Gaels Victorious!
Last Saturday, I tuned in to watch the Vanier Cup match between Queen’s and the Calgary Dinos. Speaking as a member of the television audience, I had a hard time settling into the game thanks to embarrassing technical problems on the part of TSN. On three separate occasions the live broadcast from Quebec City was cut off, at which point TSN reverted to a panel of personalities who were more concerned with the Grey Cup match the following day. The technical difficulties were finally sorted out by halftime, but by then, things were not looking good for our Gaels. Whether you blame it on poor calls, playing against the wind, or big game jitters, Queen’s was undeniably down, but certainly far from out. With the entire season on the line, Queen’s took the field in the third quarter and immediately started to chip away at the 18 point deficit. What ensued was a thrilling, historic comeback that saw the Gaels cling to a 33 to 31 lead, which was enough to earn them the right to hoist the Vanier Cup.
After the game, the atmosphere throughout downtown Kingston was electric. Groups of students, alumni and Gael-friendly fans were out and about celebrating the momentous occasion, and I imagine a few glasses were raised into the wee hours of the morning. In case you missed it, or are dying for another opportunity to honour the team, Kingston will be hosting a victory parade tomorrow starting at noon. The party kicks off at City Hall, while the Queen’s Band will lead Coach Sheahan and the Gaels on a route the ends at Richardson Hall. Rain or shine, I’m betting that there will be a decent crowd of students in attendance, if nothing else but to take a break from studying. Way to go Gaels! Thanks to [email protected] for the accompanying photo, and special thanks to Tyler Ball/The Journal for the video documenting the excitement of the Vanier Cup match.
