The sports world will be abuzz Wednesday night when the Golden State Warriors play their final game of the 2015-2016 NBA regular season versus the Memphis Grizzlies. A win over Memphis would see the Warriors (72-9) earn their 73rd win of the season, breaking the NBA record for most wins in a regular season currently held by the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls (72).
Chicago’s 72 single-season win total has often been considered one of professional sport’s unbreakable records — one that, no matter the effort of future generations, would stand forever.
With this in mind, let us take a look at six CFL records that will (likely) never be broken.
Henry Williams’ 26 career punt return touchdowns
The man they call ‘Gizmo’ played for the Eskimos for fifteen seasons, a remarkably long career for a CFL return man. Williams, who reportedly ran a 4.25 40-yard dash with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1989, is one of just two CFL players ever to reach double digits in punt return touchdowns. The other, former Tiger-Cat receiver Earl Winfield, recorded just eleven. For perspective, current Tiger-Cat Brandon Banks would need to keep up his current return touchdown pace for the next ten seasons to tie Williams’ all-time record. With all due respect to Speedy B, this record safe.
Bob Cameron’s 353 consecutive games played
Punters may take the fewest hits of any position in football, but Cameron’s mark of 353 consecutive games played is hugely impressive nonetheless. Cameron, who played with Winnipeg from 1980-2002 before retiring at age 48, didn’t miss a game with the blue and gold until the year 2000. Playing almost twenty seasons of professional football is an exceptional accomplishment on its own — playing that long without missing a contest is almost unfathomable.
Matt Dunigan’s 713 single-game passing yards
The story of Dunigan’s 713-yard game in July of 1994 has been a topic of discussion for CFL fans for over twenty years. The game, which was flawlessly documented by Ed Tait of the Winnipeg Free Press two years ago, featured what can only be considered an unmatchable feat of aerial mastery from one of the CFL’s all-time greatest passers. No player has ever come close to matching Dunigan’s record, the nearest being Anthony Calvillo who, in September of 1994, threw for 551 yards with the Las Vegas Posse. Between Dunigan’s outstanding total and the ever-tightening nature of CFL pass defences, this mark will never be bested.
Wally Buono’s 254 career coaching wins
Putting together a winning season is challenging in the CFL, yet that’s exactly what Wally Buono managed to do in 18 of his 22 seasons as head coach of the Stampeders (1990-2002) and Lions (2003-2011). Boasting a career winning percentage of .645, Buono became the CFL’s all-time winningest coach in 2009, passing Don Matthews’ career mark of 232. Buono will enter the 2016 CFL season as the Lions’ head coach after a four-year stint as the club’s general manager, meaning his all-time mark of 254 wins will grow before his eventual retirement. Excluding Buono, the CFL’s eight active head coaches boast a combined total of 151 career wins.
Lui Passaglia’s 3,991 career points
Passaglia’s career point total is so staggering that, in many ways, it is difficult to fully comprehend. Only 21 players in CFL history have ever reached the 1,000-point threshold — all kickers — with just nine reaching the 2,000-point plateau. Paul McCallum, the only player other than McCallum ever to reach the 3,000-point mark, recently retired 867 point shy of Passaglia’s career total. Passaglia’s mind-boggling point total aside, recent developments in the Canadian game have ensured that this record will never be broken. For one, it is becoming increasingly rare for CFL teams to assign both the placekicking and punting duties to a single player, limiting point scoring opportunities for dual-role specialists like Passaglia. Secondly, the CFL moved extra points to the 32-yard line prior to the 2015 regular season, making it more difficult for players to convert them on a consistent basis.
Calgary’s 25-game win streak
Including playoffs, the Calgary Stampeders went undefeated from August 25, 1948 to October 22, 1949 — an unbelievable feat, even in an early era of Canadian football. Such an accomplishment would simply be impossible to match in today’s game. Between free agency, the salary cap, and the tendency for dominant teams to rest starters late in the season, it is safe to say this record will never be broken.
