Grey Cup is back in Vancouver

Congratulations to the B.C. Lions, winners of the 94th Grey Cup Sunday night. The Lions handled the Montréal Alouettes 25-14 at Canad Inns Stadium in Winnipeg.

Quarterback Dave Dickenson won his first Grey Cup as a starter. Paul McCallum tied a Grey Cup record with 6 field goals in the game.

There wasn't much offense. Each team scored only 1 touchdown. Montréal added a field goal and scored 2 safeties.

The Lions won its first Grey Cup since 2000, when B.C. also beat Montréal.

Nelly Furtado performed 3 songs during her halftime show of the Grey Cup. Furtado is a Canadian native (Victoria, BC), an occurrence that has happened each year except last year when the Black Eyed Peas performed. She looked a little cold performing outside in Winnipeg, but did a nice job.

She opened with "Forca," the theme song at the Euro 2004 soccer championship played in her ancestral homeland of Portugal. Then she followed up with "Promiscuous," where Canadian rapper Saukrates subbed for Timbaland. The final track was a cover of the Hall and Oates song, "Maneater."

In the regular version of "Promiscuous," Furtado asks, "Is your game MVP like Steve Nash?" in tribute to the Phoenix Suns NBA star from her hometown. She adjusted the lyrics to include the starting quarterbacks "Is your game MVP like Dickenson? Is your game MVP like (Montréal Alouettes QB) Calvillo?"

Eva Avila, 19, the 2006 Canadian Idol winner from Gatineau, QC sang the national anthem.

The fans of Vancouver have suffered off the field. The Pineapple Express, a strong storm, has drenched southern British Columbia for some time. The area is dealing with a boil-water order for the first time in a long while. I'm sure the Grey Cup win makes some fans feel a little bit better about the water.

Hopefully, you were able to catch the game live. I saw the game with a bunch of ex-pats. It's always nicer to watch the Grey Cup with other people. For those who waited for the tape-delayed broadcast in the U.S., hope you enjoy(ed) the game.

Next year's Grey Cup will be in the Rogers Centre in Toronto, which will be warmer inside than Winnipeg was this year (-7°C/19°F wind chill at kickoff).