The 2003
Canadian Football LeagueThe Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
season is considered to be the 50th season in modern-day
Canadian footballCanadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
, although it is officially the 46th Canadian Football League season.
CFL News in 2003
The Canadian Football League made a new five-year television deal with
TSNThe Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
and the
CBCThe Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
on February 27. Through the new agreement, TSN and CBC will be broadcasting 77 games, which is the most in CFL history. The CFL also introduced new specialty weekends that includes the Canada Day Bash, the
Labour Day ClassicThe Labour Day Classic is a particular week of the Canadian Football League schedule that is played over the Labour Day weekend. This particular weekend, typically the tenth or eleventh week in the season, is known for its matchups that do not change from year to year, unlike other weeks of the...
and the
Gridiron ThanksgivingThe Thanksgiving Day Classic is an annual doubleheader held on Thanksgiving in the Canadian Football League. It is one of two days in which the league plays on a Monday afternoon; the other is the Labour Day Classic...
. CFL.ca launched its new website in July.
The CFL also assumes control of the
Toronto ArgonautsThe Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
on July 29 and the
Hamilton Tiger-CatsThe Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
on August 15. The league appointed
Paul RobsonPaul Robson is an English footballer who is currently unattached-England:Robson was on the books of Doncaster Rovers as a youth team player until 2001, when he joined Charlton Athletic...
as the interim Operations Manager of the Argonauts and appointed
Alan FordAlan Ford is a former Canadian football player and executive. He played as defensive back and punter from 1965–1976 for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League, and acted as Roughriders general manager from 1989–1999....
to become interim Operations Manager of the Tiger-Cats. The CFL then announced the sale of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to Bob Young on October 7 and then announced the sale of the Toronto Argonauts on November 15 to Howard Sokolowski and David Cynamon.
The TSN achieved the second-highest viewership in CFL history. The CFL also had an (+2%) increase in attendance for the second straight season with more than 2 million fans filling the seats at Canadian football games. About 4.4 million Canadian homes viewed the
91st Grey CupThe 91st Grey Cup was the 2003 Canadian Football League championship game played between the Edmonton Eskimos and the Montreal Alouettes on November 16 at Taylor Field, in Regina, Saskatchewan before 50,909 fans...
game between the
Montreal AlouettesThe Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
and the
Edmonton EskimosThe Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
. Plus, the CFL signed long-term partnership deals with
ReebokReebok International Limited, a subsidiary of the German sportswear company Adidas since 2005, is a producer of Athletic shoes, apparel, and accessories. The name comes from the Afrikaans spelling of rhebok, a type of African antelope or gazelle...
,
RogersRogers Communications Inc. is one of Canada's largest communications companies, particularly in the field of wireless communications, cable television, home phone and internet with additional telecommunications and mass media assets...
and
Sun MicrosystemsSun Microsystems, Inc. was a company that sold :computers, computer components, :computer software, and :information technology services. Sun was founded on February 24, 1982...
.
Final regular season standings
Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, Pts = Points
West Division
| Team | GP | W | L | T | PF | PA | Pts |
Edmonton EskimosThe Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
|
18 |
13 |
5 |
0 |
569 |
414 |
26 |
Winnipeg Blue BombersThe Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
|
18 |
11 |
7 |
0 |
514 |
487 |
22 |
Saskatchewan RoughridersThe Saskatchewan Roughriders are a Canadian Football League team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. They were founded in 1910. They play their home games at 2940 10th Avenue in Regina, which has been the team's home base for its entire history, even prior to the construction of Mosaic Stadium at Taylor...
|
18 |
11 |
7 |
0 |
535 |
430 |
22 |
BC LionsThe BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
|
18 |
11 |
7 |
0 |
531 |
430 |
22 |
Calgary StampedersThe Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
|
18 |
5 |
13 |
0 |
323 |
501 |
10 |
|
East Division
| Team | GP | W | L | T | PF | PA | Pts |
Montreal AlouettesThe Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
|
18 |
13 |
5 |
0 |
562 |
409 |
26 |
Toronto ArgonautsThe Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
|
18 |
9 |
9 |
0 |
473 |
433 |
18 |
| Ottawa Renegades Ottawa Renegades was the most recent name of a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario founded in 2002, seven years after the storied Ottawa Rough Riders folded...
|
18 |
7 |
11 |
0 |
467 |
581 |
14 |
Hamilton Tiger-CatsThe Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
|
18 |
1 |
17 |
0 |
293 |
583 |
2 |
|
- Bold text means that they have clinched the playoffs.
- Edmonton and Montreal both have first round byes.
- Due to the cross-over rule – the BC Lions will play the Toronto Argonauts in the Eastern Semi-Final Game.
