Big Moncton crowd celebrates the CFL
League commissioner says he's going to chat up N.B. politicians about the future
Fans started streaming onto the University of Moncton campus a couple of hours before kickoff of the first regular season game in the town's history, chowing down on barbecue and washing it down with cold beer at a massive tailgate party.
"I love the fact that the CFL might come to the Maritimes," said Mark Peterson of Kentville, N.S., as he stood outside a food tent proudly wearing an Edmonton Eskimos jersey.
"I'd like to see it more in Halifax than I would in Moncton, but it's nice to see it at least on the East Coast."
A few metres away, banging on a drum and dressed head-to-toe in Argonauts double blue, Toronto native David Chung said he couldn't believe the enthusiasm surrounding the game.
"My wife and I drove down. We can't believe you don't already have a team here," said Chung. "You sure like your football."
That's the kind of comments league commissioner Mark Cohon has been hearing all week.
"It's been an unbelievable experience — the entire week," said Cohon. "We're very excited by the potential here and we'd really like to work on getting a multi-year commitment here."
Cohon said he intended to start working the phones on Tuesday, the day after New Brunswick's provincial election, touching base with government officials about the way forward.
"I also have to cultivate relationships with the business leaders here," he said.
Edmonton won the game.