At this year’s Grey Cup, Eskimos fans are cheering: ‘Anybody but Calgary’

The question is: Should Edmonton fans still support the team representing the West? Or do they adhere to their age-old philosophy — ABC (Anybody But Calgary)?

Many are choosing the latter.

“(The Stamps) have been at the Cup the last two years and haven’t won, so hopefully they don’t win this year, either,” says Linda Smith, a longtime Esks’ fan who, together with her husband Dennis, has attended every Grey Cup for the last 11 years. The pair will be at Sunday’s game in yellow and green T-shirts they special-ordered with the letters “ABC” blazed across the front.

“ABC has kind of been a motto for diehard Eskimos fans since forever,” she said, adding that they’re both inherited a passion for the green and gold growing up in northern Alberta.

“That’s who our families have cheered for when we were growing up. And we keep cheering for them because of their legacy. They are one of the winningest team in CFL history and they have some of the greatest players.”

Compared to the Smiths, Carly Chartier is new to the Esks fandom, getting on board a year and a half ago after her two sons joined their school football teams. She bought tickets to the Grey Cup months ago, hoping to see the Eskimos on home turf.

When Edmonton was eliminated from the hunt, she pinned her hopes on Saskatchewan. When the Riders were beat by Winnipeg, she got excited about seeing the Blue Bombers in the final. She didn’t bank on Calgary making the Grey Cup.

“Not going to lie, I was pretty upset,” she said. “You just don’t cheer for Calgary.”