Ottawa submits bid for 2017 Grey Cup

[R.J]

http://ottawacitizen.com/sports/football/cfl/ottawas-bid-for-2017-grey-cup-has-been-submitted

Not surprised at all by this and hope that Ottawa nets the game. It would be great along side a Heritage/Winter Classic for Canada's "birthday" celebration.

[jerrym]

When Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group was given a CFL franchise, the CFL promised Ottawa would host a Grey Cup within four years of arriving in the league.
That four years will be up in 2017, but OSEG isn’t looking for any gimmes on this one — the RedBlacks want to host the 2017 Grey Cup not because of any promises, but because they think they’ve put together a bid that pays plenty of attention to detail. And, given that 2017 is Canada’s 150th birthday, it just makes a lot of sense for the grand national party to light up its candles here.
“We all recognize that it was a stated intention that we would host the Grey Cup (within four years),” OSEG president of sports Jeff Hunt said. “To say you rigidly stick to four years, you always have the option of changing something if it makes more sense. We’re not relying on that, we’re not going to go in and say, ‘Hey, it’s our turn.’ It still has to be earned. I think there was an expectation that we still had to put together a program that was deserving.”
The CFL board of governors will meet May 15-16, but Hunt doesn’t expect the Grey Cup will be green-lighted then.
“I’m sure it will be a conversation, but I don’t think there will be an absolute conclusive decision at those meetings,” he said. “We’re just continuing to roll along with our process of among other things demonstrating that we can meet all the criteria to host a very special Grey Cup. The stakes are a little higher because it’s Canada’s 150th birthday. I think the expectations are a little extra special, not unlike the 100th Grey Cup in a way. In that regard, I think everyone’s being a little extra diligent in making sure we’re not just meeting expectations of the Grey Cup that you would expect — that we’re going to do something special in recognition of the fact that it’s Canada’s 150th birthday. What better place to host it than in Canada’s capital?
“We feel pretty good we’re going to be successful, but we also want to make sure we give it the attention it deserves. We’re still ahead of what would be the normal timeline to announce a Grey Cup.

http://www.ottawasun.com/2016/04/29/redblacks-working-hard-to-host-2017-grey-cup