Today's Tidbit... Fog and the 1962 Grey Cup, Part II

As our coverage of the 1962 Grey Cup ended yesterday, the game had been suspended due to intense fog, with plans to resume action the next day, Sunday, at 12:30 PM. Immediate reactions to suspending the game were largely negative, but the reasons for the responses varied. Winnipeg coach Bud Grant called the delay "Ridiculous," claiming the people on the sideline could see every play. Tiger-Cats President and later CFL Commissioner Jake Gaudaur said the postponement was "the craziest I've ever heard of" since the teams and everyone else would have to return the following day. Fans from Toronto who were not Hamilton or Winnipeg supporters objected to spending the time and money to return for 9 minutes and 28 seconds of football.

A complaint voiced by one newspaper reporter that spread like wildfire was that the commissioner's decision was influenced by ABC and the U.S. audience set to watch the game. The thought that American television viewers' needs trumped those of Canadian fans in the stands was infuriating. That rumor was soon quashed when it became known that ABC had prepared to show a videotape of a CFL playoff game if needed; the rumor stuck around, nevertheless.

There were practical issues at the stadium as well. Fans had to show up with their ticket stubs the next day, but some had tossed them aside, causing some to wander the stadium grounds looking for stubs lying on the ground. The police department schedules had to change to provide Sunday traffic and crowd control after supervising the Torontonians who partied late into Saturday night regardless of the score. Drivers of cars parked in the area struggled to find their vehicles and to drive them home once located. At the same time, uniforms needed washing, training supplies needed replenishing, and the teams' travel and hotel arrangements had to change.