Should Have Been Winners : CFL

The Grey Cup is played every year (well, not 2020...), and every year there is a winner.  The right team doesn't always win though.  No, sometimes the universe makes a mistake and the wrong team wins.  But how do we know who these "Misplaced Winners" are?  

Well, this blog circles around one thing, and that's the Iowa Connection.  So, obviously every Grey Cup champion should have at least one Iowa Connection, but not every one does.  Either I've missed the connection (possible!), or the universe messed up.  Thanos snapped his fingers and the Toronto Argonauts won.  So lets look at those Iowa-less Grey Cup champions and see who it should have been.

If this universe happened, here are number of titles these Iowa Connections would have gained (2+):

  • 5 - Bill Briggs, Iowa
  • 2 - Jeff Braswell, Iowa State
  • 2 - D.J. Johnson, Iowa
  • 2 - Jovon Johnson, Iowa
  • 2 - Wayne Sheley, Lone Tree

Note : Of the 82 Grey Cup Championships covered here, 23 have been Iowa-less. (Maybe less, I'm always finding connections)

Note 2: 1970 was removed (Bob Ward, ISU)

Note 3: 1994 was removed (Trent Green, Cedar Rapids)

Note 4: 2013 was removed (Todd Howard, Grinnell)


2019

Wrong Winner : Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Correct Winner : Edmonton Eskimos

Iowan who should've been champs :

  • Tevaun Smith, Iowa

2015

Wrong Winner : Edmonton Eskimos

Correct Winner : Ottawa Redblacks

Iowan who should've been champs :

  • Jovon Johnson, Iowa
  • Nolan MacMillan, Iowa
  • Jacques Washington, Iowa State

2011

Wrong Winner : BC Lions

Correct Winner : Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Iowan who should've been champs :

  • Jovon Johnson, Iowa

2006

Wrong Winner : Saskatchewan Roughriders

Correct Winner : Calgary Stampeders

Iowan who should've been champs :

  • Sheldon Napastuk, Iowa State
  • Beau Gibbs, Northern Iowa

2004

Wrong Winner : Toronto Argonauts

Correct Winner : Montreal Alouettes

Iowan who should've been champs :

  • D.J. Johnson, Iowa
  • Darren Davis, Iowa State

2003

Wrong Winner : Edmonton Eskimos

Correct Winner : Montreal Alouettes

Iowan who should've been champs :

  • D.J. Johnson, Iowa

1992

Wrong Winner : Calgary Stampeders

Correct Winner : Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Iowan who should've been champs :

  • John Gregory, Northern Iowa

1990

Wrong Winner : Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Correct Winner : Edmonton Eskimos

Iowan who should've been champs :

  • Todd Smith, Morningside
  • Jeff Braswell, Iowa State

1988

Wrong Winner : Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Correct Winner : BC Lions

Iowan who should've been champs :

  • Jeff Braswell, Iowa State
  • Larry Crawford, Iowa State

1971

Wrong Winner : Calgary Stampeders

Correct Winner : Toronto Argonauts

Iowan who should've been champs :

  • Peter Paquette, Iowa
  • Jim Henderson, Simpson

1966

Wrong Winner : Saskatchewan Roughriders

Correct Winner : Ottawa Rough Riders

Iowan who should've been champs :

  • Jay Roberts, Des Moines

1963

Wrong Winner : Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Correct Winner : BC Lions

Iowan who should've been champs :

  • Willie Fleming, Iowa
  • Tom Walker, Iowa

1957

Wrong Winner : Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Correct Winner : Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Iowan who should've been champs :

  • Ken Ploen, Iowa
  • Leo Lewis, Des Moines
  • Frank Gilliam, Iowa
  • Wayne Robinson, Iowa

1953

Wrong Winner : Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Correct Winner : Edmonton Eskimos

Iowan who should've been champs :

  • Bill Briggs, Iowa

1952

Wrong Winner : Toronto Argonauts

Correct Winner : Edmonton Eskimos

Iowan who should've been champs :

  • Dick Steele, Drake
  • Bill Briggs, Iowa

1950

Wrong Winner : Toronto Argonauts

Correct Winner : Edmonton Eskimos

Iowan who should've been champs :

  • Bill Briggs, Iowa

1949

Wrong Winner : Montreal Alouettes

Correct Winner : Toronto Argonauts

Iowan who should've been champs :

  • Bill Briggs, Iowa

1948

Wrong Winner : Calgary Stampeders

Correct Winner : Toronto Argonauts

Iowan who should've been champs :

  • Bill Briggs, Iowa

1942/1943/1944

No known Iowa Connections in CFL

1940

Wrong Winner : Ottawa Rough Riders

Correct Winner : Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Iowan who should've been champs :

  • Wayne Sheley, Lone Tree

1938

Wrong Winner : Toronto Argonauts

Correct Winner : Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Iowan who should've been champs :

  • Wayne Sheley, Lone Tree


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