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There’s something about Thanksgiving that brings out the best in the Canadian Football League.
Maybe it’s the plunging temperatures and the autumn chill. Maybe it’s the beauty of the leaves turning and the early coming of night.
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Maybe it’s the looming playoffs and the realization that a season can turn on one throw, one catch, one fumble.
Over the years, CFL fans have witnessed many magical gridiron moments on Thanksgiving Weekend presented by Purolator.
Here’s just a smattering of the ones that stick out in the mind of your faithful scribe:
Winnipeg Blue Bombers 34, BC Lions 26 — Friday Oct. 6, 2023
Winnipeg right tackle Jermarcus Hardrick called it a “heavyweight fight.” Quarterback Zach Collaros labelled it “an amazing win from an amazing opponent.”
Head coach Mike O’Shea opted for the tag “an emotional win in an emotional game”.
Regardless of the descriptor, the Blue Bombers and BC Lions delivered a classic on the night of Oct. 6, 2023 in Vancouver.
The game featured two powerhouse teams with identical 11-4 records gunning for first place in the West. And it featured more drama in one night than in an entire month of The Young and the Restless or Days of our Lives.
Where to begin? Well, Winnipeg kicker Sergio Castillo connected on a 28-yard field goal to tie the game with 15 seconds remaining.
The Lions came agonizingly close to countering with no time on the clock. Dominique Rhymes reeled in a Vernon Adams Jr. pass and scampered toward the end zone. Defensive back Jamal Parker pulled the speedy receiver down at the five-yard-line to force overtime.
In extra time, tailback Brady Oliveira ran in for a Winnipeg touchdown. Then Collaros connected with receiver Kenny Lawler for the two-point conversion.
“That was a gritty one from start to finish,” Oliveira told Ed Tait of bluebombers.com. “We just had the ultimate belief in the huddle.”
The Winnipeg defence sealed the win with a Ricky Walker sack, a Redha Kramdi pass knockdown and deft coverage by Evan Holm on the final play of a 34-26 Blue Bomber victory.
Montreal Alouettes 29, Toronto Argonauts 19 — Monday, Oct. 10, 2011
Calvillo eclipsed Damon Allen’s all-time CFL record of 72,382 passing yards on Thanksgiving 2011 (David Chidley/CFL.ca)
In 1994, Anthony Calvillo launched his CFL career by practising in the searing heat at a casino parking lot for the Las Vegas Posse.
During the off-season, he waited on tables at a Tex-Mex restaurant in Honolulu.
An unassuming beginning for an unlikely superstar.
On Thanksgiving Day in 2011, Calvillo tossed a 50-yard touchdown strike to Montreal Alouettes teammate Jamel Richardson on the final play of the third quarter. With that pass, Calvillo eclipsed Damon Allen’s all-time CFL record of 72,382 passing yards.
Play stopped for 10 minutes. Allen, then-CFL commissioner Mark Cohon and Calvillo’s family joined the record-breaking quarterback for an on-field celebration.
Not realizing the significance of the moment, Richardson had tossed the football into the crowd upon reaching the end zone. The fan thankfully threw it back, — a memento for a quarterback with humble beginnings who went on to greatness.
BC 34, Edmonton 31 — Oct. 9, 2009
Elks and Lions met again in the Western Final in 2011 (Geoff Howe CFL.ca)
In modern times, Geroy Simon serves as the unassuming interim general manager of the Edmonton Elks.
But in his playing days, CFL fans knew Simon by his nickname Superman. And on Oct. 9, 2009, the Man of Steel shattered Edmonton’s playoff hopes in a biting wind at Commonwealth Stadium.
With Edmonton leading by four and just 12 seconds on the clock, BC Lions quarterback Buck Pierce threw the ball up in the general direction of his No. 1 target.
Simon reeled the pass in around the 20-yard-line. Edmonton cornerback Byron Parker and Edmonton linebacker T.J. Hill collided, leaving Simon to run free for a 62-yard touchdown.
“A couple of their guys got tied up with each other, and Geroy made a great run after the catch,” Pierce told reporters after the game. “It’s not like throwing a ball deep to Geroy in that situation was going to be a surprise to anyone, but it worked.”
The BC major came just after quarterback Ricky Ray ran in a touchdown to give Edmonton its first lead of the night.
In typical fashion, Lions head coach Wally Buono said after the game that he felt badly for the opposition.
“At the end of the day, Buck threw the ball downfield and you’ve got to give Geroy credit,” Buono told reporters. “That’s a tough way to lose a football game, but I’m happy for our guys. And it’s always good to win on the road.”
Toronto Argonauts 24 Hamilton Tiger-Cats 23 — Monday, Oct 11, 2021
Bede converted a 51-yard field goal to beat the Tiger-Cats on Thanksgiving in 2021 (Geoff Robins/CFL.ca)
Performance under pressure with the game on the line.
To me, it’s magical to witness an elite athlete make the big play when it counts the most.
Rookie receiver Dejon Brissett did just that for the Toronto Argonauts on Thanksgiving Monday in 2021. And so did kicker Boris Bede.
With seven seconds on the clock and Hamilton clinging to a two-point lead, Brissett made a diving catch on a desperate third-down pass from McLeod Bethel-Thompson.
Then Bede marched onto the field and calmly split the uprights from 51 yards for the winning field goal.
Talk about clutch.