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Speaking of the Grey Cup, SMUW contributor Wade Heidt attented this past Sunday’s matchup between Toronto and Winnipeg, and had a uni/Cup rundown, ICYMI.
And now, here’s Leo with some…
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Canadian Football Extras by Leo Strawn, Jr.
I’m Leo…welcome to my world!
Got a Grey Cup hangover? This might help. I thought I’d share a few leftover Canadian photos of interest that didn’t neatly fit into the previous two articles.
Let’s start with this 1911 photo of the Eskimos and the Calgary Tigers from the Alberta Rugby Football Union. I’d guess the team wearing the striped socks are the Tigers. That Edmonton club was the first of three teams from that area named “Eskimos” and are not related to the current Elks franchise. They did, however, play in the 9th and 10th Grey Cup Finals, losing both. This pic is from October 7, so it’s one of the first ARFU games ever played. That league was formed on September 25 of that year.
That Calgary club folded at the end of the 1934 season and were succeeded by the Calgary Bronks, who later joined the WIFU, but suspended play in 1940. They had a very nice, clean logo.
Over in the east, fans in Montreal didn’t know who to cheer for. Montreal had a team known as the “Red Indians” in 1936-37, the first in a long line of 1-2 season teams from that city. They had taken the place of the Montreal AAA Winged Wheelers in the IRFU, who won the 19th Grey Cup in 1931 over Regina. The Indians were then succeeded after two seasons by the Montreal Cubs. The Cubs played one year and were replaced by the Royals, also a lone season IRFU squad. The next two years, 1940-41, Montreal’s entry was the Bulldogs. WWII shut down the IRFU from 1942-44. In 1945, the Hornets represented Montreal. Finally, in 1946, the city got a club that would stick around for a while, the Alouettes, who tied the Argos for first place in the IRFU in their inaugural season.
The Hamilton Tigers of 1925 had stripes everywhere. Check out the over-the-knee socks in the front row!
I’ve always loved “action” photos like this from back in the day. This is John Cvitanovich from the Lions, taken just prior to their first season in 1954.
Also from the west, here is a look at a rare Bombers logo that can be seen on the back of the 1962 Grey Cup program cover.
Edmonton players had some BIG numbers on the backs of their helmets in 1963 and 1964.
This is a rare Ottawa Rough Riders helmet logo, only worn for the first 3 weeks of the 1964 season.
One more for the road…I wish a team up north would wear a helmet like this.
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I still have a large number of pics from north of the border to go through, so there’s a good chance there will be more 3-down football articles next season. I’ll be back with some soccer items in a week.
Until next time…
Cheers!
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Thanks, Leo! Fun little series on the great gridiron game as played north of the border!
Guess the Game from the Scoreboard
Guess The Game…
…From The Scoreboard
Today’s scoreboard comes from ojai67.
The premise of the game (GTGFTS) is simple: I’ll post a scoreboard and you guys simply identify the game depicted. In the past, I don’t know if I’ve ever completely stumped you (some are easier than others).
Here’s the Scoreboard. In the comments below, try to identify the game (date and location, as well as final score). If anything noteworthy occurred during the game, please add that in (and if you were AT the game, well bonus points for you!):
Please continue sending these in! You’re welcome to send me any scoreboard photos (with answers please), and I’ll keep running them.
Uniform Concepts and Tweaks
Time for more Uni Tweaks from the UW readership.
I hope you guys like this feature and will want to continue to submit your concepts and tweaks to me. If you do, Shoot me an E-mail (Phil (dot) Hecken (at) gmail (dot) com).
For reasons not worth explaining, I am re-running a concept sent in to me in 2021. Since the Jaguars introduced a throwback this season, the concept details a terrific blend of throwback and current uniform, and could definitely serve as the basis for a future Jags’ redesign.
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Today’s concepts come from Lee Traylor.
Greetings!
I’ve attached my concept for what the Jacksonville Jaguars may look like if they returned to a modern version of their original uniform. I’ve always thought the Jaguars nailed it right out of the gate with their original uni’s and lament that they’ve strayed so drastically from what was an instantly recognizable, unique set. They could even call it a “return to gold” – referencing both the early success of the franchise and their recent eschewing of the color.
Cheers from Texas,
Lee Traylor
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OK readers (and concepters). If you have some tweaks or concepts, shoot ’em my way with a brief description of your creation and I’ll run ’em here.
