Football and snow angels?

photos by Katherine Shayanpour and Kimberly Boville-Belair

Today in Ottawa, the hometown RedBlacks are taking on the Edmonton Eskimos in the CFL’s Eastern Conference final for the chance to play in the Grey Cup.  For you American football lovers, that’s our equivalent to your Super Bowl in the NFL.  Although Edmonton plays in the Western division, the fact that their season record was better than other Eastern division teams gave them a chance (called a crossover) to play off in the Eastern final.  If they beat Ottawa, there would be two Western division teams in the Grey Cup final next week.

The weather forecast predicted snow and blustery conditions today after unseasonably mild temperatures for the past month.  For once, the weather forecast was bang on.  Here in Canada we are somewhat used to playing football in the snow, although apparently there are some players on the field today that are not.

Greg Ellingson has obviously played in the snow before.  After catching a beautiful pass for the Ottawa Redblacks’ first touchdown, Ellingson created a celebratory snow angel in the end zone…

photo by @CFL

Although the Ottawa Redblacks were winning 17-3 at halftime, there were a few tense, nail-biting minutes in the last quarter where the Edmonton Eskimos came close to tying it up, the score getting as close as 28-23.  Lots of slipping, sliding, and fumbles, a few too many dropped pass completions and turnovers, but the Redblacks held on to the lead and came out on top 35-23.

photos by Kimberly Boville-Belair and Katherine Shayanpour

Congratulations to the Ottawa RedBlacks. Bring on the Grey Cup!