Grey Cup playoffs
The
Edmonton EskimosThe Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
are the 2003
Grey CupThe Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
Champions, defeating the
Montreal AlouettesThe Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
34–22, at
ReginaRegina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
's
Taylor FieldMosaic Stadium at Taylor Field is a sports stadium located in Regina, Saskatchewan which is used primarily to play Canadian football. It has been the home of the Canadian Football League's Saskatchewan Roughriders in rudimentary form since 1910 and as a complete stadium since 1936...
. The Eskimos got their revenge on the Alouettes, who defeated Edmonton in front of their hometown crowd at the
90th Grey CupThe 90th Grey Cup was the 2002 Canadian Football League championship game played between the Edmonton Eskimos and the Montreal Alouettes on November 24 at Commonwealth Stadium, in Edmonton, Alberta...
.
The Eskimos'
Jason TuckerJason Tucker is a former American and Canadian football slotback.-High school career:Tucker attended Robinson High School in Robinson, Texas where he excelled in football, and track and field, particularly long jumping where he was a state finalist his junior and senior years...
(WR) was named the Grey Cup's Most Valuable Player and the Alouettes'
Ben CahoonBen Cahoon is a former professional Canadian football slotback in the Canadian Football League who spent his entire career with the Montreal Alouettes...
(SB) was the Grey Cup's Most Valuable Canadian.
Playoff bracket
2003 Rogers AT&T CFL Awards
- CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award
The Most Outstanding Player Award is annually awarded to the best player in the Canadian Football League. The Most Outstanding Player award can be compared to the National Football League's Most Valuable Player, otherwise known as the "MVP" award...
– Anthony CalvilloAnthony Calvillo is a Canadian Football League quarterback, currently playing for the Montreal Alouettes. He is the all-time professional football passing yards leader and first in all-time CFL passing yards...
(QB), Montreal Alouettes
- CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award
The Most Outstanding Canadian Award is annually rewarded to the best Canadian player in the Canadian Football League. This is the second-last award to be given during the CFL Awards banquet, which takes place the week before Grey Cup weekend in the same city where it is hosted. The two nominees...
– Ben CahoonBen Cahoon is a former professional Canadian football slotback in the Canadian Football League who spent his entire career with the Montreal Alouettes...
(SB), Montreal Alouettes
- CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award
The Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award is annually rewarded to the best defensive player in the Canadian Football League. This is the third-last award to be given during the CFL Awards banquet, which takes place the week before Grey Cup weekend in the same city where it is hosted...
– Joe FlemingJoe Fleming was a Canadian Football League defensive end. Over his ten years in the CFL he played for three teams and did not play during the 2002 CFL season....
(DT), Calgary Stampeders
- CFL's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award
The Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award is annually rewarded to the best offensive lineman in the Canadian Football League. This is the fourth-last award to be given during the CFL Awards banquet, which takes place the week before Grey Cup weekend in the same city where it is hosted...
– Andrew GreeneAndrew Greene is a former professional Canadian football offensive tackle. Greene, a nine-year Canadian Football League veteran, has spent much of his career with the Saskatchewan Roughriders...
(OG), Saskatchewan Roughriders
- CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie Award
The Most Outstanding Rookie Award is annually rewarded to the player deemed to be the best player in his first year in the Canadian Football League. This is the fifth-last award to be given during the CFL Awards banquet, which takes place the week before Grey Cup weekend in the same city where it...
– Frank CutoloFrank Cutolo is a former award winning college and Canadian Football League slotback.Cutolo played his college football at Eastern Illinois from 1998 to 2001. As a receiver he caught 119 passes for 2182 yards...
(WR), BC Lions
- CFL's Most Outstanding Special Teams Award
The John Agro Special Teams Award is awarded to the CFL's Most Outstanding Special Teams player that is voted by his peers .-John Agro Special Teams Award winners:*2011 - Paul McCallum , BC Lions...
– Bashir LevingstonBashir A. Levingston [ba-SHAR] is a professional Canadian football cornerback and kick returner in the Canadian Football League who is currently a free agent.-College football career:...
(WR), Toronto Argonauts
- CFLPA's Most Outstanding Community Service Award
Every year the Canadian Football League Players' Association presents the Tom Pate Award. It is not a "Jock Award," but rather an award given to players who display qualities that distinguish them from their peers....
– Steve Hardin (OT), BC Lions
- Rogers AT&T Fans' Choice Award
The Rogers Fans' Choice Award is annually awarded to the player who received the most votes from fans as the Rogers Player of the Game, during the 4th quarter of CFL games on TSN, since 2003....
– Ricky RayRicky Ray is a Canadian and American football quarterback who has played in the Canadian Football League and af2, as well as spending time on a roster in the National Football League...
(QB), Edmonton Eskimos
- CFL's Coach of the Year
The Annis Stukus Trophy is a Canadian Football League trophy, which is presented annually by the Edmonton Eskimos Alumni Association to the Coach of the Year, as determined by the members of the Football Reporters of Canada...
– Tom Higgins, Edmonton Eskimos