The Entertaining Grey Cup: A brief history of the famous CFL trophy and competition

The Grey Cup is the championship game of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the trophy awarded to the winning team. Punters can make a 1xBet login and use this platform to make their best wagers on this highly entertaining tournament.

A brief history

First awarded in 1909, it is one of Canada’s most celebrated annual sporting events, often drawing around 4 million television viewers. The game pits the champions of the CFL’s East and West divisions against each other and has been played on the third Sunday of November since 2022.

Originally intended to be a hockey trophy by Governor General Earl Grey, the silver cup was repurposed for Canadian football after the Allan Cup was donated for hockey. Engraved with the names of past champions, the trophy has a storied history. It has survived 3 kinds of incidents:

  • thefts;
  • ransom;
  • and even a fire in 1947.

The first Grey Cup winner was the University of Toronto Varsity Blues. Also, if you make a login to your 1xBet account, you will be able to wager on who will win the next edition of the tournament.

Infamous cancellations

Over the years, the game has been impacted by various interruptions and weather challenges. It was not played during World War I (1916–1918) and in 1919 due to a rules dispute. Since the 1920s, it has typically followed an East vs. West format. Weather has played a dramatic role in several games, including the infamous 1950 “Mud Bowl,” the 1962 “Fog Bowl,” and the 1977 “Ice Bowl.” More recently, the 2017 Grey Cup was played in heavy snow. At 1xBet you can also wager on plenty of sports events played under challenging conditions too.

A competition with amazing squads

The Toronto Argonauts are the most successful team in Grey Cup history, with 19 championships, including a 2024 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (41–24). The Edmonton Elks (formerly Eskimos) have the most wins since the CFL’s modern formation in 1958, with 11 titles. Their dominance peaked from 1978 to 1982, when they won five consecutive Grey Cups, marking the longest dynasty in the competition’s history.

MVP and Most Valuable Canadian Player

Awards given during the game include the Most Valuable Player and the Dick Suderman Trophy for the Most Valuable Canadian. In 2019, Andrew Harris of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers became the first player to win both honours in the same year.

An American team?

While the competition has remained purely Canadian, there was a brief period from 1993 to 1995 when the CFL expanded into the United States. In 1995, the Baltimore Stallions won the Grey Cup, the only time the trophy has left Canadian soil.

Today, the Grey Cup, which is always present at 1xBet, continues to be a unifying event for Canadian sports fans, showcasing tradition, resilience, and the enduring spirit of Canadian football.

The 112th Grey Cup will be played at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It will be the fifth time in its history that Winnipeg has hosted the Grey Cup, with the most recent being final taking place there in 2015 when the Edmonton Eskimos defeated the Ottawa Redblacks 26-20.

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