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Topic Started: Mar 21 2014, 08:27 AM (16 Views)
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TORONTO -- Cy Addley was 12 when he went to his first Grey Cup. His ticket cost $2, he sat in the end zone at Torontos Varsity Stadium and watched the Calgary Stampeders beat the Ottawa Rough Riders to capture the 1948 CFL championship. Addley is back in Toronto for Sundays 100th Grey Cup between the Argonauts and the Stampeders. It will be No. 54 for him. Addleys love of football was born out of his hatred for hockeys Toronto Maple Leafs, but it has lived on for nearly seven decades because of his passion for the uniquely Canadian game. "Our game is better and much faster than the Americans," said the toothy 77-year-old retired truck plant manager as he flipped pancakes at a fan breakfast Friday. "Its a must vacation for me, going to the Grey Cup each year." A native of Chatham, Ont., Addley says hes attended 44 Grey Cups in a row -- a streak that was only broken when his nieces wedding conflicted with the big game one year. The camaraderie at the games, from running into friends all across Canada and keeping up the rivalries between regions, is what keeps the tradition alive for fans like Addley. "The Grey Cup is Canada-wide," he said. "People from all the way across the country are into it." He still chuckles at the memory of some of his most cherished Grey Cup moments. The first was the stretch from 1954 to 56 where Edmonton beat Montreal three years in a row. As an Alouettes fan at the time, he didnt think hed ever recover. The second was the legendary 1962 Fogbowl between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Torontos Exhibition Stadium. With nine minutes left in the game, heavy fog blew in. It was surreal, says Addley. The players couldnt see the ball and the fans couldnt see the players. Finally officials decided to suspend the game and come back the next day. The Bombers went on to win it 28-27. Addley will be rooting for a Stampeders win on Sunday. "If we dont, Ill be doing a lot of crying on Monday," he said. More than 52,000 fans will be on hand at the Rogers Centre on Sunday, including Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his family. The halftime show will feature teen idols Justin Bieber and Carly Rae Jepsen along with Canadian folk icon Gordon Lightfoot and rock group Marianas Trench. Barry Ryan and his son Kevin, fans of the Alouettes, will attend their 16th Grey Cup on Sunday. The 63-year-old Barry says the two go every year so they can be loud and brash football fans, but also catch up with their Grey Cup family. "We get to see the same people every year," said Ryan, who now lives in Toronto. "Everybodys friendly. It doesnt matter who youre cheering for, we all have good humour about it." Dressed in matching maroon jumpsuits covered in CFL game patches and pins, the Ryans say their favourite Grey Cup moment came in 2009 in Calgary when Montreal beat Saskatchewan by scoring on a field-goal attempt that was awarded to the Alouettes after the Roughriders were called for too many men on the field. "Those Rider fans went from very high to very low-- fast," Barry chuckled. Allan Zimmer, his wife and 28-year-old daughter are season ticket holders who regularly make a 3 1/2-hour drive from their home in Inglis, Man., to see the Winnipeg Blue Bombers play. This 100th anniversary game is their seventh Grey Cup, and one the family has been planning to go to for years. "Look around at all the fans," said Zimmer. "The CFL is quite alive. Its growing. 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Mancini claimed Sunday that the Italy international would be sold after being sent off at Arsenal, but he has now given his compatriot a way back into the team. "If he wants to stay he should change his mind," Mancini said.Kentucky coach John Calipari is getting a raise after the Wildcats won the NCAA basketball title. The school said Friday it awarded an 8.3 per cent increase annually in his guaranteed compensation over the remaining seven years of his deal now worth $36.5 million. Three assistants also received multiyear extensions. "Its rare, in this day and age, to be able to keep a staff together that has helped produce a national championship and back-to-back Final Four runs," Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart said. "We want to show them how appreciative we are of their hard work and dedication, and how much they mean to this program." Calipari will receive $5.2 million annually from endorsements, base salary and retention bonuses for each of the next six years. The deal increases to $5.3 million in 2018-19. He can also earn up to $850,000 a year in performance bonuses. Assistant coaches Orlando Antigua (two-year extension), Kenny Payne (three years) and John Robic (two years) will have base salaries ranging from $250,000 to $350,000 before incentives. Their contracts have a combined guaranteed value of $2.15 million. Calipari took over the Wildcats in 2009 and immediately elevated the program back to elite status. Kentucky went to the regional finals in Caliparis first year, the Final Four in his second and won the first title of his career in April after a 67-59 victory over Kansas to finish 38-2. It was the schools eighth chammpionship in school history and first since 1998.dddddddddddd His entire starting lineup -- freshmen Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Marquis Teague and sophomores Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb -- has declared for this Junes NBA draft. Davis is expected to be the No. 1 pick. Senior Darius Miller also is expected to be drafted. Nine Wildcats have been selected in the draft over the past two seasons, but Calipari has managed to reload each year by promoting his "players first" approach to the program. His latest recruiting class is expected to be ranked No. 1 for the fourth straight year when the signing period ends May 16 with the additions of Nerlens Noel, Archie Goodwin, Alex Poythress and Willie Cauley, as the Wildcats work to replace seven players on their roster. Calipari has a 102-14 record at Kentucky, and hes never lost at Rupp Arena in 51 games. The Wildcats head into next season with the nations longest home winning streak at 52 straight. According to the school, all four of his seniors and a junior have earned degrees since he arrived, with two more on track to graduate this year. Calipari is one of two coaches to take three different schools to the Final Four, but runs in 1996 with Massachusetts and 2008 with Memphis were later vacated by the NCAA due to rules violations, though he was never implicated. Calipari, who also spent 2 1/2 seasons in the NBA, is 547-154 in 20 years as a college head coach. ' ' '
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