Calgary Stampeders Game

 And now the second half of the June CFL Trip of Excellence to Alberta. In an earlier posting I mentioned that Kevin and I were somewhat worried about the Thursday night, 19 June, game in Edmonton (as Edmonton is the most northern major city in the America, as they are proud of reminding everyone), but in the end the weather for that game was glorious. It didn't occur to us that the Saturday afternoon, 21 June, game in Calgary, three hours farther south, would be an issue. As it turns out, the game was played in the midst of something like a mini-hurricane, featuring temperatures in the low-40s, wind gusts over 40 miles an hour, and a consistent cold rain. Seriously, it was the coldest that I've ever been at a game, which is partially explainable by the fact that a game in Cincinnati in December insured that you were prepared for that much cold. I didn't take more pictures, or for that matter clap more, because it would have required digging my hands out of the layers of clothes I was buried under.

When we walked out of the car we were almost blown over, and after taking refuge in a Dairy Queen for an hour, we headed to the stadium. I don't think I'm exaggerating when I tell you that we were almost blown off the bridge.

The Stampeders rain slickers were a life saver.

The picture can't do justice to how miserable it was.

This would probably give you a better idea. The official photographer grabbed a picture of us at the same spot, which was later shown during halftime on the jumbotron. Sadly, my hands were too cold, and buried, for me to get my phone out in time to snap a picture of it.

Still, you have to hand it to the few devoted Calgary fans who showed up.

In between this game and Edmonton, you would have thought that not only did no one in Canada like the CFL, they also apparently didn't know that it existed. At least there was a legitimate excuse in this instance as the weather made staying home and watching the game on the couch to be a much better option.

The Stampeders lost to the woeful REDBLACKS, mainly because they clearly didn't want to be there, and the Ottawa squad was much more desperate for a win. Doing my CFL playoff calculations, I think this abysmal non-effort cost them a home playoff game.

Still, a good time was had by the Vermont contingent. That's now six of the nine stadiums visited, although following up with the Blue Bombers, Roughriders, and BC Lions is going to be a challenge from a home base in Sicily. Maybe I can knock off one or two next June before we move.