1972

[D]

1972
Schenley introduced their new Outstanding Rookie Award. New Lions' faces included Rocky Long, Johnny Musso, Ray Nettles and Al Wilson, but a 5-11 record dropped them to fifth. Jim Young wins his second Schenley as Outstanding Canadian.

Western Football Conference Team GP W L T PF PA Pts
Winnipeg Blue Bombers 16 10 6 0 401 300 20
Edmonton Eskimos 16 10 6 0 380 368 20
Saskatchewan Roughriders 16 8 8 0 330 283 16
Calgary Stampeders 16 6 10 0 331 394 12
British Columbia Lions 16 5 11 0 254 380 10

Eastern Football Conference Team GP W L T PF PA Pts
Hamilton Tiger-Cats 14 11 3 0 372 262 22
Ottawa Rough Riders 14 11 3 0 298 228 22
Montreal Alouettes 14 4 10 0 246 353 8
Toronto Argonauts 14 3 11 0 254 298 6

Eastern Semi-Finals - Montreal Alouettes 11 Ottawa Rough Riders 14
Western Finals - Saskatchewan Roughriders 8 Edmonton Eskimos 6

Western Finals - Saskatchewan Roughriders 27 Winnipeg Blue Bombers 24
Eastern Finals - Hamilton Tiger-Cats 7 Ottawa Rough Riders 19
Eastern Finals - Ottawa Rough Riders 8 Hamilton Tiger-Cats 23
Hamilton won 2 game total-point series by 30-27. The Tiger-Cats will advance to the Grey Cup Championship game.

Grey Cup Championship
December 3

60th Annual Grey Cup Game: Ivor Wynne Stadium - Hamilton, Ontario
Western Champion Eastern Champion
Saskatchewan Roughriders 10 Hamilton Tiger-Cats 13
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are the 1972 Grey Cup Champions
Chuck Ealey (QB), Hamilton Tiger-Cats - Grey Cup's Most Valuable Player.
Ian Sunter (K), Hamilton Tiger-Cats - Grey Cup's Most Valuable Canadian.

[D]

I don't think it was my 1st game but the first game I remember being at was in 1972 when the Hamilton Tiger Cats lead by rookie QB Chuck Ealey beat the Lions in a come from behind game. The Ti cats went on to win the cup that year.

[David]

Ahh yes, 1972. Likely the Leos' best recruiting year ever. Of course, this was before the stratospheric NFL TV contracts which has created a wide chasm between the two leagues, but that year we recruited All-Americans Ray Nettles, a linebacker from Tennessee, Alabama legend Johnny Musso, and Ron Estay from LSU (all from the Southeastern Conference). Add to that QB Don Bunce from Stanford who'd just played in a Rose Bowl, competing with former Rose Bowl QB Don Moorhead from Michigan, now in his second year with the club - and you can see why there was cause for optimism at the time.

Unfortunately, that optimism was unfounded. Great individual performances from that recruiting class (especially Nettles - Estay was good but later ended up an All-Star with the Eskies and Musso was often injured in his 3 seasons here).

1972 was also the Lions' return to orange jerseys. They'd been wearing black at home since the late 50's.

DH 8)