’
Calgary put on a great Grey Cup show, and supporters were rewarded with the most entertaining title game since the 2005 overtime thriller that the Edmonton Eskimos won over the Montreal Alouettes.
The showcase from McMahon Stadium also set a ratings record, as an average of 6.1 million people watched on both TSN and RDS.
The ratings hit a peak of 8.3 million sets of eyeballs at the end, which will be talked about for as long as there are Saskatchewan Roughriders diehards.
Everyone in the country was in disbelief after the Roughriders were celebrating the franchise’s fourth title, only to have a missed field goal called back on a too many men penalty.
Kicker Damon Duval then hit the game-winner in what is the biggest zero to hero story in recent memory.
Duval was set to have one of the worst games in Grey Cup history, as he missed the first chance from 43 yards and previously had a punt of seven yards and another shank for 23.
For anyone other than the Montreal Alouettes, a win like this might seem hollow, but this is a group that has lost in brutal fashion a few times this decade.
There were four Alouettes players in this game from the 2000 team that lost to the B.C. Lions after failing to get a two-point convert for a last-minute tie.
There were several more who lived through the overtime defeat in 2005 and many who were part of the loss at home in 2008.
To their credit in this one, the Alouettes fought back from a 16-point deficit with Anthony Calvillo erasing a horrible start and leading his team to a pair of late touchdowns.
The QB was particularly strong after the three-minute warning, including a final drive where he hit Kerry Watkins and Jamel Richardson to get within field-goal range.
Calvillo now has a second Grey Cup ring to go with his 2002 one, and he could retire in peace if he so chose to do that.
Not that there would be much debate about his Hall-of-Fame status, but Calvillo will get automatic entry once his career concludes.
The Alouettes veterans seem rejuvenated under head coach Marc Trestman, so it would now be a surprise to see the likes of Scott Flory, Bryan Chiu and Ben Cahoon retire, although all of them could walk away on top.
It seems the group that has been together for seven trips to the Grey Cup might be waiting to see if their head coach gets a look in the NFL.
On the other side, there are many positives the Roughriders can hang their hats on once the pain of this loss subsides.
For the first time in a while, the Riders have the most promising young quarterback in the CFL.
No one can question if Darian Durant could lead a team to a title. He’s already done enough to win a Grey Cup.
With a strong nucleus of non-import receivers — unless Andy Fantuz goes to the NFL — a good offensive line that should be boosted by the expected return of Wayne Smith, and an outstanding defensive group.
They have the league’s top defensive player in defensive end John Chick and a creative coaching staff on both sides of the ball, as long as they keep them together.
The future looks bright for the Riders.
Now they just have to get over this loss.
