A new era will be ushered in the Canadian Football League on Sunday.
For the first time in the league's history, TSN will telecast the league's championship game.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation televised the CFL finale for the past 55 years before TSN took over this season. Scooping CBC has the network ecstatic.
"It's probably equivalent of ESPN doing the Super Bowl," said Mark Milliere, TSN's vice-president of production. "For us, it's on the stratosphere of the World junior championships. It's one of the highest-rated TV events in this country, period.
"It's an honour and it's an exciting capper for a crew that does the bulk of the games and has done the bulk of the games every year. It's pretty sweet."
One of the most excited members of the crew is TSN colour commentator Glen Suitor, who will be calling the game with play-by-play man Chris Cuthbert.
Suitor has worked with TSN for 14 years. He helped CBC on a few occasions by doing colour commentating during the playoffs, but never called a Grey Cup game. The largest role he previously had in a Grey Cup broadcast was as a sideline reporter. He also appeared as a member of CBC's Grey Cup panel on occasion.
"I've been thinking about it all season and trying to get it right," said Suitor of calling the big game. "We'll try to have our best telecast because the league and the viewers deserve it."
The pressure of calling the Grey Cup has Suitor getting more nervous as Nov. 23 nears. The former Saskatchewan Roughriders safety wants to make sure he gets the telecast as close to perfect as he can.
"I want to find a nice balance between the game on the field and the intensity of the players and going through and what's going through their minds," said Suitor, who played in the 1989 Grey Cup game. "This is the biggest game they'll ever play and a lot of guys may only get one chance at it. I want to get that right and try and get that message and portray that to the audience."
Suitor has also been researching the history of the league and Grey Cup and plans to bring some of the information into his broadcast. He may talk about his own personal experience from 1989 as well.
Trying to squeeze all these elements together in the short 12-second windows he has to talk puts a lot of stress on the broadcaster.
The good news for him is he will be joined in the booth by Cuthbert. While Cuthbert never played in a Grey Cup, he did call some games when he was employed by CBC.
"Chris is so good at his job," Suitor said of his co-worker. "He is a professional that is always prepared and he has a great passion for Canadian football and that comes through. It's reassuring that Chris is not only experienced but he's just as good as he is at his job."
While Suitor is busy preparing for calling the Grey Cup game, other people employed by TSN were busy this week hyping it.
Shows like Off the Record were broadcast from Montreal's Grey Cup Village this week. The Reporters will also broadcast from there in a special show today.
Joining the reporters today at the Village will be Jennifer Hedger and Darren Dutchyshen, who will host a day-long Grey Cup preview show. The preview show's line-up will include Brian Williams' interview segments and a Glen's Gladiators show. The panel will be broadcasting from the field during the teams' final warmups.
"It's safe to say the Grey Cup has never gotten this amount of coverage from a TV partner, ever," said Milliere.
TSN will have 20 main cameras and a Skycam filming the game for its broadcast. The CFL on TSN panel -- comprised of Dave Randorf, Jock Climie, Matt Dunigan and Chris Schultz -- will also be at field level during the game.
Although this is TSN's first telecast of the Grey Cup and millions of people will be watching, Milliere isn't feeling any extra pressure.
"I believe, and always have believed, that we do football as good as anyone," he said. "We do it the best and I think we have the best people."
While Suitor feels the game is a long time coming for him, he knows the rest of the crew deserves this chance and thinks everyone will make the best of it.
"This is a great opportunity for the guys in the truck and the guys that have been covering football for so many years," he said. "I hope I can do my best as part of the crew and make it the best telecast we've ever done."
© (c) CanWest MediaWorks Publications Inc.
The Grey Cup. 
The Calgary Stampeders have won the 96th Grey Cup in Montreal, Canada on Sunday after defeating the Montreal Alouettes by a 22-14 score. Five field goals from  placekicker Sandro DeAngelis were instrumental in Calgary's victory as was the game's Most Valuable Player, Henry Burris who scored a second-quarter touchdown. The Stampeders last won the Cup in 2001 against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Montreal, the last time Calgary appeared in a Grey Cup championship.

The Canadian Football League (CFL) championship game was held at Montreal's Olympic Stadium before a crowd of 66,308. Only the 1977 Grey Cup, also at Montreal Olympic Stadium, had a higher attendance of 68,318.

The half-time included performances by musicians Theory of a Deadman, Andrée Watters and Suzie McNeil.

On Thursday, Montreal quarterback Anthony Calvillo was declared this year's CFL Outstanding Player at a player awards ceremony in Montreal.

The Cup is named after Earl Grey, who donated the trophy to honour Canada's most successful amateur rugby team. By the time the Canadian Football League was formed in 1958, the Cup became the top prize for professional football in Canada.

CBC Television did not broadcast the Grey Cup for the first time since the 40th Grey Cup in 1952, when the championship was first televised. Specialty cable network TSN won the rights to this year's match.

Next year's CFL championship game is scheduled at Calgary's McMahon Stadium.



Sandro DeAngelis of the Calgary Stampeders





 '''CFL Grey Cup scoring'''



Quarter

Play

Player

Time

Calg

Mtl



'''1st'''

field goal

Damon Duval

4:34

0

3



'''2nd'''

field goal

Sandro DeAngelis

1:12

3

3



touchdown

Avon Cobourne

7:18

3

9



convert

Damon Duval

7:36

3

10



field goal

Damon Duval

12:08

3

13



touchdown

Henry Burris

14:16

9

13



convert

Sandro DeAngelis

14:16

10

13



'''3rd'''

field goal

Sandro DeAngelis

9:22

13

13



single

Damon Duval

11:13

13

14



field goal

Sandro DeAngelis

15:00

16

14



'''4th'''

field goal

Sandro DeAngelis

02:46

19

14



field goal

Sandro DeAngelis

10:48

22

14



'''FINAL'''

'''22'''

14