CFL football experts. Can you help me?

Question

I'm still teaching myself about the history of the CFL. (Too bad about the Argos - let's hope for 2008). The history leads me to some questions that I hope someone can help me with.

Using the NHL as an example, it is my understanding that the Habs and Leafs started with the NHL in 1917-18, but the franchises are much older than that. Likewise, when did the CFL officially become football as it is played now, and less about rugby?

What I am trying to figure out is when the CFL started. Is there a consensus on what year is the first as the CFL? I do apologize for my lack of education on this, but your contributions would be a great help.

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

I think this would best answer your question

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Fo...

Answer 2

There are couple of different ways to look at this, some would say you could call the first year the Argos were formed the beginning of the CFL. Some would say the first year they started playing in the organized league. However I would say that the CFL started from the first official Grey cup. 2007 will be the 95th Grey cup. so you can do the math. These basic arguments are used in all other sports too. For example if you look at the NHL some people say it was not a real league until they expanded from the original six teams. SO it is hard to get an exact date for any sport.

Answer 3

The Grey Cup, as you now, is the trophy awarded each year to the champion of the Canadian Football League.

In 1958 the Canadian Rugby Union was completely removed from Canadian Football.

Donated by the then Governor General of Canada, Earl Grey, in 1909, it was originally to be awarded to the Rugby Football Champion of Canada.

The GREY CUP has been a FOOTBALL game for nearly a century, although the Canadian Rugby Union was technically involved with their own FOOTBALL teams. .  



The first Grey Cup Game was played in 1909 at Rosedale Field in Toronto, with the University of Toronto's FOOTBALL team beat the Parkdale CANOE Club's FOOTBALL team 26-6.

NOTE:  There was NO rowing involved!  It was football...not canoing!!!

The U of T won the Grey Cup the next two years too, and became the first of two varsity dynasties — Queen's University won from 1922 to 1924.

A more unlikely powerhouse emerged in 1933, when the Sarnia Imperials lost the lowest-scoring game in Grey Cup history to the Toronto Argonauts by a 4-3 count at Sarnia's Davis Field. The Imperials would be back to win the Grey Cup in 1934 and 1936.

In 1935, Winnipeg — saddled with the horrendous nickname the "Pegs" — became the first western Canadian team to win the Grey Cup when they defeated the Hamilton Tigers.

Still, it took until 1941 — when Winnipeg defeated Ottawa — for the East vs. West format to become entrenched within the very fabric of the Canadian football landscape.

In 1958, the CFC withdrew from the Canadian Rugby Union and re-christened itself the Canadian Football League.

Three years later, the various rugby and football unions that competed for the Grey Cup finally coalesced into the Western and Eastern Conferences — later the East and West Divisions — under the auspices of the CFL.

Along the way, the Grey Cup has suffered from the abuse and neglect that seems to be the due of any world-class trophy — just ask the Stanley Cup.

It's been left behind in hotel rooms after post-game parties, almost destroyed by fire, stolen and held for ransom, broken in 1987 when an Edmonton Eskimo sat on it, and broken again in 1993 by another Eskimo who head-butted it.

For a lot of fans, though, the greatest indignity suffered by the Grey Cup was in 1995, when it fell into American hands.

In the midst of what many felt was a CFL identity crisis, the Baltimore Stallions beat Calgary 37-20 in the Grey Cup final.

In the early years, the winners were teams representing universities or local athletic associations. Since 1954, however, only teams that are members of the Canadian Football League have been allowed compete

Answer 4

I think Michael P has it pretty well covered here for you Bill.  The Line is clear as mud.  Welcome to Canada eh.