Tony Gabriel
“The Beasts of the East” - Cards for Retro Canadian Football 🏈 for SOM Pro Football
The 1981 CFL Postseason Structure
Eastern CFL football back in this era had several characteristics- smash mouth running, great defense, particularly in Hamilton, the Alouettes trying to buy championships, and the nifty Ti-Cats quarterbacking of former Notre Dame star Tom Clements. Under normal circumstances the East could battle the wide open teams of the West on a more or less equal footing. But this year was very different. Toronto imploded offensively and allowed over 31 points per game in posting the season’s worst record at 2-14, and Montreal also allowed over 500 points and won only three games. This left Hamilton at 11-4-1 and Ottawa at 5-11 as the only real Grey Cup contenders in the East.
Tom Clements
Together the four Eastern teams finished 9-30-1 against the West, and this caused a problem, because under the post season system at the time both divisions would feature a semi- Final playoff game between their third and second place teams with the winner going to the division Final. These teams were 10-6 BC and 11-5 Winnipeg at Winnipeg Stadium in the West; 3-13 Montreal at 5-11 Ottawa at Landsdowne Park in the East. This the unbalanced postseason slate wound up including the Capital’s representatives in the Eastern Final, selected with only 5 wins and advancing after beating 3-win Montreal, over the Western division’s Saskatchewan Roughriders, who finished 9-7.
There had been some crazy multi-game playoff formats in the two divisions prior to 1973, but that year brought at least a common format to the playoff competition. But this format held a flaw- before the era of the crossover playoff spot began in 1996, CFL governors had had enough of sad-sack Eastern teams finishing third and gaining a semi-final playoff spot merely because the fourth place outfit was an even sadder sack. Between 1974 and 1985, every single East team that finished third in the division was under .500 on the year. Eight times, during that stretch, the fourth place finisher in the West had a better record.
1981 was particularly galling, perhaps stinging Eastern pride the most, while raising Western ire to the max as the Ottawa Rough Riders made it to the Grey Cup after finishing the regular season with a 5-11 record. The Montreal Alouettes, at 3-13, secured the final post-season berth in the division, while over in the West, the popular Saskatchewan entry wound up fourth and out of the picture, with a record of 9-7. A remedy was demanded and concocted. It was simple: If a fourth place team in one division finished with a better record than the third place team in the other, that fourth place team would be granted a playoff spot.
Capital Punishment
The new rule in the Nineties would not have prevented these two teams from eventually facing off in the Eastern Final, as it was Montreal who finished third. Hamilton was led by quarterback Clements, the Schenley Award MOP runner up. He threw for over 4500 yards to lead the team to a tie versus the powerful Edmonton Esks and an 11-4-1 record in spite of fielding Canada’s worst rushing attack. Coach Frank Kush molded a rock ribbed Ti-Cat defense starring three All-Canada performers in Ben Zambiasi (LB), David Shaw (CB) and Harold Woods (DB), and Rookie of the Year DE Grover Covington who made life tough for enemy passers. Hamilton did not blow many opponents away, but they were consistently a tough draw all year long.
Meanwhile Ottawa Head Coach George Brancato described the team's evolution that year, stating, "That year I put together three teams. We had a bad team to start the season, then a fair one, and then a pretty good one". This turnaround made the 1981 Ottawa Rough Riders season memorable despite their eventual championship game loss. They had a lot more talent than their record indicated, because their problems really stemmed from a lack of cohesive quarterbacking. Jordan Case was the closest thing they had as a regular, but he was often injured and ineffective. Down the stretch rookie Kevin Starkey shared time with Oklahoma product J.C. Watts.
Whatever polish Watts lacked as a passer he more than made up with in leadership and toughness, and he was able to make big throws downfield and break explosive plays with his legs. He posted 260 yards rushing at a 7.0 yard average in only 9 games, adding to the toughness of a strong line and backfield. Both FB Sam Platt and HB Richard Crump provided solid carries behind a great blocking line. Meanwhile the defense, “The Capital Punishers”, had three hard hitting all- Canadian performers in DL Mike Raines and Greg Marshall and FS Randy Rhino. The receiving corps was led by Hall of Famer Tony Gabriel. With Watts’s ascension, the stage was set for some memorable play.
First the team stopped Montreal at Landsdowne Stadium 20-16, and then topped Hamilton at Ivor Wynne stadium 17-13 on an unbelievable late fourth quarter 102 yard catch and run by Pat Stoqua, the Ottawa wingback. Stoqua’s catch, which came on a downfield sideline heave from Watts from his end zone as he was under heavy duress, gave the Rough Riders a 14-13 lead they would not relinquish.
The best was yet to come. The Grey Cup was held in Montreal, and the locals put aside their Eastern differences to root against a common enemy, the defending three-time champion Edmonton Eskimos. No team had ever won four Grey Cups in a row, nor had any team finished 14-1-1 in a season the way Edmonton had. But the Roughriders came out doing something no other team had done against Edmonton; they ran the ball well against Canada’s best run defense and threw for big plays. By halftime Ottawa was winning 20-1 and it was the veteran Tom Wilkinson and not Warren Moon under center. No one could believe what they were seeing, Edmonton, as 22.5 point favorites, looked like they might get blown out.
This got worse before it got better!
Moon returned in the third quarter, and the Esks rallied, winning 26-23 on a Dave Cutler field goal. But the Ottawa squad was as noble in defeat as they had been in victory, and this game is still celebrated as one of the greatest in CFL history. J.C. Watts was the Grey Cup Most Outstanding Player, reflecting the impact he had on the game and the end of the season.
Fred Bobberts
Original Date of Publication: 7-16-2025
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