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Remember the Eskimo dynasty:
Eskimos' dynasty (1970–1988)[edit]
The Montreal Alouettes' 1970 Grey Cup championship, an upset win over the favoured Calgary Stampeders, served as a morale booster for the city of Montreal, which was reeling in the aftermath of the October Crisis.[24] The 1970s belonged to the Edmonton Eskimos, however, as they ended the decade as one of the most dominant teams in CFL history,[47] reaching the Grey Cup nine times between 1973 and 1982.[48]The team competed in three consecutive finals early in the decade, losing to Ottawa in 1973 and Montreal in 1974, before winning the franchise's fourth championship in 1975.[49] The 1975 championship was held in Calgary and was the first Grey Cup played on the Canadian Prairies.[50] A young woman infamously streaked across the field during the national anthem despite frigid temperatures well below freezing.[51] The only time the Eskimos did not reach the Grey Cup final during this span was in 1976, when the Saskatchewan Roughriders met the Ottawa Rough Riders. Both teams would fight a see-saw battle, which was decided in the dying seconds of the game when Ottawa quarterback Tom Clements threw to Tony Gabriel, which stood out as the winning touchdown, 23-20. The 1977 Grey Cup was the first held at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, contested by the home town Alouettes and the Eskimos in front of a record crowd of 68,318.[48] The game became known as the "Ice Bowl", as low temperatures froze snow on the field that had been melted by groundskeepers with salt, making the artificial turf extremely slippery. The Alouettes adapted to the field conditions by affixing staples to the soles of their shoes, improving their traction, and won the game by a 41–6 score.[24]
Upset at losing the 1977 game under poor weather conditions, the Eskimos hoped for a rematch with Montreal in 1978.[52] Both teams reached the final game, which Edmonton won 20–13. It was the first of five consecutive championships, a streak that remains unmatched in the history of the Grey Cup.[53] The Eskimos' dynasty dominated the league, losing a total of only six games during the three seasons from 1979 to 1981.[54] The 1981 Grey Cup was expected to be yet another easy win for Edmonton, who posted a 14–1–1 record during the season and were considered overwhelming favourites against the 5–11 Ottawa Rough Riders.[55] The first half did not go as Edmonton hoped, though, as Ottawa emerged with a 20–1 lead. Quarterback Warren Moon led the Eskimos back in the second half, and with the game tied at 23, Dave Cutler kicked the game-winning field goal with just three seconds remaining.[56]
Edmonton's championship run came to an end in 1983 when they failed to reach the final; the Argonauts defeated the BC Lions to win the championship.[48] Despite Toronto's win, the CFL felt that the overall quality of play in the East Division had deteriorated compared to that of the West. In 1986, it altered the playoff format to allow the first non-playoff team in one division to take the last playoff spot, but stay in their division if they had a better record. The consequences of the new rules were felt immediately, as the league gave a playoff spot to the Stampeders having a better record than the Alouettes, and decided the East Division Final would be a 2-game-total-point Final between the Toronto Argonauts and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, who finished first and second, respectively. The crossover, if necessary, would begin in 1987. In financial difficulty, the loss of the playoff spot was disastrous for Montreal, which ceased operations one year later.[57] Reduced to eight teams, the CFL shifted Winnipeg to the East Division, making the 1988 Grey Cup between the Blue Bombers and Lions the first championship game between two western Canadian teams.[58]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_Cup
It seems like Calgary's ownership, Hufnagel & Dickenson have built the potential for a dynasty. Reasons include
1] US Talent acquisition, development and reasonableness about salaries ... not over paying
2] their Canadian drafting thought process
3] the use of the Calgary Colts junior club with Coach "Snoop" for funneling future undrafted Canadians into their system
4] a continuous succession plan at every position on the team - - an EverReady methodology throughout the ranks including management, coaching & players
5] the best set of coaches in the league and a genuine understanding of the evolution of our game
5] paying up for the best QB set available
6] John Hufnagel's brilliance and ongoing learning & experience
7] corporate wisdom & business sponsorship with a genuine sense of community and pride, single mindedness free of infighting
It seems quite opposite of the Saskatchewan desperateness to rebuild an instant winner to assuage their local ego
I doubt if the 70's Eskimo machine can ever be duplicated but the Stampeders' seem to be building a new machine all of their own.
How are we doing with that here in Winnipeg?