1982 Canadian Football championship game
The
70th Grey Cup
, also known as the "
Rain Bowl
", was the 1982
Grey Cup
Canadian Football League
championship game between the
Toronto Argonauts
and the
Edmonton Eskimos
. The Eskimos, who were making their sixth consecutive appearance in the CFL championship game, defeated the Argonauts 32?16 on the Eskimos' way to their fifth straight Grey Cup. The game was played on Sunday, November 28, 1982, at
Exhibition Stadium
in
Toronto
.
Game summary
[
edit
]
The Eskimos' bid for a record-breaking fifth consecutive
Grey Cup
victory looked to be in jeopardy at mid-season, as they began the year with a 3-5 record. But 10 straight victories later, they found themselves once again in the Grey Cup, pitted against the underdog
Toronto Argonauts
. The Boatmen had last won a Cup in 1952 and last appeared in the CFL Final in 1971, and their hometown fans were giddy with expectation. Winners of only two games the previous season, the Argos took a 9-6-1 record into the 1982 Grey Cup game.
The game, played in a driving rainstorm, started well for Toronto. After the Eskimo's
Dave Cutler
kicked a field goal, newly acquired
Emanuel Tolbert
scampered 84 yards for a touchdown off a screen pass for the Argonauts. The Eskimos replied with a
Brian Kelly
touchdown reception, but the Argos scored again, with
Condredge Holloway
completing a 10-yard pass to
Terry Greer
.
Toronto now led 14-10, but from this point Edmonton and
Warren Moon
(the game MVP) would not look back. With the Argonauts unable to move the ball with the wind in the third quarter, the Esks took control. Another touchdown pass to
Brian Kelly
, a
Neil Lumsden
touchdown rush and three more Cutler field goals sealed the victory for the CFL's greatest dynasty.
Moon completed 21 of 33 passes for 319 yards, all while having to throw in the freezing rain.
Scoring
[
edit
]
Edmonton Eskimos
- 32
Touchdowns -
Brian Kelly
(2),
Neil Lumsden
(1)
Field Goals - Dave Cutler (4)
Converts - Dave Cutler (2)
Toronto Argonauts
- 16
Touchdowns -
Emanuel Tolbert
(1),
Terry Greer
(1)
Converts - 2
Safety - 1
Aftermath and legacy
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edit
]
The 1982 Grey Cup broadcast drew the largest Canadian TV audience up to that time.
In 1982, the Toronto Argonauts were playing home games at
Exhibition Stadium
. The players and fans were forced to endure awful conditions due to the rain and cold?a problem exacerbated by the fact that much of the stadium was completely exposed to the elements. Many fans had to watch the game from the concession area. Outraged fans began calling for a domed stadium the following day; at a rally at
Toronto City Hall
, thousands of fans who had come to see the Grey Cup chanted, "We want a dome!" As a result, discussions began which ultimately led to the construction and opening of SkyDome (now
Rogers Centre
) in 1989. The Argos played their home games at the stadium from 1989 to 2015.
This was the fourth time in seven years that the baseball-renovated Exhibition Stadium had hosted the game (it also hosted in
1976
,
1978
and
1980
), and the twelfth and final time overall. While the facility trails only nearby
Varsity Stadium
for number of times hosting the Grey Cup, this record unlikely to be matched, as the next closest,
BC Place Stadium
, has hosted only nine times as of 2018.
Ten years after the Blue Jays and the Argonauts departed it, Exhibition Stadium was demolished in 1999. A few years later
BMO Field
was built as a
soccer-specific stadium
, approximately where Exhibition Stadium once stood. BMO Field was later renovated to accommodate the Argonauts for the
2016 CFL season
and that year hosted the
104th Grey Cup
, marking the CFL championship game's return to the Exhibition grounds after a 34-year absence.
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