Janarion Grant of Winnipeg with 102-yard punt return in Grey Cup

Janarion Grant with a 102-yard punt return for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Grey Cup

Marcus Jones of the New England Patriots had a dramatic 84-yard punt return for a TD In the NFL on Sunday.

Janarion Grant of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers went him 16 yards better in the fourth quarter of the Grey Cup against the  Toronto Argonauts.

Toronto led 17-14 when it punted to Grant, who already had a total of 3 returns for TDs in 2022.

He picked up the ball and took off for the end zone, reaching it 102 yards later.

Grant had a short stint with the Baltimore Ravens in 2018. He played college ball at Rutgers

Winnipeg missed the PAT and led 23-14.

The Bombers were looking for a Grey Cup hat trick, having won in 2019 and 2021. The 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stampeders’ Peyton Logan returns missed FG 122 yards for touchdown

Calgary’s Peyton Logan with a long, long return of a missed field goal

The Calgary Stampeders put on a highlight show against the Edmonton Elks on Wednesday.

They scored on offense, defense, and in a spectacular manner on special teams.

Peyton Logan corrals the missed field goal deep in the end zone and takes off rather than conceding a rouge, which would have given Edmonton one point.

One-hundred and twenty-two yards later Logan’s decision proved successful.

And that opened the floodgates en route to Calgary’s 49-6 victory over Edmonton.

The rain actually delayed the game for an hour.

In case you were wondering the 122-yard return of the missed field goal was not a CFL record.

  • 131 – Boyd Carter/Dave Mann (1958) (Carter for 15 yards, then lateral to Mann for 116 yards and TD)
  • 130 – Ken Hinton (1977)

There has been a quartet of 129-yard returns. They were by Saskatchewan’s Tristan Jackson in 2012 among others.

Former NFL player Brendan Langley in wild fight at Newark Airport

A former Denver Bronco draftee and current Calgary Stampeder was in a wild fight at Newark Airport

One of the combatants in the wild brawl at Newark Airport in New Jersey was a former NFL and current CFL player.

Brendan Langley, a third-round pick by the Denver Broncos in 2017 and current Calgary Stampeder, has been arrested and charged with simple assault.

The United Airlines worker he fought in the melee is no longer employed by the airline as a result.

The fight after an apparent argument between Langley, who was a DB for Denver, and the airline worker:

The Stampeders issued the following statement on Monday:

The Calgary Stampeders football club is aware of the reports concerning Brendan Langley.

The team is currently looking into the matter in order to learn the full details and will have no further comment until the investigation is complete.

Langley signed with the CFL  team in February as a wideout.

With the Broncos, je played 16 games at defensive back over the 2017 and ’18 seasons. He made six tackles and returned 10 kickoffs for 244 yards and one punt for six yards.

Mind-boggling barbell blackflip by CFL wideout Shai Ross

Astonishing acrobatics and strength by CFL WR Shai ROss

See is believing and sometimes it is still hard to digest what you have viewed.

Shai Ross is an Edmonton Elk wide receiver. He played college ball at Manitoba and apparently has incredible strength.

Watch the below video and check out how Ross lifts the barbell with the weights on it and somehow manages to do a backflip.

Winnipeg downs Hamilton in OT to repeat as Grey Cup champs

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are once again Grey Cup champions

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have won back-to-back Grey Cups.

They rallied and defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats for the second straight CFL championship, 33-25, in overtime Sunday. This was Grey Cup 108.

Zach Collaros found Darvin Adams in the end zone in overtime, which is called a “mini-game.” He then connected with Rasheed Bailey for the two-point conversion.

Winnipeg picked off Jeremiah Masoli of Hamilton to end the game. Kyrie Wilson made the interception on a second-down play.

This was the fourth time the Grey Cup went to overtime. Winnipeg became the first team to go back-to-back since Montreal in 2009-10.

The overtime “mini-game” saw each team start a drive from the opponent’s 35-yard line. If a team scored, it had to go for a two-point conversion.

The CFL season in 2020 was canceled due to COVID-19.

The Bombers beat the Ti-Cats in the 2019 Grey Cup, too.

Winnipeg trailed 22-10 in the fourth quarter but had a huge wind in its favor and went on a 15-0 run. to take the lead.

Sergio Castillo kicked a 45-yard field goal with 1:52 left and added another point when the wind-aided kickoff could not be returned.

Masoli, who came on for an injured Dane Evans, led the Ti-Cats on a desperate drive into the wind.

They moved 70 yards before being stopped at the Winnipeg 5 and settling for a field goal that tied the game and forced overtime.

Argos exec on way out after being suspended by CFL for fan altercation

The CFL has suspended an Argos exec, who will likely be fired by Toronto

The Toronto Argonauts’ VP of player personnel John Murphy has been fired after a suspension by the CFL following an ugly incident with a fan.

The Toronto Sun reported Saturday Murphy is out and his exit will be made official by the team on Monday.

Murphy was captured on a cell phone issuing a fighting a fan and allegedly issuing a homophobic slur at a fan following the Argonauts’ loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in a CFL East final.

Some NSFW language:

The incident led to the league suspending Murphy during Grey Cup week. The CFL championship will be played in Hamilton on Sunday.

The CFL statement:

The Canadian Football League has suspended indefinitely John Murphy, Toronto Argonaut Vice-President Player Personnel, following an investigation into his physical and verbal altercation with fans following last Sunday’s Eastern Final.

Toronto Sun columnist Frank Zicarelli weighed in this week:

When came the ugliness caught on video featuring Argos linebacker Chris Edwards, a pending free agent, rookie receiver Dejon Brissett and fans of the Ticats. Police had to get involved and later laid trespassing charges against the fans in question. That incident is also under review by the league and MLSE.

