The Grey Cup returns this December 12 after a long wait of two years. The defending champions are the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who famously defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2019, winning the 107th Grey Cup held in Calgary, Alberta.
This year, it will be the 108th CFL championship in an 11th turn for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats as the hosts of the event. It will be the first CFL event to be held at the Tim Hortons Field, and the first Grey Cup since 1972 to have taken place in the last month of the year.
Within two months of the conclusion of the upcoming Grey Cup, the Super Bowl will start in February in Los Angeles. The 56th edition of the Super Bowl also has its fair share of unique attributes. It will be the first Super Bowl to be held in February, and the first Super Bowl at the new SoFi stadium in Inglewood, California.
Read on as we take a quick look at some of the other comparisons that can be made between the two famous championships.
Scoring
For the most part, scoring in the NFL and CFL is quite similar. Each touchdown is worth six points, each conversion is worth 1 to 2 points, a field goal is worth three points, and safety is worth two points.
However, the CFL has always been marketed as a higher-scoring game. It is also viewed as a faster game in comparison to the NFL.
Over the last 25 editions of the CFL and NFL championships, 1312 and 1201 points have been scored, respectively. Here it can be seen how the Grey cup is the higher-scoring game.
However, fans of the games prefer seeing touchdowns over more points. In terms of touchdowns, the NFL takes the lead with 142 touchdowns compared to 130 of the Grey Cup.
In summary, research carried out by Betway shows that the Grey Cup is the higher-scoring game, but the NFL has more touchdowns.
Halftime shows
One of the biggest reasons behind the universal popularity of the NFL Super Bowl is its halftime show, which generates millions of dollars in revenue each year.
Some of the most iconic celebrities and musicians have displayed their talents on the Super Bowl stage, including Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Prince, Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, the Rolling Stones, and more.
Compared to the NFL halftime show, the Grey Cup show is a smaller affair. However, the halftime show has seen its fair share of the most popular celebrities on the planet, including Justin Bieber, Céline Dion, the Black Eyed Peas, Nickelback, Imagine Dragons, Shania Twain, Carly Rae Jepsen, Lenny Kravitz, and more. Arkells are all set to perform at the halftime show this year.
Weather
Weather is one area where the CFL easily defeats the NFL. All Super Bowl events are purposely conducted in warmer cities or covered stadiums. It has led to very few weather-related incidents in NFL history.
On the other hand, the CFL has a limited choice of covered stadiums in Canada, which is why they cannot be expected to hold the Grey cup each year. It means that weather-related elements tend to affect the Grey Cup, increasing its unpredictability.
Conclusion
While it is almost impossible to hold a candle to the NFL Super Bowl as an internationally viewed, universally loved the sporting event, the Grey Cup stacks up quite well in comparison. Not only is the Grey Cup a higher-scoring, wilder weather game, it is also nearly two times older than the NFL Super Bowl with a richer history. Although it is not as extravagant as the Super Bowl, it is an authentic celebration of Canadian sports and always a good watch.