Guess the Game from the Uniform
Based on the suggestion of long-time reader/contributor Jimmy Corcoran, we’ve introduced a new “game” on Uni Watch, which is similar to the popular “Guess the Game from the Scoreboard” (GTGFTS), only this one asked readers to identify the game based on the uniforms worn by teams.
Like GTGFTS, readers will be asked to guess the date, location and final score of the game from the clues provided in the photo. Sometimes the game should be somewhat easy to ascertain, while in other instances, it might be quite difficult. There will usually be a visual clue (something odd or unique to one or both of the uniforms) that will make a positive identification of one and only one game possible. Other times, there may be something significant about the game in question, like the last time a particular uniform was ever worn (one of Jimmy’s original suggestions). It’s up to YOU to figure out the game and date.
Today’s GTGFTU comes from Jeff Fein.
Good luck and please post your guess/answer in the comments below.
And finally...
…that’s gonna do it for the early article. Thanks — once again — to Leo for a fun wrap of the CFL season!
I should have a couple more articles later today, as well as Anthony’s Ticker, so be sure to keep checking back.
You guys all have a good Wednesday, and I’ll see ya back here tomorrow. Till then…
GTGFTU: October 16, 2011, Rams (3) at Packers (24), Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
I right away recognized those green bay throwbacks, which they only wore twice with those brown helmet before the implementation of the NFLs one shell rule. Furthermore, they only wore them once against the Rams, which leads me to to said game
I can hear a certain John Willaims score just looking at that Cvitanovich photo. “You will believe a man can fly!”
Leo…another great look at CFL history! Was the Montreal ’62 logo supposed to be Mercury with torch or Hermes delivering a bouquet? Thanks again and always enjoy your submissions!
That’s actually the Winnipeg logo featuring the Golden Boy who stands atop the city’s parliament building.
Thanks! I meant Winnipeg and wrote Montreal. South of the Northern Border resident
1962 Grey Cup program. You would think the team called the Rough Riders would have a similar logo to the Roughriders. Instead, they had a similar logo to the Stampeders at the time.
Sorry for the late response, Wade.
Ottawa seemed to struggle with how to represent “Rough Riders”, didn’t they? I just counted and the classic “R” on black that debuted in week 5 of 1964 was the TENTH different helmet they wore in the sixties.
1961 both Ottawa and Winnipeg had lightning bolt helmets.
Then, the Rough Riders had a cowboy on a bucking bronco on their red helmet in 1963. That just screams “Stampeders” to me. That was 4 seasons prior to Calgary using the running horse on helmets. When I first saw that ’63 Riders helmet (and without any reference), I thought it was a photo of the Stamps.
Cheers!
GTGFTS – June 24, 1960 @Pirates 4 Cubs 1
I think the dude in the picture is Gino Cimoli, who started in CF that day. I do know it ain’t Roberto Clemente (RF)…..
GTGFTU: October 16, 2011, Rams (3) at Packers (24), Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
I right away recognized those green bay throwbacks, which they only wore twice with those brown helmet before the implementation of the NFLs one shell rule. Furthermore, they only wore them once against the Rams, which leads me to to said game
I can hear a certain John Willaims score just looking at that Cvitanovich photo. “You will believe a man can fly!”
Leo…another great look at CFL history! Was the Montreal ’62 logo supposed to be Mercury with torch or Hermes delivering a bouquet? Thanks again and always enjoy your submissions!
That’s actually the Winnipeg logo featuring the Golden Boy who stands atop the city’s parliament building.
Thanks! I meant Winnipeg and wrote Montreal. South of the Northern Border resident
1962 Grey Cup program. You would think the team called the Rough Riders would have a similar logo to the Roughriders. Instead, they had a similar logo to the Stampeders at the time.
Sorry for the late response, Wade.
Ottawa seemed to struggle with how to represent “Rough Riders”, didn’t they? I just counted and the classic “R” on black that debuted in week 5 of 1964 was the TENTH different helmet they wore in the sixties.
1961 both Ottawa and Winnipeg had lightning bolt helmets.
Then, the Rough Riders had a cowboy on a bucking bronco on their red helmet in 1963. That just screams “Stampeders” to me. That was 4 seasons prior to Calgary using the running horse on helmets. When I first saw that ’63 Riders helmet (and without any reference), I thought it was a photo of the Stamps.
Cheers!
GTGFTS – June 24, 1960 @Pirates 4 Cubs 1
I think the dude in the picture is Gino Cimoli, who started in CF that day. I do know it ain’t Roberto Clemente (RF)…..