‘The best sporting event:’ Blue Bomber superfans meet up again at Grey Cup

Martin Shaff and Jay Diamond used to watch the Grey Cup when they lived in Winnipeg.

Now they go to the CFL final every year.

Shaff and Diamond are childhood friends from Winnipeg. After they grew up, Diamond became an engineer — which took him to the San Francisco Bay area in California — while Shaff stayed in Winnipeg to work for a grocery wholesale supplier.

Every year for the past 10 years, Shaff and Diamond have met up to take in the CFL’s title game. Despite being diehard Winnipeg Blue Bombers fans, they attend every Grey Cup game no matter where it is.

“By no means is this based on whether the Bombers are in it or not,” Shaff said earlier this week during the Grey Cup Festival in Regina.

Even though Shaff and Diamond live more than 3,000 kilometres apart, the Grey Cup gives them the opportunity to co-ordinate their schedules to take a few days off for some fun and football.

Diamond began bringing his friend Daisy Maccallum a few years ago. Maccallum is a United States citizen and this is her second CFL game; she hopes it also will be the second Bombers’ Grey Cup win she has witnessed.

Maccallum said she had to come back after attending the 2019 Grey Cup in Calgary.

“It really is the best sporting event where the fans are so wonderful to each other, which is hard to come by nowadays,” said Maccallum.

This is Maccallum’s first time in Regina. She said that outside of the weather, her first trip to the Queen City has been memorable because of the people.

“I have to say, the people is really what makes the city, and I feel like this is kind of like a home because everyone is so friendly,” said Maccallum.

The Blue Bombers megafans were decked out in jerseys, hats and stickers while walking around the Grey Cup Festival on the REAL District campus.

They said they’re enjoying the different activities like the Digital Zone, and are happy to see so many schools allowing kids to take part in the Grey Cup festivities.

Diamond couldn’t believe his eyes when Milt Stegall — a former Bombers star who’s now a TSN analyst — welcomed them to Regina.

“We’re meeting all of these CFL legends,” said Diamond. “I haven’t lived in Canada for over 30 years, so these guys would have been playing when I lived here last.”

Shaff said they hopefully can avoid the walk of shame that happened in 2011 when the Blue Bombers were defeated 34-23 by the B.C. Lions in the Grey Cup game in Vancouver.

The three are going to spend their time until opening kickoff meeting fans in other team party rooms.