A bad week made even worse by a bad look and suddenly the Argos have once again become a laughing stock.

 

Former CFL star, pro wrestler Angelo Mosca dies at 84

CFL Hall of Famer Angelo Mosca has died at the age of 84

Angelo Mosca was a legend on the football field North of the border and in the professional wrestling ring.

The five-time Grey Cup champion and Canadian Football died Saturday after long battle with Alzheimer’s.

Per his wife, Helen:

It is with great sadness that the family of Angelo Mosca announce his passing . . . after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s. Angelo was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather as well as friend to so many.”

Mosca was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s shortly after his 78th birthday in 2015.

Sportsnet.ca offered a look into his colorful and sometimes controversial career.

A five-time all-star, Mosca appeared in nine Grey Cup games but gained national notoriety for his vicious hit on Fleming in the ’63 contest. Fleming took the ball on a pitchout and was running to his right. He had been tackled just inside the sidelines and was lying on his stomach when Mosca came flying over top the Lions’ player. Fleming took a minute before rolling over and appearing visibly stunned. No penalty was called on the play but many _ including then Lions quarterback Kapp – felt Mosca’s hit was not only late but dirty.

With Fleming no longer able to play, Hamilton went on to win the Grey Cup 21-10 and further enhance Mosca’s reputation as the CFL’s meanest player, something he later promoted during his pro wrestling days as bad boy “King Kong” Mosca.

Kapp never shook Mosca’s hand following the ’63 Grey Cup. But he and the Lions gained some revenge by downing Mosca and the Ticats 34-24 in the ’64 title game at Toronto’s Exhibition Stadium for the B.C. club’s first-ever CFL championship.

Years later, there was an incident between Mosca and Kapp that went viral.

And a couple of his memorable moments as a wrestler:

 

COVID-19 issues lead to CFL postponing game

The Edmonton Elks have COVID-19 issues and their game with Toronto has been postponed

The CFL lost its 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 campaign is underway and it has hit a major pothole.

The league announced Sunday the game between the Toronto Argonauts and Edmonton Elks scheduled for Thursday has been postponed.

“The Canadian Football League is postponing this Thursday’s game in Toronto between the Toronto Argonauts and Edmonton Elks after receiving word earlier today that a number of Elks players have tested positive for COVID-19. This is in keeping with the standard of care for COVID-19 and professional sport. It also reflects our desire to put the health and safety of our players, coaches and staff – as well as public health – above all other considerations.”

The Elks are 1-2 after three games while the Argos have a 2-1 record.

Per CFL.ca:

The Elks will not practice or travel until our Chief Medical Officers and public health officials have assured us it is safe for them to do so. All of the Elks’ Tier One personnel, including players, coaches and support staff will now be subjected to an enhanced testing protocol which includes isolation.

The Elks’ most recent opponent, the BC Lions, will participate in an enhanced protocol and will be monitored closely this week. Upon review with our Chief Medical Officers, we do not believe the Lions were exposed to a high risk of infection. The league is now working to reschedule the game between the Elks and the Argonauts.

Elks players have already been impacted by COVID-19 protocols

Offensive tackle SirVincent Rogers cleared protocols. Linebacker Brian Walker played in Thursday’s 21-16 win over the B.C. Lions, having cleared protocols. Star pass-rusher Kwaku Boateng missed the game due to COVID protocols.

 

What team signed Kelly Bryant, who started ahead of Trevor Lawrence?

Former Clemson QB Kelly Bryant has found a home in the CFL

Kelly Bryant was a backup to Deshaun Watson for two seasons. He started at Clemson in 2017, then checked out in 2018, transferring and becoming a Missouri Tiger when displaced by Trevor Lawrence as the No. 1 QB for the ACC Tigers.

Watson is a Houston Texan … for now. Lawrence was the top pick in the 2021 NFL draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Bryant? Well, as of Thursday, he is officially a Toronto Argonaut.

Bryant had been with Toronto in February. The Argos released him but decided to sign him, making it official with the CFL season starting early next month.

Bryant led the Tigers to the 2017 ACC Championship. He threw for 2,802 and 13 touchdowns and rushed for 665 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns.

In 2018, he was the starter for Clemson, again, but on Sept. 25, coach Dabo Swinney announced Lawrence would be the starting quarterback for the Tigers.

That led to Bryant’s exit from the South Carolina school. He wound up at Missouri and in 2019, threw for 2,215 yards and 15 touchdowns.

CFL scuttles idea of working relationship with XFL

The CFL announced it will not have a working relationship with the XFL

The idea seemed far-fetched to start with the different rules and field sizes. And on Wednesday, the CFL announced it is no longer pursuing a working relationship with the XFL.

“Our talks with the XFL, exploring the potential for collaboration and innovation, have been positive and constructive. While we remain open to finding new ways to work together in the future, we and our XFL counterparts have jointly decided to not pursue any formal arrangements at this time,” the league said in a statement.

The CFL 2021 season will begin Aug. 5. Its 2020 campaign was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

There was a sort of synergy to the a CFL/XFL partnership as Dwyane Johnson is one of the honchos of the twice-defunct league launched by WWE boss Vince McMahon.

Johnson spent some time in the CFL with the Calgary Stampeders. However, his career took off on other platforms.

“We at the CFL are now squarely focused on preparing for August 5th and the start of our  2021 regular season, which will culminate December 12 with the playing of the 108th Grey Cup in Hamilton, Ontario.

We are looking forward to this year and  a bright future for our league.”