GREY CUP NOTEBOOK: WEDNESDAY

Photo: CFL.ca

OTTAWA - Time has done little to diminish the disappointment of Dave Dickenson's last Grey Cup visit to Ottawa.

Dickenson was the surprise starter for the B.C. Lions ahead of league MVP Casey Printers in the 20014 championship game. Dickenson, a three-time Grey Cup champion, played the entire game, but the Lions came up short in a 27-10 loss to the Toronto Argonauts.

"I remember the losses more than the wins ... and '04 stings,'' Dickenson said Wednesday during the Grey Cup coaches news conference. "When you lose you look back in a different light and certainly wish we could've done things different.''

That win was redemption for Toronto starter Damon Allen, who'd been dealt by B.C. to the Argos the previous season after the Lions signed Dickenson as a free agent. Allen was named the game MVP after passing for 299 yards and a TD.

Dickenson, now Calgary's head coach, returns to TD Place Stadium on Sunday when the Stampeders face the Toronto Argonauts in the '17 Grey Cup game.

Dickenson began the '04 season as the Lions' starter before suffering a knee injury. Printers stepped in and was simply brilliant, completing 325-of-494 passes (65.8 per cent) for 5,088 yards with 35 TDs and just 10 interceptions.

But Printers injured his throwing shoulder in B.C.'s 27-25 overtime West final win over Saskatchewan. That forced Lions head coach Wally Buono to start Dickenson against Toronto.

"I remember Wally making the right decision starting me,'' Dickenson said. "That was a weird week, a weird, weird week.

"Casey was the MVP that year, he threw the ball underhand during practice to save his shoulder. Now that I'm a head coach ... I want to see what I'm going to get in the game in practice. When you can't do that it makes it very difficult to have faith that person is going to get the job done.''

Dickenson, a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, finished 18-of-27 passing for 201 yards and a TD while running eight times for 36 yards.

"We did a lot of things wrong,'' Dickenson said. "We had a fight on the bus the day before the game.

"It wasn't the type of situation that I would want to happen for our team this year.''
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OTTAWA - Marc Trestman recognized Dave Dickenson's coaching potential 10 years ago.

The two will square off Sunday in the Grey Cup game when Toronto faces Calgary at TD Place. Trestman will complete his first season as the Argonauts head coach while Dickenson is in his second year as the Stampeders' head man.

Shortly after Dickenson was released by the B.C. Lions in November 2007, Trestman approached the veteran quarterback about becoming part of his coaching staff with the Montreal Alouettes.

Dickenson declined because he still wanted to continue playing. He spent the 2008 season with Calgary before becoming the club's running backs coach in '09.

Trestman spent five seasons as Montreal's head coach from 2008 to 2012, reaching the Grey Cup three times and winning twice before leaving to become the Chicago Bears head coach.

Dickenson was promoted to offensive co-ordinator with Calgary in 2011 before replacing John Hufnagel as head coach in 2016.
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OTTAWA - The Toronto Argonauts had a dramatic welcome to practice on Wednesday.

The players were disembarking the team bus at the University of Ottawa while an incident involving police played out on the adjacent Highway 417.

"I stepped off the bus and I heard some loud bangs, and I was like 'Should I be walking towards them, or getting back on the bus?''' said Toronto quarterback Ricky Ray. "As I came around the corner, I saw out on the road something happening out there, I'm not sure what happened, just kept walking and got inside.

"Interested to hear what was going.''

Several players said they heard what they believed were gunshots.

Ottawa police said in a Tweet: "Police Operation on HWY 417 near Nicolas Rd. A vehicle has been stopped. No further details will be given at this time.''

The incident was a topic of conversation at the team's practice ahead of Sunday's Grey Cup against the Calgary Stampeders.

"It was crazy, coming right out of the bus, it was like six big bangs. Yeah, I seen it and heard it,'' Argos running back James Wilder Jr. said.

When asked what he saw, Wilder said: "I seen justice being served.''

"Somebody's in trouble,'' said slotback S.J. Green.

Ray, who's gunning for his fourth Cup title, said he "felt pretty safe, other than that first initial moment of wondering which way I should walk.''
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TORONTO - The mayors of Toronto and Calgary say they've agreed to the terms of the traditional Grey Cup bet as the Argonauts and Stampeders prepare to meet Sunday in Ottawa.

Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi and Toronto Mayor John Tory say the losing mayor will contribute $5 for every point scored by the winning team to a food bank in the winning mayor's city.

Tory has selected the Daily Bread Food Bank while Nenshi has selected the Calgary Food Bank.

Both mayors are encouraging fans to make similar friendly bets to benefit their own local food banks.

The losing mayor will also send the winning mayor a selection of local craft beer.

In addition, the losing mayor must wear the winning team's jersey and read a poem - written or selected by the winning mayor - at their next city council meeting.

(Canadian Press)

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