The event is not quite what it once was, although the local Argo-less festival did apparently feature a LGBT-friendly event this year. That progress has to be measured against a giant step backward. This year's CupFest also featured a preposterous claim by the current Commissioner that there is no scientifically proven link between the game, brain injuries and the various syndromes that seem to affect former players who suffered concussions while playing. Below, as a comment, is a brief snippet from Bob McKeown's Fifth Estate programme, "Story from the Field." The snippet features Jerry "Soupy" Campbell, a CFL Hall of Famer, who in retirement became a local publican in East Toronto. Tom and I met him when we took The Eagleson trophy to meet the Grey Cup train at Exhibition Place in 2012.
In 2012 my fellow League Commissioner and I visited the Grey Cup train on its last stop at the CNE the week before the game to have our picture taken with the Cup. On our way to the train, I noticed an older gentleman in a CFL Hall of Fame jacket; he was stooped and using a cane, but he still had a pretty powerful handshake. I said hello and apologized for not knowing who he was. He told me he was Jerry Campbell. I told him I remembered him from Ottawa. I got his position and era right. We chatted a while. He showed us his Grey Cup rings. He said that he was the proprietor of Captain Jacks in the Beach and invited us to drop around. Sadly, we never got around to doing that.
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