No Grey Cup for Ottawa in 2014

Forget about the 2014 Grey Cup being played in Ottawa.

The Friends of Lansdowne weren’t able to halt Lansdowne Live through legal action, but they delayed the project long enough that the CFL has decided not to hold its marquee game here in November 2014.

CFL commissioner Mark Cohon, who was in Winnipeg Monday to check the progress of its new 33,000-seat stadium, told QMI Agency the CFL’s board of governors will no longer consider Ottawa as host for the 2014 game.

“We’re working as a board to determine where we’ll be in 2014. There was some speculation about Ottawa,” said Cohon. “Obviously with (Ottawa’s return date) moving back will push the Grey Cup back in Ottawa several more years.”

The shovels will go in the ground in Ottawa this summer, but that’s not enough to satisfy the CFL’s desire to start making preparations for the game. The return of the CFL to the capital has already been pushed back a year to 2014.

Cohon told QMI Agency there are several cities in the running for the Grey Cup. He said the 33,500-seat Investors Group Field — slated to open in September and expandable to 40,000 seats — is a top candidate.

“This will be an amazing facility. We made a commitment to the (Blue Bombers) and province it would be soon after the opening,” said Cohon.

“There’s a lot of different people. There’s a natural rotation. And there’s been some negotiating between the teams and where it happens, so I don’t want to speculate on it. Winnipeg is a frontrunner for it.”

Jeff Hunt, the spokesman for the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment group, said he wasn’t surprised by Cohon’s comments.

“Believe it or not, at one time, 2014 was meant to be our third season, so that’s how long that date has been around,” Hunt said Monday night. “Now, it’s evolved that’s supposed to be our first season.

“The conventional wisdom is you want it three or four years after starting a team, so 2014 has been off our radar screen for quite some time.”

But, rest assured, the game will be played here once the franchise takes the field.

“It’s a condition of our expansion franchise agreement,” said Hunt. “Aside from that, the time since it was last in Ottawa (2004) has been increasing every year. There’s certainly a desire on behalf of our group to host a game as soon as possible.”

— with files from Paul Friesen

bruce.garrioch@sunmedia.ca

Twitter: @sungarrioch